|
Percy switches outfits before exiting Unity station, as much as he'd like to just crash here that wasn't gonna happen with classes tomorrow. He was nearly to campus, passing yet another Starbucks when he received Caio's group text.
I've got some, but I'll be honest they're more of the new age self-help stuff than actual meditative texts.
I could maybe help lead you in some exercises I've been taught though.
Percy types the address Yeoman gave him into his phone while he walked doing a preliminary check of the location via his maps app. Heading otherwise to his dorm room to wind down the night.
Max lowers her eyes to the roof again. "Yeah, okay. I'll admit I was enjoying the attention I was getting a little too much. I'll do my best to apologize to everybody that I can. And I'll get help from Connie and Percy."
The demoness stifles a yawn. "If that's all, I need to get back in bed. It's going to be a day tomorrow."
Percy: I've got some, but I'll be honest they're more of the new age self-help stuff than actual meditative texts
Percy: I could maybe help lead you in some exercises I've been taught though
Caio: Regular meditation books? Not MAGIC-meditation books?
Caio: I'll take them if that is all you have
Caio: Personal project. Thanks for the offer, but will do it myself
Connie pursed her lips, trembling with the effort of not guffawing. "I assure you it is much funnier when you say it." She reached over to give Femtite a sidehug. "He was pissed at himself, which is fine, and took it out on you, which was s@%~ty. As a crew we pretty well f#*~ed up the first crack at the exercise, and as a leader that reflects back on him especially. And he f++%ed up as a leader with a cherry on top of that s!!* sandwich when Foray praised my strategies.
"He was in a bad place and he acted badly. I was about to be surprised that he didn't take it out on me, but that kind of thing wouldn't really fester with me in the same way... Huh. I might have to bump up my ranking of him as a manipulator. Like, this didn't accomplish his strategic goals, but it was well targeted as a s$+#ty thing to do... And hey, let's face it, whether or not it's the task that he should have sent your way, it wasn't your best work."
She shrugged. "Better it happens in practice than in game time."
Connie finished her tea and went to her supplies to grab out a scratchy looking blanket that she laid out on her bed, gesturing to Femms to join her there.
"And hey, that's why we're practicing and figuring things out. Different teammates can have very different outcomes with the same tasks."
"Huh. I really thought you'd like, burst into flames somewhere in there. Got a special blanket and everything..."
First I get compared to baby-sister butt, then I can't get a spark from Femms. Nooot a great day for the ole self esteem.
***
Cujo: Night
Cujo: Sorry to bother you
Cujo: Do any of you have magic books on matters of the mind?
Cujo: Not mind-control... more like 'meditative magic'. If this stuff exists at all
Lightning Thief: I've got some, but I'll be honest they're more of the new age self-help stuff than actual meditative texts
Lightning Thief: I could maybe help lead you in some exercises I've been taught though
Cujo: Regular meditation books? Not MAGIC-meditation books?
Cujo: I'll take them if that is all you have
Cujo: Personal project. Thanks for the offer, but will do it myself
Connie: As a being of pristine consciousness who never allows emotions to rule my reactions or dwell heavily on my mind, I don't really use stuff like that
Connie: But I have heard of one technique
Connie: First you put your hand out in a circle, fingertips touching thumbtip. This symbolizes the oneness of both the universe and synechdochically, yourself, while also revealing the void that lingers even within the heart of that oneness.
Connie: Then apply that to the affected area
Connie: And don't sleep in the wet spot
Femtite starts to pinken as Connie lays a fire blanket on the bed.
She has a big, big smile.
“Even if you don’t have privacy shinies, nudity is kinda normal where I’m from. We are usually fire, not flesh, and the pixite flesh is not like human flesh… it took me some time to get the eyes right.
“You have more complex molecular structures not possible at the microscopic scale. At picometric, we are plasma. At femtometric…”
Femtite looks at Connie with a glimmer of hope.
“The blanket, Connie…” Femtite tries not to be too forward … “You want to see me burst into flames?
