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A Few Days Later.

Courtney bows as the last guest, the town mayor, leaves, keeping silent as she does. She then closes the door to the manor with a very satisfying click that leaves the maid and the dragon alone again.

A long, arduous day of Rebecca having to entertain the ideas, thoughts, pleas, suggestions, bargains and few other kinds of 'need to talk with the dragon now suddenly very importantly in charge'. For her part, Courtney kept quiet and to the background, just ferrying more refreshments to the talks that did not seem to have an ending part planned at all. She could only imagine how bothered Rebecca felt - the dragon certainly looked in subtle ways that she wanted to just throw everyone out - hours ago.

Only once she hears the sound of a car starting outside, does the maid allow herself to let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Rebecca waits as well, sitting atop a rather resplendent pile of meticulously arranged treasure, made-up and properly outfitted in gems and chains, she's had to endure a procession of requests all day, and finally it's over.

When she hears Courtney sigh, she allows herself to flump over as well, "Ugggh. I swear if I one more human comes in asking me to just outright buy them a car I'm gonna scream. Or... Eat them... Or scream AND eat them."

Courtney gives Rebecca a sympathetic smile: "I promise I won't." She sighs again and walks towards the dragon: "It's done now. We have at least until after the weekend before anyone should come up here."

Rebecca sighs, giving Courtney a smile in return as the maid steps closer, "I wouldn't, really. Not you or anyone. No matter how stupid the thing they ask for." She picks herself back up again, brushing off a few wayward coins that managed to stick to her. "At least some of it will go to good use?"

Courtney nods: "I think so... most of people's suggestions are at least somewhat sensible, if obviously after their own aims. I suppose I can't entirely blame 'em, considering I started here because I wanted to go study art..." She trails off, then offers a smile as she considers the jewelry Rebecca is again laden with: "Let's get all that junk, pretty as it is, off you, shall we?"

Rebecca rises her whole self up off the pile, and starts to work with Courtney to get all the various gold coins back into its chest for storage. "You at least want to work for it. You didn't come asking me to just pay for it. I'll probably just pick a few that seemed the least selfish... The Community Center idea seemed good."

Courtney smiles as she helps the dragon: "It did. So not... all of it will go to waste." She hums: "And well, really... initially I kind of just wanted for someone to pay me to get to that school..." She looks aside, a bit ashamed.

Rebecca scoops up some of the larger pieces and portions, letting Courtney take care of the smaller piles that would be harder for her to manage. "Oh? Guess I didn't realize." She holds up a gold coin to Courtney, "You surely didn't have intentions to steal or my Uncle would have chased you out on sight. He just seems to know a thief. Were you thinking of petitioning me too?"

Courtney blinks: "Er, um, no. The goal was always to earn the money by working." She glances aside: "It's just... Well, before I got to know you, it felt different. I didn't know anything about dragons. Or you."

Rebecca chuckles softly, "I guess I can't really say much, though. Considering I didn't earn any of this myself."

Courtney shrugs: "Well, you're a dragon. Comes with the, er, territory I guess." She touches Rebecca's necklace: "It's almost surreal, how much wealth you have... do you know how dragons came to have it? Or is that another topic that I'm better off not knowing?"

Rebecca shakes her head, "I don't. Most of it came from our old home. But some of it is new wealth. My Uncle and other dragons like him are good with business and things."

Courtney chuckles: "I guess 'business and things' is best explanation I can get. I know some dragons own like... big tech companies and stuff, but they never give interviews or anything." She lifts her hand to touch Rebecca's neck: "Not that I really care. Just curious."

Rebecca bends ger neck back down closer to Courtney. "Maybe they're just shy? I know I wouldn't want to give interviews. I don't want to give them now." She sighs, nuzzling against Courtney. "I'm glad you were close today."

Courtney gives Rebecca a soft hug on the neck: "Happy to be. Even if... you know, we can't exactly be like this."

Rebecca sighs, "Well not... always. But we still be like this whenever we can. Just not around others..." She frowns, "...sorry."

Courtney sighs, leaning her head against Rebecca. She whispers. "It doesn't feel fair. I want to talk with you, and make you smile, and help you decide, and I can not do any of those things in the open." She smiles wryly: "Let alone touch you, or tell you how beautiful you are."

