Cameron To Candy

Candy’s birthday, her official one, sat only a few days off from Cameron's real birthday. It was close enough that she could feel both approaching at once. It made her strangely sentimental. Marcus had noticed. The night before, he’d said it casually while polishing his Ministry boots.

“Keep your schedule clear tomorrow, would you?”

“I was gonna go to the market,” she’d replied, suspicious, “but… I guess I could wait a day.”

“Good,” he said. “Good.”

When she woke the next day, it was to sunlight and the smiling face of Vivian Corkhollow, golden hair haloed by the morning beam like a demi-goddess of mischief, inches from her own face.

Candy yelped. “Vivian! What the absolute—”

Vivian only laughed. “Marcus said I could wake you!”

“Did he say you could do it in the creepiest way possible?” she cried, still panting from the startle.

“Yes. I asked him specifically, and he said go for it!” Vivian giggled and retreated to the door. “Alyssa’s downstairs. Come on sleepy head. It’s breakfast time.” Candy stared after her, rubbed her eyes, and groaned into her pillow. Whatever this was, it smelled like unwanted planning.

Downstairs, the table overflowed. Hash browns, corned-beef hash, eggs, sliced ham, roasted potatoes, fresh milk, tea, and an audacious stack of flapjacks with butter, syrup, and three kinds of jam. The whole kitchen gleamed with steam and sunlight. Marcus stood behind a mountain of dishes, looking pleased with himself.

“Morning, birthday girl.”

“Marcus… this is… this is a lot.”

“It’s your first birthday since we got married,” he said quickly, then added with a soft cough, “Figured we should celebrate properly.”

What he meant, of course, was her first birthday since she was transformed, but with Alyssa and Vivian present, he left it unsaid.

She sat, still dazed, while Vivian poured tea like a society hostess and Alyssa, ever pragmatic, announced that she’d be stealing the recipe for the potatoes. When they were finished, with every plate polished clean and Candy perilously full, Marcus clapped his hands once.

“Right then. Come with me, ladies.”

Outside waited a carriage large enough to make the neighbors peek from their curtains; glossy black, silver trim, and a crest she didn’t recognize.

Candy froze. “Marcus… this looks like it belongs to a duchess.”

“For today,” he said, “it belongs to you. Well, technically I rented it, but same thing.”

The driver bowed. “Help yourself to anything inside, ma’ams. All paid for.”

Inside was absurdly spacious, with plush seating, a box of sugared almonds, and little wax-sealed bottles of mineral water stamped with the crest of the River Guild. The air even smelled faintly of orange-blossom oil.

Alyssa whistled. “Someone splurged.”

Vivian poked a candy almond into her cheek. “Someone’s trying to make us all look like bad friends.”

Candy, half-blushing, half-thrilled, sank into the seat. Then she pulled back the curtain and leaned her head out the window.

“Marcus, you ol’ copper fist. YOU put down all the money for this?” She asked half jokingly, half incredulously.

“Hey,” Marcus shot back, “I know when to drop coin. Your first birthday since… our marriage. It’s a big one! Enjoy it. And you know, we could do things like this more often if you’d bring in less fines!” he concluded with a tease.

“Eh,” Candy said, shrugging her shoulders. “So, where’s this taking us?”

Marcus smirked. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out when you get there.” Vivian and Alyssa gave each other a look. Marcus was being cute in that trying really hard husband way.

As the carriage rolled through the cobbled lanes of Paddlewick Prime, townsfolk turned to watch. The long, lacquered coach was reserved for nobles, auditors, or occasionally, a Ministry parade. People whispered and murmured approvingly as they passed.

When they reached the gates, the driver called back, “First stop!”

Candy pressed her nose to the window and squealed. “Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods!. The Zoo!”

Vivian looked puzzled, a chocolate-covered almost from the coach's candy section halfway to her mouth. “Wait, really? You’re… happy, about the zoo?”

Alyssa glanced at her. “Marcus said she’d like it, but I had my doubts.”

Before either could say more, Candy was practically vibrating with excitement.

“No, I do! I love this place! I haven’t been here since that time the crow stole Sir Resolute’s biscuit!”

"Who?" Vivian asked.

