Work Text:
He thoroughly massaged the base of his ears and fluffed up his fur, grimacing at the knots that were forming. Even universes apart, he could feel the Lor's disapproval.
Magolor blearily opened his eyes. He was in his room on the Lor. He gave a small yawn and tried to go back to sleep. Another hour wouldn't hurt. A small mist of water hit his face just then, causing him to jump up, hissing at whatever dared interrupt his sleep. It was cold. He looked up just as a panel on the ceiling finished closing.
"Loooooooor," he whined, flopping down on his bed and closing his eyes. If he chased that lingering feeling of fatigue, he’d be asleep in no time.
He opened his eyes and saw the panel was open again. He glared at it.
“Don't you dare,” he hissed. The Lor said nothing.
Another mist of water shot out, but this time, Magolor took cover behind a pillow.
"Can I please just sleep in a little while longer?" he didn't whine.
"Prolonged sleep will disrupt your circadian rhythm. Long-term health issues can include-"
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before," he said before giving in. He floated over his closet, the door opening automatically as he approached. He carefully looked over his options before clapping his hands. Blue and yellow, as usual. Once he cleaned his teeth and washed his face, he went down the chute that connected his room to the rest of the ship. He didn't bother using the actual ladder.
"Good morning, Magolor. I hope you slept well," the Lor greeted him warmly.
"It was really nice, actually," he replied. The dreamless sleeps were always the best. The ones where his mind would finally quiet. When he got to the kitchen, there was food already waiting for him. A peace offering, no doubt. He quickly scarfed it down, leaving nothing behind. He had plans for today, after all. He idly lifted his hood and massaged his ear, savoring the feeling. That turned out to be a mistake.
"Magolor! Your fur is all knotted! When was the last time you brushed it?!" The Lor exclaimed. He simply shrugged.
"Eeeh, last week?" he guessed. The silence was deafening. He quickly made his way to the door exiting the ship.
"It doesn't matter that much, does it? I know it's bad, but there are so many other things I could be doing. I don't have time to brush it," he explained. When he got to the door, he narrowed his eyes.
"Lor, open the door," he said.
"I'm sorry, Magolor, I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied. He rolled his eyes.
"Look, does it really matter? The hood hides it anyways," he argued.
"Irrelevant. No pilot of mine is going to go out there with fur like that," she argued back. The stand-off continued, both too stubborn to concede. Eventually, Magolor shrugged and teleported outside. He turned to look at the Lor. He could feel her disappointment.
"Sorry, Lor, I promise I'll deal with it when I get back," he said, maybe feeling just a little smug for having escaped her. He turned to make his way down the path, only to walk straight into a portal. The Lor's interior greeted him.
"Two can play at that game, pilot," she replied a little too smugly. A panel in the wall next to him opened up, and a hand held out a brush for him to take. He didn't take it. Eventually, the Lor clearly ran out of patience.
"Very well, I will do it myself," she said. He glared at the approaching brush. He refused to make it easy for her, batting and hissing at any hands that got too close, squirming when she got to a particularly bad knot. Her portals swiftly countered any attempt at teleporting.
"The more you fight it, the more it's going to hurt," she tutted. Magolor didn't grant her a response. Eventually, she just grabbed and lifted him. The battle was over then. He simply hung there, letting his displeasure known through small growls and whines. The Lor tackled the knots with renewed vigor once she realized she had won. She was precise in her brushing and careful around any scars she came across. Eventually, the pain gave way to comfort. Once the knots were thoroughly untangled, the brush actually felt nice against his fur.
He glared at the hand when it began petting the base of his ears, a purr mixing in with the growls.
That’s a cheap move, he thought bitterly. When the Lor was satisfied with her work, she gave him a pat on the head and let him down. Once the hand retreated back into the panel it came from, the surface turned reflective, allowing Magolor to judge her work. He scrutinized it, searching for any sort of imperfection, but like everything the Lor did, it was perfect. He gave her a small thanks, and made his way to the door. It gladly opened for him.
"Don't stay out too long," she called after him. "We only recently got you on a working sleep schedule. You must be consistent for it stick"
"Got it," he called, and then he was gone, leaving the Lor to mull over her own thoughts.
"Remember, Magolor, I will always take care of you, even when you yourself are unable to."
Magolor awoke long before the others. He sat up and rubbed his face, pulling at the knots that were starting to form. He pulled his hands away when he felt them get wet. He was crying.