The path to the pool tables was not an easy one with the horde of creatures they had to trudge through. Ocellus still wasn’t used to so many unorganized creatures in such a small space. The school was selective on new students and may have been populated but never crowded. Even for all the changelings in the hive, everyone always navigated so smoothly it barely felt like there were that many of them. This dang club however? A mouse couldn’t get through here without bumping into someone and Ocellus had half a mind to test that theory if he wasn’t nearly certain he’d be crushed.
He may have had an easier time if he wasn’t so fixated on a certain tail. Gallus' body moved through the crowd as fluidly as water follows the cracks in the ground. It was hard for his eyes not to follow every sinuous curve Gallus’ tail made. He didn’t know he could be so distracted.
Ocellus squeezed himself through one last pair of butts before popping out on the other side of the sea of dancers. Flickering above, a sign reading The Pool hung over Ocellus’ head. He didn’t find the name remotely clever.
The Pool was tiled and sunken into the floor like its namesake. The three pool tables that filled it each had a sexy glossy black finish with a neon trim.
Ocellus looked across The Pool, seeing pairs of creatures lounging or playing. “So what's the procedure here exactly? Do we just wait near a table till another duo shows up?”
“And end up getting someone who isn’t willing to spill some bits?” Gallus scoffed, “As if, waste of time. Just chill by this table here. I’ll find us some worthwhile competition.”
Ocellus raised a brow. “You mean you’re looking for someone that's cocky but sucks.”
“Yeah that's kinda the bag.” Gallus beat a fist into Ocellus’ side before strutting off to slide his way between the couples and buddies hanging around. He made it look effortless; two creatures could be neck deep in conversation and all he had to do was slither next to them and give the right look with those eyelashes of his. Whatever secret classes friendship school was giving him was on par with the lessons of Chrysalis’ best infiltrators, maybe better.
“So like—“ Sandbar stopped to tug his tail free from the crowd he just narrowly got out of. “Are you two gonna stare at each other’s butts all day? Because we could go back to the hotel to do that. Where I could be doing my assignment.”
“I’m not staring!”
“Ocellus, I am looking at the back of your head. You're staring.”
Ocellus turned to Sandbar with his face puffed and green with intense blush. “Okay fine, he has the cutest butt on the planet. We all know. The world knows. Let me admire. You don’t call out Yona for it!” Ocellus huffed, before turning away. Only to turn right back. “Wait, has he really been looking back at me that much?”
“The literal second you turned away,” Sandbar said flatly as the tile they stood on. “Can we do some whisper talk for a minute.” Their heads leaned together. “Listen, there's no way to say this nicely”
“But you're going to say it anyway.”
“As a friend I have to.” Sandbar’s lips squirmed as his eyes darted over the floor hoping to find the right way to say what was on his mind just laying around. “Is this whole TF thing just to get Gallus’ attention?”
Ocellus’ face contorted in ways he only thought were possible with shapeshifting “Did you just say TF?”
“I can learn your freaky kink lingo. The five of you think I don’t know what a Six-Nine is.”
“That’s not….”
“Did you become a guy to get with Gallus or not?”
“Gah! No. I wouldn’t even have to. I’m pretty sure everyone alive knows Gallus is bi.”
“And we both know he has a preference. I’m just saying if that's the plan, it’s hella working, but it's kinda messed up ya know.”
“It’s messed up to make yourself more attractive to someone? Which by the way, isn’t what I’m doing.”
“I mean if it was just your appearance nah, but to say you’re going full guy and everything. Does gender even mean anything to a shapeshifter?”
“Sandbar.” Ocellus borrowed his father’s tone.
“Yes?” Said sandbar in a child’s tone.
Ocellus planted his hoof on Sandbar’s head and made certain they were looking directly into each other's eyes. “If gender didn’t mean anything to me, why would I have been a girl for as long as you’ve known me? Why would the changelings have had a queen Sandbar?”
“Uh.”
“Have you ever met a non-gendered changeling, Sandbar?”
“Two,” Sandbar said, raising both his hooves.
“And how many changelings total have you met, Sandbar?”
“Like, ten.”
“Exact— wait, just ten?” Ocellus stopped, his grip loosened as he muttered things over with himself. “Okay I admit that’s a pretty small sample size. I could have sworn I brought you to the hive more- but you get the point. Besides, anyone can play with gender. I just have an advantage.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Sure!” Ocellus finally let Sandbar’s scalp go. His face turned to excitement. “Gender is meant to be played with as much as orientation is meant to be experimented with.”
Sandbar took a step back, for his own safety. “I don’t like the way you look at me when you say that, but I guess I get it.”
Ocellus pat his clueless friend on the back. “Glad to hear it, and if we ever have to have this conversation again I’m making you sit in the Feelings Forum for ten hours. Now make up for it by going back and bringing me another drink.”
