Dimension 20: Fantasy High – The Seventh Player

by Yalamodo

In this retelling of the Fantasy High Campaign, a seventh player will be forced to admit that no one can stand alone. As Adaine and her new friends grow closer amid mystery and danger, can they learn not only to trust each other on the battlefield but off it as well? The same plot but with a new character to explore more complex aspects of relationships, platonic and romantic.

23. Cool Kids, Cold Case - Part 9

So, quick update - This story is not being canceled. The hiatus it took came about when, during quarantine, my cat of seventeen years became dangerously sick and eventually died in my arms. Between these two factors and a pile of others, my will to write took a hit. But I love this story, and I love all of you. So, without further ado, let's get into the story. As always, comments make my day ten times better.

Chapter 11: Cool Kids, Cold Case – Part 9: Opportunity

"Dreadful, positively dreadful," Anguin announced, clearing his throat and ruffling the newspaper. Adaine stared at him, debating whether it was worth having this conversation again. She decided that it wasn't. Adaine turned her attention back to breakfast, eating as efficiently as possible. Meals with her friends took longer because they socialized more, but the act of eating was so much more tedious when she had to adhere to the strict formal dining rules her parents enforced.

"What has happened, dear?" Elianwyn inquired. Normally Adaine was expected to ask what was dreadful, or at least badger her father about this habit of his, but after a while her mother and sister got tired of waiting for her.

"Oh, Solace is still trying to drag Fallinel into negotiations with High Court," her father drawled. "Something about elven mediation in a missing persons' case. They've been at it for months now. There's an article in the Solace paper about moving the case up to the federal jurisdiction, which will put more pressure on Fallinel to help. Honestly, I'm amazed there's a Solace native who can tie his shoes without Fallinel's influence." Adaine clenched her jaw. Her father knew that missing persons' case was the result of her big quest. He seemed to remember whenever he wanted to express how dissident her behavior had become, anyway. The youngest Abernant stared resolutely at her plate and chewed in silence, preferring to mull over her personal problems that to dwell on her father's pettiness.

School had been canceled on Monday and Tuesday after group of students from Aguefort summoned a demon on campus Friday morning. Why they didn't wait until Friday evening so that there'd be less chance of discovery, she wasn't sure. Conjurations had become a serious problem since the brighter students deduced that the anti-summoning wards had been broken. A new ward had not yet been erected for reasons Adaine wasn't privy to, and the more chaotic factions at Aguefort were doing their best to take advantage of it. The demon hadn't had enough time to do any real damage, but the police thought the event serious enough to close the school for investigation. Aguefort wasn't slated to reopen until next week.

Gorgug was going on a road trip with his parents over the impromptu vacation, and the Thistlesprings had been more than happy to let Riz tag along. Fig was going out of town to see a concert with Kristen while Fabian was spirited away for father/son bonding time with Bill Seacaster on some island. Adaine would have been happy to spend the unexpected weekend extension with Machaira, but the tabaxi had warned her that she had a lot of work scheduled for today, something about a big one-time job on top of her regular appointments. The rogue had said she might be able to see Adaine, but there had been a weird undertone to Machaira's voice that made Adaine think that was more wishful thinking than a realistic possibility.

Besides, tonight her family was teleporting back to Fallinel for a three-day elvish holiday celebrating Corellon, creator of the elves. The head of the elven pantheon, Corellon represented everything an elf could want or aspire for over his or her lifetime, and his festival was a massive affair. Almost every elf who had ever lived in Fallinel would gather to celebrate. It was a carnival of magic, and mages would cast spells with a level of abandon normally considered suicidal. As an elvish family of the highest respect and status, Adaine's family would spend the festival alongside prestigious political leaders, spellcasters, and clerics, privileged to the greatest food, drink, and entertainment that a mostly magical, immortal race had developed since the aboleth war.

In all honesty, Adaine wasn't huge on the Festival of Corellon. She thought it a little hypocritical that they poured such importance into a holiday celebrating their head deity while sneering at everyone else's gods the rest of the year. Plus, the parties she had to attend with her family, which were the only parties she could attend, were terribly dull affairs in which her parents networked and her sister preened and Adaine waited to die from the depression of being passed over by everyone in the room. The Festival of Corellon was like being trapped in Hudol with her sister again. And it always fell the week before Valentine's Day, giving Aelwyn two holidays in rapid succession to ridicule Adaine on. But as stuffy and uncomfortable as the whole thing would be, Fallinel was her home. Adaine had grown to love Elmville, but she missed the magic of her birthplace. While Adaine had had enough high elf superiority to last a lifetime, there was something nice about being surrounded by people who shared her beliefs and culture and history, united by the same ancestral joy of their creator that every elf felt but struggled to truly join in.

Still, Adaine would have been happy to spend the spontaneous sabbatical with Machaira, especially since the others would all be out of town. If she'd gotten any other week off of school, Adaine thought she might have been able to convince Machaira to let her visit the scout's camp. Kristen had once suggested that they all go camping one weekend and mentioned that Machaira already had a site set up for them. Machaira had pointed out that she was twenty minutes out into the woods, more than double that time for anyone trying to carry gear up a cliff without her natural climbing ability (aka all the rest of them). Her camp had no electricity, no running water, and nothing to do. While Adaine agreed that camping didn't sound like fun, she thought the idea of spending the day cozying up to Machaira in the woods had promise. Adaine was nursing vague fantasies about being alone with Machaira where no one could find them when an invisible servant whisked past her to deliver a message to her father.

"Ah, very well," Anguin said. "Well, at least it's getting done. Quite nice."

"What's getting done, father?" Aelwyn took her turn to ask when Adaine again refused to rise to the bait.

"Oh, the normal gardener wasn't able to come to work today, some nonsense about his wife being in the hospital, and his crew wouldn't come without him. He informed me that he found a replacement, some local who does yard work in the other communities. I've asked the servants to keep an eye on the substitute." Adaine finished her breakfast while her father was talking, stood, and headed to her room before he had finished. Adaine technically spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon studying, but most of her attention was on how she was going to be trapped with her family for the next few days, fantasizing over her friend, and the depressing reality of spending another Valentine's Day alone. Eventually she descended into the kitchen to get a snack, meaning Adaine walked into the kitchen and the air elementals sensed that she wanted a snack and started preparing a plate of elven whey bread with depressingly healthy toppings. As she waited, Adaine's father strode in through the back door.

"Well, her work seems up to par," he drawled to Elianwyn. Adaine's mother sniffed, glancing up from her position at the table to stare out the bay window into the yard.

"She's slower than our normal wood elf," the professor commented. "He's normally done with the lawn by now and moved on to hedges." Ah, so they were talking about the replacement gardener.

"The servants say that she arrived at four-thirty in the morning," Anguin replied. "Did the hedges and the garden first to avoid waking us up, or some such nonsense excuse to weasel extra coin out of us." Aelwyn smiled over her homework from the head of the table but did not vocalize her amused agreement, exactly as a proper Abernant daughter should. Adaine almost wretched.

"I didn't know they could get up so early," Elianwyn commented lightly, shifting through some papers. Adaine clenched her jaw. None of her friends had been over to her house because of her parents. Even Fabian's high elf lineage wouldn't matter to them. A plate of food appeared in her hands, and Adaine turned to leave the room.

"Gods, she's just hideous though," Anguin continued. "Grass and earth all over her. Didn't get too close, but I bet she smells positively foul, what with all that debris in her fur." At the last word, Adaine froze in the kitchen doorway. She slowly turned around to face her father. To her horror, Aelwyn had also stopped what she was doing and fixated on Anguin.

"I know, such an ugly species of animal," Elianwyn agreed without looking up. It was a testament to their parents' scorn that neither sister could infer anything further from that statement. "At least she knows her place."

"Indeed, one of the few jobs fit for a tabaxi." Anguin agreed. Adaine almost dropped her food. Aelwyn turned to look at her with a truly evil smile. Adaine did her best to feign indifference. To her knowledge, there was only one tabaxi in Elmville, but Aelwyn didn't know that. Adaine turned away and walked back to her room as calmly as she knew how. Adaine was a terrible liar, but Aelwyn remained seated, so perhaps her deception was sufficient. Adaine dumped her plate on her desk as she rushed to the window. A single figure pushed an elemental lawn mower across the grass. Adaine wasn't close enough to make out many details, but she could see that the person was even shorter than she was. Shit.

Adaine tried to affect a casual attitude as she walked back downstairs and got a glass of water from the kitchen. Aelwyn was still at the table with her mother. Her father had sat down with a stack of documents. None of them paid Adaine any attention as she headed into the living room. The young wizard waited to make sure no one was suspicious before quietly casting Unseen Servant and instructing it to rifle through the books and walk around the corner if anyone entered the room. With luck, her family would assume Adaine was trying to look up something obscure in the communal library. Adaine tiptoed over to the front door, triple checking that no one was following her before she slipped out and dashed around the house into the backyard. Adaine felt a sinking sensation in her gut as she rounded the corner. A thick tail waved about behind the figure pushing the mower, occasionally snapping up to stay off the ground. Machaira noticed Adaine approaching and set the mower to idle.

"Oh, hey Adaine," she greeted easily. "What's up?"

"Why didn't you tell me that this was your big job?" Adaine demanded, forgoing a 'hello'. Machaira sighed, tail lowering.

"I didn't want you to get into a fight with your family," she confessed. "When I was asked to take this job, I knew your parents would be assholes about it. And I knew you wouldn't stand for that. But you're going to be going on that trip to Fallinel with them, and it'll suck even more if you're pissed at them before you even leave. I thought maybe I could slide under the radar and wait to tell you until after I got paid."

"But why would you work for my parents in the first place?" Adaine pressed, a little bewildered.

"Your parents aren't paying me as much as they do their normal gardener, but this one job is still worth what I normally make in six weeks." Machaira informed her. "It's the best I've ever made from a gig without getting blood on my hands or taking my clothes off. And they don't even know who I am. Your normal gardener subcontracted me. I just keep telling myself that you're the only person who lives here. Look at it this way," she pressed when Adaine still didn't look happy. "I'm taking your parents' money and putting it to good use. And I'll help you murder your sister before you go to Fallinel if you want."

Adaine's lips twitched up a bit. The elf wished Machaira had told her that she would be here, but she also understood why the rogue had wanted to wait. And Machaira hadn't done anything wrong. Adaine's distress at the partial lie dissolved, and she begrudgingly smiled. Machaira's ears and tail flicked up, face glowing with happiness that Adaine wasn't mad. The wizard's smile broadened to see how much her opinion mattered to the tabaxi. Machaira's eyes flitted to something behind Adaine, and her expression darkened.

"Speaking of future murder victims," she murmured. Adaine turned, stomach sinking once more as Aelwyn strolled across the green towards the younger girls. Adaine instinctively shifted to stand between her and Machaira, realizing too late how much worse that would make the situation look.

"Well, isn't this cute," Aelwyn opened. "My sister has taken up with a stray cat. What will Mommy and Daddy say?"

"I'm only talking to my friend."

"Probably the same bullshit they cough up on a daily basis." Adaine and Machaira said at the same time.

"Mmm, imagine their faces when I go inside and tell them that the replacement gardener is the cat that insulted them," Aelwyn continued. "They'll be positively furious."

"And of course, their opinion is the only thing that matters to you," Machaira piped up before Adaine could respond.

"Are you insinuating that it shouldn't?" Aelwyn sneered. "Or are you trying to call me heartless?"

"I'm trying to say that your parents are the crux of your self-worth," Machaira clarified. "Your success at Hudol, your mother's school; your parents' approval and applause; your skill with divination theory crafting is your family's brand of magic; the car your parents gave you; and your diplomatic status from your father all depend on your parents. Without them, you're nothing. Adaine is top of the charts at Aguefort, a school your parents have nothing to do with."

"Yes, she must be the best skeleton smasher in Elmville," Aelwyn sneered.

"Laugh all you want, but outside your house, Aguefort is a name that carries weight," Machaira countered mildly. "And Adaine isn't just top of her class at Aguefort, she's a hero there. She was part of the group that uncovered a fanatical cult kidnapping girls and trying to open demonic portals. As far as Solace is concerned, Adaine is the Abernant daughter worth watching. Your parents might not care, but your sister has already shown more independence than you ever have. And I don't need Detect Thoughts to see that fact eating at you. Without your parents, Adaine has accomplishments to her name. All you have is a vaguely slutty fashion sense." Machaira crossed her arms over the handle of the mower and leaned forward, her voice almost bored. There was heat in her eyes, but it was a lazy contempt that more simmered than blazed. For a few beautiful seconds, Aelwyn was floored, silently searching for a comeback. Adaine was smiling so hard her face hurt. She never could have divined an outcome this awesome. Aelwyn's face fell into cold fury, building to a deadly counter attack. Adaine stiffened instinctively, but Machaira didn't so much as bat an eye. Heat met cold, and neither would back down.

"Mummy and Daddy will fire you when they find out," Aelwyn threatened. "And then you will have done all of this work for us for free. Still think you're clever, cat?" Adaine cast Ray of Sickness of her sister. Aelwyn managed to resist the brunt of the spell, but her face did turn green. The older Abernant hunched over a little, taking a moment to hold back her vomit, before rising with a glare.

