Chapter 22: The Date (Part 2)

“So, what did you have in mind, hot stuff?” Annita asked as they walked through the city.

“Think ye know me better by now. I wanted tae spar wit’ ye again. Now that ye’re on yer Path with a few levels under yer belt, I wanna both get physical wit’ ya an’ feel ya out more. Sound all right?” Kat asked as she directed their course through the streets.

“Yeah, sounds good to me. Left my weapons at the inn, though.”

“Eh, we don’ have Bren wit’ us so I’d keep it tae fists, anyway. Can find some quiet place or an open space if ye’d prefer. Just like tae test meself, and ye’re right here, an’ pretty well off physically, if I do say meself.” Kat gave her a once over, a brief flush coloring her cheeks. “Yeah, don’ mind gettin’ physical wit’ ya in any way shape or form.”

“Think this’ll be the first time I’ve fought my date on a first date,” Ann laughed. “Usually it’s more talking and getting to know each other through that.”

“Aye, but we’ve done a shitton o’ that already. Nothin’ like gettin’ yer blood pumpin’ wit’ someone ye care about. On or off the bed.”

Kat had led them to a secluded patch of open space. Beneath the light coating of snow seemed to be a patch of dead grass, but it was soft enough for their purposes. Set in the middle of the area was a small fountain, the water somehow unfrozen and burbling quietly. There were a couple passersby, but overall it was pretty private.

The pair walked over near the fountain, staying close.

“What’re the rules?” Annita asked as she stretched herself, Kat following suit beside her.

“Well, don’ want too much hurt goin’ out, so nap or tap sounds good. If there’s a snap, one o’ us fecked up.” Kat sighed as she finished her routine and stood up straight, taking a stance with her arms up before her, a modified boxer’s stance. “Oh, an’ no claws. Don’ wanna ruin any more clothes.” She grinned. “Teeth too. Nylir’s arse, ye’re never unarmed are ye?”

“Guess not,” Ann shrugged. She didn’t recognize the name that Kat swore to, but would ask her later. “Sounds good to me.” She took her own stance, loose and neutral, ready to adapt to what Kat threw at her. “Ready when you are.”

“Alrighty then. Get ready, go!” Kat called as she rushed in, arms held up before her face. Once she got in reach of Ann, a quick flurry of jabs shot out.

Ann felt the difference from when she’d first fought Kat. She could follow the other fighter’s motions, swinging her hands to either deflect or dodge the fists thrown at her. She caught a couple hits that she couldn’t get to in time, but it was much better. After enduring the assault for a couple of seconds, she shoved back at Kat, creating some distance and launched a kick at her. Ann’s naturally long leg arced out and was blocked immediately by the experienced fighter, who immediately spun into the opening created, landing an open palm strike on her chest.

Ann staggered back at the first substantial hit. It didn’t hurt as much as she remembered from her old body. She checked her health and saw it at 225/230. Neither of them was going to be doing substantial damage to each other before they exhausted themselves, it seemed.

A little less worried about the situation, Ann leaned into the fight. She took the role of aggressor and closed in on Kat, going low like she had their first fight. Kat seemed to remember and prepared to catch her grapple. Instead, Ann launched an uppercut directed at Kat’s chin. Kat barely dodged the strike, stumbling off balance from the surprise. Despite this, a wild grin crossed her face as Annita pushed her advantage, striking out with another kick that landed on the other woman’s thigh with a satisfying smack. A grin that bared her pointed teeth painted her lips as well. Kat wasn’t holding back in this fight. She’d closed the gap and was actually competing. It felt so good to be able to match the girl of her desires and she wanted to keep going.

Both of them became a whirl of motion, feeling each other’s defenses out with quick, non-committal strikes. A quick front kick from Annita was met with a series of jabs from Kat. Testing her limits, Ann threw out a punch with more of her weight behind it. It hit Kat in the shoulder, but the woman didn’t even flinch, as a small flash seemed to absorb the strike. The defensive movement didn’t go unrewarded as Ann felt a fist hit her gut, followed by two more driving some of the wind from her lungs.

“I’ve got tricks o’ me own, scruffy.” Kat laughed wildly as she backed off. “C’mon, let me ‘ave it.”

