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Ptem’s thoughts turned to a lingerie shop called Lovechild Boutique on the way to the Alabaster Lyceum. Its windows displayed a colourful selection of outfits and Ptem stopped for a few seconds to admire them each time she passed by. Lace body cages and satin camisoles adorned the humanoid forms behind the glass and P... |
Ptem hadn’t mustered the courage to go in yet. He told Shilvik that she was too shy. |
"Do you have a friend who would go with you?" they asked. |
Vim was a natural first choice and he would happily accompany her. But the objective was for Ptem to start improving his self-confidence independently and while he’d be buying something to wear in front of him, it would probably be best for her to go with someone else. That way, Ptem could keep it a surprise. Seeing he... |
Ramas, Lirovan, Jennare, and Vodagh had seen Ptem making sex toys and they were all excited about her business partnership with Gilmore’s Glorious Goods. While Ptem’s new friends would be likewise supportive of her getting lingerie, she was too self-conscious to let them see him in any state of undress or give her advi... |
Ptem had no doubt that Shaun Gilmore would wholeheartedly approve her acquiring lingerie. Ptem considered him a friend but even though Shaun flirted with her mercilessly, she’d prefer to keep their relationship professional. He hoped Shaun would forget the incident where she accidentally showed him what her and Vim’s c... |
Neither Lark nor Adhlea would be interested, but Djemari would probably agree to go with him. They’d already seen Ptem naked so he could comfortably try something on in the shop if he wanted. They might have recommendations and opinions on what would look best. It was also possible that they’d want something for themse... |
"I think so," Ptem said. "I’ll ask Djemari when I’m back at the house this evening." |
"Good plan," Shilvik said. "Perhaps you can go shopping on your day off." |
"Maybe. Thank you," Ptem said. |
Shilvik finished the session and reminded Ptem that he was to ask Djemari to go shopping with him, and that he also had to spend a day doing nothing before the next time they met. Ptem confirmed that she’d complete both tasks. She left Shilvik’s office and headed across the city for work. |
Despite its illogical layout and lack of mass public transportation, Ptem liked Emon. It was a beautiful city with plenty of green space and it was much more open than her congested hometown in Fëlaráthæl. Between her appointments and outings, he’d had the chance to explore. Restaurants served a variety of internationa... |
As always, Ptem passed Lovechild Boutique and he stopped to look through the window. There was a new piece on display: a black leather harness that looped over the form’s arms and crossed over its chest. Several buckles connected the straps at the waist and Ptem smiled to herself as he pictured Vim wearing it. He could... |
Ptem had only ever used leatherworker’s tools a handful of times; he knew how they worked but they weren’t his specialty. She wouldn’t be able to make anything as intricate as the harness on display, but a simple design would be manageable at his skill level. Ptem could finish the magic flower vase she was working on a... |
Vim’s anal plug was an ongoing project that he could work on at the same time as her smaller ones; the magic needed time to take to the raw materials and she was attempting to imbue it with the effects of several spells at once, which meant it would take even longer. He had yet to hear back from Shaun about whether any... |
Satisfied with her plan for the rest of the day, Ptem found the Institute for Arcane Preservation and went to Professor Yarrow’s office to start her workday. Ptem was coming into work more often than not, which she was pleased about. The olisuba tea he drank each morning had helped and Ptem hoped her bouts of tiredness... |
Qebissk was already at their desk when Ptem arrived. They looked up from their writing and greeted Ptem telepathically, asking how she was. He told them that she was doing well and returned the question. Qebissk was busy preparing the first draft of their dissertation but wanted to keep working with Professor Yarrow so... |
Ptem nodded. I understand that, she said. Sometimes, you need to do something else and come back to your main project later. He smiled, knowing Shilvik would agree with him if they’d heard. |
Ptem and Qebissk worked independently for a while, occasionally stopping to ask each other questions about the material and discuss their interpretation of various phrases. When it was time for lunch, Ptem asked Qebissk if they wanted to get food with her. Vim was eating with his support group friends at a restaurant i... |
Qebissk agreed. They pulled on a lightweight cloak with a protective lining and followed Ptem out. She took them to a nearby café called Diabolos & Reznikoff’s, which served a variety of student-friendly meals—quick and filling. Ptem ordered a vegetarian pasta with a spicy tomato cream sauce, a glass of lemonade, and a... |
