Lifespan Deathwatch

[Damien McEwan]

Nivek woke to the smell of coffee in his nose and bright sunlight penetrating his eyelids, as Keighley moved his legs and sunk into her seat at the edge of the couch.

He heard a flame ignite, then a sizzle, and the aroma of kalisti filled the air.

"Best hangover cure in the whole of Sirius." she said, while holding in her smoke.

He leaned up into a sitting position and harvested the crust out of his eyes with a yawn.

He was definitely hungover. "Thanks." he said to Keighley as she passed the joint to him, and he allowed himself to take a deep hit.

"What are your plans today?" She asked him, as Nivek passed the kalisti back over.

He gave it some thought and answered, "Well, I'm stuck here on the planet until I make some money, so, the best thing I can do is go find a job."

"Good idea." she said, "but first things first: You smell like beer sweat and need a shower."

Nivek smelled his shirt, then one of his armpits, and was forced to agree.

"Be right back." she chirped as she hopped up, and crossed the small apartment into her bedroom.

A knock came at the door as Nivek reached for the kalisti smouldering in the tray on the table, and Alia announced her presence as she came inside. "Hey Leigh, it's me!"

"Be right there!" Keighley shouted back from the other room.

Alia took a seat next to Nivek on the edge of the couch, & happily took a draw from the joint when he passed it to her.

Keighley came back into the living area and set some clean clothes on the coffee table and said, "These belonged to an ex. I'm pretty sure they'll fit...We have a uh, staff meeting downstairs, so after your shower, feel free to make yourself comfortable until we come back up."

Alia leaned over to Nivek and whispered with a conspiratorial smirk, "Yeah, we're all probably going to talk about you the whole time."

As the girls walked to the door to go downstairs, Alia turned and said, "Don't wait too long on that shower. You smell like a wet dog with the beer farts."

"I've been getting alot of that today." He replied with an embarrassed smile and shrug while waving them out the door.

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