The Moon's Fangs | 1

11 | flowers + ash

Normally a hot, steamy shower would be a way to clear my head and reset. But something told me that may not be the case when taking one in an alien shower while a snake took residence in my head.

"Close your eyes," I said to Nox as the bathroom door slid shut behind me.

~I- Excuse me? Guides do not possess sexual attraction outside of the host's desires. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about.~ Nox relented.

"So you say..." I drew out, scanning the walls and ceiling. "Are there any cameras in here?"

~Checking... nope. You are in the clear.~

After another quick scan, I wriggled free of my tattered clothes and stepped onto the green malachite platform. It felt almost pillowy under my feet.

I opened my mouth to ask where the knob was located, but as I stepped towards the middle, water came rushing down like rain from the ceiling. Goosebumps raced across my skin, slowly receding as the light pink-tinted water turned hot. It took a while to cleanse my hair of the dirt and blood before I moved on to scrubbing it from various spots on my skin.

Water and grime sank into the malachite floor instead of running off into some drain, like a self-cleaning system had been built into it.

"Where's the shampoo and conditioner?" I asked, tasting the diluted peach flavor of the water on my lips.

~Here on planet Orlaith, those substances are not required when cleansing oneself. The natural minerals in orleizen water contain everything needed to take care of the job.~

I frowned. The water did have a nice, fresh scent to it, but could it really be enough to completely disregard shampoo? "Okay... what about a razor?"

My legs tingled strangely in response.

~I can permanently remove any unwanted hair follicles. Would you like me to proceed?~

After quickly confirming I wouldn't lose any hair on my head, I jumped on the offer. My skin tingled as Nox extruded all the pesky hairs from my body. And to make things even better, the pillowy floor absorbed the follicles and took care of cleaning duty.

Color me impressed.

"Okay, Nox. Maybe we can be friends."

The water shut off on its own as I stepped down from the malachite platform. I plucked the black robe off a hook on the wall and pushed my arms through its downy sleeves. After securing it around my waist, I checked to make sure the coast was clear before scurrying back down the hall toward the room, leaving a trail of wet footprints in my wake.

Nox somehow remotely closed the door behind me, then the closet door behind me after that. The space was shaped like a wide trapezoid; the right side contained a few different outfits while shoes, jewelry, and a floor-length mirror were stationed on the left side.

I set my ruined clothes next to the door, heart dropping a couple degrees at the thought of possibly never being able to wear my favorite tee again.

With a quiet sigh, I turned my attention to the new options. The first was a floor-length, icy blue dress with a deep v-neckline and a matching satin cloak made of the same thin material. The next was a sleeveless white mini-dress that resembled an upside-down flower. Both were red-carpet worthy and definitely not something I could just... throw on.

"This guy can't be serious," I muttered, sliding over some revealing outfits and a two-piece set. There was no way I could wear any of these things casually out in public. In private? Definitely. But I couldn't show back up on Earth dressed like I'm ready to attend a party.