Ptem parked her wheelchair off to the side and got out to sit with Qebissk. She handed them their food and opened her own container. He unscrewed her jar of powdered theki root, sprinkled a little over the pasta and stirred it in. |
I have to take medicine for my... condition, if you were wondering what this is, Ptem said, a blush blooming in his face. I wouldn’t season my food without trying it first. |
Ah, I see, Qebissk said, smoothing down their blue scholar’s robes and sitting with their legs in front of them, crossed at the ankle. I wasn’t going to assume or ask. It’s none of my business how you take your meals. |
Ptem nodded and began to eat. She asked about what Qebissk had ordered and they told him that their dish contained seafood from the caverns in the area. It was a variation of a recipe popular among illithids living on the Material Plane. |
I’m glad there’s familiar food here, Ptem said. They chatted about what they liked to eat and about the differences between the cultures they’d experienced growing up. Qebissk was one of seven siblings to four parents, and they could all communicate telepathically when they were within five miles of one another. As Pe... |
A pang of guilt lanced through Ptem as he told Qebissk about her own family. She continued with the Verdant Expanse lie. Ptem kept the conversation focused on how he learned Deep Speech and the various spells he used it for. She caught herself several times just before he said anything revealing about his timeline. I ... |
Are you up to anything exciting next week? Ptem asked, changing the subject. He’d told Vim that she wanted to invite her friends to his service, and Qebissk might be interested. Ptem didn’t know which gods, if any, they followed, but it would be something to do outside of work. |
Probably editing the bibliography of my dissertation, Qebissk said. I’ve put it off because it’s my least favourite part of the process, but I can’t procrastinate any more. How about you? |
I always hated citations as well, Ptem agreed. My partner is giving a service in Draconic at Erathis’ cathedral on the evening of the twenty-fifth. You’re welcome to come. There will be food and drinks in the temple gardens afterwards. |
I am not religious, Qebissk said. But thank you for the invitation. |
Oh, I’m not either, Ptem said. It’s a religious service, but it’s also a community gathering—especially for the Draconian diaspora—but everyone is welcome. You don’t have to come if you’re busy with your dissertation, but I wanted to let you know anyway. |
In that case, I shall come, Qebissk said. I speak Draconic. I haven’t met as many people here as I should. I spent all my time reading and working when I was doing my undergraduate degree. |
Well, I’m inviting my other friends as well. My travelling companions will also be there. You can meet them all, Ptem said. And I can introduce you to my boyfriend. |
Thank you, Qebissk said. That’s very kind. |
Of course, Ptem said. Oh, and my twin will be there as well, she added hastily. Djemari was looking forward to Vim’s service even though they didn’t know Draconic. They were more curious about the temple and Vim’s work than anything. Also, the food was guaranteed to be good, as several Draconian restaurants were cat... |
Ptem and Qebissk finished their meals and went back to the office. They worked until five o’clock, at which point Ptem got up from her desk and stretched out his back and thigh muscles. She flexed her fingers, stiff from writing. He wished Qebissk a good night and left for the workshop. |
She was glad to have spent some social time with Qebissk. They seemed to need it. In university, Ptem would have shut himself away and done nothing but study too, were it not for the friends she made. Once her time at the Alabaster Lyceum was over, he hoped she and Qebissk would stay in touch. |
Ptem arrived at the workshop and opened the door to find Jennare and Vodagh mid-conversation at their respective workbenches. |
"—and that’s why you should never light a bonfire within fifty miles of the Cauldron Sea," Vodagh said. "Oh, hey, Ptem!" |
"Hi," Ptem said. "I’ll remember that if I ever go anywhere near the Cauldron Sea. How are you both?" |
"Very well," Jennare said. "They still won’t tell us what they’re making," he remarked, glancing at Vodagh’s station. Their contraption’s three legs were now reinforced with bracers and Vodagh was tinkering with a compartment on the large dome. Ptem craned his neck to see. |
"I said I’d tell you before Ptem leaves," Vodagh said. "And I will. Just a bit longer." |
"I know when that’s going to be now," Ptem said. "I leave on the first of Sydenstar." She wheeled to the shelves at the back of the room and retrieved her project from her bin. He was working on a magic vase for Vim. He brought bouquets of flowers home every day and had run out of vases to keep them in. |
