Pondbell: Coldblooded (Ongoing)

Caput Septimum

Naira hears birds chirping and faint music as a ray of sunlight warms her face. Her vision is blurry as she blinks slowly and squeezes her pillow. "Hmm, squishy... weird. Feels like skin?" she asks herself quietly. She closes her eyes again, and suddenly, they shoot back open. She looked up and saw the back of Kiran's purple phone case adorned with leather and diamonds. "Kiran? What're you doin'?" Naira says sleepily. Kiran lowers her phone and looks down at Naira, whose head still rests on her lap. She had never imagined being so close to Kiran, but now that she was, she was able to take in just how gorgeous she was. Her features were softer without makeup. Her scent was an extension of her personality. The floral notes of ylang-ylang were accompanied by the slightly spicy scent of iris. She wore a black silk sports bra with matching boxer briefs.

"You don't remember? You guys were drinking like sailors after Asha put her piece away and left. Then you begged us to watch some movie with you, and you wouldn't shut up about a sleepover, so I carried all your asses up here," she explains while looking behind Naira. Her hand playfully covers Naira's eyes.

"Wait, who else..." Naira lifts her head and sees Chae and Dean sprawled out on her bed in their boxers. She hears a purr loud enough to shake the floor. Upon carefully navigating their bodies and crawling to the end of the bed to identify the source of the noise, she's met with gigantic golden-green feline eyes. "Holy shit! Kiran, get it!" she screams and shoots to the back of the bed, kicking the twins off in the process.

"Ow, what the hell?" Dean sleepily complains as he stands and rubs his head.

"That's just Wayra!" Kiran chuckles. "I can't decide which is funnier, Wayra shifting because he wanted to 'escape his flesh prison,' or Naira pissing herself because she didn't want to miss the movie," she cackles as she throws a pillow at Dean's face.

"Hey, that's a valid reason to pee yourself. I wouldn't wanna miss the movie either," Dean says as he grumpily throws the pillow back at Kiran, who catches it without looking away from her phone.

"Yeah, for sure, except there was nothing on the screen because we were still trying to get your idiot brother and Wayra to decide on a movie," Kiran counters as she looks at Wayra, who lazily snarls and walks to the door, shifting before opening it. Dean puts a still-sleeping Chae on his back and carries him out the door.

"Whose stuff am I wearing? Did I take a bath?" Naira asks as she sniffs her underarms. She looks down and sees she is wearing an oversized button-up shirt.

"No, we took a shower because you wouldn't stay under the water. Did you think I was gonna sit here smelling piss all night?" Kiran complains as she continues to scroll through her phone. Naira laughs and checks her phone.

"Wild night. Thanks, I guess," she rubs her forehead. "Shit, I'm late for work!" She drops her phone and runs to put on an outfit.

"Uh-uh, no time. We have a meeting. Just bring your clothes and get dressed there. Let's go," Kiran orders as she dashes to the door.

"O-Okay," Naira says as she clumsily grabs what she can and walks with Kiran to the elevator.

A hurried Kiran and a breathless Naira arrive at Asha's office. "I spoke to Jacky, and she says everything should be going as planned. She should have the tables and chairs delivered and set up tonight. The photographer checked into his hotel this morning, and the DJ is still on his train, but he'll be here in time for the event," Wayra announces, making no attempt to cover himself.

"We've finished most of the prep for the food. We should have it all done by midnight," Chae says, yawning. Asha's eyes glide over the three and land on Kiran and Naira. Her eyes center back on Wayra.