And it's been awhile since I could stand on my own two feet again

“Okay, Serenity, if you want to clear the air with Octavia, then the best way to do that is to go up to her directly and apologize,” Dani said firmly.

Serenity made a face that looked like she was chewing on mud.

But Dani was adamant.

“I’m serious,” she said. “Octavia will appreciate a direct apology.”

“…Aaaarreeee you sure about that?”

Dani jumped in surprise. She nearly tripped over her dress as she turned around to see Vivian leaning in, her eyes shining excitedly.

“V-Vivian, what… were you listening this whole time?” Dani asked, flushing. She looked around to see if anybody else had overheard, but they were alone.

“Not the whole time,” Vivian replied, tapping her cheek, “but long enough to hear that the siren here- that’s what you are, right? A siren? That’s cool- the siren here, she wants to apologize to Octavia, is that right?”

Serenity made another face. “Don’t want to,” she said bluntly. “But should.”

Yep that was about where she felt.

Vivian shrugged. “Well… let me tell you, I get it. Octavia can be real angry when she gets mad, let me tell you.”

“…So why do you keep trying to upset her, then?” Dani asked dryly.

Vivian waved her hand dismissively. “Feh.”

Dani rolled her eyes.

“But if you apologize and you mean it, then she’ll be just dandy, promise,” Vivian said with a giggle. “To be fair though, she’s really doing her best to keep it under control at this party. So sooner rather than later would be best.”

“Trying to keep it under control?” Dani frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, this party was done by Gina, right?” Vivian glanced over at the punk girl, who was chatting with Morgana and Holly. “Let’s just say… well. I may be from across the pond, but I’m rather Americanized, wouldn’t you agree?”

Dani stared blankly at her. “…Couldn’t say. We don’t talk very much,” she pointed out.

“Ah. Fair play,” Vivian admitted with a laugh. “Still though. My point is that due to my business endeavors, I’ve traveled all over the place. America, China, Germany, France, Milan, Italy, I’m what you yanks call a real jetsetter. Although we were the ones who originated that term. You get it though, don’t you?”

Dani shook her head. “Uh, no, not really.”

Vivian smirked. “Figured not. Or else you’d know that Milan is a city in Italy.”

Dani didn’t get why Vivian was still talking like this.

Seeing the growing exasperation and impatience on the tomboy’s face, Vivian decided to dispense with the pleasantries and cut to the chase.

“…My point here is that this party, it’s more of what you Americans would consider a ‘high society’ sort of thing,” Vivian explained. “Since Gina there arranged it. As for me, I’m fine with that, I’ve been to all kinds of fancy parties all over the country. And Teach over there, well, she practically set down roots in the US with Nick and all, so she’s fine too. Octavia though… she’s a little bit more stuffed up than us, if you catch my meaning?”

She playfully elbowed Dani in the side. But from Dani’s point of view, just about anybody would be more “stuffed up” than Vivian.

“So what you’re saying is that she’s barely tolerating all this stuff already, is that right?” Dani asked. “Since it’s just Gina’s zany ideas of what classy people do, and not what she’s actually used to?”

“I’m sure of it,” Vivian nodded. “But hey, not a big deal! Nothing wrong with a fun party if you ask me, right?”

She glanced over at Serenity and smirked. “But if you feel like you need to apologize…”

“Horny.”

Just one word out of Serenity’s mouth completely derailed the conversation. Vivian looked blankly at the siren, wearing a look on her face that reminded Dani eerily of a computer needing to reboot.

“…Pardon, what?” Vivian blinked.

“Made her horny. Need to apologize,” Serenity clarified.

Again, Vivian looked like she was completely lost. It seemed so unnatural on the wily heiress’s face that Dani was shocked.

“…No, no, you didn’t,” Vivian said finally, shaking her head. She didn’t even try to hide the amused smirk on her lips.

Serenity narrowed her eyes.

“Did.”

“We’re talking about Octavia here,” Vivian stated. “She doesn’t feel stuff like that. Or human emotions for that matter, only rules.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Dani said. “Serenity is a siren. She was a former… err, never mind.” She clenched her mouth shut tightly, having almost forgotten that wasn’t her story to tell.

