Vita Nova [AL]

Luckily for Keith, Valled did remember his face. Not many looked like him, and still even though the Bavethjan had some some difficulty telling apart the members of species with only two eyes, they still identified Keith. Or so they hoped.

Valled made sure they were presentable, straightened their clothing, head and shoulder fincrests. They took a deep breath and tapped Keith on the shoulder, hoping the other wouldn't be so startled that he'd snap or something.

"Hello?, Keith?, I'm Valled!"
 
Keith squeaked in shock and jumped, spinning around. "Oh!" he gasped. "Oh, yes, Valled," he stammered nervously. "Thank you for finding me. I am not so good in crowds. They all look the same to me. Sorry." He took a breath and forced himself to calm down. "It is nice to finally meet you." He held out a hand to shake. "I am Keith." Duh, Valled had just called him by name, but the simple formality was soothing.
 
The guide's three fingered grip was firm and confident when they shook Keith's hand and gave him a sharp toothed grin.

"I'm very happy to meet you as well!, and don't worry, crowds can be pretty unsettling for many of us." They replied, as their earfins wiggled for a couple of seconds.

"now.. follow me please, let's get you on board with everyone else. We're almost ready to depart." They said next, gesturing for Keith to follow them as they started walking towards a very solitary security row. Waiting to pass through the scanners were only about five or six people, instead of twenty or thirty like in the rest of them.
 
Keith stayed close, still clutching his bag strap tightly. Anyone watching might have thought he was afraid of thieves, but the truth was the rough texture of the strap soothed him. It reassured him that all was well. It gave him a focus. Plus, it reminded him of the plushie thing they'd given him at the beginning. He really liked the plushie thing. He'd named it Barnaby.

"Why is this line shorter and different?" he dared ask his new companion.
 
The security guard greeted Valled by name as they approached, and gave Keith a court nod of acknowledgment.

"It's a VIP line for people in the Alien Life program, we get all kinds of perks" answered Valled with a smile.

"Now just stand in the scanner and we'll be right through. I'll be right behind you Keith" They said.

The scanner was an upright, thick cylinder with at least three layers of spinning devices that soon stopped and let out some steam through a series of valves. There was now an opening Keith could easily step through, the interior wasn't completely dark, as it had some neons and holoscreens.
 
Keith hesitated nervously outside the scanner, the hissing of the steam making him jump slightly. This was a scary unknown! Keith couldn't remember when he started fearing things like this, potential unknown dangers. He used to jump headlong into the situations that lead him here. Now... he waited on the edge as if waiting for someone to push him.

Steeling himself, he forced himself to walk forward into the device, his eyes slitted almost closed as he readied himself. He wasn't sure what was about to happen, but Valled was here. They wouldn't let him come to harm, right?
 
"You're doing great, Keith!, keep it up." Said Valled, their earfins pulled tight against their skull in nervousness and concern. It was a perfectly safe scan, but a first exposure to it made many people uneasy. Scared travellers, scared ex-criminals with a history of violence were very unpredictable. Alien Life could help them leave it behind, but it didn't mean starting anew. They all had trauma, experiences, nightmares... or had given them to someone else.

"Just remember to step out in ten seconds, on the other side, and I'll be right behind you!" Said Valled.
 
Keith nodded to show he understood and held still. The machine hummed loudly, and soft clicking noises happened from somewhere in the darkness. It felt like something might be moving, but Keith didn't dare look. He counted, forcing himself to go slow as the scanner judged him most severely.

"8... 9... 10!" he gasped and all but threw himself forward out the door.

Shaking, Keith turned to look at what he'd gone through. The scanner stood still, imposing, but not threatening anymore. He swallowed hard, still trembling, but managed a little smile. He made it! And he never wanted to go through another one again. Hastily, he moved out of the way and waited for Valled to join him.
 
For Valled it was a standard procedure already, so they stepped into the scanner without fear and waited, humming a little song. They were proud of Keith for doing so well, managing his emotions and not panicking.
If he had, both Valled and security were ready though, and it wouldn't be a problem.

A few meters away, an alien with their body covered in dark fur, protruding fangs and a tail was breathing into a paper bag.
"It's alright, you're doing amazing" Said another Bavethjan, a deeper blue than Valled, helping the other get through their panic.
 
