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Mission No. 16

Venom
Nolda Luxury Hotel

"Coming Clean"

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Fox shut the bathroom door, releasing a sigh. He finally had some privacy from Krystal—both physically and mentally, given she had little respect for the sanctity of his thoughts. Then again, given her failure to grasp the concept of modesty, he wouldn't put it past her to waltz right in while he was showering out of curiosity, so he made sure to lock the door for good measure.

Eagerly he stripped from his filthy clothes. He tossed his jacket aside and pulled up his outer shirt—only to once again notice just how red the undershirt beneath it was. Grimacing, he decided it was about time to check the damage, so he pinched the shirt and peeled it away from his fur. There was so much dried blood it didn't want to let go, threatening to tear his fur out with it. But when it finally came free he ripped it over his head, tossing it in the growing pile of clothes at his feet.

Fox looked at himself in the mirror, whistling. The blood was practically caked into his fur, but as far as he could tell there weren't any wounds beneath it.

The todd looked back up, staring into the reflection of his own turquoise eyes. "How the hell did you manage this one, Fox?"

When no obvious answer came, he resumed peeling off the rest of his clothes; each item came away sticky with sweat and/or blood, and whatever other chemicals he'd managed to get on them. He paused before climbing into the combination shower and bath, smelling himself. He grimaced and stuck out his tongue. It was a miracle he'd lasted this long without bathing or his nose shriveling up.

Wagging his tail in anticipation, Fox adjusted the shower knob so that it nearly pointed all the way to 'Hot.' When the water heated to a temperature of his liking, he stepped in and pulled the shower curtain closed behind him.

The concentrated storm of raindrops washed over his fur, immediately spreading blissful warmth through the skin underneath. His muscles lost all their tension from the past day, and he nearly slumped to the floor in bliss. The water came away red and full of dirt as it rinsed the grime and blood from his fur.

Fox closed his eyes and lifted his head, letting the hot spray crash over him like a wave. He took comfort in the womb-like nature of the shower: the warmth, the cleansing liquid, the light shining through his red lids, and the solitude the curtain provided. He was alone with himself again: safe.

Now that Krystal couldn't pry into his mind, Fox took the chance to collect his thoughts. So much had changed over the past few days. In the span of 72 hours, he'd been arrested, swindled by his godfather, abandoned by his girlfriend of four years, learned his mother worked with Andross, rescued an alien girl, and nearly died in more grizzly ways than he could count on the worst planet in the galaxy. Weren't people routinely exiled here? Like the ones who committed really-really bad crimes? And he'd been foolhardy enough to come here willingly.

Feeling lightheaded, Fox leaned forward and placed his hands on the wall beneath the showerhead. He bowed his head beneath his shoulders, letting his white hair cover his eyes.

Hot damn was he in trouble. Drunk-driving a monster truck through traffic was one thing, but kidnapping a research subject? Pepper would never forgive him, and he didn't blame the general.

Everything was going so wrong so fast. He'd lied to Beltino, and he'd lied to Mrs. de Pon. He ran off with a research subject owned by the evilest man in history. He may have started an international conflict between Corneria and Eladard, when tensions between the two begrudging allies could boil over into a Second Lylat War at any moment. All because this girl might have some connection to his mother.

The way he saw it, he had only one choice: turn back now, return the Cerinian, and… come up with another wild story. Plead temporary insanity. Maybe if he said the migraine made him do it, his therapist would back him up. Maybe if he told them Krystal mind-controlled him, they'd believe it. Could she mind-control people? Fox wouldn't put it past her.

But if they didn't buy it, he couldn't count on any more grace. This would certainly be Pepper's last straw. He'd be thrown in jail for good this time, or have his mercenary license and equipment confiscated. He'd be the laughing stock of Corneria, and a humiliation to everyone who once believed in him. How many starstruck parents would realize they named their kids "Fox" after a failure?