Vivian wouldn’t let it slip away so easily, though.

“Oh? What? Former what?” Vivian’s ears twitched eagerly. “Come now, you can’t just leave me off the line!”

Serenity made a gargling noise with her throat and gnashed her teeth at Dani playfully. Then she turned back to the heiress.

“I was on a previous season of Harem Hotel,” she said.

Vivian’s eyes bulged out of her skull. “Oh my word… I knew there were other seasons, but my oh my… even you sirens have them then?”

“Was human,” Serenity added.

A new wrinkle, and one that amused Vivian to no end. “So you used to be human… I guess that’s the ‘former’ part, eh? So a transformation did this? Like Dawn’s cat thing, is that right?”

“Yeah,” Serenity said with a gruff nod. “Was human. Siren now. Some better, some worse.”

It was a lot more complicated than that, though, at least Dani thought so.

Serenity took a step back from the girls.

“Got a transformation,” she said. “Get too close? Horny.”

Vivian’s brain started racing to process that information.

“…So wait, because you and Octavia shook hands, because she got close to you, you made her horny, is that right?”

Serenity smirked.

“…Cool. And you want to apologize for it?”

Serenity smirked again.

Vivian smirked right back.

“…I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said, shaking her head. “No, no, it’s fine! I’m sure Octavia’s going to be just fine…”

“Oh no…” Dani groaned. She could already tell where Vivian was going with this. The heiress delighted in a little mischief, and this was perfect. “Don’t give her any ideas, Vivian, we need to apologize. It’s the right thing to do.”

Serenity made a noise like blowing bubbles underwater, but she nodded reluctantly.

“Dani right,” she grumbled.

“Well, if you say so,” Vivian agreed, though she looked a little disappointed, in Dani’s opinion. “Still think it would do wonders to loosen Octavia up! She’s always so measured and composed, it’s like you can’t even tell how she’s feeling half the time!”

“Still,” Serenity said insistently.

“Can you help, Vivian?” Dani asked suddenly. “I’m sure you’ve had to apologize to Octavia once or twice, right?”

Vivian looked at the girls, and held her hand over her mouth. “Uh… yeah… once or twice,” she said, struggling not to laugh. “You could say that…”

“Any advice then?” Dani asked. “Judging by how they were in conflict earlier…”

“Oh nah, that’s a good thing. If Octavia’s being all judgmental about it while still classy, that means she likes you!” Vivian laughed.

Dani stared at Vivian in shock. “…Seriously?”

“Oh yeah, no kidding!” Vivian shook her head. “She’s always on my case, you know? But it’s because she wants me to do better. …I won’t, but you know how it is.”

“…Uh-huh.” Dani could tell that Vivian’s relationship with her butler was a complicated one. But it also wasn’t any of her business.

The important thing, though, was that Octavia would probably be receptive if Serenity tried to apologize to her.

And there was no time like the present.

Octavia was standing off to the side, not engaging any of the others in conversation. Instead, her eyes were aimed squarely at the three of them.

She was halfway across the room… no way she could hear what they were talking about, right? And yet something about that piercing gaze of hers gave Dani the chills, like she knew exactly what was going on anyway, or something, like she knew everything.

Dani shivered.

“So what now?” She asked, turning to Serenity. “Want to get it over with?”

“Should,” Serenity muttered.

It was a little difficult getting to Octavia. It involved maneuvering through the crowd of partygoers, which was easier said than done when Serenity had to be careful about getting within five feet of anybody. But she managed to get to the butler, and as they approached, Dani got a better look at the other woman.

Strange. She should be turned on as a result of proximity to Serenity earlier, but she still seems completely composed. Is she just that unflappable? For someone like Dani who wore her heart on her sleeve, she envied how the butler conducted herself.

Octavia looked evenly at Serenity, acknowledging her presence but not making a formal greeting, either. She just stared at the siren with the same blank expression, as though their earlier confrontation hadn’t even occurred.

“…Apology,” Serenity said bluntly. “To you.”

Octavia’s eyebrow rose slightly. “Oh?”