"The stonehorn turtle... Sir Resolute. On the march? Oh come on! You HAVE to know who Sir Resolute is! He's the oldest creature in the zoo! The queen, I mean King Rodricks grandmother, personally hatched him on the royal grounds, you know! He was only given to the zoo after she passed." Candy ran off the trivia like everyone should know it.

Vivian and Alyssa just stared. Alyssa leaned closer, voice low. “Vivian, you’re better at reading people than I am. Is she being sarcastic?”

Vivian studied Candy for a moment, watching her eyes light up as she leaned half out the window. “Nnn… nooo,” she said slowly. “I think this is genuine joy. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen it on her before.”

Alyssa stared. “If true, this is the first time since we’ve met her she’s gone more than ten minutes without being sarcastic.”

Vivian smirked. “Then mark the date.”

Cameron had always loved zoos, and if anything, that was even more true for Candy. One of her biggest regrets was missing a chance to go to the Cleavendale Capitals zoo during her¹His? She still wasn't sure how to word things from her past as Cameron last tour of duty. It was HUGE! She didn’t quite know why zoos captivated her so much. Perhaps it was because one of her earliest memories was visiting the Plumaloom aviary with her grandmother. Aviaries were just bird zoos after all. Or maybe it was because the creatures showed a bit of the larger world. Paddlewick was so confined. Sure, it was a big enough kingdom, but the scry feeds they got were limited to ministry-approved material, books from other nations were screened at the gates, and so on. Or perhaps, it was just one of those things, where a person really likes something with no external reason.

Whatever it was, Cameron had always had to tour the zoo with male stoicism. A man carried himself calmly through all things. Women, however, were allowed to be taken with things. Women could shout for joy (if not too loud), show childlike wonder (as long as they didn't go too far), and run from exhibit to exhibit (well, walk more briskly than would be considered appropriate for a man). Women here were, in some ways, treated a bit like children. Candy hated that normally, but now... now she would take advantage of being allowed to express the joy and wonder that she felt. It was a small silver lining to her transformation predicament. Not as wondrous as her new vision, but she'd take everything she could get!

The driver helped them down from the carriage and presented three neat envelopes sealed with the paddle-crest.

“Your wristbands, ma’ams. They’ll grant you a guided tour, access to the private pavilions, and a voucher for the tea-house by the koi garden. Courtesy of Mr. Elwood.”

Vivian slipped hers on, silver and ribboned. Alyssa followed, studying the shimmer that flared when it touched skin. Candy fastened hers instantly, bouncing on her toes.

“They’re glowing!” she gasped.

“That just means we’re official guests for the day,” Alyssa said.

“That means I get to pet anything I want!” Candy corrected.

“Uh, not ANYTHING, Candy!” Vivian protested, but Candy was already bouncing toward the zoo gates, her laughter bright enough to startle a nearby flock of pigeons.

Inside the gates, the Paddlewick Prime Zoo unfurled like a miniature kingdom; stone walks, brass railings, and neat signage embossed with moral maxims: "Poise Is Nature’s Discipline" and "Every Creature Has Its Order."

A uniformed docent greeted them, bowing. “Ladies, welcome. I’m Warden Clairn, assigned to your private route. If you’ll follow me, we’ll begin with the Curtsey Crane Pavilion.”

A ring of tall white birds waited in mirrored grace, heads bowed, one leg bent as if frozen mid-curtsey. At a whistle, they all dipped and fanned their tails, feathers spreading like hoop skirts.

“They’re curtseying!” Candy cried, pointing enthusiastically. 'Do you see? Do you?!"

The docent beamed proudly. “Model citizens of composure.”

Candy clapped until Vivian elbowed her lightly. “You’re embarrassing the birds.”

“Let me have this!”

Beyond the crane garden lay a slow-moving parade: massive, moss-backed Stonehorn Turtles, each trudging along a marked path. Children matched their pace in reverent imitation.

“They never stop once they start,” the docent said. “Interrupting one is bad luck.”

Candy lowered her voice, tiptoeing beside the nearest shell. “Look at him. He’s thinking deep thoughts like, I’ve been walking since before sarcasm was perfected.”

Alyssa laughed softly. “Then he predates you by about ten minutes.”

As they moved toward the petting yard, they passed a plaque on the Turtle’s enclosure wall. Candy had time only to half-read it. “On this date, the biscuit was recovered…”

“Oh, I remember that day! It was the last time I was here!” She exclaimed. “It was terrifying!”

