#prismatic fics

[prismaticpollen]

the things we do for love (2/?)

original characters, f/f, spice sensitivity

Even though her surprise for Vul went awry, Wren did still manage to brighten her girlfriend’s mood. She’s learned a lot, and the way Vul is thanking her, she certainly isn’t complaining.

(part 1)

“You’re sure this is okay?”

“Yes! Please!”

Vul shifted awkwardly on the bed, fighting to keep still. She shivered, her tail pressing hard against the mattress, almost striking the headboard, and couldn’t quite stop herself from whining.

For all she carried herself like a cat, the noise that escaped her lips was very human.

“Please, hurry up!”

She craned her head back, gray skin glistening with sweat, staring up at Wren with the most desperate look she could muster.

Wren stared back coolly. Outwardly, she looked stern, every microexpression carefully controlled. On the inside, though, she was trying her hardest not to laugh. It was just too perfect: Vul was definitely in a better mood now, all pent up and excited, and she was almost unbearably cute begging for attention like this.

To be fair, she’d tried to downplay her reactions, but she’d never been much of an actor, and the tension in her body was plain to see. The younger girl was almost at her limit already, bound to give in and grovel at her feet any minute now. Any more teasing, and she might spontaneously combust.

Wren wouldn’t let that happen, of course, but she had to admit it was a little tempting. Watching her girlfriend squirm was just so much fun.

She paused, pretending to mull it over. Wait one breath… two… three…

“Okay,” she purred. “If you’re really sure…”

“I’m completely sure!”

“Okay…”

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, Wren leaned forward, one arm outstretched just far enough to reach the nightstand. Nimble fingers found their way inside a small bowl, and she turned her wrist to trace the porcelain with her nails.

There wasn’t much left of its contents, just a few drops, but that was all she needed. Withdrawing her hand, she raised two fingers to her lips, slow and sultry, fully confident in her skills.

The green-tinged liquid numbed her tongue, sending a cold, heavy buzz through every nerve in her sinuses, just like it had when she’d first tasted it twenty minutes ago.

She blew a kiss, then let her face go slack.

This time, she wouldn’t fight her body’s reaction, or wait passively for it to fade. She wanted it to last. She wanted to see just how long Vul could last, watching and listening and waiting for permission to join her, so when the stinging coolness reached her nose, she would welcome it.

It didn’t take long.

“Hhaah… haaahhh…”

Each breath came a little bit faster, a little bit sharper, tingling a little bit more.

“Hhaaahhh…”

The first sneeze, when it came, would be powerful. She could feel it already, steadily growing stronger, and she couldn’t wait.

Below her, Vul clearly couldn’t either. She was practically twitching, teeth bared and tail rigid, every muscle taut with anticipation. She’d stopped blinking, eyeing her hungrily, and her breath was growing almost as ragged as Wren’s own.

“Haahh! Haahh! Haahh!”

Wren sat frozen, chest heaving. Her lips parted, eyelids fluttering so violently that her eyes rolled back. The itch was all-encompassing, overwhelming enough to seize control of her entire body, and it was still spreading.

Finally, it reached its peak. Her face crumpled, eyes slamming shut as she jolted forward.

“Hhaah-! Hhaah-! Hhahh-hhaa-haah’ahHTCHEEW!”

Yeah, that was definitely intense. It felt intense, at least: loud, harsh, and almost dizzying, but not really relieving anything. There would be more, probably many more, before her nose could calm down. Perfect.

Between gasps, she managed a triumphant grin. Vul would probably be putty in her hands by now, and she hadn’t even touched her yet.

She wanted to, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t, not in any deliberate manner, anyway, and at this rate she wouldn’t be able to anytime soon. She could only hover on a knife’s edge of irritation, waiting for it to rise and crest and spill over again.

It was everywhere, attacking her eyes and nose and lungs with relentless need, and it was still growing. Had she had any second thoughts, she would have been powerless to act on them. She could barely even think, couldn’t concentrate on anything beyond how tickly it felt.

“Aaahh-hhah-! Hhaah-!”

Wren shivered, breath and bone and all.

“Hhaahh-! Hhaa-aaah-hhah-! Hhah’ahHTCHEEW! AAHTCHIEEW!”

She felt Vul tense beneath her, heard the low, strangled noise she probably hadn’t meant to make, then another, much clearer one.

“Now?”