“You sure? You’ve seen what my Smites do to Warped,” Ann panted as she straightened herself.

“If me own skills can’t handle that, I’d be surprised. Ye’ve only got a few o’ em, anyway. No permanent damage. Now c’mon. Let’s see ye fight fer real.”

“You asked for it,” Ann grumbled as she rushed back in.

A fierce back and forth ensued. Annita trying to get through Kat’s defenses while defending herself in turn. She chose her moment after she’d landed a solid front kick into Kat’s raised arms, knocking her backward a couple of steps and opening up her arms. Ann lunged in, driving her fist into Kat’s stomach. A flash of purple sparked from the impact as she channeled a Smite of Orenous into the strike. Kat was driven further back, toppling and rolling before righting herself.

“Gods damnit, that’s wha’ tha’ feels like. Feck.” Kat coughed a couple times before rising to her feet.

“You good?” Ann asked, slightly concerned.

“Feck yeah I am. That was awesome. Good job gettin’ me tae open up. Need tae work on yer footwork though.” Kat explained calmly as she slowly approached. “Otherwise, ye might fall fer somethin’ like this.” Kat’s right leg swept out suddenly, hooking Ann’s heel and pulling while she simultaneously pushed her upper body.

Hitting the ground hard, Ann found herself mounted by Kat, who proceeded to rain down strikes while she guarded. Catching one of Kat’s arms, Ann shoved her off and regained her footing.

“Aw, want me off ya that badly?” Kat jeered.

“Oh, I’ll show you where I want you.” Ann growled, teeth bared as she charged again, low once more. With the earlier fakeout, Kat reacted by guarding herself, allowing Ann to tackle the Alf to the ground. Quickly, she locked her legs around the other woman’s hips, restraining her movement, before sending her own flurry of blows down toward the defending arms below her.

In a surprising show of strength and speed, Kat found a gap in her offense and sat up face to face with Ann, grabbing the other woman’s torso and rolled, putting herself back on top.

Both of them were breathing hard. Ann had still only found one opening to use her smite. It was time to fight a bit dirtier. Tapping into her Desire, she cast Stoke the flames to enhance Kat’s obvious pride. It worked, and the warrior sat back slightly, a smirk on her face as she looked down at Ann. Tapping into another skill, she pushed her chest out, arching her back as she struggled to get free, but also showing off the large swell of her breasts through the tight shirt. The prerequisites met she cast Predatory Sensuality, and felt Kat’s tension slack as she was distracted momentarily by her chest.

Ann took full advantage of the lapse, landing a savage strike into Kat’s side, bolstered by another Smite. There was a resounding crack as Kat flew off her, a small white flash indicating she’d at least absorbed some of the damage with whatever skill she was using. Kat lay on the ground, gasping for air several feet away while Ann sat up, looking over at the woman, slightly stunned by how her skills had interacted.

“Feckin’. Hells!” Kat cried through laboured breaths. “That shit hurt! Good job!” The Alf rolled over and lifted herself up on her arms, before standing back up.

Ann rose to her own feet. “Want to keep going?”

“Nae, this is a friendly spar, an’ ye’ve definitely improved. Still have a coulde things I could pull out, but they’re more deadly.” She walked over to Ann and leaned up against her.

Ann tensed for a moment, half expecting another trick, but when none came, she relaxed into the sweaty woman. “You do this with all your dates?” she asked.

“Only the ones who can stand up tae it. Fightin’ lowers barriers an’ teaches ye a lot about someone.” Kat drug Ann down to lay down in the thin layer of snow as she spoke. “An’ you. Ye’re a softie. I can feel that ye hold back when fightin’ me.”

Ann began to protest, but Kat cut her off. “Not a bad thing, hon. Shows good character. Rather good trait, I’d say. I’ve seen ye fight the Warped. That’s ye not holdin’ back.”

Kat rolled over and laid on top of Ann, her smaller form fitting comfortably on top of her as they caught their breath. She leaned down and kissed Ann. It started quick and tentative before deepening. Their arms wrapped around each other, tongues playing between their mouths as they reveled in the adrenaline still coursing through them. Eventually, the moment passed, and they broke apart, though Kat remained on top of Annita. A silly grin crossing her lips, she ground her hips into the large bulge that had formed under Ann’s kilt.

