Previous: Chapter 7 Next: Chapter 9

A Few Days Later - Evening.

Janelle sits cross legged out on the balcony, looking out at the city at night. The past few days have been a little harder, coming to grips with her 'illness' hasn't exactly happened yet, and instead she's busied herself with making living arrangements. With the usual hurdles.

Telling her Mom was simple once she made it sound like this was a promotion of sorts. She hinted at deeper stuff to try and prepare her, but she wasn't sure how she'd take that. Her brother might be easier to break the news to, but she wasn't ready for him yet. Her landlord was disappointed that she'd put in a notice that she'd be vacating the apartment, she'd always paid her rent on time, but still, it was in some ways official, at the end of the month she'd move into Liseth'erend'oreana's estate here.

The changes had, for the moment, stopped. They'd continued to spread the day after learning the truth behind it, patches of orange scales were now scattered up her left arm and along her shoulders, down to her right arm, where the most significant changes had happened. The entire right arm from the elbow down had changed, not just scaled, but reshaped, her hand more pawlike, with thicker fingers and claws. It made wearing the glove to hide it more difficult but all the more necessary.

Sitting up here, looking down at the city which she'd never quite felt to be a part of, the feeling was magnified with the the strange 'alieness' of what she was becoming, or what she already was? She hummed softly, flexing out the strange new fingers of her paw.

Liseth'erend'oreana walks to the balcony from inside, giving Janelle a small draconic smile after taking in a big breath of the evening air. She considers her... aide, not really a servant... lover, if she is honest to herself.

The dragon has had some internal conflict in how she should approach this, but fairly quickly declined any plans that would include hurting Janelle or breaking her heart. She may be the cause of this, it may be pretty forbidden by dragon standards to date a human - probably because of exactly this sort of thing - but there is no way she could let her 'fair lady' down. For now she has not informed anyone of this, having filed that down for 'later'.

"How are you holding up?"

Janelle sighs, looking over her should at Liseth'erend'oreana and smiling, "I'm... managing. All the big life changes are arranged. I finished off the to-do list this afternoon. Unfortunately that has simply left me time to my own thoughts."

She waves to Liseth with the paw, wiggling the fingers slightly. "One of which is that it is frustratingly difficult to type with this new hand."

Liseth looks at Janelle's hand, then back to her own, much bigger but in a lot of ways similar looking paw. "I can see that. I have yet to find a keyboard I don't destroy in a week."

Janelle lowers her hand and nods. "And I was never much for the night life or clubbing. But part of me thinks about that now for some reason. Everytime I look at this hand I just think 'oh right. You can't do those things because part of you isn't human'. Isn't... that a strange thought?" Her voice wavers, her emotions seemingly on the edge, as she continues to try to be strong.

Liseth steps closer and lowers her body down in front of Janelle, sighing as she does. The dragon holds her head up, but just barely.

"I am sorry you have to rethink... basically everything, now. If I had known for certain..."

Janelle shakes her head, "It's okay. I know that this is where I am supposed to be, and you are who I desire to be with. Everything else is moving so fast... I'm just trying to maintain control of everything I am able to. Which... is far less than I would like, at the moment."

Liseth nods, giving a weak smile: "If there's anything I can..." She then stops herself. "I've said that like a dozen times now. You know you can ask for anything, and largely you do not. It's... kind of admirable, if I am honest."

Janelle lets out a deep breath and smiles weakly at Liseth, "That is one fear, I think... if I am... this..." She lifts her arm again, "Can I even be self-sufficient? I have always wanted to be able to do everything for myself, and to not need help. I worry I will lose that..."

Liseth hums, considering: "Well. The Kobolds we had were... with us, but they still also had their own things." She looks Janelle over: "I suspect your perspective will change, but... you will still be you."

Janelle nods, thinking hard. "Going out will be impossible, I suppose. I can hide an arm or two. But if I keep changing, it'll be obvious that I'm not human. I'm still uncertain how to tell your staff, let alone my family. All they know is I'm changing my address to live here. That I will still be myself is a comfort... But..."

"...It's true, I am scared, love." She lets out another shakey breath and starts to cry, shaking her head as if to deny the emotion, "D-damnit... I'm... Better than this."

Liseth swallows, uncertain what to do or say. Instead, she just lowers her head down at Janelle's feet.