"Adaine, wait," Machaira protested. "Don't do this. Aelwyn isn't worth it." Adaine gave Machaira a hard look. Those yellow eyes, so different from her own, were cautionary. But with a burst of insight, Adaine realized that her warning overlay a weary acceptance at the loss of coin and a soft affection for the younger wizard. Machaira would allow Aelwyn to rob her of payment because it would mean less trouble for Adaine. And, on some level, she expected to lose her earnings. Aelwyn would be but another name on a too-long list of people who had taken advantage of her.

"She isn't," Adaine confirmed, voice hard and cold. "But you are." With that, Adaine cast Scorching Ray. Three lines of fire streaked from her palm. Aelwyn was able to erect a shield to block two of them, but one slipped past just in time to burn through her shirt, right at the base of the sternum. Aelwyn yelped and touched the charred circle as the lawn sizzled behind her where the other two bolts had been deflected. Her sister retaliated with a Ray of Frost, but Machaira leapt in front of Adaine before the spell could hit. The tabaxi barely choked back a cry and stumbled as jagged shards of ice grew over her jacket, falling to one knee.

"Machaira," Adaine gasped.

"I've got you," she grunted. "Not… not going to make things worse." Adaine understood. Technically, the Abernant residence counted as foreign soil. Attacking Aelwyn would be equivalent to attacking a diplomatic representative on Fallinel territory. But the rogue wasn't going to let Adaine fight by herself. Suddenly, the stakes had changed. Aelwyn wouldn't kill Adaine, but she wouldn't bat an eye over dispatching Machaira. Conversely, Aelwyn was about as physically weak as Adaine was. Neither sister could take much of a beating, and Machaira would only have to block a handful of spells for Adaine to chip her sister down. As Adaine fired off a Lightning Bolt through Aelwyn's chest, she tried to move back and toward the side, pulling Aelwyn's attention away from the tabaxi.

Aelwyn gasped, glared, and slung a Fireball toward Adaine, but Machaira had been waiting for her to attack. The scout hurled herself up into the path of the spell, twisting so that her scaled jacket bore the brunt of the impact. Machaira was dexterous enough to keep her limbs and head out of the explosion, drawing upon her rogue training to take the hit while evading some of the damage in a most uncanny dodge. Even so, Machaira collapsed to the grass in a charred, smoky heap. She grunted, propped herself up on one arm, and coughed up a clot of red spittle.

"Not to push you or anything… but if you could finish her off… I'd appreciate it," the scout panted, pulling one leg under her body. Adaine grit her teeth, fear and anger urging her to finish this. Spell energy rushed to her fingertips, and Adaine opened her mouth to level a curse at her sister.

"What is going on out here?" Anguin Abernant interrupted, quick-stepping out the back door and across the lawn toward the quarrelling wizards. The sisters released their spells and separated as if their father's presence was a magical force all its own. Machaira pushed herself up with a pained grunt, tottering slightly as she stood. Adaine backed up to stand partially in front of her friend, eyes shifting from her father to her sister. "Honestly, why can't you girls get along?" Despite using 'girls' plural, Anguin stared directly at Adaine as he spoke.

"Adaine attacked me," Aelwyn piped up as Adaine opened her mouth. "I was about to inform you and Mummy that the new gardener is the filthy cat that insulted you, and she tried to stop me."

"She was threatening my friend," Adaine objected.

"Is this true?"

"Yes," Adaine said with feeling.

"Adaine, I'm very disappointed in you," Anguin reminded her. "Fighting with your sister to protect a tabaxi's reputation, of all things." He turned to Machaira, who was still brushing grass shavings and ash off her sleeves and head. "As for you, I witnessed the… incident from the house. Your attempts to intervene, albeit with strong bias, were non-violent. If you finish your work quickly and don't come back, we can pretend that none of this ever happened." Adaine's father turned back to her with the same dissatisfied frown he had when she had her first panic attack, unchanged through the years.

"This behavior is disgraceful. Ever since you started going to that Aguefort school, you've been a downright rogue. Fighting with your sister is nothing new, but look at the damage you've caused." Anguin gestured to the lawn with one hand, grass peppered with scorch marks and ice crystals. "And you attacked her to protect this cat from your own parents. Honestly, I can't fathom what came over you to make you behave so barbarically." Adaine opened her mouth to protest, but her father swept on. "I'm afraid you leave me no choice. I cannot allow your aberrant conduct to sully our family name. Adaine Abernant, you are hereby grounded and forbidden from attending the Festival of Corellon."

Adaine blinked up at her father, digesting his statement. She wouldn't be going back to Fallinel tonight. She wouldn't get to be a part of the Festival. Adaine was banned from her own culture, from the most important event of the year. She wasn't allowed to celebrate the birth of her people or share in their ancestral joy. Her family was just… leaving her. Was that it? Was she so easy to push aside? As the idea took root, terror began to creep into the distant parts of Adaine's subconscious, rising in a towering wave threatening to crash down upon her mind. As the wave began to bear down and her throat started to close, a voice broke through the budding panic attack.

"Adaine." The elf in question immediately zeroed in on the soft voice of her crush. Anguin had been issuing some statement to the tabaxi that Adaine hadn't heard; but Machaira's large, golden eyes were all for Adaine, sympathy welling from deep within. The tabaxi faltered for a moment before speaking again. "Are you okay?"

"No," she answered in a small voice. None of this was okay. But when Adaine met those eyes, concerned but not pitying and loving without judgement, some of the anxiety eased. Machaira was there for her, like she always was.

"It's a punishment," her father interrupted the moment. "You're not supposed to be okay with it." He whirled on Machaira. "And I just told you that I don't want to see you talking to my daughter again. Now finish your job and leave before I dock your pay further." Protective anger swelled forth and pushed aside some of Adaine's hysteria, enough for her vision to clear, revealing Machaira's tenderness begin to give way to a harsher expression. For a minute, the tabaxi's gaze teetered between the two extremes. As Adaine steeled herself, preparing to protest the rogue against her father, Machaira picked up on her sudden stability. With that understanding, her gaze crystalized into something savage. Adaine had seen her friend angry, hungry, scared, and hyped up on adrenaline many times, but she had never seen a look so hateful cross those feline features before. Lips peeled away from glistening ivory fangs, and the rogue turned on Anguin.

"You arrogant cock-sucking sewer rat," she snarled in draconic. Every wizard learned to speak draconic, the original language of magic, but it was a rough, grating language with lots of difficult pronunciations. Adaine hadn't heard Machaira speak draconic since that first afternoon at Seacaster Manor, but it sounded much more authentic when spoken with such deep venom. For a moment, she thought the scout was going to leap at her father. Instead, Machaira revved the lawnmower until the elementals within screeched like banshees. The scout kicked the lawnmower forward, and it careened across the lawn, spraying all of them with sod and grass, grinding horribly over ice shards and smoldering turf. Machaira turned back to Adaine's father, ears flat, eyes blazing, mane bristling into spikes.

"There isn't enough coin in Fallinel to justify working for a worm so blind," the scout spat, hatred vibrating in every saurian syllable. "Don't say a fucking word." She growled over Anguin's attempts to reply, low voice rumbling over the lawn. "You're a cruel, stupid thug of an elf, and one day soon you'll realize – too late – that you've been pandering to the wrong daughter. And when that day comes, I'll purr as your world falls down around you." CRASH! The lawnmower smashed into the fence and overturned, blades churning at air. Anguin took a step back. Adaine had never seen her father walk backward, even to leave a room or get up from the table. But for a moment, he had forgotten that he was the elven ambassador and that Machaira was a teenage girl a good foot shorter than he. For a moment, Anguin Abernant was scared. He managed to collect himself as Machaira spun on heel and stalked away, but the damage had been done. Anguin had lost composure, and Adaine would never forget it. Her father had been bullied by her best friend, and nothing could have made her happier.

It was only after Machaira stormed through the gates that Adaine realized the word she had used to describe her father as a cruel stupid thug had been the masculine word for dagger, Machair.

That evening found Adaine curled on top of her bed, miserable and alone in Elmville instead of… well, less miserable and alone in Fallinel. Her parents hadn't bothered with a proper lecture this time. After Machaira's departure, Adaine was sent to her room. Her mother came in for a brief moment to inform Adaine on how disappointed she was in the younger wizard. Elianwyn confirmed that Adaine was grounded, neither permitted to come with the family to Fallinel nor to leave the house in their absence. Adaine had one last glimpse of Aelwyn's smug expression before the door closed behind her mother. That was six hours ago. Her family had left four hours ago, and Adaine had done little more than sulk since then.

Strangely enough, she wasn't too miffed over Aelwyn anymore. Yes, her sister had made a complete bitch of herself and completely ruined Adaine's extended weekend, but they'd also had their first fight in which Adaine hadn't immediately lost. Granted, she'd had Machaira's help, and her father had taken Aelwyn's side once again, but Adaine had managed to hold her own for a few turns at least. It was marked improvement from their Hudol days.

No, what really had her down was that they were leaving her behind. Adaine had always known that her parents didn't put the same stock in her that they did in Aelwyn, but she'd never had their apathy displayed so viscerally. She was just… lost. Obviously, her parents had been displeased with her for some time, or more so than they had been previously. Adaine hadn't exactly tried to earn their approval of late. But she didn't think that they would ban her from the Festival of Corellon, their equivalent of Elmville's Solstice. She would spend the biggest holiday of the year alone because her family thought she was an embarrassment. There was a lot to unpack there that Adaine wasn't ready for.

Bzzt. Her crystal buzzed with a text from Machaira, almost immediately followed by a second.

7:01 p.m. Machaira Mekhit: Hey, are your parents gone? I would have called sooner, but I didn't want to get you in any more trouble.

7:02 p.m. Machaira Mekhit: I'm sorry about earlier btw.

Adaine was calling Machaira before she finished reading the messages. If she had ever needed her friend, now was the time.

"Hey," Machaira answered immediately but cautiously. "Are you – I'm sorry. I, I fucked up."

"No, you didn't," Adaine told her. "And I'm sorry. My dad – he sucks so hard. So does Aelwyn. They both, just, yeah, I'm sorry."

"Are they still home?" Machaira asked.

"No, they left – they left for Fallinel a while ago." Adaine's voice shrank as she stammered. "I'm, I'm all alone here."

"Give me fifteen minutes." Machaira hung up without elaboration, leaving a confused and slightly hurt Adaine by herself again. Was Machaira too busy for her all of a sudden? Did she want to shower before calling back? What would she need fifteen minutes for? She couldn't mean – no, that would be tantamount to invading foreign soil. She'd also have to bypass dozens of traps and alarms, both magical and normal, and – "

Tap tap tap.

Adaine started at the noise and turned to her window. Slowly, Adaine slid off of her bed and approached her window, disbelief swamping her previous confusion. There, clinging to the exterior wall of the Abernant residence like a koala, was Machaira, ears flat and one hand holding a Styrofoam cup. Her tail whipped against the wall below her. Adaine stared for a moment before sliding her window up and open.

"Uh, hey," Machaira opened, shuffling in place on the wall as if she wasn't six meters off the ground. "I, um, got your favorite from Basrar's as, like, an apology gift." She murmured tentatively, holding the treat out to her. "I, yeah, sorry about – do you want to talk or something?" It took Adaine a minute to process that, yes, Machaira had broken through the defenses set in place by the best wizards in Fallinel, climbed the wall of her house, and knocked on her window after sunset to give her a shake and check in. Slowly, a grin broke out over the diviner's face. She'd never needed a friend more, and here was everything she could have asked for.

"I take it I'm forgiven?" Machaira guessed as Adaine took the desert and slurped a chunk of ice cream through her smile.

"I was never really mad at you," Adaine corrected her.

"Then can I come in?" The rogue asked. Adaine giggled and backed up, giving her friend room to slip in and close the window. Adaine placed her shake on her bookshelf as Machaira turned to face her, left hand grabbing her right bicep. "So, are you okay?" Adaine surged forward and hugged the tabaxi, arms wrapping tightly around her neck. Machaira started with a grunt but folded Adaine in a strong embrace. For a moment, they stayed there, Adaine all but choking Machaira as the scout rubbed her back. Machaira smelled of cut grass, ash, and sweat, her animal musk a shade stronger than normal from physical exertion. Her jacket was a little grimy, and her fur was sticky with salt. To the young elf, the scent was wonderful. A powerful surge of emotion rose within Adaine, fierce joy at how present and solid Machaira felt in that moment. Machaira was there for her. She was always there for her. Adaine wanted to tell Machaira how much that meant to her, how happy she was to see her. She wanted to apologize for the fiasco earlier and share the apology ice cream as they railed against her shitty family.

Instead, she started to cry. Adaine wasn't sure exactly when the tears started, but they quickly built into a torrent of ugly sobs. Fragments of speech slipped through, bits and pieces of ideas she didn't want to face. Her sense of loss and abandonment boiled up to the forefront of her mind, and the wizard fell apart before she could stop herself. For a minute, Machaira continued to hold her, rubbing circles into her back. The room spun around Adaine as the tabaxi scooped her up. The diviner felt herself being pressed into Machaira's chest and curled into the more secure embrace, finding solace in the closeness of the familiar hold. With her head buried in Machaira's collar and her body snuggly supported by Machaira's lap, Adaine's sense of loss lessened. The sting of fresh wounds softened as the tabaxi rested her jaw on Adaine's head. Perhaps this is why Adaine broke down, because she knew that she was safe to do so. As Machaira stroked her hair, murmuring comforts to the distraught high elf, Adaine knew that Machaira loved her. What else could be so warm, or soothe her anxious mind so effectively? Soft reassurances were whispered in her ear as the rogue cradled her, the same sweet nothings Machaira always told her, low voice reverberating with the firmness of her belief in the diviner, rippling through Adaine's body like distant thunder.

