Wherein the snake reflects upon morning dew

Notes: Thank you very much for reading! I might make a fully 18+ version of this at some point. Credit to Simeon Solomon for his painting of Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene used for the project's image, and thank you Nyominca for being my editor! Tags Relevant!

Wherein the snake reflects upon morning dew

As evening descends across the Rhodes Island landship, the familiar sing-song bell rang out over the comms system. The intrusion reaches into the library and stirs Ho’olheyak from her lethargy. She was idly paging through a novella she’d read before, hoping something would grab her attention. Unfortunately, she had finished reading through all of the public offerings here long ago, but these trips to the library were all that kept her from languishing in her room.  

Ho’olheyak emerged from her nest between the shelves, tail loudly sweeping the floor behind her. Before she could reach the door however, she noticed a familiar shadow peeking out from the shelf directly across.

“You know, you’re not being particularly sneaky, elf”

Muelsyse steps out holding a book of her own, an annoyed smile evident on her face. “Aww jeez, you caught me!” she laughs, then allows the smile to fall. “Not everything needs to be about you. Can’t I just be grabbing a book myself?”

“Oh is that really your excuse?” Ho’olheyak’s voice is dripping with doubt. “I see either you or your clones every day aboard this landship, do you really expect me to believe it’s a coincidence?”

“And I have to listen to the sound of your disgusting tail sweeping across the floors every day, I don’t exactly enjoy it either.” Muelsyse pushes past her to make her way to the door.

“ Neither of us are happy to see each other, so put up with it.”

She can hear Ho’olheyak let out a small ‘hmph’ behind her as she leaves the room, and shortly after the sound of the other woman leaving as well. The sound of Ho’olheyak’s tail swishing across the vinyl floors followed her down the hallway, but Muelsyse refused to give her the satisfaction of looking back. That is, until the insufferable noise followed her down turn after turn. 

With a huff, she finally turned around. “Maybe I should be the one accusing you of stalking, hmm?”

“Oh dear,” Ho’olheyak sighs. “I knew this would happen.”

Muelsyse’s eyebrow twitches, her face curving up into a frustrated smile. “Like it’s my fault you’re following me? Shouldn’t I be the one worried after what happened at Trimounts?”

“Yes it is your fault. I’m not following you, we simply happen to be going the same way.” Another huff. “You can think whatever you want, just don’t try to hold me up over every one of your delusions.”

With that she brushes past, her tail lightly tapping the elf from behind before continuing down the hallway. Muelsyse clenches her smile before rushing forward. Neither of them allows the other to pull forward, and so the pair walk side by side in silence, their amusing feud obvious to any passerby. Finally, she reaches her destination, the office of the Doctor of Rhodes Island, and smugly turns to see if Ho’olheyak continues on her way. Ho’olheyak however stops too. “Don’t suppose you’re just taking a break?”

Refusing to even deign to respond, Muelsyse simply knocks on the door. 

To no response.

She sighs in disappointment and turns from the door, expecting to be ridiculed. Surprisingly Ho’olheyak simply slides past her, grabs the handle, and opens the door of the office. Confidently she strides in as if she owned the office instead, her swaying tail daring Muelsyse to follow. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

“I came all this way,” Ho’olheyak purrs smugly. “And with such annoying baggage too. A little unlocked door isn’t gonna get in my way.”

Muelsyse lets out a small sigh before following her in. The Doctor’s office is relatively plain, their desk kept clean of ornaments and decorations. Despite that, it is not whatsoever clean, loose papers splayed across their workspace and shelves cluttered with a polychromatic array of binders. Behind the desk was a lonely water cooler flanking an imposing array of metal cabinets, surely filled to the brim with each operator’s medical records. And across from the desk, starkly standing out from all the other harsh angular furniture, is a wide bright orange couch. It was probably one of the few things the Doctor had been able to choose themselves, Meulsyse thought. But now laying her thick gross tail across that couch was Ho’olheyak, glancing over the desk like it were hers.

“Well now, little miss honor student,” she coos, “aren’t you breaking the rules as well?”

Muelsyse daintily picks up the tip of Ho’olheyak’s tail, then tosses it aside to make room for herself on the couch. “My conscience never would have let me sleep if I left you alone in here. Not that you’d understand anything about that.”

She gives a half-hearted ‘ha’ in response, before pulling away from the desk. “You really shouldn’t worry your pretty little head about that. Even I have bridges I wouldn’t want to burn.”