He saw all their faces in his head: General Pepper, furious; Uncle Peppy, disgusted; and his therapist, disappointed in him for not trying. In his mind he started arguing with paper cutouts of each one, trying to justify and excuse his actions to them as much as himself. It was the headaches that made him not think clearly. It was this vixen who'd manipulated and pulled his heart strings into freeing her. He was only protecting her from getting shot; he just wanted to hear her out! In fact, it wasn't his fault at all; it was their fault for not telling him about his mother and Andross. Their lack of communication forced him to do this—to seek answers on his own!

Fox grimaced, clutching his chest. Whenever he breathed it felt like metal shards of shrapnel were piercing his lungs from the inside-out. A veritable black hole of anxiety had formed in his chest, collapsing his ribcage with immense pressure and tightness.

Growling, Fox punched the tiled wall. Get a grip on yourself, Fox; you're getting too worked up.

He consciously focused on his breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly like his therapist taught him. He made an effort to shove the arguments out of his head, but no matter how hard he tried he kept coming back around to rehash them.

Dammit. Showers were supposed to be relaxing, but whenever he found himself alone, his thoughts always turned to his worries and confrontations. He desperately needed to relax in a spray of hot water after an exhausting, terrifying day like this, so why couldn't he?!

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Krystal lay prostrated on the bed, sniffing and drying her tears. Now that Fox had shut the door behind him, and she heard the sound of spraying water behind the wall, she knew she could cry freely without him hearing her.

She felt like she didn't understand anything: where she was, how she was so high up, the clothes she was wearing, the soft piece of furniture beneath her; nor the spacious skyline and strange, sparkling black monoliths standing outside the window. She felt so lost and confused; nothing made any sense. She had finally escaped her tormentors after years of enduring their tests, but now she didn't know where to go. She could only rely on her savior to guide her now, but even then he seemed afraid of her, and anxious to return her to the hell she'd just fled…

With Fox gone, it hit home just how alone she was. Barring the noise of running water in the bathroom, it was completely quiet in the room, leaving her with nothing but empty, roaring silence.

Ears drooping, Krystal pulled her legs to her chest and hugged them, resting her chin on her knees. Her downcast eyes flitted about the room, taking in the unfamiliar sights through the distortion of her tears. Every object seemed so foreign to her; she knew none of their purposes, meaning they just looked like bizarre sculptures meant as decoration.

Without Fox's voice in her head to drown them out, her own thoughts returned, and she didn't like that. It was the first time in several hours she had found herself alone again. The last time Fox left her, she thought he would either abandon her in the sewers or return with her captors. She had run away then… but she didn't want to run now. Most of all, she didn't want Fox to run from her.

Krystal couldn't stand the quiet. Silence meant isolation, which preceded the long sleep, which preceded the nightmares, and the endless unwaking…

Her eyes drifted to the bathroom door. Her tail flicked anxiously as she wondered, was he even coming back? Had he just left her? Was there another way out of the room she didn't know about? It sure felt like he had been gone for a long time…

Drying her eyes so Fox wouldn't see, Krystal slid off the bed and crept towards the door, intent on checking for herself.

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The todd's ears shot up. He heard the doorknob clicking before the panel slid open, and his heart began to pound.

His voice cracked. "Room service, that better be you…"

A shadow fell over the curtain, and a blue-furred head poked itself through.

"H-hakon?" Krystal asked in Venomian.

Fox jumped like a home-intruder was attacking him.

"Now that's just not fair! How did you get through that lock? I thought for sure I—"

'What is this?' she asked, looking around. 'It feels nice and warm in here.'

"You've… never seen one before? It's a shower."

She pouted. 'Of course I know what a shower is! I've just… never used one as warm as this.'

"Oh, they're great. You're gonna love it—when it's your turn. Now if you don't mind—"

Her eyes narrowed. 'I do mind. Move!'

Unabated by his protests, Krystal brushed the curtain aside and stepped in, clothes and all. Using the scant strength she could muster, she placed her hand on Fox and shoved him back, making room so they could share.

