Neverwinter Forest Darkness devours every shining day

Dany tossed her the hare and Turquoise hooked a paw over the cool carcass, dragging it toward herself. Normally, she would've bolted down the meat. Presently, she nosed it and began to nibble off little morsels she thought her queasy stomach could handle. After her first few bites, she paused to let the food settle for a few minutes before eating any more.

In the interim, she eyed her visitor. "Uh, well, I've generally felt like shit the past while," she answered. "Not sure what's causing it. Rivet hasn't caught it, thank goodness..." Maybe she imagined it but Turq thought she saw something dark flicker in Dany's eyes whenever she mentioned Rivet's name. "I've never been so sick or for so long. It sucks the big one," she complained.

Deciding she could handle a bit more meat, Turquoise gnawed off a few more chunks, swallowed them and then licked her chops. There was still a lot left, yet she pushed it aside for later. With a grunt, Turq pushed herself into an upright position. She felt a little heady but perhaps a bit better for having eaten. Now that she'd stopped stuffing her face, she actually realized how full she felt and on so little meat.

"I actually felt really torn up after our last meeting," Turq found herself suddenly confessing. "I was attracted to you but with Riv. I didn't know what to do with my feelings, so I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off for a few days before finally coming back and admitting everything to her. And you know what? She said she'd let me see other people outside our relationship if I wanted." The Gunner paused, wondering what Dany would make of this information.

She continued after a beat. "But then I thought of how bad I'd feel if Riv had other lovers, so I decided not to go through with it. Lately, I've actually been feeling like I'm not even cut out for a relationship at all, much less several." She wondered if Dany was getting whiplash yet. "And then I got sick and Rivet's been taking care of me like a mother looks after its pup. I mean, 'round-the-clock care. She hasn't uttered a single complaint the entire time, either.

So, the moral of this story," Turq finished after her unprecedented blathering, "is that I suck and Rivet's wonderful. And while I think you're a beauty, all we can ever be is friends." It sounded a bit like Turquoise was talking mostly to herself, which was probably the case. "Because I'm going to tell Rivet this relationship is closed. And that I want her to be my mate."

She'd thrown up a few times during her illness, yet this was the first time she'd vomited words specifically. After lapsing into silence, Turquoise blinked up at Dany as if a little surprised at herself. Then she began to smile, then giggle, then laugh outright. It hurt her distended belly but she couldn't help it. Despite still feeling like last week's spoiled leftovers, she felt little jolts of glee as she considered what had just come out of her mouth.