by Robin Roseau
"I believe Rapid Flitter explained how a four and a four of Octal merge to become an eight," Violet said. "And she mentioned there was a battle of wills to determine which queen will remain queen."
"Yes, but what does that have to do with dinner at their house?"
"It is uncommon for Octals to host in their homes the sort of meal we are sharing here. It is more common to meet outside the home."
"So, isn't this an honor?"
"It is, but it is a different honor than I feared."
"Feared?" Rapid Flitter asked. "You fear the other offer?"
"Audra Andrews is too young for the other offer."
"Oh," I said. "Now I think I need a full understanding."
"We invite an evening of friendship, Skye," said Rapid Flitter. "We do not invite you for a battle of wills."
"Wait," I said. "What?"
"When Octals merge," explained Violet, "the battle of wills is waged with pheromones."
"Okay," I said slowly. "So?"
"Powerful pheromones."
"Yes, so?"
"Are you really going to make me spell it out?"
"As I don't know what you're talking about, yes, I am."
White Snow made a noise, and when I looked over, she had her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, I think something that amuses White Snow and makes Violet uncomfortable definitely needs an explanation."
"Your mate," said Rapid Flitter, "feared this invitation was for a battle of wills. The invitation could have been for a night, or it could be as prelude to absorbing you into our Octal."
"Wait," I said. "They can do that? Your pheromones work on Catseye and humans?"
"They are very powerful," said Rapid Flitter. "The battle of wills begins with the queens, supported by her mates, emitting pheromones. One begins to succumb. Sometimes it is not the queen that succumbs first, but some of her mates. This weakens the queen and strengthens the other queen, and two can become four or four can become eight. This can be very quick when the battle is unbalanced or consume days or weeks when the two queens are both very powerful. A human would not recognize the battle and would succumb quickly. A Catseye would only escape if she recognized the battle in time, or she would also succumb. And once you succumb, it is the winning queen who decides if this is a night, or if this longer than a night."
I turned back to Violet. "I see."
"It is unusual to invite a night of friendship," Rapid Flitter continued. "But it is clear. There will be no battle of wills and no pheromones. There is to be friendship."
"But you could change your mind."
"Ah, but an Octal does not engage in deceit of that nature. If we wished a battle, we might not warn you to expect one, but we would not lie. If you were an Octal of four, and we have offered a night of friendship, you would also not start a battle."
"And we can trust you, because?"
"Because what you fear is not the Octal way, but you do not need to take my word. You can ask this. How many people would be angry if we were to deceive you?"
I laughed. I turned to Violet. "It is safe to accept?"
"It is safe," she said. "I pinged Posey. She is deeply interested."
"Audra will be, too," I said. "Yes?"
"Yes."
I turned back to Rapid Flitter. "We would love to come."
"Very good. We will send details."
"I want to say something though. Audra is too young."
"We know. Humans place great emphasis on the ages of 18 and 21."
"And so now that it is safe, I admit. I am very curious."
"We will answer your questions, but in asking, you give permission for us to also ask."
I glanced at Violet. "Your choice," she said.
I turned back to Rapid Flitter. "Assuming we all have a nice time, will there be additional invitations?"
"Yes," she said. "It is better for us to invite."
"Why is that?"
"Because you are now five in your home, and six with your sister. These are not good numbers. We understand other species do not place such emphasis, but we do."
"I understand. And these will also be evenings of friendship."
"I will say this. If your sister is invited, then until she is 18, they are evenings of friendship. After that, they may not be."
Violet snorted. I looked over at her. "Oh, no," she said. "You're the curious one. Go ahead."
"You don't have anything to say to what she implied?"
"I've been in one of their battle of wills before," she said. "It was a single Octal, and so she was not powerful."
"And?"
"And, I'm not telling you."
"Oh, I think you are."
"No, I am not."
"Did you have a nice time?"
"Oh, yes. I certainly did."
I laughed and turned back to Rapid Flitter. "Let us say you began a battle of wills. What happens?"
"You succumb. Your sister succumbs. Posey and Violet succumb."
"What does that mean?"
She leaned forward. "You do anything I want."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
I gulped.
"And love it," she added.
I laughed. "I imagine. Is it hot in here?"
White Snow made that sound again, and Violet snuffled a little.
"All right," I said. "Then what? The evening comes to an end. I imagine we're in effect drugged out of our minds."
"We sleep. In the morning, I release you."
"Ah."
"The second time, I keep you for two nights, and the time after that, I keep you for four."
"Oh god."
"Once you leave, you have a clear head again. You are able to refuse additional invitations. That grows more difficult. I may invite you again. I may not. If I do, I may keep you. I may not. I do not know if I wish to fill my Octal with humans and Catseye."
She made a gesture with her fingers. I didn't recognize the meaning, but it seemed very distinct. "Do you understand Octal reproduction?"
"No."
"You'll like this," Violet said.
"We have one male and three females. Three is a poor number, but we are four. A full Octal is seven females and one male."
"All right. Lucky male."
"No," said Violet. "Lucky queen."
