Chapter 6 #2
Zef winced at the rough treatment and rushed to aid Gem before he ruined the dress they had spent hours creating.
Willow sat on the couch and resumed crocheting the blanket as Tad worked on her own craft, what looked like one of her bodysuits in a camouflage pattern.
She was trying to attach a full mask to it that would cover everything except her eyes.
Like he was avoiding sitting close to Tad, Bryce took one of the lounge chairs, a textbook in his lap. He set his water cup on the side table, and Zef knew he would forget it there. But that was okay. They were strong enough to weather it.
As Gem shimmied the material over his well-endowed derrière, Zef retrieved their measuring tape, pins, and tailor’s chalk. The dress was nearly finished, but it still required last minute adjustments and hemming. Deities, the hemming. It was the bane of Zef’s existence.
“It’s so beautiful,” Gem commented as he smoothed numerous hands over the material.
“And you are still pleased with the color?”
Gem nodded as Zef pinched the excess fabric above his hip and pinned it. “Yeah, I wanted something chic, you know?”
“You usually like flashier colors,” Willow said as she counted her stitches, “but you’ve been wearing white a lot lately.”
“White looks good with my skin tone,” he said evasively, and Willow hummed but didn’t look up from her blanket. “What are you making, Wil?”
“A baby blanket,” she said.
“Ew, you’re pregnant?” he said before he shook his head and added, “Wait, Dryads don’t get pregnant, never mind.”
Willow chuckled. “It’s for a friend.”
“Gross,” Gem mumbled as Zef knelt at his feet and pinned the hem of the skirt.
“You will be wearing heels, yes?” Zef double-checked, and Gem nodded. “Then I will leave it slightly longer to accommodate.”
Clearly not paying attention to his textbook, Bryce scooted forward in his seat. “What’s the dress for?”
“My hatchday drag performance. Zef and I perform together sometimes, but we always do a special one when it’s my hatchday.”
Bryce’s attention jumped to Zef. “You do drag?”
“Yes, once a month in Lust,” they said.
“They’re hella good. They don’t even lip-sync. I have to, though; I can’t carry a tune in a bucket,” Gem admitted as he straightened his four lower arms so Zef could check the sleeve lengths. “You should totally come watch us perform next weekend.”
“I’d love to come. If that’s okay with Zef, of course.” He sent Zef a weighted look, like he was asking for permission.
“Of course. You are more than welcome,” they said, and Bryce grinned widely.
“Cool.”
To ensure Bryce was not left out, they all chatted in English as Zef finished the final adjustments to Gem’s dress.
When Tad successfully attached the masked hood to her camouflage jumpsuit, she crawled onto the couch beside Willow and pulled a baggy of snacks from her pocket.
She munched on nuts as Gem tested his movement in the dress.
“How does it feel?” Zef asked as Gem spun in a circle.
“Feels great. Maybe a bit tighter under the arms on this side compared to the other side.” Gem gestured to the pins under their middle right arm. “Other than that, feels perfect.”
After adjusting the right sleeves, Zef checked the straps on Gem’s shoulders. “And the neckline and straps?”
“Well, my tits fit last time, so it should be fine,” Gem said as he held the loose fabric at his chest out. “I was going to bring them today too, but I forgot them by the door.”
“I hate when I leave the house without my boobs,” Willow teased, and Tad cackled.
“If real boobs were detachable, I would probably be on board with having some,” Gem said, doubling down when Bryce and Willow cocked their heads. “No, for real. Some outfits look way better with titties, but I wouldn’t want to have them attached all the time. They’re too heavy and cumberbun.”
“I think you mean cumbersome,” Bryce said.
Gem blinked at him. “That’s what I said.”
“Mine have never bothered me, but they’re also quite small,” Willow said with a shrug.
“I only get tits if I spawn, and you know that ain’t ever happening,” Tad said through her mouthful of food.
“Girl, preach!” Gem said, raising his top hands as if in worship.
“If you are happy with the fit, you can take it off, and I will make the final changes,” Zef said.
Pilfering through the pockets of his trenchcoat, Gem withdrew his phone and unlocked the screen. “Okay, I wanna show Rus, first.”
Tad and Willow exchanged a look, like they were in on a joke Zef was not, but before they could ask for explanation, Rusty’s husky voice crackled from Gem’s phone.