She couldn’t answer, not in words. She couldn’t nod her head, since she was already snapping forward again. She could still control her hands, though, so she reached down, found one of Vul’s, and squeezed.

Vul squeezed back, stilled, and thrust her hips upwards, throwing Wren off of her like she weighed nothing. She sprang up, caught her by both wrists and pulled her close, and suddenly she was the one taking her time.

She moved slowly, undoing buttons and clasps one by one, fingers lingering a little longer than necessary at Wren’s waist before plucking at the fabric of her shorts.

Wren would have helped, had she been able to, but between her own reflexes and Vul’s attentions, she needed both hands for balance. Her sinuses felt full of ice, prickling and buzzing relentlessly, and each new outburst bent her almost double.

“AAHTCHIEEWW! AAHTCHIIEEEWW! AHTCHEEW! TSSCHIIEEW! TSSCHIIEEW! AAHTSHIIEEW!”

Vul kept working, murmuring blessings in her ear all the while. Soon enough, cool air reached bare skin, and strong hands followed.

She always had been a fast learner. Her touch was soft and light, easily falling into rhythm.

“AAHTSCHEEW! AAHT’TSCHH’SHIIEWW! HHTSSCH! HHTSSCH! HHTSSCH’SHIIEEW! HHTSSHHHIII! HHT’SSHHIIEWW! AAHTIISSCHH’SSCH’SSCHHEEW!”

Vul pressed closer, moving faster. She shifted angles, and Wren had to clutch at the sheets and dig her fingers into the mattress to keep still. Somewhere under her ribs, heat and cold collided, twisting through her core and tightening.

“HAAHHTIISSCH’SSCHHIIEEW! HHTSCHEEW! HHTSCHHEEWW! HHTCH’HIISSHHEEWW!! HAAHTIISSCHH’SSCHH’SSCHHEEW!”

Everything fell away, except the cold. Wren shivered violently, arching her back against the bed, seeking warmth, and then she was too warm. She was falling, fighting empty air for purchase, flailing wildly, and she was still and safe and Vul was holding her like solid ground after a storm.

Vul was watching her, staring into her soul, the way she always did when she was trying to memorize something. She looked at her like she was solid ground on a planet full of skyscrapers. She looked so peaceful now, all relaxed and happy and proud of herself, so perfect it almost hurt.

She bared her teeth, and Wren smiled back at her. Mission accomplished, she thought.

[prismaticpollen]

the things we do for love (1/?)

original characters, f/f, spice sensitivity

Vul is struggling, but Wren knows exactly how to cheer her up. After a quick database search, a few chemistry experiments, and a lot of hitches, both girls discover a new appreciation for comfort food.

Three… four… five…

Almost there. Just one more repetition, and everything would be perfect.

There. Six concentric circles, each one about an inch apart, drizzled onto a platter. Just in time, too; Vul was due to arrive any minute.

The palace chefs had been very helpful, almost too solicitous, but Wren had insisted on doing this last part herself. Nothing personal, she just wanted to be absolutely sure it turned out right. She’d known how she wanted to present this before she’d even finished copying the recipe from Vul’s Library, and she wasn’t about to let anyone else interfere with her vision.

The platter of sauces, six slightly different shades of green, was just the centerpiece. Another dish was piled high with oddly-shaped pastries, a cross between dinner rolls and pancakes, and two bowls of shredded meat sat cooling on the stovetop. All together, this would assemble to form kudurul, a turresk delicacy somewhat resembling savory crepes.

Hopefully, anyway. Turresk spices were very different, derived from plants which bore little similarity to anything routinely cultivated on Earth, and her research had suggested that many of them were hardly spicy at all by human standards. She’d had to use a lot of mint, the closest analog she’d been able to find, and she wasn’t sure how accurately she’d replicated the sauces. She couldn’t exactly ask for help, given that this whole endeavor was supposed to be a surprise.

Only Vul would know how well Wren’s kudurul measured up to the real thing, and Vul couldn’t know until she got home. It wouldn’t be long now; unless the last meeting of the day ran late, she’d have finished five minutes ago, and it was only a ten minute walk from the office she was using to the suite of rooms they shared.

Moving quickly, humming to herself as she worked, Wren washed the last traces of herbs off her hands, laid out two sets of plates and silverware, and dimmed the lights. She smoothed out the blanket she’d spread over the living room floor one last time, carried all the dishes in from the kitchen, and crept over to the front door to wait.

