Starfish

Twenty-Seven

Rested, refreshed, Nina turned down the hall towards her office and hummed to herself. Wearing the grey dress that Ardus seemed to like and the pink coral pieces that were her favorite, she padded along comfortably in her bare feet and wondered how the biologist would react, her more professional look a stark contrast to the show she'd put on two days prior. Maybe he'll spend the day thinking about how I look under the dress, considering the eyeful I gave him. She chuckled to herself, recalling how the Dreen's eyes had boggled and his voice had cracked like a teenage boy's at the sight of her. She decided that today she would behave herself, throwing herself into her work now that she knew why he'd brought her to Dreenai. Thanks for that, Athe, that was the pep talk I needed.

As the frosted glass slid aside, Nina realized she'd walked in on a heated discussion between Ardus and his personal assistant. She heard Ardus's voice as it cut off - "You will not say anything, understood?" At the sound of the glass they both turned sharply, Athe flickering yellow and Ardus glowering with his eyes narrow and his shoulders tense. 

"Um, good morning?" she said, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Ardus said in a peculiar growl, his eyes darting towards Athe. The younger Dreen shot back an equally sharp look, his yellow eyes wide. Whoa, what's with the death glare? Ardus continued, avoiding her eyes, "We have work to do. Get started."

The hell? "Okay then..." Slipping behind her desk, Nina tried to catch Athe's eye. She raised her eyebrows, but Athe turned away with a handful of paperwork and a vial-stand containing their samples from the field trip. Nina read her messages on her tablet and wondered just what the hell was going on. What's his problem? 

Nia had an update for her concerning the possible antidote for sand-skimmer venom, and Meem had shared a few pictures of the maturing red worms along with a brief description of the work she'd done while they were out. A few news items as well – some dummy had drawn offensive graffiti on the embassy building back on Earth – rude instructions for Dreen to have intimate relationships with an octopus – and a report of a peaceful demonstration interrupted by some ultra-conservative group throwing rotten fish guts and handfuls of sand. Maybe that's why he's mad. Stupid people, how about instead of being racist, just be quiet! Shaking her head, Nina drew a breath to make some comment – and the smell hit her full in the nose like a physical blow.

It was thick, heavy like moist earth and sweet like sandalwood, with a dark richness like coconut shells and leather. Nina instantly thought of tobacco and the uniquely woody-spicy aroma of acacia koa, a hardwood that grew near her childhood home that her ancestors used to carve into boards for riding the waves. She gasped, drawing in even more of the powerful, bizarrely attractive scent and to her surprise, her lower belly quivered and she pressed her thighs together. Sea gods, what is that? She looked around, searching for a candle flame or plume of incense smoke, but she saw nothing. The window by her desk was closed, there was no other source she could find. 

Sniffing, pulling in more of the humid, oddly delicious scent, Nina shifted in her seat and wondered if it had anything to do with how suddenly tight and uncomfortable her underwear felt. In the midst of her squirming, trying to figure out if her clothes were the problem, Nina realized with horror that her seat felt damp. Oh no... Pushing back from her desk Nina excused herself and shuffled out, carrying her bag behind her.

Hurrying to the restroom, Nina's thoughts raced. Please, please Omi, I can't replace this dress! She careened into the washroom and checked the back of her dress in the long mirror. "Oh thank god!" Caught it just in time. Slipping into an empty stall, she pulled down her underwear. But instead of blood, her underwear was soaked with clear fluid. "The hell?" I'm just wet? I mean, that's kind of normal, but there's so much!