Taken aback by her forwardness, Fox retreated into the corner, strategically covering his lap with a washcloth.

"Mmm…" The Cerinian felt entranced by the sprinkling water. From the way she reacted, it seemed like the first time in her life she'd taken a hot shower. She was amazed by how soothing the cascade felt against her shoulders and neck. She turned away from Fox to face the showerhead and just stood there, letting it soak through her clothes. She seemed to drift off into a hypnotic bliss, absorbing it all in, but in the process she blocked the spray to leave him high and dry.

The vulpine shivered. He watched as Krystal swayed back and forth in front of the water flow, oblivious to his discomfort. Thankfully she was still wearing her clothes, though now they clung tightly to her drenched fur.

"Uh… Krystal?"

A blue ear poked up at the sound of her name.

"Krystal, you're not supposed to be here right now. We're supposed to shower alone."

"Jaii?"

Fox shuffled his feet and tried again. "I wanted to shower alone. By myself. Without you, you know? Plus we shouldn't be in here together while I'm naked. It's not decent."

Krystal cocked her head, staring up at the shower nozzle. 'We're not supposed to be in here?'

Fox rolled his eyes. "Well, we're not, but I can be in here by myself. See, I just wanted to be in here alone."

'Do you… want to keep all of these good feelings to yourself?'

"No! I just wanted to wash off first, then I would've let you have a turn."

'You're being silly. Both of us can fit, right?' She tilted her head back and forth so that the water massaged both sides of her neck.

Fox slapped a paw over his face. "That's not the point. It's just that… I mean we shouldn't be… it's indecent for both of us to…"

His heart stopped when the vixen turned around to face him, the tub squeaking beneath her paws. The shirt was positively soaked and plastered to her delicate frame: translucent to the point where he could see it hugging her chest.

'Fox, are you okay? You're acting a bit strange.' She followed his gaze down to her shirt suspiciously, then looked back at the todd standing conversely nude before her. 'Oh, I see. Are my clothes the problem?'

"N-not really, but you're not supposed to shower while dressed—"

'Well why didn't you say you wanted me to take them off?'

"Wait—!"

Fox's protests went ignored as Krystal peeled off her clothes and dropped them outside the shower. Each article fell to the tiled floor with a splat, down to the very last garment.

Krystal crossed her arms and firmly planted her feet, asserting dominance over her half of the shower. She glared across at him.

'There. Now am I doing it right, genius? Is this what you wanted?'

Fox's heartbeat resumed with a vengeance, ringing in his ears so that it drowned out all cogent thought. He tried to look the nude vixen in the eye, but it was a losing battle.

"Krystal, please try to understand. It's not right for a guy and a girl to be together like this."

'Why not?' She tilted her head to one side.

"It's just not something you do in society. It's not normal; people frown on it."

'What does it matter if it's not normal? No one else is here; it's just the two of us. And besides, that's stupid. No one should tell me who I can and can't be with. I'll be with you if I like.'

"But we're different, you and me."

'And this difference is why we have to stay apart? Just because I'm blue and you're not?'

"No, it's more than that. Men and women are different."

'Then how are they different? In what way?'

"Uhhhh…"

Fox let his vision wander down Krystal's body, giving into his desire. Even with how lithe she was, the blue-furred vixen was one of the most beautiful people he'd ever seen. He now had a heightened awareness of the washcloth he held to his waist, which he kept having to hold farther and farther away from his lap the longer he ogled her.

"Krystal, you… have a bit of a different attitude when it comes to these things. Haven't you noticed a pattern? Everyone we've seen wears clothes. I wear clothes. The guards wore clothes. All of the scientists wore clothes. Everyone in the city wore clothes. You've seen them."

'But I don't wear clothes,' she corrected, clasping her arms and holding them behind her back. 'None of my sisters—Cerinians, as you called them—wear clothes either.'

