Building Better Worlds V

The Wolf (SIAMÉS)

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Each and every day /

Hiding from the sunshine.

Wandering in the shade.

Not too old, not too young.

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Every night again /

Dancing in the moonlight.

Somewhere far away /

I can hear your call.

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Uncharted Canopy Forest, Equatorial Region

Planet Sidele (Zu-7), Zuun System

17:22, 19/2/1, 26 XP

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"Whoa there, cowboy." A hefty spear blocked the edge of a steep cliff, halting a fledgling emperor from walking an early demise. "No making me a widow quite yet, Sem."

"Ah... Sorry, Flux."

"You'd better be, or next time I'll let you keep walking." The armor-clad gnome retracted her weapon and began using it as a walking implement, the sound of metal against stone hopefully guiding her husband to safety. "Daydreaming again? Are you sure now's the best time?"

Tesem reoriented himself, then tossed up his paws feigning haplessness. "My bad. This planet just doesn't have much going on down at the surface."

"Don't fib, Hunter." Erin slinked behind her friend and poked him in the small of his back. "I can always tell when you're doing your voodoo thing. You were miles off."

"Damn, right. I actually forgot you were tagging along for a moment."

"Proving my point."

Sem grumbled as he sped up. "Look, it's hard enough to get around when I'm familiar with a place. Unless you can fix my crappy eyes, I have to borrow some of yours."

"You know, I've had my suspicions you could do something like that." Flux looked at her own gloved paw and sighed. "You've always been able to see me even when I can't see myself."

"Eh... Actually, I don't tend to use your sight much. Too hard to regularly link with your species for some reason." Sem pointed a finger backward to cut off the inevitable. "And no, I don't use yours either... since we're old friends..."

"I don't mind if it helps, silly." Erin reached into her satchel bag, then placed a device in Sem's outstretched paw. "But I've already given the issue a bit of a hard think."

"Uh-oh. I know where that always leads. I'm not getting any implants done, Erin." Sem gave the device a heft to test the weight, finding it surprisingly light and well built by Erin's normal standards. "What is this?"

"Your present." The ottkat sped up to Sem's side to admire his reaction. "I wanted to wait until a better place to use it, but you always did sort of prefer practicality over performance."

"Nope." Tesem tossed the gift into the air for Erin to scramble as a result. "The giving of a gift is to be the giver's own gift. Find your perfect moment."

"Damnit, Sem..."

"You know," projected a rather large walking mech, "it's rude to keep a girl waiting."

"Not if she's feeling disappointed, Carbon." Sem waved for the trailing party of friends, family, and crew as he continued his expedition. "Besides, we have work to do before we play. Any word from Cassie's team? That Carter girl still hunting?"

"She's still having a heart attack in that cave system, I think." Iolvin picked up the pace as he rejoined the group from the flank. "Sounds like it was her first day and she lost her commanding officer. Must be sweating lead at this point."

"Hm. Eyes in the sky aren't finding anything either." Sem pointed up to a blazing flare resembling a bird. "Then again, Horus is having a hard time concentrating himself. I don't blame the guy after being cooped up on a ship for weeks."

I will... perhaps have my exercise later, Tesem. Apologies.

I wasn't expecting you to see much anyway, fly guy. Cassie was last seen a few hundred meters into those caves, after all. Sem slowed his pace briefly to focus on Horus' vision, mentally noting a series of boulders on a nearby cliffside. She might poke her head out another hole though, so keep at it.

As you wish, Tesem.

Carbon stopped Kelly in place and adjusted the mech's directional antenna. "I think I spotted something on sat-drone. Got a very humanoid thermal signature up ahead."

"Hm?" Sem paused his advance as well and tried tapping into the data stream remotely. "That... looks like Dani, actually. She has a specific, ah... slink to her."

Erin checked her gift for damage before looking around for the meerkat. "Oh, she's not watching you for once?"

"That's why I'm so close today." Flux also scanned for the girl and shook her head. "Never could understand why Dani prefers shadows considering her combat prowess, but whatever."

"It suits her, for now." Tesem followed the thermal visuals to a mild psychic profile, pointing to the exact location of the team's unplanned forward scout. "She seemed properly determined today, so I let her have some free reign. Looks like it might have paid dividends."

A hole in spacetime tore open into a portal, from which Ilaria stumbled out. "Woah! I asked you to practice, girls."

"Lulu!" Iolvin nearly tackled his twin sister with a hearty hug as the portal fizzled closed. "I see the Ems are doing well today. How's Michelle holding up?"

"She doesn't do well isolated on ships, I'll tell you that much. Too much time with nobody but Mikhaila." Ari pressed her muzzle into her brother's for a short kiss before she broke the embrace to pat her uniform clean. "The Volk is in coincidental orbit with the Archon and landers are on their way, Sem. Anything we should worry about on this planet?"

"Aside from that one island that decided to fall out the sky? Not sure. Magnetic fields are all over the place but you use lidar for navigation..." Sem started heading to Dani as he gave her the mental suggestion to check in on her team. "Odd. She's on to something... A gut feeling?"

"Hm?"

"Oh, just mumbling to myself. Aunt Ari, could you divert a team to check on that island? I want to make sure it was uninhabited like the Oel tried to tell us."

"Already on it. We saw that and thought you guys were the cause." Ari tapped the nanite cluster on the rear of her neck, then jolted back to attention a moment later. "On their way. Three crews, just in case they need to evac."

"Thanks. That's a huge relief." A chill dredged down Sem's spine, sending his attention to a lifeless patch of trees. By the abyss... That felt just like the island falling.

"--em? Hey, Sem! Hello?" Erin reached over and rasped her knuckles between the emperor's ears. "Something's bothering you. Out with it."

"Something's coming. Ready yourselves."

"Where?" Flux moved closer and held her weapon high. "Point them out and it'll be over quickly!"

"I'm not sure. Give me a second."

Before Sem could divine the source of the disturbance, Dani lunged from a denser patch of forest and hugged the dirt. "Sem! Get your arse down!"

"No... I don't think it's bad." The otter stepped around his wife and cautiously creeped to the area that called to his sixth sense. "Whatever it is, it's near here. It wants to... talk of something."

"Don't be a bloody fool!" Dani scurried over almost ferally to her charge and guarded his backside with a barely-visible blade tucked under her wrist. "We're exposed here. What are you thinking?"

The chill dissipated, confusing Sem while he eased his nerves. "Crap. We were close to something there. You felt it too, Dani?"

"Like icy daggers in my back, aye. I always know when I'm being watched."

"Does that make me a ninja, then?" A smaller figure nudged through the brush where Dani had recently come, followed by a very pink duplicate. "Wait, is that dad? Oi!"