She’d had the idea to prevent it from being knocked over. Thus far, Ptem hadn’t been able to include that feature without also adding a command word to activate it, which would become tiresome quickly, so he’d changed his plan. The vase could now be dropped but it would always land upright and keep its contents safe. S... |
Ptem didn’t know much about nature magic but he’d found a book in the library that had some ideas she could experiment with. After some assistance from Lirovan, Ptem managed to make an item that did what she wanted. All he had to do was finish a couple of rows of filigree decorations, then he could start on a harness. |
"Where are you headed?" Vodagh asked. |
"The Dreemoth Ravine in Wildemount," Ptem said without looking up from his crafting. |
"Oh, I’ve been to Wildemount a couple of times. Both times for research," Jennare said. "You won’t go without saying goodbye to everyone, will you?" |
"Of course not," Ptem said. "Actually, I wanted to invite you all to go out with me next week." She rolled over to a low table so he could stay seated while he worked. |
"Oh, yeah? What did you have in mind?" Vodagh asked. |
Ptem explained that Vim was leading a service at Erathis’ cathedral and they were all welcome to come. |
"I don’t speak Draconic and I don’t think Ramas and Lirovan do either," Vodagh said. "Can we still come even if we don’t understand what’s happening?" |
"That sounds like a job for my translator," Jennare said. "I’m happy with how it processes Common, Draconic, and Elvish. If your partner speaks a particular Draconic dialect, it might not be the most accurate, but it should be faithful to what he’s saying. And if you attune to it beforehand, it won’t disturb anyone els... |
"Haha, faithful. Did you do that on purpose?" Vodagh chuckled. |
Jennare snorted. "It’s like you don’t know me at all," he said, grinning. He turned to Ptem. "But yes, I’d love to come. It’s about time I met the man who is receiving the things you make here." |
"I’ll be there too. If I don’t understand anything, I’m blaming you," Vodagh joked as they wagged their finger mockingly at Jennare. |
"Thanks," Ptem said. He’d need to ask Ramas and Lirovan as well when she next saw them. He unpacked her things and put her mask and safety goggles on. She got out a notebook and opened it to the page where he’d sketched the design. Ptem began to twist the thin metal strands she had made into intricate swirls, pausing o... |
As he worked, she chatted to Jennare and Vodagh and told them they’d be able to meet Qebissk, the party, and Djemari at the reception after Vim’s service. |
"You didn’t mention you had a twin before," Vodagh said. |
"I didn’t," Ptem said. "It hadn’t come up yet." He looked down at her metalwork, afraid that her guilty expression would give away her lie. |
"Well, it’ll be nice to meet them too," they said. |
Ptem fell silent and tuned out the rhythmic clanging of Vodagh hammering their plates into shape and the occasional crackle as Jennare infused various components with magic. She buffed the decorations on the vase and ran a finger over them to check they were smooth. He pressed the bands around the neck of the jar and t... |
"What are you making next?" Jennare asked, seeing that Ptem had finished the vase. |
"A harness," Ptem said, rubbing her hands dry with a cloth. "Just a simple one with three straps. I’m new to leatherwork." |
"For yourself?" |
"For Vim," Ptem replied. "It’s much more his aesthetic than mine. But I’m going to check on the anal plug first." She retrieved her pearl and the stone from his staff then went through the side door that opened into the mixing room. Pots of different sizes filled with various liquids bubbled, hissed, and churned. Some ... |
Ptem’s pot was a vat of molten, medical-grade steel with two rotating paddles stirring it. He held the pearl and her stone in one hand, placing the other on the side of the mixer. He muttered the Elvish word for reveal. She kept her hand there for one minute and closed his eyes. The arcane formulae appeared in her hea... |
"How’s it going in there?" Jennare asked. |
"It’s going well. The infusions have taken and I’ll add some more on Miresen. It’s fine for now," Ptem said. |
"Good. Love that for you," Vodagh said. |
"Thank you," Ptem said. He wheeled back to his crafting table and turned to a new page in his notebook. A pressed marigold lay on the left-hand side of the spread and she smiled. When Vim brought her more flowers than they had vases for, he cut them short and pressed them in his spellbook. She’d chosen to stick them to... |
Ptem took up a pencil and sketched the pieces he’d need for the harness. He also wrote out the message he wanted to emboss in the strap that crossed over the back. Her handwriting wasn’t as neat as Vim’s, but he made the Elvish letters as uniform as possible and outlined them in ink. She cut them out—they’d be the temp... |
She rolled to the supply closet and retrieved a roll of black leather. Ptem didn’t know Vim’s exact measurements, but the harness would be adjustable anyway. He could make it larger than he thought necessary and if the rest of the strap got in the way, she could always trim it later. |