She got there not a moment too soon. Just as she reached the threshold, the door swung open from the other side.

“Hi, love,” Vul mumbled. Wren knew better than to ask how her day had been; when they’d last spoken a few hours ago, her girlfriend had sounded miserable, and judging by her posture, not much had changed since then. She hadn’t really expected anything different, knowing how things had been going with their satellite project, but she did expect Vul to perk up fairly quickly now that she was here.

“Love you more.” Stepping closer to the shorter woman, Wren leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “Come here, I got you something.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. More like I made you something, but still, come look. Trust me, you’ll love it!”

She grabbed Vul’s hand, tugging gently, and pulled her close. “Close your eyes, okay?”

Vul must have been truly exhausted, judging by how quickly she complied. She didn’t question it at all, just shut her eyes and let Wren lead her into their living room, even covering her face with her free hand for good measure.

Wren took her time, helping Vul sit down without tripping over anything, then double-checking her preparations. She knew she’d grabbed enough forks, but she wasn’t quite ready to get started yet. She wanted to draw things out a little longer, let the anticipation build, so the reveal would be that much sweeter. Vul deserved that, with everything going on lately.

One last once-over, a few moments more. That should do it, Wren told herself. Enough waiting. “Okay, open.”

Vul dropped both hands to her lap. Hesitantly, she cracked one eye open, then the other. Her pupils widened. “Wren, you didn’t!”

“I did. I hope it’s good, I had to improvise a little so I might have gotten the flavors wrong, but I thought you could use some cheering up and you did give me your Library codes, so I did some research and this looked—“

“You’re rambling, love,” Vul cut in. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She reached across the makeshift picnic blanket for a roll, spooned a generous serving of both meat mixtures onto it, and dipped one corner into the outermost ring of sauce, prepared a second roll the same way, then set her plate down next to Wren. “Count of three?”

“You got it. Ready?”

“One… two… three!”

Vul bit into her roll with relish. Wren tried hers a little more cautiously.

She’d been more than a little nervous, but the moment the flavor hit her, all her skepticism vanished. She devoured the rest of her roll in seconds and settled in to wait for Vul’s verdict. “So, how is it?”

“Itsh perrf’hek,” her girlfriend gushed. Vul never spoke with her mouth full, one of the few social norms her people shared with humans, but she clearly couldn’t help herself. Her tail drummed against the floor, quick and sharp, and a low rumble escaped her throat as she finished chewing. “How did you manage without durii buds?”

“Mint, mostly. A lot of mint, plus a little bit of dill and orange oil. I took notes, I can show you the exact proportions later if you want.”

“Yessh pleeashh.” Vul was halfway through her second roll by now, showing no signs of stopping or even slowing down.

Wren almost had to laugh, watching her power through her meal like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She wasn’t much of a chef, normally, but if something this simple could make Vul so happy, she’d definitely have to make it more often. This kind of reward was more than worth the time and effort, and the dish was delicious, even if the sheer amount of mint made her whole face tingle.

I wonder how the other glazes came out. Vul wasn’t about to give her any more feedback anytime soon, at least not verbally. She was tearing through kudurul like a machine, so Wren was just going to have to see for herself and check for accuracy later. Following her girlfriend’s lead, she skipped straight to the sweetest, innermost ring for her second roll.

This one was even more intense. Still amazing, without question, but definitely a little overwhelming. Her tongue was buzzing, the cooling sensation from the mint spreading down her throat and up into her sinuses and lingering there. It didn’t hurt, didn’t burn or throb or anything, but it did feel strangely spicy, and it wasn’t subsiding.

She swallowed hard, scrubbing at her face with her free hand, but it was no use. The tickle wasn’t going anywhere.

“Wren?” Vul stopped midway through her third roll, setting the uneaten half down on her plate. “You okay?”

She nodded, a little too fast. “Yeah! I’m great, the sauce is just really strong.” Speaking didn’t help either. She rubbed harder, dragging the heel of her hand against her septum. Still nothing.

No, wait, not nothing. It was worse, ebbing and flowing with her breath. Her whole face felt cold and heavy and itchy, like she’d just inhaled menthol, but a thousand times stronger. “Just g-iih…gi-hhiih… give me a sec-oohnd…!”

The irritation hit another peak, so strong she could hardly stand it. There was no stopping it now. She was going to—

“Hiihh-! Hhiih-iihh-! Hhiihh…HHIITSCHIIEEW!”