Janelle blinks through her tears at the dragon, then without hesitation she steps forward to embrace Liseth's snout, continuing to cry as she leans against her.

Liseth doesn't move beyond allowing Janelle to embrace her, and just swallows as he own eyes threaten to stop being dry as well.

Janelle slowly calms down, still holding the dragon tight. She sniffles, looking up into Liseth's eyes, "I- I'm sorry. I'll do better. I'll get this figured out, a-and... it'll be fine."

Liseth sniffs, then whispers. "It's..." She swallows. "Janelle, love... I t-think it's okay to be afraid. I am as well. You don't... you don't need to pretend for me."

Janelle releases her grip, dropping down to her knees in front of Liseth, she reaches out with her paw to keep it pressed against Liseth and laughs, "I- I think I'm pretending for me. But... you're right. This is... huge. Unprecedented. ...and terrifying. Even moving forward knowing the outcome, I don't know what to do. I don't know what's next."

Liseth swallows again as she looks at the hurt and afraid woman in front of her. "I don't... either. This has... I am p-pretty sure you might be the first human this happened to." Her pawn wanders to touch Janelle's side: "B-but I promise you, whatever comes, I will be r-right here, if you'll have me."

Janelle manages to laugh. She leans into Liseth's touch, "If I'll have you? Ma'am... love... I've only come this far for you."

Her voice gets very low as she sighs out, "Please don't leave me."

Liseth grasps her paw at Janelle's side as she looks at the woman: "Never."

Janelle cozies into Liseth's grip, "Th-that's my big ask, then."

Liseth moves her other arm as well, holding Janelle closer as she nuzzles against her. "F-from the bottom of my heart, I-" She swallows: "-will move heaven and earth to make up for my mistake. I love you too much to do a-anything else."

Janelle hums at the gigantic nuzzle, simply letting the Dragon hold her, but one word does stick out, "Mistake? Love? This?"

Liseth sighs softly, a bit amused despite her tears. "...w-well, n-not the love part, obviously."

Janelle does seem to gather her strength, straightening her posture (as best she can in the dragon's grip), "I won't let you consider any of this a mistake, ma'am. Not these changes, not my fears, none of it. These changes might be because of our feelings... but they are not your fault, and I won't let you feel guilty for it."

Liseth lets go enough to let Janelle straighten, then looks at her love. "O-oh. Um... t-then we will, uh..." The dragon trails off, feeling a bit mollified and stunned now at the strength of the woman crying moments ago. "...find out together where this takes you. Takes us."

Janelle slumps again, feeling a bit spent, but managing to laugh. "I'll accept that, love. You can move heaven and earth for me if you wish, but not to make up for something I don't blame you for. I wish to do the same for you after all, and that feeling is stronger than any fear."

Liseth nods, smiling finally again. "...suppose we can call that a deal. Now, if we are done overthinking changes that aren't constantly happening, care to share a bath with me tonight?"

Janelle sighs, laughing again, "I thought you would never ask."

Liseth smiles, then gets back up to all fours, then grabs Janelle up with one arm: "And thus, the wily dragon takes away the princess! And thankfully, no knights in sight to ruin the day!"

Janelle relaxes, never quite feeling safer than she does in Liseth's grip. "Ah, so seems someone else has been reading human lore on dragons, hmm?"

Liseth grins as she walks back inside as she holds Janelle: "What can I say, your influence is a powerful force. Humans have really had a lot of dragons in their stories, considering we only just came around..." Her tail swishes, mood certainly improved now.

Janelle hums, letting her hands pet against the scaled paw holding her, "Maybe we were anticipating your arrival. All of human history, we were just waiting for you to get here."

Liseth smirks: "Heh. Suppose that is possible." She enters the bathroom and lets Janelle down before turning on the water and taking short inventory on what sort of bath scent or bubbles to use this time.

"I must admit... I am curious if you have changed more."

Janelle hops down taking a moment to get herself together. Alone with her thoughts it's easy to go down dark roads. In that bath room with Liseth there in front of her, those dark thoughts are much harder to keep hold of, if she even wanted to.

"...I admit I'm curious too. The obvious changes stopped some days ago with my arm. I shall let you do a complete examination."

Liseth chuckles softly as she looks at her love. "You know... I have never considered humans attractive, physically speaking. We're so different. But being with you... I don't know, some part of me wants to make an exception."