“Wow, really? Last I remember you were eager to change sides every chance you got, so I’m pretty surprised you’ve got any bridges left!” Ho’olheyak gives no response to her pointed jest; she’s busy pouring over the binders still seemingly unable to find what she desires. “Soooo, who’s your lucky confidant?,” Muelsyse continues. “Is it maybe Kal’tsit? Or Closure?” She pauses to gauge her reaction. “Or are you really so unsubtle that you’d come to Doc’s office and rifle through their stuff to find something to keep them interested in you?”

Ho’olheyak’s head feathers ruffle at the accusation, but she quickly calms herself and returns to her search. “What makes you so confident in a claim like that?”

“Well it’s what I did.”

“What!?” She completely drops the binder she was about to pull out and turns to face Muelsyse. “...I must’ve let your good girl act fool me to let something like that throw me off.”

“Cause I am such a good girl, of course!” She smiles and uses both hands to point at her face. “And it’s out of that goodness that I’m telling you, give up.”

“What, give up!?” Ho’olheyak nearly screams. “Give up my only chance to carry on in this world?”

“I know just how tempting it is, you stupid snake!” Muelsyse snaps, rising from the couch causing the other girl to flinch. “Finally, someone else who’s just as alone as you are. Someone who’s as timeless as you need. Someone who can afford to not abandon you for being as you are… I thought it all too.” She takes a step forward, coming close enough to touch Ho’olheyak. “But they’re all lies made up by a hopeful mind, just delusions.”

“Shut it! Don’t pretend I’m anything like you!”

“I’m not pretending anything, it’s just the truth. They’ll never actually be as alone as we are. This entire landship is proof of it. Doc is surrounded by people who love them, and cause of that they’ll never be what we need. And even if they tried to be, someday they’d move on too.”

Ho’olheyak clutches a fist while meeting the elf’s gaze. Without any words she tries to swing, but Muelsyse easily catches her wrist and takes the opportunity to pin her against the wall. “Damn elf… since when have you been strong enough to do that?”

“I think you’re the one who’s gotten weaker, actually,” she teases. “Spending all these days sitting on your tail and spinning useless plots made you a little more… tender.” 

“You wouldn’t be looking so smug if I could use my arts in here, or did you already forget how I trounced you at Trimounts?”

Muelsyse gives her a sly look, and comes in closer to her face. “Don’t worry, I came up with a secret technique just for dealing with you. Wanna see?”

Before Ho’olheyak can say anything, Muelsyse seals her lips with a kiss. She struggles to voice her displeasure, only for her partner to take advantage of the opening and slide some tongue in. The feeling is not unpleasant, and for a moment her libido tries to convince her pride to just give in. The internal debate is interrupted by an unfamiliar sensation even to Ho’olheyak’s memory. A cold, slick feeling is coming from the elf’s mouth, and before she can ponder it further the feeling invades her. A tentacle, made from Muelsyse’s control over water makes, its way throbbing into her throat. Despite the torrent, Muelsyse does not cease her tongue’s exploration of the other woman’s mouth.

Their kiss lasts nearly two minutes, before the tentacle is pulled from Ho’olheyak’s throat. It’s removal is gentle, and she can feel every inch of it leave her body. As she catches her breath, a very audible swallow can be heard from Muelsyse.

“You… you’re a pervert…” Ho’olheyak manages to get out between breaths.

“Ha… and you’re the one who’s weaker than a pervert,” Muelsyse sneers. Pulling close, she speaks gently. “Even if your pride is too intense for you to be honest, I’ll take you.”

“You thought that little would be enough to win me over?” Ho’olheyak huffs as she regains her breath. She slips her tail around Muelsyse’s waist and manages to pull her off, causing her to stumble backwards onto the couch. Ho’olheyak strides forward and straddles the elf, eliciting a blush from her. “Prove your initiative to me Muelsyse, show me how you’d ‘please’ me.”

---------- Doctor’s Log, 23:37, 3/11/1XXX I am recording this log shortly after I finished my evening rounds. Upon returning to my office, I noticed an unusual noise coming from inside the door. To my great alarm, I found I had left it unlocked, and I carefully entered to not alarm the intruder. Inside I discovered Operator Muelsyse, half naked and half visible behind the couch. She appeared to be sitting on something, with an object I soon realised to be Operator Ho’olheyak’s tail wrapped around her waist. I believe Muelsyse noticed my entry and winked at me, though it was hard to tell in the dim light. I left the room as quietly as I had entered, and informed Operator Utage on night watch to lock up my office as soon as they had finished their ‘business.’