“Touched you earlier,” Serenity said, holding up her hand. “Transformation. Turned you on. Got too close.”

Octavia made no comment on the siren’s atrocious grammar, or the admission of guilt on her part. She just kept studying her.

“What Serenity meant to say, um…” Dani stepped in to serve as mediator, but found herself feeling a little unprepared. “She’s got a transformation, so…”

“She makes you horny if you get near her!” Vivian sniggered, cutting Dani off. “Better keep your distance, Octavia!”

Octavia turned and shot Vivian a disapproving look. “Lady Carrington, please conduct yourself with more dignity.”

Vivian was about to snap back with a reply, only to remember that Octavia was still assessing the girls on their etiquette. So even though listening to instructions went against everything the heiress believed in, being rebellious wasn’t worth it right now, and she closed her mouth.

“…As you wish,” she said with a polite nod, surprising Octavia somewhat.

The butler turned back to the siren.

“Please correct me if I’m mistaken. But do you mean to tell me that in our earlier exchange, you used the power of a transformation to arouse me?”

Octavia asked that question as casually as if she were asking Serenity what she wanted to eat for lunch.

Serenity stared at her and gnashed her teeth.

Octavia raised a curious eyebrow and cleared her throat. “And what am I supposed to make of that response?” She asked Dani. It was hardly a polite gesture on the siren’s part, which definitely seemed to be intentional.

“That’s her way of saying you’re right, I think,” Dani stammered. And it also served as a way to show that she liked someone, at least sometimes it was. Serenity’s physical gestures were hard to read sometimes.

The nod she gave was clear, though.

“…I see. It would be unbecoming of me to rebuff a genuine amends, especially for such a minor trespass as this,” Octavia replied, placing her hand over her chest. “I humbly accept your apology.”

And that was all it took. Dani wondered why she’d been so worried earlier.

“However,” the butler continued, “I would ask that you refrain from using your powers further to influence myself or the behavior of Lady Carrington.” She glanced over at the heiress with a barely-masked disparagement. “…She has enough problems comporting herself properly as it is.”

Vivian laughed.

Serenity shrugged. “Wasn’t planning on it. Anyway. Apology done. Bye now. Gonna go drink or whatever. Wine wasn’t enough.”

Dani didn’t know what the siren’s **** tolerance was, but she’d had just as much to drink as Nick had during the last event, and unlike him she didn’t seem to be bothered in the least by it.

I suppose that’s because she’s not really human anymore, Dani guessed. It was weird to think about a siren being able to hold their liquor. And not to mention that she was on a transformation path that was similar.

Maybe Dani would get an **** tolerance transformation? She didn’t drink regularly, but that would certainly be amusing.

In the meantime, though, they had more party to get to.

Dani left Vivian alone with Octavia. The heiress was needling her butler, trying to figure out just how Octavia had been affected by Serenity without going too far and earning her butler’s ire (any more than usual, anyway) so Dani found that to be an excellent moment to excuse herself.

When she did, she rejoined the other girls. Carly was the first one to approach her, of course.

“Hey,” she said, greeting Dani with a smile.

“…Hey,” Dani said back to her. She noticed something up in Carly’s eyes. Like there was a trace of worry in her gaze. When she shifted her focus to Marley for a brief second, she saw that the other girl looked a little uneasy as well.

“What were you guys talking about?” Carly asked, glancing over at Serenity who was drinking off in the corner. “You and Serenity, I mean.”

Why was she so concerned? What did she think Dani and Serenity were…

Dani’s eyes widened as she realized what Carly was driving at.

“Wait, Carly… you… did you think that Serenity and I, that we were…?”

Was Carly jealous?

“No!” Carly’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Come on, Dani, I trust you, I know that you wouldn’t do something like that! I just, well…”

She looked over at Serenity again.

“…I know you and she are close, and seeing you together… it’s a little tough, you know? Even though you’d never hurt me.”

Carly was such a sweet person sometimes. Dani could see how bad she felt, saying that stuff. Especially considering how complicated their relationship was, and Nick’s part in it, the tomboy could easily imagine just how much Carly must be condemning herself as a hypocrite right now.

