Eclipse stood in the middle of Arabel’s living room with the same focus one might expect from a Jedi lifting a spaceship. Her hands were clenched, eyes narrowed, lips pursed. Magic thrummed just beneath her skin, but every time she reached for it, something slipped.

  anoraheart

  Arabel, meanwhile, was lounging on the couch with a bucket of popcorn she absolutely didn’t need, but brought out anyway. “Alright, fox queen. Take five. Let’s try this again.”

  “I’ve been stuck in this half-furball form all day,” Eclipse growled. “My ears keep popping out and you’re gonna be cleaning up eggs for days cuz of this tail,” she grabbed the floppy tail that was constantly moving and knocking things over.

  Arabel nodded solemnly. “R.I.P. that bowl of protein. Taken too soon.”

  Eclipse rolled her eyes and closed them again, summoning her will. Focus. Steady. Human form only. Not fox. Not floofy…

  POOF.

  She was a silver fox again, standing in a perfect little curl on Arabel’s rug, tail twitching with indignation.

  Arabel burst into giggles. “YOU ARE SO FLUFFY.”

  Eclipse bared her tiny fox teeth and squeaked out, “I swear, Arabel, I will nip your ankles.” It came out as the most faint squeaks and yet she seemed to get her point across.

  “You’d never. You’re too cute. Also, try it and I’m dressing you in a tiny cardigan.”

  Eclipse let out a very disgruntled growl as Arabel scooped her up bridal-style and plopped her onto the couch. “How does it feel? Do you have like, super smell or something? Can you hear squirrels crying across dimensions?”

  “I can hear you being annoying in ten different tones,” Eclipse growled, curling her tail around herself.

  Arabel gasped. “Your paws are twitching. That’s it. I’m bringing out the bow.”

  She bolted into her room, returning with a sparkly pink ribbon. Eclipse immediately tried to leap off the couch, but Arabel was faster. The bow was fastened just behind her ears with terrifying precision.

  “I. Am. Going. To. Haunt. You,” Eclipse hissed.

  Eclipse sulked in fox form for nearly an hour, curled up on a pillow like a begrudgingly majestic toasted marshmallow, while Arabel tried to tempt her with snacks, squeaky toys, and one failed attempt to teach her how to high five.

  Finally, with a fsh of light and a soft pop, Eclipse shifted back into her human form mid-sentence, hands thrown up. “—AND I DON’T EVEN LIKE FISH!”

  Arabel blinked. “You’re back!”

  Eclipse stood in the middle of the room, now fully clothed in her usual futuristic gear… but still wearing the pink bow on her head.

  Arabel absolutely howled.

  Eclipse yanked it off with the fury of someone personally wronged by glitter and ribbon. “You’re lucky I didn’t bite you.”

  “You did try. I have video proof.” who had taken to

  “I’m going to delete your cloud storage.”

  They ended the day with Arabel setting up “fox drills” for when Eclipse inevitably slipped up again and a “safety zone” complete with bnkets, calming music, and emergency snacks.

  “Because listen,” Arabel said, scribbling on a whiteboard she absolutely didn’t need, “if we’re doing magical transformation training, we need structure.”

  “Seriously,” Eclipse growled.

  “Admit it,” Arabel said with a grin, “part of you loves being the fluffiest demi-god in the city.”

  “…Only when you’re not putting accessories on me,” she muttered. It was going to be a long night.