Previous: Chapter 11 Next: Chapter 13

One Weekend Later - Evening.

Courtney opens the side/"servant's" door hidden in the back of the manor. The goth is exhausted, though she does sport faint smile - happy to be back up here, away from potentially prying eyes and curious people. She makes her way to her own quarters, drops her bag on the bed to be sorted out later, then heads upwards for more important things.

"Rebecca, I'm back!", she calls out once she's in the more dragon-sized parts of the building.

Rebecca is stirred from her half-reading / half-napping by the call of her girlfriend. The Dragon has been alone the past few days, and spent that time reading, searching online, and just continuing to wait for any kind of responses as she calls out from the study, "Courtney? You're back!"

Courtney follows the sound of Rebecca's voice, realizing just how relieved and happy said voice makes her now. "Y-yeah, I survived the weekend." She rounds the corner to the study, and smiles upon seeing her dragon girlfriend. "Good to be back, though."

Rebecca lets out a relieved sigh upon seeing Courtney as well. She does look exhausted, clearly having been worried and not sleeping so well, but that doesn't keep the smile off of her face. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

Courtney steps close to the dragon, touching her hand on Rebecca's neck. "I had a couple of close calls, and had to get a bit creative with my excuses when the whole family get-together turned into spending Saturday at the community's pool, but... I don't think anyone caught on."

Rebecca lowers her head down closer, "That's good. I certainly hope not. I... I'm guessing there's been no change then? The scales are still there?" She glances at at Courtney's feet.

Courtney nods as she sits down at a table she usually draws at. She starts taking off her shoes, long leathery things that look nice but are really bothering her feet now. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to get out of... these..." She trails off as she takes a good look at her feet since last evening. Her foot looks a bit longer, just enough that it's obvious why the shoe started to feel awkward and then later painful. "Oh."

Rebecca frowns at the revelation... "So... changes. But not the way we'd hoped." She glances back up at Courtney, watching her reaction.

Courtney sighs. "I do like these boots." She takes off the other and confirms it by standing up. Her heel doesn't actually touch the ground anymore. Oddly, that doesn't seem to affect her balance much at all. "I... Well." She looks at Rebecca, sighing softly. "Guess that's a thing now."

Rebecca nods slowly, "Yes it is... are... are you okay, Courtney?"

Courtney nods slowly, taking a few tentative steps even though it's obvious her feet changed while she's been on them all weekend. "I... Yeah. I am." She takes a deep breath, then lets it out as slowly. "Just... more of this, then."

Rebecca sighs, "More of that..." She hasn't done much beyond research these very things, so changing the subject feels difficult, but she tries her best, "Still... you had a good weekend yes? Your family is doing well?"

Courtney nods. "Yeah, they're all good. Plenty of questions what it's like to work for a dragon." She gives a small smile as she turns to touch Rebecca's neck again: "I might have had to omit a few details, though."

Rebecca manages a chuckle, "I hope you omitted all the incriminating details, yes." She purrs ever so slightly at the touch to her neck, still enjoying that feeling. "I wouldn't want your family thinking I was a bad mistress."

Courtney smiles as her hands wander their usual casual circles: "Far as I know, no one besides us two know about any of this." She looks at her arm as her sleeve rolls back a bit. Blue scales with just the tiniest feel of roughness to them. "Of course, if this goes further..."

Rebecca hums, "It won't be a thing you can just hide, will it? I- I'm still looking for a cure, of course." She points towards a pile of books she's arranged together, "I went through my whole library, and those are all the books I could find that have mention of kobold. I ordered more online too. ...I think some of them are game manuals... but others are old folklore! They're bound to have something!"

Courtney nods, although some part of her also winces inwardly. "Some of it might give a clue, yeah."

The weekend full of avoiding the topic gave the goth plenty of time to think about it, ironically enough. She wants to hold for hope that whatever this is, it's still reversible, but she's not anymore certain if she can entirely believe it. Soon she might be unable to be a normal human anyway; wouldn't it be better to just try to work with what she got, after that?

As before, she has no answer.

