"Excellent work today, Lisa."
Medical operator Folinic — real name Louisa — pats the Vulpo over the head, and Suzuran is all-too happy to bask in the attention after a hard day's work. The little fox girl beamed, looking up at her Feline mentor with great reverence.
"You did good work today too, Miss Folinic! You need to rest," Suzuran insisted, all nine of her tails swaying this way and that. "I don't think we stopped even a single time today!"
Folinic sighed with relief, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. Suzuran was more or less right — the entire work day came and went in what might as well have been a flash, on account of just how busy they'd been from opening until close. While a doctor's work was never done — much less a Rhodes Island doctor — it was time for the two of them to tag Ansel and Hibiscus in, though the two were due to arrive any minute now.
"I told you we'd get busy after docking again," Folinic told little Suzuran, smiling knowingly. "More people to get on the ship, means more people on the ship to treat… it sounds simple enough, but one can never be too prepared, it seems…"
"I guess so!" Suzuran pushed her pointer fingers together, her eyes and smile now cast to the ground before her. "Guess this is, uh… goodnight, Miss Folinic?"
"That's right, little Suzuran. Shall we make the trip back to your dorm room?"
"That's alright," Suzuran assured, laughing nervously, "I know the way, of course…"
"I know that you know the way, silly little Lisa," said Folinic, "I'm offering because it's quite late right now. The last thing I want… is to learn that you ran into some trouble on the way back. You understand, don't you?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Miss Folinic… I can take care of myself. I'm tough," said Suzuran, her gaze shifting from left to right. Folinic hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the younger medical intern with some suspicion.
"Is something the matter, Lisa?" She asked. She knew that the two were alone now, and thus she was comfortable speaking the Vulpo's real name, knowing that she really didn't mind. Suzuran, to her credit, did her best to hide her nervousness… but it wasn't enough. Louisa could suss it out, easily.
With a deep breath taken, Suzuran speaks again, standing as proudly as she could. "Miss Folinic…"
"Yes, Lisa?"
"Can we… can you… can you, umm… kiss me… pretty please?"
Folinic did a double take, her lips curling up into a confused smile. "Uh huh? A kiss? Umm… may I ask why?"
Suzuran shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, umm… I just… I just thought… maybe a kiss… would feel good! Have you ever kissed anyone, Miss Folinic? I always think it looks so nice…"
Now it was Folinic's turn to feel uncomfortable. Oh dear… a kiss? Her? The Feline operator couldn't remember the last time she had gotten intimate with something that wasn't her Kal'tsit body pillow. Note to self: thank Closure for that one.
"Ahem… I'm afraid I don't… kiss as often as you might think," Folinic mumbled, trying a smile. "Moreover, I don't believe this is appropriate workplace conversation, Lisa…"
'But the work day is over! That's why I wanted to ask right now," she revealed, and Folinic raised an eyebrow.
"Well, be that as it may… the last thing I want is for someone to step in while I'm kissing you. I can't imagine the headaches that would cause, to say nothing of the concerns and—"
"So you'd kiss me if no one was watching?" Suzuran asked suddenly, and Folinic could only stammer.
"Of course n-not! Suzuran, what in the world are you asking?" Folinic shook her head. "Have you been spending time with someone you shouldn't? Are you getting these ideas from someone else?"
"No," Suzuran answered, honestly. She was frowning now, however. "I'm sorry, Miss Folinic… I won't ask again. I didn't mean to make you m-mad…"
She gulped, looking down at the floor. Folinic eyed her carefully, her nostrils flaring.
"I'm not mad, Lisa," Folinic told her, "I'm just worried about you, that's all."
"You don't have to be so worried all the time…" Suzuran mumbled, pouting. She even crossed her arms, like the little thing was feeling quite miffed. "I told you, I can take care of myself… I don't have to be babied as much as you and Kal'tsit think I do."
"Th-that's not what I…" Folinic felt all words drift away from her. She hadn't realized that Suzuran might have been feeling so… mollycoddled.
"Just forget it," said Suzuran, looking towards the door. "I'll just ask someone else to show me what a kiss is like…"
"N-now wait just a minute!" Folinic was in full panic mode, now. "Suzu—Lisa, you absolutely should not just ask any random person what that kind of thing is like!"
"Why not?" Suzuran asked, turning to look back at Folinic now.
