Page 7 of The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979

“Well, Senka, I’m inclined to believe you saw a ripple from a drop of water. There isn’t any evidence that the Lady moved, Gufi reports that her vitals are entirely normal—textbook even. Maybe you need to make sure you are getting enough rest. I’ve smelled you cooking during the day. Maybe that time would be better spent resting.” Their glowing eyes narrowed at Senka. “Regardless, I’m going to need all of you to file a report, and we will see what Guard-Captain Aaberg makes of it. Return to your posts.”

Senka opened and closed their mouth and their shoulders fell. Their entire being seemed to shrink as the Shift-Captain and Gufi retreated.

Abi rushed to stand next to Senka, pulling their shrinking form in for a hug, holding them against her and squeezing, hoping they could feel her reassurance. “I know as well as you do that what we saw wasn’t a water ripple. The shape was all wrong. We know what you saw, what I saw. We’ll file our reports, and they’ll investigate. We are going to figure out what is going on, I promise.”

Senka melded partially into Abi, and she hoped that she was providing some small amount of comfort to her friend. She’d only had Senka meld into her hand before, and that was only for a moment. This melding covered her entire torso. Where Senka sank in, Abi felt a slight pressure, aslowing, as if part of her now operated in a different time, and a pervasive warmth.

Holding them, Abi brushed their wisps, letting them twine through her fingers. Even though it was a terrible moment for Senka, they were obviously upset, Abi was struck by howrightit felt. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened as suddenly she saw Senka in an entirely new light. Thoughts of Senka sinking into her suffused her thoughts, and she could feel herselfgrowing flushed at the thought, a light but insistent pulsing beginning between her legs. She wanted to stay here with them forever, in what felt like their secret fortress, holding them until they were so close that they couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

What was shedoing?Senka was becoming—hadbecome—her best friend, and here she was, in their time of despair, twisting their interaction into something arousing? Disgusted with herself, she loosened her grip on them, letting her friend determine how close they wanted to hug. Abi wanted to pull away, to rid her friend of her touch, but they deserved as much comfort as they wanted. Just like they deserved to have a friend, a partner, that didn’t think of them in such ways. Especially when they’d donenothingto indicate they’d want it.

Senka pulled back, their forehead furrowed, and glowing eyes narrowed.

“Abi, are you all right? Your pulse is faster than normal, and your face is all red like when you are embarrassed,” they asked, concern deepening their voice.

“Oh, yes, I’m just, flustered from,” she waved her hand around in the air, “everything. And I’m worried about you.”

Senka smiled, squeezing her hand as they pulled away. “Look at the pair of us. We’d tie in some sort of worrying competition, at least as long as you had to worry about your opponent.”

“I think you are probably right,” Abi said, hoping Senka couldn’t hear how breathless she was. “I’m getting quite good at worrying about you.”

A cough interrupted Senka as they opened their mouth to speak. Across the lake, Berne carried his wife, who seemed barely conscious, though she smiled lazily in his arms.

“I was, uh, hoping we could get some of the Lady’s water? To anoint her head?” he said, tilting his toward the limp woman he carried.5

“Oh! Of course!” Senka said, floating over to them, dipping their thumb into the water, before spreading it over Sirin’s forehead.

“I hope you have a favorable outcome!” Abi called from their original spot.

The large man chuckled, kissing the top of his wife’s head sweetly. “If that doesn’t do it, nothing will.”

In his arms, Sirin mumbled something, though Abi hadn’t any idea what it could have been. Berne gave a small wave with the hand supporting his wife and carried Sirin out, whispering in her ear.

Senka floated back to Abi, the corners of their mouth turned up, and hidden behind their hand, suppressing a giggle. “I completely forgot they were in there. I can’t believe we had all of this commotion out here, and they didn’t even notice!” they said.

“Well, we did go to great lengths to make sure we were being quiet,” Abi noted. “I can’t see how they would’ve had any idea. Especially considering what they were getting up to in there ...”

“That’s a good point, I certainly hope if I’m having intercourse, I’m not paying attention to what’s going on in another room,” they mused.

Abi’s mind immediately returned to her earlier thoughts, her blush creeping up her neck once more. She turned away from Senka, wiping her hands on her uniform pants. “Well, I would like to make another circuit, just in case we’ve missed anything.”

“If you’re sure you’re all right? Your face is all red again,” they said, placing a hand on Abi’s shoulder.

“It’s just been an odd day,” Abi assured them. “I feel like everything I knew to be true this morning has since been turned on its ear.”

“Oh no!” Senka gasped, running over to the water.

Abi ran forward. “What is it? Did she move again?”

“The cookies! I think ...” they said, pointing down at the surface of the lake, where the cookies had scattered, their soggy bits floating out toward their Goddess. “I think there was a snackcident. I hope she likes lemon-lavender ...” they said, smirking back at Abi and bumping her elbow.

“We’ll just call this an offering, eh? Or maybe your snackcident will make her move again, some cookies all she needs! At least—” they cut off, giggling too hard to speak. “At least you didn’t spit in her bathwater again ... this is a minor snackcident in comparison!”

They collapsed against Abi, laughing at their own joke. Abi threw her head back and joined, clutching to Senka as they giggled themselves breathless.

1. While the sun inside Sanctuary’s bubble doesn’t evaporate their form like it would in the rest of the world, Senka has shared that it is still quite uncomfortable without a glamour. The feeling seems akin to having sun shine on a sunburn.

2. The book in question is “An Exuberance of Culinary Pursuits” by Jules Enfant.