“Dirty girl. Gettin’ all excited beatin’ up yer date?” she teased.

“Only when my date is literally asking for it.” Ann smiled back, grinding her hips up into Kat. A gasp and a small moan escaped Kat, and Ann felt the woman’s thighs tense in arousal.

“Oh! Tha’s not fair,” Kat said with a small voice.

“Taste of later.” Ann whispered as she leaned up and kissed Kat again.

“Half tempted tae take ye here, but I don’ think our escort would be too happy seein us create a public disturbance. Much less ‘er boss,” Kat whined.

“Shame,” Ann laughed as she let up on teasing Kat.

“Little surprised ye were down fer tha’,” Kat said as she rolled off, laying beside Ann, head resting on her left arm.

“I’ve had a couple more… daring encounters in my time.” Ann paused, considering her next words. “A girlfriend in high school decided she wanted to get frisky in some mostly deserted bleachers. Uh, stands, I guess you’d call them. She wormed her hand into my pants before I knew it. The high from the risk stuck with me. I wasn’t going to seek it out, necessarily, but I don’t think I’d ever turn it down again. It’s a rush.”

“I’ll have tae take yer word fer it,” Kat sighed as she rolled in, snuggling up to Annita. “Bein’ in my position didn’t provide much opportunity fer stuff like tha’. Not just ‘cause o’ the lack o’ privacy, but if I got caught, it’d be a feckin’ problem fer the family.”

“I mean, now that you’re out in the world that largely doesn’t know what you look like…” Ann trailed off, leaving Kat to fill in the blanks.

“Maybe, ye damned furry succubus. Maybe.” Kat held up a warning finger, then flopped back onto the ground. “I am a little tired, though. Lunch wasn’t even heavy.” Her words faded as she laid there before rolling over and snuggling up to Ann.

“Not gonna hear me complain.” Ann grinned as she relaxed, listening to Kat doze off.

The day was going well. As good as she’d hoped so far. She didn’t expect to have fought Kat, honestly, but that was how the Alf was. Competitive and straight forward. She softened a lot when she slept, though. The intensity of her brows relaxed, the corners of her lips dropped. She was wonderful, and Ann couldn’t help but lean down and place a kiss on the woman’s forehead. A faint mumble sounded from Kat before she drew closer to Ann’s side.

It took all Ann had to keep quiet at how excited she was. Kat was incredible. A strong person, individualistic and honest, strong as fuck and sexy as hell. She was a fantasy come true for her, and she was interested in her! The giddiness of the feeling just seemed to grow as she spent more time with her, too. It was amazing. How the hell did she get so lucky?

At the thought, Ann’s thoughts turned to Orenous and said a tiny prayer to the flirtatious Goddess, thanking her for the second chance at life. She didn’t think she’d done anything to deserve it, but was thankful all the same.

They laid there for an hour or so, before Kat stirred. “Mmm, sorry. Dunnae what happened. Just got real sleepy. Anyone ever tell ya ye’re really warm?”

“Just you, and you’re the only one that’s been with this body,” Ann laughed as she let Kat draw away.

“Lucky me. Ugh, what time is it?” Kat asked as she sat up.

“Not sure. It’s been an hour or so? Maybe a bit longer?” Ann rose beside her, shaking out her mane of hair and ears. “Looks like the clouds are clearing up. Helps with what I wanted to do.”

“Yeah? Lookin’ forward tae it.” Kat laughed.

“Anything else you want to do?” Ann asked. “My plan is later, once it gets dark.”

“Hmm, take a walk? Grab a bite? Ye owe me dinner.” Kat reminded her playfully.

“That I do. I kind of want to see the city a bit more, too.”

“I got the place fer that then. Much less crowded, too. C’mon.” She stood and offered her hand to Ann. She took it and they set off toward the wall.

Once they reached the towering structure, Kat took a moment to talk quietly to a guard, and they were allowed in to a gem lit tower, with a coiling staircase leading up. After several flights, Kat cracked a door open, and a cold wind blew in against them.

