Chapter 4
Winny
"Alright Gillian, I'll let you two exchange any pertinent information about the kids while I grab that bucket for Marina," Ginger says, as I wade back over to talk to the octopus shifter. Ginger nods when she sees me approaching.
Ginger shifts and cuts through the now still water to get the bucket. It takes me a second to realize the bucket is probably because they don't want Marina to risk a shift before the shifter medic arrives either. That makes sense.
Gillian stares after Ginger then turns to me with an apologetic expression, mauve tentacles drooping. "I'm so sorry for scaring them. I panicked when I saw where Marina ended up and..."
"Don't apologize for protecting your kid. You did what you had to do. Leighton will be fine, they're the one who owes your Marina an apology. And I think you too, from the looks of it. Leighton scared about a decade off you, huh?"
Gillian grimaces. "Oh, they're my sister's kids, not mine."
I have to focus not to get lost in her gorgeous eyes when she finally meets me gaze. And I'm officially hard up if I'm perving on her as I read a tragic backstory into that simple correction.
Is she here with her sister's kids, as in her sister's tragic demise landed her as a young omega single-mom to half a dozen orphan niblings?
Or maybe not quite six of them, it's still hard to count them, even now that the littlest one has recovered from their shock enough to chase the others around their adult's tentacles in some game of their own devising.
Maybe there's nothing traumatic to their story.
Her sad eyes combined with the ferocity of her protective side plus the way the little ones cling to her for comfort has my gut telling me to tread carefully with that line of questioning.
"Ah, I'm here with my niblings too," I say.
Bonding moment with the very pretty omega and it avoids demanding disclosure of potential trauma.
"Well, three of them, plus two of my siblings.
I'm a raven shifter, and so is my brother, their omega dad.
Their alpha parent is a bear shifter though, so the little ones have three forms to create chaos in. "
"Ah. Well, bears and ravens aren't known for their venom, so that's a relief.
" Gillian give a weak chuckle. "We're all octopus vulgaris; so she's too young to produce any venom yet, unlike static octopus fry, that doesn't develop until they're a bit older.
So nothing you need to worry about. Ginger was asking. "
"What about the ink?" I ask, since Leighton definitely got at least a taste of that.
Gillian grimaces. "Our ink can irritate eyes and delicate skin, leave stains, and a bigger dose messes with your senses of smell and taste for a while.
It wears off in a few hours though. For what it's worth, there's no lasting harm.
The same compounds we produce naturally were the basis for over-the-counter scent blockers you can get at the pharmacy these days.
Trudy, my sister, interned in the same lab where they developed the first scent-blockers back in the sixties.
So it's really really safe, but some animals don't react well to ingesting our ink, so if your little one has an upset stomach later, that's probably why. "
"How sick? My brother is a worrier." I try to hide my wince at the prospect of trying to explain this to Bram.
"It only causes mild nausea and light-headedness and usually only lasts a few hours at most. Um.
My sister uses all the fancy science words to describe it, but for a dermal exposure, it mostly just kind of a mild contact dermatitis?
Contact reactions are more common for shifters in an aquatic form.
If undiluted ink is ingested in large quantities, it can cause mild vomiting.
Sorta like food poisoning. And depending on when she inked, Marina could have given the kid a hefty dose by reflex.
She was scared and even adults can't control it all that well in a heightened emotional state. "
"I think she inked after Leighton spit her out. Unless they can ink twice in a row like that?"
Gillian brightens, shaking her head. "It's possible, but not likely. I guess she didn't react until she hit the water, so that improves the odds of minimal side effects and maybe food tasting a little funny for the next little while."
Okay then, Bram might murder me if Leighton is up all night puking from octopus slime poisoning that isn't venom, or Leighton might just milk the fact that peas taste funny for all they're worth.
Still, if the equivalent of a stomach bug is the worst case, then I can probably handle Bram's reaction. Crisis resolved. Mostly.
