Shrev checked his watch. "9:24 AM. Where is our Amatyi of Haven?" He asked the room at large. Raekhimnijong twitched in his chair. Doumont sipped his iced tea. Annabelle, leaning against the wall near the door, casually pulled out a knife and rubbed it on her shirt.
"9:30 AM." The Dictator announced. "As per policy, this meeting doesn't start with one absent. Annabelle, go get our Amatyi, would you?"
"By your command, Sir." Annabelle saluted, knife in hand, before walking out of the conference room humming a jaunty tune.
"Thank you." Shrev acknowledged her. "I really need to get a mistress." He added quietly as his eyes wandered across her retreating form.
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Zoe slipped on a pink dress and black 6" heels, then started for the door. Phillip had left not ten minutes ago. The door opened suddenly, revealing "Annabelle." Zoe sighed.
"You're late." Annabelle observed. "Boss says they need you at the meeting." Annabelle started down the corridor.
Zoe hastened forward, desperately trying to keep up with Annabelle's half-run without tripping.
"By the way: Those shoes? Fun in bed with some guys, but a pretty terrible choice on a military airship." Annabelle observed neutrally.
"I'd love to see you walk in these." Zoe hissed through gritted teeth. "Miss Tomboy."
"Join the club." Annabelle eyed Zoe. "And that dress? Points for choosing a short skirt which doesn't interfere with your legs, but I'm certain that's not why you picked it."
"Not everything is about fighting." Zoe retorted hotly. "Sometimes you can let your hair down, be pretty."
"Not about fighting? Funny hearing that from an Amatyi." Annabelle replied coolly. "I thought you guys learned how to be strong from the jungle. So far, not impressed."
"No, really. I can see you in some nice blue shoes, white ankle-length dress - you'd be beautiful." Zoe argued. "If you like, we can have a date - I show you how to act like a girl, maybe be a human."
"So I can be slow, stupid, and helpless with nowhere to hide my guns?" Annabelle answered with a slight edge in her voice.
"Being strong isn't about not having weaknesses!" Zoe shouted furiously. "It's about putting yourself, your life, back together every time it falls apart."
"I prefer just not falling apart." Annabelle stated calmly.
"How are you even still employed?" Zoe whispered angrily.
"Because I'm the best there is." Annabelle replied. "If you don't like me, get your butt to the meetings on time so I don't have to escort you."
"I...had a good reason for not being on time." Zoe blushed slightly.
"Playing with your toy pilot is not something we regulate, Amatyi." Annabelle explained. "But it is not an excuse for being late."
"What? How do you...how....you...." Zoe stammered, flustered.
"I know everything that happens on this ship." Annabelle stated simply. "Except I didn't know that until a few seconds ago - that Flight Officer Seymour chooses to spend his leave time on this ship is a powerful argument, but isn't absolute."
"You can't tell this to anyone." Zoe begged.
"I don't need to." Annabelle replied cheerfully. "It's a complete secret, so naturally the entire ship knows."
"Since when is my love life public record?" Zoe spluttered. "And if the whole ship knows, why hasn't anyone pressured him about it?"
"This is a big ship, but we're one community. That's because almost everyone on this ship is some sort of VIP - they run the gamut of too respectful all the way to can't use the favors." Annabelle answered. "Keep up." She admonished when Zoe began to fall behind.
"Hey! Slow down a litt-" Zoe tripped and fell halfway through her sentence.
Annabelle stopped. "Get up, Amatyi." She growled.
"Gah." Zoe expressed. "I wouldn't have tripped if you weren't going so fast."
"You wouldn't have tripped if you'd picked boots or gone barefoot." Annabelle observed. "Come on."
"One minute!" Zoe shouted as she began to haul herself up.
"I figure you're a big bad Amatyi, you can catch up." Annabelle turned and replied flippantly.
"Oh that's it!" Zoe somehow dashed forward and slugged Annabelle in the face. "You have been asking for that since I arrived on this ship!" Zoe yelled furiously as Annabelle staggered two steps backwards. "I don't know and I don't care what your deal is. Keep your insecurities to yourself."
Annabelle wiped her mouth, noted the lack of blood, then raised her fists. "Biggest mistake of your life."
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"10:22 AM." Shrev announced to the conference room irritatedly. "I go to all the trouble of working up a schedule, getting it printed, distributing it to everyone, making sure all the times add up and - quite frankly, I'd expect this from Annabelle, but other people?"
"It's possible our Amatyi got lost and Annabelle had to find her." Doumont observed neutrally.
"Why are we even concerned about them being here?" Raekhimnijong asked earnestly. "Zoe hasn't said a word on policy ever, and Annabelle just stands right next to the door looking sexy."
Shrev raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to pretend you meant 'menacing'."
"Menacing, sexy, sometimes the same thing." Raekhimnijong said absently.
"Okay, I'm going to pretend a hole in space swallowed that last sentence. Therefore, that's what happened." The Dictator commanded.
Annabelle sauntered through the door, a bruise upon her left cheek and the biggest smile Shrev could remember seeing upon her face.
"Annabelle! You're here." Shrev exclaimed happily.
"What happened to you?" Doumont questioned with concern. "Should we call a nurse?"
"I'm fine, I just walked into a pole." Annabelle explained happily.
"I'm glad you're okay." The Dictator stated honestly, looking her directly in the eyes.
A minute stretched out, then Zoe stumbled into the conference room. Her dress was ripped, she had two black eyes and several visible bruises, and was barefoot.
"Oh my god, what happened to you?!" Doumont and Raekhimnijong exclaimed at the same time.
"I....fell down...some stairs." Zoe gasped.
"Some stairs?" Shrev asked with concern.
"Okay...a lot of..stairs." Zoe clarified painfully. "Maybe all the stairs."
"And still made it to the 9 AM sharp meeting at 10:26 AM." The Dictator observed. "Would you please take a seat? You look like you're going to collapse."
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