"Lea! Cait!" A higher pitched squeal fought with the controls to Kelly's cockpit, Sydney bursting forth once the seal was broken. "My baby girls!"

"How the fuckin' 'ell?" Dani stood tall in meerkat sentry mode, confused at her pursuers. "I cleared the whole ridge. Where were ya' hiding, ya' spooks?"

"That's a long and complicated story." Caitlyn intercepted her mother's exacerbated response by transforming her tail into a larger, softer form to absorb the impact. "It's okay, mum. We're both fine."

Leannan walked into the desperate hug and joined her mother's embrace. "We're not hurt, mum. Cait kept us going with her magic tricks."

"They're not tricks." Cait stuck out her tongue and joined her sister in a smile. "But yes, we had a nice time on forced holiday. I don't know about you, but I could go for another year or two."

"Heh. No thanks, love. I for one am glad that panda crashed the party. I have a business to run." Lea panned her head around and eventually gave it a tilt. "Where is she? It had to be her that set us free, yeah?"

Dani stiffened at the mention of the panda. "She looked part fox too? Cassie?"

"Yeah, that's the one." Lea tossed a rifle around her back and pulled out a Mauser C96 pistol. "I owe her an apology and a heaping of thanks in addition to this beauty."

"Matilda." Artemis broke out of the rearward group and took hold of the heirloom weapon. "She wouldn't leave this if she had a choice. What happened?"

"I'm not certain. We were trying to clear some things up when she just vanished on us. Then the barriers dropped and everything went white..."

Cait added to her sister's vague description as she pried the weapon free for Arty to take. "My safety barriers broke a bit suddenly, which can daze the occupants. We seem to have found our way here on instinct, sans memories. Sorry, cousin."

"Shit. Well she can't be too far. Everyone keep their eyes open."

Dani sank into herself as she watched the flustered father try to find his daughter. She looked down to her knife, then sheathed it as she shared a moment of concern with the panthott. Her eyes caught a glimpse of his paws, now barren of the symbol once adorning his left ring finger.

Sem nudged Dani with his elbow and kept his voice low for her. "What is it? That's a hard emotion to ignore, Dani."

"We have... a complicated history. I keep thinking there's more to it that I'm forgetting, though."

"That explains the confusion, I think. Just focus, alright? Cassie is my friend too. We'll find her."

Everyone moved closer to the now-commanding father, hoping to form a new search plan now that the combing area has constricted. Dani however kept her distance, crouching to play with the grass as she thought up her own pl--

"Boo!"

"Bollocks!" Dani rolled onto her tail and drew a blade at the ghastly voice inexplicably right behind her ear, frozen in a mix of fear and joy as Cassie grinned toothily back. "Cass! For fuck's sake, lass! How do you even do that? I could have--" She noticed a trickle of blood from the fire fox's paw and lunged to cradle the wound. "Damn. I didn't mean to do that, Cassie. I'd never hurt you."

"Well it's my bad for playing with you, I suppose. Don't worry about this though." Cassie opened her paw to show the rolled bandage she was holding to stem the bleeding. "That was my doing earlier. Workplace hazard. Besides, I'm not sure you physically could do anything accidental with those knives of yours."

"That's true, but..." Dani noticed her paw was still cradling Cassie's own and her heart began to flutter. She reeled back and stood tall, immediately putting on her tough girl face while hiding her face from view. "I-I'm glad you're alright. Just don't... sneak up on me..."

"I can't promise that when you're so fun to scare. Hee."

"Gods... Cassie!" Arty kicked up dirt to greet his daughter, cradling her paw much the same as the meerkat before him. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, daddy." Cassie hid her chipped blade in her other paw by tucking it into a makeshift sheath on her belt. Then with her paws freed, she gave her father a hearty hug to calm his nerves while also taking control of the touching and feeling of the moment for her own sake. "This place was being affected by various magic fields. I think they're taken care of for now... um..." She looked in the direction of the sunken island and ducked her head into her shoulders. "By chance, nobody was crushed by a million tons of rock?"

Sem shook his head as he read the intent hidden in her words. "That was you? Cassie..." The otter quirked his head to look at the spot directly behind Dani. "Wait, another one? You found one here too?"

"Yeah. Two, actually." Cassie eased away from her father and picked up the black box she'd taken from the other realm. "This one was interfering with the other and causing the issues with the locals. Want to store it now or...?"

"In a bit. I don't have the fortitude to do that whole phasing thing right now." Tesem instinctively reached to grab the black box, then forced himself to stop at the last moment. "It almost had me there. That's a pretty strong one. Maybe I should risk it after all?"

"What are you talking about?" Dani finally regained her composure and mindlessly went to grab the item as well, only to have her paw stopped by Sem's mental control. "Hey, what's the bloody deal?"

"Don't touch it. It's drawing us in for some reason. Best to leave that object of power to Cassie."

"Object of power?" Erin's eyes lit up with interest. "Now that sounds interesting. What's it do?"

"Cassie? You or me?"

"I've got it, Sem." Cassandra held out the black box for all to see, noting half a dozen people subconsciously inching closer under its eerie pull. "This object somehow became imbued with an unknown power. It was affecting the physical properties of the surrounding area, even to the point of trapping Cait and Lea in their own shield. The problem is, these things tend to resume their bad habits if you meet certain criteria, and this one wants you to touch it."

"So we touch it and it..." Carbon fully opened Kelly's hatch and hopped free. "Wait, you make it sound like it's alive."

"In a way, that's not exactly wrong. It has intent, one way or another." Sem tried his best to bolster the mental defenses of the gang, thankfully the lot of them easing back from their creeping advances. "All I know is Cassie can usually interact with objects of power for some reason. We've been managing to store them in a sort of dimensional vault together once she disables them a bit."

Erin heaved a slow sigh. "Aw. So, they're dangerous? I wanted to tinker with it."

"Maybe, one day. I think it's in the best interest of the Empire to at least determine how many of these things exist and where they come from, if not what's making them. For all we know they predate us." Sem held a paw to his forehead and groaned. "Yeah, this one's being a bitch. Cassie, you want to seal it?"

"Just have the aspirin ready." Cassie reached out and grabbed Sem's shoulder, concentrating along with him. A moment later the two blinked away in a flash of white.

"Cassie!"

The gang collectively shook in concern, but Dani soon relaxed as a familiar sensation warmed her bones. "It's fine, Arty. She'll be back. Just trust her."

"Yeah, but--"

Another flash of light and the pair returned, an aura of distorted space almost evaporating from them. "Ick. I'm gonna be sick, Sem."

"Yeah, same. We need to find somewhere better to keep these things."

Carbon frowned at the immediate signs of fatigue in the two. "...How many of these objects of power have you found, exactly?"