Fox looked towards the ceiling, resisting temptation. "Yes, but that's because they didn't let you wear clothes! Think about it. The Venomians gave you no place to hide, no way to cover up or escape their vision. That's why you called them 'the Watchers,' right? When they kept you in their prisons, didn't you ever feel cold? Didn't you wish you could cover up, or hide yourself from them?"

The more Fox spoke, the more Krystal seemed to grow afraid. She hunched over slightly, suddenly wrapping her arms around her chest. Fox noticed her growing distress and cut himself off, but it was already too late. How fucking pathetic; he'd dug up more of her memories again to win a stupid battle over cultural norms.

'I… I do remember. You're right. I didn't like being unclothed around them, but…'

Slowly she released her arms, uncovering herself again. She looked away from Fox, smiling again. 'I don't mind when it's just you. I've trusted you with my life. I've trusted you with… everything. I… I have nothing to hide from you, no matter how insistent you are or how much you argue and shout.'

Fox's eyes widened, and he looked away in shame this time. The more he tried to reason with Krystal, the more his "common sense" seemed to prove nonsensical and foolish. She had him seriously doubting his own social norms, confounding his reasoning with the wisdom of a child. In the end there wasn't any point. He was fighting against a brick wall, and he was throwing only spitballs.

"You mean you don't feel awkward about any of this?"

'Of course not! Why should I? Even if I don't have "clothes," I still have my fur.'

Fox sighed and wiped his brow. "Well, if you're not bothered, I really don't have a reason to be either. Fine: you can stay."

Krystal smiled at him. "Ssank you!" she said aloud in a Venomian accent. 'Now, what else is this "shower" for? Besides giving warmth, I mean.'

"Well, I was washing off all the dirt and sweat from today before you came in."

'That sounds nice; you did smell terrible. Is the water for drinking, too?'

"Not when it's hot, no."

'What about this?' Krystal snatched up a bar of soap from the wall pocket. She raised it to her muzzle and sniffed. 'Mmmm! It smells delicious. Is it shower food?'

"It's called soap. It's just for—KRYSTAL NO!"

Before Fox could stop her, the vixen took a hefty bite out of the white bar. Her eyes widened and she gagged, spitting out the mouthful of mangled soap. She dropped the rest of the bar and tried to wipe the awful taste from her tongue, which of course only spread more suds over it.

"ACK! Foxsu, tashich seinsu shinben!"

"I'm sorry, I tried to warn you!"

At first Fox thought Krystal was doubling over from gagging, but she was only bending down to pick up the soap. She tried to grip it in her hands but it squeezed out, firing in Fox's direction.

"Yipes!" Fox caught the bar with both hands against his chest, but in the process he dropped the cloth covering his crotch. He reached down to cover himself with his hands, only succeeding in dropping the soap again. "Aw shit…"

While he stooped over to collect the dropped items, Krystal gave up spitting the horrible taste out. She combed the shower interior for anything that could cleanse her palette.

Fox eventually captured the run-away soap as well as his washcloth and straightened back up. But his heart froze in fear when he found Krystal next upending the shampoo bottle into her throat. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

The clear shampoo overflowed from Krystal's mouth and spilled down her chin; it went about as good as the soap did.

Eyes bulging, Krystal spat out the viscous liquid, which unfortunately landed on Fox. She tried to expel the rest of the milky substance but it was too thick, and she couldn't work up enough spit. She tried to form words but only choked further. Finally she connected back with his mind, and Fox felt a myriad of feelings ranging from fear, disgust, and desperation emanating from her thoughts. 'Fox, HELP ME!'

Head ringing like a bell from her plea, Fox looked around for something to wash the shampoo out with. Bingo! he thought, eyes landing on the obvious showerhead. Reaching around Krystal, and trying not to touch her on accident, he twisted the nozzle so that the spray concentrated into a single beam. From there he turned the force down and the temperature all the way to cool. Then he repositioned Krystal by the shoulders so that her mouth stood directly in the path of the stream. Krystal gratefully gulped down the ice-cold water, then spat it out whenever her mouth filled up. Eventually she had enough and ducked out of the spray, shivering with her arms clutched around her torso.