Rebecca watches Courtney closely, fumbling about for more good news to tell. "Err, well, I'm sure it will. But I've also been considering contacting my family... maybe not my Uncle, or my Parents, but... there's a few others I can probably contact and be subtle enough in how I ask that it won't attract any notice. They'll know something, I'm sure.. I'm... sure."

But she's very not sure, and just trying to bring her friend some comfort, even though she's probably doing the opposite.

Courtney touches her hand on Rebecca's cheek: "Will you get in trouble if you contact your family about this?"

Rebecca frowns, "Does that really matter?"

Courtney considers, then nods: "If said trouble would mean causing other issues for us. You know, since you probably have to tell them we're together." She hums: "Although, it might be the only avenue for reversing this, too."

Rebecca sighs, "That's a good point. But I... I won't get in trouble. I'll be careful in how I ask. Who I ask. You're just unlucky enough to be partnered with a Dragon too young to know anything."

Courtney smiles, her hand brushing on Rebecca's cheek: "But lucky enough to be partnered with a dragon who wants to date a meager young human."

Rebecca lets out a deep breath, then nuzzles into Courtney's hand, "Okay... it's not so much about luck, and more just that I got to know you and, well, how could I ignore someone so amazing?"

Courtney smirks: "I'd ask the same, but I think it's unfair to be calling a dragon a wall flower type." She pauses. "...even if we both are."

Rebecca laughs quietly, "Trust me, there's plenty of times I wish I could just fade away into a room. I look books more than I like most people... dragons or human."

Courtney nods: "Yeah don't disagree there." The goth is quiet for a moment. "So... yeah. Contact your family but try to not incriminate yourself in the process I guess."

Rebecca nods, "I'll be careful. So then... what about you?"

Courtney considers: "Well..." She sighs a bit: "...admittedly, this all scares me a lot."

Rebecca frowns, reaching out a paw to caress Courtney's cheek. "I... I'm sorry. I mean, whether this is my fault or not... well... it wouldn't be happening if you hadn't come to work for me, so it's at least partially my fault. But you shouldn't have to go through anything like this."

Courtney touches her hand to Rebecca's: "I know... like I won't lie, part of me wants to run away and forget any and all of this ever happened..." She sighs and closes her eyes, tearing up a bit. "But I can't. Even if I could leave you and not break my heart in the process, the change has already started. If I go out there, I'm already at a point where I have to hide myself."

Rebecca shifts back, keeping her hand against Courtney's. "No, it's... I get it. I admit, I feel selfish about wanting you to stay... but I'm just sorry it has happened at all. But at least you have a safe place here? Until we figure out the solution. And beyond, of course. You'll always be welcome here in this home."

Courtney chuckles through her tears: "The cynical take would be to say, 'what options do I have?', but I don't want to consider that. I want to stay with you, no matter what." The back of her mind is telling her that she's throwing away everything for this, but she ignores it.

Rebecca shakes her head, "See, that's where I feel selfish... I want you to stay... But you're..." She swallows the lump in her throat. "What if the 'no matter what' is worse?"

Courtney hesitates. "It... suppose we don't know. But..." She looks up at the dragon: "...w-we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. For now, focus on not finding that bridge at all."

Rebecca smiles tiredly, "I'm doing everything I can think of to avoid it. I won't give up."

Courtney smiles: "That's all I can ask for." She lets her hand rest on Rebecca's cheek for a moment before dropping it. "We just got to hope, right? We'll find a solution."

Rebecca: "Yes. We'll figure this out. There's just nothing else acceptable to me."

Courtney nods, then trails off. After a moment, she sighs. "...the other option is to just kinda... curl up in defeat, isn't it."

Rebecca eyes Courtney and watches her closely, "I... I don't know. I guess so. I don't want to give up on you."

Courtney nods again... then smiles again. "Giving up would be the opposite of what you have been doing." She looks up: "I can see it on your face. You spent all weekend trying to figure this out."

Rebecca nods a little sheepishly. "What else could I do? I had to do everything in my power. And I will keep doing it to find the answer we need."

Courtney lifts her sleeve and looks at the patch of blue scales. "Then... perhaps I need not be that worried."