Janelle blushes at that compliment as she begins to remove her clothes, "Dare I ask if you find me more attractive with the scales?"

Liseth considers, then slowly nods. "...I think so. It looks more... natural. Though that's an awkward word to use." She looks at the flowing water for a moment, before looking back up. "Beautiful."

Janelle feels the heat coming up from the water, the steam washing over her, and certainly not the contents of Liseth's words that are making her feel heated. She nods as she considers, "Beautiful, eh? Well... guess that's something to look forward to as the changes progress then."

Liseth nods as she thinks out loud. "The Kobolds, they... well, in a lot of ways they looked like us in a small form, especially after they bonded with someone. So I imagine you will get scales pretty similar to mine, tail and claws and... well, probably. We don't actually know what happens with a human, I'm just guessing."

Janelle finishes stripping down, setting her clothes into a tidy pile nearby. She looks along the length of Liseth and smiles, "More like you, hm? Well... that does certainly paint a beautiful image. I wouldn't mind looking more like you, love."

Liseth blinks, but then smiles: "I would caution you from wishing that, but that might be a moot point. You do look very pretty, from what I understand of anything." She spends a moment or two appreciating Janelle's curves despite her earlier words.

Janelle bows her head, "If I'm going to end up a kobold anyways, then at least I can take comfort in knowing I may end up resembling someone who I find attractive. It may sound unusual, but even considering my human standards, you have always seemed especially beautiful."

It's Liseth's turn to blush, a slight glow beneath her thinner cheek scales. "Oh. Well... I will not go denying that. I think."

Janelle steps closer to Liseth's paw and puts her own paw atop it. "It's not so bad thinking about it like that, hm?"

Liseth looks at their paws, then nods. She smiles after a moment. "Yeah... not so bad." She gives a small sigh, nodding perhaps just to herself. "We'll make this work."

Janelle smiles up at Liseth, "We will. Of that, I have no doubt."

Liseth nods, then turns her paw around to hold Janelle's in hers, huge paw holding a much smaller one. "One bath at a time, right?"

Janelle nods, feeling her hand enveloped in Liseth's, the feeling of their two paws touching is electric to her, "That is certainly an inspiring thought. As long as we have each other and a bath together at the end of the day, everything will be okay."

Liseth nods, gently lifting her paw to lead Janelle towards, and down into the bath. "By your command, Mi'lady."

Janelle follows Liseth's lead and steps down into the bath, "You are certainly good at making me feel like a Princess, that is certain."

Liseth hums: "I did mention at one point that we dragons are pretty decent at overdoing extragavance... and for you I'll happily share some of that." She pauses for a second, smirking. "Mi'lady."

Janelle pulls herself closer to kiss Liseth's paw while the dragon is still holding hers, "I'll have to get used to it. I've certainly never been spoiled in such a fashion before. I don't know if I can do much to spoil you in a similar fashion."

Liseth smirks as she settles into the water: "Shush. I have all this wealth and power, the least I can do is to shamelessly use it for your benefit. You shall be spoiled and like it."

Janelle sits in the water, getting comfortable in the heat, "I suppose I will. Though, it does make me desire to do my job all the better, knowing that wealth is to be used to my benefit."

Liseth nods: "See, motivation!" She considers. "I could go claiming that you don't need to do all that, that I could get another to do it... but I suspect you wouldn't let me do that."

Janelle shakes her head, "I wouldn't. Motivation or no, it is my job." She paused, considering, "Maybe it's more than just a job now. But as long as I'm still able, I will still do whatever I can to aid you."

Liseth lifts a paw to her chin, then nods. "I suppose we have a deal then. You continue your job as previous, and as a reward I spoil you like a princess."

Janelle blushes again, but slowly nods. "Ah- Agreed. I can't say it's what I imagined for myself, but it does sound very nice."

Liseth snakes her tail underwater to touch at Janelle's ankles. "I suspect there's a lot of new in all of this for both of us."

Janelle giggles at the touch of Liseth's tail. "There is. Anything I can do to make you feel good, please tell me. You may treat me like a Princess, but I wish to treat you as a proper dragon, one worthy of praise and devotion."

Liseth hums: "Well, you can start by relaxing. For the rest of the night, let's just focus on us."

Previous: Chapter 7 Next: Chapter 9

Home