“Damn!” I sighed as I dropped down onto a bench and pushed away some hair that got loose. “I didn’t know Kathy could hit that hard.” I rolled my shoulders backward, that felt nice. But yeah, if she could upgrade her hits then that Oni can too, might even triple it if I’m not careful.

  “You’re telling me! Once the safety mitts were off, I learned my exoskeleton can feel soft!” Ridley said as she sat down a good couple spaces away from me. She poured some liquid onto a cloth before rubbing it into her elbows and knees. She bent them, making an oily squeak as she tested them.

  “I t-think she’s been entirely fair.” Bas said, now in her human form. But at the angle the side of head faced, I noticed her ear weren’t quite small, they were wide like an oval and even moved downward as she adjusted her curly hair. “She always tells us when we'll change courses. And she’s been helping us find our weaknesses.” Bas quickly turned to me and bowed her head. “Star lit Dragoness, thank you for being here. The captain’s been……………pressed.” She said, finally deciding on a word.

  “You don’t need to thank me, I’m here because she’s my friend. Besides, it gives me a front row seat to her awesome aerial skills.” I said, trying to downpy my apparent greatness in her eyes. I wasn’t exactly god, just a guy really.

  “But you are helping! A fuck lot more than that.” Ridley said. “We haven’t seen her that aggressive since Ellie got hurt. So thanks.” She said, ending with an uncertain look in her eyes.

  “Maybe.” I looked over at Kathy who was looking over a folder, shaking or nodding to herself. “But if I can feel her hits then I need to work harder.” I said as more of a compint to Kathy.

  “Heh, surprising you could feel that though. Heard you were there when Gatto’s tail blew. I know for a fact if it was me out there, dealing with sore joints wouldn’t even be on my list of problems.” She twisted her arm, opening and closing her fist. “My da, said a shipping container fell and there weren't any cyclops or those big Oni around to stop it. So he did. Snapped his right forearm shell and cracked his left.” She shrugged.

  “Right……” I looked away as a small frown creased my face. That happened. People got hurt, Steph broke an arm and for what? So some dumb coyote could harass Nangrine? I felt my anger boiling up from my stomach like bile, twisting and swirling. As thoughts of what could’ve done differently to protect Steph. Maybe I could’ve sto- I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Pushing those thoughts and anger down. Not important…

  “Ridley! You can’t go talking about that stuff! He was there and it’d be rude to remind him!” Bas excimed at her with a gre.

  “It happened though. People talk about these things all the time. We can’t just ignore that like it didn’t happen. Besides, I was only compli-” Ridley argued but Bas shot to her feet.

  “Just because being durable is cool to you doesn’t mean you can use a disaster as a positive point.” She angrily expined as her body shook.

  “But that doesn't change that it happened. I just think we need to acknowledge it and grow from it.” She pointed out calmly.

  Bas gred at her like Ridley was the one to set off the explosion. “I don’t like these kinds of things! First Ellie breaks her wing due to a ‘locker’ falling on her then more girls get simir broken limbs? Then a stupid beastkin blows up my uncle?” Bas was trembling now in some mix of rage and sadness.

  “Hey guys, maybe we just need to take a step back and cool our heads.” I said, trying to calm the situation but Bas quickly turned and walked away, turned into her bat form and started flying and shooting green spears into the ground.

  Ridley lowered her head. “Sorry you saw that….” Her wing ptes shifted side to side with a soft click-cck sound. “She….. Doesn’t like, uh, gory ssher flicks. And I don’t like the squirrel approach.” She got up and took a few steps.

  “Well, I can see why she’d want to just move on. I saw people get hurt, children separated from their families and a friend of mine broke her arm!” I felt my anger and regret start to poke and push my head but when I saw Ridley drop her shoulders I pushed it down with another breath. “But on the other hand many things do need to be handled unless they get bigger and turn into something giant. Maybe she’s just not ready yet.” I offered.

  Ridley nodded. “Probably. It is still fresh. But maybe I need a better way of talking.” Her wing ptes ccked together. “I have to talk with the captain…….I’m sorry if my compliment brought up some bad memories.” With that she walked off to Kathy, holding her shoulders up like some soldier. Maybe it didn’t bug her or it did, either way I couldn’t solve all their problems.

  I sighed before getting up and stretching my wings to their full length. Feeling the muscles pull from my second shoulders to the tip of my wing fingers felt nice. Helping ease off some the negative feelings buzzing around me. If I ever go back to being human, I think this is one thing I’ll miss. If going back is even possible.

