Hearing what Yusef was longing for almost made Kalisha immediately offer to drop her contraceptive potion on the ground and let him impregnate her right here and now. She was getting horny again just thinking about it.
But even as she said, “I love you...always” while they held each other and babbled sweet Sudaish nothings into his ear that she wasn’t sure he understood, she didn’t know for sure if this would always work. Love might be temporary, but children were forever, and Kalisha, letting logic cool her, knew better than to bring anyone new into this world until they could support them and until they were married.
At least, that was her plan...and she also planned to stay off of alcohol, sweetgrass, and any kind of direct eye contact with his psychic trance for a while as a result. Then he patted her buttocks as a form of goodbye, and she thought with a contented sigh as she went to sleep next to Sajida that everything might be alright.
When she woke up the next morning, got dressed in not much more than a silky bathrobe that loosely hung from her curves, and headed down to the workshop, she grinned as she saw pieces of clockwork from her old arm scattered about, and a note:
Kalisha,
Did a little digging to help with your arm, think about me when you're wrapping your new arms around Chloe. A bit of the old, a bit of the new, and a bit of me will be in you.
Work hard and see you when I wake,
Love,
Yusef
When she picked it up to put it aside, she found another note. This one from Chloe:
Hi Kalisha,
I like you. Do you like me too? Please circle one.
Yes
No
Love,
Chloe
P.S. Look under the table. I was able to reuse some of the metal from the exploded camels, while the rest is going to help strengthen my plane to carry all of us out of here. (The rest of the needed components will come from the wreckage of the Leaky Bucket, which I went to this morning; I’ll be back soon, I promise). I’ll make sure Akari makes it up to you- ha.
Kalisha teared up with joy as she saw a
steam-powered prosthetic arm. It would be more resistant to damage, able to carry more weight, punch harder, etc. But as she dried her tears, she worried about overheating from excessive steam buildup cooking her arm stump, and about how well she could perform fine motor tasks without the delicacy of clockwork.
P.P.S. In case you were worried about overheating, I made a leather and wood end piece that attaches to your shoulder and should block steam from hitting your skin. Also, make a gesture with your arm like you’re making an armpit fart, and that should vent excess steam. Perhaps we can even figure out how to direct it against enemies like Yusef did for the camels. As for the clockwork that was part of your old arm- I confess I don’t know much about it. But I look forward to you teaching me.
Other than Chloe’s stubborn insistence on once again traveling to the desert alone, and her silly armpit fart related joke, and her apparent ability to work all night somehow (oh, there were so many things wacky about that woman!), Kalisha smiled from ear to ear at how thoughtful and kind she was. She couldn’t wait to
really thank Chloe.
Serendipity was on her side, as Chloe and Hopper landed her
new and improved plane, much larger and with room enough for all of them to sit for any long journey. Kalisha whistled as she saw the brilliant, slightly demented young woman run up to her for a hug.
Then Kalisha threaded her fingers through Chloe’s fiery hair, gripped her head tightly, and kissed her. “Does that answer your question?”
“Weeee...” Chloe giggled after she froze, the pilot’s mental compass going haywire from Kalisha’s affections.
Kalisha worried that she broke her sweet little Caledorian, but asked, “Thank you for your kind gesture...perhaps I can give you a reward?” with a wink.
Chloe may have been spacey for the past thirty seconds, but she wasn’t stupid. “You mean...making me your girl?” When Kalisha nodded, Chloe dragged her into Kalisha’s room to make love. Kalisha thought it was strange that Sajida wasn’t there, but thought nothing of it as Chloe mischievously laughed and snuggle pounced her.
In point of fact, Sajida was sleeping naked next to an equally nude Yusef, hoping to get some with him. Unbeknownst to her, Akari had arrived later and was lying on top of him in uniform, as she was accustomed to.