Amaranthine

“Right,” Director Swan said, collecting her thought’s after Cait’s rowdy gang left. “So, Kennedy, as you and Lira may have heard, the rose Dawn used to… rebuild herself, was no normal rose.”

Lira stared at Dawn, her eyes glowing blue as she scanned text only she could see.

“Rosa Corferus…” she said, eyes blinking back to normal and fixing Director Swan. “Wildheart Rose? Whatever it did to her, its beyond my abilities to accurately describe. We’ve all been joking about it, but Dawn, you might actually be the furry Goddess the internet thinks you are now.”

Dawn grinned at her, more energy than usual behind her smile.

“It certainly feels like it Lira. It’s like…. Have any of you ever tried psychedelics?”

“Of course.”

“Yes!”

“What? No!”

Director Swan, Lira, Kennedy in that order. The goth looked at her mother and best friend aghast. The Director just shrugged, while Lira looked like she was figuring out ways to slip them to her.

“It is not unlike that. I feel connected to this place now, through the Great Willow on campus,” her eyes became unfocused as she continued, “it takes willpower, but if I concentrate, I can feel each and every blade of grass for miles. I know what they know, which is little, and they move as I will. Kennedy, there is now a topiary sculpture of you I imagine Cait would find very interesting about a mile west. I apologize, things got away from me.”

“Uhhh… I guess depending on what that means, that’s either very flattering or very embarrassing.”

Dawn nodded, her eyes refocusing as she scanned their green glow across all of them.

“I said the grass, plants as a whole really, knew little. That is true. What they can perceive however is… auras, perhaps? It feels similar to how Breastman describes his ‘Altered sense’, although I don’t believe this is limited to Altereds.”

“What!?” Director Swan had already looked interested, but now she was nearly salivating. “Can you detect Characters!?”

Dawn nodded again. “I believe I could, although it will take some doing. While I can perceive nearly everywhere in the city, I cannot do it all at once.”

Her forehead scrunched up.

“Not yet, at least.”

“That’s amazing Dawn!” Kennedy said, grabbing one of the deers soft furred hands. Dawn squeezed hers, placing the other on top of it.

“Mmm. It will take some getting used to, however.”

Director Swan had visibly deflated, not in sorrow, but as if a tension held far too long had finally left her.

“You can feel the entire perimeter, I trust?” she asked, excited.

Dawn nodded again, “Yes, it is all within range of enough nature to have clear vision, and, may I add, excellent defense.”

Director Swan beamed a tired, bright smile at her.

“Dawn you beautiful girl. You might have saved us all. With backup delayed… this was going to be a battle of attrition we couldn’t win,” she took Dawn’s hand off of Kennedy’s. “I could fucking kiss you.”

Dawn looked amused, but not opposed to the idea.

“Yes please,” Lira said. “And get me some popcorn. Dawn walking around the apartment naked all the time has made me curious.”

“Another time, perhaps,” Director Swan said, her eyes going hard as they remained locked on Dawn’s. “Dawn. If you find one of them, and you can take them out, do it. No point in letting them remain.”

“Far ahead of you, Elizabeth,” Dawn said, her new predator-adjacent smile spreading across her face. “Do you know how I know there is excellent perimeter defense?”

Director Swan mirrored the grin.

“I can guess,” she purred in a fierce kind of delight.

“The force I assume The Bookkeeper had sent to capitalize on the current chaos has been dealt with, using extreme prejudice.”

“God I hope that bastard feels everything we do to him,” muttered Kennedy. “Hey, this all obviously rules, but why did you need me here Mom?”

The smile Director Swan turned on her daughter was softer, and a little mischeivious.

“If two heads are better than one, how much better must two nature goddesses be?”

“Ooooohhh shit!” Kennedy said, already reaching her mind out towards Dawn. The second she brushed it, the only way her mind could categorize the experience was the Death Star laser emanating from Dawn’s mind into her own. She screamed, falling back in her seat and cradling her head in her hands. Through eyes blurry with immediate migraine, she could see leaves growing from her skin, withering, and falling off as the residual power of the link left her.

“Fucking OUCH,” she hissed. “So, not saying that’s a no, but saying it definitely isn’t an easy, or a now.”

Lira was there, stroking her back immediately.

“I said the same thing when Cait and I tried anal,” she cooed, one million percent earnest. When Kennedy craned her head up to look at her, she only saw sympathy, no mirth, and that made it even fucking funnier. She smiled through the pain, bumping her head back against Lira’s firm stomach.

“Idiot,” she said, enjoying Lira’s cool fingers on her neck. It felt so good to be able to enjoy that.

“Well, I suppose it was a lot to hope for,” her mother said, doing her best not to let her disappointment enter her voice. “I’d appreciate the two of you revisiting this, but with Kennedy’s reaction, I understand this won’t be quick, if it ever happens. I’m sorry that hurt, baby, but I hope you understand we needed to try.”

“That’s what Cait said to me,” Lira whispered to Kennedy, her breath tickling her ear. Kennedy could hear the smile in her voice on this one, and giggled.

“Ugh, please, Lira, seduce my daughter elsewhere. That’s really all I needed from you two, so the day is yours. Help out how you can.”

She turned her attention back to Dawn, and the two younger women understood they were well and truly dismissed. Lira planted a defiant kiss on the back of Kennedy’s neck as she rose, sending a shiver down her spine.

Kennedy took Lira’s hand as they left the room, looking over to smile at her.

“Brunch babes?” she asked.

About a million emotions crossed Lira’s face, before she squeezed Kennedy’s hand and pulled away.

“I, uh, gotta get to a PT appointment at the Coliseum, fitness doesn’t rest, you know?”

“What? Lira, it does today. Didn’t you see the notice about non-essential facilities being closed?” Lira’s face scrunched up as she was caught in a lie.

“Uh….”

“Don’t ‘uhhhh’ me,” Kennedy mocked. “What the fuck was that?”

“Nothing!” Lira said, her face wiping to her normal bubbly self, and grabbing Kennedy’s hand again. “Brunch was a good idea, lets do that! Cait stocked up on steak and eggs, and I’m a master at turning those into…. uh, steak and eggs.”

Nothing my ass. But if I can corner her in the room, all the better, Kennedy thought, so she let that slide for now. The two marveled at the campus as they walked back, the scenery now feeling almost like a primeval forest as it was bathed in Dawn’s newfound power.