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Two weeks had disappeared, swallowed in the frenzied panic of radically shifting the operation. Security no longer assured outside the exclusion zone, the order came down to move camp. Directions were unclear, as no one knew what safety meant any longer. The shades no longer stayed to the house, and the spear beast stalked the halls each night. Any spot visible through a window or door was in peril. Initially, the wolf tried to keep this secret. He spent his nights watching the cameras obsessively, looking for any hint of weakness, and sign of vulnerability. It didn't take long to become known, people had eyes, and plenty of reason to fear the Manor already. They spotted it through the windows, and it became known. It became clear that no distance was safe, they needed cover.

The hyena nearly lost their mind in the shuffle, even as the rat and bear tried their best to help. The bear could, but the rat quite literally could not pull her own weight. Tents needed to be designed, built, and reinforced. Canvas was not enough. Their new base became the forest behind the manor, and soon looked more like a refugee camp than a professional operation. They felt safer in the trees, there was more to catch and block any projectiles there, even if nothing would stop the shades from coming on their own. The trailers were left behind, their replacement tents now much less private. Supplies took longer and longer to arrive, and the question of where to park the vehicles loomed over it all.

The bear set to work on his own project, leaving the hyena to their fate. He drove into town and bought lumber by the gross. It wasn't fancy, and it wasn't foolproof, but many could let themselves rest easy when he was done. The wall stood fifteen feet high with a walkway along the top. It covered the back of the manor in a semicircle, further shielding the camp from attack. It was only after this that the hyena forgave the bear, now under much less pressure to finish their own defenses.

The monitor tent stood at the rear, housing the remains of the old wolf's office, and their newest acquisition. Never had they found something worth taking out of the Manor, until now. Many of the mare's medics were pulled from duty to see to its study, something they could afford, as all survivors had escaped with minimal injury.

The Spear, as they chose to call it, was hardly a sharp object. It was a tapered length of some smooth red material. Its most notable quality was its strength, and the velocity at which it arrived. This one had pierced the side of the old office trailer, two others had claimed the lives of team 15 members. Initial study was inconclusive, at least so far. What materials they could harvest from it gave mixed results. The object was not inherently organic, but had organic components inside, specifically hemoglobin. As with everything in the Manor, all signs pointed back to blood.

Even after the move, even after the reinforcements, and the return to some kind of routine, tensions built ever higher in camp. The wolf's temper flared daily. Many feared for his health or sanity, most feared for their jobs. It was clear something was going to break, and everyone knew better than to bet against the Manor.

---

Alice hesitated at the entrance, bracing herself to lie. She was regrettably good at it, enough years at this job necessitated it, but sometimes the old feelings came back. She was there under false pretenses, that was for sure, and in any established practice she'd be reprimanded for abusing her position in such a way. She wasn't a doctor anymore though, much less a surgeon, not licensed at least. She was here for much the same reason as everyone else, first desperation, then an unhinged sense of belonging.

It wasn't quite loyalty, and was far from love, but Alice was devoted to the wolf. She was married to him in a sense, though there was precious little warmth these days. She was fine with that, had been since the start. She came here to forget, and he had helped her for a time, both personally and professionally. Here, she had some of the same prestige she lost, here she had someone to take care of her physical needs and urges. He had never offered her intimacy, and she had never wanted it. Those days were over for her, and she supposed that was part of why she was here.

"Keller, I'm coming in," she said, loud enough to hear but not to carry. The personnel tents were now much closer together than they were before, even the explorers. The dog did not answer, so she let herself in.

Keller's tent was clean, but only in the sense that it was empty. None of the furniture showed any signs of use, and if not for his physical presence, it would be easy to think it was unoccupied like the others. Two had passed, one had left, and the horse had moved in with his partner. Keller himself was laying in bed when she entered, but reluctantly pulled himself upright to sit on the edge of the bed at her presence.

"Sally said you haven't been in for mess in days," Alice said. It was only half a lie. Sally wasn't the one who asked her to come. Keller kept his eyes low, much like he had when he'd first started, before the Manor had sunk its claws into him. She missed those early days, missed him peeking at her chest despite himself. He at least looked alive then, he at least had desires. Alice waited a while for him to answer, but it became clear he had nothing to say. She nodded, mostly to herself, and continued anyway.

"Standard check up, since we haven't had a chance to debrief yet," Alice said. Keller held his hand up dutifully, knowing what she meant already. Alice took it, and pulled a device from her pocket, one all too familiar to the team now. She pricked his finger and waited for the results. She grimaced. 79%. Keller didn't react upon seeing it. This was grim, past Alice's own corruption now. She knew he wasn't long for the team, but it wasn't her decision, not yet. Not until it was much higher.

"You need to eat," she said, changing the subject. "Your body is in recovery mode, it needs calories."

Keller shook his head. "Nauseous," he said, "makes me sick."

"How about water?"

Keller thought, then nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm drinking."

Alice pulled out her stethoscope and began her assessment in earnest. "I'll see if I can't get some meal replacements in for you then. All you gotta do is drink them."

Keller nodded slowly. Alice milked her exam for as long as she could, trying to get a read on the dog, trying to catch a glimpse of something, anything going through his head. He remained obstinate and silent until the end.

"Should have been me," he said low, as Alice was packing to leave. She paused and looked down at him. She had everything she needed, on paper. Shep had asked her to assess his fitness for duty, and she had. He was physically capable, but that wasn't what mattered. She knew it was for the best that he leave, for both the operation, and for himself. He was hardly the first to lose someone they cared about in there, and not even the first to lose a lover. Maybe she was getting old, maybe she was just tired, but she couldn't help but feel those words. She had said the same, even if they made less sense then.

"No," Alice said plainly. Keller did not reply, so she continued. "She made her choice, she chose you. She didn't do it for you, she did it for her."

Keller shook his head. His hands worked themselves into balls.

"I'm not trying to make you feel worse or better," Alice said. "I know how it is. Before I came here, I had a husband. I'll spare you the details, but he died in much the same way. Car crash for him, head on. He turned enough so he would take the brunt of the collision on his side of the car. I got off with broken bones. He wound up a vegetable. It cost me six years and my job to let him go, and I've never felt better about it."

Keller started shaking subtly. Alice paused a few seconds, wondering if she'd been too rough. She realized he wasn't mad though, he was fighting tears. She looked down as well, realizing she had been rough. She wasn't exactly selling a dream of recovery, but she was being honest. Still, she felt that it was more appropriate somehow.

"I keep going though, because it was what he wanted for me. I'm respecting that wish in my own way, even if some days I don't want to. It doesn't get better, but it does get easier," Alice said.

Keller turned from her, and rolled back into bed facing away. She'd said too much already. Alice held back a sigh, and rose silently. She was foolish to think she'd had a chance at helping him. She barely knew him, no one in camp did. She could do one thing for him, one more lie. She just hoped it would be enough. She didn't like the thought of leaving him back in the real world like this, alone and broken. Here, he may not have friends, but people did care about him. She would give him time, and one more thing.

"I'm gonna send over some pills tonight, they'll help you sleep," she said. Keller remained silent. She nodded to herself, it was time to go.

---

"Don't know why he put us on top of this," Jade said, eyeing the red object nervously.

"Medics came up blank, nothing to show but it had blood on it," Gabe said as he appraised the length. The weapon was approximately three feet in length, and eight inches at its thickest near the tip. The whole thing was of a mottled red hue, with darker streaks along its length, and it's shape was lumpy with streaks, like some kind of upended stalactite or stalagmite.They had it mounted on a table for the time being, on metal stilts. Jade wondered at the force it took to launch something at such deadly velocity. She didn't like being around it. It was better during the day, when she had sunlight to reassure her, but at night, when the house went active, she was afraid to even approach the tent. She didn't know how the Master could stand to keep his vigil like that. Just being near it gave her a headache, and she wasn't sure if that was natural or not.

"I'm a glorified code monkey, I don't know thing one about material analysis. You?" Jade asked the bear.

"Did a few summers doing surveys for national parks, a lot of feeling the bottom of rivers. I suppose you could call that geological."

"So is this a rock?"

"Dunno."

Jade sighed. She couldn't complain the work wasn't challenging, but this was either the third or fourth skill she was teaching herself online since starting as an Engineer. She was at least thankful they had the tools for the job. "It's like he thinks it's a 'smart people' problem, and thinks it's our department."

"More dollars than sense, that's for sure."

Jade looked up to the bear, and was surprised how serious he looked. That should have been a joke, but it felt uncomfortably true. The Master had been unpredictable since the last expedition. She had at least taken comfort in his reasoning before, but that seemed to be in question more each day.

"We're wasting daylight here," Gabe said, sounding unlike himself. Jade didn't like it, but he was right.

