Hailey and Candy were the first to arrive at Erick’s Pizza. It wasn’t long before Jenna met up with them, though Vanessa was running a little behind, and had no way of telling them. “Hey.” Hailey giggled. She was wearing her new Furran outfit, she wasn’t totally fur covered yet, but it worked.

“Wow,” Jenna said as she looked Hailey over. “You look gorgeous. Love the fur.”

“Do have to fight you for my woman?” Candy teased.

Jenna laughed. “I have my eye on another human...ish girl, actually,” she teased back.

“I think she should be here shortly. Want to go in and get a table?” Hailey asked.

Jenna nodded. “I don’t know how you knew, unless you were asking around,” she teased. “I love this place. The garden special is absolutely sublime.”

“Hailey is getting the sense of smell, and was drooling on it all the way to Vanessa’s new job.” Candy giggled.

“Oh? She found a new job already?” Jenna asked.

“Yup, with Fran.” Hailey nodded.

Jenna laughed. “I should have seen that coming. In fact I should have suggested it myself, but I was a little ah... preoccupied.” She giggled again.

“Checkin out the Human ish vampires assets?” Candy laughed as they heard distinct, sharp footfalls approaching.

Vanessa and Fran had really gone all out on her look, adding skull motif jewelry with dangling spider earrings and she even had her hair up in a style reminiscent of another Vampire Queen, the lady Elvira herself, to say nothing of her makeup. “Sorry it took me so long, but I lost two teeth in the bathroom, just fell right out.” she opened her mouth to show the two empty spots. “Didn’t hurt at all though.”

“You smell different,” Hailey just blurted right out, and Candy started to giggle.

“Does that hurt?” Jenna asked, concerned.

“No it felt weird when they fell out.” Vanessa shrugged, “Hopefully they grow back.”

“Your fangs are coming in,” Candy said with a nod.

“Oh?” Jenna grinned. “The water does change people even only slightly. You only have to touch it.”

“I’ve been drinking it,” Vanessa laughed.

“Same here,” Hailey nodded.

“Oh you guys should talk to the doctor in the morning.” Jenna frowned. “The effects of drinking too much unfiltered water aren’t fully understood yet.”

“Wait, so you don’t normally just crave the sweet ocean water?” Hailey asked as they walked inside.

“No that’s very unusual.” Jenna looked concerned, “Erick, is your Aunt in?”

“Hey Jenna,” the man behind the counter nodded. “She’s upstairs. Want me to go get her?”

“I hate to ask, but I think we have an emergency.” Jenna sighed, she turned to Candy, “Have you been drinking that much as well?”

Candy nodded her head, “Yeah, but I haven't noticed any changes.”

“I have. You’re definitely not acting like a normal Furran - no offense.” Jenna spoke. “You’re more free about things.”

Candy frowned, nodding after a moment. “Yeah, I... kept telling myself it was because nobody here - well, almost nobody here - really knew what we were like, and being around Hailey is frankly a little intoxicating,” she giggled, and then cleared her throat. “But surely the water wouldn’t affect a taught habit... would it?”

Hailey smiled innocently, “What? I’m not drugging her. I don't have any drugs to drug her with.”

“Unless you smuggled some catnip in an uncomfortable place,” Candy giggled out.

“Nope.” Hailey giggled too. “If you put a quarter in there, it would implode it’s soo tight.”

A woman in her late 20s or so came out of the backroom, carrying a well used doctor’s bag in one hand. “Jenna, what seems to be the emergency?” she asked.

“Sorry to disturb you Lynn, but these three just told me they’ve been drinking the ocean water - craving it.”

“Oh dear.” Lynn looked concerned. “Nobody has ever drank much of the water at once.”

“Hailey is becoming Furran - stardust blue,” Jenna said, “My poor Vanessa’s canines just fell out in the sink, and even Candy seems much less inhibited than the typical Furran I’ve worked with.”

We’ve never had to deal with Furran before.. According to the logs, Furrens have a built in mechanism nowadays that helps them regulate their inhibitions?”

If Candy’s skin could be seen, it would have turned pale. “Oh no... No no no no no. Are you saying I’m losing my inhibitions? I can’t. I won’t be like the stories. I won’t go feral!” she started to panic. As much as they liked to tell people it was taught, it seemed, in her panic, Candy let out one of Furra Prime’s little-known secrets.

