“I might be a little late tonight.” Iris confessed. “We have an important product launch next week, and there’ve been computer problems at the office.”
“Do you have to go in to work?” Zayzann asked with tented brows. He tried desperately to conceal his anxiety, but the gentle rattling of his feathers persisted. “Can you stay home, just for today?”
“Oh, please don’t worry. I won’t stay too late, I promise.” Iris patted Zayzann on the shoulder and reached over to give Byxx a hug. “Hey, where’s Khazmine?”
Neither one of them had noticed she’d left and were at a loss as to what to say to Iris.
“I’m sure she’ll be home soon.” Byxx offered. He was glad that Iris was around and moving, but he would have rather she stayed home, too. “Try not to stay late, if possible.”
“I will, thanks.”
“Iris?” Zayzann asked as she was about to leave. “Can you make some time for me after work today? Just a few minutes. It’s important.”
Iris smiled back at Zayzann with warm, chocolate eyes. All outward appearances of illness had disappeared, at least for the moment, and he would have never guessed that she had ever felt poorly. She paced back to where he stood and ran a soft hand through the ridge of feathers that ran along his jawline.
“Sure thing.” Iris stroked the ridge of feathers once more before turning away. “I won’t forget.”
That last comment stung for both roommates standing in the entryway. Aside from some drama at the office, Iris struggled to remember much from yesterday, causing both men to worry. Could this happen again? What if they weren’t around and she fell? A torrent of questions filled their heads as the insistent rumbling of their stomachs cut into their shared silence. It was too late to do anything more at present, as Iris had departed for the bus station with her bag and umbrella in hand.
“Nothing doing for it right now, I’m afraid.” Byxx sighed and scratched at his short wavy hair. “Come on, I’ll make us something to eat. We both could use it.”
Byxx whipped up scrambled eggs and some pancakes with the last of the box of powdered mix. Zayzann was far more interested in the eggs than anything else, leaving Byxx with the lion’s share of pancakes. They sat in silence during the dreary morning as gray clouds threatened to release gentle rains. Gloom settled at the kitchen table, forcing Byxx to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Tastes good to you, huh?”
“I’m sure it would taste even better if it came without a generous helping of guilt or shame.” Zayzann barbed as he slurped up the last of his breakfast. “Aside from making and eating all of her food, we’re both practically useless.”
Byxx resented the implication, clenching his jaw and mashing a bite of pancake to smithereens with his tongue. It was an unfortunate fact that there was little that either of them could do to help Iris in any meaningful way, which caused Byxx to grimace spitefully. He ran through the events that transpired since his arrival and his face softened. Byxx was still convinced that coming to Earth was the right decision, even if it put himself and the others out.
“Zay, come on, buddy.” Byxx coaxed. “Don’t be like that. Come on, what can we do? Without an escort, I’m a walking eyesore, and you…”
He allowed the thought to trail off, unspoken, as if not saying it would make it any less of a reality for either of them. Zayzann glared back at him with sharp eyes and flared nostrils. Byxx was right, even if Zayzann hated it, he was right about their limited capabilities. In that moment, Zayzann doubled down on his commitment to master and hold a perfect human transformation. Today was the day, and he would make it happen.
“Fine.” Zayzann forced an even, controlled reply. “I just need a little space today. Please, go on about your day. I’ll be all right.”
Byxx tidied the breakfast dishes while listening to upbeat music on Iris’s stereo. The jaunty tunes intruded on the quiet solitude Zayzann was enjoying in the bedroom, agitating the edgy Paxoram. He needed a peaceful environment to practice shifting and was missing the familiar, calming scent of sandalwood that permeated the room. Zayzann busied himself with tidying their shared space, as Iris appreciated his efforts to maintain their nest. His first task was to relocate discarded clothing from the floor to the closet hamper.
A strange, metal device landed on the carpeted floor after falling out of one of Iris’s pockets. Zayzann stooped low to examine the tiny object and realized that it was some kind of “technology.” His command of Earth devices was sparce at best, so he pocketed the black thumb drive in his cargo pants to ask Khazmine about it later. She was incredibly capable with such things, and he wondered how she was able to adapt to using technology so easily.
The gray skies darkened outside, removing any traces of sunshine that once warmed the room through the dusty blinds. Zayzann stared thoughtfully to the street outside, watching the pavement darken from fresh rain. He worried about whether Khazmine and Iris would be all right in the downpour.
What started as gentle misting soon became a forceful torrent of rain that buffeted the windows of the GC&S offices. Iris had been spared the worst of it, but misters Maker, Cavendish, and Javier were not so fortunate.
Iris spent most of the morning tending to the cranky demands of Mr. Maker, including securing dry clothing for him, and arranging for a hot lunch to be delivered to his office. She was also a convenient vessel for Mr. Maker to decant abuse into, shouting and berating his misfortunes to the frightened, silent woman.