The hours of the day crawled by as they collected their samples. The material resisted their efforts, but Gabe's sturdy hand and the occasional whack of a hammer let them chip away at it as needed. Jade positioned herself at the microscope for much of the way, with her laptop nearby. She went through thirty tabs of research, and over a hundred amateur geological forums as she went. It was true you could find any community online, but that didn't mean there would be many people there. It was hard to find much active talk at all among the fanatics, and her questions so far had gone unanswered.

Under the scope, the substance tended to vary wildly, and Jade could only conclude it was made of many different things. Identifying those components became her primary goal. It was hard to resist the pull of it once she was working. This wasn't some ephemeral shade, or some mundane object used against them, this was something material from the Manor, of the Manor. It seemed critical to understand what it was, that knowing this much may reveal something about the true nature of the whole.

Jade looked to the monitors frequently throughout the day, remembering the old wolf's words. She kept hoping she'd see something, catch something she wasn't meant to. She was starved for information, and short of going into the Manor itself, they seemed the best bet. The monitors remained silent though, never showing more than the blizzard no matter how long she looked. Four-o-clock rolled around, and she forced herself to shut her laptop.

"Quittin' time?" Gabe asked, chisel in hand as he looked up from the spear. He had been working for over an hour to get a piece of the tip, which seemed to be the hardest part of the object.

"I'm not giving this any more time than I have to," Jade said. It felt like a lie. She wanted to keep working, to know more, to understand, but she needed something else too. Something she couldn't get here, something she knew was more important. She wouldn't let her obsession take that time away from her.

Nate was already home when she arrived, seemingly waiting for her in their tent. He was happy to see her, but something else was on his face, some form of worry. She would process that later though, once her brain was working right. Her whole body buzzed with need, something the stallion was all too happy to soothe each night.

He waited for her on the bed wearing jeans and nothing else. His cast was gone now, something both of them were very happy to make use of. He smiled seeing her, and she ran to him. Jade hit him like a wave, unable to stop herself once she'd seen his bare fur. She washed up against his chest, and turned to clay in his arms. His scent was intoxicating, she could tell he'd been working out, even though he'd showered. The citrus smell of his shampoo and his old sweat mixed in her nose, further fogging her brain. Nate hesitated to hold her, something clearly on his mind, but seemed to decide it could wait. He brought her chin up with his big hand, and kissed her. Jade lost herself, until she felt his rising need pressing against her thigh.

Jade pulled back and unceremoniously yanked off her shirt and bra. They were both past foreplay, they just needed each other. Nathan helped her out of her pants, then undid his own as she climbed over him onto the bed. His cock stood proud and at the ready for her, its tip already flaring and dribbling pre. Jade reached for the nightstand, and dug out their bottle of lube. Nathan was ready for her, already comfortable with their routine. He held his fingers out for her to dribble some on to, then let her turn around on his chest. He had a peerless view of her ass, and wasted no time burying his thick fingers in her pucker. Her ass seemed to suck him in, thirsty for more. Jade gasped, and set to work on her own end, drooling lube over the stallion's cock, and working it over his length with her hand. It was awkward work, but she was getting good at it. Nate groaned at her touch. Her small hand teased him, but it was not quite enough. She seemed to agree, and turned again before long had passed, letting his fingers slip out of her.

Jade rose to her knees, and reached behind her for her prize. She gave it one last squeeze before leveling it against her back door. Jade bit her lip, and Nate hissed as she slowly sat back on it, her tight ass just barely allowing his girth inside. Jade had to take deep breaths to work through it, the sensation was almost overpowering. It ran right up to the edge of pain, but she didn't care. She wanted to, needed to feel him inside her, and this was the only way. The first few inches slid in, and progress eased up. Jade let out a deep moan as his cock crushed her P-spot, the pleasure finally rushing into her. She lowered herself fully onto his length, bottoming out halfway. She wanted more, she wanted all of it, but this would be enough. Nate seemed to agree.

Jade began rocking her hips awkwardly, it was all she could manage at her height, she was practically kneeling over him. Nate helped by slowly thrusting up into her, while holding himself back. He was always careful with her, which meant they couldn't go fast. Jade knew that wouldn't be a problem for him though, her ass was plenty tight. Jade worked up to a speed which felt right, feeling her ass start to tingle. Pleasure trickled down from her skull through her spine, making her whole body warm. She loved it when he took her like this, when he made her cum like this. It never involved her cock, that barely got hard, but it didn't matter. It felt so much better this way, felt so much more right. She let out a moan as the first orgasm hit her. She froze, shuddering as it ran through her. Her cock dripped its small amount of pre, and she went back to riding him.

There was more to be had, her body was still building to bigger and better orgasms. Hotter and hotter her blood burned, spurred on by the noises of her lover. Each grunt and groan proof of how she could please him, each proof of her power as a woman. Nate groaned and grit his teeth, and she grinned. She knew that meant he was holding back now, trying not to cum. She wouldn't let him. She moved faster, riding him with little worry for herself. She was drunk on the pleasure, and took more of him in, inch by inch. She wanted all of him, wanted to feel his balls against her, wanted to feel them tighten as he claimed her. Something broke her focus, a new noise.

"Jade, Jade!" Nate cried. It was half a whimper, half a moan.

Jade's eyes fluttered open, and she looked down. Her stomach was distended slightly, sticking forwards at her navel. She gasped as all sensation hit her at once, realizing how far she'd gone. She stumbled, trying to get her knees under her, to raise herself, but flopped instead, falling the last few inches to his lap. Nate gasped, and tried to catch her. His arms caught on her hips, but it was too late. Nate clenched his whole body, unable to stop, and came. Jade felt his entire length throb inside her painfully, it was all too much. Overwhelmed, her brain put out the only output that made sense, and she came too, letting out a cry even as she doubled over. Tears stung her eyes as her whole body surged with pain and pleasure. Nate caught himself after the first wave, and managed to tip her over onto her side. Jade whimpered as he withdrew, painting her ass with the last of his seed on the way out.

Jade lay incensed as waves of pleasure and pain and nausea rolled through her. Dimly, she became aware of a noise, someone talking. She realized it was Nathan.

"I'm sorry," he kept repeating, his voice drenched in shame. Jade wanted to comfort him, but the sensations were too much to move. She reached for his hand though, and managed to catch his fingers, even if she couldn't make words. That seemed to comfort him some.

They hadn't planned on it, but they spent the rest of the night in bed, Nate not letting her get up. Their first fear was having ripped something, but after an hour vigil with no blood, they relaxed some. Jade's asshole felt cold in a strange way, and Nate told her it wouldn't shut. The thought worried her, but made her proud in a strange way. Slowly, her sphincter did manage to close, long after letting all of Nathans's cum drool out of her. It was little comfort though, as a deep ache struck her guts as she started to relax. She may not have ripped anything, but she was definitely bruised. It was Nate who finally said it after a long period of silence.

"You're not okay right now."

Jade didn't have the energy to get defensive. Through the nausea and pain, she could only nod weakly. This wasn't right, this wasn't normal. She loved sex with him, but this kind of thirst was something new. It felt like someone else was at the wheel, pushing her to take more, to do more.

"Something's wrong with that thing, It's hurting you. How do we know it's not... It's not spreading it like the house does?"

Jade said nothing. The fact was they didn't know. They didn't know anything. That was why she was studying it, but was it really why? What had she learned? What did she think she could learn? She realized it was pulling on her, drawing her in, and that scared her more than anything. "I'll talk to Dr. Willow in the morning," Jade said softly.

"Don't go back there, please," Nate said, "Even if nothing's changed, It scares me."

Jade nodded. She loved a good problem, something to overcome with her mind, it made her feel alive, and powerful in ways fate had denied her. She loved Nate more though, it was as simple as that. It felt strange to be so sure after so short a time, but the Manor did that to you. It ruined your inhibitions, but in a way it sharpened you. It made things clearer for you in ways you refused to see before being corrupted. Their love was young, and carnal, and she didn't know if or how long it would last, but right now, it was what she needed. It was what they both needed.

---

Gull approached the tent without grace or tact. Their load was heavy, and they weren't going to be fucked by politeness on a day like today. "Delivery," the hyena said as they tromped inside. Curiously, no one responded. Gull waited for their eyes to adjust, and immediately felt stupid.

The dog looked up at them from the bed, blinking. "Oh shit man, sorry," Gull said, "Didn't know you were sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," the dog said, almost a whisper. His voice was harsh, and his face gaunt.