"Octals are one of several species where the provider of genetic material may not carry the child," said Rapid Flitter. "Temier are another. Temier have two females and one male for life. The male provides his portion. One female is the Creator of Life, and she provides her share. But then, sometime during the next two or three days, life is transferred to the Bearer of Life, and she is the one who carries the child."
"I think I see," I said only partially confused.
"Octals are not quite the same. The queen produces her portion, and she may choose to accept the male portion, or she may give her portion to another female, and then the male gives his portion. Then this female carries the child, but she provides no genetic material."
"Okay," I said slowly. "Like human donor eggs, but different."
"Yes," agreed Rapid Flitter. "Now, a human or Catseye reproductive system is not compatible with accepting an Octal child." Then she made her finger gesture again. "But both can be made so, and it is a smaller change than you will accept if you marry Violet."
I began laughing. "Now I think I understand everything."
"But this is not our intention. We wish friendship. We wish to relax away from uncomfortable humans. And so we invite to our home, where we may be eight for an evening."
"We'd love to come," I said.
* * * *
The term ended. Audra arrived the same day. We gave her an easy two days, and then came our dinner with the Octal family.
I didn't tell Audra anything of what we had learned. She was too young.
Violet insisted we dress for the occasion, which meant backless cocktail dresses for both Audra and me, although in deference to the casual nature,
strappy sandals instead of heels.
Audra was beautiful.
The Octals lived in New York, and so Posey flew us. We made use of the ET parking near the United Nations then used one of the cars to navigate the streets. I sat beside Violet, curled up into her. She slipped a tentacle from her dress and held me.
The car took us to underground parking, and we climbed out, Violet tucking the extra limbs back inside her dress.
"How can they live here?" I asked. "Aren't there security issues?"
"They come and go the same way we just did," Posey explained. "And the entire building is filled with ETs."
"I look forward to the day humanity isn't filled with xenophobic doorknobs."
"We're working on it," Posey said. "One pair of sisters at a time." Violet snorted.
"Hey!" Audra complained. "I was never xenophobic. Skye might have been, though."
"It shows," Posey said.
There was an elevator, but it required authorization to reach us. Posey rang the Octals, and they authorized the elevator. Once inside, there were no buttons to push. Instead, we rose, exiting onto the 16th floor.
Thirty steps later, we stood outside their apartment.
"I'm nervous," I admitted.
"Aren't you the one who accepted for us?" Audra said. "Now you're nervous? Should I be nervous, too? Is my hair all right? Should I have worn different shoes? Is there a nice Octal boy you're about to try to introduce me to or something." She went on and on, and I knew she was giving me shit.
"Brat," I told her.
And the door opened.
* * * *
We had a nice time. I'd met the three females, but this was the first time I had seen the male, West Gate. I began detecting a pattern in their names. I couldn't detect the gender differences, but I was sure there were some.
We received a tour. The public areas of the apartment were similar to apartments everywhere, but the bedrooms were rather different.
The main bedroom was an octagon, and it was entered via a staircase. Their apartment actually consumed two floors. Each wall of the octagon held a door, and each of the Octals had a room. But the center room hosted not a bed, but a large padded area with cushions, pillows, and blankets.
"It is very comfortable," Rapid Flitter said. "Would you like to see?"
"I'm not agreeing to anything, am I?"
She made the noise White Snow had made a few times over lunch two weeks previously. "No. I would not trick you. Come." She took my hand and led me to bedding. Then she spoke, and one of the Octals moved forward then knelt at my feet and removed my sandals. "Audra, are you coming?"
And so Audra also found her shoes removed, and we followed the queen.
She was right: it was deeply comfortable. Rapid Flitter encouraged us to lounge for a minute or two.
"This is a huge space for four of you," Audra said.
"It is just right when we are eight," explained Rapid Flitter.
"If you sleep here, why do you have separate rooms?"
"Everyone needs privacy and a place for individual things. Clothing that fits White Snow may not fit Quiet Waters. This bed is only used when I am here, so if I am gone, then my mates sleep in their individual rooms."
* * * *
We enjoyed our evening. Dinner was relaxing, the conversation lively but comfortable. We learned more about them, and they were equally curious about us. Violet and Posey received questions, but most of the questions were between the Octals and the Humans, and the flow of information was, by and large, even.
Dinner finished, and Rapid Flitter moved us to their living room. But rather than sitting on the furniture, the other Octals produced a variety of cushions, and then Rapid Flitter said, "We are here as four and four, but could we be eight tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"The temptation is for us to sit here," she said with a gesture. "And you to sit there." Another gesture. "I wish us to sit more mixed." We gave assent, and so she arranged us. She took her seat and then asked me to sit to her right and Audra to her left. She added White Snow beside me and Quiet Waters beside Audra. Then it was Violet and Posey, and finally West Gate, the male, between Violet and Posey.
The cushions were comfortable, but I preferred those at home. But I made myself as comfortable as I could.
"I wish to discuss something else," Rapid Flitter said. "Touch."
"Touch?" Violet asked.