There it was.

“HIIHHTCHEWW!”

She wasn’t done. Not even close.

“HHAHTCHIIEEW! AAHTSHIIEWW! ATSHHEEEWW!”

Wren couldn’t open her eyes long enough to see, but she knew Vul had to be staring at her. She might have teased her about it, if she’d been able to, but she could barely breathe, let alone speak. Each inhale stoked the reaction further, kudurul seasonings working their way out, and all she could do was wait it out.

“Aahh-! Aah-hahh-TCHIIIHH! AAHTSCHIIHH! AAHHTSCHHIIIH! ATSCHIIEEEWW!”

She’d never lost control of herself quite like this, not even dusting her old studio. She was almost getting lightheaded, and it still tickled.

“AATSHHIIEW! AAHT’TSCHH’SCHEEW! AHTIIHHSCH’TSCHH’TSCHH’SCHHEW! TIIHSCH’SCHIIIH! TSHHIIIH! AAHTSHIIIH! AAHTIIHHSCH! TSHIIEEWW! TCHIEEW! TSCHIIEEW! HHAHTSSCHIIEEEWW!”

Finally, the itch started to weaken. It wasn’t gone, but it was faint enough to let Wren get a full breath in without immediately sneezing it out. She sat still for a few minutes, gasping, wiping tears from her eyes with the hem of her shirt while she waited for the room to stop spinning.

Once she was more or less back to normal, she opened her eyes.

Vul sat less than a foot away, watching her every move. For the most part, she was so still, she might have been frozen, but her tail was moving more than enough to make up the difference, lashing back and forth in tight, fast arcs. She looked like a cat about to pounce, if cats had smooth, gray skin and wide ultramarine eyes.

Seeing Wren looking back at her, she opened her mouth, shut it, and hid her face in her hands. Turresk didn’t blush, but Wren didn’t need to see her expression to know how flustered she was.

Waiting patiently, Wren reached past her to retrieve her discarded plate. Only when she’d eaten two more rolls, without the sauce, did Vul actually respond.

“Is mint, um, supposed to do that?”

[prismaticpollen]

hunting lessons

original character, nb, allergy

Veteran werewolf Rieka has been volunteering with xyr local creature council for years, showing newly-turned shifters the ropes. Hunting lessons are usually uneventful, but when one of xyr students gets a little too close to xyr hiding spot, xyr chosen strategy literally blows up in xyr face.

Valentine’s prompt fill for the OC Hideout:

stifles for werewolf!Rieka

thanks for sending in such a great prompt, anon! this was so much fun to write. I hope you like it!

“For the last time, no. We are not doing that,” someone muttered. A student, one of the older ones, if Rieka remembered correctly.

“But—“

“No.”

From where xe was standing, tucked out of sight behind a large rock formation, xe could just about see the debate in progress without giving away xyr position. Three students moved briskly downhill, keeping to the path. They were headed in xyr general direction, but they’d shown no signs they’d noticed xem, so xe didn’t need to move just yet.

The one who’d spoken first was clearly leading the group. Roxy? Rosie? Whatever her name was, she stopped short, signaling her companions with a series of gestures. Once she had their attention, she spun in a slow circle, orienting herself towards whatever she’d detected. When she stopped again, she was facing uphill, pointing roughly due east.

Nevermind, then.

Good for her, learning fast, but Rieka wasn’t about to let her win that day’s challenge that easily. Luckily for xem, xe already had another hiding spot in mind. All xe had to do was retreat a bit, then xe could disappear into the undergrowth to see how she’d handle losing xyr trail.

On the path below, Roxy/Rosie lifted one hand to the sky and swung it down again. She surged forward, headed straight for Rieka, and her teammates followed. Time’s up.

Time to move.

First step, back away from the rocks, and stay hidden. Stay low, follow the landscape. Duck under a branch. Turn. A few steps to the right, around a thorn bush. Duck under another branch. Turn. Step over some roots. Turn. Keep going until the ground gets too steep. Slow and steady, quiet as a mouse.

One last maneuver, around a half-rotted stump and over another root, and xe dropped low, vanishing into a hollow xe’d identified earlier that morning. A fallen tree hid xem from above, and the slope of the surrounding land shielded xem from view on three sides. The only weak point was right in front of xem, where xe could easily lunge forward to confront any would-be attackers before they spotted xem. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it would do just fine until this group gave up the chase and moved on to search another part of the woods.