"A few dozen. Maybe ten that we could contain--the rest had to be destroyed." Cassie shivered in pain and huddled closer to the ground. "At least I think I destroyed them. No way to confirm, really."

Ilaria took a good look with Carbon and seemed to make the same determination. "Let's regroup somewhere and let these guys rest. We can always figure out the details once everyone's done falling over."

"Agreed. We're scattered and vulnerable down here anyway." Flux helped her husband stay balanced, acting as an immovable pillar for him. "Let's take the Oel up on their hospitality."

"There's Oel here?" Ari chuffed as she looked at the floating islands. "Fitting those birds would claim this place. Cool, let's get drunk on that tangy wine they love to make."

"...I think I'll pass." Cassie chuckled at the idea, her nausea and enhanced pain making each huff almost unbearable. "Ouch."

"Agh!" Sem nearly fell over as he shared the girl's pain, splitting the load ever since their trip into the unknown. "More for me, then... Heh..."

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I'm out of my head /

Of my heart and my mind.

'Cause you can run but you can't hide /

I'm gonna make you mine.

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Out of my head /

Of my heart and my mind.

'Cause I can feel how your flesh now /

Is crying out for more.

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Cloud Drift Colony, Oel Island Network

Planet Sidele (Zu-7), Zuun System

18:49, 19/2/1, 26 XP

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"Bloody sun." Dani groaned quietly as she shifted around her guard post, trying and failing to find an angle where the setting sun became obscured. Sadly an island floating in the sky didn't provide much ground cover for such oblique shade, which hurt the meerkat further considering the sun would take another two hours to fully set. "Maybe I'd look--"

"--good in a hat? Not so sure about that one, Dani."

The meerkat straightened her posture as Cassie approached the emperor's guarded quarters. "S-Stop that. You're way too good at reading me."

"Eh, it's a gift. That or you let your defenses down too easily." The red panda tossed a small satchel pouch to Dani paired with a smile. "For sneaking up on you."

"Oh. Well, that isn't necessary." Dani opened the pouch and rolled her eyes at the contents: several flavors of instant noodles with extra flavor packets. "At least you know how to prepare a proper bribe. Heh, thanks."

"Damnit. Well I guess you earned it." Sable reluctantly slapped a few small gems into Cassie's paw, the light impact causing her to hiss in pain. "Shit! Sorry, Cassie. I forgot."

Cassie shook her head as she shook her paw. "Don't worry about it. The cash more than makes up for it. That's more candy for me."

"Still with the sweet tooth?" Dani mildly snorted as she inspected the gaps in Cassie's pouches and found evidence of energy bar wrappers. "Does that mean you're looking forward to your next break? Plan to go taste-touring?"

"Absolutely. With company if possible." Cassie dipped her head toward Sable as she pocketed her wagered winnings. "Thankfully I have a rookie strapped to my hip for a while. I can order 'em to tag along, hehe."

"Well that doesn't really count as a friend, does it?" Dani held up the guise of adjusting her shoe to lean in for a quick inspection. Rifle looks pristine, but not stock. Knife looks smaller than standard issue. Girl knows her kit. Well... She is a girl, right? The meerkat stood up straight and offered a paw to the marten. "Name's Dani. If you need dirt on your CO, now you know how to buy it."

"Noted, heh." Sable shifted her weapon rearward and took that paw for a firm shake, the order and care of operations helping Dani ease into a solid grip of her own. "Sable Carter. Thanks for finding Cassie for us. I'm not sure what I'd do if I lost my CO on my first day."

"First day? Damn, well you hold yourself like a pro." Dani nodded to herself, satisfied with the new member of Cassie's squadron. "Well, you know how to pick 'em, Cass. I wouldn't think the paws-on approach was best, but you're hitting five for five now."

"Honestly, you're part of that process. Glad you approve of this one too. You're always good at sizing people up."

Because I'm not leaving you in the care of incompetent idiots like most grunts. Dani eased back against her door and took a slow breath. "Part of the job. Can't let any unsavory types near Sem."

"Speaking of the ruling dufus..." Cassie stepped up to Dani and leaned to her side to spy on the surprisingly weak door to the emperor's lodgings. "Ah. You feel like you make a better door than the Oel provided?"

"Definitely. The bonus is I can knock back." The meerkat shimmied to the side as blood started flushing to her face. "I-If you're l-looking for Sem, I'd advise something else. He's... indisposed."

"He's banging Flux? That's good." Cassie sensed the nervousness and eased away. "Are they doing any better, then? I got the sense that something was wrong between them."

Sable nearly folded into herself in fear of reprimand. "Cassie! That's the Emperor you're talking about!"

"He's still a guy, with needs like any other. And Flux is adorable with him. I'm not implying anything, just hoping for the best."

Dani adjusted her stance ahead of the door, which as a bonus let her obscure the sun with Cassie's head. "The two have been spending more time together, and voluntarily at that. I'd never have called Flux being the initiator but she's making an effort. I'd say they're alright for now."

"Juicy. And Flux took the lead tonight, too?" Cassie already knew the answer, feeling the general sensations through the door and picking up far more pleasure from Sem's end of the bargain. "Not just because of their bond? She likes pleasing him?"

"...I think I already dug this hole deep enough, thank you." Dani shifted again as her ever-aware senses picked up hints of arousal of a panda variety. "Right, you two have that mind thing with each other. Then you already know exactly how busy he is at the moment. You need me to pass something along, Cass?"

"Nope, because this can't wait. Excuse me." Having successfully let Dani's guard down the second time that day, the fire fox slipped past her deftly and nudged the door open. She quickly hopped inside and shut it behind her, much to Dani's hissing disappointment. "Sem! You promised!"

"Wh-What!?" The otter turned to face the intruder in terror as he clenched his paws over his lap, a hardlight curtain immediately forming for added privacy. "Cassie! What the fuck!? Why do you do this to me!?"

"Because," the red panda nearly barked out as she approached a table for a sit, "you promised you'd take care of my pain after every assignment. And yet if I didn't bug you about it, you'd always forget!" She peered at the privacy curtain, a vague phallic shape bobbing up and down in time with slurps and suckles. "H-Hey, Flux. Sorry about this. Sort of glad I didn't actually see anything, too."

With a slight pop and a kiss, the invisible gnome--much more visibly by the impressions on that majestic cock--started using her hands so she could address the situation herself. "If he owes you, he owes you. No empty promises, Sem."

"Well, I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Oh? I can go faster, then." A little shifting later and a gasp sounded along with the whole of Sem's manhood slightly compressing from tip to root, the Gnome rewarding her lover with her searing pussy. "We won't be long, Cassie. You gonna wait, or...?"

