Lucie quickly closed the door after they both rushed into her room.

    “I think your mom’s music is gonna give me tinnitus…” N remarqued, feeling slightly nauseous. The walls were still shaking from the volume of the percussions.

    “Don’t worry. It’ll fade out quickly once it gets to the end of the disk and she falls asleep.”

    He didn’t really know what to say for small talk, so instead he looked around the room.

    The walls were a deep purple, covered in posters of music groups, concerts, albums. A single bed was placed against a wall, perpendicular to the window. There was a built-in closet next to the nightstand, and on the wall opposite the bed was a desk with a laptop on it. And, true to what Lucie said earlier, the floor was littered with various cardboard boxes.

    “It’s a mess and it’s pretty small, especially for two people, I know. I didn’t expect to need to help a friend in this way this soon. Anyway...” She jumped around the room looking for a place she’d be in his field of view. “That’s home!” She said, presenting the room with an extravagant arm gesture.

    A question dawned on him. “Where am I gonna sleep?”

    The awkward silence persisted for a few seconds, perturbed only by the sound of the bass reverberating through the walls. Lucie was reddening by the second.

    “I completely forgot about that!” She rushed to her closet and started rummaging around. “Oh… I hope I still have a sleeping bag. I’ll take the bag and you the bed, okay?”

    “No, no, it’s fine, I’ll take the bag!” He answered, thankful for the offer but not willing to disturb more than he already was.

    “Oh, uh-” She hesitated. “Yeah, I guess I’ll have the bed, yeah…” By chance, she found what she’d been looking for in the fifth box. “After all that’s what society expects, eh? The delicate lady and the noble gentleman’s sacrifice?” He nervously laughed.

    “Or gentleknight…” She added. Was this in reference to Sam, or…? This felt slightly less uncomfortable, though he didn’t know why.

“Anyway, we should probably grab a bite before going to bed. You coming?” Lucie moved back towards the door. He hadn’t realised how hungry he felt, and quickly followed her.

    “I didn’t take you for the carnivorous type…” Murmured Lucie with silent concern as they got back to her room.

    “I’ll… Be honest, I didn’t either.” N answered with the same tone. “Supper at my home is usually just vegetable broth. And snacking is completely prohibited.” He scratched his head. “I guess I’ve just been craving meat lately, without realizing it.”

    The musical noisiness finally arrived at its end. He sighed in relief.

    “How the hell do you survive without snacking?” Asked Lucie in jest, though the question was more or less genuine in its intent. “I know I wouldn’t. I need my unhealthy salt and fat!” He giggled in response.

    They took turns in the bedroom changing into pajamas (he was wearing a pretty neutral one she’d lent him, it was a bit tight, but he’d manage). They snuggled themselves in their respective beddings, and Lucie turned off the lights.

    Time passed. N really felt like sleeping, but his mind had been in turmoil since Sam’s change. He turned his head towards Lucie’s bed, and despite the darkness, could still make out from the shapes he was deciphering that she wasn’t asleep either.

    “You think Sam will be okay?” He asked.

    She took a moment to think of her answer. “Well, I don’t know them as well as you and Jules do, but… I’m sure they will.”

    “How did you know so much about them? ...About their situation, I mean?”

    She didn’t respond.

    The silence came back for a few minutes.

    “I’ve known someone in the past that fell in similar circumstances. Someone very important to me.” She eventually admitted.

    “Oh?”

    “Y… Yeah.” she hesitated. “She was born male.”

    “Like me?” These two words escaped his lips before he even realised it. “Uh- I mean- the born male part, not the… the she. ...I think.” He didn’t even know what he meant by that.

    She listened carefully, and thought for a few moments how she’d phrase it. “...Excuse me to call you that, but... Marcus?”

    “I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…!”

    “No, no, it’s okay, it’s not that. I just wanted to ask… Have you ever considered a girl’s name?”

    The words reverberated in his skull for a while. He didn’t know how to respond… And fell asleep.

    When N opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was. All he could see was a darkish pink nothingness in all directions around him. He felt like he was on solid ground, but when he tried to knock on the floor with his knuckle, it was like there was nothing there, yet he wasn’t falling through.

    He stood up and looked around… And spotted a humanoid figure in the distance, slowly walking towards him. He threw a look on his right, then his left. He was alone with an unknown entity.

    Then, in the space of a blink, she was right in front of him. A young woman, tanned skin, dark hair, wearing an antique-looking gown made of white linen. Behind her, a tail of the same color as her hair was swishing back and forth. She sported atop her head two feline ears, and her cat-like eyes were highlighted by some intricate makeup.

    She had an ominous grin on her face.

    Slowly, she closed down on him and started to speak in a language he didn’t understand. He tried to speak back, but found his voice to be missing as soon as she touched him.

    He felt pain all over his body. It was like hundred of parts of his anatomy were moving about, even turning into other things in the process. Something felt wrong with his scalp.

    Yet when he looked down, nothing had changed, and the pain had subsided.

    “What did you do!?” He exclaimed in a language he didn’t recognise.

    “Just some prreparrations.” He was surprised to understand her answer, though it sported an unnatural accent. “Yourr body will be mine soon, so trry not to brreak it, okay?”

    “What…?” His vision started to get blurry.

    “You know, I wouldn’t have to take such desperrate measurres had you let me take overr yourr frriend.” She said as he fell to the ground, asleep again.