"Because!" Folinic scrambled to think of how best to explain such things. "Lisa, dear, there are people on Rhodes Island who have less than stellar intentions… and they might want to take advantage of you because you're so young." She hated having to say it like that, but it was true, and it was concise. "There are people here on Rhodes Island who are only here temporarily, for business-related matters, before they're dropped off elsewhere. It's impossible for us to keep everyone safe all the time… but we can certainly do our best."
Folinic took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say, Lisa, is that there are some very bad people on Rhodes Island, even with Dr. Kal'tsit, Closure, Amiya, and the Doctor keeping tabs on all the departments of the landship. If you're going to ask… questions like that," said Folinic, "then you should ask only those you know, and trust completely. An adult…"
"Like you?" Suzuran snapped, causing Folinic to almost gasp in surprise.
"Lisa…!" The Feline's cheeks went red. "Y-you…"
Suzuran pouted again, her own cheeks flush from her embarrassment. It couldn't have been easy to make such interests known. Here was Folinic, raining on her parade — that's what the Feline suddenly thought, and she sighed deeply.
"For goodness sake, Lisa… alright, alright…!" She set her things aside, adjusting her own hair suddenly, and shyly. She had butterflies in her stomach. Why did she feel so nervous? Was it because Ansel and Hibiscus were due to enter at any moment?
"Alright?" Suzuran asked, her eyebrows going up in surprise.
"I don't want you asking anyone else… and I'm happy you asked me, really I am," Folinic admitted. "I'm happy that you trust me this much. So… so alright, Lisa. I'll… I'll k-kiss you," she mumbled that last part, in utter disbelief that she was even saying such a thing. She didn't even stop looking so nervous when Suzuran suddenly pumped her fists with a little hop, suddenly smiling from ear to ear.
"Yay! Thank you, big sis Folinic!" Suzuran's tails were swaying again, utterly elated that she would be having her first kiss with someone she loved and trusted so much. "Umm… how do we start? I'm excited!"
"Guhhh… I can't believe…" Folinic sighed, shaking her head. "Come up onto the medical bed, and I'll… show you how it's done, I suppose…"
"I haven't gotten a kiss in so long…" Suzuran remarked. "The last time was when Blaze smooched my forehead… but that's not a real kiss, right? I want a real kiss," she lamented, "a REAL kiss…! You have to give me a real big kiss, OK, Miss Folinic?" As she asked, she climbed up onto the aforementioned bed, and Folinic felt another tinge of nervousness nibble away at her insides. Surely this would be fine. Surely this was better than Suzuran going to some stranger aboard Rhodes Island. Surely, surely, surely this was… the best alternative…?
She couldn't command Suzuran to do anything. It wasn't in her nature to behave that way with anyone, let alone the little Vulpo intern. Folinic only hoped that no one would find out about this. Inwardly, she felt like a child again, being soothed and cared for by none other than Dr. Kal'tsit, before she was foisted upon that surrogate family all those years ago.
"Ahem." Folinic cleared her throat again, before moving some locks of brunette hair behind her ear. She fidgeted anxiously, and it didn't go unnoticed by little Suzuran. "Well then, it's been quite some time for me too… and I'm no expert or anything, but…"
"You should have fun with this too!" Suzuran closed her eyes and smiled widely. "Cut loose a little bit, Miss Folinic… and come kiss me!"
Folinic groaned. What's gotten into her? Is she really maturing so quickly…?
She leaned in close… and then a little closer… and then a little bit closer still. Her eyes were half open, and then she saw that Suzuran was puckering her little lips. Tiny things; delicate-looking things, perched upon her light little face…
Folinic gulped. Best to get this out of the way…
She pressed her lips right against Suzuran's, and after just a single second of contact, the older Feline woman pulled away with a half-smile.
"Th-there we are!" Folinic breathed. "Done and done! I suppose it's time for you to go to bed now, huh?"
Suzuran frowned. "That's it? Come on, you can give me more than that…" Suzuran's shoulders sagged, and she looked like she was about to cry.
"Come on, Lisa… how long do you want me to do this?" Folinic asked with a sigh.
"Until I'm satisfied!"
"Lisa…!" Folinic winced. "What on earth has gotten into you?" She openly posed the question now. Suzuran had been fine all day today, up until this very moment. She had been a bit fidgety, however, now that Folinic was thinking back on it. Had the little fox been waiting for this all day? She certainly sounded like she needed a specific kind of unwinding…
"Come on, Miss Folinic…"
Suzuran leaned back, resting on her palms, as she smiled bashfully up at her mentor.