"I'd, uh... rather not. My paw is killing me, though." Cassie found a plusher chair out of sight and fell into it, the firm cushions making her regret that impulsive move as her body flared in pain. "Ick. Eh... You two are in rare form today."

"Well technically you're not peeping on me anyway." The gnome sped up her motions, a very audible squelching sound emitting in time with the rocks and bobs of Sem's exposed cock. "You feel like you're close, hon. Wait, does this turn you on?"

"Fuck..." Tesem gripped his wife's waist and started pummeling into her. "Maybe... a b-bit. You mind if I...?"

"Really? I thought you don't like to--ah--finish inside me."

"...well I'm really into it today for some reason, so unless you--"

Flux threw herself into her mate's waist and gasped into his ear, "Fill me up, s-sexy."

"Classy." Cassie rolled over and stared at a flower arrangement with the absolute focus of a scholar as the two audibly confirmed their peaks rushed through them. "So, you guys seem to be happier. I mean... that seemed like an improvement..."

"Well, it's sort of embarrassing, Cassie. First time I couldn't hide under something..." Sem slowly eased himself free with a bit of difficulty but preferred to let Flux hide herself and over time the gift he'd given her. "Thanks, honey. I guess I did need to clear the pipes a bit, and you always make it fun."

"Sem..." Cassie groaned.

"She knows it..." A deeper groan then spurred the more appropriate response. "I love you, Flux. Thank you for that."

"Better." Cassie leaned forward and stretched her bandaged paw over the divider. "Now if you would, please?"

"Really? You're not gonna let me enjoy the afterglow?"

The living blob of cum floated around the privacy screen, then started fading out of sight as Flux sought the warmth of the bed. "Sem, help the girl out. I'll retry that blowjob to a proper end in a bit if you do..."

"Damn you and that tongue of yours. Fine. Let me see it, Cassie." Tesem carefully took the panda's paw and closed his eyes, focusing on the girl's abnormally strong pain. "You couldn't just poke yourself this time? Why the deep cut?"

"Didn't have much choice. Leannan was being overly cautious, and time was short. Ow!"

"My bad. The bandage is sticking." Tesem inspected the wound as he undressed it, then started rubbing and prodding around the edges of the cut to feel the extent of the pain it caused. "Yeah, I can see why you're getting antsy for some help with this. Let me take some of that pain for myself then."

Cassie practically oozed into her chair as relief washed over her, soft warmth radiating from her arm. "That's the stuff. Now my headache should calm down, too." She giggled as Flux peeked out from the bed sheets. "It might even be enough I'll be able to catch up on sleep. Thanks for priming him, Flux."

"Is that why you always barge in on us? Because this feels better for you when he gets a load out?"

"No, silly." Cassie took back her paw and reapplied her bandage. "It's because I don't want him to feel it so harshly and you're still glowing with endorphins and crap after all that. It just so happens to make things more effective, too."

Sem eased himself out of his seat and dove onto the bed, his boxer briefs hastily yanked into proper place. "I'd still prefer a little warning. You've barged in enough it's pretty much normal to have an audience, but permission is nice too."

"I can do that. Sure. Admittedly I must... force myself to intrude like this." Cassie clamped her bandage tight and tested it by balling a few fists. "I may have been going bonkers today, so sorry if I ruined the mood. And your, um, blowjob, Flux. I'll make up for it somehow."

"Don't worry about it, hon. You deserve what relief you can get." Flux tossed the sheets over Sem with a giggle. "And Sem owes you for sending you out on these blind searches."

"They're not blind. We needed Cait and her people had a vague idea where she went." The emperor playfully tackled his steamy wife until he pinned her into a cuddle. "Now we can get things sorted and start hunting down whoever messed with Liu's family."

"You really love that girl. That's sweet." Cassie heaved herself up from her chair and walked for the main door. "Well, I love the sights I've seen and the people I've encountered. We'll call it even, even if my lofty ideas of exploration don't seem to play well with my body."

"We can rethink that if you'd like. I hear Dani has been looking for help on her end." Sem used his tail to tug the sheets upward. "Then there's those artifacts we keep finding. We need to handle those properly at some point."

"I'll think about it. Let's talk about it once I've finally had more than two hours of sleep. Love you guys." After a pair of faint, giggly responses Cassie nudged the door open and slipped out, a more playful hop in her gait. "All good. Emergency averted."

"Oi, why's she able to go inside and not me?" Erin practically snorted fire at the fire fox's direction. "Damnit, get out here you ass! Are you avoiding me?"

"Alright, that's enough." Dani let Cassie pass, then she started ushering everyone back with a very visible knife. "The emperor needs his rest. He hasn't slept since reaching orbit. I'm sure he'll be happy to have guests in the morning."

"But--"

The radio strapped to Sable's shoulder lit up and blared Sem's voice at full volume, "Get some sleep, Erin. We'll talk over breakfast, alright?"

"...Okay, Sem. So long as you're not ignoring me. I'm only out here because you called me here."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way. I need the best with me out here. Except you, Dani--I have Flux here with me and Horus in the sky. Take a break tonight."

The radio turned itself off, which Sable immediately corrected by setting the device to her previous frequency. "That's a neat party trick."

"Magic, really. I can't tell you how many times he's screwed with my equipment for simple laughs." Cassie shared a smile with her squad mate and started leaving with her but paused to address Dani a moment. "Sem says you're shorthanded? Is there some way I can help for now? My team isn't busy."

Sable stopped herself and nodded in agreement. "And it doesn't feel right taking leave after just joining. I'm game."

"I, uh... Sure? Maybe?" Dani softened her stance as she gave the idea proper thought. "I only barely mentioned this to Sem, but this expedition opens many vulnerabilities for him since he's ignoring my pleas to command from afar. I didn't plan for just how active he wants to be. Might need more eyes on the areas around him, but I need to figure out the best method to achieve that goal."

"I have faith in you. Planning has always been something you're good at."

Dani flushed red in her cheeks at Cassie's assessment. "Th-Thanks."

"I know--let's go find somewhere to take that break. I'm not quite dead tired yet and I've yet to eat at an authentic Oel restaurant." Cassie skipped over to Dani and gave her arm a tug. "Let's explore this place a bit."

"I'm n-not sure I should. Sem might--"

"He's fine. Let the guy sleep." Cass insisted further by hooking her arm into Dani's own. "Come to think of it, if he's been awake this long that means you probably haven't slept for even longer. Let's find a place to grab a snack, one with a view we can sleep against."

"Hm..." Dani tugged the door to ensure it was latched, then sighed as she gave into the request. "This goes against my normal character, you know. At least I know it'll be worth it with you leading the way, Cass."