To their credit, they weren’t nearly as quick to call a false alarm as some of the other groups had been. Starting at the rock Rieka had just left, they fanned out, scenting the air and listening to the wind. They even did it correctly, for the most part: still and sharp and light on their feet, just like they’d been taught. In a real hunt, they’d be ready to tap into their other sides at a moment’s notice.

Xe would have to congratulate them later, even if another team ended up catching xem before they could. They weren’t perfect, not yet, but judging by their performance here, they were definitely ahead of the curve.

The smallest of the three dropped into a crouch, head bowed. The others rushed to his side. He sniffed, deliberate, taking his time, then shook his head. He hadn’t smelled xem, or else he hadn’t been able to pick xyr scent out of everything else. Evidently, xyr hiding place was masking xyr presence well enough, just like xe’d planned.

This area had quite a strong scent of its own, which was exactly why Rieka had chosen it. A more experienced shifter might have found xem anyway, but these were newcomers, still learning to interpret their heightened senses. All they’d smell here was dead and dying greenery, if they picked up any scent at all.

Unlike xyr students, Rieka could definitely smell this place in its entirety. It smelled like rot, sure, but there was so much more depth to it than just that. All around xem were fallen leaves, damp earth, and assorted products of decay. The ground was carpeted with moss and lichen, and the coarse dust of rotting wood clung to everything. If xe really concentrated, xe could almost pick out individual notes, sawdust and rain and the musty sweetness of some sort of fungus beneath the leaf litter. Xe wasn’t sure what kind it was, but it smelled nice, even if it made xyr nose itch a little.

Come on, xe urged xemself. Focus. Geek out later.

Outside xyr hollow, the three students crouched in a loose semicircle, conferring in whispers too faint for a normal human’s ears. “…check the way we came?”

The smallest shook his head. “No way xe snuck past Roz, not with her hearing.”

The leader — Roz, right, that was her name — nodded in agreement. “There are no good climbing trees up here, so that’s out too. Lots of brambles, though. I say we spread out farther, see if we can corner xem. Xe can’t have gone that far.”

The others nodded. They stood, one by one, and each strode off in a different direction. None of them spotted Rieka as they passed, but Roz did come close, kicking up a cloud of muck right in front of xyr hollow without realizing.

Shit. Xe would have held xyr breath, but the damage was already done. Whichever fungus was growing there, its spores were airborne now, and its scent wouldn’t be pleasant for much longer.

“Hhhih! Hh-hiihh-! HHIIIH!”

Rieka blinked tears away, watching xyr students’ progress through narrowed eyes. The tickle was spreading, climbing up into xyr sinuses and making xyr whole face buzz with irritation, but xe couldn’t give in. Not yet, not until the coast was clear. If xe got caught now, like this, xe would never hear the end of it.

“Hhiih’tchht!”

The sneeze echoed through the hole in the ground, or at least it seemed to. Rieka cringed, fighting to stay still and out of sight for a little longer. Xe wasn’t done, xe knew that, but surely xe could delay the inevitable for a few minutes.

“Hhh’ktsch! Hhktsch!”

Apparently, no, xe couldn’t. This was it, then. Xe was going to lose control, and xe would have to face xyr students like this, and xe would probably never teach another class after this one. Xe couldn’t keep this gig, no one would take xem seriously. It was just too embarrassing.

“Hhtchht! Hhtchnggt! HHUH’TCHNXT!”

Somehow, all three students kept walking. Maybe Rieka wasn’t being as loud as xe thought? No use speculating, not when xe still had to sneeze.

“Hhiihtsch! Hhtsch! Hhtsch-tsch-tsch-tschu! HHTSCHU!”

Finally, they were gone. Rieka scrambled up out of xyr hollow. Xe didn’t stop to question xyr luck, didn’t even wait to brush the dust and dirt and leaves from xyr clothes. Xe just bolted, sprinting farther into the woods in the one direction none of xyr students had taken.

There was a clearing that way, with a stream running through it. If xe hurried, xe could wash xyr face there before anyone else caught up.

Xe hit the path running, all elegance and stealth forgotten. Xyr footsteps kicked up more dust and debris, but xe kept moving, keeping xyr breath tightly controlled by sheer force of will. One step, then another, then another, faster and faster. Xyr nose burned, but Rieka was in xyr element now, fueled by determination and brute strength.

