Lost Change

Chapter 52

There was a shuffling sound from the other room. Somebody standing up? Had they sat down at some point? "You have some of the oil for him, right?"

"Yes, I put it underneath the sink in the bathroom. I haven't used it on him yet though; I hadn't gotten to that point on the schedule."

"Even better; let's go get it." Trenil's voice started coming closer. I heard more shuffling, probably Minna standing up.

"Why? What are we going to do?"

"I am going to dry Ivy the rest of the way off and give her one of the oilings she enjoys so much. You are going to sit on the couch with me and make it clear he can have one too, if he wants one."

"Oh." Minna's voice was closer, and sounded suddenly happier. "I will be right back with it, then."

I opened my eyes and saw Minna disappearing down the far hallway towards the bedroom, and saw Trenil watching me from the center of the room. He glanced subtly over his shoulder, then took a step closer once Minna turned the corner. His hand rose and deposited a juicy orange berry in the sand before me, and he whispered just softly enough for me and Ivy to hear. "I'm sorry. She won't do anything like that again."

I blinked slowly at him, then stretched my neck forward and bit into the berry.

It took a few minutes for Minna and Trenil to set things up on the table while Ivy and I watched, but eventually they seemed satisfied. They sat down on the couch, and Trenil made a show of using a towel to dry off his hands and opening a small jar that Minna had retrieved from the bathroom.

"This is entirely up to you if you want her to oil you, but whatever this stuff is, it feels amazing. All of us love this." Ivy hopped up onto the side of the bowl, then glided over to the couch. She glanced warily at Minna for a second or two, then sprawled out in Trenil's lap.

Trenil took a moment to dry the green dragonet off with the towel, then he dipped his fingers in the jar. They gleamed softly in the light as he brought them over to Ivy and began petting carefully over her back. Her scales began to take on a shine as his fingers brushed over them, and I could see him pressing gently and rolling his fingers to help the oil seep in between her scales.

Ivy began to visibly relax in his lap. Her wings went limp and she lowered her head against his leg. I thought I heard her sigh as his fingers ran along a part of her back that the harness rested against, and I did hear her start to thrum softly when he moved on to her wing.

I blinked at her reaction. What was that stuff? "Is that the sedative stuff? I hate being on that."

"Uh-uh..." Ivy's voice already sounded drowsy and unfocused, which left me doubtful that it wasn't the sedative despite her words. "Just feels really relaxing."

Some of her feelings followed the mindspeech and I blinked again. "Oh wow, what is that stuff?"

"Crushed sunburst berries, shia fruit, and an afternoon nap in the sun all rolled into liquid form, if I had to guess." The sheer sense of contentment in Ivy's voice made me think she was right.

I climbed out of the bowl of sand and navigated the splinters still covering the carpet to approach the couch. As I got closer I did pick up a vaguely floral scent, somewhat reminiscent of olive oil or even grape juice. Maybe the Kymari actually had crushed sunburst berries into whatever that stuff was.

Though that seemed like a horrible waste of sunburst berries. Hopefully it was just the leaves of whatever plant grew them.

I sat up and stretched my neck to get a closer look at Ivy. Her eyes had drooped closed as the massage continued, and her tail had fallen off the far side of Trenil's leg to drape limply over the couch cushion. The other dragonet was officially out of it; whatever that stuff was had clearly sent her into a relaxed coma. What is this stuff?!

The scent was stronger around Ivy and Trenil's fingers. I sniffed the air a few more times, still not sure what I was seeing or quite believing that the stuff on his fingers could feel as good as the other dragonet was making it seem. I glanced up at Trenil and warbled at him. "What are you doing?!"

He chuckled at me. "Don't worry, she's fine." He took his hand away from Ivy and reached back to the jar to gather more of the oil with his fingers, then returned to petting her.

Minna reached slowly over and picked up the jar. She brought it over to her lap and dipped her fingers in the oil just like Trenil had. Her green skin gleamed lightly from the oil.

I felt my ear tufts fall as I watched her. I knew what she wanted, and I felt the two parts of me go to war. It would be so easy to hop into her lap and stretch out, and then I could find out if that stuff really did feel that good.

And it would make her happy. She wanted to do it, wanted to do for me what Trenil was doing for Ivy. That would make her glad, and it would cheer her up, the same way I had cheered her up two days ago, when she was upset from being fired. It would tell her things were okay still, or at least that they could be. It would help her relax too, and not be as worried about what had happened.

Part of me really wanted to do it just for that reason alone.

Which made the rest of me want to not do it.

Things weren't okay. I wasn't sure they could be, or even that I was okay with them getting better. I was upset at everything happening to me. I was still mad at being stuck here, frustrated at not being able to fly, angry at what was happening with my feelings, grumpy at missing the Morning Song twice now...

Scared at just how much I even cared about her feelings.

I wasn't even really sure Ivy and Trenil were right. I knew it was silly, but... could I be sure Minna wouldn't try and starve me into obeying her again? They wouldn't be here tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after. She seemed so sincere and regretful now, but she had still done it. I knew in my head that she didn't intend to ever do it again right now, but there was still a tiny whisper of terror that said she might hurt me if I upset her. That I wasn't safe. That if I went into her lap and let her put that stuff on me, I would be making myself vulnerable and opening myself up to more hurt.

When I had tried to comfort her before it had led to all of this. Was it really safe to try and comfort her again?

I stared for a long moment. There are so many scars on her fingers... So many scratches and bites that I've given her...

She hadn't punished me for any of those. Hadn't hit me back, hadn't stopped feeding me, hadn't kicked me out, hadn't stopped slathering any of that weird stuff on my wings that they had needed in order to grow back. She had been everything that Ivy and Trenil showed me the Kymari could be. I had been able to trust her all through that, right up until yesterday.

I had to know if I still could or not.

My heart ached as I turned and walked away from Minna. I settled down among the splinters covering the carpet and watched silently as Trenil massaged the oil over Ivy.