'Fox, I'm cold. Can you make it hot again?'

Feeling chills himself, Fox stepped around Krystal to turn the knob down—only to slip on the forgotten bar of soap. He flailed his arms, prompting Krystal to try to help him. She grabbed onto the curtain to support both of them, but in the end she just came tumbling down with him as well, dragging the curtain open as she fell.

Fox saw stars for a time, but when the spots cleared he was lying in the basin of the tub under the water spout, with Krystal dazed in his arms. Her eyes flickered open, and she looked at him in confusion. The two foxes lay together for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened, and how they had ended up in this awkward position.

"Yoooohoooo, oh Foooox! Foooox?"

The young todd paid no heed to the woman's faint voice coming from outside. He found himself staring into Krystal's eyes as he held her, feeling her heart beating through her warm chest. The vixen likewise stared down at him, frozen and at a loss for words.

The voice drew closer along with heavy footfalls, snapping them back to reality. "My dears, I brought your dinner clothes! I hope you like what I picked out; I had to guess the princess' measurements, but I'm sure the color will match her—"

The stout Mrs. de Pon strolled in through the open door, carrying their clothes. But as soon as she laid eyes on the two foxes lying naked on one another, she gasped and careened to a halt. Her eyes went wide, and she clutched her heart.

"Oh! Oh my! Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt… Oh heavens!"

Fox's face blanched in horror when she saw them, realizing what she'd assume—especially given the incriminating blood that still stained his stomach.

"W-wait, Mrs. de Pon, it's not what it looks like—!"

But the tanuki had already slammed the door, her cries of, "Sorry, sorry!" swiftly fading away with her footsteps.

Fox sighed heavily, wondering what Ms. Sōzōshī must have thought about him.

"Now this," he grumbled, "is why men and women don't bathe together."

Krystal climbed to her feet and backed to the rear of the shower. Her eyes wavered like they were about to burst into tears.

"Gomenshuld!" she whimpered. "Tash—"

But a large iridescent bubble escaped her lips, and she froze.

"Nas seinsu—?" she asked, only for a smaller flock of bubbles to wobble out. This proved to be the last humiliation she could suffer, and the vixen began to sniff back tears. She turned to the corner, wrapping her arms around herself and curling her tail around her torso protectively.

Fox picked up the soap and washcloth and struggled to his feet. He reached out with his mind. 'Krystal—?'

'I wish I was wearing clothes.' Her thoughts were icy and blue: a mix of self-pity, regret, and shame.

Heartbroken, Fox reached a hand out to her shoulder, but she retreated farther from him.

'You think you are smarter than me. You know more Cornerian than I do. You know what shower food to eat and what not to eat. You think you know more than me just because you live out here on your own and can get your own food and soar anywhere you want. Because you have everyone in the world to speak to, and I've never had anyone to speak to.'

If it had been Fara, Fox realized, she would've clammed up and given him the icy shoulder for at least two days before he found out what was wrong. But Krystal's thoughts came unbidden to his mind; she didn't try to conceal them or hold them back, nor hide how she felt.

Fox didn't even try to speak with her. He quietly reset the water to warm and the showerhead to a gentle fan spray. Already it began to chase the cold away, but… he didn't know what else to do. It was usually Fara, the mature one, who tried to comfort him all the time, while he struggled to reciprocate.

For the present, Fox could only stare at Krystal's soaked back as her shoulders shook with gentle tremors. But the more he looked at her, the more he picked up small details he'd missed before. He noticed the white markings on her arms and legs; information printed directly on her like she was little more than a product for uncaring scientists. Beneath her shiny wet fur, her skin revealed a myriad of scratches and scars from countless operations. The crooks of her elbows bore constellations of needle pinpricks, telling a story of relentless injections and blood tests. However long Andross's scientists had possession of her, it was enough to leave a permanent mark on her…

But maybe he could wash some of that pain away.

