We return briefly to the Selkies' Skins universe, sometime in Kirsty's first year of teaching.
July 3 2026
LadyRainStarDrago AKA Teresa “Amehana” Garcia
Kirsty stretched, then turned over in her bed. Her arm reached out and only found her cat. Blue eyes slowly slitted open in the pre-dawn light.
Right, work day. In the castle where her aunt specifically requested no hanky-panky. Why did they opt for rooms in the castle itself instead of getting a house nearby or one out the outbuildings like Thomas and Ally, also professors, did?
When was the sale of the place she and David wanted to be expected to finish again?
Definitely a coffee day.
“Mroooooowww...” The large white fluff ball complained and balled up.
“Me too… Me too...” Kirsty blinked and focused with difficulty on the window.
Why was she awake before her alarm? David would still be sleeping, probably, in his own bed. Surely. She snorted, discovering that some part of her did hope for some romantic gesture from her husband like showing up on the broom balcony tapping at the window for morning kisses before the breakfast that would bolster him for his Potions class and her for her Merstudies students.
Nope. No David through the glass. Not in his human self, not the ravenperson thing that had figured so much in their last year of school she knew he’d been working on, no hippogriff form for early morning flights… and definitely no sedated werewolf.
Be big problems if she woke up finding her sedated werewolf on her broom balcony instead of where he sequestered himself to hunt and snooze during his transformation. Problems coffee wouldn’t fix.
“The horrors persisted because you never did anything to stop them.” Kirsty quoted to herself, sighing deeply. “Right then. Early start to my day it is.” She slid out of her bed, her familiar complaining again at the retreat of her warmth. Her gauzy white sleeping gown billowed as she made her way to her dressing table. Not that her husband was there to be impressed by it since he was in his own room, and if he’d seen her yawn wracked stumbles he’d probably have gotten her back in bed and asleep with that strange pull she’d never figured out in all these years she’d known him. Definitely none of the hanky-panky – either sort – they’d been warned of when hired.
“Coffee… strong, sweet, on the non-acid end. Blond roast. Stomach isn’t ready for the dark.” She placed her order, willing a connection, still too sleepy to conjure it herself and relying on the kitchen’s magics to pick up on and deliver the request. Being a professor, especially at such a young age, definitely had perks not available to her when she was just a student hiding what she was. “Ah, some eel and egg on toast to see me over til Breakfast is ready too, please.”
She felt the acknowledging pulse on the other end of the connection. Whoever was on watch so early had received her request. Absolutely no way she felt like making her way down all those flights of stairs to go directly bother the cooks. Nope. That would be like mixing up a lemon and a danger fruit.
“Stairs...” She sighed, slumping against the dressing table and drawing her sealskin better around her shoulders over her sleep gown. Distantly she felt the tide, the call of the sea. She would need another swim in the loch soon. “I hope you slept better than I seem to have, David.”
Her coffee and eggy fishy toast apparated before her, prepared just the way she liked it. A little pickled slivered seaweed garnished her toast, telling her exactly which of the crew had received the request. Her lips curved upward gently. The coffee was a velvet and sweet as she needed it for such an early start, the caffeine strong and without the changes that bothered her on super early mornings. Comfort and strength began filling out her limbs, giving her back the closest thing she’d ever have to land legs.
The time for the Hunt was approaching, soon. Perhaps she could throw a salmon at David should she see him on the shore during his. He could share it with the wolf pack Hearne had drawn into his life, perhaps. Doubtful he and his pack would leave her any venison on the shore… but she did feel as much of the pull to them as she did to the merfolk in the loch. Not something that had a word in any language, something spanning species. Not kinship, per se, and not a caretaker role… But… something…
Another sip. Another bite. Her thoughts turned to how best to guide the young souls she must shape in her Merstudies lessons. How best to serve Mara, goddess of the sea, The Lady, still with pieces of her name missing and goddess of the land’s waters, and Hearne, lord of the Hunt? What should she do today, in their service?
“Waking up more would be a good start.” The Lady’s voice curled in her ear. “I had a memory. It may lead to another Piece.” The steam of the coffee caressed Kirsty’s face. “Sleepy selkies have scattered thoughts.”
“Mmm, so that’s why I’m awake so early. Might need two cups. Too early.”
The prompt was:
The horrors persisted because you never did anything to stop them. – by bunnythewriter
https://flashficmonth.wordpress.com/2026/07/02/ffm-links-3-july-2026/
Posting to all my usual places. Maybe I can catch up
Linktree: www.linktr.ee/Amehana
First Posted: https://www.patreon.com/Amehana/posts/ffm-3-2026-sleep-162906307