  “Whoa~!” Came a very sweet voice.

  Closing my wings and looking behind me, I spotted Belle holding a bag with his scarves and cloths in it. He had his eyes full of stars as he looked at my wings and his mouth in a huge O shape.

  “I’ve never noticed how big your wings are~!” He rushed up, slowly pced his bag on the bench and rushed to my right side. He spread his arms apart, looking at me down to his outstretched left then over to his right hand. “You’re almost four me’s wide~! Although I could be wrong…” He held his chin with a scrunched up face.

  “Uh… maybe? I don’t really like thinking about it but…” I slowly opened my wing until it was about half its full length.

  Belle’s ears twitched before quickly looking up at me, his cheeks painted a barely noticeable red. “Well um, whether or not you like them, I like them because they're attached to a very cool person.” He quickly nodded like a general making an honest statement.

  I looked back at the half open wing and shrugged. “Alright. But I'm still undecided on them. They’re sorta like your ears.” I said honestly.

  “OH! Ok!” He said as he gave a thumbs up in understanding. “So are you ready to go?” He asked, kindly changing the topic as he looked away from my wing to my flight suit. His eyes slowly moved up and down my body as if taking in every detail like a scanner from a sci fi film.

  My back started to heat up as he took in every detail of my suit. “N-no… I’ll go change, be right back.” I quickly said as I rushed off to the locker room. Feeling an odd tapping feeling inside my wings, not realizing they were pulled fully open. Those soul seeing eyes of his were deadly! Deadly! He better not have some see through every material vision on top of that!

  I ran until my wings smacked into the wall of the door I was trying to go through. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I mentally screamed as I quickly forced my wings down into a messy folded position. Unaware of Kathy and Ridley giving curious looks at me and at Belle who was checking his bag.

  Once I changed and washed my face, trying to cool off, I finally went out. Making triple sure my wings were tightly pressed to my back as I walked back to him. But when Belle picked up the bag in both arms, his head was almost completely hidden behind it, he took a couple backward steps to bance himself. I shook my head as I knew he’d fall over or drop his things if he wasn’t careful. So I took the bag, holding it in my arm.

  “You don’t have to do that…… but thanks.” He smiled, the tip of his tail curling side to side as we walked. He wasn’t going to carry it, even if he begged.

  “It’s no problem. Keeps you from dropping your things.” I said with a shrug. “So have you thought of anything else for the project?” I asked as we left the flight room.

  He lifted up his arm and looked at his delicate hand, slowly rotating it and bending his fingers. His hand looked no different from the manicured hand of a girl’s. Shiny skin, long delicate fingers and polished nails. “It’s made me think. I’m a boy but-” He poked his arm. “I’m soft and probably cuter than I was before. I sway my hips instead of walking like I own the pce. I…. couldn’t even bring in all my things today.” He looked up at me with a worried look. “It’s weird, turning out different than what you thought. I think I have a lot more to learn or even understand before I could consider understanding this new me.”

  I nodded. “Yeah… There's a lot I don’t know either. Dragons or having a girl's body it’s a lot to take in. But…. maybe you’re right. This is a new person, one I have to learn about.” Learn to work with. I tapped my horns. “Like these things. Makes getting helmet hair easy but they don’t feel like a pimple or some weird poking rib. Just part of my head, like the messy hair.” I wasn’t who I was supposed to be, I’m more an uneven brick in the fence of perfectly shaped ones.

  Belle nodded. “It’s no fun when it gets all rat nesty.” He held his tail in his arms like a baby, slowly patting it. “It’s the one thing I won’t ever let happen again!” He announced. “But yeah, it’s the same with my ears feeling your exact emotion, regardless if people hide their mana aura.”

  I raised a brow. “Again?”

  Belle’s thoughtful face faltered, falling into a shy frown as he tried to hide his head with his shoulders. “Um….” His green eyes quickly looked around. “I forgot to… brush it….once….” He shyly admitted as he eyed a thumbtack on an empty bulletin board.

  “Right….” I smirked and his ears fell ft on his head. “Soooo…. You wanna tell me about….” I said slowly, teasing him with an obvious question. “How you~, feel about feeling emotions?” I asked my obvious question.

  He turned his head, looked at me, his eyes slowly narrowing with a small frown. “I can tell when you’re ‘Needy’.” Was all he needed to say, reminding me of my many mana fueled misadventures.

  I lifted a pcating hand. “OK-OK! I got it.” I said quickly.