Fox lathered his hands, unsure of what he was about to do. He held his sud-covered paws out, but they shook above Krystal's back as he struggled to make the last move. Finally, he worked up the courage and made the leap, placing them on her grime-covered shoulder blades.

Surprised, Krystal looked over her shoulder at him. He could see tears in her eyes, easily distinguishable from the shower water.

'What do you think you're doing?' Her thoughts glowed only a pale blue now.

'Washing you,' Fox thought back. 'Hold still.'

Krystal bent her head over, still feeling ashamed. Her wet hair flipped down to cover her eyes.

'I take it shower food is for washing and not eating,' she thought.

'Exactly. Soap loosens the dirt and leaves you smelling sweet and clean.'

Krystal startled him by banging her fist against the tiled wall. 'Why would you make something that smells so good taste so awful?!'

'Hey, I didn't make it. Of course if I had my way, I'd make it taste good. In fact, I bet they have soap like that now…'

He massaged the suds into her shoulders, wiping away the dirt and sweat clinging to her fur. In the process, however, he began to stare at the white markings which remained.

"What are these?" he asked.

Suddenly Krystal jerked away from him, covering the white lines on her arms. She must have forgotten he could see them all that time.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just curious. I didn't mean to pry."

'No, it's… it's fine.'

Slowly, Krystal released her arms again, letting him see the markings there. 'I don't know what they are, but I know the Watchers put them on me. They wrote on my body like paper, and it stayed. Sometimes they'd remove them, just to cover them over with new symbols from their needles.'

"Tattoos?" His brow fell. "That must've hurt, having them ink and remove them so often."

She sniffed, looking away. 'It didn't hurt much.'

Now that she made no effort to hide them, Fox examined her tattoos closer. A pair of bar codes circled each of her upper arms, while her shoulder bore a table of Venomian characters, and on her thighs were printed large, blocky #28's.

Carefully he traced the markings on her shoulder. "Why didn't you want me to see these earlier? When I found you in the lab, you hid them from me."

'If you assumed I was a Venomian, I thought you'd hurt me. So… I hid them.'

He laughed. "I'd never make that mistake. You're nothing like them—though you could stand to learn some manners. These things… these things don't determine who you are."

Reluctantly, Krystal lifted her arm to him, presenting one of her tattoos. 'Can you… can you clean this off? J-just like everything else?'

Fox swallowed, struck by how much she trusted him. "I can try. It depends on how permanent the job is. There's a chance it'll work, since they seem to change them so often."

Gingerly he took hold of the vixen's thin arm, using his other paw to slather the markings in soap. Krystal patiently held it aloft for him, but she blushed and folded her ears down when he touched her, looking away.

Fox furrowed his brow, working at the tattoos. He knew it would likely be a futile effort, but he still wanted to try. He kneaded the soap deep into her fur, aiming for the roots. But no matter how much elbow grease he put into it, he couldn't erase her markings.

He sighed, giving up. "I'm sorry, it won't wash away. It'll take something stronger than soap to get these out."

Krystal's shoulders fell. 'Oh…'

Having finished cleaning her shoulders and back, Fox withdrew. "Well, at least I got you clean. Understand how it works now?"

'Yes, it feels good.' Krystal turned around to face Fox again, innocently presenting her chest and waiting expectantly for him to continue washing her. Fox gulped; he hadn't planned on cleaning that part of her as well.

Before the silence dragged on too long, he instead placed the bar of soap in Krystal's hands. "Here. Uh… now you try."

This time Krystal took extra care not to drop the soap, holding it as carefully as she would a volatile explosive. She lathered it in her paws before setting the bar down. Then she slapped her sud-soaked palms on Fox's chest instead, causing him to jump.

"AH!"