“Or… do you want me to answer you directly? Because my answer is, I will be very happy if you say you need me. The rest… I have never experienced this. No kiss. No date. No dab, dab, hissssss…”
She laughs a little trying to imagine.
“What should I do? You did not prepare a fire blanket for nothing…?”
School at Halcyon Prep begins early as usual, but there's a different energy this morning. Just beyond the brick and wrought-iron wall surrounding the campus, a gathering of people and a few media vans have congregated.
An announcement over the school's PA that morning advises students that school counselors are available for anyone who wants to talk about the incident yesterday.
Max gets a notice on her phone as well as an email on her school computer telling her that the dean wishes to see her in his office first thing that morning.
For the rest of the students, classes begin rather normally though a glance out of the school's windows spots the tops of protest signs and crosses, along with buzzing camera drones and broadcast vans.
Doctor Alameda welcomes Max into his office, which is in the oldest building on campus -- the central building that features the old bell tower. It's a stately room lined with bookshelves filled with textbooks, curios, and knickknacks. He invites her in, but keeps the door open and his administrative assistant is visible through the door.
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Lopez. I hope you understand the need for us to speak. There are some people who... object... to your presence here at Halcyon Prep. I don't know if you've seen, but there's a number of... vocal people."
He tries to give her a reassuring smile. "I have every intention of keeping you here despite any controversy. But... I'd like to ask that you do your absolute best to prevent any... disruptions. Do you understand?"
Caio: Can't do that. My hand is too big. Do you think it might still work if I use tweezers?
Caio: Percy, if you can, bring the books with you tomorrow. Thanks
"Honestly, I uh, I was expecting a bigger reaction with umm, flames, and then I was gonna see where we were from there..."
Sheepishly, she rolled her shoulders. "I didn't want you to feel jealous that I went to Shin for help, especially 'cause, let's face it, hurt/comfort is Very Good, so I wanted to build up what it would've been like with you so I could contrast that with going to the most sexless person I could think of. 'Cause Steel Guardian's hands would have been cold. Also, Shin needed a win."
Connie's cheeks slowly colored until they nearly matched Femtite's pink glow. "And uh, I know nudity isn't a big deal for you. Or me that much, honestly. Like, I notice, and I'm not a nudist, but it's not what- anyways, and I was... curious? Like, you said that a kiss would melt my face off, so I wanted to see what, uh, teasing you might do. And to see what worked to tease you. 'Cause you keep doing things like posing in a teacup that boil my brain along with the tea, so I wanted to do something to make you all flustered and umm...
"I mean- Hypoth..." She shook her head rather than continue the flimsy lie.
"Yeah."
Shin looked outside the windows at the wall, and the gathering crowds of protesters that were about as knowledgeable about Max's circumstances as a rock. He'd given Whippoorwill all of the information that he'd gotten last night from her, hoping that would be useful in some way. For now, he had to focus on his classes...
...well, first he needed to try and find Femtite. Which considering everything, was fairly easy for him to do. Not a lot of obviously alien students in Halcyon, and he caught her coming out of her first class, gesturing for her to come and talk in the shadow of the stairwell.
Her pink aura brightens. “Well, Connie… just because I didn’t burst into flames does not mean you failed. I am… not experienced. Not on your world, not on mine… but you have been telling me what you like, which is helpful.”
Femtite suddenly becomes fire—tiny fire—a spark—nothing! The shrinking is sudden, as is her re-appearance—
—in Connie’s tea cup, clad in a bikini.
“I can bathe in your tea cup, if you want. You can hold me like this, if you want…”
—Femtite shrinks to nothing, then hovers at full size wearing nothing but three strategically places glimmers of sunlight.
“I can hang out wearing nothing but my privacy shinies.”
Some purplish-pinkish ribbons swirl around her. The shinies are gone. Femtite is not too bright to look at. The ribbons may or may not block Connie’s view of the body.
“Or we could lie on that fire blanket, with a rule for safety.”
The ribbons dress Femtite in a long tee-shirt which falls almost midthigh. On the tee is a graphic of a T-chart. The columns are labeled DON’T and DO.
Under DON’T is a picture of a fork.
Under DO is a picture of a spoon.
