The morning sun hadn't even dared to fully rise before the murmurs started.
Most of the Sentina Erideae had already gathered in the lounge. No one had called a meeting. But somehow, by the universal law of gossip, everyone had migrated here the moment they realized two things:
One, Vastarael and Narisva were nowhere to be found.
And two, all of them had come back late and someone (Eldrigan) swore he heard what sounded like screaming mixed with pleasure-induced seismic activity that made the chandelier in the hallway rattle.
"So," Farrynelle began, her legs propped casually on the velvet armrest of a golden chair far too expensive to be treated like a stool, "are we just not going to talk about how the heir of Richinaria and our lovely glitchy Celestial basically broke the dimension last night?"
Xander was nursing a massive mug of tea like. His face looked like it hadn't slept. His voice was a weapon of sarcasm.
"No. We have to talk about it. I didn't sleep because something screamed a name last night and I'm not sure if it was a monster or Narisva mid… something."
Natalis giggled behind a sheer, feathered sleeve.
"I just think it's romantic. You can feel the tension between those two. It's like... staring into a singularity of lust and trauma."
Denisia arched an eyebrow. "What the hell does that even mean?"
Peroncerea interrupted her. "Can you please don't use my home as a curse word? Also, aren't you an angel? Why would you use that?"
"Hey, just because we're the Monarchesses of Naranq doesn't mean we have to be pure all the time," Natalis reminded her as she sat next to her twin.
Adelasta sat at the farthest end of the lounge. She hadn't spoken once. Her amber eyes were fixed on the wall… calculating. Beside her, Elyonari sat on a pale blue cushion like a priestess disturbed during meditation. Her fingers were wrapped tightly around a teacup, even though the steam had long faded.
"I sensed their bond intensify last night. It was bright. I felt… displaced."
"Displaced?" Eldrigan scoffed from the fireplace, where he was aggressively tossing logs into the flames like they were personal enemies.
"I felt violated. I was in the middle of a wonderful dream and then my ceiling literally split from the noise. I thought the fucking Eldritch plane was invading!"
"You are half Eldritch," Peroncerea reminded him helpfully.
"Yeah, and I still don't sign up for that noise ordinance-breaking sexual earthquake."
A few others chuckled but the tension thickened when Adelasta finally spoke.
"They weren't supposed to be that close," she murmured, mostly to herself. "He didn't even tell me they were reconnecting."
Elyonari didn't say anything but her soft exhale said plenty. The two of them sat in silence before they heard footsteps heading towards them. First came Narisva. She was barefoot. Her hair a little frizzled. She was wearing a loose red robe that was definitely not hers.
Vastarael Richinaria appeared except... not as himself.
She walked in with the same energy of command and casual elegance but it was different now. Her dark bronze skin shimmered softly under the natural light. Her hair now fell in heavy white curls that bounced with each step. Her golden eyes scanned the room with slight confusion, not shame.
She was wearing a loose white T-shirt, one that clung ever-so-sinfully to her very prominent, very real chest. And she had shorts that revealed toned thighs and divine curves that made every single person in the room reconsider their sexuality.
Eldrigan dropped the log in his hand. It clanged against the stone hearth.
"The fuck?"
Xander spat his tea so hard it hit the far wall. Farrynelle choked on a grape. Adelasta stood, her cold facade cracking in front of everyone, which was getting common these days.
"Veneri?"
Elyonari blinked. "That… is not a disguise. That's a full divine morph. I can feel the soul has changed too."
Natalis leaned forward slowly like a cat who'd just spotted a bird in a silk dress.
"Oh, oh, oh. This is… unexpected. And hot. Really hot."
Vastarael still barefoot and blinking like she was the only normal person in the room, tilted her head.
"Morning?" she offered, voice soft and undeniably feminine. She paused, raised a hand to her throat, and added. "Oh. Right. This sounds different now. I adjusted my vocal range."
"You're a girl," Eldrigan deadpanned. "You're a fucking woman."
Narisva shrugged like this was boring old news.
"He overdid his Love Divinity last night and needed to use the excess. I was apparently too aggressive and too strong to properly calibrate it, so she decided to uh... morph."
"You broke my the ceiling with your hips!" Eldrigan snapped.
Vastarael held up her hands. "Technically, that was Narisva's fault. I was just participating."
Xander stood up, pointed at her chest, and roared.
"What the fuck are those?!"
"They're called breasts," Vastarael said calmly, glancing down at herself. "Apparently larger than Narisva's, which was unintentional. She tried to lend me a bra. It didn't work."
Narisva, flustered now, looked away and sighed. "Why did you have to say that part out loud, Veneri?"
"I thought it was relevant."
Adelasta walked forward slowly, but her expression was too shocked.
"You just… decided to become a woman?"
"For calibration," Vastarael said cheerfully. "Not permanent. Though it's… interesting. I think I like it. It feels honest."
Denisia, from the corner, whispered, "Are we allowed to be turned on? Or is this like a spiritual thing?"
"Oi, you're an angel."
"Oh grow a horn, Peroncerea. I'm no different than you."
"I have two, actually."
Elyonari remained frozen. Her hand gripped the teacup so hard the porcelain cracked. Natalis was already grinning. Adelasta stepped closer.
"You didn't tell me. You always tell me."
"I didn't know how you'd react," Vastarael said, smiling sheepishly. "Also, you get kind of possessive. I figured showing was better than explaining."
Eldrigan slumped onto the couch like someone whose world had just been shattered.
"I've seen enough shit in my life. Tentacled gods. Infinite voids, chaos storms but this? This is the first time I've ever genuinely questioned reality. What's next? Xander growing extra limbs?"
"Don't give me ideas," Xander muttered darkly.
"Veneri," Elyonari said finally, her voice trembling, "do you… prefer this?"
"I don't prefer. I chose. For now."