Rebecca tilts her head to look over Courtney. "You are as well. If it were possible to just give it up and fly away with you..." She giggles, "Like taking my Princess in the old storybooks."

Courtney blushes: "As long as no Prince shows up to 'save' me." She smiles warmly: "Gosh, how did we ever fall this bad?"

Rebecca pulls her head away slightly, "Is it bad? I like it... I just like being with you. But I know the family wouldn't approve of this kind of thing." She brings a hand up to Courtney and lets a scaled finger brush her cheek gently.

Courtney shakes her head slightly: "I didn't say it's bad. It's just... we have to hide this and it's so wrong." Her hand grasps one of Rebecca's fingers, just feeling the closeness.

Rebecca lowers her head back down next to Courtney, "It's certainly no fair..."

Courtney hums. She leans her forehead at Rebecca's: "...but I guess it's the reality we have now. If we want to avoid trouble, be it from your family or mine or just overzealous people doing... anything..."

Rebecca chuckles sadly, "Yes, I suppose so. At least we'll have these moments? It'll just have to be enough."

Courtney nods. She touches Rebecca for a moment more with a sigh, before leaning back enough to look at her in the eyes: "Let's go prepare some dinner. Extra sauce."

Rebecca stares back and takes a deep breath, "Yeah... Alright. And Courtney? ...thanks. I mean it... Today would have been unbearable without you."

Courtney smiles as she lets go. "Thank you too. You're making this job far more tolerable than it had potential to be."

Rebecca rises up to start to head towards the kitchen. "Same for me, honestly."

Courtney smirks as she walks with Rebecca: "At least there is that. And really, we get most of the time with just us. I just don't know what to do with days like today... or on a day when other dragons come visit."

Rebecca glances her eye towards Courtney. "I guess... We both get to play our roles those days. Me the great Mistress of the House, and you the Loyal Servant. It's... Not what I'd prefer. But it is the roles we were meant for here. For now at least."

Courtney nods, thinking. "It's what we signed up for, as it were. Even if I guess neither of us started wanting this, I'm happy we're here. Just got to figure out how to head forward." She looks up at her friend: "One day at a time, right?"

Rebecca smiles, "You're right, I don't regret being here, even after a day like today. One day at a time doesn't seem so hard."

Courtney glances at Rebecca. "I just hope we don't end up eating those words anytime soon."

Rebecca hums, "...I hope so too. But... I promise that I will take care of you, Courtney. As long as it's within my means. Maybe I can't just pay for your school, but... I'll make sure you're alright."

Courtney feels her heart sink at the prospect of this maybe not paying for her school, at least not so directly, but she ignores it. More important things at hand, so she looks back up with a smile. "I'll do my best... can't offer you much besides what I already do, but..."

Rebecca is also feeling a bit overly serious as she ponders while they walk. "I don't ask for anything more, Courtney. I just... I am... Somewhat torn. I want to give you the world... But I'm just a silly weirdo with big dreams. I'm playing at being big and important because that's what I'm supposed to do, when all I really want to do is curl up with a book. And a friend."

Courtney nods: "I have big dreams and ambitions, but... lately they've started to have me wanting to have you in them." She pauses. "Maybe that's the bigger ambition, wanting to stay with you as well."

Rebecca pauses mid step to look more directly at Courtney. "Maybe it is... but it's a shared ambition. Maybe that'll make it easier to obtain since we both want it."

Courtney smiles: "We can hope. Maybe one day it'll get easier." She hums: "Or something. Really no idea what I am doing."

Rebecca giggles, "Well you don't have to worry about that at least. I have no idea either."

Courtney giggles softly. "Let's start with a load of chicken in the oven, and watch some silly videos or something, you know, take our minds off for a while."

Rebecca grins, "I think we can make that work."

Courtney touches her hand on Rebecca's neck, before heading into the kitchen: "You find us something to watch, I'll get the chicken prepared."

Rebecca nods eagerly, "I'll find us something! See you soon!" She leans down to nuzzle her snout against Courtney once again.

Courtney lingers at the nuzzle for just a moment longer, before smiling again. "See you in a moment, Rebecca."

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