Femtite sits on the bed.
“You asked what I would do if you said you need me. I’m telling you that I need you.”
* * *
Femtite approaches Horizon. She is wearing the uniform provided by the school, which means she won’t be able to perform her subatomic disappearing act (without her clothes falling in a heap).
She is silent. Not even a hi. She does not have a cheerful expression. She has an expectant look.
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Lopez. I hope you understand the need for us to speak. There are some people who... object... to your presence here at Halcyon Prep. I don't know if you've seen, but there's a number of... vocal people."
He tries to give her a reassuring smile. "I have every intention of keeping you here despite any controversy. But... I'd like to ask that you do your absolute best to prevent any... disruptions. Do you understand?"
Max is wearing her sweatshirt and pants again, trying to minimize the impact her appearance may have on the student body and the protesters outside the school. She sits quietly in the dean's office, nodding in agreement.
"Yes, I understand. I will do my best to keep a low profile, Doctor Alameda. I don't want to cause a scene."
S!+*.
Connie's stomach was like ice.
F@&$ing s&~$!
Femms was there, she was right there!
She was beautiful.
Connie cared for her.
Oh what the f*#$ is **wrong** with me?! You can't do this to her. You simply cannot. I f#~~ing told her I couldn't do it though. It's not my fault when I keep telling her.
She needs you. She needs you to... f!*+, I don't even know. Be someone else. Someone who can actually be there for her.
I thought I could do it. I thought she'd want me too much and we could walk our way back from there to safety, somewhere both of us could find our feet with all this.
But there's nothing there. I don't have anything to give.
I can't just kiss her or f@%* her or fob her off with a night of pleasure. It wouldn't help.
And I'd die.
I can't lie to her though. I can't lie to her and tell her I'm ready or that I thought I was! She'll just tell me she's fine taking things slow, but I'm not! I'm going to hurt her, why would I want to do that but longer and slower?!
But I can't hurt her now.
F!%@. F+#&!
"I don't want you to... I don't want you to do any of that. I know it doesn't mean the same thing to you, and I wouldn't want to just do all that in case it was something you wanted, and I don't want to be the one who's supposed to be showing you this world, and the one you feel like you Need to please! I don't want a moment that I leered at you to f##*ing taint the way you act around me forever, and I-" She laughed, trying to stop herself, but still giggling till her breath was gone.
"That shirt's really funny. I couldn't make up my mind at first, but it's really funny, and it's so... You.
F@%+. I really didn't want to cry about this again."
She scrubbed at her eyes hard. "I just don't get it. I swear I don't, and I'm pretty smart. I was trying to seduce you so at least I would finally see what the f+*+ you want from me that's so g*@!##ned different from what we already have. That would've been fine. I find all kinds of s$*$ attractive. Then I could make a plan and figure this s%*@ out once and for all, one way or another.
"I just don't know what you want from me that I can give."
"But I want you to kiss me. I shouldn't. It's selfish and probably self-destructive and it's like, the one thing you said you can't do, and I never should have said it out loud, but of course I want you to kiss me.
"So figure it out. I'll do whatever you need me to to help, but that's what I need from you."
***
Really always figured I'd be the one who got the school picketed by religious nutjobs... Just goes to show the power of symbolism.
...Also of actual demons...
Connie looked like she hadn't slept in days, but her eyes were bright with all the caffeine and chemicals her energy drinks could give her. She fished out her phone to avoid being approached by random passers by, but sent a quick message of condolences while it was out.
Connie: This must be a really hard day, and I want you to know that I get it, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here.
Connie: I'd have to spend A LOT of time in tinkering and crafting, but you've gotta resist the knowledge all day that you could just hit these chucklef+%&s with a magic tornado and send them all back to Westboro at any time.
Lightning Thief: Read
The dean smiles warmly. "Thank you. That helps me help you. If you need anything, let me or the school counselors know. We've dealt with... gifted students before. Why, Praetoria is a student here now. Along with an alien, who you know. We've had cyborgs, telepaths, you name it. So... hopefully that's some comfort. Good luck today," he says.