"Is that a compliment? From you? Okay, you just made my day."

Nearly bursting from the blood pressure to her head, Dani fumbled with her thoughts and mumbled as she let the panda lead her from her post. "...Mine as well..."

Cassie reached out a paw for Sable to join them as they passed, only to be given a polite shake of the head as a deft answer. "Hm? What was that? Something wrong?"

"Nothing, Cass." Dani smiled as she watched the fire fox's thick tail sway gleefully in her renewed spirits. "Everything's perfect."

---

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Ain't no fairytale /

What I see in your eyes.

Awaiting your mistake.

Not too close, not too far.

---

Sneaking in the pain /

Every truth becomes lie.

I won't trust myself /

Once I hear your call.

---

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Benji's Bistro, Cloud Drift Colony

Oel Island Network, Planet Sidele (Zu-7)

00:02, 19/2/2, 26 XP

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"How far are you planning on dragging me around this rock?" Dani groaned as she came to a slow stop in the cobbled road. She turned around to check the winding hill they'd been climbing, then looked back to Cassie's gleefully swaying tail. "You sure you've never been here before? You're sure acting like a local."

"Oh, I'm completely lost. It's exactly where I like to be in a new place." Cassie crossed her paws beneath her tail and spun around on one of her heels. "It's just weird any other way, you know?"

"Well damn, girl. I'm barely keeping up and I'm not exactly a slouch in the gym." Dani caught up to the grinning fire fox and shook her head in disbelief. "If I'd have borrowed Sem's power bike we'd be having a different conversation, I imagine."

"Ick. No, you can ride your death machines all by yourself. I only felt like a jackhammer victim after the one ride, and that was on asphalt." Cassie spun back around in similar playful fashion and nudged Dani's shoulder. "Besides, it's far less fun to explore with machines. You can't say you've truly been somewhere until you've put boots to dirt."

"True, that. I guess we'd be failing that goal on this planet, what with the need for landers and all that."

"We did a pretty good job for six days. I bet we'd have found some really neat stuff if we didn't use most of our supplies on the last planet. Even more if we didn't have our underlying mission."

"Hey, now. Sem may not act it, but he's thrilled you managed to find Cait and Lea. That should get him off your tail a bit and let you do more of what you like." The meerkat smirked as the far side of the hill came into view, the road starting to curve back downhill up ahead. "Oi, you planned this didn't you?"

"Only a little. Someone mentioned a good viewpoint on top of the hill." Cassie stretched her neck a hint to try and see further down the slope. "Is that even correct? What do you call a hill in the sky? Isn't that just a mountain with its legs chopped off?"

"Gods damn, you're the best kind of odd. I guess you could coin a term though." Dani slowed to a stop as they reached the highest point of the road, looking at the small businesses nearby. "It's past midnight, you know. Maybe we should head back."

"Nope! Tradition is tradition." Cassie squinted as she tried to read several three-dimensional signs built from the magic-imbued ink of the local Oel owners. "Please tell me you're alright with Quillic."

"Not one bit. I have managed to figure out some Iconic and Typic here and there, but only stuff based in Terran. All this stuff looks like Oel tongue." After a closer inspection of several items in a street-facing Typic menu, Dani chuffed and nudged her snout to the restaurant. "And as always, your habits luck out. This one's in Terran, Cass."

Cassie zoomed over to the menu and shoved her face into it, squinty eyes going wide. "Do they have fancy treats? Teach me your ways, woman!"

"It might be Terran, but it's still rudimentary. Calm your horses, lass." Dani stuck her head into the doorway, confirmed there was a hostess at the front, and dragged Cassie in with a forced smile. "E-Excuse me. Is this place open?"

The Oel watching the front lit up with a soft chirp from her beak, her native response resembling a bird song more than words. Knowing this was not adequate, she started writing Quillic in the air with her personal ink.

"Ah, apologies." Dani looked around for a hint, then rolled her eyes as she remembered her Slate. She whipped it out of a compartment in her shirt and started typing a message in Typic. [Do you know this form?]

The Oel nodded and started shifting her text into the more fluid Iconic form of phonetic writing. [We are serving. Please, having a seat where you wants. You visitors are from Earth? The manager knows Terran well.]

Dani nodded in acknowledgement, then froze in place as Cassie hugged her arm in desire for a response. "Eh... Um... W-We can s-sit anywhere we want..."

"Sweet~!" Cassie pranced into the dimly lit open-air seating area and picked a small table on the far edge of the patio. "Oh, wow. This is... worth the walk."

"What's that now?" Dani much more calmly moved to the table, taking note of the exits and passages along the way. "This'll do for your midnight snack?"

"It's wonderful. Take a look at the view!"

"It's pretty nice up here?" Dani drew her attention away from her security detail mindset as she saw the vista in question, the far end of the patio sitting atop a slight cliff's edge. After the small drop rested the speckled lighting of the city rolling down the hill, but due to the nature of the colony there was a stark contrast to the far left. The cliff drastically dropped off at one point, opening the view to sights of the forest far below as the edge of the island encroached. "That's... brilliant. Bloody terrifying, too."

"Not a fan of heights? One of these days I'll figure you out once and for all." Cassie leaned forward on the table and cradled her jaw with her paws. Her eyes darted to and fro as a smile grew on her muzzle and her ringed tail swayed in excitement. "Where else can you see something like this? Awe-inspiring, isn't it?"

Dani eased her gaze back upon the fire fox, barely able to meet the curiously expressive eyes across the table. "Y-Yeah, 'awe'... is one word to use."

"Hah. You're totally nervous about heights. It's written all over your face." Cassie poked gently at the meerkat's paw and then to an iridescent green Oel approaching the table. "Work your magic, cutie."

"Wh-What in the world makes you call me c--" A shiver crept up from that paw, causing a visible quiver as it worked along Dani's spine. She went a bit wide-eyed and leaned back into her seat, only then realizing the very quiet Oel approaching from the side. "Oh... just the bloody server." She pulled up her Slate and tapped out something quickly. [Hello. Are you our waiter?]

[In one manner, yes. My name is Benji and I own this bistro. Greetings and salutations to our first foreign guests.] Benji politely waited for Dani to nod after reading the message, then recollected his enchanted ink and spelled out another message. [I happen to understand your Terran languages quite well, especially this English form. As such, I'll be happy to take your order and pass it along to the staff. Does the menu read well? Questions?]

"Menu..." Dani looked around for a card or booklet but found nothing of the sort. "Cass, do you see a menu?"

"Cassie looked about, then grinned ear to ear as she washed her paws over the tablecloth and the very artistic Iconic font that covered it like a fine pattern. "Well, that's clever. Gibberish to me, but beautiful."