“Of all the times to close the d*mned parking garage for re-paving!” Mr. Maker shouted around Iris, but not really at her, specifically. “Look at this mess!”
She glanced over at Mr. Cavendish, who was reduced to his office shirt and slacks after being soaked by the same squall. His hair appeared damp, but he was otherwise in decent spirits. A quick wave of “hello” from him was the only friendly gesture she was to receive all day, and Iris clung tenaciously to the offhand kindness amid the storms inside and out.
Her faint smile didn’t last long, what with Mr. Maker’s ceaseless demands on her time, and the piles of invoices he’d left for her to finish. Once she’d conquered another heap of mind-numbing data sheets, her phone vibrated to indicate the arrival of a new text message. Iris’s heart sank when she read the message silently to herself, as a chill worked its way up and down her arms.
“INSUFFICIENT FUNDS WARNING: YOUR TRANSACTION HAS BEEN REVERSED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT BALANCE.”
Of all the things to forget, Iris had failed to account for her monthly utility bills when she had sent money to Lily for the rulebooks yesterday. She spent the remainder of her gloomy afternoon juggling between Mr. Maker’s demands and making discreet phone calls to beg forgiveness from her bank. Iris rarely had accounts in arears, so the bank was willing to overlook a single overdraft fee, but Iris felt defeated, nonetheless. The interaction put a damper on the rest of her miserable day, and Iris couldn’t wait to return home.
A sopping wet figure trudged through the front door, discarding their jacket and boots in a pile in the doorway. Two bright flashes of lightning illuminated the Augment briefly as she stripped off her clothing and shoved it into the tiny washing machine in the utility closet. Left with only Iris’s freshly laundered oversized top and a pair of casual shorts, Khazmine dried herself as best as possible before recovering her treasures from a worn-out satchel she had brought with her from the Progenitor’s Cove.
Khazmine clutched the satchel tightly and investigated the apartment to see what the others were up to before proceeding. From her vantage point in the kitchen, she spied Byxx heaped on the floor, nestling into a pile of blankets for an afternoon nap. A twitch of her sensitive ears told her that Zayzann was also occupied, practicing on his own in either the spare room or the bedroom. Either way, no one was around to interrupt her counting the spoils of her most recent caper.
She placed the satchel delicately on the kitchen table, as not to wake the archfiend, and began removing a sizeable quantity of loose change and rumpled bills from within. It had been an inordinately successful day, despite the rain, which forced Khazmine to smile slightly at her good fortune. A quick glance to be sure of Byxx’s slumber gave her reassurance to remove the last of her haul. The gentle clinking of pills rattled softly from the half dozen containers she removed from the drenched bag.
This ought to get her by for a while, and I dare not try this trick again unless she is desperate for more. I can’t believe I was almost caught in the act…
The pill containers each had a label with Iris’s name and information on the side, along with dosage and pharmacy information. Khazmine eyed the enclosed receipt and dreaded the sum she’d had to pay to get so many refills. Medication was so expensive to begin with, let alone having to purchase brand-name, specialty drugs. She chalked it up as necessary and essential, justifying her actions silently in her head.
It doesn’t matter anyway. I’d do it again if I had to. ‘In for a penny, in for a pound…’
Khazmine crept to the bathroom to combine the new pills with their matching equivalents in the medicine cabinet. She had finished wrapping up her covert maneuvers when she heard faint groaning noises seeping through the closed bedroom door. Wracked with insatiable curiosity, Khazmine approached the door and turned the knob, causing the door to squeak as it opened. Her eyes widened at the sight of Zayzann curled up on the bed, passed out in his human form.
Makers be, he finally did it…
After many hours of excruciating practice, Zayzann had collapsed and trembled intermittently on the bed, assimilating the last of his shifting abilities under the watchful eye of the Augment. She gaped at him in amazement before running a curious hand through his bright blue hair and draping a single, tattered blanket over his shaking body. For the first time in ages, she was surprised and impressed by his resolve and persistence. A crash of thunder rattled the bedroom windows and concealed the opening and closing of the front door from Khazmine’s ears.
The relentless patter of raindrops against the window drowned out all other sounds from Khazmine, keeping her unaware of the exhausted and heartbroken woman treading closer to her refuge. Iris wanted to find a safe place to let herself weep, away from the concerned eyes of her roommates. It was bad enough that she was struggling at work, let alone that she came home penniless and worse off than when she had left that morning. Iris pushed against the squeaky door and Khazmine was too far away to prevent her from walking in.
Khazmine was completely blindsided by Iris’s unexpected appearance and audibly startled when Iris strode in. Her shoulders raised and hands gestured for Iris to stay back.
“Wait, Iris, please.” Khazmine begged as Iris went pale at the sight of the sleeping man in her bed. “Let me explain.”
“Explain?” Iris’s voice cracked from surprise and terror as she raised a shaky hand to point at the sleeping stranger. The high pitch of her response betrayed a deep sense of panic within her. “Khazmine, who the hell is that?”
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