Sitting at a small round table dressed with an ornate, star-patterned cloth, a white rabbit girl listened patiently as her peach poodle companion yarned. They were seated at this table in the poodle girl's bedroom. Dressed as a mystic in a long hoop skirt and hooded purple robe, this poodle girl placed down another card from the stack she was discussing, then reached for the first girl's hand and brought it forward to touch the embossing.
"And see, this card is Death~," the poodle girl, Prunella, smirked, playing up the morbid allure with her tone.
"Ooo, spooky," the rabbit girl, Marina, chuckled, playing along but teasing, "So does that mean now, or only eventually?"
"Neither," Prunella corrected a bit smugly, "Death doesn't mean death. It means change. Anything in the person's future who draws this card could change. Anything at all."
Mouth slanting, Marina scoffed, "That doesn't make any sense. So what card means death, then?" She didn't believe in supernatural things or psychic readings like her friend, but she was fine humoring her. Curiously, she continued to rub the embossed image with her fingers, however, finding the smooth cards pleasing to touch, and gathering that the artwork must have been impressively ornate. Marina was blind, but still found ways to appreciate things like art.
"Well..." Prunella faltered, "It's not that simple. Like I guess Death could mean that when paired with the right cards...but usually that's more like The Tower, or any of the Sword cards."
Marina's elbow came to land on the table as she faced the other girl in continued doubt. "Sounds to me like these things can mean whatever you want them too."
"Nuh-uh..!" Prunella defended, "It just takes a skilled mystic and practice to interpret correctly!"
Giving a relenting smile, Marina sighed through her nose, not wanting to take the fun out of it for her companion. "Okay, Prunella," she gave in, "I'll have to trust you on that. I mean, I technically can't 'read' them at all..!" With a short chuckle, she lifted both hands and wiggled her fingers to emphasize that she could only inspect the cards with those.
Hackles lowering, knowing Marina was more of a skeptic and glad that her passion was still respected, Prunella returned the smile. "I'm sure they make braille decks," she supposed, "I could get you one if you wanted. Then we could read each others' fortunes!"
The brunette rabbit girl gave a small chuckle through her nose. "That's alright. I'm happy to just let you keep reading mine."
"Mm. Alright."
"Besides," Marina noted, "With all this reading, I'm realizing there's something I'd much rather take a look at, and I'm surprised we haven't done it already."
Perking, Prunella twisted her head left and right, trying to figure out what it could be.
"You mean my crystal ball?"
Another chuckle from Marina. "No, silly. You! I've never actually looked at your face. I can't believe I haven't already. Would you...mind? I'm actually really curious."
Gasping, Prunella gushed, "Oh my gosh, you're right, Marina! I can't believe we haven't done that either! Duh! Of course you can look at me! Any bestie of mine should be able to know what I look like!"
Scooting her chair sharply closer, the poodle girl was soon directly next to the other and lifting both her hands this time, pressing Marina's palms to her cheeks.
"Feel away..!"
Giving a bashful smile, Marina actually let out a soft tut and let her eyes fall away as she felt the warm presence enter her space without hesitation, and the extra warm plush of flesh coated in a thin peach fuzz.
"You sure you don't mind..?" she double checked, "You know how I do this. It's a little invasive."
"Marina..! There are no secrets between us. Besides, it's just my face. I get to see your cute face every day! But I'm practically a stranger to you if you don't even know what I look like. Definitely not your closest friend. Go ahead. Take a good, long look."
Tilting her chin up and leaning forward just a hair more, Prunella smiled confidently and insisted.
Blushing just a tad and giving her own soft smile, Marina echoed, "I'm cute..?"
"Of course you're cute," Prunella scoffed, "You don't even know how pretty you are?"
"I've...never felt anyone's face but my own. I don't know how I look to others. You're the only one who's said anything about it besides my mom. And of course she's going to tell me I'm pretty."
Another soft smile as Prunella tipped her head slightly, endeared. "Believe me, Marina. You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."
