Cautious but concerned, he sought her out, intending to make sure that she was well. The sounds coming from her room stopped him just outside. Breathless urgency vibrated in each exhalation, kindling an instant response in him, though his riotous urges had begun to settle. He had no conscious knowledge of what was happening, his body seemed to grasp the situation immediately, brightening with fresh excitement.

She is…satisfying herself.

Helix had only a vague notion of what that entailed, thanks to incomplete research on Tiralan physiology. He had focused on knowledge that would allow him to pose as Asvi, but it had never occurred to him to make sexual overtures to Zylar or to imagine how such an exchange might take place. Now, he suspected that such interaction might take place remotely between two beings who were drawn to one another.

Lingering would be wrong, an invasion of her privacy, so he forced himself to move away, not to tarry as she touched herself for pleasure. His whole body tingled with unspent impulses, impossible to focus on anything else. Research might provide some relief, explaining how he could do the same, so he settled at the terminal, keying up a detailed study on Tiralan sexuality. Helix skimmed through the male and female portions, fixing on the neutral aspect.

Delicate gynosome and a dorsal slit. Each offer pleasure when stimulated.

The information conveyed the sense that experimentation was required to determine what he would enjoy most and what offered stimulation sufficient to bring himself to completion. If Qalu was doing that, there must be a reason. He read on.

Creates beneficial chemicals, relieves stress… it’s good for the body, then. I should look on this as a required function.

He left the terminal determined to try for himself. First, he secured the door. No interruptions for such a personal maintenance task. Then he removed his swator and examined his form as best he could. The slit was puffy and soft while the gynosome above was stiff and quivering. There had been illustrations and photographic models of how he could excite himself, so he settled onto the sleep platform and brushed a forelimb against those tender parts. Pleasure slammed through him, strong enough to steal his breath.

Now he understood the sounds Qalu had been making. He tried from various angles, and received irregular bursts of stimulation, but he didn’t have the knack on his own. Frustration grew as he experimented, failing to find the right method. What was Qalu doing to make those sounds? Suddenly, the sensations sharpened. Thinking about her doing this, in her room, aroused him more than his fumbling efforts. She must be rubbing herself, just so, perhaps remembering how it felt when their head tendrils worked together. Now he imagined her lying close to him, touching—

Oh.