The docent nodded in agreement. “It was a dark day indeed. The crow nearly ruined 300 years of tradition. And having to call in a foreign-trained unit to assist. Truly embarrassing.”

Candy’s eyes narrowed. “Geese,” she said like a curse word.

“Geese,” the docent shook his head, echoing her disgust. Vivian and Alyssa exchanged worried looks.

“There wasn’t alcohol on the carriage, was there?” Vivian asked, leaning toward Alyssa.

The petting section buzzed with polite little bleats and laughter. Tethergoats lined the fence, docile and ribbon-collared, while a pen of soft-furred rabbits hopped in tidy rows. Candy crouched, holding out a root-stalk. A goat leaned forward, bracing instinctively before the tug in a perfect etiquette demonstration.

“He’s so well-mannered,” she sighed. “Marcus would approve.”

Vivian raised a brow. “You saying you want a goat?”

Candy shrugged. “Eh, maybe one that eats dishes,” she joked back.

They fed the animals until Alyssa discovered the souvenir stall selling Pinnery Porcupine quills polished into bracelets.

“The quills have pin sigils on them,” said, examining them.

“Of course they do,” Candy replied. “Even the rodents are bred for compliance.” The porcupines, much like the koi, had been bred for centuries to have colorful marks on their fur, quills, or scales that were shaped like ancient Paddlewician runes. Obey, law, submit, etc. were the most popular at the gift shop.

Next came the Marble Vultures, solemn giants with stone-gray plumage. They perched in a high dome of glass, cleaning their feathers with almost clerical precision.

“They symbolize cleanup and logistics,” the docent explained. “We call them the Ministry of Natural Endings.”

“Bureaucratic birds,” Candy murmured. “Very Paddlewick.”

At the koi pond, steam drifted from the teahouse veranda. Below, the compliance-carp glided through still water, scales shimmering in patterns of Paddlewickian virtue: obedience, serenity, reflection.

The docent bowed. “You’re welcome to enjoy your tea while the fish meditate.”

Candy leaned over the railing, entranced by silver ripples forming the glyph for Still Waters. “They’re flashing written morals at me,” she laughed. “This place is crazy!” They drank floral tea from delicate cups, watching the fish trace their sigils until the sun climbed higher.

At last came the highlight: the Scalewing Pseudodragon Habitat. Dozens of glittering little psyedodragons, some waddling, some flying, through the habitat that was part enclosure, part aviary netting.

The docent smiled. “Now then, there’s a special new feature here at the zoo. In the pseudodragon habitat is a Puffdrake Illustrix. A rare breed. The kind whose smoke makes pictures. Hearts, elephants, baby ducks, anything it sees really. We call him Niblet, and he often escapes, but he never leaves the grounds. If you find him, take this flash paper, which will then show a picture of where he is, and report to the keeper for a private viewing and brunch. It comes with a free mug for each of you and for you maidens, a special pin!”

Candy’s eyes lit up. “So… there’s a mug, AND a pin!”

“Indeed. A commemorative cup with the words “I Found Niblet”. And pin bearers get 10% off the gift shop for life!”

“Then we’re finding him.”

“Candy, you hate pins, the whole pin system,” Vivian reminded her.

“Yeah, when it’s trying to train me to do dishes better! But when you win a pin in a contest at the zoo, it’s a souvenir! And ten percent off? I could use that you know. My allowance is only two silver!"

"I thought it was one point eight," Alyssa interjected, in the dry, detached way one does when the main topic has exhausted all interest.

"It was. I got it bumped to two a week ago. Long story. Now come on!”'

***

They’d been searching for forty-five minutes.

The docent had long since excused himself, politely, of course, leaving the trio armed with their “Finder’s Flash-paper” and a folded zoo brochure that promised Adventure, Morality, and Tea.

Every few minutes, a new family entered the enclosure, pointed hopefully under a bench, and left disappointed.

Candy refused to give up.

The docent eventually excused himself with a bow and a promise to return before closing, leaving the three of them alone with the grounds, the map, and the problem of a missing dragon. They did not stay put. Every few minutes, a new family entered somewhere else in the zoo through the main gates, from side paths, out of the teahouse, and began their own hopeful search. Candy watched it happen again and again as they moved: a father crouching by the koi railing, a pair of children peering under benches near the turtle promenade, a matron lifting her skirts to check behind a planter near the vulture dome. Each group pointed, whispered, then drifted on, disappointed.

