It's quiet, this late at night. A half-moon hangs in the sky; the stars are mostly lost in the pink glow of the streetlights. A pair of women are sitting outside the il'ka just looking up at the moon. 

A local tram has stopped in the bay to the side of the il'ka and is unloading boxes marked with a stylized grain logo, which another il'ka employee Vi vaguely recognizes is stacking onto a dolly. 

It's not far back to the condo.

It's a pretty night. Soon enough, she gets home, unlocks the door, and steps inside.

The condo is quiet. The lights are mostly off; there's just a single soft bedside lamp on, from somewhere in the cuddleroom.

Vi steps out of her flats and pads quietly to the cuddleroom, peering in.

Liv is sitting up in bed, her eyes half-closed, one hand on her phone, the other tangled in the hair of Foxy, who's lying with her head in Liv's lap, sound asleep. 

She looks up when Vi comes in, and carefully raises her petting hand to put a finger across her lips. Shhh. 

She looks at her phone and starts typing. 

A fond grin sweeps over Vi's face and she nods, pulling her phone out of her purse just in time to feel it vibrate in her hand.

How'd it go? Did you get the books? I've been following the news, it sounds like a mess out there. 

Yep, got them. And yeah, it's been wild. Snow was dead on her feet.

Emphasis on was.

I was just about to say. Good girl. ♡

Should I wake Foxy or should we wait for morning?

Thanks~ ♡

I figure wait 'til morning, so we can look at everything together with X. She says "hi", by the way.

Sensible. I'll text X and let her know you're home safe. Can you help me get Foxy's head off my lap without waking her?

Vi nods, puts her phone away, quietly sets both bags down, and pulls her sundress off, tossing it to the laundry hamper in the corner of the cuddleroom. She climbs very carefully onto the bed, moving slowly so as not to shake the mattress, and lies on her side behind Foxy. One arm wraps tenderly around her Kept as she snuggles close behind her, and she slowly slips her other hand under the sleeping girl's head, lifting up just enough that Liv can slip out.

Liv shifts to the side, sets her phone on the bedside table, then carefully scoots the pillows she was sitting on under Foxy's head. She smiles.

Violet smiles back.

Then realizes she forgot to brush her teeth.

She lowers Foxy's head slowly onto the pillows, waits a few moments to see if that starts to wake her, and then slides her hand out from under her head.

Foxy stirs slightly and wraps her cybertail back around Vi, the prosthetic apparently still active even in her sleep.

Oh no. She's stuck. She gives Liv a pleading look.

Liv holds up her phone.

What did you forget this time?

Vi blushes, then mouths teeth back.

Liv rubs the bridge of her nose. Then she goes into the bathroom and comes back with a packet of freshmint cleaning gum, according to the label. 

She breaks out a square and hands it to Vi.

She smiles sheepishly and takes the gum with her free hand, then mouths thanks and blows Liv a kiss. She pops the cleansing gum into her mouth and chews carefully, making sure get everywhere. After a minute or two, the taste fades slightly, and she swallows the edible gum, its job done.

Then she snuggles tighter around her Kept, closes her eyes, and lets herself drift off to sleep.

Liv dims out the soft light, and quietly makes her way back to her own room, where she flops into bed.

Eventually, morning comes.