"Aha. Keen eyes as always." Dani gave the menu a quick look and found a section written in Terran. "Looking for anything in particular? Benji here is gathering our order together."

"Really? You know me enough to guess what I'm wanting." A quiet pause led Cassie to chuff and point to the clouds outside. "Something light and fluffy if they've got it. The desserts we can print in the field are all dense and dry."

[Do you have--] Benji held up his wing and wafted from his beak to his ear. "Oh, you can track actual talk? That's helpful."

[I do my best. I do admit inexperience, however. Your accent in particular...]

"That effort's more than enough for us, mate. Much appreciated." Dani found the dessert section and tingled throughout as she read the contents. "Ah, perfect. My friend here will have... the berry parfait if I'm reading that right."

[Indeed. The name was unknown to me but seemed to fit well. It consists of a cup layered with whipped bean curd, various local berries, and sweet crackers.]

"She'll love that. That's just her style. Thanks..." Dani took a few seconds to decipher the translated dishes, keeping in mind they were adaptations. "...Oi, that can't be right. You have ramen?"

[That is... Apologies, that may not be the best match. Most of our kind do not favor broths made of red meats. Even fewer enjoy cooked eggs. I may suggest against--]

"Nope. I'll have a big bowl of ramen. That kind of challenge cannot go untested."

Cassie giggled as she psychically shared that strong emotion of adventurousness and joy that came to Dani's mind. "You're gonna purr like a kitten as you slurp that just like last time, aren't you?"

"A true ramen afficionado cannot pass up such an opportunity. Just... maybe don't ask where the meat comes from, eh?" Dani shared a hearty smile with Cassie for a moment, then turned back to Benji. "Aye, one ramen and one berry parfait. Oh, and something easy to drink, please."

[We have a new batch of our specialty sparkling juice. The flavor is...] Benji looked over to a small bar in the corner. [Right! We just had a batch made from this new foreign fruit we recently discovered. Have you heard of 'orange' before? We have several variants shipped from off world.]

A smirk barely held back a snort from the meerkat. "No, that's completely new to me. Let's give it a try, mate."

[Good! I'll be curious for your critique on this one. The first round is at house discount.] Benji chirped and trilled to a nearby waitress and nodded upon receiving a prompt reply. [Your meal will be ready soon. If you have any questions, I'll be just in my office around the corner. Enjoy.]

"We will. Thank you." Dani waited a moment and then quietly hissed out her held back laughter. "Just wait until your mystery drink arrives. OooOOOOoooooh."

"You're enjoying yourself, finally. Good. I'm glad I dragged you along for a tour now." Cassie raised her paws over her head, laced her fingers, and gave a slow stretch of her back. "It was worth the walk to see that cute smile."

"C-C-Cute..." Dani flushed red as she sunk her head into her shoulders. "Now you're t-teasing me, aren't ya'?"

"I'll admit it's kind of fun, but I do mean it. You don't smile enough, so I cherish every single one I can eek out of you." The red panda mix slipped out a quick yip as she yawned after her stretch. "...Okay, we're both being silly tonight."

"And we're sipping the last fuel from the tank, I see." The meerkat regained her composure, using a reflexive yawn of her own to mask a smirk. "You've been to a slew of worlds, right? Do you prefer the ones with longer days, like this here?"

"I don't really know if I prefer one way or the other. Anything's nice compared to--" Cass held herself in thought for a moment, stumbling on the past before she regained her cheerful demeanor. "I'm glad I get to see so many planets. Sometimes it's nice being able to stay up through the night without being tired... but on planets like this one it can be nice for the sun to stay up longer to appreciate the views."

"Not tryin' to trick ya' there, Cass. Just a simple question. No worries." The waitress arrived with two bronze cups and set them down with soft chirps, to which Dani nodded in thanks silently. Then a few seconds passed and the silent staring etched at the meerkat's confidence. "What, um...?"

Cassie grinned as she soaked up the awkwardness of the moment. "Hee. You haven't been to Oel worlds before, have you? She's awaiting payment for the drinks. The Oel usually take payment as dishes come, with a tip at the end for keeping service positive."

"Is th-that so?" Dani checked the menu for pricing, frantically pulling out a coin purse filled with mana gems. "I think I can--"

"Allow me, silly." Cassie pulled out her Slate and mentally triggered a payment application. "It's easy to let them take what's needed. No Oel will take more than they need because they want that sweet tip."

Dani quirked her head as she watched the Oel tap out an amount with a few thicker feathers. "Well, I guess the explorer's the one to ask, huh?"

"Honestly, I just figured it out a week ago when we arrived here. I'm sure I stared into space hoping culture would just come from thin air even longer than you did." The fire fox took back her Slate and put it right into a pouch on her belt. "Huh. That's surprisingly cheap for a floating island in the middle of nowhere."

"Really?" It took a moment for Dani to realize Cassie could technopathically sense the transaction details, then shrugged it off and reached for her drink. "Well, that makes me feel better about you taking the hit."

"Oh, it's nothing. It's not like I care about social norms for dating and all that."

Dani nearly spit up her initial sip upon hearing that magic 'D' word, but then again when the burn of alcohol unexpectedly mingled with the carbonated orange. "W-Woah... Uh..."

Cassie took a hearty gulp of her own drink, unafraid to try the substance. "Oh, wow! It's so sweet, but tart! And the tingles..."

"Hold on there, Cass." Dani reached out and prevented her from chugging down more. "You don't taste the booze in that?"

"What's 'booze'?"

"...Maybe take it slow. This will screw with your head if you drink too much too quickly."

"But it's so good!" Cassie grunt-sighed and eased back to a small sip at a time. "What is this made from? This fruit is amazing."

Dani once again gave her date a sideways stare, transitioning to a shake and smile when the realization Cass was enjoying herself dawned upon her. "It's just orange juice. I think they fermented it to get the fizz, actually. Hm."

"Wait, so this is orange? I always thought it would be like limes or lemons but it's totally different than other citrus fruits." The pandott wiggled in place and nearly squealed as she took another careful sip and forced herself to set down the cup. "Maybe I should revisit citrus..."

"I'd say I'm surprised, but I guess oranges are pretty hard to grow away from Earth." Dani's smile settled but the warm feeling in her chest only grew. "I'm happy to bear witness to your first orange juice. Heh."

"There's a lot I'd like to try some day, but--" Cassandra ducked down in her seat, her head sulking down into her shoulders. "Well, it'll just take time."

"I told you to watch that drink, Cass. Alcohol isn't something to trifle with, no." The meerkat quirked her head a bit as she realized Cassie's gaze rested behind her. A quick glance at the reflection on her glass showed a group of younger Oel surrounding a few Flame soldiers. "Ah, guess we won't have the joint to ourselves anymore."