Gull unceremoniously carried the crate to the bedside, and set it down with a creak. The dozens of plastic bottles inside rattled against each other. They popped the lip off with a screwdriver from their pocket, and looked at the shrink wrapped cases inside. "Oh man, these bring back memories," Gull said, their disgust plain. They looked to the dog, trying to read his reaction, and caught his gaze pinned to their chest. The dog's eyes dropped instantly, but it was too late. Normally, Gull would write it off. Almost everyone was curious about their gender, wanting to "solve" the mystery by measuring their bust with their eyes. The dog was different though. Gull knew misery when they saw in, knew the dog could not care less about themself or their gender right now, which meant something else had drawn his eye. That meant their pins.

Gull had worn their pride vest today, it gave them a sense of power, especially lately when they were being run ragged. The dog's interest meant one of two things, sympathy, or antipathy. Considering how miserable he looked, Gull bet on the former. Anger didn't seem to be baked in his bones, he was too pathetic for hate. Gull relaxed just the slightest bit, but didn't let it go. "So which one caught your eye?" they asked, turning their gaze to the dog. Keller, they thought his name was. Gull made a pointed effort to avoid the exploration team, they were the shortest lived in camp, quite literally. Still, it was hard not to know Keller's reputation by now. Apart from the old wolf himself, he had the longest string of successful missions, and survival in general. Most ran after their first, maybe their second, if their body wasn't ruined in the process.

Keller didn't answer for a while, but that was fine by Gull. They could spend as long as they needed, and it seemed the dog needed some pressure to talk. There were plenty of options, plenty of flags. Their pronouns pin, general ally pin, the trans flag, the aro flag, ace flag, "Fuck Terfs", "Bigots can bite my hypothetical dick", and few other ones that were just cute. Keller's discomfort grew by the moment, it was almost cute. Finally he broke. "I don't know, they're all good, just..."

Gull scowled. They hadn't planned on dealing with a baby gay today, but it was a welcome change of pace. The hyena stuck out their hand. "Gull," they said, keeping it plain and direct. Keller looked at their hand, then face, then reluctantly shook it. His grip was weak, noncommittal, but it was there. He had done it.

"Keller," the dog said, keeping it short as well.

"So, ally, or any of these yours?" Gull asked. Perhaps it was selfish, but they were curious, and the dog looked like he needed a distraction.

"I don't know..." Keller said, and sighed. He seemed to loosen up a little bit, but remained guarded. Gull scowled, knowing years of repression when they saw it. "I've always felt safer around the community, like they'd understand or something."

"Like you were just put together different?"

Keller nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess."

"I'd say same, but you picked that up already. I get it though, I stopped trying to explain myself years ago. They think it's a sex thing, and I don't waste the effort correcting them."

"Funny, considering your flags." Keller said dryly.

Gull smiled. "So you do know your way around, hard to claim ally when you know the obscure flags."

Keller sighed, looking down. "I don't like to think about it," he said.

Gull scowled. "Healthy, man."

Keller said nothing.

"How old are you, like twenty-five? Twenty-six?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Have those feelings ever gone away?"

Keller said nothing.

"You can trust it's not a phase by now at least."

Keller remained silent.

Gull leaned against a tent pole, taking their eyes off the dog. "For me, I always knew. Not everyone has that luxury though, sometimes it takes years to figure out what feels obvious after the fact. I tried to ignore it for years, and didn't actually commit to transition till my thirties. Thought it was too late to matter, but I've never looked back. Lost a lot of friends, and basically my whole family. It sucks, but so did they."

Keller sighed. "I've already lost... I don't have people anymore. Probably for the best."

Gull huffed. "No."

Keller shook his head. "Like, I get you're right on paper, but it doesn't change how I feel. I hate attention, I hate people seeing me. It makes me feel.. Vulnerable."

"Unsafe, right?"

Keller nodded reluctantly.

"Like your very existence is a threat to yourself?"

Keller hesitated, then nodded again. Gull smiled, but said nothing. "I don't know. My dad wasn't great, and my only goal has to never be him really. Too... It's too much to want any more."

Gull sighed. They weren't a therapist, but they understood at least. Sometimes that was enough. "How about your love life, then? Any success there?"

Keller swallowed hard. Gull regretted the question immediately. They'd heard the rumors, but they got carried away. Keller spoke again, surprising them. "Not great. I've had girlfriends, but nothing really... right. Tried a boyfriend once, but it made me uncomfortable."

"Like wrong or?"

"The sex was alright, but they way they used my body felt awkward."

Gull took a deep breath quietly. There was the flag, even if the dog didn't know. Maybe the dog did, but didn't feel it was worth investigating. Maybe Keller didn't feel he was worth investigating. "How about girlfriends then?" Gull asked, their voice much softer now.

"Whoever would have me, honestly," Keller said, "Never really works out. That felt better, women at least seemed to be more interested in knowing my body, but..."

"That's fine, you don't have to say," Gull said. They had their suspicions, but they weren't the person for Keller. They were busy enough as it was, Keller needed time and attention, something Gull was lacking lately. Gull did know someone though, someone Keller may be more open to. Gull returned to the crate and pulled one of the bottles free of the plastic. They held it out for Keller to take. "They taste like chocolate at least. You can get by on one a day if it gets too hard, but you should shoot for two." Gull knew they weren't a doctor, but they had the experience here at least. Eating disorders were scary, no matter the length or cause

Keller took the bottle reluctantly, and read it.

Gull nodded and turned to leave. "See you round pup," they said, and left Keller to his thoughts. They left the personnel tents, and made their way over to the equipment tent. The walk wasn't far, but the path was roundabout thanks to the forest. Even during the day, the whole camp was drenched in shade, and Gull missed the warmth of the sun. They supposed it may be their nature, Hyenas hailed from much warmer climates, but equally likely they simply felt uneasy around the Manor and missed the comfort of the light.

Gull stepped inside, hoping to catch a short nap before the next task came knocking. They had been basically living at work throughout the move, and still had at least a dozen more tents to redesign, especially the med tent. To their surprise, someone else was in the tent already.

"Oh, hey bud," Gabe said, equally as surprised to see the hyena.

Gull blinked. "I thought you were on spear duty?"

Gabe laughed bashfully, "Yeah, about that. We're off duty for the time being. Jade went to the doctor this morning, and now the Doc and Master are having a shouting match."

Gull scowled. "So where's Jade then?"

"Still at the med tent, getting bled."

Gull hesitated, but thought better. They wouldn't get a better opportunity, and they were sure Jade would understand.

---

The car rumbled along the dirt road noisily, each seat packed to bursting. Nathan sat up front, with Gabe driving. It was almost comical how they had the bend to fit around each other, half of Nate's torso was hanging out the window. The back wasn't much better. Jade herself barely took up room, and Keller wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination, but between them Dr. Willow sat, crushing both up against the car doors with her thighs. Jade was fortunate in one way, that she didn't have to wonder where to put her arm in the pile. The one she had left was facing the door, and free from the embarrassment of touching the mare's body. Jade wasn't free from the awkward atmosphere though, more than a few times she caught herself staring at the Doctor, alternating between imagining what it was like between her breasts, and bouts of envy at their natural size. Jade had to remind herself constantly of her own size, that her own boobs were fine for her body, but it was a struggle. Dr. Willow, either through indifference or obliviousness, did not seem to take note of Jade's wandering eyes. The Doctor seemed to be in her own world, and wore an unusually somber expression the whole ride.

Every once in a while, Jade would look over the mare's lap to check on Keller. She didn't like how thin he looked, but that was secondary to their reasons for tonight. She was shocked he'd consented to come at all, but as the Doctor was keen to remind her, Keller would agree to anything if he thought it would be easier than the alternative. Still, she hoped a night away from camp, away from the Manor, would remind him of the life he still had, of the living around him. Throughout the whole drive, he never seemed to lift his gaze, and kept his hands firmly clamped between his knees, his elbows perched awkwardly on his thighs. He seemed afraid to take up any amount of space. Jade began to wonder if this was really a good idea.

They pulled into Coleville at dusk, and Gabe left them at his preferred bar to go check in at the hotel. He would be abstaining for the night, said he wanted to catch up on sleep. Jade knew the real reason. Gabe just felt out of place. He was an Engineer, not an explorer. Even if he knew Jade, he simply did not share the bond the others did.

Dr. Willow led the charge in, walking with purpose as the rest fell behind her. Jade had worries going to a small town bar as she was. She never knew who could or would clock her, if they were even amicable to rats in the first place. Two regulars looked up from the bar, clearly displeased with the amount of noise. Jade relaxed when she saw a young cat behind the bar. She felt better seeing someone her own age, and felt much better when she caught a look at the woman's hands. The first two fingers had their claws filed down to nubs, insignificant to most, but she may as well have been wearing a lesbian flag for those who knew already.

