Homestar Saga

Chapter 137: Meeting of the Minds

The conference room was larger than the lab, but not by much. The center of the room contained a long table. There was a small console and holoprojector in front of each chair. A larger holodisplay sat in the center of the table. A small counter in the back of the room held no less than six coffee pots, all brewing their special brew under the watchful eyes of Captain Mims. Three machines sat next to the coffee station, each ready to dispense a different selection of snacks. Yvian opened the display on one, but all the choices were small dead animals and fish.

"That one's for the Vrrl," Dr. Laswell told her. "You want the one on the right."

"Oh."

Yvian was debating whether or not she wanted a third cup of coffee when the door slid open. A human bounced in. Literally. She jumped into the room with a shout Yvian's translator didn't recognize. The sound was something like, "HEYOOOO!"

The sound was confusing enough to delay Yvian from taking in the woman's appearance. The woman's appearance nearly made Yvian drop her empty cup. The woman was a few centimeters shorter than Yvian, with pale skin and big eyes and curly frizzy hair. She wore an odd pair of glass circles on a frame over her eyes. She did not wear much else.

Yvian was no stranger to the female form. Nudity was common among pixens, and the human's outfit wasn't much different from standard pixen attire. In fact, a closer look showed her it was standard pixen attire. So why couldn't Yvian pick her jaw up off the floor? At the time she figured the woman was just that beautiful. Vivacious and shapely and not afraid to show it. Only later would she realize she hadn't seen many women other than her sister these past few years, and none dressed as provocatively as this one.

"Yuriko," Dr. Laswell sounded pained. "What are you wearing?"

"Oh, this?" Yuriko spun a circle, showing off a body that... Well. "I'm going native." She caught Yvian staring. Her smile widened, and she gave the pixen a wink. "Do you like it?"

"Where is your voidsuit?" Dr. Laswell asked.

"Undergoing maintenance." Yuriko's gaze lingered on Yvian a moment longer before she turned and made her way to the coffee. Yvian noticed she put a little extra sashay into her step. "Long story, not important." She poured herself a cup. "So. Are you going to introduce me?"

"I suppose." Dr. Laswell swiveled in her chair, gesturing at the half nude human. "This is Doctor Yuriko Miner, our biochemistry expert. Dr. Miner, this is Mark Mims," she pointed, "Kilroy, and Yvian."

"It's nice to meet..." Dr. Miner trailed off, frowning as she examined Yvian. "Hey... You're the one that almost killed us!"

"Uh..." Yvian gave an embarrassed little wave. "...Hi?"

The woman regarded Yvian critically for a moment longer. Then she smiled and waved back. "Hi!" At the pixen's confused expression, Yuriko shrugged. "I saw you commune with the Last Hope of The Ones Who Were Betrayed. I'm told you felt everything she felt. I'd want to murder us, too." She set down her cup and walked to Yvian, holding out her hand. "Friends?"

"Uh..." Crunch take it, Yvian needed to stop staring and pull herself together. Her inner monologue berated itself as she took Yuriko's hand. "Sure?"

"Excellent." Dr. Miner gave a firm shake, then used her grip to pull Yvian out of her chair and into a hug. The human was wearing perfume, something sweet and subtle that mixed with the smell of her skin. Yvian froze. In the few seconds it took for her to pull herself together, Yuriko let go and stepped back with a smile. "Friends it is."

"Dr. Miner," Dr. Laswell chided. "Can you please refrain from sexually harassing our employers?"

"I'm not harassing..." Yuriko started to deny. She stopped when she caught Yvian's expression. "Oh." The human's face turned bright red. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I thought..."