====================
As Max walks across campus and through the classroom buildings, the majority of the students she passes by give her a wide berth. Plenty are too wrapped up in their own thing, staring at their phones or engaged in conversations to even notice her, but when they do most of them shrink back and give her plenty of space. A few, mostly boys who would have fawned over her even without her pheromonal encouragement, give her a smile when they notice her walk by.
Caio's exposed tattoos get plenty of stares as well. He gets several, "nice tats!" comments, though his sensitive ears also pick up whispers that indicate word has spread of his little demonstration at the burger joint last night.
Just before Max gets to her first period classroom, a female student in a conservative skirt and sweater accosts her. "How dare you!!" she hisses. "You put those sinful ideas in my head! You made me think-- about you!" Her face is contorted with disgust and fury. "Go back to Hell, demon! Where you belong!"
What do you do??
Max feels the heat rise to her cheeks as the girl accosts her. She clenches her fists but resists the urge to rise to the bait.
"I am sorry. Please, accept my apologies," she says carefully, not making eye contact wit the other student. She attempts to keep walking to her class.
“A kiss goodnight, or a kiss-kiss?”
Her aura is a hot pink.
”I promise …you will not be burned.” No matter what…
Shin looks at Femtite, before speaking up. "I want to apologize for how I spoke to you last night. I was out of line. I know that you are trying your best and I know that it can be hard to adapt yourself, considering you're used to a microscopic way of life. I just don't want to see you become feared by the people you're trying to protect. Do you understand?"
For the first time, Caio went to school without his jacket, wearing only a plain black T-shirt. The tattoos on his arms were completely exposed and reflecting light due to the ink's high silver content. He did not mind the comments, smiling politely, but was hating the attention.
Caio walks besides Max whenever possible, offering her his support. Up until now, he had not done anything, but the hate in this girl's voice moved him. He lets Max go a bit ahead, before he looks at the girl, with sympathetic eyes.
He speaks in a hushed voice, for only her (and perhaps Max, or those really close to her) to hear. "Hey... Chastity, right? Listen to me. Max did not put those ideas in your head... they were already there. Max only pushed you to act on them. There is no shame in liking girls, no matter what you've been told in home."
Caio doesn't expect the girl to accept his help or words, so he moves on as soon as he had said his piece.
|
|
Caio: Can't do that. My hand is too big. Do you think it might still work if I use tweezers?
Caio: Percy, if you can, bring the books with you tomorrow. Thanks
Percy: Yeah, sure i'll get them to you by lunch, also Connie, gross.
Percy: That is very you though.
Percy stretches to wake rubbing the remains of last night's weariness from himself, packs the books on Yoga and how to center one's self and tucks them away. Just because i've got one magic book and am a literal spell flinging wizard doesn't mean everything I have is magic. He rolled his eyes at the thought and made sure to grab his things. While walking from his dorm he makes a detour taking the scenic route across the front side of the building as if enjoying the morning air. He spots the protesters starting to gather and shout from the gates, waving about signs about demons not belonging in school, bibles not Satan, and other such things. He even saw a sign reading 'School is a place for Books not Blood Circles' to which he whistled and thought about the massive book burnings in yonder years perpetuated by the Church. With a flick of the wrist a small shape darted from one of the nearby trees and scanned over the crowd while darting from one tree to another a bit further away as if simply being disturbed by the sudden noise.
Percy quickly makes his way further into the school but hangs out around the entrance pulling out his phone to text a few folks while waiting for Max to make her entrance in the halls.
First however he reads over Connie's text
Connie: This must be a really hard day, and I want you to know that I get it, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here.
Connie: I'd have to spend A LOT of time in tinkering and crafting, but you've gotta resist the knowledge all day that you could just hit these chucklef#@+s with a magic tornado and send them all back to Westboro at any time.
Lightning Thief: Yeah, just had my familiar do a sweep over the area to make sure they aren't actually dangerous, guessing this has to do with the article on the Infini-web last night about yesterday's incident? Lightning Thief: Don't worry contrary to popular books with evil wizards I don't actually like hurting folks Con. So they're safe from any magical tornado... They'd probably think it was some act of the devil himself anyway, though if the roles were reversed well you know.