Loneliness faded to be replaced with belonging. This was where Adaine wanted to be. Her panic departed as quickly as it came, draining away under Machaira's languid ministrations. Adaine melted into the body beneath her, allowing herself to be petted. Machaira's scent wreathed around her, as much a comfort as the motion of her hand on the elf's back. Her hold was tight enough to be soothing without being constraining. Adaine mumbled a thank you, and Machaira huffed, picking Adaine up and sitting her down on the edge of the bed.

"Why don't you finish your ice cream," she suggested quietly, handing Adaine the cup as she reclaimed Adaine's desk chair. The girls exchanged smiles, and Adaine slurped down the rest of her shake. It had melted a little, but it was less of a hot mess than she was and almost as nice as the feline smiling across from her. "So, looked like the mighty Aelwyn was struggling a bit." Adaine grinned around her straw, finally equalizing from the recent emotional rollercoaster.

"I'm not at her level yet, but I'm getting there," Adaine confirmed. "Thanks for helping out by the way. I hope she didn't hurt you too badly."

"I'm a little sore," Machaira admitted, rolling her left arm around in its socket. "But it's nothing some food, rest, and a good bath can't fix." Machaira's smile was innocent, but Adaine's brain tunnel-visioned on the image of Machaira in the bath for a good few seconds. "I'll be fine once I get home."

"Why don't you stay here?" Adaine blurted. Machaira blinked, seemingly taken aback. "I mean," the wizard continued more calmly. "My parents are going to be gone for tonight and the next three days. We could have a sleepover. It'd be a lot of fun." The more Adaine thought about her impulse, the better it sounded. In trying to punish her, Adaine's family had opened a golden opportunity to solve her Machaira problem. "We could watch movies and talk and play games. Besides, I'm never going to get another opportunity to have you over."

Machaira hesitated. Once again, insight class paid off as Adaine realized Machaira's dilemma. As far as she knew, Adaine didn't reciprocate the tabaxi's feelings. A sleepover would be supremely awkward for her, literally placing her desire on a platter for her to see but not have. On the other hand, Machaira enjoyed her company and wouldn't want to leave Adaine by herself after the day's previous events. While Adaine sympathized with the rogue's position, she knew that she would never get a chance like this again. An extended period of time during which the two of them had perfect privacy in a safe space while wearing pajamas – this was perfect. Adaine could take her time trying to confess to Machaira, and if everything went right, her bed was right here.

"Uh, sure," Machaira relented, trying to look excited and not nervous. "Why not? It'll be fun." Adaine reigned in burgeoning fantasies about Machaira in her bed as the other girl made an effort to push aside her trepidation, smiling more genuinely. "I mean, I'll have to go home first to get a change of clothes, but – "

"I have clothes," Adaine offered quickly. A little red crept up her neck, and she reminded herself to stay natural. "You can go back home if you want to, but you're more than welcome to borrow some of my things. And I can put your clothes in the wash so that they're clean for tomorrow." Machaira thought for a moment. As Adaine watched the internal struggle play out in those lovely yellow eyes, she took a deep but silent breath and steeled herself. Eventually, Adaine would have to open up to the tabaxi about how she felt, but she needed to set the mood first. If she was going to make this work, Machaira would need reassurance that they were still friends and that Adaine didn't want her for her body. Well, not just her body.

"Um, sure, but I thought you only had, you know, just these clothes and schoolgirl outfits," Machaira countered with a gesture to Adaine's current attire. Adaine mentally cursed her parents once more for limiting her wardrobe options, but a solution quickly came to mind.

"I have gym clothes," she remembered, running to her dresser and rifling to the bottom of her junk drawer. "I don't think I've ever worn them, but they should fit you." Adaine withdrew a somewhat oversized T-shirt and pair of short-shorts and handed them to Machaira. The one time she had gone to the gym with Machaira she had forgotten to wear them, so they'd never seen any use until now. She had been meaning to throw the damn things away for ages, and silently thanked the gods that she hadn't. Machaira sized up the clothes skeptically. They'd probably fit her, but then she'd be wearing Adaine's clothes. While the notion thrilled Adaine for reasons she couldn't quite put into words, the wizard saw how that might be painfully ironic for Machaira.

It won't be after this, Adaine silently swore. How Machaira had put up with this kind of emotional turmoil for so long, Adaine couldn't fathom. The awkwardness was already gnawing at her nerves, and she hadn't been subjected to it for three months. Adaine was going to make sure that the wait was worth it.

"Okay," Machaira relented quietly. "Do you, um, want me to change now?"

"You don't have to," Adaine said, a little insecurity creeping in at the scout's clear reluctance. "Just, you have something for, you know, later. We can go eat or watch a movie or something."

"Oh, okay. I thought you were trying to tell me that I needed a shower." Machaira explained, pink filtering through her white cheek fur.

"No, no, sorry," Adaine backtracked. "No, you don't smell. I was only offering so that you didn't have to go home." Truthfully, the tabaxi did smell a little strongly. While comforting in its familiarity, she preferred the softer scent Machaira carried after a shower. "Are you hungry?"

"Always," Machaira confirmed, good humor returning. The rogue put Adaine's gym stuff aside and followed her out into the hallway. When Machaira stood from her seat, Adaine almost got vertigo. Intellectually, Adaine knew she was taller than Machaira by a good few inches. But the tabaxi seemed so much larger in the Abernant house. Never had a presence so… wild entered the manor. As Machaira stalked down the hallway, broad skull swinging to inspect an oil painting, Adaine felt tiny next to her. For a moment, she wondered if the walls could contain Machaira, or if the house would come down around them now that its civilized elven stuffiness had been invaded by such a feral force. Even the air elementals seemed affected by Machaira. One servant began fixing a plate of food for Adaine while the others swirled about chaotically, uneasy with the tabaxi.

"It's okay," Adaine reassured a snarling Machaira. "Can you make her something to eat?" Adaine requested the air elementals. "My friend is a bit of a carnivore, so no grains. Maybe something with eggs or cheese?" In seconds the servants whisked away from the girls in compliance with her instructions.

"So, who are they?" Machaira asked slowly, sliding her saber back into its sheath.

"Oh, those are the, uh, servants," Adaine stuttered, eyes flitting to the floor. "They, uh, it's because my dad is the, you know, ambassador – it's a Fallinel thing. My – it sucks, I know, okay. I – "

"Adaine, it's okay." Machaira interrupted. She looked over toward the kitchen and the invisible elemental servants. "So, are they friends of yours or…?" Adaine squirmed a little. She had never mentioned that her family had servants before. Fabian's family had servants, and her friends had never been bothered by it, but this seemed different somehow. Maybe it was because her family only employed beings that they didn't have to look at, or maybe it was because she really wanted to make an impression on Machaira tonight.

"I, I, never really, I, no, they're not, not really," she stammered, feeling a little put on the spot. "I tried, tried talking to them when I was younger, but they're not really supposed to, to interact with us unless it's for – part of their job is to not talk to us unless we ask them to do something. It's my mom's, dad's, both of their decisions, and I've never been comfortable about – "

"Adaine." Machaira cut her off again. "It's me. I get it. I just wanted to know if they would rat us out to your parents or not." Adaine shook her head. She didn't think the servants' loyalty ran that deep. "Okay then." Machaira took her by the shoulder and guided Adaine toward the breakfast nook. "Family can be messy, and I don't judge you by your family, okay? I only care about you. I'm your friend, not your parents'." Machaira's tone softened, and Adaine's lips flicked into a smile. Machaira smiled back, feline lips filling out just enough to form the expression. Gods, Adaine wanted to kiss her so badly. But the thought of crossing the gap between them made her heart leap into her throat. She wished Machaira would take that step for her, to help Adaine get the confidence to open up. If only – oh.

"Machaira, can you show me how you flirt?" Adaine requested. Machaira blinked, caught off guard, but Adaine could practically see Fig's sly grin over the tabaxi's shoulder. Knowing that the tiefling would approve of her plan somehow didn't help.

"Um, I mean, I already went over this with Kristen," Machaira reminded her. "I, uh, didn't really flirt with people so much as seduce them. It was less about how to get a date and more about, you know…" Oh, Adaine hadn't forgotten. "Besides, what worked for me probably wouldn't work for you: different techniques for different people."

"No, I don't want you to teach me how to flirt," Adaine clarified. "I want you to show me how you used to pick someone up. Try it on me, please?" She added when Machaira still seemed hesitant. Something akin to panic darted through Machaira's gaze. Adaine could see fear, confusion, and shame in her expression before all three were replaced by desire, a heavy wanting for something (she thought) she could never have. Machaira stood up from the table and whirled around, walking around the corner and out of sight before Adaine could fully process what was happening. For a terrifying moment, Adaine thought that she had scared her friend away. Before the panic could fully take over, Machaira strolled back into the room, expression somewhere between an amused smile and a lazy smirk. Adaine instantly zeroed in on the two undone buttons at the top of her jacket. The tabaxi made her way towards Adaine, yellow eyes locked onto blue, exuding confidence with each long step, just as she had on karaoke night.

"Buy you a drink?" She asked, pulling her chair back to face Adaine as she sat. A hint of a purr rumbled in her voice. Her gaze, fixed on Adaine's, carried a playful assurance. Her relaxed posture was strong without restraining Adaine's movement from the table. Machaira's intent was clear, but every line of her body was unthreatening.

"Maybe," Adaine tried to play along, probably smiling more than was realistic. "Depends on what you want in return."

"It's not what I want; it's what I can offer," Machaira corrected her, mischief lighting her yellow eyes, tail waving over her head.

"Oh?" Adaine challenged. Machaira inclined her head with a hum. "And what do you have to offer?" Machaira's smirk curled higher, and she turned over her shoulder towards the kitchen.

"A drink for the young lady," she requested of the elemental servants, a hint of a growl vibrating in her voice. Machaira turned back to Adaine, predatory satisfaction clear in her expression. "Whatever she wants." There was a weight to the statement that made it clear she wasn't talking about drinks, and a thrill ran through Adaine. The tabaxi extended her hand toward the wizard. "My name's Machaira by the way."

"Adaine," the elf managed, taking the offered hand. Machaira, instead of shaking, brought Adaine's hand to her mouth and kissed her knuckles without breaking eye contact. Adaine's breathing stopped completely for a second.

"Nice to meet you," the rogue responded, releasing Adaine's hand as if the diviner wasn't totally charmed. An elemental whisked over with a glass of water that Adaine sucked down, suddenly very thirsty. "Want to dance?"

"How can we dance with no music?" Adaine challenged, trying to take back some control over the interaction. Machaira stood and held out a scarred hand toward Adaine again.

"We'll make some music," she promised. And like that, Adaine knew that Machaira had her. She accepted the hand once more, content to go wherever the tabaxi escorted her. "Follow my lead." Machaira instructed. In that moment, Adaine would have stripped naked and laid down on the floor if the scout had asked.

Instead, Machaira began to lead Adaine in a dance. Adaine had learned how to waltz for fancy events with her parents, but she had never attempted anything as fast paced or chaotic as the rhythm Machaira set. The two girls whirled through the small space, the nimble tabaxi driving the clumsy high elf back several steps as she prowled forward before pulling Adaine back with her and spinning to get behind the wizard, gleaming eyes and fangs poking out over her shoulder as Machaira steered Adaine across the room, one hand on her hip and the other clasped to Adaine's, pointed straight across the room in the direction they were strutting. Adaine stumbled along with her, brain stuttering and heart racing as she tried to predict the next motion.

"Don't look at my feet," Machaira ordered her. "Keep your eyes locked on mine and move with me. Your body will fall into the pattern naturally." Adaine wasn't sure, but she did as her friend asked. Machaira's golden orbs were bright and happy, as comfortable leading Adaine as she was to follow. The high elf's insecurities petered out as the quiet faith Machaira always had in Adaine washed over her. When Machaira twisted, Adaine mirrored the motion and found herself twirled about by the playful scout, coming to a stop with strong arms wrapped around her waist and a hint of a purr in one ear before she was spun back around.

As Machaira guided Adaine through the motions, she found that the rogue was right. Her muscles fell in line with the rhythm, slowly finding order within the entropy. Although there was no music, Machaira's boots tapped out a tempo against the hardwood, creating a beat for her to follow. If Adaine was honest, Machaira couldn't follow a rhythm half as well as Fig, and the choreography was fairly basic once the diviner stopped tripping over her own feet. However, the dance was energetic and spirited, animating both girls to laugh at their own silliness. Adaine found that the motions Machaira led her through also involved a lot of hip swaying and shimmying. As the rogue's leg slid between Adaine's, her pelvis leaned forward, curving away right before it touched, sliding her leg back and pulling Adaine along so that the wizard felt as if they were chasing each other. Arousing without being explicit, Machaira made herself enticing, as much encouraging Adaine to pursue her as she evaded direct contact. The tabaxi's hands roamed from her hips to her shoulders to her arms, and Adaine grinned at every touch, happy to let Machaira steer her about. She beamed at her friend, briefly forgetting why she had initiated her ridiculous plan in the first place. Machaira's joy matched her own for a moment before the pleasure in her eyes broke, grief and shame pushing through in its place.