But she didn’t need to worry. Not about that, and certainly not about Serenity.

“Carly, Serenity and I are just friends,” Dani assured her. “You don’t have to be worried about us, I promise.”

“I know!” Carly shook her head. “I-”

“And you don’t have to feel bad about getting jealous, either,” Dani added. “That’s perfectly normal, too. I’m not going to be upset at you for that.”

Carly looked up at her.

“Really?” She asked quietly. “You’re not? Because I feel so awful. I mean, Nick and I, we… so for me to feel that way about you and her, it’s not… it’s not fair.”

Dani shook her head. “Fair’s got nothing to do with it,” she replied. “I’m in this for the long haul, Carly, you know that. And that’s why I’m fine with you and Nick, too. I don’t need anything else.”

Carly sighed in relief. She nearly collapsed she’d been so worried.

“This was really that serious for you, huh?” Dani asked quietly.

Carly nodded. “I mean… look, I’m not used to this kind of thing, you know? Relationships. For me, a relationship was always just hooking up. I never really got jealous until you and I started… well, you know. So being there for someone, having these feelings, it’s a learning experience.”

“I understand completely,” Dani assured her. This was a big change for Carly. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna get upset.”

Carly offered her a beaming grin. “I’m glad,” she murmured. “I just really want this to work out, you know? And if I’m gonna get all anxious whenever you’re with a pretty girl that you care about, well… I’m worried I’m gonna ruin it.”

Marley winced. She knew Carly’s feelings all too well. She wanted to say something that would comfort her sister, but it would sound hollow coming from her.

Dani needed to be the one to do it.

Fortunately, Dani felt the same way as her girlfriend.

“I’m worried about that myself,” the tomboy admitted. “That I’m gonna ruin everything.”

Carly bristled worriedly. “Because… of Nick?”

Dani did have a bit of jealousy where Nick was concerned. But that was completely unrelated.

She shook her head. “You know me, Carly. I’m the kind of girl who says wild stuff without thinking, and usually makes a big mess when I do.”

Carly winced. “You’re being too hard on yourself…”

Dani shook her head again. “No, it’s just one of my flaws, I’m too hotheaded,” she replied. “And I’m working on that. Believe it or not? This whole ‘be mature and elegant and classy’ party is a good way for me to tamp down on those urges.”

Carly chuckled out a laugh. “You mean it’s actually working!?”

Dani laughed too. “I know, I’m surprised,” she grinned. “But yeah. This whole thing… it’s just the way we are.”

“It’s definitely not a normal relationship,” Carly agreed. “But then, I don’t think I’d ever make it in a normal relationship.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Dani echoed, shaking her head. “What we’ve got, it sure works though. And that’s good enough for me.”

Marley watched them smile at each other, and felt a smile crawl onto her lips as well. It was good, seeing them get along like this.

It almost made her forget about the impatient rumbling in her stomach.

Darn it… I’m hungry! Marley bit her lip in frustration. She was dying for something to eat here! She had a large appetite under normal circumstances, and the fact that everyone was waiting until Dakota announced the table manners event, that certainly wasn’t helping!

She stepped as far away from her sister as she could get while staying within her bounds, and scanned the nearby table for something to covertly snack on. But just as she reached for a nicely-crafted scone, she was interrupted by the loud clearing of a throat.

Dakota was making an announcement from the stage.

“Ladies, and… master,” she giggled at her own joke, looking down at Nick. “We’ve reached another lovely milestone in our evening together! Now, this party has been going just fine, but it’s time for the next event to take place! I think we should grade you ladies on your table manners, what do you say? Who’s ready to eat!”

Relief washed over Marley like a tidal wave, and she nearly collapsed into a puddle of slime. Finally, some food!

And she wasn’t the only one, either. The other girls all looked like they were hungry, too. And Nick definitely wanted more food to help him sober up.

Three events left, he thought, wondering just how much more difficult this was going to get. Hopefully everything works out okay.

There was always the risk that Gina had done something wild and crazy. But he was far more worried about how Dakota would twist these events to suit her own ends. That was something he could certainly do without.