Lightning Thief: Anyway I think I found a lead on the D.I. case meet up after school and we can go take a look. And you know maybe have a chat just you and me, we've been kinda run ragged these past few days and haven't caught up really.
Percy: Hey Shin, saw the uh protest outside, what's the plan on that Keep our heads down and keep Max out of trouble?
When he see's Max he tails behind her a decent distance away and when he see's Chastity starting to chew Max out over yesterday only for Caio to come to her aid though it doesn't look like it's quite got the effect he hoped for. He buries his nose in his phone and accidentally bumps into Chastity, "Ah, oh uh... sorry Chas, reading about the new MtG set coming out soon didn't see you there. Better get to class soon."he then scampers into the classroom hoping he helped draw her attention away enough for Max and Caio to abscond.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Shin looks at Femtite, before speaking up. "I want to apologize for how I spoke to you last night. I was out of line. I know that you are trying your best and I know that it can be hard to adapt yourself, considering you're used to a microscopic way of life. I just don't want to see you become feared by the people you're trying to protect. Do you understand?"
Femtite nods.
She remains silent for a few seconds.
“Is this how humans talk to each other? Public shaming, private apology? In our last morning meeting, we spoke of level-headedness. I respected this quality in you.
“I did not expect… not from you.”
Chastity's face grows beet-red when Caio whispers to her and it looks as if she's about to unleash a verbal assault on him until Percy bumps into her accidentally on purpose.
It flusters her just enough that her tirade dies on her lips. She shakes her fist before spinning on her heel and storming off in a huff.
Percy notices with some relief that the protest is not as large as what he first believed -- the media's presence make up almost a fourth of the people congregated around the walls. Furthermore, roughly half aren't holding signs and instead are joining hands and voicing prayers for the souls of the students. It's somewhat self-righteous sounding, but borne of a genuine concern and belief.
Percy feels that the biggest threat are the handful of vocal, aggressive protesters that may try to instigate an ugly incident if they are able to confront Max. Or the media that would broadcast such a confrontation to the world. No one seems to be in great danger here; the group seems mostly peaceful and have left their torches and pitchforks at home.
Max looks back over her shoulder and nods her thanks to Percy for the timely intervention. She offers Caio a smile and reaches out to take his hand as the two make it the rest of the way to first period.
|
|
Once at his desk, Percy puts away his phone and starts digging through his backpack to pull out the requisit book and supplies for the class, while doing so he makes his tiny hand motion and looks towards Max.
Pulling out his notebook he slides into the seat and goes back to his note-taking and such.
Caio gladly takes Max's hand, which has the side effect of putting him directly on the spotlight.
At first, he is a very uncomfortable, but when he hears a girl whispering about him with pity, thinking he is just with Max because she put a spell on him, his eyes throw daggers at her, and for a brief moment his eyes shift into wolf-like.
Shaking his head to clear his angry, Caio fixes his posture and embraces the moment. He holds Max's hand more firmly and when he has the chance, he whispers to her, before giving her a discreet kiss. "You are doing great."
Max squeezes Caio's hand in thanks but doesn't say anything, just focusing on making it to class.
"I'm coming to you in private because my identity as a hero isn't publicly known yet," Shin explains in a quiet tone. "And I felt this couldn't wait for a team meeting. But if you want me to apologize again in front of the team, I'll do it. I am just...juggling a lot on my plate at once right now. Hold on," He says as the comm buzzes. Shin replies quickly to Percy.
No one approach, acknowledge or in any way give these protesters a shred of credibility by engaging with them. They are only a problem if we play their game at their level.
He returns his attention to Femtite. "Max is going through a bit of a rough time today. Can you do what you can to help her out?" He asks, switching gears.
“A public apology is unnecessary.” She still has that not-mad-just-disappointed tone, but regarding the request for Max, she nods.
Unless Horizon has more to say, Femtite turns and walks away without another word.
Femtite is flagged down by Conway. "Hey! You didn't come back after the bell tower, so I guess you didn't find anything." He pauses, shifting on his feet nervously.