"Why did you ask me to do this?" Machaira whispered, confidence abandoning her.

"I, I wanted to see this side of you," Adaine responded, bewildered. "I, I wanted to see what you would do."

"I would never do this to you," Machaira murmured, voice impossibly soft. "You deserve better than this."

"There's no one better than you," Adaine asserted quietly. "Not to me at least." She didn't know when they had stopped dancing, but she still held Machaira's hand. Adaine took a half step closer to the tabaxi, bringing them tantalizingly close. Machaira's scars were dull in the low light, and her fur was still messy and sticky with salt. But her eyes were bright as the sun. Adaine wanted to bring the warmth back to them. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met." Machaira held her gaze, clearly not believing her, but a hint of a smile returned to her expression. For a moment, the rogue merely drank in her presence. The look she gave Adaine then was sad but tender, full of the gentle love that she showed the high elf every day. Adaine's nerves were gone. This was Machaira. Her Machaira. She knew what that meant now. Adaine inclined her head, lips barely parted.

FWOOOOSH!

The two girls leapt apart as if they had been scalded as the servants whisked past them to set the table for their meals. Machaira stalked over to the table, knocked into a chair, and almost fell over before rightening herself, pulling out Adaine's seat and fast walking to her own spot all in the same motion. Adaine blushed so hard she could feel the blood pressure in her face. She took her seat across from Machaira and stared straight down at her salad. Gods, she'd come so close only for everything to fall apart.

"I'm sorry I made things weird," Machaira mumbled, hands folded in her lap. "I, I used to act like that when I was, well, using people. I haven't done that, or pretended to, in a while. You – I don't want to be that person anymore, especially not to you." Machaira glanced sidelong at Adaine, fur bristling and throat tinged pink. "But I liked dancing with you."

"I liked dancing with you too," Adaine assured her. "I'm sorry for making you do that. I – sorry. Friends?" Machaira gave her a small smile.

"Always," she promised. Adaine smiled in return, and they ate their dinner in relative silence. The air elementals, perhaps sensing that they were under no obligation to impress Machaira, had only prepared her a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese. No friend of the Abernant household would ever be fed something so plain, but Machaira seemed to enjoy it. The girls made small talk as they ate. Adaine told Machaira that she'd added Blink to her spell book, and Machaira informed her that she'd decided to switch her feat credit from Charger to Mobile. When the tabaxi finished her meal, she collected both of their plates and gave Adaine a one arm side-hug before depositing their dishes in the sink. It was rare that anything came between them even briefly, and Adaine practically glowed to see that they were okay again.

"So, what now?" Machaira asked, retaking her seat.

"We could watch a movie in my room," Adaine suggested. "But I kinda want to take a shower first."

"Yeah, me too," Machaira agreed. The tabaxi followed her back upstairs but dithered at the threshold of Adaine's door. "You, um, you can shower first. I'll wait out here until you're done." It took Adaine a second to understand what her friend was getting at. The high elf flushed a deep red.

"I mean, you can stay in the room," Adaine told her. "I'm not going to make you sit out in the hall." Machaira hesitated, teething her lip a bit before following Adaine past the doorway. The wizard's eyes locked onto the rogue's mouth for a moment, wishing that she'd kissed her when she had the chance, before shaking herself.

"Do you mind if I read one of your books while you're in there?" Machaira asked, bending over to examine the bookshelf on the right-side wall.

"Uh, sure," Adaine responded, a little surprised. Machaira wasn't a big reader, but then Adaine supposed that she didn't have much else to do. Adaine straightened up with her pajamas in hand and turned toward the bathroom door just in time to see Machaira quickly look away from her. Adaine glanced down and surmised that the scout had either been checking out her ass or the pink panties clutched in her right hand. On a whim, Adaine shucked off her jacket and tossed it onto her bed. Although she still faced the bookshelf, Machaira stopped trying to sound out elven titles under her breath and froze save for her twitching ears and bristling mane. Adaine's breath caught in her throat as she wondered what her crush would do if she actually undressed in the same room. Fantasies of a lusty Machaira led Adaine to grasp the hem of her T-shirt before she lost her courage and ducked into the bathroom.

The high elf took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging firestorm of emotions that had consumed the past few hours. The part of her that was still an awkward little girl afraid of being embarrassed wanted to drop it, pretend that she didn't almost strip for her friend, and never confront her crush. But the part of her that fought monsters and stopped apocalypses, the part of her that solved problems, knew that she couldn't ignore how she felt. This was something she had to do, not only for herself, but for Machaira. The poor girl was so afraid of her rejection. As awkward as the night had been for Adaine, her friend only knew half the story. She wanted Machaira to be her girlfriend. She wanted this awkwardness to go away forever. But she needed Machaira to be okay, to feel safe and loved around her. Machaira had been the one to encourage Adaine to make her life for her own, and Adaine was determined that Machaira would be a part of her life.

As the young wizard showered, she mulled over how to best approach the situation. When Adaine toweled off, she briefly considered walking out butt naked to spark a reaction, but her better judgement won out. If she wanted Machaira to open up with her, she couldn't start off nude. That was more of a second or third step kind of move. After Adaine pulled on her pajamas, she exited the bathroom to find Machaira sitting cross-legged on the floor on the opposite side of the bed with a book in her lap, lips silently mouthing elven script.

"Hey, what are you reading?" Adaine inquired, coming around to sit on the edge of the bed next to her. Machaira started and glanced up guiltily at Adaine, ears going back against her head.

"Just, uh, a book from your shelf," she stammered, staring at the floor. Adaine leaned over to see what Machaira had selected. The title in question was basically an encyclopedia of elven culture explaining the traditions, history, do's and don't's of high elves. Adaine hated the thing and probably hadn't touched it in years. Machaira currently had the tome open to a chapter on interacting with other species. Adaine glanced back at her friend to see a dark red blush bleeding through her throat and cheek fur.

"You know, you can talk to me, right?" Adaine asked quietly.

"I didn't know how to ask without being rude," Machaira murmured. Adaine waited. The tabaxi looked up at her, expression apologetic and scared. "I – you're my best friend. There's no one I trust more than you: not Riz, not Fig, not Fabian – no one. But, when we were on our way to the Durinson Mithral Factory, you told Kristen that it was hard for you to relate to her because you were immortal. I, I hadn't thought about that before. I mean, I always knew that you were, but I hadn't thought about it much until then. And I know that you care about all of us, but I, I wanted to know if – what you had been taught – brought up to think about… do we matter to you, or are we just temporary toys?"

Machaira's voice faded to a whisper. For a second Adaine didn't even understand the question. When it finally clicked, she got mad. How, after all that they'd been through together, could Machaira possibly doubt that she cared about the tabaxi? How dare this rogue, after all that talk about judging Adaine for herself and not her lineage, lump her in with them? In her own room, no less! The hypocrisy was astounding. Adaine's body trembled with the strength of her fury, hands balled into fists. Machaira screwed her eyes shut and bowed her head, unable to meet her eyes. Adaine's gaze locked onto Machaira's right ear, the one that had been reduced to tattered shreds.

Adaine remembered that the ursine hadn't torn that one. Machaira had lost that ear as a child on the playground. She had spent her life alone because her own people, her own family didn't want her around. They considered Machaira so deficient, that they had allowed her to be maimed. Machaira hunched her shoulders, bracing herself for Adaine's anger, reminding the high elf of the night her friend had told the party about her past. Adaine remembered that night for a lot of reasons, one of which was how quickly she had been ready to dismiss the scout before she heard her story. Until then, Adaine hadn't really considered that Machaira had her own insecurities to wrestle with, and she had almost rejected her best friend because of her own short-sightedness.

"I'm sorry," Machaira apologized quietly. "I should – I do have more faith in you than that. I just, I don't – I don't have an excuse. I'm sorry." Machaira shouldn't look this way, scared and unsure and defeated. It wasn't right. Adaine was so used to seeing her friend confident and powerful. Earlier today Machaira had stood up to Adaine's father for her – again – and helped the wizard fight her bitch of a sister. The only reason the rogue was here at all was because of Adaine. Machaira had committed an international crime in invading Fallinel governmental property, which was punishable by death or life imprisonment, all because Adaine was sad, and Machaira hadn't wanted her to be alone.

Adaine's wrath faded as quickly as it came, and she slid off the bed to embrace her friend from the side.

"You mean the world to me," she murmured thickly, burying her face in the tabaxi's ruff.

"I'm sorry," her friend repeated, hands coming up to grasp Adaine's arms. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

"No, you really shouldn't have," Adaine confirmed. Machaira curled into herself. "But I get it. I'm going to live a long time, and I'm going to have a lot of friends in that time. But you're my best friend, okay? You're the most important person in my life. I'd be lost about you."

"I'll always be there for you," Machaira promised her quietly. "For as long as you want me."

"Then don't ever leave," Adaine told her. Machaira turned and hugged her properly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Adaine reassured her. "We're okay." For a minute they simply held each other, confirming that the bond between them was still sound. Eventually they separated, and Adaine smiled at Machaira, cupping her cheek and petting along her face to scratch behind her ears. Machaira twisted down into Adaine's hand with a purr. Adaine grinned but removed her hand so that Machaira wouldn't get too disoriented. The tabaxi finally smiled back and stood, shuffling her feet a bit.

"Do you mind if I go shower now?" She asked. "I really want to get this crap out of my fur."

"Sure, go ahead," Adaine said. "I'll put your clothes in wash if you like."

"Thanks." Machaira pulled off her boots and set them outside the bathroom door, placing her bracelet beside them. She then unbuttoned her jacket and peeled back the scaly garment. Since Machaira was facing away from Adaine, the diviner could only see her muscular arms and the back of her vest. Still, the jacket's removal brought the shape of her butt into view, which Adaine appreciated. Machaira turned to unbuckle her weapons, and Adaine looked aside, recognizing the swap from their earlier positions with a blush. After the door closed behind her, Adaine sank back against her bed with a huff. Gods, being this close to Machaira without being able to fully express herself was hard. Hopefully she could fix the situation soon.

Machaira's saber, which had been carefully rested against the wall, slid to the ground with a clatter. Adaine took the liberty of arranging her weapons in a neat bundle tucked in the corner between her left nightstand and the wall. When she had finished, the wizard noticed Machaira's bracelet on the floor. She picked up the ornament, fingers running over the wyrmling scales. A band of bone made snap-on cuffs at either end to keep the decoration in place while Machaira fought. Adaine traced the red-on-blue symbol of a cat holding a knife cutting off the head of a snake: the sacred mark of Bast.

Adaine understood why druids, paladins, warlocks, and clerics worshipped deities. There was a clear line of rewards in place. She also understood why less enlightened individuals prostrated themselves before the gods, willing themselves to believe that these beings were somehow wiser or better than humanoids. But Machaira's belief had puzzled her a little. She knew the rogue had spoken with Bast at least a few times, but she never seemed to get anything out of worshipping her, nor was Machaira held to any real obligations under the war goddess. Then, during the fight with Sariah, while Adaine had Detect Magic running, she had seen the image of a hulking gnoll looming over Sariah, semi-transparent and red with wet blood. But when Machaira resisted the influence of Sariah's flail, a new figure had appeared, one of an armored tabaxi wielding two long knives, hovering over her friend with fangs bared in a baleful snarl against Yeenoghu. When Machaira dropped unconscious, the image had lingered long enough to touch Machaira's brow, lips curled in a grin that sent shivers down Adaine's spine. The figure had stood and stared directly at Adaine, eyes blazing in a harsh approximation of Machaira's predatory smirk before disappearing.

Machaira didn't seem aware that her goddess had been present at the fight. In fact, Kristen was the only other one who had seen the figure, and Adaine had eventually convinced her to keep quiet about it. Something about the goddess made her anxious, how she seemed equally pleased with Machaira's success as she had with her injuries. After researching Bast, Adaine was not reassured. The war goddess's followers were largely considered cultists, violent extremists exiled from their communities. Though her tenants all espoused the virtues of love and sacrifice, her methods were brutal. Her followers treated their opponents like prey, ruthlessly assassinating enemies of the war goddess. Followers of Bast also tended to die young. Still, if Machaira was to be believed, and she was, Bast had turned her life around. Bast had been the one to bring Machaira to Adaine. As the high elf thumbed the bracelet, a mix of thankfulness and anxiety overtook her, wondering what the mysterious being had in store for her friend.

"Uh, hey, Adaine?" Machaira called through the door. With a jolt, Adaine realized that the water had been turned off. "I, um, left the clothes you gave me out there. Do you think that you could, uh, pass them through the door to me? And maybe my bracelet, too? I wanted to wash it a bit."