“If you’re calling because you got arrested for public indecency, I’m not bailing you out,” the Pyclon growled, and Gem made a noise of indignation. “I told you not to go naked on the train.”
“Um, first of all, I was not arrested. No one even knew, which means I was right and you were wrong. Secondly”—Gem scowled down at his phone—“how dare you not bail me out of jail, you bitch!”
“I don’t have money to bail you out.”
“Well, would you at least come visit and smuggle in porn for me? Honestly, it’s the least you could do.”
Rusty sighed heavily, voice deadpan as he said, “Sure, Gem. If you were ever incarcerated, I would smuggle in porn for you.”
The Araknis simpered. “Aw, that’s so sweet. I’d smuggle in porn for you too. Unless you’re too demisexual for that. Do you even like porn?”
“Uh… not always?” Rusty said haltingly. “Did you seriously call me to talk about porn?”
Gem tittered. “Oh, no, I just got distracted. I called to show you my dress. Say hi to Rusty, everyone.” He turned the phone around to show a close-up of Rusty’s face, a pair of glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose.
“Oh my gods! Was I on speaker this whole time?” Rusty barked as he whipped off his glasses.
“Yes,” they all chorused, and the Pyclon snarled.
“For fucks’ sake, Gem!”
“Oh em geez, sorry. It’s not like you said anything embarrassing. No one cares that you don’t like porn.” To everyone else in the room, Gem said, “Right, everyone? No one is judging Rusty for not liking porn, correct?”
They all shook their heads.
“I also do not enjoy pornographic imagery unless it is educational or artistic in nature,” Zef said. “I once watched a documentary about the female orgasm, and it was fascinating. Though I did not find it titillating as others might.”
“Porn—like, porn-porn—is never educational, Zef,” Gem said, and everyone else in the room nodded their agreement.
With a huff, Zef crossed their top arms over their chest. “Yes, I am aware that pornography is fake.”
“I didn’t know you wore glasses, Rusty,” Willow said, thankfully changing the subject. “They look very nice.”
On Gem’s screen, Rusty ducked his head and scratched behind his ear. “Oh, uh, thanks.”
“They do look good, right? I told him it makes him look like a sexy professor,” Gem gushed, bringing an uncomfortable chitter from Rusty.
“Yeah, which was weird,” Rusty grumbled, and Gem rolled several eyes.
“Whatever. I meant it platonically. Anyway, we’re getting off track. Here.” Gem shoved his phone into Zef’s hands. “I want Rusty to get the full view.”
“Hello,” Zef greeted the Pyclon.
Rusty settled his glasses on his head and offered a half-hearted wave. “Uh, hey, Zef.”
“Turn the camera around,” Gem instructed impatiently, and Zef obeyed. “So this is pretty much the final product. Just imagine tits.”
With a snort, Rusty smiled softly as he—Zef assumed—studied Gem in his white dress. “It looks nice.”
“Yeah? You think so? And the color’s good?” Gem asked, smoothing several hands down his sides.
Somehow, Rusty’s expression softened even more. “Yeah, Gem, the color’s great.”
Wriggling excitedly, Gem skipped toward Zef to take his phone back. “Okay, cool.”
As Gem rang off, Tad leaned into Willow and whispered in her ear, then she looked at Zef and pantomimed fellatio as she pointed at Gem’s back.
Wait, was she suggesting Gem and Rusty were sexually involved?
That seemed unlikely, but Zef always found it difficult to pick up on those types of things.
So perhaps she was correct, and they simply had not noticed.
Now that they thought about it, it would explain the strange way Rusty and Gem had been acting since Gem’s hatchday surprise at the Illian Caves.
And why Zef had caught them covertly holding hands during the walk back to the car.
Not to mention, the walk-in cooler incident, which Gem had played off as nothing more than him assisting a co-worker.
Good gracious, had Gem not, in fact, been giving Rusty upsies? The pheromones inside the walk-in had been suspiciously sensual, and both Gem and Rusty had been out of breath. From kissing, no doubt!
Oh, and Zef had known it too. They had seen it. But Gem had been so convincing, and they had allowed him to gaslight them. The audacity. The betrayal!
“Do you need me for anything else?” Gem asked as he wiggled out of the dress, carefully avoiding the pins.
“No,” Zef said stiffly, ripping the dress from Gem’s hold.
Gem startled, thin brows arching as he slowly shrugged on his trenchcoat, cinching it around his waist to cover his near-nudity. “Okay, guess I’ll head out, then.”