"It was only for a second… kiss me a little bit longer, please… be serious!"
Folinic chewed nervously on her lower lip. Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly felt twice as meek, and twice as weak. "Fine," Folinic told her, "fine…"
She came in for another kiss then, pressing her lips against Suzuran's with more vim and vigor this time. Folinic clenched her eyes shut, trying to ignore the feelings bubbling up in her chest as much as she could, while her mouth was sealed against Suzuran's too-soft one.
A torrent of emotions ran through Folinic in that moment. She knew that she hadn't ever kissed someone quite like this… and she certainly didn't want to tell Suzuran that for whatever reason. She also didn't know if she was doing a good enough job, although given Suzuran's moaning, perhaps she was a better kisser than she—
Wait, did Suzuran just moan?
Her ears hadn't deceived her. That was definitely a moan just now!
Folinic opened her eyes slowly, and she saw that Suzuran was blushing intensely. Her cheeks were flushed red, and the poor little fox was trembling while she kept her lips sealed against the older woman's. Her tails were swishing to and fro in a frenzy, brushing up against the medical bed's sheets and causing a rhythmic ruffling sound to go along with their inappropriate kissing.
Ansel… Hibiscus… please don't walk in now…!
Fear swept through Folinic. If any of her coworkers saw what she was doing…
She tried to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. Right now, she had a fox to please. The more she did this, the less likely that Suzuran would kick up another fuss…
And so, Folinic put more of her focus behind the long and impassioned kiss. She pushed forward a little bit, causing Suzuran to squeak in surprise as she swayed backwards, drinking in the Feline woman while they kept their faces pressed together like this. With Folinic standing in front of Suzuran, and Suzuran seated politely on the bed before the good doctor, the two were comfortable to go at their own pace when it came to their forbidden makeout session.
Folinic's mind was blank. She pulled away from Suzuran, panting harder than she thought she would, and her chest heaved with her own heavy breathing. Suzuran, meanwhile, could only giggle rambunctiously, kicking her little legs with glee.
"W-wow! Holy cow! Oh my goodness gracious!" Suzuran exclaimed. Her cheeks were practically glowing red from the embarrassment, as if she knew well enough that they were doing something that they weren't supposed to be doing. "That felt good!"
"Th-thank you, L-Lisa…" Folinic stammered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She was sweating, and she looked over to the door, relieved to find no one standing there. She half-expected one of her coworkers to be looking on in horror, although it seemed as though she was safe. For now.
"But…" Suzuran trailed off, and Folinic looked back at the little fox with surprise.
"But?" Folinic asked, and Suzuran made a face.
"You're… doing a bit wrong," Suzuran told her, and Folinic felt as though she had just been hit by a bus.
"What…?!"
"I-I mean…!" Suzuran quickly scrambled to think of something to say. "Y-you kiss like you're… super nervous! Why? Why can't you just… get into it, like me?" Suzuran smiled again, pushing her pointer fingers together. "Also… could you… maybe use your tongue more? Like they do in the books?" Suzuran asked. Folinic narrowed her eyes, looking at the little fox accusingly.
"SUZURAN!" Folinic was aghast. "WHAT books have you been reading?!"
"Oops! I mean…!" Suzuran covered her eyes with her tiny hands, looking at Folinic through her fingers. "You did good enough, Big Sis Folinic! Ehehehe~"
"G-good enough…!" Folinic stomped her foot. "Now wait just a minute there, Lisa! I won't stand for that kind of talk! I may be inexperienced," she told Suzuran, "but it's important not to get ahead of oneself, you see! Moreover, I don't appreciate the tone that you've been taking with me. Your teacher, your mentor, your friend," she reminded Suzuran, who nodded quickly at all of those things. "What do you have to say for yourself? Hm? Because your behavior tonight has been absolutely abhorrent."
Suzuran winced. "I'm s-sorry, Miss Folinic… I just… I just wanted…"
"Just wanted what, huh? To make a fool out of me?" Louisa accused, "Is that it?!"
"What? N-no!" Suzuran put her hands up, defensively, "no, of course not! I just… I just wanted a kiss! From s-someone I really trusted, just like you said!"