Ptem did as much work as he could before hunger began to gnaw inside her. He’d managed to cut the leather, stitch the buckles in place and punch holes in the straps. He could finish it tomorrow. |
Jennare had gone home by the time Ptem was ready to leave, and Vodagh said they’d head out with her. Ptem tidied his workstation, washed her hands again, and carefully stowed the vase in his pack. They closed the workshop and parted ways. |
Djemari and Adhlea were home when Ptem arrived back at the house. Vim had choir practice and then a meeting with the Ravenite liaison in Emon. Lark was likely breaking and entering again, having learned nothing from her arrest the week prior. She’d gotten off with a community service sentence that she’d shirked. |
Adhlea had cooked a vegetarian stew with a recipe from her home timeline and Djemari had grilled themselves a steak and steamed their own vegetables. Ptem was glad there were leftovers from Adhlea’s meal; he would have been fine to make dinner himself, but it was nice not to have to after such a long day. |
She finished her bowl and leaned back in her chair, feeling a little more energized. Ptem debated going upstairs for the night but decided to ask Djemari to go shopping with him first. |
They were tidying the sofa; they’d acquired more possessions than they’d expected and had been keeping most of them in a pile on the other seat. Ptem and Vim had offered Djemari a place in the bed upstairs but they’d declined, saying that they were happy to meditate on the couch. Ptem had been concerned but they genuin... |
"Hi," Ptem said, rolling himself in Djemari’s direction. "May I talk to you about something? I have a request." |
Djemari set down the object they were holding—a stone with three eyes carved into it—and looked at Ptem. "You’re already talking to me. What is it?" |
Ptem tapped the tips of her index fingers together as she looked at them shyly. "I was wondering if you’d come to Abadar’s Promenade with me sometime soon. There’s a shop I want to go to but I’d like some company." |
"Which shop is it?" Djemari asked. |
"Um, it’s called Lovechild Boutique. It’s a lingerie store." |
Djemari grinned. "Oh, shit! Of course I’ll go with you! You know what? We can go right now. It’s probably open late." |
"Oh, we don’t have to, I mean—" |
"Yeah, but we could!" |
"I can’t," Ptem said. "I wasn’t planning on it and I’m extremely tired. Sorry," he said. "We could go tomorrow?" He had worked almost nonstop and been around people all day. She was hoping to spend the rest of the night relaxing. |
"I’m working early in the morning but we could go on your lunch break. Or when you’re done work, unless you’re busy," Djemari said. |
"After work would be good," Ptem said. He didn’t know how long he’d take to try things on or make decisions and she didn’t want to be rushed. "How’s seven o’clock?" Meeting Djemari at that time would give Ptem time to finish Vim’s harness so he’d have both it and the lingerie ready for the weekend. Vim had a board game... |
"Okay, sweet. I can look up where it is. Meet me there at seven. We can get dinner after," Djemari agreed. |
"That’s a good plan," Ptem said. "What were you thinking?" |
"I don’t know yet, but I want to go somewhere new. We can decide tomorrow." |
"Okay. Thanks," Ptem said. She wished them a pleasant evening then quickly cast Prestidigitation to clean the mud from Djemeri’s boots off the carpet. |
Ptem mentally commanded her chair to take him up the stairs. It set him down on the landing and Ptem slowed as she passed Adhlea’s bedroom. He could ask her to help with Mordin’s spellbook. Ptem suspected Mordin had spent some time in the Feywild and there were a few notes in Sylvan that Ptem hadn’t been able to examin... |
But it was late and Ptem had another busy day ahead of him. He could ask Adhlea about the spellbook tomorrow. She was always early to rise and Ptem could catch her before he left for work. |
He wheeled past Adhlea’s door and into the room she shared with Vim. Flame flew to Ptem’s side and she held out her hand to let it perch there. She sometimes brought them with her to therapy and to her appointments at Sarenrae’s temple but it was otherwise content to stay in the house or fly around the garden. |
Hi, Ptem said to them through their telepathic connection. Did you miss me? |
Flame hopped along Ptem’s arm and rubbed its head against her cheek. It flapped its wings and perched on the backrest of Ptem’s chair. Ptem got up to strip, wash himself, and clean his clothes quickly, then changed into her nightgown. She placed her collar on the bedside table. He’d probably have a bath with Vim when h... |
Ptem reflected on the events of the day and realized that aside from forcing himself to parse Mordin’s books, he hadn’t had any intrusive thoughts. Talking to people had kept her busy and he’d been working the whole time. He was grateful for that. Some days were easier than others. Her pain had also improved since gett... |
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