"That's... okay, I guess."

Something about the panda's demeanor betrayed those words. Dani shifted her focus back to her date, the faintest hint of a sneer sneaking onto her face as a loud clink from the other table jolted Cassie even further downward in her seat. "Are you sure you're alright, love?"

"I just..." Cass noticed her posture and tried to correct it, but the damage was already done. "I like exploring and experiencing all the things I've missed while locked away with my dad. I just don't feel right doing so around others."

"Ah, but you took me along--" Dani forced herself to stop as an idea came to mind. "But you've known me since you were a wee thing. Your father and I, always." The meerkat watched as another burst of noise caused a flinch and instinctively clenched a table knife, easing her temper to instead focus on helping the pandott. "Do you want to leave? The streets are quieter."

"And if we don't leave, you're going to make a scene, aren't you?" Both sets of eyes settled on the knife as Dani eased her grip. "They're by the door, though, and... um..."

"It's that bad, eh? No worries, Cass. I'm here for you."

Cassie reached into a pouch at her side and produced a slew of gems, only to drop them on the table. "I don't think that will work. Let's just--" Cassie looked out the terrace at the massive cliff and shrank into herself again. "Right. Can't sneak out."

"Cass, this is concerning me now. You really don't like crowds this much?" The meerkat eased herself to her hindpaws and offered to lift her date next. "I'll keep you safe. Just stay close and breathe, alright?"

Cassandra lashed out and grabbed that offered paw almost violently. "I can't even..." She snatched her magical knife and brought the tip to her forearm, gently nicking into her skin. In a flash the world muted around the two, many of the furniture objects turning into blurs of their former selves as if they were caught in motion on a slow camera. "Did that...?"

"Bloody..."

"Oh, good." Cassie heaved a massive sigh of relief, her paws gripping down securely to ensure everything went according to the improvised plan. "I didn't know if that would work. You're my first that didn't help in some way."

"What the bloody 'ell just changed!?" Dani tried to yank her paw free to form a defensive line, but Cassie not only refused to release her grip but even tightened down unusually hard for her typical strength. "Oi! Ease off, lass!"

"Just... calm down? Please?" Cassie lessened her grip but ensured a secure hold. "We've slipped 'off grid'. If I don't hold onto you, we'll get separated, but... I don't want to be alone right now..."

"'Off grid', eh? Nearly gave me a heart attack, ya' know." Dani realized there was a shake in her arms, at first brushing it off as her date's emotional trembles. "Right. You already brought me here, so might as well."

The pandott slowly stood and nudged her snout toward the door. "Can we... um...?"

"I see. So that's how you do it." The meerkat carefully led her date to the front of the ghostly version of the bistro, taking note of especially blurry people near the busy table. "No wonder you managed to sneak behind me. You can move without being seen, yeah? Clever girl."

"It's harder than it looks. Oh, watch out." The two stopped in place, only moving a moment later when Cassie stepped over a thread only visible to her. "We can mess things up if we're not careful. Don't want to sink another island today, right?"

"Come again, Cass? Another?"

"Oh, nobody noticed but Sem? That's a good sign. Had me worried a bit." Cassie stepped ahead and led Dani back onto the street. "I guess that's our secret then. Probably good nobody here knows what makes these islands float."

"You can see all that? I can't make heads or tails of this place." Dani leaned out of the path of another unseen obstacle, emulating her date to avoid apparently critical mistakes. "How do you even find me if everything's foggy like this?"

"Foggy?" The ringtail slowed to a stop, then found another blurry mess and pointed the knife at it. "Curious. What do you see there?"

"Something like... the echoes of a bird, or bat, or the like?"

"Okay, so Sem must be looking through my mind. Or maybe it just takes getting used to being behind the scenes..." Cass walked over to a nearby wall and slumped against it, her mind starting to focus on the question rather than the people that brought her back to slipspace. "I see thousands of butterflies, each unique, but also each the exact same butterfly. They're all the same I think, but each has a different reason for why it flaps its wings."

"That's... beautiful. Nonsense to me, but... aye, it is just that." Dani joined Cassie against the wall, suddenly keenly aware that they'd been holding paws for far too long to not make her flush red. "I won't pretend to understand any of this... realm... but if it helps you feel safe, I'm glad you showed me."

"I wouldn't say it feels safe exactly. Just... like a second home. Familiar, somehow." Cassie sheathed her blade, then as she released the handle the whole of slip space winked black and gave way to a more familiar reality. "Ah... Ick..."

"Hm?" Dani looked at the fire fox's paw and noticed she was shaking it in pain. "Oh, s-sorry! I didn't mean--"

"No, it's not you. Don't worry." Cassie grunted as she eased her paw ahead of her face and formed a few fists through hisses. "I don't hurt as much in there, so I sort of got carried away. Or I guess I carried you away, right? Hee."

"Th-That you did, lass. Away from whatever that was back there, too. Maybe we can--"

"Oh... You really wanted that ramen though. I'm sorry I freaked out on you. It's just--"

"You're not used to crowds yet. I get it. Now don't ever apologize for it ever again and we'll call it even." Dani took a deep breath as she regained her bearings outside Benji's Bistro. "Maybe we can come back tomorrow? We'll just make sure to tip them extra for the hassle."

Cassie sighed with a hint of relief. "You're... really okay with it?"

"It'll be darker, so maybe... a little more romantic, even...?" A massive chill traced through Dani's spine and tail as the waitress loudly trilled from the door. "Oi! M-My bloody heart!"

"Oh... Dani, look. I think it's okay."

The meerkat checked the Oel girl again, noticing a tray of food oddly welded to her wing with her ink. "You were looking for us? That's... Ah, sorry." Dani reached for her Slate, then panicked a bit when it wasn't in its typical pocket. "Shite. I left it--"

The waitress set down the tray of what clearly had been their order, then she produced the device from her other wing.

"You were... trying to give this back? Thank you." Dani took a moment to type that back into her Slate for the girl to see, then after sharing a cheerful nod she continued, [We're sorry for leaving early. My friend doesn't like sharing closed spaces. The food looks delicious though!]

The Oel seemed to frown, or perhaps the low noises from her beak as she wrote a reply gave that impression. [You can not go with empty bellies after such a payment! Wait here. I will package this order.]

[That's very kind of you. Cheers.] Dani held her Slate for a moment after the waitress took the food indoors, unsure how to behave. "She's making it a takeout order, I suppose. I'm guessing it would be rude to them to pay and not get something in turn?"

"Nope. Most of the Oel would take the payment as a large tip for themselves for the bother. She's just a nice person." Cassie licked her tiny wound and slumped against Dani. "So... we get to have a picnic now?"

