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Two Days Later.

Rebecca has pushed herself back into doing her job, best as she is able. For the moment, it has been more or less like before.

"Nnhg..."

That said, she is having some difficulty right now. In her room, she is currently figuring out something.

"How the fuck do I hide this tail?!" While her changes otherwise have been fairly slow or even dormant, her tail has taken a growth to it. It's wiggly, scaly, most definitely hers, and now long enough to be impossible to hide under her dress anymore.

Rebecca has also fallen back into old patterns of behavior, almost like the two are just trying to will things back to being 'normal'. Her research has mostly hit a dead end, and while she's continued checking online for any responses, and occasionally a new book or two will get delivered to the manor, new information has seemingly slowed to a trickle.

Of course, there is a small open house meeting tomorrow with the town once again, and she's trying to prepare herself for it this time, instead of throwing herself and Courtney into a last minute panic like last time.

She hears Courtney's cursing, wandering over to towards her room on the smaller side of the house and knocks gently. "Courtney? You alright? I heard some... language."

Courtney starts a bit, then looks up: "I uh... yeah." She walks over to open the door, giving a weary smile. She touches her hand briefly at Rebecca's cheek, then shifts slightly around. "I can't hide my.... t-tail."

Rebecca pokes her head in the door, humming softly as Courtney gives her a caress. "You can't hide your..." She glances towards Courtney's rear. "It's gotten longer then... alright... so do we need to get you a new dress? Or..." She doesn't have any other suggestion really at the moment. "Or I guess that's the problem, isn't it?"

Courtney sighs: "It'll fix the problem for like... tomorrow, at least. I'll take it." She glances at her girlfriend. "For now, I guess it's what we got to do, er... somehow."

Rebecca sighs, "For now... and... and I hate to ask this but... what do we do for next time? If... the tail gets longer? Or if..." She trails off again, not wanting to voice her concerns.

Courtney looks up from trying to straighten her dress to hide the tail. "I... I don't... know..." She swallows.

Rebecca frowns, "Alright... well... we call in a tailor, right? The one who made those dresses for you in the first place... and we have them do some new measurements to account for the tail... and get some new dresses that will be able... I don't know, built to hide the tail?"

Courtney looks up: "Y-yeah... we can do that." She looks aside, swallowing: "B-but you may be right, t-this might be the last... time..." She hesitates for a second, before looking back up: "...i-is my face still like before?"

Rebecca leans in closer to eye Courtney more carefully. "Yes...? I mean, as best I can tell it is. Same eyes, same hair, same face. I don't see any scales on it..."

Courtney smiles. "Good. I get to be... human, for a bit... more." She doesn't sound all that convinced, and she trails off to look to the side, tears threatening to come once again.

Rebecca feels a weight on her heart at Courtney's words, she cringes to hear her girlfriend like this again, "Courtney... it... w-we know this might get worse before we find how to reverse it."

Courtney nods stiffly. "I... know. It's just... I c-can't go out there again, can I." She looks up at Rebecca, and as she does, her tail slips back to being visible from under her dress: "I can't, anymore, can I."

Rebecca sighs, spotting the tail as slips out. "I... don't know. There's not really going to be any more hiding it... Even bringing in a tailor means we'd have to let them know about this."

Courtney sighs, then just steps close to the dragon: "Yeah I just... I don't..." She sniffs, then leans agains the dragon as she whispers: "...what am I going to become..."

Rebecca smiles softly, nuzzling gently, "Something more like me. Not quite a dragon, not quite human. Still beautiful. Still my girlfriend, still Courtney. I don't know if it's wise, but... if you want to go out... I'll find a way. This place can't be a cage for you."

Courtney swallows and nods: "Y-yeah. I'll... well I guess we sort of know what... I am becoming..." There's really no space for doubt in her mind anymore. She is becoming a kobold, and fighting against it has not really given any results. "I... I guess I wanted to stay with you, but... m-maybe not like this..."

Rebecca recoils slightly at those words, "Y-yeah... I understand... I'm sorry... if I had known..."

Courtney sniffs, then looks up resolutely: "But you didn't." She considers the dragon: "I am getting s-scaled, and tail, and all, but... I don't blame you, Rebecca."

Rebecca smiles softly, a little forced, "I know... I know... I still feel like... I should pull away. But I can't. I love you... and that love is hurting you."

