Author's note: Andynes are a species of (anthro) bird-winged people from my Greenbird and CC works. Arthur and Digitalis eventually become engaged in the first book of CC, and this is how they first met, taking place about three years before the events of the first volume of Crimson Changeling.
*
Digitalis fastened his bow tie, and reached back to check the back of his long blazer; it was backless to accommodate his blunt, bluejay-like wings, with a zipper on the side to fasten it in place. He hurried into the kitchen for a last drink of coffee before he left. It was his first function as an instructor at the City of Rain University, and he wanted it to go well. His stomach was in knots, but there would be at least one friendly face there: his ex-wife, Millicent Lee, who was a professor of Anthropology at the CRU.
Digitalis locked the door to his new apartment and set off to the elevator. He was medium height, with pale skin, curly blue hair that matched his bluejay-like wings, and clear, pupilless amber eyes, which he'd inherited from his human father. His muscular figure was quite dashing in the suit he'd picked, and as the elevator car descended, he preened his feathers nervously.
The walk from Digitalis's new place at the CRU faculty apartment building to the cafeteria building was short, and he joined other faculty arriving late along the walkways. The crowd around the cafeteria building was very dense - tonight was a large ceremony, honoring both graduates and new initiates into the CRU's new junior bodyguard training program. Digitalis was set to start directing the program in the coming fall quarter, after the current head of the program was set to retire at the end of the summer.
Once Digitalis reached the cafeteria, he realized how packed it was. However, Digitalis was easy to pick out of a crowd, and soon he was spotted by his ex-wife, who stood up at her table and waved at him, jumping up and down to try to make herself more visible. She was a small, slight haman woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties, but was actually decades older, thanks to years of interworld travel - just like Digitalis himself.
"Digit!" Millicent Lee shouted over the roar of the people crowding around them. "I'm glad you made it! You look nice!"
"So do you, Milly!" Digitalis shouted back. Milly was the sort of person who didn't usually dress up, but tonight she wore a nice, if a little baggy, sweater and a long beaded skirt underneath.
"Thanks, I promised our daughter I wouldn't embarrass her by wearing my CRU sweats."
"Our daught-" Digitalis was cut off. The lights dimmed and the auditorium went quiet, with an announcer testing the microphone for introductions. Milly motioned for Digitalis to sit down at her table, in a seat between her and a very freckly olive-skinned andyne man, with long curly hair and sleek black wings. He wore an odd, ornately-patterned tribal shirt over bottoms that resembled a loose hakama. The man looked a little nervous, but greeted Digitalis with a brief, polite palm touch.
"Hi, I'm Digitalis," whispered Digitalis.
The man hesitated, and hiccuped, "A-arthur. Arthur Deepuin." Digitalis could smell the essence of dagger root on his breath - a drink that was toxic to most humanoid and anth species, but which was drunk like alcohol by andynes. Essence of dagger root was sold as a concentrate in small bottles, and diluted with nine parts water to one part essence. It had strong intoxicating effects on andyne users, but also worked as a strong diuretic.
Digitalis poured himself some blueberry punch from the bowl on the center of the table while the Junior Guard Program director announced her retirement, and made her speech for the graduates of the program, about their perseverance and how proud she was and whatnot. Digitalis took a swig of his punch, and found that it was kind of disgusting. He went to set the glass down, and almost dropped it when a hand touched his shoulder unexpectedly.
"I have to go do something," said Milly's voice in his ear. "Keep an eye on Arthur, would you? He's had a lot to drink."
Digitalis looked up at Milly, then over at Arthur, who was slowly falling asleep with his head propped up on his arms.
"Oh...um...okay," he said, watching Milly slip away through the throngs of people scrambling to their seats at the last second. Now the valedictorian of the junior guard program was talking, hyping up his class, who stood in neat rows extending past the back of the stage behind him. Digitalis wondered where Milly had gone, until he caught a flutter of movement from Arthur. Arthur's freckly face was bright red, and he looked upset about something.
"Something wrong?" Digitalis whispered in Arthur's direction.
Arthur took a deep breath and said stiffly, "I have to go to the bathroom."
"It's by the east doors," Digitalis informed him. Looking determined, Arthur nodded and abruptly stood up. He lost his balance and Digitalis caught him by the elbow and steadied him. He stumbled a few steps toward the east doors before Digitalis decided to get up from the table and step in; he had a sinking feeling that this was why Milly had wanted him to babysit Arthur.
"Thanks," panted Arthur, leaning on Digitalis as they made their way toward the bathrooms. "I c-can't hold it much longer."
The hallway at the east entrance was mercifully deserted when they got there. The men's bathroom door was closed, with a sign on it saying "out of order." Digitalis stuck out an arm to push it open anyway, but it wouldn't budge. It was locked. Next to Digitalis, Arthur gave an agonized moan.
"No, no, nooo, I'm renting these clothes, if I pee in them I'll have to pay a dry cleaning fee," whined Arthur. He clamped one if his hands over his crotch and whimpered pathetically.
"I'm sure there are other bathrooms in this building," said Digitalis. He looked around; they would have to go back through the darkened cafeteria to get to another bathroom. He didn't know where the bathrooms were though, so he tried to think of other options: being so new to the CRU, he only knew of one other bathroom on campus.
"How long have you known Milly?" Digitalis asked Arthur seriously.
Bouncing up and down on his toes, Arthur gasped, "What? Why?"
"The only other bathroom I know of here is mine," said Digitalis. "In the staff apartments - it's about a five-minute walk-"
"At this point I'll take anything," grunted Arthur. "Let's go! Please!"
"Alright, come on," said Digitalis, hooking Arthur by the elbow. Digitalis kept a brisk pace all the way to the back corner of his building, trying to ignore Arthur's whimpers of desperation. Digitalis found a side door he'd used earlier to bypass the building security and hurried Arthur into the elevator, where he pushed the fourth floor button.
"Oh no," gasped Arthur. Digitalis heard a small rush of liquid, and a small wet spot appeared on the front of Arthur's pants.
"You alright?" asked Digitalis.
"I think I am now. I can hold it," Arthur breathed, clutching at his lower belly. His black wings were twitching uncontrollably at random, occasionally pushing against Digitalis's.
Digitalis marched Arthur out of the elevator as soon as the door opened. It was a quick dash to his front door, and he leaned Arthur on the wall while he got his keys out. There was another quiet rushing noise next to him, and the sound of water slapping the wall and thin hallway carpet. Digitalis found his key, wrenched his door open, and yanked Arthur inside, just in time for him to leak again.
"N-no!" gasped Arthur. Shaking and unable to stop the slow, steady stream trickling out of him. The wet spot on his pants was spreading rapidly, and a puddle was beginning to form around his feet. "I c-can't stop," Arthur moaned. Digitalis pulled him into the bathroom.
Arthur leaked in small spurts on the way to the toilet, while he pulled at his clothes to get his pants off. The wet spot in his clothes began spreading faster, and he yanked on the knots fastening his pants.