'What's wrong?'

"I wasn't expecting you to wash me!"

Krystal's ears folded back again, realizing she'd made another misstep in his eyes. 'Oh… I-I thought that's what you wanted?'

"No, I meant for you to wash the rest of yourself."

'Well… I trusted you. Don't you trust me?'

"Of course I do! But you don't have to do this."

Krystal's cheeks turned red. 'Sh-shut up and take it, idiot…'

Scowling, she bowed her head and worked away at his chest, clumsily spreading the soap through his fur. It was clear she had never washed someone else before, let alone herself. Fox wondered how she had bathed in the labs, but it sounded like she never had more than a cold shower.

"Krystal…"

'Hold still and don't say anything,' she ordered, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

Fox went quiet. He knew there was no way to get out of this one, so he gave in and let the girl have her way. He closed his eyes and let his body sway slightly as Krystal massaged it. The vixen's hands felt light and delicate as she rubbed his chest, giving him internal butterflies wherever she touched.

After a time he realized the tightness in his chest had completely vanished beneath her fingers. In just a few seconds she'd washed all his anxiety away…

When her hands worked down to his stomach, he opened his eyes again. He found her intently staring at his fur, brow furrowed in concentration. The suds came away pink as she soaked out the blood from his abdominal fur.

That was right: his wounds…

"Krystal… what exactly happened when the soldiers fired on us? I went unconscious for a while, but I could swear I got shot. Where are all the laser marks? The holes?"

She bowed her head lower, letting her hair hide her eyes from him. 'Um… they all missed you: every single one. You were very lucky.'

"But if I wasn't hit, where did all this blood come from?"

'When you fell asleep, the Cerinian ignored you and went for the other soldiers, seeing their flashlights and hearing their guns. While she attacked them, I dragged you to a safe place, but I had to pull your body over one of the fallen soldiers, and his blood soaked through your clothes. There was… a lot of it. I-I'm sorry, it was clumsy of me, but you were just so heavy—'

"I know, it's fine. I'm just amazed you were strong enough to lug me that far. But you mean I just… fainted like a pussy?"

She didn't respond.

Fox frowned, embarrassed. He wanted to press the vixen further, not buying her explanation, but he didn't want to start another fight with her. Not now. Not when they were like this.

He began to feel uneasy; he'd underestimated how attached to him Krystal would become, especially in the single day she'd known him. Already she had trusted him enough to be this vulnerable and open with him. She must have been desperate for any sort of companionship like this; even if it was a shitty, downward-spiraling catastrophe of a person like him. Just how long was she trapped in that tank?

Fox's pulse accelerated when her hands wandered dangerously-low on his body, jerking him out of his thoughts. He grabbed her wrists before she could reach any lower.

"Uh, that's enough for now, th-thank you. It felt good!"

Fox reached around Krystal to the shower knob, twisting it. "We should really be going now."

'Can't we stay here a little longer?' she begged.

Fox frowned, choking off the water. "No. We better not…"

He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off with. When he finished he turned around, only to notice Krystal had wandered off, leaving a wet trail of footprints and puddle stains leading into the bedroom. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he grabbed another and rushed after her.

He found the vixen standing sullenly in the other room, hugging herself with stooped shoulders. Her hair flipped over her eyes while she dripped profusely onto the floor.

Fox swallowed, approaching her. "Here, you shouldn't be standing around like that—you'll catch cold."

Krystal acquiesced, sitting down on the bed with him while he wrapped the extra towel around her shoulders. He found himself staring at her back again, and before he knew it he was rubbing it dry.

Fox gnashed his teeth, cursing himself. Why are you doing this? She's not the only one getting attached here. Don't let this happen, idiot. You'll just have to say goodbye to her like you did to everyone else—if not an hour from now, then sometime soon. This will just make it more painful…

'What do you mean, "like everyone else"?' Krystal's thoughts surprised him. 'Who did you say goodbye to?'