Courtney shakes her head: "No. I won't have you thinking like that... your love is also what keeps me... me." She considers: "It's what... well, I have changed being near you, but... even without, I would have stayed near you, so... can we even say for certain it is because of you?"

Rebecca shakes her head, "I guess... we can't. We just don't know." She sighs, chuckling, "Some mess we are either way, hm? I can't push you away despite the changes, and you staying despite them as well..."

Courtney pushes herself closer to the dragon: "I know. But... if guess if this is because of you, I chose this, by staying." She swallows, then says out loud what she has been thinking: "I t-think, if I have to become... something else, to stay with you, or forever leave you and be human..." She trails off, her answer obvious without saying it.

Rebecca blinks in surprise, then gazes down at Courtney. "That's... you would..." She glances away, then back to Courtney, "I guess when you put it like that... to be with you? I would make the same choice."

Courtney swallows, but nods: "...y-yeah. This all scares me, but like... a lot less with you..." She smiles despite her obvious fear.

Rebecca smiles, "I'd hug you tight if could get my arm in the door to your room. I... I'm glad I can be here for you, even if I'm sorry that you need someone here at all..."

Courtney steps forward so Rebecca can grab her for a hug: "Well... I certainly am not going anywhere, now. And I want you."

Rebecca does so, pulling Courtney in close, though her paw does bump against Courtney's tail, an almost unavoidable prospect now. "You have me. I'm yours, love. I'm not going anywhere either... not without you."

Courtney swallows: "Well, uh, well yeah. I'm here." She leans closer to the dragon for a kiss: "K-kobold or whatever, I'm yours."

Rebecca smiles. "Courtney. She leans in to kiss, still holding her close."

Courtney smiles, kissing softly. Her tail either gets a bit longer or she's imagining it. Either way she doesn't care.

Rebecca kisses as passionately as the room allows. "We'll always be able to do this, at least~"

Courtney giggles: "Well I sure hope so~" She leans into the kiss.

Rebecca giggles as well, "As long as you don't mind the size of my kisses."

Courtney smiles after the kiss: "Well, I suppose that's not going to change. Change is scary. But maybe it is a bit less scary with you."

Rebecca grins, "I'm glad I can do that much for you, at least. Honestly... I feel the same, even if the change for me isn't so drastic, having you here with me makes me look forward to what's coming next."

Courtney nods, glancing at her tail: "I guess that means we need to decide how to go forward... If I can't go out anymore..."

Rebecca looks back at the tail as well. "Yeah... And you remember we're supposed to have the doors open for requests from town tomorrow too. If you'd rather just stick to your room, I can certainly lie for you about things. Say you're sick or something."

Courtney considers, then nods: "I suppose whatever this... is... ends up being, we don't want anyone else to know just yet. I can be 'sick' for a morning."

Rebecca nods, "You deserve a bit of rest... you've been working so hard, even despite it all. I guess beyond that... I don't know... whatever you decide for how and who we approach with this... I'll leave it up to you."

Courtney sighs, then looks at Rebecca with a worried smile: "But what if I don't know what to do?"

Rebecca shrugs, giving Courtney a guilty smile in turn, "I don't really know either... we figure it out together? I won't leave you alone in this, and whatever you... or, whatever we figure out, I'm here for you."

Courtney leans closer to Rebecca: "I know. And... I guess, if I don't entirely 'lose myself' to this, I can make deal. Not that I have much options, but I feel like... working with this is easier than working against it, if that makes sense."

Rebecca smiles softly, pulling Courtney in close to get her cozy, "You won't lose yourself, don't even think like that. But... your body... if working with these changes makes it easier for you... I- I don't know. You have to do what you think is best."

Courtney hugs the dragon as she has grown accustomed to doing. "Yeah, I... well, suppose I can stand nearby for posterity's sake tomorrow, but I gotta be back against the wall else someone spots my tail... gosh that still feels so weird to even say..."

Rebecca giggles softly, but manages to recover to be serious a moment more, "If... you want to risk it. At least most people don't really pay attention to the maid when there's a dragon in the room."

Courtney giggles despite herself: "Even if you're not the only one with scales now."

Rebecca pokes Courtney gently, "Scales or no, I'm not even the cutest one in the room."

Courtney blushes: "Mrg. Now you're just... well, okay, fine." She pokes her hand at the dragon's neck: "But only if you accept you're the beautiful one."

Rebecca feigns a sigh, but in the hallway her tail thumps happily, "I suppose I could accept that."