The mare claimed a table in the far corner, and sat Keller down in the corner. Nate awkwardly sat down next to him, giving him plenty of space if he needed to get out for any reason. Jade sat down next to Nathan, across from Keller, while Dr. Willow went to the bar. The trio sat quietly until she returned, too nervous to start the conversation. Dr. Willow sat back down with two bottles in each hand, not having bothered to ask what everyone wanted. Nate got a beer, which he reluctantly accepted. Jade got vodka cooler, and appraised the bottle dubiously, trying to do the math on how much of it she could safely drink without getting wasted. The mare kept a hard cider for herself, and placed a hard lemonade in front of the dog. Keller eyed the bottle, a scowl breaking through his expression. He opened his mouth to protest, but Dr. Willow spoke over him.

"Doctor's orders," she said, "You can stop after that one."

"You're a god-awful doctor," Keller said quietly as he sniffed the lip of the bottle.

"I'm no doctor," the mare huffed, "Haven't been for a long time. Call me Alice."

Keller lifted the bottle and brought it to his lips. He almost seemed afraid of it to Jade, but as he tasted it, he must have decided it was acceptable and began sipping it. Alice was clearly waiting for him to respond, but he kept quiet. After a minute, she huffed, and tore into her own drink, dumping over half of the bottle down her throat in one go. Jade began to understand the kind of night she was in for. The mare had a large body, but at that rate she was cruising to be sloshed. Nathan took a sip from his own drink, anxious for something to do. Jade waited to start hers. As tiny as it was, this one bottle would leave her buzzed all night if she spaced it out.

Alice got up to get another drink, something in a tall glass, and made her way over to a jukebox in the corner. She started laughing and talking to herself excitedly as she fiddled with it, and after a minute, the sound came on from overhead. The formerly quiet bar was drowned in the over-tuned volume of some old country song, its base made the table vibrate. The two regulars exchanged a look, and motioned for their tab as the Doctor began to dance.

Jade groaned, and looked over to Keller, who seemed similarly morose. She liked to think he must hate Country as much as she did, but knew better. There was a lot more going on. Predictably, it was Nate who started things off, and Jade was relieved she could rely on him.

"I never thanked you, you know," the stallion said, nearly shouting to be heard over the music.

"Just doing my job," Keller said, keeping his eyes on his drink.

"Fuck that, man," Nate said and took a long swig from his bottle. "I don't care why, I'd be dead now without you. I never apologized either."

"Not the first person to molest me in the shower," Keller said, almost muttering.

"Shit still isn't okay," Nate said, his face serious. "I'm not going to ask for forgiveness or anything, I'm guilty. I just thought you should know I regret it, and you deserved better than you got from me."

Keller sighed and took another sip from his drink, refusing to meet Nate's gaze. Jade felt sorry for Keller, he was so clearly outside his comfort zone. Nate looked to Jade for support. She put her hand on his arm, but said nothing. She knew he would understand. Nate had said what he needed to. The ball was in Keller's court if he wanted to serve it back.

Alice clopped back to the table, grinning like an idiot. "Okay, one of you is dancing with me," she declared, not quite an order, but certainly not a question.

Nate shot Jade a look, and she nodded. He rose, and offered his hand to the mare. Jade sometimes forgot that he was smaller for his species, and marveled at how much taller Alice stood than him. She watched them leave, then reluctantly let her eyes fall back to Keller. Jade had been waiting for this moment, the whole plan had been to get here, but she held back. She needed him to talk, not the other way around. Jade let out a sigh, and reached for her drink, taking her first sip.

Keller sat for a long time, sipping his way through his bottle, until it ran empty, Then, he just set it down and sat there. Slowly, so slowly Jade wasn't sure it was happening, he began to relax. Not quite getting comfortable, but letting himself take up more space. Jade supposed he was mostly getting used to the noise, but the alcohol was probably helping.

"You might want to step in," Keller finally said, lifting his gaze slightly.

Jade turned in her chair and saw the two horses crushing it behind her, and the bartender clapping along excitedly. They were much closer than she'd expected, not quite touching, but definitely getting more comfortable with each other's bodies and how they moved. Jade smiled and sat back down. "They're fine. We aren't exactly exclusive," she said. "Alice knows that too."

"And you're fine with that?" Keller asked. Jade tried to read his tone, but it was difficult through the noise. The song had changed now, another oldie, but this one was a pop song at least. Keller's expression was hard to parse, but Jade didn't think there was any malice there.

"Works out nice for both of us," Jade said, fighting the urge to get defensive. "We're good for each other emotionally, and make a good pair physically despite what you'd think, but we can't do everything. We have a few rules, casual flings are fine with protection, anything more we need to talk it out. It's been working nice so far."

Keller nodded, and Jade thought something like relief crossed his face. "It's nice having someone you trust."

"Yeah," Jade said. She knew exactly where Keller's head was now, and felt awful. "Listen, I know you don't want to hear it, but I need to thank you too. If you hadn't come for me then, I likely would be gone too, if not completely wrecked. They pulled me off the explorer team because of my corruption level. You may not have realized it then, but you kept me from climbing into the nineties, or higher."

Keller said nothing, and stared into his empty bottle. Jade was tempted briefly to offer him another, but thought better of it. He was already against the first. "What are you sitting at now? If you don't mind me asking," Jade said, hesitantly.

"Seventy-nine," Keller said flatly. "It seems emotional strife accelerates it, I jumped over twenty percent in minutes."

"I take it you're done then," Jade said. It wasn't a question, not really. It wasn't an accusation either.

"I don't know," Keller said and sighed. "I don't know if I can go back, but I want to. I want... I don't know revenge? Or at the very least it'll erase me."

Jade opened her mouth, but faltered. She set her jaw and took a large swig off her bottle, hoping the burn would give her some courage, if not now, then in a few minutes when it hit her brain. "That's an awful way to think," she said.

Keller shrugged. "I know. It's how I think though," he couldn't muster the effort to be defensive. It was clear he considered this just how things were.

"You've put your neck out for us all... Three, four times? Without hesitating."

Keller nodded. "It's easy math, you're all worth saving, and I could do it when I did."

Jade didn't like the equation. "So what, you're worth less?"

Keller crossed his arms, and laid his muzzle across them silently. He looked miserable, but he was here, Jade thought. It was awful to witness, but she was seeing the truth.

"Not exactly bravery then," Jade said, "Just being stupid. Reckless even."

Keller buried his face in his arms and sighed. "And there it is."

"I was thinking the same thing, but you go first."

Keller's ear flicked, annoyed. "I'm not like other men, I'm not acting out of bravado or ego, or any of that shit."

Jade nodded to herself. "Keller, do you know why we asked you out here?" she asked.

Keller lifted his head, wearing his emotions plainly now. He was sad, and annoyed, and most of all, angry right now. He was pissed, he was letting himself be pissed. Jade couldn't help but grin the slightest bit. "You think you can make me feel better, or you want to say you tried at least. Maybe you just want to feel better yourselves, and didn't want to leave me out. I don't know. It's pointless either way, because I don't want to be here. This isn't my thing. Bars aren't my thing, drinking isn't my thing, loud music is absolutely not my thing, but I'm too pathetic to say no and frankly the Doctor intimidates me, so I fold and come along. It doesn't matter though, because it doesn't solve anything. You'll get drunk, have a good night, have a bad night, doesn't matter, but tomorrow when you wake up you'll both be there, and when I wake up it will be just me all over again. It can't bring her back. You can't make it better, this isn't something that's fixed by playing nice and making friends. At least the Doctor understood that much."

"Nope," Jade said simply. Keller gaped at her, clearly wanting to shout, but having no words. He sat back upright and folded his arms across his chest. Jade saw he was on the verge of tears already, but too angry to let them out. That was good, for her ends at least. "We can't fix shit. We know that much at least."

"Then why!?"

"Because we've let you down. And I suspect we're not the first to do so," Jade said. Keller rolled his eyes and looked away. "Keller, may I ask you something directly?"

"I can't stop you."

"You can though," Jade said, "You have that power. You can say no, I'll stop. You can lie, or stay quiet if I ask anyway, you don't even have to trust me. I want to ask you something though, and I need you to listen because It's not an easy question."

Keller dragged his gaze back to her. Normally, Jade felt small and weak next to anyone normal sized, but somehow their eyes seemed level now.

"May I ask?"

Keller grit his teeth a moment, then huffed. "Sure, fine," he said, much of the anger gone from his voice. Something else was there, his walls were coming up again. Jade couldn't waste any time with tact.

"Are you really happy being a man?"

The song dropped out, and the words struck Keller like a slap to the face. His eyes flashed wide as his jaw fell. The silence was deafening for a second stretched to eternity. The song kicked back in, knocking some sense back into the dog. Jade watched a thousand words and feelings crawl around his face like ants, but held back. The ball was in his court, he knew what she was getting at.

"I..." Keller managed to say after some time, his voice strained. "I'm not happy being. I've never been happy just existing. I've always felt... felt..."