Exiting, Ann found herself on top of the outer walls of the Keep. The view was incredible. To her left, the outskirts of the city spread out. Small buildings dotting the landscape. Forests and plains clearly divided as they stretched out into the distance. To her right was the city itself. Dark, with a magical dusting of snow. Having been on the streets she could now see the clear divisions between the areas visible. She could make out the market district with its different roofs, the residential spaces with their squat square buildings, and some more industrial areas.

“Love comin’ up ‘ere when I’m in town,” Kat said, taking in the view herself. “More privilege, I know. Just somethin’ about bein’ up ‘ere, away from it all. Helps clear me head.” She took Ann’s hand and led her along the walkway. The guards didn’t bother them as they made their way, just the occasional glance with Abeline following at a distance.

It was a quiet moment. Time for them to just take in the world around them, together. Ann relaxed, content to just spend her time with Kat. Kat, in turn, didn’t seem to be eager for conversation up here either.

After an hour or so of comfortable companionship, Kat broke the silence. “This is nice.”

“Yeah. It is.” Ann replied simply.

“Some people think the quiet is all awkward an’ shite. Takes the right person tae make it comfortable.”

“Yeah.” Ann agreed again.

Kat pulled closer to Ann, turning the taller woman to face her. “Yer one o’ those people, ye know?” She reached up and took Ann’s chin in her hand. Gently, she guided the taller woman’s face down to hers, meeting her with a gentle kiss that set Ann’s heart racing. Chaste, but loving, Kat pulled back, blushing deeply. “I… yeah.” She seemed at a loss for words. Something Ann hadn’t seen from her much.

Ann smiled softly, holding Kat’s face in her own hand and stared into the Alf’s beautiful eyes. “I’m getting hungry and I owe you dinner. Then my idea for today.”

“Aye, c’mon.” Kat laughed as they headed to the nearest stairway back down into the city.

They walked back toward the market area of the city. The energy had changed since the morning. It was still busy, but less chaotic. People moved slower, and the lanterns and torches gave a softer mood to the streets. The town was starting to quiet down. Moving through the buildings, Ann spotted what looked like a pub, or at least what she thought was one. It was warmly lit on the outside and the sounds of music and talking could be heard even from outside.

She led Kat through the doors, past what looked like a bouncer, and took in the room. It was a pub, thank the Gods. One side of the dining room was a bar with stools, manned by two bartenders cleaning their counter and taking orders. The other was a wider, open area with tables loosely spread across the space, chairs surrounding them, and booths set into the walls. A waiter rushed up to them, a shorter Alf with chestnut hair and a friendly smile.

“Greetings! How many?”

“Just the two of us,” Ann replied.

“Got you. Table, bar or booth?” the man asked.

“Booth, I think.”

“Right this way then.”

The short Alf escorted them to a booth near the center of the rear wall. Patrons flanked them on either side, but conversation in the building was loud enough that some privacy was afforded them.

Food was standard pub fare. Ann ordered a steak and potatoes. Kat took a fish dish with some greens on the side. Both ordered a flagon of ale.

“Christ, I’m glad places like this still exist too,” Ann sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

“Christ?” Kat cocked her head.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Ann glanced around. No one was paying attention, but she kept her voice low enough that only Kat’s enhanced hearing could pick it up. “An old God from my time. I can fill you in on that later, though.” Raising her voice, she continued. “Good people, good drinks, good food. Ahh, I could spend my evenings here.” She grinned wolfishly at the rest of the place.

It was a fairly cozy atmosphere. Everything inside the building was a rich wood with only accents of the black stone of the Keep. The people were lively, shouting back and forth over the bar, conversations happening at large tables, and drinks flowing freely. The clientele was all sorts as well, from rougher looking types to average people. Not many wealthy looking folk were present, but there were one or two. The wait staff bustled to and fro, greeted by cheers at the rowdier tables. Everyone was having a good time tonight, and the feeling was infectious. Ann felt a grin spreading further across her lips.

“Yeah, I like it here.”

“Aye, only been here once before. Was a decade ago, but looks like they’ve got a good group attendin’. So, Ann. How was yer life growin’ up? Can’t imagine ye were gettin’ intae life an’ death brawls all the time.”