"Um, I just want to say thank you. For, you know, taking me seriously. So, uh, here. You might like to wear this sometime."
He hands her a small wrapped bundle while his cheeks redden. "Okay, bye." He turns and starts to walk away. In the wrapping is a full poodle skirt doll ensemble including bobby socks and a hair scarf.
Femtite gasps! “I… I love it!”
She runs over to Conway, big smile, bright red cheeks. “I meant to text you last night. I’m so sorry I found nothing. Maybe we can brainstorm, find meaning behind what is missing, and why Whippoorwill and Imagerie? Were they allies-turned-rivals? Did Whippoorwill once carry six quills, not eight? Which two were missing again? And is it the bell tower or the old school Imagerie looked at—was either woman a student there?”
Femtite stops herself as every spoken question prompts another, and she could go one for several minutes.
“Food for thought.” She looks at the poodle skirt gleefully. “Save me a seat at lunch—I don’t want to be late for class!”
Femtite speeds down the hall, pretending to speed walk but her feet don’t touch the ground and her aura is leaving a trail of harmless amber bursts, as she always emits when flying.
Max, wherever they may be, notices a very recognizable individual approaching her. That is the tall, lean, blonde form of Kayla Taylor, known in the superhuman community as Praetoria! She is dressed in designer attire: a form fitting tank top that doesn’t quite reach the top of a green skirt that just barely passes the length requirement for the dress code of the school.
”Hey there! You must be who has the place all in an uproar!” she says cheerily. She holds a hand out politely for a hand shake and says ”Nice to meet you.”
Max's eyes widen as she reaches for Kayla's hand. "Oh my God, you're Praetoria! I'm a big fan! I, uh, have all your action figures..."
She blushes and continues to shake her hand long past the polite amount of time. The demoness is clearly starstruck!
Kayla smiles and replies ”Well, that’s a bit awkward,” she says teasingly, obviously joking as she has a seat beside Max and crosses her legs. ”So which one was your favorite?” she adds, continuing to jest with the “demon” girl.
"The, uh, the newest one," Max admits. That would be the one with the skimpiest costume. She shifts a bit in her seat.
Despite the print suppressing them, a small burst of pheromones emits from the flustered girl.
Kayla pulls up her phone and does a quick Infini-web search and then says ”Oooooh. Yeah…My Aunt was not on board with that one being released. But it was one of my suits, and she eventually caved,” as she bobs her foot up and down.
”So, you are part of Horizon’s new team, huh? How is that going? And what are you all calling yourselves?” she asks as she leans back on the bleacher behind her, lounging in quite a relaxed posture.
Some emotion was practically clamping her throat shut, but Connie nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes flickering with each breath between staring hard at Femtite's lips, and meeting her gaze.
"I told you before: I'm not afraid of getting hurt. Just don't do anything we can't heal."
She stayed sitting on the bed, looking up at Femms where she stood.
[b]"Kiss me till I can't remember why I shouldn't. Kiss me till my skin glows with your heat. Kiss me till I can feel in my bones that I was right not to run. Kiss me so I can feel what I am to you."
Her hands clenched till she was anchored to the bed by fistfuls of the sheets. "Just... get down here and give me a damned kiss!"
"And I swear to god if you put a thimble in my hand..."
***
Sigh, trust Percy to think that I was worried about **his** feelings about the protests.
Then again you're the ass who teased him instead of actually doing anything for Deedee...
"It's... going. We're still figuring out how to work together effectively. We're making progress but still have a long way to go. No name yet. I think Horizon's trying out 'Bastion,' but I'm not sure if it will stick."
Max nervously tries to get a read on Praetoria...
Conway flushes at Femtite's exuberant appreciation for the gift. His head spins when she throws out the questions, and he looks quite out if his depth when considering all the possibilities and general involvement in super heroes.
"Uh, okay. Will do. See you at lunch!" He stumbles off down the hall.
Max's nervous fidgiting while talking with the Praetoria causes her hands to work on their own accord. Her divided focus of trying to figure out why the hero was greeting her now along with keeping her own powers in check means she starts nervously spinning the ring around her finger.
