Of Men and Spiders

Since moving off-world into their temporary new home, Charlotte had the opportunity to observe human behavior in an atmosphere that was at least somewhat closer to their chosen environment. Alice had remained relatively consistent, but Scott and Lacy had changed dynamically.

At first, Scott had been somewhat listless. However, with the appearance of the pirates, the subsequent raid, and the introduction of the new occupant on their ship, he was back to his focused and driven self. Perhaps he required someone to be dependent upon him for motivation? With Alice becoming more self-sufficient in her new body, he hadn't seemed as engaged as he had been on the planet below, but now that another human seemed to depend on him, even if neither appeared to be aware of that relationship, Charlotte could tell he was considerably more active again.

The new guest seemed to be behaving herself so far. As predicted, she was exhibiting what appeared to be the usual human response of fear and anxiety at Charlotte's appearance but otherwise seemed to focus on resting. However, as both Scott and Lacy seemed to think she could very well pose a threat to the ship, Charlotte kept a close eye on her, ready to report any changes in behavior to Scott or directly intervene as she deemed appropriate.

Then there was Lacy, now going by Lucy. She'd changed the most. Where before, her motivations seemed to be the immediate safety of her children, and she'd been forced into a more reactionary role, now she was taking a more proactive method of dealing with threats to her family. She told Charlotte she was being driven by anger, but this wasn't chemically supplied energy Charlotte typically associated with human anger. Instead, Lucy seemed to behave more like Scott, thinking several steps ahead, but rather than focusing on protection and sustainability like Scott, she seemed to focus her energy entirely on eliminating those she deemed dangerous. If that was typical human behavior, that could be cause for concern in future relations with the species, given how they naturally viewed Charlotte.

A light mental touch let Charlotte know Alice was done tending the field as Scott had asked. She seemed to be impatiently waiting for her brother to come see her progress. "Where's Scott?"

Charlotte sent back a sense of congratulations for a job well done, as Alice seemed highly motivated by positive reinforcement before answering. "He is currently showing our new 'guest' the rec room."

Alice pouted. "Well, what am I supposed to do now? I finished working in the garden, and I'm not supposed to let his new friend see me..."

Charlotte considered available options for a moment. "Would you like to draw or maybe play some checkers?"

Alice sent back a feeling of discontent at the ideas. "No. I drew all morning, and I don't feel like drawing anymore, and you always beat me at checkers..."

A moment later, Alice's feelings changed from discontent to something Charlotte has come to think of as troublesome thinking. It usually meant Alice was trying to find a way to do something she'd been told not to by using the specifics of what Scott or Lacy had said. "Well, Scott said I couldn't let his friend see me, but that doesn't mean I can't see or talk to her..."

Scott's prohibition on letting their guest see Alice had been born out of fear of how the pirate would react to seeing Alice, so the logic of her argument was valid. However, there was still cause for concern. "But wouldn't it be difficult for you to see and speak with Cleo without her seeing you?"

Alice pounced on that tidbit of information like a predator pouncing on prey. "Her name's Cleo? That's a pretty name! Is she pretty?"

Charlotte was unsure of how to answer that. Human attractiveness was based on the biological drive for reproduction. However, the concept seems to have superseded its origin, as even without the chemical responses, Alice could still have an opinion of whether or not someone was pretty. Still, Charlotte had noticed several basic concepts that seemed to be consistent. "Her features are largely symmetrical and smaller than the average I've observed. She has chosen to augment her features with various small metallic implants and has further decorated her body using chemical injections into her dermal layer. Furthermore, her hair is a much more vibrant color than typical among humans..."

Alice crossed her arms and pouted again. "She sounds like a floozy!"

That was a new term. The word was conveyed with various feelings of discontent. Although Alice was rarely the best source of definitions for specific words, Charlotte desired more context. "What is a 'floozy?'"

With a sense of pride at being able to answer, Alice replied. "Mom said a floozy is someone who tries to steal other women's men!"

Well, that could definitely be a reason for concern. However, Charlotte felt it was somewhat implausible. "While she has good muscle definition, given her smaller frame, I doubt Cleo could lift Scott for long, let alone steal him. Also, if she tried, I would intervene."

Alice giggled in a way that meant Charlotte had misunderstood. Usually, this resulted from one of the words she chose being used in a different context than usual. "Not like that, silly! A floozy steals men by making them want to go with her!"

Charlotte considered this a moment longer. "I doubt Scott would want to leave you or this ship for this female."

Alice was apparently not done pouting. "But she's already stolen some of his time!"

In a way, Charlotte supposed that was true. "By that argument, I, too, stole much of Scott's time from you, both down on the planet and up here on the ship. Does that make me a 'floozy?'"

Alice giggled, and finally, the pouting feeling gave way to mirth. "No, silly! You're not a floozy, you're Charlotte!"

Charlotte was unsure of the distinction but decided that pursuing the logic further would likely lead to continued misunderstanding. Still, it was good to know Alice did not consider her a 'floozy.'

-

Cleo was glad to have gotten the chance to move around a bit, but as it had been several days since her last exercise, she was more sore than usual. Thankfully, for once, she had her own hot shower that could help relieve that problem. She was just about to take said shower when the com in the room chimed. She briefly considered teasing Scott by asking if the "lover boy" had forgotten something when a different voice spoke to her. It sounded much younger and more feminine. "Hey, floozy, I just wanted to say hi!"

Thinking back, Scott had mentioned he had a younger sister onboard. He was probably keeping her safe by preventing Cleo from seeing the girl, but evidently, she had other plans. Though the fact she started out by calling Cleo a floozy brought a smile to her lips. If nothing else, she liked the girl's spunk.

Cleo triggered the com back, answering. "Floozy here; I guess I'm talking to Scott's little sister? You can call me Cleo, by the way."

The voice almost sounded annoyed. Maybe she'd been hoping for a more indignant response. "Floozy is good enough for you! Charlotte told me all about you! You just want to steal Scott, don't you?"

Charlotte told her all about Cleo? As in the spiders? She knew kids often had imaginary friends, but thinking of the giant spider monsters as a friend was definitely some next-level stuff! Still, the girl's insistence on using the word "floozy" made Cleo chuckle. "I don't know what Charlotte has told you, but I don't want to steal anyone. I'm just happy not to be working for a bunch of pirates anymore! But what's your name? I can't just keep calling you 'Scott's little sister.'"

There was a moment of silence before the girl answered. "I'm Alice. I just want you to know I'm watching you! Don't try and steal my big brother, or else!"

Cleo shook her head. This kid was certainly focused. "I promise I won't steal him or any other brothers. Not today, and not while I'm a guest on your ship."

There was another moment of silence before Alice answered. "Good." Then, after another pause. "Do you know how to play checkers?"