"Wrong?"

Keller nodded slowly.

"When did you first notice it?" Jade asked, her voice much softer.

Keller reached for his drink absently and brought it to his lips without thinking. He scowled when he was reminded it was empty. "I... My dad," he said simply. "He was always a piece of shit, he's the reason I don't drink," Keller trailed off for a time. Jade let him think. "When I was twelve I think, I had just hit puberty. It was rough, and I had no one to talk to. I thought I was broken for a while, then one morning he barged into my room while... Fuck I had morning wood okay? He starts yelling about how proud he was! How I was going to start breaking backs like him now, started buying me condoms and shit, and asking all these personal questions about my classmates."

"Holy fuck," Jade said.

"And like, it was embarrassing, and horrifying, but the whole time the only thing I could think was 'no', like this was just factually incorrect. Like, imagine you're reading your favorite book, and all of a sudden the story changes, and even though all the same characters are there, they're acting completely different and weird, and you can't just put the book down, you gotta keep reading it because this is just how it is now."

Jade nodded. She knew the feeling all too well. "Has that stuff kept happening?"

Keller thought for a moment before nodding again. "I think that was why I pulled back from all my male friends. Suddenly all they could talk about was girls, which I could tolerate, but they wanted me to talk the same way, and it felt... Wrong? Dirty? It felt like they had fundamentally different eyes from me. Like they lived in a different world and I had to keep acting to fit in."

"So you didn't."

"Y-yeah..." Keller sighed again. "Was easier to fade out, and let them forget me. I wasn't really worth remembering anyway, so I doubt they missed me."

Jade took another drink, not wanting her courage to wane. "I have a lot of those feelings too. Though for me it was different. All my best friends were girls growing up, but when we hit puberty I suddenly wasn't a friend anymore. I was a potential boyfriend, or a threat. I lost everyone, either to atrophy, or jealousy. They wouldn't let me be friends with other girls if we were dating, not in practice at least. They'd say they were fine, but would get pissy with me, or my other friends would get weird thinking I was trying to cheat with them. I did find out why it never felt right though, at least for me. Turns out I was never a guy. Never felt right being a man, I felt... I don't know, trapped?"

Keller was quiet a long while.

"Would it be fair to say you've had those feelings too?"

"I... I don't know. Maybe? So what, you think I'm a woman?"

"Maybe," Jade said as casually as she could muster. She was terrified despite the steady buzz she was building. "That was the answer for me at least. Gull's was a bit different. Yours is your own."

Keller's gaze fell. Jade worried he'd shut down again, put the walls back up, but something in her gut told her to keep going.

"You ever experimented with anything?"

"Like sexually?"

"I suppose, but I meant more like small things. Make-up, clothes, maybe a bit of roleplay?"

"Well, I did have one girlfriend into that," Keller said, haltingly. "She wanted to dress me up one night in bed, and I thought why not. She took her time, putting a whole lot of effort into it and just showered me with affection the whole time. It felt... it felt good being seen, being perceived, like not just looking at me but actively interacting with how I look. Then when she was done, she grabbed my... We just ended up having normal sex, nothing else was different. Once she was done, she was done. It was time for sex, time for me to do the thrusting and lifting."

"Did you ever get to see how you looked?"

"No, I... I hopped in the shower immediately after. I felt dirty. Like, I had felt so good, then back to reality. It all felt wrong on me after, like she had written her name all over me. It didn't feel like make-up, it felt like being marked."

Jade bit her lip nervously, a thought occurring to her. She checked her phone to see the time, and was relieved. Eight-thirty, she still had a half hour. That meant she also had no time to ease him into it though. "Keller would you... Would you ever want to try it again?" Jade asked.

Keller looked up at her anxiously, but something else was in his eyes. "Wait like tonight?"

"I mean like right now," Jade said.

Keller hesitated, struggling against himself. Jade could see in his eyes what he wanted to say. She rose suddenly, and offered her hand for him to take. "I promise, I won't touch your dick. We can stop whenever you want."

Keller hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. Jade took his hand and led him outside into the evening air. She was a little tipsy, but it was a short walk. Keller said nothing as they walked, though he tried to speak plenty of times. He kept close behind Jade the whole way, reassuringly. The thrift shop was a hole in the wall, a single room affair full of nothing but old clothes and shelf shit. Normally, Jade would avoid the place like the plague, but it was perfect for her ends tonight.

The matronly old Racoon who tended the shop was just reaching out to flip the open sign when they approached the door. Begrudgingly, she set it back and let them inside, but not without making a snide comment about last minute window shoppers. Jade paid her no mind, she was here to buy anyway.

"Jade this is crazy," Keller whispered as she marched down the middle of the three aisles. "I don't even know what fits me."

"Leave that to me," Jade said, far more confidently than she'd meant to. She caught herself and smiled bashfully. "Sorry, I just... I can eyeball this stuff easy now. I had a few boyfriends that liked to be dressed up pretty myself. We made it a team event. Turns out they were wearing a costume, I was just putting on the right clothes."

Keller seemed to grow more anxious by the minute, and kept glancing back at the raccoon, who watched them shop with distant disapproval. Jade wanted to let him simmer on some level, enjoying his nervous energy in a somewhat sadistic way. She liked to think it was more seeing Keller for who he was though, rather than who he presented, even if that was a nervous wreck. Regardless, she hurried through her selection as best she could.

When she got to the counter, Keller looked about ready to burst into flame, but just as Jade suspected, the Racoon checked them out without a word. Once they were outside, Keller breathed a sigh of relief, and Jade cracked a smile. She couldn't help but think he was adorable.

Jade paused to check her phone, and fired off a text to Nathan letting him know she would be back at the hotel with Keller. Nathan popped up as typing immediately, and Jade waited for his response.

Okay, stay safe! Are you and him gonna...?

Jade cocked an eyebrow at her phone. She typed her reply and hit send without thinking.

No. At least that's not the plan.

Jade stared at her phone a second, rereading what she'd sent. She drafted another reply, clarifying that no, they were not in fact going to fuck. It felt wrong and dirty to think it was headed there, especially after he'd lost someone so close. She couldn't deny that there was something else though, some hesitancy. She'd gotten a glimpse behind the guard, and the dog inside wasn't lacking in chemistry with her from what she'd seen. She decided to let it sit, and put her phone away.

"Come on, let's go," Jade said, and took Keller's hand again. He followed more readily this time.

The walk to the hotel was longer, but went by faster. Jade was giddy with anticipation, and It seemed Keller was feeling something similar. They met up with Gabe for their keys, the second of three rooms they'd rented, and headed inside.

The room was like any of the other thousands of hotel rooms out there, two queen beds with a small table between them, a sink and mirror in one corner, and the tv and a few chairs in the other. Jade led Keller to the nearest bed, sat him down, and tossed her bag of spoils on the table. Keller stayed quiet, though he couldn't seem to keep his legs or arms still.

From the bed, they had a good view of the mirror, which was going to be a problem. Even if they couldn't see themselves at this angle, it would be distracting. She didn't want Keller wondering how he looked until she was done. She spotted a towel hanging above the toilet through the bathroom door. That one was too small, but the big one hanging over the curtain rod in the shower would be perfect. She pulled it from the rack, and hung it over the mirror by wedging it behind the top corners. Finally, she moved Keller around to the inside of the bed, facing away from the mirror, and sat down opposite him on the other bed.

Jade said nothing for a time as she studied the dog. Keller bore her attention silently, if not gracefully, his gaze flitting low every time their eyes met. His black fur meant makeup would be largely useless, but not impossible. His frame, while not imposing before, was even more sleight with the weight he'd lost. It was a morbid thought, one Jade didn't like to acknowledge, but it made her job easier as well. She rose and grabbed her bag from the bed.

"Alright," she said decisively, "shirt off, pants too."

Keller blinked, then lurched into action. Off came the jacket and baggy t-shirt, as well as the loose jeans. He sat back down before her in nothing but his boxers, his tail limp behind him. Jade worried at that, but its occasional twitching reassured her she was on to something.

"First order of business," she said, and pulled a pair of panties from the bag. It was bright blue, basic without anything frilly. "You can put this on or not. Your pick. I recommend it personally, but it will make you supremely aware of your downstairs business the whole time."

Keller eyed the fabric for a few seconds, then took it from her with a shaking hand. He stood, turned, and doffed his boxers, then slipped into the new underwear. He froze, seeming to struggle with something.

"You okay?" Jade asked cautiously.

"I... They... They don't fit in it." Keller managed to say.

"Would you like me to help?"

