Live from Planet Frystar

10. The Calm Before the Storm

By the time Galek finally locked up the shop, it was well past closing time.

The streets of Frystar-8 were quiet, bathed in the eerie blue glow of the city's neon-lit frost-covered skyline. It was the kind of cold that sank into your bones, the kind that made you question all of your life choices.

Which, to be fair, Galek did on a regular basis anyway.

Standing outside his shop, he pulled out his credit chip, stared at the balance, and sighed.

He tapped a few buttons, and just like that, his entire rent was gone.

"And thus, after a long day of suffering, Galek enjoys the fruits of his labor-by handing them over to his landlord immediately."

He exhaled. "I don't even know why I get my hopes up anymore."

"Optimism is a dangerous thing."

Shaking his head, he stuffed the chip back into his pocket and started the long, cold walk home.

Home

The apartment was small, but warm.

That was the first thing Galek noticed as he stepped inside-the comforting heat wrapping around him like a blanket as the door slid shut behind him.

And then, a voice. Soft, familiar, and infinitely better than the one in his head.

"You're late."

Galek turned and saw her. Sela.

She was sitting on the couch, a cup of something steaming in her hands, her expression somewhere between amused and concerned.

And just like that, the weight of the day melted away.

Galek sighed, kicking off his boots. "You would not believe the day I had."

Sela raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Does it top last week's 'accidental fuel line detonation' incident?"

Galek flopped down beside her. "Yes."

"How much worse?"

"Grint got scammed by a smoaklin."

Sela blinked. Then, very slowly, she set down her cup. "Go on."

And so, he did.

He told her everything-the smoaklin, the scam, the impossible ship repairs, and the customer who just happened to pay exactly what he owed in rent.

And through it all, Sela listened.

Not just the kind of listening where someone waits for their turn to talk, but the kind where she actually heard him.

By the time he finished, she was shaking her head with a knowing smile.

"You are an absolute magnet for chaos," she said.

Galek groaned. "Tell me about it."

Sela leaned her head against his shoulder. "At least you paid rent."

"Barely."

"Still counts."

Galek let out a tired chuckle. "Yeah. Guess it does."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

Galek closed his eyes, letting himself relax-just for a second.

Sela gently laced her fingers with his, her grip warm, steady.

He squeezed back.

"In a universe of relentless absurdity, Galek remains sane for one reason, and one reason only."

Galek exhaled. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Sela smiled against his shoulder. "Probably explode."

"Yeah, probably."

She tilted her head up to look at him. "You're gonna be okay, you know."

He wanted to believe that. He really did.

So, for tonight, he let himself believe it.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and for the first time all day, everything felt right.

"Of course, this moment of peace will not last."

Galek groaned. "Oh, shut up."

Sela laughed softly. "The narrator again?"

"The narrator again."

She patted his arm. "You should really get that checked out."

"Yeah, I'll add it to the list."

Galek leaned back against the couch, letting himself relax for the first time all day. "So, what about you? How was your day?"

Sela let out a long breath. "Honestly? Frustrating. I had this one student today, bright kid, but he kept struggling with a basic concept. I tried explaining it three different ways, and nothing clicked."

Galek frowned. "Huh. What was the problem?"

"Basic arithmetic," she said, shaking her head. "But every time I asked him to apply it, he just froze up. Like he was terrified of getting it wrong. The moment I stepped in to help, he'd shut down completely."

Galek scratched his head. "Uh... yeah. I got nothing. Maybe try bribing him?"

Sela gave him a flat look. "I am not bribing a student to learn."

Galek shrugged. "Hey, it worked on me."

"Your mechanic degree is questionable at best."

Galek sighed. "Alright, well, I have no idea how to fix that, but, uh-" He looked up. "Hey, narrator. You got anything?"

"Ah, an excellent question. Fortunately, I do have some insight. The student's hesitation is likely due to a cognitive block caused by performance anxiety-he fears being wrong more than he desires to be correct. This is common in developing learners and can be addressed through indirect reinforcement."

Galek nodded slowly. "Okay. Uh... in simpler words?"

"Instead of making him do the math himself, have him correct someone else's mistakes first. When people judge others' work, they feel less pressure than when producing their own. Once he gets comfortable spotting errors, he'll naturally build confidence in solving the problems himself."

Galek snapped his fingers. "Oh, that makes sense! Have him mark someone else's homework and tell them what's wrong!"

Sela blinked. "Wait. That... actually sounds reasonable."

"Naturally."

She tilted her head, considering it. "It's kind of brilliant, actually. It removes the fear of failure by putting him in the position of an observer instead of a participant."

Galek grinned. "See? Look at that. I just made you a better teacher."

Sela folded her arms. "You literally had to ask someone else for the answer."

"Still counts."

She shook her head. "I hate that I'm actually going to try this tomorrow."

"And so, a new teaching method is introduced into the classroom, thanks to a mechanic with no qualifications and a narrator with entirely too much time on their hands."

Sela exhaled. "You know, I always thought this whole 'you hearing a voice in your head' thing was a bad sign, but if it means I get free teaching advice, I might reconsider."

Galek smirked. "See? The voice isn't so bad."

"He will regret saying that."

Sela laughed softly. "Well, at least now I have a plan for tomorrow."

Galek nodded. "Glad to help. Even if I had to outsource my thinking."

She leaned against him. "It's the most useful thing you've done all week."

Galek sighed dramatically. "I'll take it."

"For now, the night remains peaceful. But, as always, chaos is on the horizon."

Galek groaned. "You just couldn't let me have this, could you?"