“Oh, it was definitely… different,” Ann began, being careful how she worded things. “It was mostly peaceful. My mom was an accountant. Someone who worked with money. Dad was a biologist, studying the body. He liked marine life the most, so I got a really good foundation in math and science. They were pretty cool parents overall. Mom was a bit dry, but made up for it with how much she cared for us. Dad was always coming up with projects for us to do. We went to lakes, took road trips to the ocean, all sorts of things. I could tell you tons of stuff about the things that live, or lived, in the ocean. Not sure how much is still around. Anyway, yeah. I grew up with them, went to school like a normal kid, made all sorts of friends. I wasn’t always the most popular kid, but I hung in there with the kids who liked me.”

Ann took a moment, taking a long drink from her flagon. “It was fun, all things considered. Had a bitchy teacher in third grade that drove me nuts, but she was generally an exception.”

“Interestin’.” Kat said, thinking over the story. “Surprised yer dad was so focused on an area. That’s usually only somethin’ the wealthy can afford. Were ye rich?”

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” Ann paused. “Er, I guess we were well off? Stable for sure. I don’t know. I had a messed up perspective on all of that. I grew up with them and their means. I thought it was fairly normal, but then I got out into the world a bit more and saw what poorer people had to deal with and came to the realization I had definitely had a better than average childhood.” Taking another drink she shrugged. “Not like I can really complain. The world is going to go on no matter how I was raised.”

“Aye. I guess from my perspective, it’s kinda impossible not tae know I was technically above everyone else,” Kat grumbled. “It’s warpin’, in a non magical way that gets ye extra limbs an’ drives ye nuts.”

“For sure. I just tried to keep it in mind when talking to people, that I had a different experience than a lot of others.”

A waitress showed up at their table, carrying their food. A surprisingly quick turnaround, but it looked and smelled delicious. They both dug in, appetites stoked by their brawl earlier.

“Mmm,” Ann grunted around a mouthful before swallowing. “I meant to ask you. Earlier in our fight, you cursed to Nylir I think it was? Who was that?”

“She’s a Goddess, like Orenous. One o’ the major Gods at least. She’s got domain o’er war, warriors, an’ a good amount of the negative emotions tha’ come with war. Hatred, rage, shite like tha’. Tae be honest, kinda surprised yer, uh, situation,” Kat made a gesture at Annita’s everything, “wasn’t tied to her.”

“Yeah, well, my patron said I was where she put down roots, so it was mostly because of that I imagine,” Ann responded. She had to keep double checking herself to make sure she wasn’t blurting out her connection to the gods.

“Makes sense,” Kat said, returning to her meal. “Ye were sayin’ before the food?”

“Right, so, grew up, went through elementary, middle and high school. I honestly don’t remember much of middle school. For your reference, that was ages 11-14. Just had a lot of fun with friends, got into trouble, roamed the neighborhoods causing trouble. I think that’s when I started figuring out I was a bit tougher than other girls, though. I would play rough with the boys and not care, but still liked the normal girlie stuff too. Anyway, then high school came, and I figured out I was attracted to girls. I learned a lot in the school part of things, but even more about people because of my tastes. Turns out a lot of people in my time decided I wasn’t worth anything cause I liked a woman over a man romantically. Got into a lot of fights because of it. My girlfriends and I both. I usually took the beatings, though.”

“Tha’s not great,” Kat interjected. “Glad ye fought ‘em. Wouldn’t have stood fer it meself either.”

“Yeah. Still got a chip on my shoulder about that. Pisses me off when people judge others just for who they are. They can’t be the arbiters of someone else’s desires, and if they want to try to do that to me, they can kick bricks. I got suspended a couple times from school because of those fights. Bullies just wouldn’t learn, and the school wouldn’t do anything. My parents understood, though, so at least there was that.”

“Good, at least ye had that.”

“And my girlfriends, yeah. Even after we broke up, there was a sort of solidarity cause being gay was rough. Anyway, then I graduated, and it seemed like the world chilled out a bit. University was much more of a focus on education for me. Yeah, had the one girlfriend, but I told you how that turned out. And that’s pretty much it. That’s my life in a nutshell.”