Candy refused to give up.

“He’s here somewhere,” she muttered as they passed back through the front entrance plaza, scanning the stone benches and the ticket arch. “The sign said he never leaves the zoo. Not his enclosure. The whole zoo.”

They checked the Curtsey Crane Pavilion again, this time circling the outer hedges and the low service gates. Nothing but feathers and polite applause. They checked the Bellwing aviary. Nothing, though, as promised, the bellwings were singing to the tune of “All Hail the King”, a national favorite. From there they followed the path past the Stonehorn Turtles, Candy crouching to peer beneath shaded shell-rests while Vivian checked the sun-warmed rocks lining the walkway.

“He could nap under one of these,” Candy whispered. “If I were a tiny dragon, I would.”

“You’re not,” Vivian said, peering behind a water barrel. “You’re worse. You’re a zoo enthusiast.”

They crossed the bridge toward the Vulture Dome, the air warmer there, heavy with stone and heat. Alyssa checked behind the placards and the low railings while Candy scanned the vents. Still nothing. They even detoured into the main souvenir shop, drawing curious looks as Candy bent down to peer behind racks of plush pseudodragons and commemorative mugs.

“If he’s hiding behind his own merchandise, I’m impressed,” Vivian said.

Candy replied, “I already looked behind the stuffed Nibblets."

They emerged back into the open paths, looping past the petting yard, the koi pavilion, and finally the tea-house courtyard, covering ground in a slow widening spiral rather than pacing any single enclosure. By the time they regrouped near the railing, they had walked nearly the entire public circuit. Candy planted her hands on her hips, something she’d rarely done as Cameron but had in recent months been doing at an increasing trend.

“He’s not gone. He’s just hiding somewhere. Okay, screw it! Alyssa, do your thing. Crunch the numbers and find him!”

“Candy, regretfully, this isn’t a numbers situation.”

“Sure it is! We just need to figure out where he is usually found on what day or when it’s sunny or whatever. Then you can plot the likeliest places.”

Alyssa exhaled, then unfolded the brochure again. “Alright. Then we stop wandering and start thinking.” There were boards throughout the zoo that had the pictures of where Niblet had been found by guests posted on them. Alyssa led the group to one and began pondering it.

“You know,” she said half to herself, “he’s notoriously erratic, but there do appear to be commonalities.”

Candy grinned. “Commonalities?”

“Yes. You were partially right earlier. Time of day, nearby events, the weather.” She dug into her satchel and produced a pen and the crumpled park brochure. “He hides near sound, warmth, or food. Look.” She scribbled notes across the map: tea-house (warm), bellwing garden (music), sundial court (light at noon), the tea house or the petting zoo (food).

Vivian tilted her head. “You’re turning this into a proper investigation.”

“Thank you,” Alyssa replied. “Marcus didn’t pay for the deluxe package so we could leave empty-mugged.”

She stood, scanning the grounds, then spotted the sundial. “It’s just past the third bell. The Curtsey Cranes perform their afternoon bow in five minutes. He likes movement and applause. That’s our first spot.”

Candy grinned. “Detective Alyssa, I salute you.”

They hurried past the parading turtles and the patient porcupines, their hands holding up their swishing dresses. The Curtsey Cranes were mid-routine, dipping in perfect unison. For a breath, Candy thought she saw a glimmer of scales among their fanning tails, but it was only sunlight.

“Strike one,” Alyssa murmured. “Next guess, heat source.”

That meant the Vulture Dome, where the marble-feathered scavengers basked under artificial warmth. They circled the enclosure carefully, drawing curious looks from nearby matrons. Nothing.

“Last chance, then we really have to go,” Vivian said. “Tea-house courtyard. People say he’s fond of the smell of steep-root.”

The tea-house bustled, fragrant with orange-peel steam. Candy knelt beside a stack of straw bundles near the porch, muttering, “Come on, you little smoke puff…”

Then… chirp!

She froze. Slowly, she turned her head.

There, half-buried in a heap of decorative hay beside an abandoned handbag, was a tiny creature no larger than a kitten. Iridescent wings trembled like foil in sunlight. Its eyes blinked, liquid gold, and it hiccupped a perfect ring of lavender smoke that slowly formed into a heart as it wafted off.