  His ft ears curled backward like horns with a raised brow, as if asking, ‘You sure?’ Making me frown as I quickly looked away, defeated. “Could I actually ask about that?” He asked in a softer voice.

  “I-I….uh…….W-what do you mean?” Before I could just say no or change the subject, I panicked and kicked the metaphorical bush.

  Belle’s face actually turned a dark red as he tried to speak. His mouth trembled as he opened his mouth before shutting it. Finally looking away. “N-never mind!”

  He was so red, I thought I saw steam rising out of his ears. Not that I didn’t feel a simir burning heat in my face and neck. Because I didn’t!

  We walked in silence for a few minutes. Letting whatever this hot draft air away.

  “Sorry. I went too far.” He said in a whispered voice.

  “W-we both went too far. Let’s just call it even and leave it at that.” I quickly suggested which he quickly gave four nods to.

  “So did you catch that episode of EggPatato?” Belle asked, seemingly recovered from our awkwardness first.

  “Not yet, only seen a couple so far. Those chibi girls are kinda silly. It caught me by surprise how the quiet one started shooting beams at everyone there.” I said as a chuckle escaped.

  “Oh yeah! Ferrero’s is as deadly as she is adorable~!” Belle said with a toothy smile. “Pew!” His glowing hand pistols shot out beams of yellow light.

  We talked about the weird alien hamster girls for a bit longer before we reached the parking lot. There Mom was there sitting in her car, talking into her phone and writing in a notepad, once she saw us, she waved and quickly ended her call. She then shot out of the car, she waved at me but paused when she noticed Belle, she did a double take, looked at me and raised a brow.

  “Hey Mom! This is Belle, a friend of mine.” I tilted my head at him. “Belle, this is my mother.” I motioned my free left hand at her. I gave her an annoyed look, warning her not to make it weird and she fixed her hair as she smiled innocently at me.

  Mom stepped forward and waved at Belle. “Hello there Belle. It’s very nice to meet you.” She said in a friendly voice but her barely contained eye to eye smile betrayed her excitement.

  “Hello~!” He said in a higher voice that just sounded cute, so much that Mom hid a very fidgety hand behind her back. Of course. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Roberts.” His arm almost reached out with a fist, we all looked at it before he cmped it to his side. Mom’s hidden hand was now stabbing a nail into her pointer finger. “I heard from Oliver that you make amazing clothing and I wanted to ask if you accepted commissi-”

  “Of course! -EHM!” She cleared her throat and stood up straighter. “I normally don’t do this buuuut~! If you promise to model a few of my own designs-” I looked at her with narrowed eyes which she gave a small pout. “That you’re comfortable wearing then I could give you a very good discount.” She quickly added.

  Belle looked surprised, his green eyes were as huge as saucers. When he finally processed what she said, he began swaying side to side as he held his shoulder. “Y-you really think, I’m good enough to model your work?” He shyly asked.

  Mom instantly nodded. “I think so. You're cute, have a good fig-uh physique and it seems like you have the mentality for it too.” She expined, trying to rein in her excitement. I on the other hand mentally sighed.

  Belle’s shy face grew a small smile which rapidly ballooned into a huge pyful grin. “I'll do my best!” He happily agreed and crossed his arms like he was in a boy band turned stylish anime.

  Mom quickly pulled out a notepad and a pen quickly wrote something and ripped out the page. Handing it to Belle, on it was her phone number with a text only and our address. “Text me the details of what you want with any images for references. If it comes from a series then include anything you deem important. We’ll also go over what kind of thread and types of fabric to use along with what type of body shape you’re going for too. I won't always answer but I'll respond when I can……..” She looked off to the side, thinking about something before turning back to him. “I forgot to ask if there’s more than one you wanted to make.” She asked.

  Belle tilted his head to the side. “Well, yeah. I wanted a few-uh- I mean at least three. B-but, I wasn’t sure how much it’ll be so, one is good for now.”

  Mom smiled at him before offering a nod. “Smart thinking.” Her eyes snapped to me for a second before going back to him. “So, Belle. Do you have a ride home?” She asked. Clearly she wanted something, what it could be I wasn’t too sure but I hoped she didn’t pn on stealing him.

  “I’m good!” He pointed to a rge car pulling up. “Mom just got here.” He said with a big smile as if he just got two steps closer to his dream. All while the car parked opposite us, sandwiching everyone.