Keller hesitated a moment, then reluctantly turned. Jade's eye had been on the mark, the waistband fit perfectly, but she had underestimated the size of his pouch. One spilled out either side of the strap awkwardly.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" Jade asked. Keller nodded, looking flustered. As gently as she could, Jade reached between his legs, and with a practiced hand pushed up and in on each teste. It was an old trick, one she had plenty of practice at but no need for anymore. The orbs slipped first behind the fabric further into his scrotum. Then, they popped back up inside as Keller tensed up. "You okay?" Jade asked, looking up. Keller nodded quickly, and Jade returned her attention lower. After that it was a simple matter of realigning the fabric, then the panties did the rest of the work holding him inside. Jade stepped back. "Better?"

"Yeah."

Jade smiled, and reached her hand into the bag for the next bit. Keller's eyes seized on the bra as she pulled it free. "We can stop anytime," Jade said

"No. It's fine," Keller stammered.

Jade scowled. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, are you sure you're okay?"

Keller hesitated, then nodded again.

Jade still didn't like the answer. "Do you want to do this?"

Keller opened his mouth one, then again. He struggled to form the words, Jade could only imagine how red his face was under that dark fur. "I do," Keller finally let out, at a whisper.

Jade smiled. "Arms up then," she said. The bra was tricky with one hand, Jade could barely manage putting one on herself. She ended up climbing on the bed and pinning one strap with her knee to get the hooks in. It wasn't a perfect match to the panties, but it was close enough.

Jade stepped back, looking over her work so far with a nod. Cool colors were good against his fur. She could push it a bit further. She dug in the bag for her next target, she had bought a handful just to be safe. She knew his chest was flat as a board, and even underweight his shoulders would catch the eye. She knew those two things could break the illusion, but she had one other trick up her sleeve.

Jade found the dress she was looking for, navy blue and long. It was the kind that folded over itself in waves. Jade always thought they looked like curtains, but she knew it took a certain frame to pull it off. She pulled Keller off the bed, and had him step inside before pulling it up over his shoulders. He slipped his arms through the sleeves, and Jade scowled. He looked like a substitute teacher. All that black fur was now covered, making a solid mat of blue.

Jade said nothing, and returned to her bag. It was no good, nothing else would match the color as well. She gave up and stepped back, thinking.

"Hold on," she said, and went to her own suitcase. Gabe had packed it in the closet when he'd checked in, along with Nate's. After some digging, she found her scissors. They were meant for trimming fur, not fabric, but she'd make it work.

"Hold still," Jade said as she settled down on the bed beside him. Keller kept his eyes straight ahead. Jade couldn't tell if he was afraid to look down, or wasn't ready yet. The hardest part was getting the blade through the fabric to begin, but once she had a hole it cut easily enough. She worked slow and steady, taking breaks to assess her progress often. She only had one shot, and didn't have the luxury of measuring tools. After ten minutes, she decided it was good enough. Something moving caught her eye, Keller's tail, wagging ever so slightly now. Jade smiled, but said nothing of it.

Jade checked her phone to see the time and was surprised how late it had gotten. Nate had also sent a text apologizing for the noise in advance. He'd sent it only a couple minutes ago. Jade replied with a thumbs up emoji, and pulled up her music app. Her thumb hesitated over her usual playlist, wondering if Keller would find it off-putting, then pressed play anyway. She cranked the volume as high as it would go as some orchestral track from a game she liked faded in, and went to her suitcase one last time for her makeup bag.

Keller didn't seem to mind the noise, and Jade began to hum along as she appraised his face. His eyes slipped away from her gaze like oil in water, and Jade let herself chase them for a bit as a smile crept across her face. She relented, deciding she'd flustered the poor dog enough, and set to work.

She decided his eyes should be her focus, they were big and deep as oceans. Paired with his soft fur and floppy ears, this would be easier than she'd thought. She grabbed a highlight pen from the bag, and started work.

Keller sat as still as he could, only wiggling when he couldn't keep his tail still. Jade made slow progress, partly because she only had the one hand, but partly because she needed it to be right. She couldn't hit perfect, but if she got close enough it wouldn't matter. She didn't bother with face powder with his fur tone, and instead went right to the product. Spray conditioner and a fine comb became her go to, and she wielded them like a scalpel. More and more, she caught Keller's eyes as she worked, each time rewarding him with a gentle smile.

Jade didn't know how long it took. It could have been hours or minutes, she didn't care. She was invested, and the slow build of Keller's tail rhythmically brushing against the bed spurred her on more. When she finally pulled herself back, it took effort. She wanted to keep going, but it was time. She caught Keller's eyes again, this time he didn't look away. "Ready?" she asked. Keller nodded, letting himself smile the slightest bit.

She took him by the hand to the sink, and pulled a chair up for him to sit. She centered him before the mirror, and reached up for the towel. She hesitated, looking him over one more time, then pulled it down.

Keller met his own gaze, and Jade appreciated her work through his eyes. The dress fit well, even if it was a little loose across the chest. It's neck was cut low, letting the top of the dog's collar bone show. His shoulders and the tops of his arms showed through the holes she'd cut away. It was rough, and the fabric was jagged where she had sawed at it to get through. The sleeves hung softly from his arms, stopping just over his wrists. It had been a gamble to emphasize his shoulders, but it had paid off. The straps she'd left in the dress separated them from his body with their bold color, putting the emphasis on their shape rather than their spacing. Keller had very rounded shoulders, lending themselves to the soft feminine look Jade had been aiming for. She'd sculpted the fur on his neck carefully to emphasize its length, further pulling the eye away from his shoulders and up from his chest. Everything pointed to his face, which was Jade's crowning achievement.

She hadn't had a lot to work with, but she did what she could, rounding his cheeks, and combing his fur sleek and shiny. The conditioner made his ears shimmer in the light, and two bold streaks of color shone through. One off each eye, a bold check of bright pink, contrasting with the dress. They framed his eyes, and their sharp point gave them a feminine edge. Jade barely had to do any work around them, they were so naturally rounded that all she had to do was call attention to them. The rest was framing. Jade was proud of her work, and a bit jealous. She wished she'd had such soft features to begin with.

Keller said nothing, but his breathing changed. It grew deep and slow as he stared at the dog in the mirror, meeting her gaze. His paws twitched against the floor, and he bit his lip. For a moment it looked like he was ready to run, but he couldn't pull his eyes away. His breathing turned ragged, and he began to hyperventilate.

"Keller," Jade said, stepping close. "Keller talk to me. Words, I need words!"

A high whine escaped the dog's lips and he buried his face in Jade's shirt. His fur felt hot against her stomach. She slid her hand around his back and rubbed it. She worried she'd gone too far, pushed him too much, but she knew better. This moment had been coming for a long time. She had just helped him get there. She rubbed his back as he rode the wave out, taking comfort in the occasional wags from his tail. Finally he pulled back, his face smeared from the tears, and he looked again at the mirror. Those pink streaks survived the deluge, and caught his eyes once more.

"But what does it mean?" Keller asked, his voice raw.

"It doesn't have to mean anything. How does it make you feel though?" Jade asked. She kept her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Broken," Keller said.

Jade frowned and opened her mouth, but Keller spoke over her.

"Like there's this rock in my head, threatening to fall and smash me, like I've been holding it up for so long. And now... it feels like my legs finally gave out, my arms finally snapped, and now the boulder is on top of me, crushing me. Like all that effort was for nothing."

Jade closed her mouth, and put her arm around Keller, hugging him gently.

"But fuck, its over now," Keller barked, "fuck that rock. Fuck ever holding it up. It was bullshit, exhausting work for what? If it was always gonna fall, why did I try to stop it? Why did I spend so much time and effort? What was the fucking point if it was always going to fall?" The tears fell freely now, uninhibited by strain or sobbing.

Jade held him a bit longer before speaking. "So who is it in the mirror then?" she asked softly. "Is that Keller in a dress? Or is that the rock?"

Keller didn't answer right away. "I... I don't know if it's Keller."

Jade nodded, catching his eyes in the mirror. "Is it you?"

"Maybe," Keller answered reluctantly.

"You don't have to decide right away. I'm sorry I pushed this all on you tonight. This was why I asked you to come though."

Jade paused, trying to read Keller's reaction. He didn't seem angry, at least not yet. "People like Gull and me. We're kinda magnetic. We tend to be drawn to each other, even before we know. Gull got a feeling talking to you, and asked me to check. They figured I was closer to you, and maybe they were right."

Keller looked down. "So what, I'm trans?"

Jade took a deep breath. "I can't tell you that. I can tell you crossdressers don't usually burst into tears the first time they see themselves in girl mode. I can't bring her back, we can't bring her back. We can't fix anything, but we can help you with this at least, if you want us to. We know what it's like."

Keller whimpered, and fidgeted in the chair. "But why... why..." he fought hard but couldn't get the words to come out.