“Niblet,” Candy smirked.

Vivian clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from squealing. Alyssa offered a surprised, “You were right. Math did save us.”

Candy held out the palm of her hand. The miniature pseudodragon sniffed once, then clambered up her sleeve, curling around her wrist like a living bracelet. Alyssa whipped out the flash-paper, the enchanted souvenir given to participants. “Hold still,” she said. With a sharp snap, the paper flashed bright as a camera bulb, leaving behind a faintly smoking image of Candy beaming, Niblet having been perched proudly on her wrist, scurried his way up her arm and buried himself in her cleavage.

“Evidence secured,” Alyssa declared.

"Uh..." Candy trailed off, staring down at the awkward situation. "Well... this is... something."

Vivian laughed. "Well, Alyssa did say he likes warm places!"

Candy gently lifted the dragon out and repositioned him. He seemed to take the repositioning well. They stayed with Niblet until the creature grew bored and moved on, then they presented the picture at the keeper’s post. The zookeeper gawked. “He hasn’t hidden in the tea-house since the last equinox.”

Within minutes, they were ushered into the glass-roofed Pseudodragon Parlor, a reserved balcony lined with gilded cages and soft carpets. Dozens of miniature dragons flitted below, chirping over trays of candied crickets. Servants appeared with trays of tea and honey cakes shaped like dragon wings. Each girl was given a pin, engraved with the image of a hand pulling Niblet out of a top hat. And Candy received her prize: a porcelain mug glazed in soft green, embossed with gold letters,

“I Found Niblet.”

Candy held both like a trophy. “I still can’t believe it. I actually found him!”

Vivian sipped her tea, watching Candy’s face glow. “Okay, yeah, I’m convinced she’s not joking.”

Alyssa nodded her head. “Agreed.”

Candy laughed openly, brightly, completely unguarded. It startled even her. Inside, something warm fluttered. Cameron always loved zoos, she thought. That was no secret. But he never laughed like this. Never bounced, never beamed, never let anyone see how much he cared. Being Candy, a name she still sometimes said with annoyance, was normally its own kind of cage, but here, surrounded by decorative wings and laughter, the weight had lifted. Just a little. Just enough that she could simply like something with no disguise, no irony, and no reservation.

“Come on,” she said, hugging her mug to her chest. “Let’s go see the turtles again. I think one of them smiled at me.”

Alyssa groaned but followed. Vivian rolled her eyes, smiling. "You know we do have that second stop to get to…” she reminded, but Candy was already walking away in a stride that most people jogged at.

Top in 1 - 29

Chapter 2: Welcome Home Little Wife: 4 votes

Chapter 10: The Literary SocietyVotes: 4 votes

Chapter 27: Heart Shaped Hell Votes: 3 votes

Well, all good options there. I am surprised chapter 6 isn't a bit higher, tying right now for 8th, I think. Definitely good to know.

Top 3 in 30 - 52

Chapter 30: Sir Cumsalot and the Secrets of Society - 6 votes

Chapter 52: True Colors - 5 Votes

Chapter 49: Good Girl - 4 Votes

I'm not surprised about Chapter 30. I mean, a little that it's the top, but it's really good. A funny, then tender, then funny again carriage ride. Awkward girl talk. A mother-in-law demonstrating blow job techniques on an enchanted BJ dummy. It had it all.

I am a little surprised about Chapter 52's popularity. Though I like it very much as it definatley world builded, plus highlights male color blindness, it still was meant as one of the smaller chapters. I suppose I puffed it out a bit at the end at the King's Day Feast. Maybe it was adding to Cams' past. Maybe it was seeing the spell in action. Or, maybe, it was seeing Candy embrace a perk of womanhood, which she arguably hasn't done as joyfully as here, well, except feeling Marylnn's augmented mommy milkers.

I'm most surprised about Chapter 49, though. It was a mini chapter at first. I thought about leaving it at Marcus fleeing, but then added in the bath house scene, figuring, hey never a bad time for a bath house talk. Maybe it was Candy's annoyance at earning a good girl pin, or perhaps the world-building showing how women must worry about changing guardians twice a year, and all the rest in their discussion. I'll never know (unless you voters tell me).

Note of interest for me, the "Penny Spankswell" chapter is tied for 4th in that batch :)

Anywho, thank you to all who voted!