"When a Catseye must hide her tentacles, her touch becomes reserved. But in such a setting as this, Catseye are always touching. They touch their family, their mates, their friends." She gestured to Audra and me. "These humans are clearly comfortable with Catseye touch. They even choose clothing around that touch." She reached behind me and caressed my back for a moment.
"Catseye touch far more than humans do in similar situations," I said. "I have grown to enjoy the Catseye style."
"Me, too," Audra said. "I should tell you more about me." She talked about the OI for a minute or two. "I grew up not receiving firm hugs and certainly nothing like tickles. I couldn't play. Our mother doesn't automatically hug me, even now, when she can. When I come here, it is the opposite. Everyone touches and hugs me, and I really like it."
"Octals are like Catseye," Rapid Flitter explained. "Outside the home, we are reserved. Inside the home, or with friends, we touch. It is not the same touch as Catseye. We do not have such long, sensuous tentacles. And so our touch appears more casual. And so I say this. There is no obligation, but we all hope you will touch us, and if you do, you offer permission for us to touch you." She looked across the circle to Violet. "Will it offend you if any of us touch your mate?"
"Only if the touch offends her."
"Do you understand about how humans prefer to be touched, or more exactly, how we do not care to be touched?"
"I admit confusion. The signals we have received have been deeply varied."
"Different humans react differently. Some humans hate being touched. Others have no limits. The first group type is far more common than the second. Audra and I have our limits, and at least mine are far more reserved with males than females. I would never allow a male to touch me the way I invite the Catseye to do so."
"Why is that?"
"Because a human male touching me like that is after sex. It would feel like he was mauling me. It would not be the friendly touch I share with Bluebell or Azalea. And it would not be the welcome intimacy I share with Violet. It would be a violation."
"I believe I understand."
"We are physically very reserved with people we don't know, but it sounds like that is no different for any of us."
"It is not," Rapid Flitter agreed.
"Then, within the people we know, with whom touch is welcome, there are ways we do not care to be touched. What you did a minute ago is welcome touch." And then I reached over to her, but I didn't know how she wished to be touched, and so I pulled my hand back.
"You withdrew."
"Early in meeting them, I told Posey and Violet they may touch my bare skin. You do not have a bare back."
"You do not know how I wish to be touched."
"Correct."
"For us, it is simple. Gentle touch anywhere." She took my hand and set it on her arm. "And you allow touch upon your bare skin?"
"That is a simple rule. But I won't always have bare skin like this. The places that are dangerous are here." I gestured. "And I'm sitting on a place. And then..." I gestured between my legs. "Only Violet touches me here, and not in front of anyone else."
"I remain confused," said Rapid Flitter, although she had her hand on the back of my neck. "I have seen sporting events where the males slap each other where you sit. Is this only for males?"
"I do not understand that," I said. "If someone did that to another human at work, he would be fired for it."
"And if it were your sister?"
"Audra wouldn't," I said. "And I wouldn't to Audra. It is a certain type of personal. Violet touches me there, and sometime
s Posey, but when she does it, she knows she is breaking rules."
"It is all very confusing." She turned to Audra. "Do I have the same rules with you your sister has offered?"
"Yes," Audra said. And she moved closer. And then she shifted so that her feet were touching Quiet Waters'. That generated a sort of ripple around the room, and soon everyone was touching someone. Even West Gate had a tentacle from each side, although only one. Violet reached one all the way around White Snow and wrapped the tip around my arm. I bent down and kissed it, and it waved at me for a moment.
"I think that was the strangest conversation I've ever had," declared Audra.
"This is diplomacy," Rapid Flitter said. "We are of different species. We cannot understand each other without communication."
"You're awfully quiet, Violet and Posey."
"The Octal and Catseye are long allies," Posey said. "We know more of each other. Although this is the first time I have been inside an Octal household. I like it."
"I do, too," I said.
"And so the evening is more about the humans and Octals learning of each other," Violet added.
"We are in a new home filled with people we do not understand," said Rapid Flitter. "And they do not understand us. Most humans are far too leery, and we would not invite them here. This is more touch of a human than I have done since we arrived. All we get are handshakes, which are not at all satisfying, and some humans won't even do that. Why is that?"
"You need to ask someone who is afraid of you," I said. "I don't understand it, either."
"They allow a Catseye to shake hands. Are they afraid because I am blue?"
"No, but they might be afraid of your hands."
She lifted a hand and looked at it. "Why would they be afraid of my hands?"
I shifted so I was sitting closer to her, putting my hand out, next to hers.
"Yes, they are different. I see the differences."
"Humans are often afraid of things they do not understand. They can also be afraid of making mistakes."
"How is a handshake a mistake?"
"Because they don't know how to hold your hand. It bends differently than ours."
"A Catseye hand is also different."
"But it is not as obvious. Let me show you." I rotated around so I was facing her and offered my hand. She gave me hers. "I do not know how to hold your hand properly, so I offered mine and let you control it. Because you are familiar with my anatomy, you knew how to take my hand. Now you offer yours."