Jade looked down, and opened her mouth to reassure him. Her words caught in her throat as she saw what he was trying to say. The blue dress, tight across the middle, now perfectly framed the erection it had trapped against his stomach. Jade laughed despite herself, and buried her face in Keller's shoulder.

"It's not funny!" Keller sobbed. Jade pulled herself together and back uptight.

"No no no it's fine. It's fine!" she said between gasps. "That's perfectly normal."

"What?" Keller asked, more bewildered than upset now.

"Your brain gets all the good chemicals, and goes to its default state," Jade said, "I struggled with it a ton early one."

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would pop a euphoria boner the first time, I didn't even know if you would get euphoria, I was shooting blind."

Keller sighed and sank in his chair, trying to disappear by the looks of it. Jade caught him by the chin and lifted his face to hers. Her heart fluttered, seeing him this close. His lips begged for hers, but she held back. The impulse was strong, almost overpowering, but she was used to the urges now. Jade closed her eyes, and pulled back, feeling her face burn. She counted the seconds as she waited for her heart to slow. She got to three before a hand pressed up against her shoulder.

Jade's eyes snapped open to see Keller lean up into her, his eyes bleary and glazed over. His lips caught hers, and she froze.

Lightning struck Jade, every inch of her skin suddenly felt alive and tingling. The flutter in her chest roared ablaze and rose into her cheeks. Jade's thoughts screamed to pull back, to not let this happen, that it was reckless to play with his emotions like this, but it was fruitless. She stood frozen until the flames thawed her. She fell against the dog, her hand coming to rest on his chest as she melted into his mouth. Finally something screamed loud enough inside her to break through the roar, her lungs. She pulled back with a gasp, and reality caught up to her.

"Oh fuck, Keller I'm sorry, I-" Jade stammered, feeling stupid.

"Shit, shit, no. No, that was me, fuck..." Keller said. He covered his face and leaned forward with a groan. "I'm sorry, I'm a fucking mess."

Jade hesitated, then put her hand on his back again. "You're in good company then at least."

Keller seemed to relax, and they sat for a while in silence. It wasn't awkward, at least not for Jade. Suddenly, Keller laughed to himself, sounding very tired. "That did not help the erection," he said.

Jade tried not to laugh too, but let a snicker through. That egged Keller on more, and soon they were both laughing. "I'm sorry," Jade said once she had her breath.

"It's fine it'll... It'll go down eventually," Keller said.

Jade's fingers played on his shoulder. She still wasn't sure it was a good idea, but the idea wouldn't leave her. "You know we could take care of that," she said.

Keller tensed up. "I don't... I mean you have Nate..."

Jade traced her fingers down the dog's back, feeling how tight his muscles were. "We can do things too, Nate's okay with it. I can keep my promise too."

"Promise?" Keller looked up at her.

Jade smiled. "Not to touch it. Have you ever... finished without it?"

Keller's eyes went wide as his ears flicked back. "I... We... How?"

Jade resisted the urge to lean in, to get closer and really light the fire inside the dog. "Your body is its own instrument, and right now you're in a unique spot," she said. "Looks like you're brand new to the whole euphoria thing, I'd be willing to be we could exploit that."

Keller blinked, flustered past words. She saw it in his eyes, he wanted it, but he was afraid.

"I'll still be here tomorrow. I'm here if you ever want to dress up again, or just talk," Jade said.

"I... I'm not usually one for casual stuff," Keller said, trying to keep his eyes off Jade.

"How about a friend then?"

Keller held for another moment, then a smile cracked through his lips. He let himself lean back, and nodded. "All right," he said. Jade grinned, and pulled him up by his hand. Keller became putty in her hand. In a flash, she had him on the bed on his back, looking up at her. She crawled over him, and straddled his chest.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop," Jade said.

Keeled nodded eagerly, grinning despite himself.

"Good girl," Jade cooed. Keller's breath caught in his chest. Jade felt his whole body shiver through her thighs, and her smile grew. She bent down and kissed him again, savoring his taste as he melted beneath her. She felt every subtle squirm and shiver from him, and became intoxicated by her power. She could play his body like a harp if she wanted to, and she did.

Jade pulled back, leaving Keller breathless as her hand roamed over his chest. She found his nipples through the dress easily enough, and she gave them each a good squeeze. Keller whimpered and bit his lip. His hands clenched and unclenched busily at his sides. Jade lowered her head again, and started kissing her way down Keller's neck, then lower. She let her hand idly roam his chest as she kissed down his stomach, giving his bulge a wide berth as she neared his waist. She paused, making sure to catch his eye before she slid a hand under the dress.

Keller inhaled sharply as she slid her hand up his thigh. She lifted the hem of the dress and resumed kissing his body, starting at his knee and trailing up the inside of his thigh. Keller let out a low moan, his whole body was shivering. Jade could see his cock now, standing tall over the top of his panties. She reached for them, and pulled the fabric aside. Keller's balls popped free, but they weren't Jade's target. Jade lifted the dog's leg, then waggled her other arm awkwardly for a few seconds before remembering it was gone. She needed a different plan.

"Alright, time to move," she said, "I want you on all fours."

The words took a few seconds to make it through Keller's brain, then he popped up and rolled over for her. His shaking was more pronounced now that he was holding his own weight up. That tail of his wagged incessantly now, making Jade smile.

"Good girl, time for your reward," Jade said, and gave Keller's ass a squeeze.

Keller whined and pushed back into her unconsciously. Jade was done waiting. She lifted the dress again, and threw it over the dog's back, putting his ass on full display. She grabbed his panties, and gave them a firm tug upward, pulling them taut between his cheeks and drawing an adorable yip from him. She grinned, and pulled them down just enough to expose his pink hole. She attacked it immediately, drawing a gasp from Keller as she drowned it with her tongue. She kept her hand busy kneading the dog's ass and thighs as she buried her muzzle in his ass. Jade lost herself in the moment, working her tongue deeper and deeper into Keller's ass as he ground his hips back against her. He was loose in only the way someone completely lost in the moment could be. She needed more.

Jade pulled back, leaving Keller gasping for a moment as the cool air hit his ass, then drove two fingers deep inside him. Keller bucked hard into her hand with a whimper. His arms collapsed under him, fully surrendering to the sensations. Jade slid her fingers in and out slowly, teasing him as his breath grew ragged.

"Is my good girl ready to cum?" Jade said low. The dog seemed to vibrate around her fingers tensing up. She had her answer. She arched her fingers down into his prostate. Keller yelped and shuddered, his whole body jerked towards her. Jade bent over him, pressing her hips up against his, and brought her muzzle up next to his ear. She let him hear her breathing, hear how excited she was too, then spoke. "Cum for me."

Jade drilled Keller's P-spot, working it in fast small circles. Keller moaned and built to a yell. His whole body convulsed and his legs came out from under him. Jade rode him all the way down to the bed, never letting up. Finally, the dog jerked with a gasp. Keller's eyes fluttered wide, and he stuffed his mouth with blanket to stifle his moans. Jade felt his asshole tense around her fingers with each throb as he came. Her own groin tingled sympathetically. Keller bucked and thrusted, alternating between pulling back from and pushing into Jade's fingers with each spurt. The scent hit Jade's nose, unmistakable, and she knew he'd painted the inside of his dress white beneath her. She eased up as his throbbing slowed, and reluctantly pulled her fingers free from him. Keller lay panting and incensed on the bed, and she snuggled in behind him. She pulled him onto his side, and wrapped her arm around him, playing the big spoon despite her size

They laid together until they caught their breath, then, warm and drunk on the afterglow Keller spoke up. "That was... I've never cum like that before," he said.

"I have a confession," Jade said smiling sheepishly, "I wasn't sure if I could pull it off until I was doing it."

Keller laughed softly, surprising Jade. "Me either."

Jade smiled, and laid a while longer in his warmth. Her hand trailed lower, curious how big of a mess he'd made. The front of the dress was wet up to his chest, she could only imagine what his stomach looked like. "We'll get you some nice clothes," she said.

"That would... I'd like that," Keller said. He trailed off, Jade could tell there was something else he wanted to say. She waited, letting him find the words on his own. "Thank you... for inviting me out tonight..."

"Thanks for coming with."

They left it at that. Jade wondered how long before he would get up to shower, but to her surprise, Keller began snoring softly. She got up, careful not to disturb him, and pulled the blanket off the other bed. She grabbed her phone, still playing music loudly, and slowly inched the volume down, then off. She returned to Keller's side and pulled the blanket over both of them. She checked her messages one last time before settling, and saw one from Nate.

Can't walk straight, legs shaking. Hope things are going well with Keller, if I don't hear from you before the morning, ILY!

Jade smiled. She began typing right away.

So things went well. Like, mess all over the bed well.