"That's good to know, thanks." I give Gillian a tentative smile, gearing up to part ways.
I can't bring myself to end the conversations when I notice how anxious she still seems, her tentacles wrapping around her body like she needs a hug.
Okay, crisis mostly resolved, I'm not leaving Gillian here with a flock of little ones and no back up while she's still silently gripped by panic.
It doesn't take living in that constant state to recognize it with how well she masks the worry, but there's so many little things about her posture that scream for someone to reach out a hand to pull her out of whatever is going on in her head.
"Yeah, no problem. I guess I should try to get the kids ready to go when the medic arrives." She hugs herself tighter instead of acting on that thought though.
I lock onto her fascinating eyes, and even on the heels of crisis, I can't help noticing they're equally captivating in her human form.
I borrow from my raven for a partial shift of my vision, just enough to see the extended spectrum of light my avian side is privy to and she's even more stunning.
The fear swirling in the depths of her gaze is more stark too.
"Oh, wait, I almost forgot, I never introduced myself, and we should exchange numbers.
In case anything else comes up when we talk to the kids' parents.
" I offer her a hand to shake, since she seems to find touch comforting.
"I'm Winny, she/her and I don't know if octopus shifters have a nose for pheromones, but whatever your senses are telling you about me, I'm an omega.
I find it's less embarrassing all around to be direct about that, even though propriety says otherwise. "
"Oh. Yes. I agree, direct is better. Nice to meet you, Winny.
" She twines a tentacle around my hand and the soft pulse of her suckers is practically a seduction in itself before she gives a startled squeak and abruptly shifts her limb into an arm to shake hands instead.
"Sorry, um, my suckers can kind of taste things they touch, but no super sniffer. So, yeah."
"Ah, another thing we have in common then.
Enchanted to meet you..." I trail off pointedly even though I already heard Ginger using her name.
I miss the sensory feast of her other form's touch already, but I try not to let my disappointment show as she gets adorably flustered.
Huh, her octopus limbs change to a vibrant citrine as she stumbles over introducing herself.
It's adorable. I'm starting to get the idea these octopus shifters change color like mood rings.
What would it be like to get to know her well enough to read those fascinating colors of hers?
"Uh. I'm omega. I mean. I'm Gillian. Also she/her.
And I'm an omega too," She ducks her head, then glances down at the children swimming by her feet.
"Oh! Are those little octopus toys what your nibling was playing with?
I suppose I can understand the confusion in that case.
" She scoops them out of the water and offers all three toys to me. "They're almost as cute as my niece."
"Ah, not quite." I cough self-consciously as I hold out my hand. "The animal shape was a mistake in hindsight. Next time we'll have to use ones that don't resemble any of the other children. "
"Good call." Gillian nods, making no move to let go of the toys even as I curl my fingers around the tips of her tentacles to take them from her.
"So. You bring the kids here often then?" I asked, wanting to find a way to see her again without making it too obvious.
"At least once a week if we have the time." Gillian's face falls. "Or, we used to, but the kids are going to daycare full-time now since I got a job."
"Oh?" I ask. Ugh. I am not step-parent material. If the kids are her full-time responsibility then I have no business pursing this omega.
"Yeah." She nods. "Long story, but while I was going to school I was their nanny, but now that I've got my degree and I'm teaching and they youngest two are old enough for the full day at their parent's work daycare we don't spend as much time together."
"Ah. Sounds like a lot of big changes. No wonder you were so on edge at the first hint of danger.
" I commiserate even as a part of me preens at the new information.
She's single and ready to mingle. I'm free to get her number or arrange another time to see her or.
...feathers, what is wrong with me? I'm still watching the kids.
Sure, Elric has a handle on the situation, and adult support, but I have the information I need, this is no time to indulge in flirting.
"Yeah." Gillian licks her lips and my eyes follow the movement, so now I'm staring at her mouth. Is it obvious that I want to kiss her? Probably.