“Fine,” Zef said, refusing to look at the Araknis at all.
“Well, thank you, Zef. The dress is absolutely perfect,” Gem said hesitantly. “I really love it.”
The flattery thawed their irritation somewhat. “You are welcome. It was my pleasure.”
With a tentative smile, Gem brushed a knuckle over the back of their hand. They almost rebuffed his farewell, but they did not truly want to hurt his feelings. Gemae was so sensitive, and they did not like it when he was sad.
So they shuffled over a step so their shoulder brushed Gem’s arm. “See you at work.”
The Araknis grinned, showing off his small fangs. “See you at work.”
He flitted around the room, saying his goodbyes, then slipped on his shoes. With a wave and several air kisses, Gem left, and Zef carefully fitted the dress back on the mannequin.
“I need to be at the Dryad nursery in an hour, so I should also start cleaning up,” Willow said as she shoved her yarn back into her bag.
Bryce lowered his textbook instantly. “Oh, I read about that. The Pentagram has the second-largest nursery in the dimension, right? After the Sacred Grove, of course.”
Willow’s face brightened. “You know about the Sacred Grove?”
“I mean, I read about it in a book written by a demon—I mean, Hellian,” Bryce corrected sheepishly. “So I assumed it was accurate.”
“It is. The Sacred Grove is where our species originated, the location where the first Dryad was created by Mother Dynu.” Willow returned her scissors and crochet hooks to the foldable holder. “At least, so our ancient texts say.”
Leaning forward, Bryce propped his arms on his knees. “Is that your deity?”
“I suppose. She is… Mother Nature, as you humans might say.
We do not worship Her in the sense of singing hymns or following holy rules, but we do respect Her and Her creations.
We honor nature by taking care of the land we have been given, by treating others and ourselves with kindness and respect, by not over-consuming our resources.
“Some Dryads may put more stock in our faith, burning offerings and petitioning fortune and plenty through prayer,” Willow expounded as she buttoned her canvas bag closed, “but I admit, I do not, though I do adhere to some traditions.”
“Like the Dryad pilgrimage to the Sacred Grove?” Bryce asked.
Willow’s smile brightened even more. “Yes, it is our most revered tradition. I have yet to complete mine, but I hope to embark in a year or so. You are very knowledgeable, Bryce.”
Another flush darkened Bryce’s cheek under his beard. “Oh, I just like reading, I guess.”
“I see why you and Zef get along,” she said, and Bryce’s gaze darted to Zef’s.
They made eye contact, and Zef resisted the urge to duck their head for reasons they could not name. Instead, they offered Bryce a small smile, one he returned with gusto.
“Yeah, I guess we do. Right, roomie?” He tossed the cap of his highlighter at them, but they caught it with their lower left hand before it could bounce off their shoulder.
“If you say so,” they said haughtily, but the wriggle of their antennas gave them away.
Laughing boisterously, Bryce dodged the highlighter cap that they threw back at him. “Okay, fine. Be that way, then.”
With a quiet giggle, Willow shot Zef a look they could not interpret. “Like I said, no wonder you get along.”
“Man, I wish the nursery was open to the public,” Bryce said as he popped the cap back on his highlighter. “I mean, not that I would just gawk at the young Dryads or anything. I don’t mean any disrespect. I just find it all so fascinating. Mom always says I’m too curious for my own good.”
As Willow stood, she studied Bryce a moment before saying, “I trust you would be a very respectful visitor. Would you like to accompany me to my shift today?”
Bryce straightened in his seat. “Wait, for real? I could actually—like, it’s allowed?”
“You would be my guest, so I would take responsibility for you. There are rules you must follow, but I trust you will.”
The human nodded exuberantly. “Of course. Are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along?”
“Not at all.” Turning to Zef, she added, “You’re welcome to come as well.”
“Oi, what about me?” Tad demanded, and Willow’s expression stuttered.
“Oh, uh, unfortunately, I can’t bring more than two visitors, Tad,” Willow said, and the Anura narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Convenient,” she sniffed as she tucked her baggie of snacks back into her pocket. “Not like I wanna go see prepubescent Dryads anyway.”
“And you’re sure it’s okay that I come?” Bryce asked again, and Willow nodded her agreement. With a beaming smile at Zef, he jumped to his feet, already vibrating with excitement. “This is gonna be awesome!”