They returned to their meals, eating in silence for a bit as it seemed Kat digested both the story and her food.

“Well, at least it tells me why yer so predisposed tae scrappin’,” Kat grinned. “Got it literally beaten intae ye.”

“Oh yeah,” Ann grinned back. “Got pretty good at it too. This new, uh, circumstance,” Ann wiggled her arms, emphasizing her body, “is throwing some of that off. It might have been quicker to adjust if I’d taken one of the other Paths I was offered.”

“Right, ye said there were four when ye earned it. I’m curious, what were the others?”

“Well, two are embarrassing as fuck, so keep that in mind. I’ll keep a certain name out of it too. The first was Shameless Exhibitionist.”

Kat spit out her drink, coughing roughly as she gasped for breath. “I’m sorry?”

“I told you,” Annita hissed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“I need the description on that one.” Kat insisted.

Ann squirmed in her seat, before leaning over the table and gesturing Kat to do the same. Once she was close enough, she explained the perverted Path, and its proposed benefits and drawbacks. As she spoke, she could see Kat’s long ears turning redder.

“Orenous be damned, that’s a description an’ a half. An’ that was only one o’ the two embarrasin’ ones?”

“Yeah. The second was Feral Scrapper. It was all about fighting with my Lupine traits. That’s what I meant by it probably helping to adjust. The third was the one you know. The last one was, uh, Pervert of my patron.”

“Oh, tell me now. Don’t tease me like this.” Kat leaned back over the table.

Ann quickly lent back over and whispered the details.

Kat sat back and laughed uproariously. “Holy Hells girl, you really got the full spread there.”

“No kidding,” Annita sighed as she sat back. “Listen, now that you’ve heard my Path, I don’t think I’ve learned either yours or Bren’s at this point. I know they’re pretty private, but you know literally all of mine. Feels fair.”

“Aye, it is. Honestly, I shoulda told ye mine a while ago. It’s Stalwart Protector. Combat class that focuses on defense an’ makin’ sure I’m the one takin’ the hits. Obviously has a couple offensive things, but mostly focuses on defense. The other two I got offered were something to deal with my ‘station’,” she made a crown with her fingers, “and another dealing with politics. The choice was obvious.”

“Yeah, and Bren?”

“I’ll leave ‘im tae tell ya. I’ll remind ‘im though. He’s generally good at rememberin’ things, but forgets like everyone else,” Kat said with a smile, wiping some of the beer off her side of the table before taking another sip.

They’d both finished their meals and just enjoyed some further light conversation as the sun set.

“Hey, it’s about time for what I wanted to do. Do you know anywhere that’s a park or something close nearby?” Ann asked.

“Aye, settle the tab an’ let’s head out.”

Ann paid the wait staff at the bar, three silvers covering their food and drinks.

Kat led Ann through the streets once more, this time darkened and lit by the occasional torch, gem, or just the moon and stars. The buildings suddenly opened up into an empty stretch of snow, trees dotting the landscape, and a frozen creek and pond sitting close to the middle. It was deserted. Both because of the time and the snowfall.

Ann took Kat’s hand and plopped down in the middle of a big open space, brushing the snow away from a space next to her with her tail. She patted the spot and Kat sat down as requested.

“It’s not much, but I just wanted to look at the stars with you. Call me sappy, but it’s something I’ve liked doing with my partners,” Ann explained.

“Yer sappy,” Kat jabbed back, “but tha’s not a bad thing.”

Ann closed her larger hand around Kat’s, holding it tightly. “This has been a really fun day. Thank you.”

“An thank ye. Ye made it all the more fun,” Kat said with a huge smile. “’Aven’t had fun like this in a long time.”

“Me neither. It’s just so easy around you for some reason. Might be that we’ve literally been in life or death situations together, but I don’t feel like this for Bren,” Ann admitted.

“Aye, I get what ye mean.” Kat paused, thinking. “Not sure where this is all headed. What the future holds fer us. I hope it’s good.”

“Me too.”

They laid there quietly, staring up at the heavens.

“Out of curiosity, do you have names for the stars?” Annita asked.