Soon enough, the stream came into view. Rieka sank down into the mud at the water’s edge, plunging xyr hands into the current and flinging water everywhere. It helped a little, clearing the offending spores from xyr skin and clothes, but it couldn’t clear xyr airways, and it was cold. Xe shivered, letting out a long, low noise somewhere between a gasp and a groan.

Xyr breath caught at the end of it, control starting to slip, then xe gasped again. It was harsh, desperate, the kind of sound xe never would have let xemself make by choice, but it happened anyway, in spite of xyr best efforts. Xe simply couldn’t resist any longer.

“Hhiih… hhh-hhaah-! Haahh-aaah-! HAHHH!”

Hopefully, no one was close enough to hear.

“Hhaahtschu! Hhah’ehtschuu! Hehht’TCHUHH! EHTCHHUHH! EHHTCHHUH! HEHHTCHHII! HEHHTCHIIUUE! EHTSCHIIUU! EHHSCHU! EHHTSHEEW! HEHHTSCHIIEWW!”

Once xe could breathe properly again, xe waited anxiously, listening for signs of life in the woods behind xem.

To xyr surprise, xe heard nothing. No laughter from the trees, not even a whisper. Either Rieka had gotten lucky, or the class had taken pity on xem and pretended not to notice anything amiss. No way to know without going to check, since xe couldn’t smell much of anything just then, but at least there was no obvious mockery afoot. The clearing was empty; no one was waiting to undermine xem. Imagine that.

Suddenly, xe realized just how ridiculous the whole situation was. Xe almost choked on xyr own laughter, bending down to wipe xyr face with another handful of water, and that only made xem laugh louder. It was just too much. No point stressing xemself out anymore; clearly, this was just one of those days when the universe felt like playing games.

Rieka sighed heavily, a little giddy with relief. Xe flopped backwards into the grass, stretched xyr limbs out wide, and let the last bits of tension float away downstream. Everything was fine now. Xe could rest in the clearing for a while, recover, then rejoin xyr students and pretend nothing had happened. Easy as pie.

Xe would have to get back to work at some point, sure, but that was fine. It wasn’t like there was any rush to wrap things up. The class had until sunset to conclude the hunt, and it was barely noon. Plenty of time to take a breather.

Maybe a little more than that, if xe was being completely honest. Finally letting go and sneezing openly had felt really good. That was new, no doubt about it, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. No harm in exploring that, right?

[prismaticpollen]

the things we do for friendship (4/4)

original characters, f/f, allergy

It’s finally showtime, and Vul handles the spotlight like a natural, but she can only keep up appearances for so long. Later, Wren enjoys an unexpected encore.

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

They’d made it. They’d really made it, the big day had come and gone and everything had gone according to plan.

The crowd beyond the stage stood frozen, shutters clicking and lights flashing as cameras captured what their wielders were struggling to process. Beyond the cameras, over the airwaves, Wren knew the whole world was watching. Anyone who hadn’t tuned in live would surely see reruns soon enough, and soon enough everyone would have to reimagine everything.

She almost felt sorry for them all. There was nothing to worry about, really, but she knew very well how hard the work ahead was going to be. She’d gone through the same process just a few weeks prior, and it had been exhausting.

It had been worth it, though. Vul had been worth it.

She was reaching for her, fingers fluttering in her direction under cover of the podium. Neither of them could move yet, not until the broadcast ended, so small gestures would have to do. This one’s meaning was fairly obvious: now what?

Wren shifted to the right, just enough to meet Vul in the middle without turning away from the audience. She grabbed her hand, squeezed it, and waited.

Vul didn’t squeeze back, but she did lean a little closer. As soon as she turned her head, Wren caught her eye and winked at her. You did great, she mouthed.

Yay. The other girl’s tail twitched, one tiny crack in her stoic exterior. Otherwise, she stood still, watching the crowd file out of the makeshift press room. None of the nobles, reporters, or other notable figures seemed to notice anything amiss; as far as they knew, Vul was perfectly content onstage.

Wren knew better. She was close enough to recognize her friend’s discomfort, and knew her well enough to pinpoint the source. That said, she also knew how she herself had handled her first experience with public speaking, back when she’d been ten years younger and eight inches shorter. All she’d had to present was a book report.

Vul, on the other hand, had just introduced herself to a room full of total strangers, trying to make a good impression on behalf of her entire species. A little stage fright was perfectly understandable, yet she was barely showing it. She really was doing a great job.

