A quiet moment out of the sun.

It was only a few blocks to the Hotel Sundancer, a winding white metal-and-glass helix tower stabbing skywards. It coiled around one of the old-growth oaks like a great snake, lending the structure that organic look the elves prized.

Especially in high-class establishments, and this place didn’t look cheap.

A shortstack usagi receptionist was on duty at the front desk. Unlike everyone else today, the dour rabbit-girl barely spared the giant a glance. Just enough to confirm the identity of the woman in Akane’s arms, before waving them both through and making a little note in the guest log.

Hopefully, omitting specific detail.

Akane couldn’t help but take in the specific detail of those massive fucking breasts.

One look at the wealth of cleavage on display from the usagi’s three-buttons open red hotel uniform indicated she was large even by bun standards. The rabbit was easily bigger up top than Maria, with breasts twice the size of her head, each, but the rest of her body didn’t match that size. Very topheavy.

It was little wonder the rabbits made a habit of not moving around.

The scritch-scritch of her quill saw them off as Akane headed for the elevators.

“I can’t believe we did that. Any of it.” When the gold-plated doors slid closed behind them, and they were once again sealed in their own little world, Maria let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t you ever get tired?”

Akane wracked her memory, rubbing her messy, short black hair. “A couple of times, but it takes some doing.”

“Well I feel like I ran a marathon, though I haven’t been on my feet for, um, a while. Could you maybe…?” As requested, Akane let Maria down, getting her back to her feet, though she had to lean against the handrail in exhaustion. “Thanks.”

Much as Akane would like to chock it up to tribal differences, the truth was simpler. “You should definitely get out more. Everyone should. Or at least hit the gym. Instead of sitting behind a desk all day and calling that ‘work’.”

Maria giggled. “What an old-man thing to say. You have a point, of course, but it wasn’t what I expected to hear out of you.”

Especially since it’s dang near a hundred percent that you’re younger than me, she politely didn’t say.

Akane still looked hurt. “By now, you should know I’m full of surprises. Though come to think of it, what do you do when you’re not on a thrilling tropical vacation getting ditched by supposed ‘friends’?”

The elevator had to follow this twisting tower’s structure round and round. Akane knew that just by a glance outside. So when she looked out the window that was the far wall, and saw the floors sliding past smoothly up-and-down, Akane’s brain cried out that something was off.

They had to be rotating in three dimensions right now, even though the lift felt totally stable and level. In fact, contrary to the more run-down buildings Akane was used to, it was impossible to even tell this thing was in motion without the window.

“As a matter of fact, you’re right that I spend my days behind a desk,” Maria admitted. “I’m an architectural engineer. Before you ask, no, I don’t make towers like this, nor believe in them. Too structurally unsound.”

Those weren’t words Akane liked to hear about the building she was currently in.

“Ah, this one’s probably fine. But it takes a lot of work to build it just right, so all the forces and loads balance out. Things pulling this way or that, and if it’s off by a little, all that metal and glass will just come crashing back down to Autumn.”

In spite of all they’d done together in the heat of tropical passion, this was what tripped Maria up. It was, like many things about her, cute.

“Sorry. I’m going on about myself. It’s probably… better if we don’t get into it?”

Akane nodded. “I did ask, so don’t worry. My first instinct, and you know I love my instincts, was to flag down a cab for you and part ways. That’s normally how this goes.”

Maria sobered up. “So it’s a normal thing for you?”

“You bet. But! While you seem fine, you did have something to drink. It might have been stupid to fool around with a tipsy girl, even though you’re clearly still in your right mind. Really, more drunk off my dick than anything. But the least I can do is make sure you get back to your room.”

“How noble,” Maria said, dryly. “I’m sure that carrying me all the way here with said dick hanging out was also strictly necessary. Well, I find your company entirely acceptable, even when we’re not rutting like animals.”

Akane nodded gratefully. “Same to you. Though, of course, I’m always ready for more rutting.”

“Goddess,” Maria groaned. “I believe that. You’ll snap me in half at this rate. Sorry, but this kind of lifestyle isn’t my ‘normal’ at all. I believe I am done.”

Understandable.

It finally occurred to Maria that Akane had punched in a completely random floor on the control panel to get them moving. She hit the correct one, which contributed quite a lot to their eventual arrival on floor sixteen.

The elevator doors opened with a mechanical ping, revealing posh red-carpeted hallways. Wooden-paneled walls and actual flickering oil-lamps set the theme for this batch of luxury suites; bit of a throwback.

“My room’s third on the left,” Maria said, wobbling forward. Akane was on standby to catch her if she fell over, but Maria managed the trip on her own. Akane was so proud of her ability to walk in a straight line, she didn’t stop to ask where Maria could have possibly hidden her room key.

As it turned out, the door scanned her, and once convinced of retinal and voice matches, the thing released ten deadbolts and swung open.

“If there’s one thing the upper class always makes sure they get right,” Akane said, “It’s their security. Pretty sure I saw armed guards down in the lobby.”

Maria smirked. “Yet they let you through.”

“They just knew better than to try and stop me.”

“... You have a talent for stating the absurd in complete seriousness. No, but it is quite a talent, for nobody can know when you’re kidding or not.” Maria turned to face Akane, coughing, cheeks back to that rosy red. “I’ve never had an experience like this before in my life. Nothing close. It was thrilling, thank you-”

Ping.

“Oh my! Maria, there you are! I was so worried!”

It was like a magic spell had been cast to turn Maria to stone.