Under her fingers, Marina could swear she felt Prunella's cheeks rise in temperature just a little. Flattered, she looked down and felt herself blush again too.
"I dunno. You might have me beat."
A short laugh. "As if! You haven't even looked yet!"
Quirking her brow with a smirk, Marina lifted her head. "Guess we'll just see then," she challenged, and began skating her hands across Prunella's face.
"I guess we-oh."
Prunella cut herself off to realize just how encompassing Marina's palms were, skimming over her cheeks, down her neck and up the sides of her head to bury into her hair. She hadn't realized it would feel so...like it felt.
Tingles danced suddenly over her skin with the motions, and if she had to describe it, it was really quite...intimate. She felt her cheeks holding a steady hue as Marina reached curiously to pinch all her fingers around the tip of her button nose.
"I told you it was invasive..." Marina hemmed with worry, sure the tone meant Prunella was uncomfortable. "Do you wanna stop..?"
"N-No," Prunella rushed to assure, "I just...didn't expect to feel like...this?"
A quirked brow. "How do you feel?"
"I dunno...closer to you..? I guess I like it. Or don't mind? Anyway, I'm not going to stop you. Keep going."
Uncertain as Prunella sounded, her encouragement gave Marina cause to continue. Prunella liked her touch? Marina figured something like this would be uncomfortable. Then again, as she kept going, she found her fingers lingering to savor every shape and texture she encountered.
Prunella's slender neck. Her pronounced but dainty snout ending in a cute button nose. Her thin, perky ears atop her head. Her bouncy, plentiful locks Marina's hands got lost in, burying them as she reached to find Prunella's scalp, and the small bow at the peak of this curly nest of springy texture that was incredibly fun to play with. Distracted here, Marina couldn't help continuing to bounce and shift those curls in her hand, adoring them.
"What color is your hair, Prunella..?" She wondered softly, not knowing why she felt so compelled to keep touching and re-touching this girl. She knew she was beautiful inside, but she was very much enjoying what she felt now as well.
"R-Red?" Prunella answered, feeling like her face must match by now. "Or. Auburn? I don't know. Something like that?" She'd noticed the way Marina seemed to be taking her time, just as she'd been invited. And it continued to feel...indecribably tender. As she felt Marina's index finger coyly twirl a lock of her hair around it, Prunella crushed her eyes shut and felt an eruption of flutters up through her entire torso.
A short giggle from Marina. "You don't know? You're the one whose eyes work." Her tone was staying low, like both cautious and curious, not wanting to scare Prunella but wanting to keep going further however that might be possible.
"Marina...are you feeling okay..?" The rabbit girl's tone sounded strange. It wasn't like any tone Prunella had heard before. She gasped with a small shiver as Marina's fingertips found her scalp again, circling in exporation.
"I think so...are you?" Marina tossed back, "If anything, you sound red..." Like she could talk, she felt like her face was on fire.
"Y-You're one to talk," Prunella spoke like reading her mind, "You're red as a beet..! Are you doing this on purpose?"
"No..." the blind girl gave honestly, "But I do kind of just...like your face. And I love your hair. I was right. You're incredibly pretty, Prunella. I kind of want to just...keep looking." Another shameful glance down. "Can I..? I'll stop if you want."
Tentatively, her hands pulled back to hover between them.
Awash with tingles of embarrassment, flatter, intrigue and more, Prunella hastily insisted, "No!" Clearing her throat, she then corrected, "I mean...not if you don't want. Clearly we can't agree who's prettier, but I said you could look as long as you like, and I intend to keep that promise."
Glancing side to side, on the fence, she then granted, "And maybe I'm kind of enjoying it too. This really does make me feel close to you."
A gentle smile from Marina.
"Me too."
Glad to be accepted, she put hear hands back on Prunella's face, stroking with her thumb and feeling the poodle girl lean into it. Then unexpectedly, Prunella's own palm came to light on the back of that hand.