I mean it. Wren chanced another look down and to her right, flashing what she hoped was a reassuring smile. She squeezed Vul’s hand again, then let go.

A bright light in front of her captured a different smile, the practiced one she used at important events. The photographer smiled back and disappeared into the crowd. Another long moment of stillness, waiting for the last of the reporters to leave, then it was over.

Queen Zara rose from her chair as gracefully as could be expected from a woman in her sixties. Several attendants trailed behind her as she crossed the stage, stopping next to Vul to make a complicated series of gestures with both hands.

One of the attendants stepped forward to snap a few close-ups. The others stayed back, watching curiously as Vul reciprocated.

They needn’t have worried about that part. Vul copied the motions perfectly; they were a turresk ritual, after all, one she’d taught the Queen the night before while they’d done one last round of rehearsals.

One last photo, Wren and Vul and Zara beaming at the attendant with the camera, and they were free.

“Congratulations, Ambassador,” the Queen said. “Councilor Bailey.” She didn’t wait for any sort of acknowledgment, just dipped her head towards them and turned to leave without another word.

That was Wren’s cue: time to get Vul out of there.

The moment they were alone, she closed the distance between them, wrapping one arm around the shorter girl and stooping slightly to look her in the eye. “You really did a great job,” she said again. “I know we’re supposed to have the night off, but I’m thinking we might have to do one more thing once we get home. You in for a celebratory movie night?”

“Sure, ‘mm in,” Vul answered quietly. She sounded fuzzy, not quite slurring her words, but definitely not enunciating as much as usual. “Just one though.”

“You got it, one movie coming soon. Early night’s not a bad idea, we could both use the extra sleep.”

“Mmm.” Vul stifled a yawn, mumbling her agreement from behind her hand. She stretched her other arm above her head, shaking herself like a wet dog, then dropped both arms to her sides and moved toward the door.

Wren followed her off the stage, out of the courtyard, and down the hall leading to the guest wing of the palace. That was home, now. The Queen had insisted, partly for tradition’s sake but mostly for security, so Vul had been forced to move everything she’d salvaged from her old life for a second time in just under a month. Her new residence wasn’t that much bigger than Wren’s apartment, but it was fancier and much more private, plus it was on the ground floor instead of the fifth.

Technically it was Wren’s new home too, she just hadn’t officially moved yet. Her furniture was only halfway assembled, all her mail was still getting delivered to her old address, and she hadn’t even finished unpacking boxes. She’d been so busy she’d barely had time to care about the mess, much less do anything about it, but that was fine. Just what she needed, one more thing to deal with once everything calmed down a little. Totally fine.

Wait a minute. Speaking of boxes, there was a new one.

She hadn’t been expecting any deliveries, but there it was. Whoever had dropped it off hadn’t bothered to put it with the other boxes. They’d just let themselves in while she and Vul were gone, shoved it against the wall next to an end table, and left it there for her to find.

The delivery must have involved palace staff, probably housekeeping, but the package itself could have come from anywhere. It bore no return address, no label, no distinguishing features at all.

Weird. What could possibly be in there?

Nothing useful came to mind. No way to know what was in the box without opening it.

Oh well, no rush. She could move the box to a more convenient spot for now, then come back to it after movie night. She stepped closer, squatting down to lift it, and promptly did a double take.

Whatever was inside the box, it was packed tight, almost completely flush with the cardboard, and it was much heavier than it looked. Furthermore, there was a note after all, but it told her absolutely nothing about the box or its sender. It wasn’t even a proper note, just a scrap of paper taped to the side, bearing her name and Vul’s in an unfamiliar hand.

Interesting. Maybe movie night could wait a little while. “Vul, come here for a sec,” she called. “You have mail.”

Vul didn’t respond. With her senses the way they were, she should have heard Wren loud and clear, but if she had heard, she would have answered immediately.

Come to think of it, she shouldn’t have been far enough away to need summoning. She’d only been a few steps ahead on the walk back from the press conference, then Wren had stopped to inspect the mysterious package and she’d vanished into the depths of their shared suite. She could have simply forgotten about their plans, but that wasn’t likely. She wasn’t usually forgetful, and the trip home was too short to allow for any major distractions.

Could she have changed her mind and gone straight to bed? Still unlikely, given the time of night, but she had seemed tired earlier. At least that was easy enough to check. All Wren had to do was knock on Vul’s bedroom door, or poke her head in if she’d left it open, and if she wasn’t there then it wasn’t just exhaustion that had her acting weird. If anything else was bothering her, they could fix it together once they’d had a chance to talk about it.