Keith tried to smile at Valled and focus only on him. "Thank you for coming," he said softly but sincerely. Part of him hadn't expected to see Valled again. "I... I don't know how much more I can handle. How much is left? I mean, what is left?"
 
"Just some more queues and then actually boarding, but we have time. Why don't we take it easy and eat something before we continue?, There's a sitting area ahead". Said Valled, leading Keith away from the tense area of the security scanners.
 
At that moment, Keith would have followed Valled anywhere, possibly even off a cliff. "When can we board?" he asked, twitching slightly and trying to avoid bumping into anyone. He tried to focus entirely on Valled and the strap in his hands.
 
"We should get in queue in about an hour, give or take fifteen minutes. We'll be using Earth time measurements a lot from now on, strange as they can be at times. Did you know humans use twenty four hour cycles?, some of the staff is human where we're going. Ah! Here we are" Said Valled, as they arrived to a medium sized area separated from the rest by half walls. Inside, there were tables and seats.
 
"Humans live in a very short life," Keith murmured, following Valled. "They spend much of their life sleeping, but their body punishes them if they do not get enough. How very discouraging, don't you think?"

Gingerly, Keith took a seat with his back to the wall and closed his eyes. This was a little better. A little quieter.
 
"True, but most beings need rest" Said Valled, pulling a small green carton box from their pocket.
"I brought processed kale for me, and some blood for you if that'd help you feel better?. I wasn't sure, but you can always drink it later instead." Said Valled, looking a little sheepish.
 
Keith's eyes opened with interest. "Oh, you brought blood? Thank you. I did not think it would be allowed, and most people are very squeamish around the substance. Thank you for doing that." He looked down, a faint pink tinge coming to his cheeks. No one had done such a nice thing for him in a long time.
 
"No problem Keith!, That's what I'm here for. If you ever need something, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it. Don't expect miracles though." Said Valled with a light hearted chuckle. They dug into their seemingly very deep pockets and found a plastic package. It was painted black on the outside, warm to the touch, and it was squishy.

"Here. It's synthetic red blood. We don't actually know if you can have Bavethjan blood... It's something we'd like to test. If you're willing of course."
 
Keith accepted the bag gingerly then purred quietly at the feel of the heat. Perfect temperature! He just held it for a moment before answering Valled.

"I don't think I'd be able to digest Bacethjan blood, but I'd like to try, yes," he agreed. "For testing purposes, I mean."

He started examining the bag. Some were designed to have a straw inserted, and some were supposed to be opened some other way. He finally found the insert where the straw or tube was supposed to go and used a canine to delicately puncture the bag. He held it to his lips and drank slowly. The synthetic type had a slightly tangy taste, almost like citrus, as opposed to the metallic taste of real blood, but he'd grown accustomed to the difference. The heat spread through him, settling his jangling nerves.
 
Valled watched as Keith drank, not hiding their very obvious curiosity. They could smell the fake blood faintly, as much as anyone. After all, their senses only multiplied in the water.

"This question is a little silly, but have you ever lived next to the sea?, we have a coast where we're going. The trip is a bit long though." They said, slowly munching on crunchy kelp bits. They tasted better once hydrated and mixed with fish entrails or raw diced akiche, but this would do for now. It was still a good snack.
 
It was difficult to slow his slurping, but Keith managed to force himself to stop and focus on the question Valled posed. "The sea?" he repeated. He thought back over his life briefly. "Mmm, no, though I have visited there from time to time. I never stayed in one place for long enough to consider myself as 'living' there." He smiled faintly. "I do enjoy the sparkle of the water in the moonlight!"

He sipped a bit more then looked at his new friend. Should he be talking? Should he be making conversation? Probably. That was what friends did, right? They conversed with each other. That meant he should talk to Valled about... things. Past things, right? What kind of past things? Oh! Perhaps something pertaining to what they had just talked about!

"Have you lived next to a sea?" he asked. Then he winced, realizing he was speaking to a fish-type being. Of course, they'd lived there! "I am sorry, that was a stupid question," he mumbled. Making friends was hard!
 
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