Marina blinked and her brow went up, but soon her face relaxed and she felt her own wave of endearment at what was either Prunella's reflex or boldness. Either way it was encouraging, and Marina once more took her time exploring and massaging now across Prunella's skin. She felt ripples in her gut as she heard a smile in Prunella's voice as she let out a soft note now and again through her nose. She felt herself compelled to touch a little further, running her hands over a shoulder, a side, and her own face drawn forward slowly like a lazy magnet.
"Prunella?"
"Yeah, Marina..?" drifted back at the address.
"Can I see your face...with mine?"
Though her eyelids had grown heavy as the touch had carried on, Prunella blinked in some confusion. Still, not seeing the harm, she granted, "Sure. I don't see why not. But what do you..?"
This time she was cut off by Marina, her lips blocked from forming further words as the rabbit girl placed hers overtop her own.
Prunella's eyes bulged wide at this, and her posture tensed. A kiss?! That's what Marina meant?! What a sneaky, underhanded, tricky...warm...soft...sweet...wonderful gesture.
As the seconds passed, Marina could tell Prunella had tensed, and in fact she'd been apprehensive herself to take this step forward, but then she felt Prunella's posture relaxing once more, even past what it had been, the poodle girl melting into the given kiss as she adapted to the realization. Likewise, Marina relaxed as well, smiling into Prunella's lips and nestling her hand into the other girl's curls with a boldened confidence.
Perhaps the most unexpected thing yet, she felt Prunella's hand reach to reciprocate, brushing up under the base of her skull to caress and pull her close. And she smiled too.
Neither able to explain the pull they felt, both girls simply submitted to it and shared a blissful moment of tasting and petting, exploring one another now, together.
And then, all too soon, it was over. They parted, blushing, uncertain, eyes meeting but only one set able to tell her friend's expression was as pinched with worry as hers.
Feeling like one of them had to say something, and feeling more uncertain since she couldn't read the situation, Marina began, "Was that..?"
She didn't get to finish her question as Prunella burst, "Marina I think we should be girlfriends!"
"Woah..!" Marina blinked. Well, at least she wasn't the only one being unusually bold.
Blushing profusely, Prunella hurried to pave over her sudden declaration.
"I mean..! I'm sorry! I don't know what that was, but I mean I've always liked you a lot and we share everything, and I mean you were the one who kissed me and you're supposed to be whateverfriends with people you kiss, right? So I just kinda thought maybe..?!"
"Prunella..!"
Biting her tongue, Prunella looked at the other girl, tensely fiddling with her fingers.
One hand coming back forward, Marina laid it overtop those fidgeting fingers to stay them.
"Yes."
"Y-Yes..?"
"Yes. I feel the same way. I don't know what that was either, but I was afraid you weren't having the same experience I was. But, well, looks like we shared that too." In an attempt to lighten the mood, she offered a small tut.
An outlet of breath from Prunella. "Really? You mean it? All of it?"
"Only if you do."
"Of course I mean it!" Prunella insisted crossly, "You're still the best, cutest girl I've ever met! I just never thought girlfriend cute!"
An amiable chuckle. "Well, I guess we shared that realization too. Girlfriend."
Sharply, Prunella's tune changed again, and she was bashful. "Heheh...yeah. Girlfriend."
Another mutual moment spent sharing a smile, though Prunella's was perhaps a bit more shaky.
"Can I play with your hair some more? It really is fun," Marina broke the silence again.
"Only if you don't mess it up. If you get my comb you can brush it."
A blink as Marina shifted her head toward the rest of the room. "Okay. Where..?"
Realizing she'd just asked a blind girl to fetch a comb she was unfamiliar with, Prunella waved her hand in a hurry to declare, "Never mind! I'll get it. I can show you where it goes after. Sorry, I'm kind of...flustered."
As she stood to fetch the comb, Marina coverered her mouth with her hand to hide the endeared smile behind it.
Shortly, both girls were seated on Prunella's bed, playing with each others' hair and tickling one another and giggling as they ever did, but something about it also just felt a little bit more right.