She didn’t even have to go very far; Vul’s room was close enough to the front door that Wren didn’t need to maneuver around any significant amount of clutter. She just cut straight across the living room, turned left, and reached the threshold in less than thirty seconds.

Her roommate’s door was wide open.

Vul had, in fact, gone to bed, but she wasn’t resting. She sat upright, with her tail lashing back and forth against the mattress and her head tilted toward the ceiling. Every few seconds, she inhaled sharply, exhaling in slow, shuddery bursts like she’d been overcome with emotion.

She almost could have been crying, save for one detail: her eyes were dry, and she was baring her teeth like a snake about to unhinge its jaw.

Wren had seen that face before, many times, but the sight only made her more confused. Turresk bared their teeth like that when they were happy, but they lashed their tails when they were nervous or in pain, and they didn’t normally cry, at least not the way humans did. All together, it made no sense.

What was she doing? Another ritual?

Wren stood in the doorway, watching, because she wasn’t sure what else to do. Would it be better to wait quietly, or just leave? Should she check in on her?

She didn’t get the chance to decide. Vul moved first, rocking backwards with another giant gasp. One more breath, even bigger, throwing her down onto the bed with the force of it. Her eyes widened, then slammed shut. Another ragged breath.

“Hhaah…. hhaaaahh-! HhaaaHHH-EHHHH! HHAATSCHIEEWWW!”

Vul folded in on herself, pulling her knees to her chest and curling her tail tight against her body. She hadn’t noticed Wren, that much was obvious now. She probably wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings at all.

“HHAAAHTSCHIIHHH! HHTSCHHIIEEEWW!”

Those were huge for her. Still, Vul wasn’t done. Was she okay?

Vul shivered. Her eyes fluttered open for a split second, then her whole face crumpled. “Nnnngghh-! Nngh-HAAH! HHAAHH…”

Her hands closed into fists at her sides. She was trembling, whining and hitching uncontrollably, barely able to get a full breath in.

“HAAHTSHIII! HHHT’TSSSCH! HHEEHTCHUHHH! EHHTCHUUU!”

Vul sounded desperate. She was just sneezing, which wasn’t that unusual for either of them, but she almost sounded like she was doing something else.

“HAAH… HAAH… HAAHH-AAH-! HAAHH! HAAAHH-HAAH’EHTCHUU! EEHHTCHHUUU!! TCHUU! TCHUU! TCHUU! TCHUU! TCHUUU!”

She definitely looked like she was doing something else. She stretched suddenly, limbs flung out wide, tail extended to its full length and thrashing wildly. Her fists clenched tighter, gripping the mattress beneath her for dear life while she struggled with her own reflexes.

“HAAHTCHIIEEWW! HAAH… HATCHIIUUU! AAHTCHUUU! TCHUUU! TCHUUU!”

Finally, Vul lay still. Her muscles relaxed and her breathing started slowing back to normal, but she wasn’t in any shape to move just yet.

To Wren’s surprise, neither was she. Her heart was pounding, her mouth was dry, and her whole body felt flushed and tingly. She wanted to run to her own room, shut the door behind her, and hide there until she figured out what was wrong with her, but she couldn’t budge from the doorway.

She shouldn’t have stayed, but by the time she’d realized what was happening, she’d been captivated. Vul had looked so different during her fit, so unburdened and open and so beautiful that Wren couldn’t look away.

She was still captivated, even now. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Vul, so she stood still and waited.

She was still waiting when Vul hauled herself to her feet and stumbled towards her.

Brown eyes met ultra-vivid blue. Wren looked away first, blushing furiously.

Vul stopped short. “Wren? What’s wrong?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait, really? You’re not messing with me?”

“Why would I- No!” Vul was indignant. “I’m not messing with you. I mean it.”

“Okay,” Wren giggled.

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. That actually explains a lot.”

Vul looked skeptical. “Does that mean we’re good now?”

“As long as you’re not mad at me. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“I’m happy,” Vul confirmed. She sat for a moment, thinking, then leaned forward, baring her teeth mischievously. “Actually, wait. Before we get to movie night, one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“If you liked the view so much, maybe you should join me next time.”

Wren wrinkled her nose and winked. “Maybe I will.”