“Oh I don't think you have to worry too much, but I will need to get a blood sample.” she pulled out some surprisingly high tech stuff from the old bag.

“Fuck,” Vanessa groaned.

“No needles dear.” Lynn said. She knew exactly what Vanessa was afraid of.

“Okay, but if I see one drop of blood I’m not cleaning up the results.”

“Oh that’s easy to fix too.” Lynn nodded and pulled out some black tubes putting them on the table and loading one into a device that wasn’t much larger than the vials themselves, with no visible means of drawing anything, let alone blood. “Who’s first?”

“I guess I’ll go first, so Vanessa can see the whole process,” Hailey said, smiling at her new friend.

“This won't hurt at all, and normally when they say that, they're full of shit.” Lynn grinned, and placed the device against Hailey’s arm. She didn’t feel anything, and they couldn't see the vile fill with blood. “You would be surprised to know how many people in the universes that have trypanophobia.”

“I remember Brie saying something about needles being barbaric,” Hailey laughed. “Honestly when I gave her my last two blood samples though, I was considerably distracted both times. This is the first I’ve actually seen the process and paid attention.”

“Didn’t hurt did it?” Lynn half-teased.

Hailey shook her head. “I didn’t even feel anything. Not even pressure really.”

“Nothing punctures the skin is why.” Lynn grinned, and Vanessa volunteered next, and then Candy had hers drawn last. “I'm going to run some tests right here. As for the water thing, we can only hope it goes away when you finish changing, but if not, we’re going to have to detox all three of you.”

Jenna squeezed Vanessa’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll be by your side even if I have to wear a blanket out.”

Vanessa laughed, “I’ve been to Rehab before. it’s not bad, especially if you want to be there. Oh don’t worry,” she quickly added, “Nothing too extreme. I was a depressed teenager, addicted to painkillers. I’ve been clean for six years.” She smiled proudly, exposing two vacant fang holes. Jenna giggled.

“In theory, an ocean water detox will be quite like just taking a few days’ rest. I say in theory because it’s never been done before,” Lynn explained.

“We’re rewriting the rules as we go,” Vanessa said. “There’s an entire convenience store, on an island full of um...”

“Hardwood,” Candy giggled.

“Yeah... Hardwood trees, about half a day from here now,” Vanessa laughed.

Hailey fell off her chair giggling, “A Metric fuckton of hardwood.”

While they waited, Erick came back out, both to check on them, and to get their orders. Vanessa and Jenna both ordered the garden special.

“I’ll take a Taco pizza.” Hailey snickered, after he had left. “Get it Candy, Taco?”

“Water... you tacoin’ about?” Candy giggled.

Hailey giggled even more, “Can you make the taco meat a little pink.”

Vanessa groaned. “6th grade humor there Hailey.”

“I’m sorry,” Hailey giggled. “I can’t help myself. But yeah,um the taco pizza really does smell delicious, oh and an order of garlic bread.”

“Make that two orders of garlic bread,” Candy giggled. “If I’m going to kiss garlic, I’m going to enjoy it.”

“Three.” Jenna laughed. “I totally forgot the Garlic bread.”

Erick tried to keep a straight face, even though Lynn was stifling laughter through the whole conversation. “We’ve heard about Furrans before by the way, we’ve been preparing for your kind to join us, but wow that was a lot more than we expected.”

“We’re usually much more polite,” Candy giggled out. “There’s something wrong with us.”

“Amen to that,” Vanessa teased her.

Jenna shrugged, “I kinda like it. I’ve met some furran who’ve let go of their streak and let it all hang out, they seem to be less stuck up.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Remind me to tell you the one about the author and the octopus.” She watched the two furran for a moment, waiting for their reactions.

Candy’s turn to fall off her chair laughing, Hailey was giggling but not as bad as Candy.

Jenna grinned. “That came straight from Master Risha.” She winked. “I’m more worried about the effects of overdosing on ocean water than anything.”

“Ok from these readings, you’re regressing, but not back to your farel state.. There seems to have been a time in your people's lives when you were settling from being Farel, that your sexual inhibitions didn’t exist.” Lynn stated.

“That’s just as bad,” Candy groaned. “How did you even know though? There are no Furran here,and that’s a deeply guarded secret.”

“We have access to Traxian medical files,” Lynn answered simply. Candy’s lips curled into a perfect ‘o’ for a moment, though she didn’t sound it out. She nodded.

“I don't see any data here showing that the wall is going to completely crumble down either.” Lynn spoke.