"Oh, uh, sure," Adaine responded, glad that Machaira couldn't see the way her entire body flushed with heat at the request. She bumbled around her room, passing the pile of clothes twice before pulling together enough brain power to recognize and pick them up. Adaine knocked on the bathroom door, and a crack opened just wide enough for Machaira to slip her arm through, water streaming off her wet fur, adhering to the outline of her muscles. Machaira took the clothes with a mumbled thanks and shut the door. Steam wafted around Adaine's face. Something heavy thumped against the bathroom door and slid to the floor.

"Fuck. I am so royally screwed." Machaira groaned, quietly enough that Adaine guessed the rogue was talking to herself. After a moment, something hard clicked against the floor, and the sounds of vigorously toweling masked any further words. The confirmation that Machaira was struggling with the same desires as Adaine both alieved her anxiety about pursuing the tabaxi and increased her sense of urgency in breaking through to her. Knowing that it took Machaira a while to dry off, Adaine moved away from the door and took her time to select a movie for the night, eventually settling on a romantic drama she had loved as a kid. Adaine hadn't seen it in a few years, but her memory of the movie was positive, and she hoped it would help set the mood. She also turned the temperature down to encourage as much cuddling as possible.

"So, what are we watching?" Machaira asked behind her, opening the door. Adaine turned with a smile and took a moment to appreciate the rare sight of Machaira's exposed arms. Adaine's shirt was a touch long on her, so it rode up a bit in the back where her tail poked out. The shirt was also a little tight in the chest, clinging nicely to her curves.

"It's, it's, wow, I, uh…" Adaine lost her train of thought because, for the first time in her memory, Machaira wasn't wearing long pants or socks. Adaine had never actually seen her legs before, and the sight took a bit of adjusting. The tabaxi stood on her toes instead of heels, and she only had eight toes. Well, seven – the pinky toe on her left foot was gone, as was a long slice out of the left side of her foot, replaced with smooth, white scar tissue. When she shifted her weight, thick, dull claws slid from their sheaths, kept clean like her hand claws. The sole and heel of her foot rose up to a high ankle normally concealed by her boots. Above this point, she had long, shapely humanoid legs, every bit as lean and toned as the rest of her body. The mottled tawny fur gave way to silver on the inner side of her legs, brightening to white as it disappeared under the short-shorts on her upper thigh. As Machaira rocked a half-step back, Adaine could see that there was a small gap between her well-defined thighs. The fur on her feet, as fine as that on the back of her hand, was littered with small marks and callouses. A dozen or more sets of divots in ovular patterns ran up each leg. The inside of her thighs was striped with horizontal bars of scar tissue that reminded Adaine of hands, or maybe claws. Her tail dropped to coil and twitch between her feet, for once looking natural against the fur of her legs, about the same length and thickness as that of her arms except for the fine, short fur approaching the inside of her hips. In the forty or so minutes Machaira had been in the bathroom, she had combed every part of her body until her legs, tail, mane, and arms shone.

"… I've never seen your legs before," Adaine finished eventually. Machaira crossed one leg over the other as if to hide them and uselessly tugged her shirt down, head bowed. "They look nice. You should wear shorts more often." Machaira's shoulders rolled in, tail lashing madly before she straightened and looked Adaine in the eyes.

"Thanks." She said firmly. "I won't, but I, uh, appreciate it." She winced, shoulders drooping a bit. "Thank you, Adaine, for not, you know, pointing out the, um, yeah."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of your scars," Adaine told her, crawling across the bed to sit on the edge facing Machaira. "You should be proud." Adaine reached out toward a bite mark on her calf, looking up for permission before making contact. Machaira bit her lip and nodded, eyes wide. Adaine gently traced the shape of the creature's jaw. She really wanted to touch her thighs but felt that might be pushing her luck a bit too far. "You have great legs. Seriously, I'd kill for legs like these."

"I did kill for these legs," Machaira reminded her. "Hunting is good cardio." Adaine giggled with her friend and wrapped her hands around the back of Machaira's knees, holding her close.

"You look good," she reassured her quietly. "I'm glad you're here." Machaira smiled down at her.

"Me too," she murmured, clawed fingers trailing through Adaine's hair. The wizard hummed appreciatively, smiling back. For a minute, they held their positions, content. Adaine wanted to run her hands up Machaira's thighs and kiss the soft, newly exposed pelt. But she didn't want to lose this peace they shared. Adaine pulled back across the bed just as Machaira's hand drifted down Adaine's back toward her hip. By the time Adaine realized what her friend was doing, Machaira had retreated entirely, blushing furiously as she backed away from the bed. To her credit, Adaine managed not to scream in pure frustration, knowing that if she had waited two goddamn seconds Machaira would have escalated the situation for her. Instead, she kept calm and pretended like nothing had happened, smiling warmly up at Machaira as she informed the scout of her movie selection. Adaine offered to take Machaira's clothes, and the fur-covered towels she had dried herself with, down to the washroom. After passing the laundry off to an elemental servant, Adaine took fifteen seconds to have a near silent tantrum at how much fate hated her before returning to her crush.

The two girls sat on the bed, and Adaine started the movie. The crystal in her room wasn't giant, but it was big enough. The plot was a typical high elf political romance, which meant that the movie's progression was methodical but never had a moment in which it wasn't making some statement about life or the world or elven kind in general. Adaine quickly realized that the movie no longer had the same allure it did three years ago. Machaira also didn't seem too interested. For one thing, the movie was in elvish, and while Machaira could carry a conversation, Adaine wasn't sure how much of the movie she was following. Machaira also kept fidgeting, trying to pick at her claws or fur without being obvious. After twenty minutes of this, the diviner paused the movie and turned to Machaira.

"Do you want to watch something else?" Adaine asked.

"No, no," Machaira protested. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just, um – there's more I need to do to, to groom myself. I wasn't bored. I didn't want to interrupt the movie."

"What do you need to do?" Adaine was pretty sure the rogue was bored, but she also wanted her friend to feel comfortable around her. Machaira often complained about the lengthy amount of time required to keep her body in good health, but Adaine had only ever seen the scout quickly run a comb through her mane. And, sleepover stereotypes asides, she'd take any excuse she could get to play with Machaira's fur. The tabaxi mumbled something incoherent. Adaine waited patiently.

"I want to sharpen my claws," Machaira finally admitted, shoulders rolling over her head. She held out a hand for Adaine to inspect. Her broad, wicked-looking claws had grown past the point where they could fit inside her fingers. The keratinous hooks had a scraggly appearance to them, and the tips were beginning to pierce the pads of her fingers. "I also want to give my coat another once over." Machaira started to pull her hand away, and Adaine reached out to take Machaira's hand in her own. The rogue froze, letting Adaine poke at her. The wizard rubbed her thumb back and forth over Machaira's scarred palm and ran her fingertips over Machaira's claws. She could feel the rough, uneven edges where the outer sheath was beginning to splinter and crack. Adaine glanced up at Machaira to see if it was painful, but the scout merely seemed nervous, like she was afraid of what Adaine might say. As Adaine traced a scar with her thumb, a smile flitted across Machaira's lips.

"What do you need to sharpen them?" Adaine asked, continuing to play with Machaira's hand.

"A piece of wood," she murmured, a little more relaxed under Adaine's touch. "I have a pine bole at my camp, but honestly this can wait – okay, never mind." Adaine drew a fifteen-centimeter curved block of bark-covered pine from her jacket pocket with one hand. She tossed the garment off the bed and offered the wood to Machaira, who took it with a mumbled thanks. "I'll, I'll use this when the movie's over."

"Use it whenever you like," Adaine encouraged, dropping Machaira's hand to walk into the bathroom and grab her hairbrush. "But I'm brushing your fur right now." Adaine sat cross-legged in front of a somewhat bewildered Machaira and held the brush up like a weapon. "Where do you want it first?" The rogue glanced from the piece of wood in her hand to Adaine, ears back and tail twitching nervously. Adaine forced herself to be patient. After a few seconds Machaira's ears flicked up, tail whipping as she spun around and lay down on her stomach with her head hanging off the edge of the bed.

"My mane, please," she requested, voice almost vibrating with poorly repressed glee. Adaine grinned at her victory and scooted into position. Machaira sighed with pleasure as Adaine began to brush the thick mass of fur behind her head. While already smooth and silky, Adaine began to pull a surprising amount of fur out in the brush.

"Is this normal?" she asked, showing Machaira the brush.

"Oh, uh, yeah, it is. I'm, uh, shedding a little." The tabaxi squeezed her shoulder blades together a bit.

"So long as it's normal," Adaine replied, ignoring her friend's nervousness and continuing with her task. "I like brushing you anyway. Not as much as petting you though." Even as she said it, Adaine wished that she could tangle her fingers in Machaira's mane. There were dozens of things Adaine wanted to do with the rogue at the moment, but right now was hair care time, so she had to show a little self-control. "You can sharpen your claws if you want to." Machaira studied the piece of wood in her hands. "I like you, Machaira, all of you, including the cat parts. You don't have to hide yourself from me." Machaira hunched her shoulders again. Suddenly Machaira sank her claws into the impromptu scratcher, furiously tearing the wood to pieces.

"Thank you, Adaine," she growled, almost cracking her new gift in half. "I'm sorry I was being so sensitive."

"I want you to feel safe with me," the wizard reminded her. Machaira paused her assault to look back over her shoulder at Adaine.

"I do," she promised. "Sometimes I forget to leave my baggage behind when I'm with you though."

"It's part of you," Adaine said. "You don't have to pretend that you're perfect. Just trust me, and I'll take care of you."

"I know." Machaira said that so simply, as if the idea wasn't laughable. Adaine didn't even know if she could take care of Machaira, or anyone else for that matter. But her best friend had faith in her, and Adaine felt a swell of confidence rise within her. She could command the forces of magic, and she could help her friend. Soon, they'd be more than friends. Adaine happily brushed the tabaxi's fur while Machaira committed war crimes against the wood block. By the time Machaira threw the ravaged block into Adaine's trashcan, her claws had a smooth, glossy sheen to match her mane, which Adaine wasted no time burying her face in. Machaira allowed Adaine to nuzzle her neck for a minute before rising up and scooting behind her.

"Your turn," the scout declared, scraping her fur out of the brush and into the trash before she set about brushing Adaine's hair. Machaira unpaused the movie but kept Adaine sitting up. The high elf felt the tension melt from her body as Machaira worked her over. It had been awhile since Machaira had combed or brushed her. Gods, she had forgotten how nice the little tugs on her head were, and how much nicer the intimacy felt as Machaira groomed her.

"Mmmm, don't you need to brush the rest of your fur?" Adaine inquired quietly, growing sleepy as her friend brushed her.

"Oh yeah, my whole pelt needs a once over," Machaira confirmed. "It's been combed but not brushed."

"I'd be happy to help with that," Adaine offered, her mind immediately going into the gutter. The brush slowed in her hair.

"Tomorrow, if you still want to… I'd like that," Machaira answered slowly, and Adaine smiled, thrilled that Machaira planned to stay a while. She found herself playing with Machaira's tail, petting the unruly limb flat every time it flicked. When Machaira had finished, Adaine flopped back against her friend, scooting into her lap and reaching up and behind to clumsily pet the tabaxi's head. Machaira began to laugh and purr in a strange, beautiful, bubbly rumble of happiness. Adaine grinned and scooched back, arm bumping into Machaira's ribs as she did so. The scout immediately clamped her jaws on a grunt, and Adaine whirled around to face her. Machaira met Adaine's inquiring gaze with a guilty look.

"It's nothing," she said, immediately giving away the fact that she was hurting. "I'm just a little bruised from earlier."

"Where?" Adaine asked, placing a hand on Machaira's side. A little probing quickly found a spot on her ribs where Machaira bit back a wince. Without thinking, Adaine lifted Machaira's shirt to take a look. The rogue stiffened, and Adaine froze, realizing her error too late. Adaine could just see the mark, which was really a burn and not a bruise, through her friend's singed fur at the base of the rib cage. While Machaira's chest was still covered, a huge white scar across her stomach had been revealed, and the tabaxi was holding her breath, wide eyes fixed on Adaine's hand holding her shirt just under her breasts.

"Do you want something for that?" Adaine managed eventually, trying to act like nothing unusual had happened. She was impressed with how steady her voice was.

"No, I'm good," Machaira declined, her own voice a little husky. "My back took the worst of it. My chest is just a little tender is all." Adaine barely managed not to bite her lip and whimper at the rogue's tone and word choice. She was hyper-aware of the fact that her friend was not wearing a bra, especially when she noticed how Machaira's nipples had pebbled through the t-shirt. Not yet, not yet, not yet Adaine mentally chided herself.

"I have a cream that soothes burns," Adaine offered, trying to stay calm. Machaira nodded, lids partially closed over a gaze dark with need. Adaine slowly lowered her friend's shirt and turned to walk into the bathroom, only releasing a shuddering, tension filled breath when the door had closed. She grabbed the salve from her medical cabinet, took a second to smooth her expression, and stepped back out.

"Do you want me to rub it in for you?" She asked, trying to seem innocent. "It might be a little awkward for you to do yourself." Machaira flinched, arms folding over her chest. Her expression morphed from one of want to one of fear and shame. Her ears flattened, tail lashing about the bed.

"My, um, my back is kinda – really fucked up," she murmured. "I know all of me is, and I know that you don't care. I, I just feel… exposed when people look at it." Machaira's breathing quickened, shirt quivering with each shallow breath.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Adaine reminded her. Machaira shook her head.