"Ugh, how humiliating…" Folinic wiped at her mouth again, glaring at Suzuran. Something she didn't think she would ever do, but then again, she never thought she would make out with little Suzuran tonight, either. "That's enough out of you tonight, Suzuran. I mean it. We're bringing you to your room, right now." Her tone was ice cold, and she could see that Suzuran had shuddered nervously as a result of it.
"Okay," Suzuran mumbled. Now her voice was even tinier than she was. She carefully got down from the medical bed, and planted her small feet on the ground. Then, when she spoke again, she didn't even look at Folinic this time — either out of fear, or shame, or excitement, or all three. "I can get to my room by myself, Miss Folinic… I'm sorry for making trouble for you. I… I'm sorry."
She could hear how… devastated little Suzuran sounded, all of a sudden. Like it had only just dawned on the little fox what she herself had instigated. What they had just done to their relationship, as professionals, and close friends. Folinic's expression dropped.
"No," the older woman said, "no, Lisa… we'll go together. I insist. Come on…"
Folinic held out her hand. Reflexively, Suzuran reached out and grabbed it. Folinic considered, for a moment, how much harder she was squeezing her hand than was normal.
The walk to Suzuran's room had been deathly silent. Once they'd reached the dorm, however, Suzuran unlocked it with her key card, smiling softly as she stood in the doorway leading into the darkened room.
"Goodnight, Miss Folinic…" Suzuran looked up at the medical operator and smiled nervously, wondering if her mentor was still as upset as she sounded before. "Umm, will I see you at the clinic tomorrow? At the same time?"
Folinic looked as though she was deep in thought. After a beat, she looked to her left, and then to her right, and then she realized that once again, she and Suzuran were alone.
"...I'd like to come in," Folinic found herself asking. Suzuran gulped.
"What for, Miss Folinic?"
"You made me feel… disgraced," she reasoned, "and now I've got something to prove."
"Something to prove… Miss Folinic?" Suzuran gave the tiniest of smiles. "What?"
"You know exactly what." Folinic huffed. "Let me inside, and I'll show you."
"You're always welcome in my room, big sis Folinic…"
With that, Folinic slipped into Suzuran's room, checking once again that no one was truly watching her from the hallway, before she closed the door behind her. With Suzuran and Folinic now inside the former's dorm room, the little Vulpo sauntered towards her bedroom, turning her head to look at the older woman that was now trapped in here with her.
"Can I get you anything, Miss Folinic? Before you… prove your point?" She asked. Folinic let out a shaky breath that she didn't even know she was holding in. She felt oddly submissive, all of a sudden.
"No, Lisa… just… just show me where I should sit down," Folinic mumbled.
"Right here, big sis," Suzuran whispered to her, leading the woman into her bedroom. Folinic went inside, and she was elated to see that the bedroom was well-kept, at least. The work station here was covered in colored pencils and crayons, as well as medical journals and brochures. The bookshelf beside the work station displayed more of this frightening dichotomy: from theses on Oripathy's formulation within various parts of the body, to children's stories.
This was a child, Folinic reminded herself. Why was she here? Did she really want to prove anything? Did she really have to? She wrung her hands together nervously, and as if she could sense what the Feline was thinking, Suzuran spoke out sweetly to her, while she patted the spot beside her in the twin size bed.
"I won't tell Dr. Kal'tsit," she told Folinic, tenderly, "or anyone else. It'll be our secret…"
Folinic sat on Suzuran's bed. Next to the girl she was about to kiss. The girl who she mentored, and taught, alongside Dr. Kal'tsit. She wondered what the aloof Feline would say about this. What phrase of disgust she might utter before personally chucking her off the roving landship. And she gulped.
"I shouldn't be doing something like this," she told Suzuran, as if the two didn't already know that. "I could get in serious trouble, Lisa."
"Only if you get caught, Miss Folinic," Suzuran replied, like she had been ready with that response for a while now. "And you won't get caught… as long as we keep doing this in private, right…?" She shrugged her shoulders while Folinic let her words sink in.
"How long do you want to keep this up?"
"How much do you have to prove?" She shot back.
Folinic shook her head in disbelief. "Where did you learn to speak like that, Lisa?"
The Vulpo ignored her question, instead laying a dainty little hand on Folinic's lap, as she leaned in closer. "I like the way you kiss. I want some more, Miss Folinic. I want some more…" She puckered her lips and closed her eyes, leaning in for seconds. This time, Folinic didn't inch away. She met Suzuran halfway, pressing her lips against the child's very own, knowing full well that she was going straight to hell for even indulging in something as monstrous as this. Yet all doubt ebbed and flowed away as Folinic found herself deepening the kiss. As inexperienced as she was, she knew very well that Suzuran wanted her to take it up a notch or two — and she did.
