CHAPTER 4
Abouncer helpfully leads me out one of the many back doors and when I step into the station corridor, it’s just like it was before, with Feather.
Everything borders on unbelievable.
Further down the corridor, I see the entrance to Phantom’s and for the first time, I get a look at the sign beckoning clients in.
A vibrant array of letters I can’t read with a familiar silhouette.
It shifts to English a moment later. “Phantom’s Phuckery.”
The name always sounded funny… It looks even funnier.
The sign beneath it changes too. The little UFO that’s on our shirt blinks, advertises “Abducted aliens and human holes.”
I’d be offended if it didn’t make me laugh. I’ve never been tempted to try out the abduction role play option for the booth, but I know some of the women who have absolutely love it.
This level of the station is—I assume—an entertainment district. Along with Phantom’s there are a dozen restaurants, two theaters, what looks like an arcade, and a pay by the hour capsule hotel.
I’m not among the taller portion of the station population, that’s for sure, but I’m not the shortest, either.
I draw a few looks, but no one bothers me and I let my gaze wander.
Until it stops on a familiar eight armed man.
Mooralan doesn’t see me at first. He looks like he’s waiting for someone. And even though I know it’s not me, I walk over to him.
He sees me a moment before I say, “Hey.”
“Hello,” he leans forward and then freezes. “May I kiss your cheek?”
I should probably tell him no, but I like him, and it’s nice to see a familiar face out here.
“You may.”
His smile makes me smile too.
His kiss makes my cheek tingle.
“It is lovely to see you,” he says, “I had hoped I might find you wandering the corridors some day.”
I glance toward the restaurant. I can’t read the sign, but there definitely aren’t any humans inside, and the food on the tables isn’t something I’ve ever seen before.
“Is this your go-to hang out spot?”
He looks at the door, like he’s just remembered where he is. “No, I actually can’t eat a single thing in there… Unless I want to be horribly sick.”
I look toward the bustling restaurant and there are certainly no other aliens who look like him. “Then why are you lurking at the entrance?”
“I have a friend who loves their Sumanigi noodles. We’re grabbing our respective food before we go to a show.”
“My kind of show?” I ask with a little laugh.
His gaze drops to my lips. “Are you performing?”
“Not today.” I wonder if I could give him a private show… Some other time. “I’m exploring.”
“Would you—
Before he can finish a strange sound echoes from my right and I turn sharply to the alien who’s just come out, holding a container of what looks like worms.
Pale green skin with a crown of yellow eyes in stalks across his head, the alien man has a beak, and he clicks it at me a few times as he approaches.
Those eye stalks are familiar, but…
Shoving the container into Mooralan’s hands he drops to his knees, and then leans forward, face hovering over my feet.
I look at Mooralan with a smile that I hope doesn’t look like a grimace. “What’s going on?”
“That is how his kind greet people they think are above them.”
I laugh, uncomfortably. “I’m not tall enough to be above anyone.”
The alien on the floor comes back up to kneeling and holds out his hands. “May I?”
I tentatively give him one of mine and he presses the side of his beak to the back of my hand. “I never dreamed I would get to see you in the flesh.”
The eye stalks… “Ferrok?”
His eyes go wide and he nods, whispering something under his breath.
“I was going to ask if you wanted to join us,” Mooralan laughs and takes Ferrok by the back of his jumpsuit, hauling him to his feet. “But I didn’t realize my friend would act like this.”
“It’s fine.” I didn’t expect to run into someone I knew, let alone two someones. “What kind of a show is it?”
“A Velkoran choir.” Ferrok says, still staring at me.
I don’t know what that means, but, “I’m down if you’re okay with me tagging along.”
“Of course.” Ferrok says, so quickly I want to laugh.
Mooralan turns to him and says something with a quiet urgency.
“I don’t want to crash a party.” I say.
Mooralan’s face immediately turns sheepish. “No, it’s not that at all.”
“He was telling me to stop acting like a… I don’t know what the translation would be… a child with too many sweets?”
“Ah.”
“I don’t want his eagerness to make you uncomfortable,” Mooralan says, quickly.
“It’s alright,” I give Ferrok my hand again when he holds out his, and I watch as he seems to explore each finger. I wonder if he’s remembering the way I’ve stroked his cock. “I have a feeling it will fade.”
“If you’re coming with us,” Ferrok says, voice pitched with excitement, “We have to get you snacks. What do you like to eat? What’s something you find yourself craving often?”
“Cheese?” I say. “Chocolate? Chocolate cheese cake.”
They exchange glances and I wonder if they’re thinking of a cake made of bleu cheese or something.
“I think we’ll have to go to an Earth restaurant for that,” Mooralan says, “Do you know where one is?”
“There’s a diner a few levels down.”
They take me to the diner and insist on buying the whole cheese cake. It seems like a silly thing to take to a concert, but everything is so new, I accept my box and my spork and let them lead the way.
Mooralan grabs a giant bag of what looks like popcorn at first, but the puffy things inside are definitely moving.
We hurry to the concert and my bracelet beeps as we cross through the door.
The space is full of booths and tables and I look around at the literal feasts that are laid out in front of some of them.
And when the lights dim and the music starts, a pang hits my stomach like a hammer. “Oh,” I whisper.
Mooralan winks at me as he pops a handful of the puffs into his mouth and Ferrok twines his fingers in mine under the table.
I am not going to have a problem eating this whole cheesecake by myself.