"No, I trust you. I just need to get over myself, and – I'm sorry. I've been a mess all night. I'm freaking out all over the place over nothing, and I keep ruining everything, and – " Adaine rushed over and hugged Machaira, arms going around her neck. The scout flinched with a whimper then returned the hug tightly, trembling in the diviner's arms.

"You're okay," Adaine soothed. "You haven't ruined anything. And you're not freaking out over nothing." She rubbed Machaira's back, trying to emulate the tactics that always made her feel better. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm not mad. You're safe here. You're okay." Machaira's panting gradually slowed, shivers easing into stillness as Adaine held her. The elf heard her friend whisper humiliated apologies into her shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for." Machaira pulled away, head bowed and whiskers pulled back. "Do you want me to do your back, or would you rather do it?" Adaine offered again. Machaira bit her lip again, completely distracting the wizard for a few seconds.

Slowly, Machaira laid down on her stomach and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Tail trembling against the covers, she inched her shirt up so that the front just obscured her breasts, pulling the back of the shirt up to her shoulder blades. Machaira folded her arms against her sides, hands fisting in the sheets next to her head, face pressed into the duvet. Adaine was left with a good view of a single, massive burn that covered most of the other girl's back. The burn was clearly years old and had healed as much as it ever would. The red swath of skin was roughly egg-shaped, with the top of the narrow end even with the center of her spine between the shoulder blades and the base of the wide end about two thirds of the way down her back. Long, soft fur grew below and around the uneven edge, but the burn itself was bare. Weapon scars cut across the burn, some older and some newer. The newer scars had formed slightly raised ridges of tough, red tissue, a little wrinkled when compared to Machaira's other scars. Adaine thanked the gods that wyvern scales were flame retardant because the black marks of flame and frostbite from Aelwyn's spells looked especially painful on the older blemish.

"I'd like it if you did it," Machaira murmured. "Just not in my fur, if you can. That would take a while to clean out." Adaine blinked, took a deep breath, and maneuvered behind Machaira. Gods, no wonder why Machaira was so nervous about people seeing her back. A part of Adaine was afraid to touch her. She didn't know what she would do if Machaira fully broke down. The scout's tail trembled between her legs, muscles standing out on her back from tension. Adaine steeled herself. She panicked several times a week over her parents playing favorites, and Machaira never made her feel anything less than loved and cared for. Machaira was well within her rights to be uncomfortable at the moment, and Adaine would be damned if she wasn't going to help her. Adaine positioned herself over her friend's waist and squeezed a dollop of salve onto her palm, rubbing it onto both hands to buy herself a little more time.

"Let me know if you want me to stop," Adaine told her. Machaira nodded into the covers, knuckles turning white as she gripped the bed. Adaine began to gently rub the salve over a black mark from Aelwyn's Fireball, careful to avoid smearing it in Machaira's fur. Spasms rippled through the girl beneath her, but Machaira didn't pull away. Slowly, Adaine worked the ointment into the wound. The skin over the burn felt weird, like it had been stretched to cover her body. Beneath her skin, Machaira's back was hard as granite, muscles visibly undulating at the wizard's touch. Her skin was warm, just as she always was. Machaira choked back a strangled noise, barely audible at the edge of Adaine's hearing.

"You're fine," Machaira ground out when Adaine started to pull back. "I'm good." She clearly wasn't good, but Adaine screwed up her resolve and kept going. She carefully worked the cream into Machaira's burns, aware of the rogue's shudders but ignoring them. When Adaine had finished treating the new injuries Aelwyn inflicted, she began to work the salve into Machaira's older burn with both hands, firm but gentle. Machaira continued to shiver for several minutes but eventually began to still under Adaine's ministrations, tension gradually easing away. The high elf waited until Machaira had relaxed her death grip on the comforter to lean over and murmur in her ear.

"You're not weak, you're not ugly, and you're not a burden." Adaine told her. "I know you haven't had the best experiences with people accepting you, but I'm gonna support the shit out of you." Machaira huffed, humor creeping back in as PTSD faded. "Even the strongest people need to be weak sometimes, to be sad and scared and stressed. But you don't have to be alone for it. Whenever you need me, whenever you want me, I'll be there, just like how you're always there for me." Machaira wrapped her tail around Adaine's waist, and the diviner could have cheered at her victory. She dug the heel of her hands into Machaira's back, and the tabaxi arched her spine into the motion with a dull groan. "Thanks for taking those hits for me earlier."

"Of course," Machaira growled back. "Can't let that bitch get away with her shit." Adaine snickered, fully massaging Machaira now. She had no idea what she was doing, but the action was weirdly enjoyable. She'd gotten use to the texture of burned scars and appreciated the feel of hard muscle under her fingers. Adaine liked the free reign to touch Machaira even more. After rubbing all the ointment off of her hands and into Machaira's wounds, Adaine reached up to rub Machaira's shoulders, marveling at the dichotomy between silky fur and stony muscle, a sensation she was familiar with but never ceased to enjoy. Machaira eased further under her touch, resting her cheek on crossed arms.

"Nyy-uhhhh-uhhhhhnnng," Machaira moaned, lips parted, eyes fluttered closed. Clawed fingers gripped the sheets again, but the tabaxi's expression was markedly different from earlier. Adaine's breath caught in her throat. She bit her lip, suddenly noticing how she was straddling Machaira's waist and the generous amount of side-boob Machaira was showing. Adaine only had to lean back a bit to feel Machaira's firm ass between her legs. Adaine's sex clenched. She wanted this, and she knew that Machaira wanted this. But as the wizard bent over to kiss Machaira, her fingers slipped into the groove of a scar cresting her left shoulder, the same one Adaine had been admiring on New Year's Eve. She hesitated. That night, Adaine had been vulnerable, but Machaira respected her enough not to take advantage of it. Machaira had never tried to take advantage of Adaine's emotional vulnerability because she always, always put Adaine first. The elf sat up and released a long, silent breath. Machaira was in this position because she felt safe with Adaine. She'd been used by countless people. The least Adaine could do was show some self-restraint. She needed to talk to Machaira before she could take such privileges.

As Adaine had a moment of disappointing maturity, her massage ground to a halt without her noticing. During this pause, Machaira reached around and pulled her down to the bed. Adaine yelped as she fell, lying halfway on Machaira's back and side. Her legs tangled with Machaira's, and the tabaxi's tail wrapped itself around her limbs so many times Adaine didn't think they'd ever get it free. Machaira hummed happily, reaching her right arm underneath Adaine to cup her head, fingers gently scratching her hair. The heat coming off of her friend quickly warmed the wizard. Adain leaned her head onto Machaira's shoulder and wanted for nothing else from life. Machaira nuzzled her, soft facial fur tickling Adaine's cheek.

"Thank you," she murmured sleepily, smiling at Adaine. Her expression was so soft and tender, Adaine couldn't help but feel treasured. The diviner looped her left arm over Machaira's exposed back and reached out with her right hand for Machaira's left. The rogue intertwined her fingers with Adaine, and the girls laid their heads on their joined arms. Adaine took advantage of her position to bury her face in the crook of Machaira's shoulder, letting the scout's scent wash over her. Machaira smelled fresher and cleaner than she had earlier, like a basket of warm, fury laundry. A sense of security stole over Adaine, a rare sensation in the household that judged her so harshly.

"I'd be lost without you," Adaine told Machaira quietly.

"You'd be fine," she rebutted with a small shake of her head, cuddling closer, fingers trailing lazily in Adaine blonde locks. Adaine sighed, surrendering herself to the gentle touches. They held their position for a few minutes until the air elementals dumped their laundry outside the door with an obnoxious thump. Adaine whined wordlessly as she wormed free of Machaira, trudged to the door, and haphazardly flung the basket into the corner. As she crawled back up to Machaira, the tabaxi wrapped her arm around Adaine and pulled the wizard against her side. Adaine snuggled into her friend's embrace, sliding one arm under Machaira's neck to hold her shoulder and looping the other over the other girl's back. The high elf accidently kicked her friend as she forced her legs to tangle with Machaira's once more, prompting a good-natured chuckle. The thick tail flopped over Adaine's waist and back. The diviner had only to rest her head on Machaira's arm for the moment to be perfect.

"Comfy?" Machaira teased sleepily.

"Mhmm," Adaine confirmed, burying her face in the crook of Machaira's neck. She brushed her cheek against the soft shoulder fur until Machaira rubbed her muzzle along Adaine's head. Adaine had learned to love the rough, friendly motion and happily wriggled closer to the tabaxi. She nuzzled Machaira a little longer until the scout got the memo and resumed playing with her hair. Satisfied, Adaine hummed and twisted to peek out at the movie, which had been running in the background for hours now. It was amazing how a little white noise helped their cuddling sessions.

Adaine was aware that her friend was still mostly exposed. The wizard was half-lying on her, and even through her sleep shirt Adaine could feel the difference between Machaira's bare back and side and her clothed shoulder. While this would normally be very sexy and start a chain reaction of blushing, nervous fantasies, and more blushing, the high elf was too content to be terribly concerned. She enjoyed the close contact with Machaira's skin, and the little bit of her stomach that brushed against the tabaxi's fur was especially warm. But the moment between them was peaceful and calm and safe. Gods, that word had taken on a new meaning ever since she met Machaira. Being safe wasn't only about being protected from harm, it was about being willingly vulnerable and open. Safety was a person who wouldn't shame you for your faults. Safety meant understanding and the warm glow of acceptance, having a place with others. And Adaine had zero intention of losing that feeling between them because her friend revealed a little tasteful side-boob.

Machaira entwined her fingers in Adaine's hair and rocked her wrist backward, gently tugging on head. A warm glow rippled out from the sensation, amplified as she carefully scratched Adaine's scalp. The wizard groaned quietly, lying boneless against the rogue as clawed fingers resumed stroking her. If Machaira had asked, she would have rolled over and spread her legs, but the scout seemed equally content to snuggle, yellow eyes blinking as she struggled to stay awake, warm with affection for the diviner.

No, warm with love. That was what pushed Machaira to encourage Adaine. That was what caused the tabaxi to comfort her when she was sad and granted her the patience to put up with her endless panic attacks. Love told Machaira to help the high elf grow in strength and forgive her when she fucked up. Adaine's parents doled out love as a reward, but Machaira gave her love freely. Her love could be tender as it was now, or it could be savage as it was during the fight against Coach Daybreak. Adaine wasn't sure if she felt as strongly as Machaira did, but she wanted to. She wanted to provide Machaira with everything she had given to Adaine. As Adaine nuzzled her crush, she reaffirmed her promise to break down that last wall between them – after cuddle time though.

"Tired?" Adaine inquired as Machaira shook her head for the third time, ears flicking about.

"A little, but I'm good," Machaira assured her. "I can finish this." Oh, right, the movie. Adaine had almost forgotten, but apparently Machaira was at least trying to follow along. Adaine turned her attention back to the screen, fingers toying with Machaira's sleeve. Since elves lived forever and slept half as much as other humanoids, their movies tended to be very, very long. Six hours in, they had just gotten to the scene where the political rival of the main character committed treason. Adaine had seen the movie a half dozen times before and could mentally recite every line before it came up. But she had forgotten about the rival politician's slave – sorry, assistant – who had no lines and existed in the movie only to showcase his relative power and authority. Adaine's sleepiness left her as she noticed new details about the assistant, namely her tall ears and tail.

"Is she, um, is she a tabaxi?" Adaine asked slowly, unnerved. "I've never really noticed her before."

"Uh, no, she's um…" Machaira shifted a bit, suddenly uncomfortable, and removed her hand from Adaine's hair. "She's a half-baxi: half tabaxi and half high elf. Besides, didn't you say that this was your favorite movie out of Fallinel for most of your childhood?"

"I haven't seen it since I was eleven. I just remembered that it was a good romantic drama." Adaine defended herself, appraising the figure with new interest. She'd never given much thought to the slim elven girl before; but now that she was looking closer, Adaine could pick out the feline characteristics that had become so familiar. While the idea of a half tabaxi/ half high elf jumpstarted twenty dozen ideas that went nowhere, Adaine wasn't surprised that she hadn't made the connection before. Machaira was the first and only tabaxi Adaine had ever met, and this girl wasn't even a proper character in the movie. Her only purpose in being onscreen was to display the rightful dominance of the high elven race over the others and the political rival's success in bringing the lesser species – oh shit.

"So, um, last time I watched this movie, I wasn't exactly politically savvy or knowledgeable about – I didn't understand – discriminatory or – I didn't remember this."

"No, I, I, understand," Machaira protested quietly. "Nostalgia glasses can sometimes skew childhood memories, and with, um, your, you know, family, you probably would've been exposed to a lot of… not great stuff." Machaira winced at the lame ending to her sentence and pulled away a little, tail thwapping against the sides of the bed and rustling over the covers. Adaine paid closer attention to her movie choice, horror and embarrassment mounting as the film progressed over the next hour and a half, during which Machaira steadily disengaged herself from Adaine's hold.