Suddenly, there's a slight tink! sound and she feels the piece of obsidian pop out of its socket!
Femtite pulls Connie in and follows her instincts. Pixite or titan, how a girl kisses a girl is the same. She’s sure of this! Curiosity overpowers inexperience… passion overwhelms curiosity! Feelings for Connie overcome the deadly flames of passion!
Femtite’s temperature is rising as she feels Connie’s kiss, tastes her kiss…
Humans are water, she tells herself.
Her breasts heave with every breath, she holds Connie close, overlaps her thigh over Connie’s, granting Connie unspoken permission to touch anywhere…
Heat radiates from her thigh, from her lips.
Connie is not water. She is hot tea.
Fight it! Make it last!
Femtite kisses Connie on the neck! She sure the skin is sensitive to kisses but not to heat as much as the tongue is. Femtite wants to lie with her—she wants to rid herself that silly fork and spoon shirt with its oppressive don’t column! She wants—
FWUMP!
Connie feels a wave of heat come over her—and what she doesn’t feel is Femtite’s touch. A couple feet away on the bed is a creature—
—a fairy with an almost insect quality, like a little pink wasp-woman with glowing eyes. Her flesh is pinkish and almost like a shell—like a pixyish version of Candy Grrl—but with a soft white underbelly, glowing like ember. She is dangerously hot.
Femtite tries to guise herself as human, or even Tinklebrie at her current size… but she can’t focus enough to shift her shape. And when she tries to tell Connie, there is a barely audible high-pitch trill like a tiny bell… and a cone of fire a foot long—about triple the size of her body.
So Femtite says nothing. She closes her knees together, looks up at Connie, speechless, unblinking eyes leaking molten gold.
"Oh. Crap," Max groans as the ring breaks. Without the magic keeping them in check, the pheromones exude in full force towards Praetoria. What an awkward time to be a recently transformed teenage boy's celebrity crush!
Shin felt he'd deal with one small fire, so now it was time to try and manage the larger one. He wasn't sure what the student body's reaction to DD would be now, but he figured he could at least check in with her quickly. Thankfully, all the comms could find each other so figuring out where she was wasn't a problem...
Though who she was talking to put him dead in his tracks. Praetoria. Not the last person he'd want to see today, but definitely on the list. He stepped to one side to try and duck out of view while attempting to figure out what was going on here.
Caio picks his comm to send Shin a message when he sees him acting weird. He is a weird dude. He shrugs and he approaches him from behind, not noticing to whom Max was talking to.
"Hey Shin." He salutes before coming closer to him so they can speak privately. "I'll need a room in our base to work on my runes. Do you have the keys with you?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh my god.
"Oh my god, Femms you're so f~#&ing beautiful!"
Connie's eyes were shining with tears of wonder as she reached out to pick Femtite up in her cupped hands.
The pixite shrank away from Connie's grasp, and eyes wide she pulled her hands back. "Sorry! Sorry!" She shoved her hands underneath her own butt to pin them in place. "Sorry!"
For a moment she just breathed, eyes still wide with surprised joy before her entire face split into a broad smile.
"Wow. Wowowow. Uh, the kiss, not the wings and the uh- Though, umm, Wow for those too.."
"Okay." Another deep breath "Okay. I umm. I don't trust myself to talk right now without- Well now I get all those Uhaul jokes."
She tugged at the fire blanket, which is **very** askew. Better anchoring required, and used a corner as a kind of potholder to try to hold Femms again.
"But uh, I don't speak tinkling-bell oh my god I did not even mean that joke, so I know I have to be the one to say at least some stuff.
"I'm sorry. I don't think you meant for me to see this, but because I'm more than a selfish hypocrite, I'm really glad that I did anyways. I don't care for you or feel for you even the slightest bit less than I already did."
She stayed sitting as she continued. "I definitely need to get out of here tonight though. 'Cause tonight was really big and amazing, and if I don't get some time to decompress I'm going to spew molten crazy all over it. Which I guess wouldn't burn you, duh, but you'll get trapped in it like a kind of amber-Pompeii and I can feel that the metaphor is getting strained, but basically uh:
Connie incredibly happy.