Ocellus forced his card into Sandbar’s hooves, and with a grumble that expressed both his annoyance and embarrassment, he shuffled off to do as told. With nothing to do but wait, Ocellus decided to watch Gallus. The music was loud, and the party goers made a constant white noise for chatter, but growing up in Chrysalis’ hive meant being forced to learn some particular skills. As a professional infiltrator with the right focus Ocellus could listen in on Gallus. It was hard but doable and a skill he’d never let any of his friends know about.
Most of the pairs he approached were too busy on their date to potentially sour their evening losing bits. Where he failed to find a match, he never failed to get attention. The creatures he’d talk to would curl their tails and flirt, and almost every time assume he’s a girl at first. It was routine, really, but by the second attempt, Ocellus noticed something. Whenever it would happen. Whenever someone would call Gallus “Hen” his smile got just a bit bigger, or his tail might do an excited flick, his ears would perk up. Just an interesting little quirk that Ocellus checked off in their mental To Use file.
After chatting up about a dozen pairs, Gallus found some creatures who fit the bill, full of unwarranted confidence, competitive energy, and bits ready to be separated from their owner. Trailing behind Ocellus’ little game maker was a stunning blue hippogriff mare and her donkey friend each sporting the grins of someone who thinks they already made twenty bits.
“Cel, I brought you some suitable competition.” He gestured a wing to his left and his right, presenting his catch. To the right, the hippogriff, “This is Vapor Draft.” To the left, the donkey, “And Janette.”
The pair of well fashioned girls looked over Ocellus like a pair of queens judging the peasant before them. A look Ocellus still wished he wasn’t so familiar with. Janette spoke up “This scrawny guy is your partner? This is what we’re up against? So scary!”
“Yeah,” Vapor covered her laugh with her wings, an act that somehow made her snicker all the more demeaning. “I didn’t realise we were playing against the twink team. Don’t you two have a daddy to play pool for you?”
“My drill sergeant called me agile,” Ocellus mumbled.
“Get your laughs in while you can, you’re about to see what it looks like when you bet to survive.” Gallus snatched two pool cues into his talons and tossed one to Ocellus. On instinct, Ocellus caught it as if they’ve done the routine a hundred times. Ocellus feared the cue was just similar enough to a spear that it triggered long unused training. “Look alive Cel! We’ve got two haughty ladies that need to be liberated of their bits.”
“Aye aye sergeant femboy,” Ocellus said, perfectly performing an Equestrian salute.
The hippogriff set up the table. Between her and Gallus it was like they were trying to see who could make a face smug enough to make the other keel over. She leaned deep into the table, her tail swishing. She took the breaking shot and the balls zip zooped over the table. Not a single ball in a pocket.
“Nice start.” Gallus pushed Ocellus forward with his wing, “Go ahead, take the first shot.”
Ocellus took an unsure step toward the table. Trying not to turn all the way back he glanced at Gallus out the corner of his eye. The hippogriff had given him an idea. Careful and calculated, Ocellus sank lower as he lined up his cue. With his back in a full smooth arch, Ocellus started to feel like he was turning himself into a banana.
“Showing off for your boyfriend, little guy?” the donkey said, sending her and her friend into a laughing fit.
“A little,” Ocellus mumbled to himself, despite the embarrassment bubbling up in his belly. Without looking back, he could feel that he was having some effect on Gallus. He took his shot, and the balls clacked against each other like pride and embarrassment bouncing around the table in his head.
Two striped balls went in, but neither Ocellus nor Gallus cared too much at the moment.
“Uh, nice shot. Cel,” Gallus said nervously looking between Ocellus and the two girls snickering on the other side of the table. As he approached for his shot he leaned in close as he whispered, “What in the world are you doing?”
Ocellus smiled. “Just taking the shot.”
Gallus didn’t reply, instead he used his tail to push Ocellus back. Ocellus must have ignited that competitive streak in him cause Gallus took a lean that blew Ocellus’ out of the water. The shot missed the pocket but he certainly didn’t miss his target.
The game continued. Gallus and the stylish pair took their snarky shots at each other, while Ocellus would simply smile politely. All the while, the blue duo had a game of their own with each other's eyes.
Vapor lined up a shot. Only one solid left on the table to Gallus and Ocellus five stripes. “Maybe you two would have won by now if you weren’t more focused on the balls on the table.”
Gallus’ feathers ruffled and a low tiger-like rumble came from his throat before looking toward his partner. “Ocellus, just what are we doing anyway?”
“Oh I don’t really know. I just noticed you’ve been checking me out tonight and some part of my restless brain told me to play along.”
“Oh,” Balls clacked while Gallus’ eyes darted to everything besides Ocellus until he was the only thing left to look at. “You noticed, huh.”
“Jeez, even Sandbar noticed. You usually don’t give me that sort of attention. I only made my body a little more masculine. Am I really that much more attractive?”
“I don’t think there's a safe way for me to answer that.”