She put her hand on Suzuran's cheek and, at the same time, she gently slid her tongue into the little girl's mouth… with Suzuran suddenly shivering with excitement at the sensation of her mentor's — her older sister figure's — tongue pushing past her own lips. Suzuran quivered with delight, and a soft moan slipped from her own mouth while her lips parted slightly. Suzuran pulled her own tongue back submissively, allowing Folinic's own tongue to probe and poke as much as it wanted. And oh, it certainly did.
Folinic could feel her own inhibitions melt away, even more so than before, the longer her lips were pressed against little Suzuran's. She put her other hand on the little fox's shoulder, holding her steadily while she kept the makeout session going between them. Feeling Folinic's hands on her shoulder and her cheek, Suzuran felt… safer. She moaned again, her entire body becoming lax and languid.
"Mmmmhh…" Suzuran pushed herself up against her dearest mentor, turning her body to better face Folinic, who seemed all-too happy to receive her. The Vulpo placed her shaking little hands on Folinic's chest; the woman still wore her work attire, of course, as did Suzuran. For a moment — and only for a moment — Folinic thought that they should fix that.
But… no. Not now. Not like this.
She pulled away from the kiss, her heart fluttering at the sound of Suzuran's little gasp of surprise. Suzuran, whose cheeks were just as red as her own. Who was panting softly as she sat on her own bed, with the woman who had helped her as often as she could, however she could… and now, she was teaching Suzuran how to kiss.
"B-Big Sis Folinic…?" Suzuran's voice was light. She sounded breathless, simply because she was. "Louisa…?"
Oh, what a pity. She loved the way that her own name tasted in Suzuran's mouth. "Yes, L-Lisa…?" She asked. She swallowed.
"That kiss… was so much better," Suzuran whispered. Purred, really. She sounded more than a little revved-up, much to Folinic's growing shame. "I loved that… Louisa. Thank you…~"
"You're w-welcome, Lisa…" Folinic finally took her hands off of Suzuran, folding them in her own lap. And already, Suzuran was craving that touch again. But she'd been selfish enough for one night, hadn't she?
"Lisa, I should go. I need to get some sleep… and so do you," Folinic told her.
"If I can even sleep… because… I have butterflies in my tummy, Louisa," she told her, smiling daringly. "I'll be thinking about this… all night… Louisa~"
Louisa, who bit her lip, suddenly wished that Suzuran would stop saying her name, because it made her want to spend the night. She worried now, more than before she'd stepped into the dorm room, that she would grow addicted to this feeling. The threat of being caught. The knowledge that she'd done something oh-so horrible to someone she loved. And yet…
That mischievous glint in Suzuran's eye. The way she carried herself tonight. She knew more than she was letting on. And she relished every second of it.
"Don't call me that when we're at work," Folinic told her. "Only… in here. In this room. Is that understood, Lisa?"
And Lisa — Suzuran — grinned. Once again, her tails swayed back and forth.
"So you're coming back… tomorrow night? That's a date, right? Is this how adults… date?" She asked. Folinic groaned, partly in disbelief, and partly to try and relieve the new tension inside her. Thick, like her intestines had tied into a knot.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow, Lisa," said Folinic, scooting away from the little fox. "And… I know you said that you wouldn't tell anyone at all, but I need to hear you say that again. It would give me peace of mind," Folinic admitted. Suzuran nodded firmly, and then cleared her throat.
"I won't tell a soul," she promised Folinic, "I won't tell anyone else what happened…"
…because I want to do it more, she almost added.
"Good," said Folinic, before standing up, "thank you, Lisa… ahem."
Folinic cleared her throat. She anxiously adjusted her outfit — her lab coat and skirt — before she went over to the door at the end of the hall. "If that's it, then… I'll see you at work tomorrow, Lisa. Good night… and…"
And what? What would she say? What could she say?
"...thank you," Folinic added quietly, before slipping out of the room, and leaving altogether. Suzuran took a deep breath, now alone in the bedroom of her dorm room, and she let it pass through her lips. And then she smiled to herself.
"...you're welcome, Big Sis Folinic… ehehehe~" ❤️