At once memories of his family flashed before his mind's eye—and consequently, the interloper in his thoughts. They came involuntarily, too quick for him to stop. To distract himself, he threw more elbow grease into drying Krystal's hair.

"Are you always reading my thoughts, or just sometimes?"

Krystal fought him a bit when he attacked her hair, but ultimately bowed her head and let him do his job.

'Only when I want to.'

In that case it was just a quirk of hers he'd have to get used to—at least for a while.

Once he finished drying her blue locks, Krystal looked over at the other side of the bed, where two sets of clothes and a paper invitation card lay.

'Fox, what are those?'

He glanced at the clothes Mrs. de Pon had brought them: a formal suit for him, and an eye-catching dress for Krystal. The tanuki had gone all out for the vixen, picking out a gown that matched her blue fur. The glitter flake coating sparkled like raining sapphires, dazzling them both.

"That's the dress Mrs. de Pon left you. She wants you to wear it to dinner."

The vixen slid off the bed, picking her dress up and examining it. 'It's beautiful. I've never seen something like it before. In fact, I think it's the prettiest thing I've ever laid eyes on…'

"She knows her fashion as much as her husband knows his business."

She held it up to herself. 'I'm supposed to wear this?'

"Well you're not supposed to eat it," Fox ribbed. She glared at him, but he continued. "You can't go walking around like that out there, either. But here, these go on first. This time I'll… show you how to fasten this piece, too."

Fox helped Krystal navigate the intricacies of modern clothes, ending with the dress. Admittedly it was a learning experience for him, too, but after their time in the shower he felt a little less awkward fastening her bra. When they finished, Fox stepped back, admiring his handiwork.

If he didn't know any better, he'd think the girl before him was an entirely different vixen. Mrs. de Pon sure had picked out the perfect dress for her, somehow managing to find it on Venom, of all places. The measurements were nearly perfect, too. Though form-fitting and playfully alluring, the gown still covered the tattoos on Krystal's shoulders and upper arms, which was a must. This would make her convincingly pass as an Eladardian—and a beautiful one at that. He'd never imagined seeing her in anything besides dirty lab coats, cheap clothes, and grime-covered fur. Now however, her transformation was complete—perhaps a young lady he would've been introduced to at a high-class celebration after the war…

Krystal cocked her head. 'Fox?'

The todd blinked, realizing he'd been staring at her a little too long. He frowned, looking away. It would never work, and you know it…

Krystal's shoulders slumped a bit, but Fox was too busy changing into his own clothes to notice.

"The note says the dinner is starting soon. We have to decide if we want to attend or not."

Krystal's stomach growled, and she lay a hand on it. 'I'd like something to eat, but I don't know if I can keep it down. I don't want to throw up again. I hate what that feels like.'

"You really need to eat something, and so do I for that matter. But I'm leaning towards skipping the party altogether. We'd have too many chances of slipping up, and the longer we stay here the more time Eladard and Space Dynamics have to track us down."

'Then, we can leave now?'

"I think we should," he finished, cinching his tie. "We'll head down to the street, grab a taxi, and see if we can rent a ship off the planet. I'll have to abandon my Arwing for the present. Once we get to a safe place, I'll… figure out what to do with you."

Once both were fully dressed, Fox led Krystal to the door. He swung it open and ducked out, only to immediately stop in his tracks; just reaching the other side was none other than Mrs. de Pon, a startled look on her face.

"Oh, Fox, I was just coming to get you!" she bubbled, pretending as if she hadn't walked in on them earlier. "The dinner party is starting, you know! I came to see what the holdup was, and if I could be of any assistance. I guess I caught you on the way up, hehe! Well come along and I'll escort you!" Then, under her breath she added, "You two naughty young-ones shouldn't be without a chaperone…"

The pair of foxes glanced at each other, sinking feelings in the pits of their stomachs. But there was nothing else for it, so they set out after her. This dinner party was starting to feel more like their last meal…