Younger Adaine hadn't picked up on it, but the best friend to the female lead was obviously a repressed lesbian in love with her. She had also forgotten how many off-handed slurs were thrown at the best friend character for being half high elf and half wood elf, the harshest of which was beast. When the best friend encouraged the female lead to pursue the male lead, who was much less interesting than Adaine remembered him, it was painted as an act of necessity or duty, like the best friend couldn't or shouldn't do otherwise. When the best friend then went to the shrine of Corellon to pray for absolution for her impurity of heart, Adaine wished she could cast Banishment on herself. By the time the movie ended, Adaine's last remaining hope for the night rested on Machaira's shaky grasp of the elvish language and cultural nuances. Adaine looked over at Machaira, and one glance at her expression told the wizard that she wasn't the only one who had benefitted from their insight class.

"I, I didn't understand, or remember, both, really. I'm so sorry – "

"I judge you by you," Machaira cut her off. "It's okay. I get it." Machaira tugged her shirt down her body before rising to her knees, much to Adaine's disappointment. The rogue offered her a weary smile. Adaine knew that Machaira wouldn't change her opinion about Adaine over a dumb movie, but it had absolutely killed the mood. Machaira's body language was more reserved now, tail curled around the opposite side of her body from Adaine.

"I'm still sorry I didn't show you something better," Adaine tried, wracking her brain for a way to salvage a positive end to the night. Machaira shook her head.

"It's fine." The strain in the scout's voice was almost palpable.

"Machaira, are you okay?" Adaine asked gently. Machaira screwed her eyes closed and drew in a shaky breath.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired," she whined, voice close to cracking. Adaine glanced at the time at the bottom of her crystal's screen: four-thirty a.m. With a sickening lurch in her stomach, she remembered her father saying that Machaira had arrived at the Aberrant Manor at four-thirty yesterday morning, meaning Machaira had been up for over twenty-four hours, much of which she had spent on yard work, both before and after she was burned, frozen, and insulted. Then Machaira had endured an evening of Adaine's flirting, still unaware that their crush went both ways. She'd exposed herself in more ways than one only for Adaine to make her sit through an elvish superiority movie decrying lesbianism. Machaira wasn't just tired; she was physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Why don't we go to sleep?" Adaine suggested quietly, lightly patting Machaira's shoulder as if coddling a skittish animal.

"Okay," Machaira sighed. Adaine crawled over to the mountain of pillows at the head of her king-sized bed and tilted a few back to make a better sleeping spot next to her. When she turned around, Machaira was gone. Adaine sat up, craning her neck to look around. Machaira was lying down on the carpet to the right of her bed, arms crossed under her head. "What are you doing down there?" Adaine asked. Machaira lifted her muzzle to look at her, and Adaine had to force back her parents' earlier comments about a tabaxi's place. "Come sleep up here."

"You want me to sleep in your bed with you," Machaira restated, voice small. Adaine winced internally. The poor rogue had been flung through every emotional high and low conceivable that day, and Adaine had been hoping that a long rest with cuddling could salvage a happy ending. But Machaira still didn't fully understand the situation between them, and the idea of being invited to sleep in bed with Adaine but not be able to – gods, this was so needlessly complicated.

"You don't have to," Adaine told her gently. "But I really don't want you to sleep on the floor. You deserve better than that." Machaira's tail kinked, ears flat, before she leapt into the bed. Adaine's surge of glee dampened when Machaira curled into a ball a good foot away from her on the bed, fluffy tail wrapping over her nose. Adaine bit back a frustrated comment. She'd seen Machaira sleep like this before but never in place of cuddling with Adaine. Machaira was stressed out, and Adaine was going to have to be patient and wait until tomorrow to fix everything.

"Good night, Machaira," Adaine murmured, folding her hands under her cheek.

"Good night, Adaine."

Adaine didn't know how long she was asleep for, but her trance was tumultuous and uncomfortable. The high elf didn't so much dream as misremember. Images flashed through her mind of her parents leaving her and her sister attacking her. Loss threatened to crush Adaine as her family left her. She stood at the gate of Abernant Manor, locked out of her own home. The house had burned down along with all of her belongings, but her family was gone. Adaine had been left behind. She wasn't important enough to them. She didn't matter enough.

"Adaine," a familiar voice snapped her awake. Adaine awoke to a full-blown panic attack, lungs pumping quick and shallow without actually drawing in air, tears streaming down her cheeks. She scrabbled at the sheets, trying to get free of ideas that lived inside her head.

"Adaine, it's me." Adaine zeroed in on the soft voice. Golden eyes flashed in the dark as Machaira rested her forehead to Adaine's. "I'm here. I'm here with you." Gentle hands cupped her cheeks, wiping tears from her face. "It's Machaira. I'm here. You're safe." Adaine's arms struggled free of the covers and seized Machaira, wrapping tightly around the tabaxi. "You're safe with me. You're in your bed. You're where you belong." Adaine was crying, what little air she took in wasted on a thin wail of loss and fear as she clung to her anchor. Machaira continued to talk to her, one hand moving up to stroke her hair. Adaine tried to press herself closer, but the blankets separated them. The wizard kicked and scraped at the sheets until Machaira slipped underneath them to join her. Soon Machaira had her back half propped on pillows, Adaine cradled against her chest.

The diviner sobbed brokenly, body shaking as the worst panic attack she'd had in years worked its way through her. Deep down, Adaine had always known that her parents didn't consider her a part of the family, but she had never had their disdain displayed so harshly before. Her fear of being unloved and unwanted had been realized, and Adaine was scared. If her family could abandon her, what would stop her friends from doing the same? The high elf trembled, feeling smaller than she had ever felt in her life.

Machaira held her gently, petting her hair and murmuring a steady stream of nothings into her ear. Strong arms surrounded Adaine, keeping her close and supporting her body. The tabaxi's voice was heavy with exhaustion but impossibly tender. Machaira radiated heat, producing a small, warm bubble in the freezing room. The rogue rubbed her back in firm circles, which made it weirdly easier for her to breathe. Her warm, clean smell surrounded the wizard like an extra security blanket. Adaine pressed her face into Machaira's shoulder and felt the tickle of fur and fabric instead of bumpy wyvern scales, though the hard muscle and soft chest beneath her was the same. After Adaine managed to gasp out bits and pieces of her nightmare through her sobs, Machaira didn't say that the high elf was being silly or that it was only a dream. She didn't tell Adaine that everything would be okay.

"You're strong," she murmured. "You matter, Adaine. You're not alone. I'm here. I'm here with you. I'm here for you."

"Please don't go," Adaine whimpered into her chest. Machaira pressed her lips to the crown of Adaine's head, holding them there for too long to be considered a proper kiss.

"I'll stay as long as you want me to," Machaira promised, whispering into her hair. "Whatever you need, I'll be there. I love you, Adaine." The world faded around her.

When Adaine awoke, it was with a groggy moan. Last night filtered through her memory in bits and pieces. The nightmare wasn't a complete picture, but everything else slowly became clear. She groaned, burying her face into the furry shoulder beneath her. Oh, right. Adaine lifted her head so that she could look down at her tabaxi pillow. Machaira was still fast asleep, shirt stained from where Adaine had cried (and probably sniffled) on her. But she knew the rogue wouldn't begrudge the sheer emotional fuckery that was last night. When Machaira properly woke up, her first concern would be to make sure Adaine was okay. Adaine glanced over her shoulder at the clock on her desk: nine-thirty a.m. Between Adaine's episode and the shit show Machaira had endured yesterday, her friend would need a minimum of four more hours. Half as grateful for her four-hour sleep requirement as she was for her best friend, Adaine lowered her face into Machaira's shoulder, tilting her head to the left until her skull just touched the scout's jaw.

"I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered, planting a soft kiss right above Machaira's collarbone. Immediately, a sharp exhalation puffed by her hair, the slow breathing beneath her spiking. Adaine sat up to confirm that, yes, Machaira was still asleep. Driven by an instinct she didn't fully understand, Adaine placed another gentle but deliberate kiss on Machaira's shoulder, right at the base of her neck, which she could never have done if the rogue was awake.

"Mmhhh," Machaira sighed in her sleep, arms that had been loosely draped over Adaine's body sliding off as she shifted. Adaine's body felt suddenly heavy, core tightening with want. She had done next to nothing, Machaira had barely reacted, and the diviner was ready to go. Adaine sat up, gaze roaming over the shapely form below her. Machaira's lean frame was on full display for her, and Adaine felt a hunger that had nothing to do with food rise within her. Machaira's shirt, which was really Adaine's shirt and so much sexier for that fact, clung tightly to her larger bust, nipples visibly erect through the thin cotton. Since Adaine's clothes didn't come with hole for her tail, Machaira hadn't pulled the short shorts all the way up, and they had slipped lower in the night, giving Adaine a taunting glimpse of the distinct V formed by her muscular legs and torso. Adaine's eyes followed the line of her thighs as they dove down her hips, meeting somewhere just out of sight. Her hands found their way to Machaira's hips, flared beneath her waist to provide the perfect place to hold onto.

Adaine was riveted to the change in fur as it traveled down Machaira's abdomen, watching the shift from longer guard hairs over her stomach to the thinner, finer fur that disappeared beneath her shorts. Even more tantalizing was the thick white scar that curved down her stomach to her pelvis. The wizard moistened her lips and sat back, noticing two things as she did so. One, she was straddling Machaira's thigh. Two, her knee was pressed up between Machaira's legs, and it was very warm. Adaine wasn't perfect, but she could admit when she fucked up. She had her moments of weakness. And right then was one of them. Before she knew what she was doing, Adaine rocked forward, hips rolling down over Machaira's thigh, her own leg pressing up into the other girl's crotch. A wave of pleasure washed over her, so much better than her own fingers because this was Machaira. Machaira's brow furrowed with the tiniest of gasps, breasts heaving with the motion.

Regretfully, Adaine raised herself off of Machaira's leg, scooting down the bed and leaning back with her palms flat on the duvet. She knew that was wrong. She knew that she couldn't do that without Machaira's permission. But in a moment of weakness instinct had taken over, and Adaine loathed herself for it, especially since her lower body was still crying for more. But Adaine locked her legs in place, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm the fuck down. As her sex, now cold and uncomfortable, stopped trying to run the show, Adaine lamented that last night had been such a fiasco. Everything had gotten so awkward between them that, for the second time in twenty four hours, the high elf debated just pretending that she felt nothing more than friendship for Machaira from here on out. Trying to juggle this mess of emotions was much scarier than Daybreak had been.

But even as the idea came to mind, Adaine vetoed it again. The old Adaine would have lied to herself to avoid an awkward encounter, but she couldn't do that anymore. The diviner had become a fighter. Running away from her problems was no longer an option. Besides, if Adaine did manage to successfully trick herself into thinking nothing was wrong, even at a superficial level, Machaira wouldn't do that. The poor girl had been trapped in this emotional hell hole for months now. And if anyone was worth fighting for, it was her.

Adaine was started out of her musings when Machaira whined, shifting about on the bed. Machaira shivered, fur bristling, and started to curl up. Adaine hadn't adjusted the thermostat since last night, and the room was positively frigid, especially for a tropical tabaxi. Adaine quickly dove onto the bed next to her, pulling the covers over them. The expensive sheets had cooled since Adaine sat up but rapidly warmed with the two girls ensconced beneath. Still, the damage had been done, and a fatigued Machaira keened as her eyes opened against the muted light filtering in through Adaine's curtains, sleep crusted around her lids.

"Shhh," Adaine hushed, crawling to lie partially on top on her friend. "I woke up a little early, but I'm not leaving. Go back to sleep." She stroked Machaira's cheek, petting over her ear and the side of her neck.

"Wha'…" Machaira whimpered groggily, black bags under her eyes barely visible through her facial fur.

"Shhhh, it's okay," Adaine murmured, laying her head on Machaira's shoulder. "Go back to sleep. I'll stay with you." She continued to pet her friend until Machaira's eyes fluttered closed. The scout sank back against the mound of pillows, arms weakly wrapping around Adaine's back before sleep took her. Adaine smiled, wishing she could kiss Machaira. With a sigh, Adaine realized that if she had played her cards a little better, they could have been girlfriends by now. But Machaira was whipped, and even when she did wake up properly, Adaine didn't want to just ask her right off the bat. She wanted Machaira to feel appreciated first so that she knew Adaine was serious. And after everything that had happened yesterday, Machaira deserved a day of appreciation.

The warm allure of sleepy cuddles evaporated as an idea took hold. A Machaira appreciation day was exactly what Adaine needed. She'd been trying to find ways to boost her own confidence, but what she really needed was to boost Machaira's. Adaine would struggle to explain herself to Machaira no matter what, but it would be so much easier if Machaira was relaxed and happy. Once Adaine knew that Machaira was receptive to her, talking about their shared emotions would only be a little awkward instead of terrifying. She needed to plan out the perfect day for Machaira.

Obviously, the day had to start with Machaira getting a full rest, so Adaine mentally gave herself about five hours of prep time. Knowing her friend, Machaira would want to shower before anything else, which was easy enough to accommodate. Although she rarely had access to the stuff, Machaira was something of a coffee fiend and loved to load up her mug with simply sinful amounts of sugar and cream. After that… Adaine bit her lip on a smile. They could play outside. The Abernant lawn was boring but massive, providing them with plenty of space. Machaira loved to run and fight and generally be outside, and Adaine never got to play like that normally. The wizard was sure she would lose whatever game they decided on, but Machaira would get a kick out of it, and Adaine could still have fun.

