"Tempting, but you're right, I do have work to get back to." She shakes her head, "No, the surprise is that the Sanctified is giving a press conference in the evening shirasanmi stream, two days from now."

"Huh! It's gotta be the aliens, right, what else would it be?"

She nods and smiles. "Makes the most sense to me! I'd expect to have heard about an archeological dig that could turn up something spiritually-relevant here."

"I can't wait to see what Snowblossom has in store for us."

The day of the press conference, the girls snuggle up into a cuddlepile after dinner and queue the stream up on a screen.

Violet is awestruck. An Alien shirasanmi? The shirasanmi of a whole species of aliens who live with stories? She’s stunned. She hugs Foxy tighter in her lap.

And then Snowblossom puts the story to verse. 

Violet Ink has watched quite a few of Snowblossom’s broadcasts before. She can tell the difference between things prepared in advance and what the Sanctified comes up with in the moment. This is the latter.

This is a story that moved the Sanctified to gorgeous poetry on the spur of the moment, a beautiful and poignant tale that hopes all the brighter for the sharp sting of the sadness.

She spends a moment after the broadcast ends in a daze.

There's a moment of silence, then...

"Awwww, our Sun's all gone over Snowblossom."

"Anyone would be, that was beautiful. An alien shirasanmi... no wonder they've been being so quiet."

"This is really good news for contact, right? Right? Things are going well if they're enough like us to have shirasanmi!"

Vi blushes. "She's all clever and poetic and creative and smug about it and..."

She shakes her head to clear it, "My being justifiably gay for Snowblossom aside, yeah, X and Foxy are right. No wonder they've been quiet, and that sounds like excellent news for contact. People will go wild about this."

She pauses, a sudden idea striking her. "This is going to hit bookstores soon, and get sold out immediately. We've got to reserve a copy."

"Solid plan. Want to run over together and reserve one before the local closes?

Violet nods, reluctantly extracting herself from the snuggle and standing — but keeps Foxy in her arms as she does. "Definitely. Who all wants to go?"

"Obviously I'm coming but maybe let me get some clothes on first. Um, X, a little help here?"

X extracts herself from the cuddle and ducks into Foxy's room, returning moments later with an autumn-colored dress, panties and socks. She tosses them lazily at the bed.

Foxy kisses Vi and unhugs reluctantly to put on her clothes. 

Vi smiles fondly and kisses back as she sets Foxy down.

Foxy dresses herself hurriedly.

X smiles and picks up her purse from beside the cuddlepit. "I'll come with." (She's already wearing a plain black dress that reaches her ankles.)

"I'll stay home and guard the fort, you three have fun."

Foxy gets the last of her clothes on and pops up. "Alright, let's go!"

Violet finishes straightening her blouse and skirt (black-and-white print with a v-neck and pleated mid-thigh, respectively), smiling and watching her girls bustle into readiness, and then gives Liv a light kiss.

"See you when we get back, love."

"See you!"

The remaining girls bundle over to the door and get their shoes on, then start the short walk over to the local bookstore.

"It was really something to hear a story that deep from aliens. They're so similar to us! It's really amazing that they're like that. I wonder what the diplomats are getting to see right now..."