She went to put her phone down, but it buzzed in her hand. She blinked and saw Nathan had already replied.

Woah, is he okay? Like, did he need to work it out or...?

Jade replied.

He's got a lot to work out, and he might not be a he. In the early stages of confronting it. He's doing better now though, I think. I'm gonna pass out now, I love you stud!

Jade set her phone down, smiling at her luck. It was a good night, despite the pain and sadness, perhaps because of it. Nights like this didn't happen unless you had something to claw your way out of. She snuggled into Keller's fur, drinking in the scent of his shampoo, and closed her eyes.

---

The car rolled back into camp, but the driver could tell something was immediately wrong. He stepped out of the car, and strode towards the Manor. The bear squinted his eyes against the noon light, then recoiled. The door to the Manor was open. Immediately, he began shouting for the others. Rat, dog, and both horses rushed out and confirmed with their own eyes. Movement behind the house caught their attention, someone up on the barricade wall. A hyena with a pair of binoculars. They began frantically waving at the others and shouting. "Back up! Back way the fuck up!"

They group broke into a jog first backwards, then, giving the house a wide berth, around to meet the hyena. They saw the camp in disarray as they approached, light stands lay knocked over, gear bags and equipment cases lay scattered everywhere, some open with their contents scattered.

"What the fuck happened?" the stallion asked.

The hyena shook their head. "Shit's fucked, beyond salvage."

"Where's Shep?" the mare demanded, then when the hyena cocked their head, corrected herself. "Where's Master Galleus?"

The hyena dropped their gaze, and pulled their hat low over their eyes. "That's the thing, he did this."

"What?" the mare asked.

"It's on tape, it's faster to see."

The hyena led them to the office tent at the heart of the camp, and they saw just how empty the place had become. There were maybe a dozen staff still mulling around, looking afraid. The rest were gone. The hyena talked as they neared their destination. "He was in a mood after you left, after the whole exploration team left. He ordered me to dump the spear over the line like you said, but he couldn't just leave it at that. He was frothing, and just went off. Ranting about the house, and his family, and you, and his staff. Fucking everyone had betrayed him by the sound of it. I kept my head down, did my job, until he just snapped."

"Gull, what did he do?" the rat asked.

The hyena hesitated, then gestured to the office tent, now in sight. "We caught the rest on camera," they said. They led the way inside. The line of monitors buzzed quietly, not showing static, instead each reading "NO SIGNAL".

The rat spent a few minutes fiddling with the feeds, getting them into playback mode. Once she had it working, she scanned through the footage, finding only static for a long time, then suddenly it broke. All twelve feeds went live, showing the house much brighter than it usually was. The timestamp said 5:50, the evening prior. A rectangle of light stretched across the foyer floor as the front door opened suddenly. The wolf could be heard faintly shouting, but he was incoherent. A shadow moved up the rectangle, cast by the Master as he approached.

"He should be dead," the mare mumbled over and over. Her eyes were frozen wide, unable to pull away from the screens.

The wolf stumbled inside as if drunk, yelling at everything and a new sound rose in the monitors. The house began giggling, softly deliriously. The shadows emerged from the walls, though they were not the ones laughing. Those that had faces looked afraid, but something compelled them forward, compelled them towards the wolf, even as his yells rose to screams. He continued into the back hall, followed by a procession of shades, and emerged on the kitchen camera briefly. The door to the basement flicked open for him as he drew near, and he stepped down into the dark. The Manor's laughter rose to a shriek. The feeds cut to black.

"I though you said one hundred means you melt?" the dog asked the mare.

"It does! I've seen it!" the mare said.

The hyena cleared their throat. "That's not all," they said. "We didn't know it right away, but the exclusion zone doubled in size. Door stayed open too. We lost twenty people before we realized what was happening. Most didn't even make it into the house when it took them, they just fell to pieces on the lawn and sank into the dirt."

"And no one called us?" the mare asked.

"Ma'am, kindly fuck off with that attitude, people were dying," the hyena spat, "We were fucking busy. Everyone who didn't die, left. Piled into a company truck and beat it. I don't blame them. Us left here, we're either stupid or stubborn."

"Keller?" the stallion asked. Something was in his voice, some unspoken assumption.

The dog nodded. "Who do we have left?" he said, his voice low.

The hyena blinked, then grinned. "You mad fuck, you aren't seriously considering a rescue op, are you?"

The dog shook his head, "We don't know enough yet," he said.

"You're not in charge here," the mare said. The dog looked at her hard and long, a look like pity on his face.

"Alice, no one is. Chain of command is gone. It's just us," he said, "you can leave if you want, but I'd rather have your help if it's all the same."

The hyena laughed, a long bone chilling laugh only one of their kind could perform. "Oh fuck this is gold," they said, "I'm in, fuck it."

"Me too," the rat said.

"I'm here till the end," the stallion said.

All eyes fell to the bear and mare, and they exchanged a look. "Well I won't be last," the bear said bashfully, "I've got your backs."

The mare looked around, trying to stare down each in turn. None would bend to her, each held their resolve through her glare. Finally she sighed. "Fuck, this is not how I wanted to die," she said.

"You're in?" the stallion asked.

"Yes," the mare said, defeated.

"Good, we have a team then," the dog said, then turned to the hyena. "What are we looking at for corruption at last measure?"

"19%," the hyena answered, and looked to the rat. The rest answered in order.

"85%," the rat said.

"52%," the mare said.

"8%,' the stallion said.

"45%," said the bear.

The dog nodded. "And I'm at 79%. I've got one good dive left in me, we have a full team. Jade, you think you can get the camera's online again?"

"It's a long shot, but if they've still got power and are connected to the network, then I might be able to reset them. It's gonna take time."

"Probably start now then," the stallion said. The others nodded. The rat ducked out of the tent in a hurry.

"This is nuts," the mare said with a sigh.

"You're free to leave whenever, ma'am," the bear said, "got plenty of muscle lying around otherwise."

"No."

The bear shrugged.

"So we have no visuals, no plan, all the rules have changed, and we need to go into the basement. Am I on the same page as everyone here?" the dog asked. There was a murmur of agreement. "Alright let's get on that then. It seems the Master plays differently than others with the house, I think we'll need to get him out no matter what."

"I'd advise against that," a new voice spoke up. Female, familiar, but still strange an new. Someone stepped into the tent, her pink wrinkled skin kept warm by the thick turtleneck she wore. She was tall and lean, but it was her eyes that stood out most. They were green and looked unnaturally large in her face. It was the sphinx.

"You," the mare said with a huff. "Why am I not surprised you show up now."

The dog looked back and forth between the women. "I thought she was new? You know her already?"

"Let me properly introduce myself then," the sphinx said. "I am Lucille Galleus. Family by marriage, mystic by trade."

"She married Shep's brother," the mare spat, "He died quite conveniently leaving only one head between her and the fortune. Now there's one less."

"I'm not here to gloat, if that's what you're implying."

"Then fuck off, and leave," the mare spat.

The sphinx smiled. "You can pretend you're not jealous, but I'm actually here to help."

The rat returned with a laptop in arm, and surveyed the room, blinking.

"Why are you here then?" the dog asked calmly. The Sphinx appraised his face, and nodded, seeing something in his eyes.

"The Manor is beyond saving. I am merely here to offer my services sealing it," the sphinx said, "It's claimed a new Master, one worn down to the nub. It cannot be allowed to continue as it is, so, I am here to condemn it, for lack of a better phrase. I will send it and its occupants away, to where they can no longer harm the living."

The dog tensed up, "Wait, occupants?"

"The dead don't leave, not when the house takes them. They can fight it for a time, but they all go mad in the end. It's a whirlpool, the more they fight, the harder it pulls."

"Keller," the stallion said quietly, nervously. The others looked to the dog nervously, unsure what was about to happen.

The dog closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath. His fist trembled at his side for a few moments before steadying. He opened his eyes, feeling more awake than ever before.

"No deal."

The sphinx smirked. Drinking in the dog's expression. "You'll throw your life away for her then?"

"No," the dog said. "We'll save her."

The others murmured, the stallion spoke first. "There's got to be a way. The old man said I pushed one off Jade the first time. That has to be repeatable."

The sphinx looked to the mare, seeming quite pleased. The mare huffed.

"You're not getting any support from me, witch, I'm with them. Always have been," the mare said, staring down as she crossed her arms. "Either help us, or get lost."

"Very well then," the sphinx said. "I'll offer you my counsel then, something my brother in law refused until the end. I'll not be part of your exploration team again, but I'll be happy to warm the Master's chair for you. There is a secret, you see, one you stumbled into quite by accident. Places like these feed on emotions, use them as ropes to pull you inside. They stretch you thin, weaken you, but if you give them nothing to grasp, they have no hold. Then, only the physical danger remains."