“As long as I’m not compelled to hit on everything that moves, and a few things that don’t,” Candy said almost seriously. “There was literally a time in our people's lives, we would fuck anything and everything. Most furren call it ‘being a male’ today,” she giggled out, joking.

“If it does come to that, I believe there’s still help available,” Lynn said.

“Extensive treatment.” Candy sighed.

A knowing grin crossed Lynn’s face. “A natural method. According to Brie’s meticulous record keeping, the answer is dressed in blue beside you.”

Hailey giggled. “The blue pussy saves the day.”

Lynn tried her best not to laugh. “According to Brie, you’re well versed in an Earth martial art called Tai Chi. It’s similar to the meditative practices of several races, including Furran monks.”

“Yeah, I’m almost to an assistant teaching level.” Hailey nodded. “We should totally practice it anyway even if we don’t need it for that.”

“Sounds good to me,” Candy giggled.

“We can even practice when we’re on missions.” Hailey added.

“I’ll stick with shotgun fu,” Vanessa teased them.

“As for you, you’re reading fine across the board for a youngling Verran.” Lynn spoke to Vanessa.

“See,” Jenna said, “I told you we’re all human-ish.” She giggled. Vanessa laughed.

“Not like I’m much of a day person anyway.” she paused, “I better tell Fran that I’ll have to take the shifts that keep me out of the sun.”

“Oh,” Jenna said, “That reminds me - two things. First, you can go out when it's overcast, but it’s a little dangerous if you don’t know if the sun might come out. Two, in Fran’s back room the carpet isn’t tacked down,” she paused to let Candy and Hailey giggle that one out. “There’s a tunnel running between our shops, with the garment warehouse she shares with me in-between. Wouldn’t take much to dig a tunnel to your hut.”

“Or you could get a room,” Candy giggled.

Vanessa groaned, “That one didn’t fit.”

“Sorry,” Candy laughed.

Hailey giggled, “That’s what she said.”

“Nice save,” Jenna laughed.

“Now I know how Daria felt, “Vanessa giggled - genuinely giggled.

“Beavis and Butthead were way worse.” Hailey giggled as Erick brought out their drinks - two glasses of Doctor Pepper for the furrens, a glass of vanilla coke for Vanessa. And a glass of some blue fruity smelling liquid for Jenna, along with their garlic bread.

“Ok further testing on the water information, it seems to be accelerating your changes.” Lynn said as she started to put away her equipment. “We’ll play it by ear, but I believe that when your changes are done, the cravings for the water will go away with it. Just to be safe I’d avoid drinking more for now if you can, but if you start to feel withdrawal symptoms, have a glass and see if that helps. Any other symptoms, come straight back here or to the clinic.” she paused, “There are two genetic researches so we take shifts.”

Hailey got a little more serious, “You know if more Furrans show up, it’s going to suck if we’ve somewhat regressed to a pervert stage, and they haven’t.”

“We’ll make sure they drink the water too,” Candy teased.

“Drink the Kool Aid, become one of us.” Hailey giggled as she took a drink of her soda. it was nice and cold, even having some ice floating in it.

“I’m thinking the overseers have a plan about that, they wouldn’t make you two like that and then bring in prudes.” Lynn shrugged.

“I’m telling you,” Vanessa said, “We’re rewriting the rules as we go.”

“They also seem to really like Earth for some reason.” Lynn laughed, “There are more normal humans here than anything else.”

“They need to drink the water too,” Hailey giggled.

“There has to be a method to their madness even if they switched it up.” Lynn shrugged. “There’s always a pattern.”

Hailey nodded. “In my case, I literally almost drowned in the ocean water, but Vanessa was inside the 7-11. She never touched the ocean water before we got back.”

“I was in a tree and fell out.” Candy nodded, “And yes, we land on all fours every time.”

“So you were-” Hailey started to say.

“Don’t say it,” Vanessa groaned.

“A-”

“Tsht!” Vanessa interrupted her.

“Pussy on a penis?” Jenna finished for her. Vanessa groaned. “Sorry I picked up a ton of their humor when I lived on Furra Prime.”

Vanessa laughed. “It’s fine. They just remind me of my two nieces.”

“You hang out with these two long enough, it’ll rub off on you too.” Jenna laughed.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Vanessa laughed.

“Rub one off.” Hailey giggled which earned a giggling from Candy and a slap on the arm.