"All by our lonesome, aye." The meerkat finally gave into her company, accepting her touch without shivering for once. "There's a place I might like to perch before Sem wakes. I think it's a bell tower of sorts, maybe? Should be nice and quiet for a while."

"Well, that's fitting because it probably is an actual perch. Oel prayer perches all over the place. Their prayers are such beautiful songs, too." Cassie made sure her thanks was known by hugging Dani's shoulder. "I appreciate thinking about me. I know I'm strange."

"You remind me of your grandfather. Yoyo spends so much time learning about new people, too. You've got his smarts." A notion passed through Dani's head for a moment, confusing her just enough for concern. "I was... about to say you resemble your mother... more... I guess I'm just being silly?"

"You remember..." Cassie immediately grabbed for the ring chained to her neck as her eyes glued to her recent wound. "Research can wait..."

"Hm? Someone seems focused again, at least. That's a relie--!"

[Your meal, miss! Please visit Benji's in future, and pass word to friends!] The waitress presented a cloth-wrapped box as well as a sealed bottle of the orange liquor, a chirpy smirk seeming to form as she wrote out an addendum. [Enjoy the meal as much as your wife tonight, yes?]

The amount of blood that rushed to Dani's head threatened to stun her, the speechless meerkat barely managing to nod in thanks as she took the food and turned away. "L-Let's uh... um..."

Cassie snorted as she picked up on the embarrassment and followed to Dani's side. "Yes, let's."

---

---

I'm out of my head /

Of my heart and my mind.

'Cause you can run but you can't hide /

I'm gonna make you mine.

---

Out of my head /

Of my heart and my mind.

'Cause I can feel how your flesh now /

Is crying out for more.

---

---

Perch of the Flight, Cloud Drift Colony

Oel Island Network, Planet Sidele (Zu-7)

08:13, 19/2/2, 26 XP

---

Two squawks... unarmed... Dani followed the Oel of note with her gaze until they changed their heading away from the Flame encampment. Just curious, then? Well keep on walking. The meerkat eased her paw's grip on a pair of throwing knives and turned to snort a rough chuckle as the sleeping fire fox to her side briefly ripped out a snore. Cute.

She took a moment to stretch, her inability to calm her fluttering heart let alone sleep leading to a bit of a hunched posture to survey the grounds below. Always on duty, even on a date... Need to change that behavior, Dani. It's not good for a... relationship? What the bloody hell even is this? She spotted a certain armored queen walking about her quarters and sighed in relief, finally able to lay back and rest. She scanned around the empty takeout containers and a smile snuck onto her muzzle. Just a date that's long over. There's no way she'd want... more.

"Mm... You leaving me already?" A very floofy fire fox tail curled around Dani's waist as Cassie began to rouse. "It's too cold to sleep alone up here."

"Y-You make that sound crude, you know." Dani shivered a bit at that unexpected close contact, then again as Cassie blindly latched onto her arm for a cuddle. "You... Um..."

"Hm?" Cassie finally wiped her eyes, and they shot open in surprise at her half-awake self's autonomous cuddling. She sank back to her corner of the tower and pretended to dig around in her bag. "S-Sorry. I was just... cold..."

"Well, you wear as little clothing as you can get away with, so I can't blame you, Cass."

"And it doesn't help that it'll only get colder until the sun comes back around." The red panda mix quirked her head as she found her Slate turned entirely off rather than alert mode. "Oops. I forgot to charge it again."

"Oh?" Dani took out her own device and offered it to her date. "Need to report in, do ya'? Use mine."

"Not exactly... We don't have orders currently so the team's on 'shore leave' or whatever. I just--" Cassie finally took the offered Slate after an insistent wiggle. "Thanks. Um... Let me see if there were any alerts last night..."

"You expecting anything? This seems like a right peaceful corner of space." Dani checked over the edge of the tower's sill and rolled her eyes at the sight of Flux ordering around more of her armored subordinates. "Well, on the Oel side of town anyway."

"Yeah, Flux has her training routine. That's her down there, right?"

"Observant as always. Yeah, 'tis the wee lass."

"Half past eight, day by day. She's nothing but reg... u... lar..."

"Something up?" Dani slid closer to peek a look at the screen, rolling her eyes again at the blank ceramic. "You and Sem need to teach me how you do that tech thing. I know a few security locks that annoy me regularly."

"Oh, sorry." The screen faded brighter as it warmed up, showing an image of Leannan and Caitlyn kissing. "They're getting married. Here. Tomorrow."

"Oi, good for them! That sounds like a good time, and they deserve one after that being-trapped mess."

"No, you don't... um..." Cassie shrunk into herself a bit as she hurriedly gave back the phone. "You don't know how... risqué it's going to be."

"I've heard rumors, sure. About the tribe mostly... Not sure how the Druid thing works in there." Dani pocketed her Slate and sat back a little more at ease, hoping to relieve some of the sudden stress showing in her friend. "It's that bad?"

"They'll have a good time... But they made me a maiden of honor and..." Somehow still shrinking into her knees now, she hid her flushing face and mumbled, "I'll have to participate."

"Ah. Well, if that's not okay you can always--"

"No! I can't do that! Other Druids will be there and we... need to recruit them..."

"Nope. Your job was to find Cait, not recruit Druids. I'm sure we can talk to Cait and Sem and figure something out." Dani pulled out a knife and gave it a solid grip for show. "And one way or another I always get people to agree with my negotiations, if it's that important to you."

Cassie clasped her paws around Dani's and shook her head. "No, not that much. Fine... We can have a bit of a talk with them."

"See? Always successful." Dani smiled heartily, fighting the urge to shake from the paw-holding for Cassie's sake. "We'll work something out, I promise. You won't have to do anything you're not comfortable with come time for the wedding." Suddenly she tilted her head, questioning the timeline involved. "Tomorrow, you said? How are the Druids even going to make it in time?"

"You think Cait can make a magic vault for herself and live there for months and she can't transport her comrades for a meeting?"

"Fair point."

Cassie sighed as she eased herself to her hindpaws, eyes going wide when she noticed the perch sat quite a few more floors higher than she remembered. "How... did we even get up here? I don't remember climbing that many stairs."

"Well, you did finish off your drink before suggesting the top." Dani unsuccessfully held back a chuckle as she rose as well. "You also may have been carried the last few levels."

"You didn't..."

Dani pulled open a hatch on the floor and began gathering their litter. "Your tail makes a nice scarf. All I'm sayin'."

All that Cassie could manage was a squeak as that very tail swirled to cover her face while she skittered through the hatch.

---

---

Out of my head /

Of my heart and my mind.

'Cause I can feel how your flesh now /

Is crying out for more.

---