“Aye. Generally fer the Gods. Let me see,” Kat searched the sky, then pointed. “That bigun there is fer Orenous. Over there is fer Qu’sella, an’ that one is fer Eas.”

“Fill me in on what they do?” Ann asked, taking note of the positions of the distant suns.

“Qu’sella is a dual god and goddess. They move between the two an’ have a different aspect per side o’ them. Qu is a wizened witch, Goddess of magic, and all mages. Sella is kinda a frumpy professor type. He’s all about leaning and knowledge. Scholars and their like take to him,” Kat explained. “Eas reigns over the wind and speed itself. Can’t really call them him or her, since they don’t really have a form as far as we know. It’s odd.”

“Oh, right, I remember Bren saying Their name when he was saying bye to the cart drivers. I meant to ask him about that, but forgot.”

“So, I’m guessin’ y’all had very different names fer all o’ them.” Kat gestured to the sky.

“Yeah, definitely.” Ann scanned the sky, looking for the familiar constellations. “You see the three there, in a line?” She pointed with an extended claw to further refine her direction. “Those were called Orion’s Belt. They’re part of a bigger constellation, or group of stars, that look like the hunter, Orion. He was a mythological figure supposed to be the son of a woman and one of the gods of the sea, Poseidon. There were a lot of stories about him, so it all depended on who you ask. That one over there,” she shifted her direction, and Kat’s head followed, brushing against the arm she’d laid down on, “that is what we called the North Star. Part of the Big Dipper constellation. It’s actual name was Polaris.”

“Like the General?” Kat asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Yeah, just like that. It’s interesting the name survived all this time. Anyway, if you trace it down, you can see two bright stars in a line, then four in a box. That’s the Big Dipper. And over there, that’s Ursa Major, it’s supposed to be a Bear.”

“It looks nothin’ like a bear, tho’.” Kat protested.

“I mean, if you look at it like this,” she drew out the outline, “it kind of does.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Kat huffed. “You sure your people were smart?”

“Oh, lay off,” Ann laughed. “I don’t think most of our astronomers were artists.”

They spent a while like that. Annita would point out a constellation, Kat wouldn’t get it, and argue. She’d try to make it make sense, and sometimes it did, but the rest of the time Kat refused the idea. Soon enough, the two were laughing at the ridiculousness of the exercise, as they laid close together.

After a while, Kat had seemingly lost some of her inhibitions, and had reached across Ann, snuggling up against her head, her right hand gently resting on her breast.

“Ye know what?” Kat asked.

“What’s that?”

“Ye’re pretty when ye’re actin’ all smart,” the Alf replied.

Ann turned her head to face the woman, suddenly aware of how close they’d gotten. “Just being me.”

“Aye, an’ it’s sexy as hell.” Kat leaned in and kissed her.

There was a moment of hesitation before Annita melted into the kiss, relaxing and letting Kat take the lead. She felt the other woman’s tongue pushing against her lips and let it in, feeling her breath catch at the intrusion. Her heart was pounding as she shut her eyes and focused on her other senses. Kat’s smell was all around her, that earthy, solid smell that stabilized her. Kat’s weight was so comfortable on her, and she shifted the woman to lie more solidly on top of her. She felt Kat’s hands run through her hair as they made out, fingers massaging her scalp and then brushing against her sensitive ears.

Annita moaned into Kat’s mouth at the feeling, only encouraging the other woman, who increased her attentions to the sensitive organs. It felt incredible, her tail beginning to thump against the ground in satisfaction and her underwear was getting much tighter than it should be. They broke apart for a breath, but returned to the kiss almost immediately. This was the night, and both their patience was wearing thin. Ann’s hands roamed over Kat’s body, feeling her move, paying attention to spots that elicited different noises and reactions. Breaking the kiss again, Ann’s eyes fluttered open to see Kat blushing a bright red, panting for breath on top of her.

“I want ye, Ann,” Kat whispered down to her.

“I fucking need you,” Annita replied, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“No more waiting. Back tae our room.” Kat ordered, rolling off Ann quickly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kat took her hand tightly, and they ran back to the Mercenary Association as quickly as their magically enhanced bodies would take them.