  The door opened and out stepped Belle’s mother. A tall and muscled frame of a battle-jin, rge muscled arms made it look like she ripped tree trunks from the ground as a living. Both her hands were that of rge paws but her fingers shifted revealing rge fingers that only showed the tip of dark pink cws. She didn’t wear shoes either because just like me, each of her toes were tipped with pink colored cws. Her feet and hands were covered in a reddish brown fur that went up to her mid forearms and calves. She had small tiger like ears above a head of short hair with a thick but noticeable short tail.

  She looked at me with a stern look, giving me a cool nod but when her eyes fell on my mother, her green eyes narrowed. Mom didn’t flinch as she raised a brow and gave an odd smirk. The weirdest thing was, when Belle’s mother walked, I couldn’t even hear the padding of bare feet on the floor. She walked in an almost slow manner, shifting her weight only after her foot nded securely on the floor. And my Mother? She walked more on her toes, not fully putting her foot down.

  Meanwhile, Belle had just casually walked up next to me and watched with a smiling head shake. I was about to ask what was going on but he held a finger on his lips and pointed at our mothers.

  Looking back, both parents smiled like they were dealing with an annoying boss. They both took one more step before Belle’s mother swung her huge paw in a swipe only to be met with my mother’s fist in mid flight. His mother’s hand swallowed my mother’s like it was stuck in a basketball! I saw both their forearms tense, muscles flexing and bulging as they eyed each other. Belle’s mother’s forearms looked as thick as a runner’s thighs. While Mom’s arms swelled to a runner’s calf, stretching her hoodie sleeve and even ripping it across the seam.

  They stood there, bodies trembling as they tried to over power the other and not moving an inch. The only thing that changed was their smiles which warped into blood hungry grins. They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Worrying me that they were about to bite into each other’s throat as veins appeared on their faces! They both pulled away and unched a punch, each fist meeting the other’s within milliseconds and bsting a gust of wind as they connected.

  “Whoa!” Belle cried as he was almost blown back, only barely standing as he clutched onto my pants and shirt. So I quickly shielded him with a wing, blocking the burst of wind though I did leave enough room for him to see what was going on. So his hair and ears ended up being blown back after each punch. When I looked back I noticed that his mother’s ear flicked, her manic smile was the first to disappear then my mother’s. They slowly pulled their fists apart, holding eye contact as they took a step back. While they stared at each other, it didn’t seem like they hurt each other and a quick look at my cat in a bnket showed Belle was ok too. He did have a new wind blown hair style though. But I kept my wing around him just in case they started fighting.

  Luckily both sides pulled back, Belle’s mom giving an approving grunt before she walked over to us. She saw Belle’s face poking out of my wing and for a second I thought I saw her eyes sparkle. But the moment she looked up at me her face was back to the don’t fuck around look.

  “This friday, wait with Belle. Dress comfortably. Your mother understands.” She said, her voice sounding smooth like a mature Idol. Not the voice I was expecting that all I could do was nod my head. Wait, she talked to Mom? When did that happen? I looked over at her and she smiled at me, nodding her head.

  “Here Mom!” Belle called as he stretched out an arm from my wing to her. In his hand was a small marble of blue light, his mother’s eyes seemed to soften as she too created a blue marble and knelt. They both slowly pushed the marble into each other’s mouth.

  Feeling weird about how happy Belle looked and the warm look his mother gave, I tried to pull my wing away and give them some space. But I felt Belle wrap his free hand around one of my wing fingers, keeping me from a getaway. The little stubborn bundle then started vibrating! I could feel it softly massage through my wing webbing and my wing muscles as Belle purred. His mother tilted her head as the tips of her lips curled up slightly before she hugged him and also started purring! My wing trapped between two purring cats, I could only look at Mom with a shocked face as they vibrated my muscles into jelly!

  Mom only offered a thumbs up before she hid a giggle. Leaving me in the hands of my captors! While Belle was like a massage machine on low power with a soothing sound to sleep to, his mother was a full body massage chair set to its highest setting. Her purring was almost as loud as a car engine waiting to go as it reverberated through me in waves. They purred for what felt like hours! But as quickly as they started they pulled away letting my wing slide off Belle. I had to widen my stance with how loose and rexed my body felt, otherwise, I’d fall and turn into a puddle. And I had a feeling I wouldn’t get up if I did.

  I tried to act like nothing happened but both mothers knowingly smirked at me as I struggled to fold my limp wing behind me. Luckily we said our good byes and they left.

  My mother leaned close and whispered. “Lucky, you’ll sleep like a rock tonight.”