Courtney brushes her hand on Rebecca's cheek: "Don't worry, I will keep your secret safe."

Rebecca lets out a low purr as she closes her eyes. "You are the greatest, love~"

Courtney blushes: "Okay, now you're just exaggerating. I'm, at best, second greatest."

Rebecca frowns, "Beneath who? I'll write them a very stern letter telling them to revoke their position!"

Courtney giggles: "How good are you at self-insert fanfiction?"

Rebecca blinks, "How did you kn-" She glances around, "Err... th-that's very flattering, I mean! I uh..."

Courtney blinks several times. "Wait, what?" She looks at the dragon: "I um... I was joking..."

Rebecca's eyes go wide, clearly embarrassed, "S-SO WAS I! Hahaha!" She covers a paw over her face, "Maybe I wrote a few things when I was younger. Much younger, mind you! And uh... not... that recently. Please don't laugh..."

Courtney considers the dragon for a few moments in silence, tilting her head.

"...can I see your writings?"

Rebecca peeks out from between her claws, "Yesssss? It's... okay... it's some weird stuff... nothing... 'bad'. I don't think. Um... just..." She sighs, finally lowering her paw back down, "I'm not gonna say 'no' to you though. I don't want to keep secrets from you. It's more just that... I didn't really think about sharing."

Courtney shrugs: "You don't have to. But I can share some of my odd writings in turn, to make it fair." She thinks for a second, then smiles: "But only if you want to. I don't mind, I'm just curious."

Rebecca chuckles awkwardly, "W-well, I don't mind... I've never had anyone who I thought would care about my silly stories about me..."

Courtney smiles with a bit of a blush: "Well... time's the first..."

Rebecca smiles back, "Just don't be harsh with it... it's just fun stuff, really. Really."

Courtney shrugs: "Same goes in reverse. I've written some... stuff, for sure." She nods towards the study: "Most of my stuff is online, so I can point you to them on your tablet."

Rebecca pulls back from Courtney's door, straightening up the hallway, "Oh, most of my stuff is online too. ...you write too? In addition to all the sketches?" Clear admiration in her voice, she loves Courtney's kindred soul.

Courtney shrugs slightly as she starts walking: "Well, I... dabble, I guess. Write story snippets for what I draw, mostly."

Rebecca walks along towards the study, her previous embarrassment replaced by an almost giddy energy. "Oh, I want to read it so much! Mine is a lot of fan fiction, all sorta... Self insert... Embarrassing romance stuff... I... I usually become a human because all the stories are about humans... That's the weird part..."

Courtney looks at Rebecca: "Oh? Well, um..." She glances at her own arm, full of scales from wrist to elbow at this point. "I suppose it's not that weird..."

Rebecca glances at Courtney out of the corner of her eye, "T-to be honest... It's why I sort of said I'd almost wish I could trade places... That I was the one changing..." She quickly glances away.

Courtney blinks, turning to the dragon: "Oh. Well, um..." She trails off, uncertain what to say about such.

Rebecca cringes a little, "See? Weird... I... Sorry."

Courtney blushes: "Well, I... a-actually the way I see it, i-it's pretty selfless to think that."

Rebecca blinks at Courtney, "Bwah? Selfless?"

Courtney stops walking and looks at the dragon: "While this change doesn't hurt, it is pretty... earth-shaking, to say the least. To wish that it was you instead of another..." She smiles warmly: "...is actually kind of heartwarming."

Rebecca pauses, "...I just thought... that's what love is. Regardless of what I want, I would gladly take your burdens onto myself..."

Courtney nods with a smile: "It is, that's what I think too, but still to hear it like that..." She steps over to touch Rebecca's side.

Rebecca lifts a paw to caress Courtney's cheek. "I'm just a weirdo who writes some silly stories... And even though I turn into a human in those stories, I'm still actually a dragon so, the burdens I can bear are pretty substantial, so don't feel like you have to hold back... because the love is real, Courtney."

Courtney feels her eyes glisten again with the dragon. "Well... I-I'll happily take some of that, then. Feels pretty real to me too, Rebecca."

Rebecca pokes Courtney, teasing slightly, "Come on, lets cuddle up in the study and you can read my embarrassing fiction and see if you still want anything to do with me."

Courtney swallows and nods: "I can't decline an offer like that, now can I."

Rebecca leads on, walking with her girlfriend into the study to load up on silly stories and a little bit of escape from worry about what the future, what the next day, will hold.

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