Afterwards, she could ask Machaira to teach her how to cook. With her jacket, Adaine could pull ingredients out of thin air. Machaira seemed to like cooking, and it would be nice to learn. It would also show an interest in her life. After that, they could maybe play a board game. Machaira wasn't a huge board game player, but she liked them well enough. Or they could watch a movie, though nothing from her parents' collection. Maybe they could pull up something online, a comedy, or a nature documentary? Machaira was not known for watching documentaries, but she liked animals. She might enjoy one about big cats or giant saltwater crocodiles. If Machaira was still feeling energetic, they could dance again. The thought forced Adaine to repress excited wiggles. Adaine could tell the air elementals to make a pizza for dinner, gluten free but loaded with extra cheese and pepperoni for her carnivorous guest . The elf had also promised to give her friend a proper brushing, which, if applied after an evening shower and dinner, should end with snuggling. And then, after a full day of fun, Machaira-centered activities, she could sit the rogue down and finally open up to her.

Adaine liked to think that part would go smoothly, that they would admit how they felt, she'd apologize for knowing and not saying anything for months, and then they'd make out. But Adaine knew it wouldn't be that simple. They both had a lot to unpack and work through, and, though Adaine hoped they'd have to change the sheets between her confession and going to bed that night, she knew Machaira would need some time before she felt comfortable going too far. But they'd get there eventually. For the moment, she had to use her time wisely and plan for contingencies.

Backup options for activities were easy enough, but what if Machaira wanted to go home and hunt or spend some time at her camp? Adaine wouldn't fight her on it; Machaira wasn't a tame cat to be kept inside. But she could just ask her to come back before her parents returned. Machaira would be amenable as long as Adaine was respectful. What if Machaira was worried that Adaine was fetishizing her? Highly unlikely, but the diviner could abstain from touching Machaira until her worries were assuaged, even if the idea left a bad taste in her mouth for multiple reasons. What if Machaira needed time to think by herself? Again, let she'd let her go. Adaine mentally practiced for the disappointment if her friend said that so she could focus on being supportive in the real moment. What if Machaira wasn't ready for a proper relationship? Well, Adaine could start with whatever Machaira did feel she was ready for and work her way up. The scout had earned a bit of patience from her at the very least. What if her emotions had faded, and Machaira no longer felt anything for Adaine beyond friendship?

"Adaine…" Machaira breathed, voice impossibly soft and sad. The tabaxi curled inward with a whimper, arms tightening around the other girl as she slept.

"Shhhh," Adaine comforted, reach up to gently pet Machaira's luxurious mane, fingers trailing delicately over the scars on her head until Machaira stilled, a momentary purr trembling through the bed before her breathing evened out. Adaine nestled her head on the scout's shoulder with a smile, planting a feather light kiss against the scar cresting Machaira's shoulder. No, that particular fear was unfounded. Unfortunately, Adaine had work to do if she wanted her plan to succeed.

The wizard reluctantly pulled away from Machaira for the second time that day, determined that there wouldn't be a third. She quietly took out her spell book and the giant crystal ball, which was only slightly more convenient as an arcane focus than a component bag. Adaine took her time preparing the day's spells and looking into possible futures, gauging her options. She had no qualms about bending reality to make this work. Machaira stirred and moaned in her sleep if Adaine moved about too much. Each time this happened, the high elf cuddled up to Machaira and shushed her, whispering sweetly and petting her until the tabaxi stilled. After the third close call, Adaine turned down a brass dial on the wall, decreasing the windows' transparency until they were fully opaque. With her darkvision, she could still work on her spells, and Machaira seemed to sleep more deeply. When her preparations for the day had been completed, including a careful selection of her sexiest underwear for confidence purposes (to her realization that none of it was particularly sexy), Adaine slid back into bed, fiercely positive that by the end of the day, Machaira would officially be her girlfriend.

Bzzt. Adaine started as her crystal buzzed. That was probably Fig or Kristen, ready to start the day with a hundred texts a piece in the group chat about their pre-concert shenanigans. She should probably put it on silent. Adaine reached over toward her nightstand for her crystal, slipped, and fell on top of Machaira.

"Ooof," Machaira grunted, eyes squinting at the rude awakening. "Why is it so dark?" Adaine glanced over at clock again. Ten-thirty a.m. Much too early.

"I did that," Adaine whispered. "I wanted you to sleep longer. You don't have to get up." She protested as Machaira shifted around beneath her. "I was just putting my crystal on silent. Go back to bed. You can sleep as long as you like." Adaine grabbed her crystal and curled up against Machaira, petting her soft and slow. Machaira blinked, grumbling, but pulled Adaine to her chest, tucking the diviner's head under her jaw, tail struggling to wrap around her waist under the covers. Adaine smiled against Machaira's neck as she acquiesced to the rogue's snuggles, fingernails gently scratching behind her ear. When Adaine was certain that Machaira was properly asleep, she stretched her lips up to Machaira's cheek.

"Love you," she murmured happily. Gods, that felt so right to say out loud. Later, she'd say it properly. Adaine glanced down at her crystal. To her disgust, the text wasn't from Fig or Kristen but from her mother. Adaine was about to turn her crystal off altogether without bothering to read the message when a phrase in the preview caught her attention. Adaine unlocked her crystal and opened the text.

10:29 a.m. Mother: Adaine, your father and I will be returning to the Manor earlier than expected. He has an emergency appointment that must be seen to in Solace, so we will celebrate the Festival of Corellon in Elmville instead, if such a thing is possible. Please be ready to greet us at the door for eleven.

Adaine checked the time. Ten-fifty a.m.

Fuck.

"Wake up!" Adaine yelled, shaking Machaira. The tabaxi started, blinking blearily in the darkness and hissing, hands coming off of Adaine's body to bear freshly sharpened claws against whatever unfortunate creature had caused Adaine such. When she had identified the culprit, Machaira scooted back, confused and scared. "My parents are coming NOW!" Adaine told her, heedless of how close she just came to taking a full sneak attack to the face. "You have to get out." Adaine practically pushed Machaira out of her bed, flinging her clothes at the tabaxi as Machaira collected her weapons. Machaira slammed the bathroom door shut behind her, and Adaine set about normalizing her room: removing the tint from the windows, stuffing the wood block Machaira had mauled into her closet, and brushing up Machaira's shedded fur to flush down the toilet when she came out. It was only when her friend stumbled out of the bathroom, still sore after only a short rest, and opened her window to climb out that Adaine realized how bad this must look.

"Wait." Adaine gasped, lunging forward to grab Machaira's hand. The scout turned to look back at her, one foot on the sill and other hand holding onto the window frame. "Stay if you want to." Adaine urged. "I'm not ashamed of you." She tried to explain when Machaira gave her a look of incredulous disbelief. "I, I don't want to get you in trouble. I'm scared of what will happen to you. But I'll stand up for you. You deserve better than this." Adaine tried to be persuasive, but she could tell Machaira wasn't totally convinced. The tabaxi squeezed her hand and offered Adaine a tired, frazzled smile, genuine affection glittering somewhere beneath the emotional chaos.

"I appreciate that," she said before pulling free, climbing down the wall like a gecko, and sprinting for the back wall of the manor. Adaine watched her crush disappear around the corner before admitting defeat. She quickly threw on her good clothes and brushed her hair to look semi-presentable. Adaine had just finished straightening the sheets and flushing Machaira's fur when she saw the flash of teleportation magic through her curtains. The elf took in one last breath of a warm, Machaira-scented bed before spraying her room with air freshener. Adaine collected her thoughts, straightened her clothes, and took a seat at her desk. She pulled out her spell book and a textbook, opened it to her current lessons, and waited. Sure enough, Elianwyn swept into the room before too much time had passed, frown already present.

"Adaine, I thought I asked you to meet us by the door?" Elianwyn reminded her, posing the reprimand as if it were a question. Adaine turned to look up at her, face already set in a derisive scowl.

"Why on the material plane would I meet you at the door?" She questioned coldly. "It's been one day. Did you think that I would miss you?" She turned away from her mother and resumed studying. At least she had learned the key to the Abernant sneer: you needed to scorn the thing before you so deeply that it ceased to mean anything to you. The cruelty in the expression came from an utter lack of concern instead of tangible hate. Elianwyn blinked, taken aback, and retreated, closing the door behind her. Later, Aelwyn popped in, no doubt to make some snide comment, but Adaine hit her with a Ray of Sickness before she could get a word in edgewise.

Machaira texted her once she got to camp. After asking if she was okay, the tabaxi assured Adaine that she had made the right move in waking her up and that the scout wasn't mad. But Machaira was still very tired, so she only talked for a few minutes before excusing herself to bathe and sleep. Adaine spent the rest of the super shitty holiday with her mother and sister while her father was off negotiating or something. Adaine refused to speak to the other Abernant women unless absolutely necessary and responded to their judgements with icy disregard. Aelwyn spent the entire time needling Adaine about how unnecessary she was for the celebration, which her mother neither refute nor confirmed – at least, not vocally. But Adaine had lacked both the time and the patience to bother with her family. She was already formulating a backup plan. Next week was Valentine's Day, and Adaine was determined to make that her Machaira appreciation day.

Adaine talked, laughed, and joked with her friends about the ridiculous holiday while secretly working on her valentine for Machaira all week. But when the day finally rolled around, Machaira didn't show up to school. Everyone in the party found a crude valentine in their locker, cut out of red construction paper and signed by the tabaxi. Adaine was pleased to see that hers was a little bigger, and the only one written in elvish. The characters were so well done and evenly spaced, she knew her friend had stenciled them in. But Machaira herself was nowhere to be found. When they called, Machaira said that she had slipped the valentines in their lockers the night before only to wake up with stomach cramps that morning. She assured them that she was fine and didn't need or want company before wishing them a happy Valentine's Day and hanging up. A suspicious Adaine waited until school let out to call the rogue again.

"Hey," Machaira panted, voice rough and heavy.

"Hey, so what's really going on?" Adaine asked.

"Oh, um… are the others there?" She asked quietly.

"No, it's just me," Adaine answered, more worried than suspicious now. "What's up?"

"I, um, I'm in heat," Machaira mumbled, embarrassment clear in her tone.

"Oh." Suddenly Adaine heard Machaira's voice in a whole new light. "Oh."

"Yeah, I, uh, didn't trust myself… to be at the school on, you know… today," she murmured, trying to catch her breath. "With everyone, you know… yeah."

"Oh, no I get it," Adaine said, shoulders slumping as she stared down at her valentine. "Do you, um, want some company. Maybe I could help distract you?" Adaine was only half thinking about her word choice and winced at the vaguely suggestive version of a mostly innocent offer to comfort her friend. For her part, Machaira tried, and failed miserably, to muffle a broken moan, significantly more intense than anything she'd made previously. Adaine's eyes widened, legs clamping together at the most sinful, beautiful sound of wanton desire that had ever passed Machaira's lips. Never had Adaine heard a noise so desperate or needy, especially from Machaira. Underscoring the very effeminate cry was a rumbling growl that raised goosebumps along her arms.

"No, I'm good," Machaira denied weakly, humiliation taking over. "I, uh, gotta go takecareofsomestuffbye." The call ended. Adaine set down her crystal carefully, resigning herself to another defeat. With the rest of the party occupied for the holiday, Adaine was forced to go home and endure Aelwyn's faux-concerned jibes at Adaine for spending the holiday alone again. When the diviner had successfully quarantined herself in her room, she incinerated her valentine to Machaira with a Firebolt. Shoulders slumped, Adaine opened a textbook and began to study. Well, rather she stared at the page and lamented that her stupid family had interrupted last week's three-day weekend with her tabaxi. If they hadn't, she'd probably be spending Valentine's Day with her crush-turned-girlfriend right now.

Adaine sat straight and closed her book. If her family hadn't interrupted, Adaine would probably be dating Machaira right now. Machaira, who was in heat, on Valentine's Day. Machaira, who lived in a camp alone in the woods, far away from other people. Machaira's moan echoed in her ears, vulnerable but wanting, pleading. Adaine could have heard that in person, in Machaira's bed, could have seen her face when – the wizard's brain fully short-circuited as she contemplated the perfect storm of circumstances that had fallen around her.

"Hey, I know you're alone in here, sis, so I thought – " Adaine interrupted her sister with a Ray of Sickness. Aelwyn doubled over and vomited in Adaine's doorway. Adaine didn't even care that her sister hadn't knocked. She had a much bigger bone to pick here. Anguin didn't arrive to break up the fight until Adaine had followed up her Ray of Sickness with a Lightning Bolt and two Firebolts. For once, the rambling lecture Adaine received went in one ear and out the other. In fact, she didn't even look at her father. During the hour-long dressing down, Adaine and Aelwyn never broke eye contact.

The dynamic had shifted between them. Yes, Aelwyn was still stronger, but Adaine was catching up rapidly. And the younger wizard was no longer afraid. She'd grown in skill and confidence until she had become a notable threat. Aelwyn was looking to reestablish her dominance, and Adaine was looking to establish Aelwyn in Cravencroft. Soon, the sisters would have a final showdown.

Adaine couldn't wait.