Connie still crazy.
Connie need space right now.
But not that kind of space."
She smiled like she was joking, but there was a tension in her posture that hadn't been there. "But you can't talk right now or at least not in a way I understand, and you're upset, and I'm gonna stay here with you until one of those changes, okay? I might have to gag myself at some point though if that takes a while. Or else, as previously established, molten crazy, Femms frozen in amber. Very sad."
***
Connie: So Air Bud, I have a quick question
Connie: (For these purposes you're in one of the later sequels where the dog can talk)
Connie: I'm still an aggravating goblin of a human being, right?
Connie: Slightly worried I may have fallen into a reality where a different, much nicer Connie has laid a lot of groundwork for friendships that I will uproot before I get dimension swapped back.
Connie: And you should always have your dimension-swapped counterparts' back.
Connie: (Just in case: Sorry, I shouldn't have called you Air Bud. I forgot that one of his puppies has super strength in the one where they fight crime. That was thoughtless of me.)
Budderball: Read.
Kayla smiles knowingly and says ”That sounds about right. Knowing Horizon…” before coughing slightly. She then sits up and says ”Listen, don’t worry about all of that,” as she waves a hand in general direction of the rabble rousers as she scoots closer to Max. ”They’ll get over it soon enough. But, if you want some PR help, I can give you my number and maybe my Aunt can work her magic.”
Though who she was talking to put him dead in his tracks. Praetoria. Not the last person he'd want to see today, but definitely on the list. He stepped to one side to try and duck out of view while attempting to figure out what was going on here.
[Dice=Assess the situation]2d6+1-2
Shin hears a familiar throat clearing loudly behind him as he's trying to discretely watch Max and Praetoria. Grace is there behind him, arms folded and tapping her foot. "You baking the two of them cupcakes too?"
Max's heart beats fast in her chest. Praetoria is offering her phone number!
"Yes!" she cries out without thinking. She blushes, clears her throat, and says, "Uh. Yes, I would like that. Thank you!"
Once Kayla leaves, Max doesn't move. She doesn't want to expose anybody else to her pheromones. She quickly texts Connie: Ring broke. Need help ASAP!
[...]
Goblin: And you should always have your dimension-swapped counterparts' back.
Goblin: (Just in case: Sorry, I shouldn't have called you Air Bud. I forgot that one of his puppies has super strength in the one where they fight crime. That was thoughtless of me.)
Caio: No. You are not a human. A cactus shoved into an a!&*+$& has more humanity
As Max and Praetoria exchange numbers, a tall, handsome youth shows up next to Kayla. He's barely hiding a well-defined physique behind his shirt and his handsome face bears a close similarity to a Hollywood action star. He puts his arm around the waist of Kayla.
"There you are. Missed you... who's your friend?" The newcomer stares deeply into Max's eyes and gives her an intensely charismatic smile. "Hello, I'm Tiv Krueger. What's your name?" he says as he extends his other hand.
Femtite is surprised by the reaction. She was sure a human would find her repulsive.
She settles into Connie’s cupped hands, after Connie thinks to use the fire blanket. She looks up at Connie smiling, teary eyed, body-heat still too intense… she dares not grow any larger.
Femtite doesn’t want Connie to go out, but once she’s had time to calm, she’ll give Connie a thumbs-up and then make her right-hand fingers ‘walk’ on her left hand.
Until then, she leans a palm against the tip of Connie’s thumb. She feels very safe, very comfortable, very happy to be held and cared for…
Femtite checks on DD as she promised Horizon she would. But apparently, there’s already a goddesslike blonde on the job.
“Oh! I saw some girls cosplaying as you at the plaza! I’m Femtite!”
Kayla looks at the newcomer and smiles back politely as she sizes her up. ”Kayla. Or Praetoria,” she answers before looking to Max. ”One of your teammates?” she asks.
Max nervously takes the offered hand. "I'm Max. Oh, hey, Femms..."
More and more people are showing up and things are escalating quickly...