“I’m just messing with you, it's fine. But, it's nice to have your attention.”
The sound of loud thumping yanked them from their conversation. Jannette was striking the table with her pool cue, her heavily masquerade glare fixed on Ocellus. “Get over here and take your turn already. I’m trying to take y’alls bits sometime tonight. Unless you just wanna hand it over now.”
Ocellus jumped upright. “Oh right. On it!”
Ocellus’ mind raced as he approached the table to take the shot. Do it like a normal creature this time. Just why the heck was I doing that anyway. (Line up the shot stop worrying). Just cause it was fun, just cause it felt a little nice to get that sort of attention? It's not even like I’m trying to go anywhere with all that teasing or I don’t think I was. (Thirteen, corner pockets I can make that.) Gallus sure was teasing back. Maybe this is the sort of thrill he gets out of doing this all the time? (Stop thinking about two things and take the shot.)
Thirteen rushed straight corner jaws and bounced right out.
“Nice shot, ditz.” Jannet spun her cue in her hooves. And shot a grin that flashed a golden tooth. “I’ll be taking your friend's bits on the next one. Thanks for making this so easy for us.”
Ocellus scuttled his way back to Gallus' side and muttered a small “We kinda threw, huh.” Their eyes tracked the eye ball as it slid into the side pocket like a glove.
“It's whatever. When I gamble to win I play cards. I’m just trying to have a good time, man.” He jabbed Ocellus. Gallus strutted up to the others as if he hadn’t just lost and held out his bits. His palm was empty in the blink of an eye.
Glimmer, sparkles, and the faint aura of victory shimmered off the gold coins being tossed up and down in Vapor’s claw. “Nice playin’ with ya boys. Next time you little guys wanna empty your pockets, you know who to find. Have fun you two.” The two turned away and faded into the sea of club goers.
“Sorry about your bits,” said Ocellus.
“It's whatever." Gallus shrugged with his wings. "I’m just trying to have a good time. Winnings just a bonus.”
Ocellus threw his hooves over Gallus’ back. “It was fun playing with a cute hen.” He could already feel heat rising under Gallus’ ruffling feathers. “Even if we played weird.”
“Hey hey hey.” A shiver ran down Gallus' form, and he squirmed his way out of Ocellus’ hooves. Despite all the red shining beneath his feathers he still kept a shaky grin on his beak. “Why are you calling me a hen? What's up with you tonight?”
“Because I can tell you like it.”
A bat was taken to the system inside Gallus’ head and his eyes went wide. “I-I don’t get it.”
“Listen, maybe no one else thinks much of it, but I’m not blind. When creatures approach you as a girl, you really like it. Your tail swishes, and those little ear thingies of yours twitch. It's cute. Anyway, I just think that maybe you’re holding yourself back a little.”
“It's not all that!” He was backpedaling as the words burst out his beak. Then his tone lowered and his head shrunk into his chin as he muttered. “It just feels a little nice.” Gallus pouted,turning his cheek to Ocellus. “I’m not trans, Cel. I don’t get, like, upset about being a guy or anything.”
Ocellus put his hoof over his chest. “I’ve never been upset about being a girl either. I just wanted to try something different, and I feel great.” His buzzing wings backed up that claim. “I might go back tomorrow, I might not. Maybe I’ll just go guy mode whenever I feel like it. It doesn’t always have to be dead serious. These things aren't all or nothing.”
For a second Gallus glared right through Ocellus before looked down toward his own feet.“You’re a shapeshifter it's easy for yo-”
“No no, I’m not hearing that. Especially not from you, people already think of you as a girl on sight when you want them to. I might be able to change on a whim, but you’ve already got this down. Gallus, I just think you’d really love how it feels. I’m not saying you should just whoop-de-doo-become a girl forever, but I know you can give it a try.”
“I mean yeah, but like. It's different. I just. I’m good at y’know. Makeup and stuff. It's I dunno.” The more he spoke the smaller his words became till there was just a rumble of frustration from deep in his throat. His wings held tight to his side and his forelegs pulled closer to each other. His tail curled in on itself with every thought that went on in his head.
Slow steady, calm steps were the only thing Gallus could hear as Ocellus approached. He leaned in, his snout just above Gallus’ beak. Ocellus' breathing was slow, calm, and confident while gallus’ chest was barely containing itself.
“Are you scared?” Ocellus asked.
“No!” Gallus blurted. “It's not scary! It's just…” He grumbled unable to finish
“Maybe it’ll be easier if we can try it in a context you’re used to.” A wry smile flashed on Ocellus’ face. “We could make it a date. I can be the guy, and you can be the girl”
All the stiffness and panic melted into a laugh that bubbled in Gallus’ throat as his face grew hot. “Yeah, well I mean, you know it doesn’t have to be like that ”
“Of course I know, but it makes it sound exciting doesn’t it?”
On that night, Ocellus learned he could make Gallus sweat.