Rebecca looks down at the scales, trying to keep the desperation and fear out of her own voice, "Try not to... I know you're scared, and you have every right to be scared. But I... We will figure this out. And you'll still be the Courtney who I love no matter what, alright?"

Courtney considers, then nods: "Of course. If er... if this change, whatever this is, bothered you because I'm growing scales, that would be a.) weird and b.) I'd know by now. You're just worried for me."

Rebecca nods, "I am. I uh, I guess it's obvious. You come to mean a lot to me in the short time we've known each other. And... I uh..." She trails off, unsure how to even say that she finds the scales just as beautiful. It's not something that would really put her girlfriend at ease. "I'm not bothered by the scales. I'm just bothered by how they're impacting you. Changing you without it being your choice."

Courtney nods: "Yeah... it's not ideal. Really, it's kinda very far from any kind of ideal." She looks up: "But it seems to be the hand we have been dealt. If I have to go through this, I'm glad it's with you." She leans over to give the dragon's lips a small kiss.

Rebecca blinks in surprise at the kiss, but manages to recover quickly, "There's certainly richer and smarter dragons than me who would be much better suited for someone as special as you but..." She leans in to return the gesture with a short but slightly oversized kiss of her own, "But none who will love you more than I promise to."

Courtney giggles at the kiss, then after it boops Rebecca on the snout: "Yep, and you are pretty smart. You know dragons usually give that regal and unreachable image? You're nothing like that, and I love it."

Rebecca tilts her head away shyly, "I never wanted to be like that. Like my Uncle or my parents. I just want to be myself. Maybe a little unreachable, I'm not all that good with talking to people. But regal? Not in the least."

Courtney chuckles as her hand wanders around Rebecca's cheek scales again: "Regal enough for me, though." She smiles warmly: "I guess I accidentally reached your unreachability, then."

Rebecca leans into the touch, "You pierced every scale right to my heart. And I've not been able to get free since. Nor have I wanted to."

Courtney blushes: "In my defense, those scales of yours are very pretty." She pauses. "...not much of a defense, is it."

Rebecca giggles, "It's a further attack! But, well..." She swallows again, "Y-yours are pretty too. Probably not what you want to hear, but..."

Courtney blinks, then looks at her feet and arms: "...w-well, if I have to get scales like this, it's better if they're pretty. And like, if I ignore them being part of me for a moment, they are very pretty."

Rebecca lets out the breath she'd found herself holding. "Yes. Yes, that's a good way to think about it I suppose. I just... I feel a little guilty that I do find them so beautiful. But maybe it's just because it's you."

Courtney shrugs: "Well, either way, here I am. Want to go watch something for tonight, continue research and stuff tomorrow?"

Rebecca blinks again, uncertainty and tiredness creeping in, "Go watch something...? Are... You sure? I still have things I could be looking up if... Uh... I just don't want to let you down."

Courtney sighs. She considers for a second if she wants to be telling her boss, and a dragon, what to do... but Rebecca being her girlfriend overrides that. She looks at the dragon in the eyes. "Reb'bhek'aran. You will help exactly nobody if you stress yourself into a sleepless, overstressed mess."

Rebecca blinks again, not quite shying away from Courtney's gaze as she slumps into an embarrassed pile. "Yeah, okay, you're right. I could use a bit of time away from it. ...and a little time close to you. I've been missing you while you were gone."

Courtney touches her hand upon Rebecca's head: "Me too. Just... you know, being together."

Rebecca stands up, keeping her head low to let Courtney continue to rest her hand there, "Just being together does sound like a wonderful time. And also whatever we decide to watch tonight."

Courtney smiles, then lowers herself down enough to lift Rebecca's chin up: "We'll get through this. One movie night won't make or break anything, but will help us both stay sane. Which may also be important."

Rebecca chuckles as Courtney raises her chin. "You're not wrong there either. Alright then, lead on, beautiful."

Courtney smiles: "Atta girl. Come, let's go prep some snacks and some fluffy movie, forget about this for a bit."

Rebecca gives Courtney another kiss to the cheek as she follows alongside her girlfriend to try and put their fears aside, even if just for a few hours spent close together.

Previous: Chapter 11 Next: Chapter 13

Home