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NESSETH'S HOUSE - MORNING
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Vix hums a little tune to herself in the kitchen as she pan-fries some bacon, quietly waiting for the sizzle and savory aroma to rouse Nesseth from his slumber.
Nesseth yawns as he steps out of the bedroom a minute or so later, apparently not even taking the time to redress, what with the curtains drawn over the windows as he usually leaves them during Winter nights. He sniffs at the air, humming appreciatively as he makes his way to the kitchen. "Breakfast, huh~? What a good way to wake up~"
Vix grins as she eyes Nesseth. "Mornin, Luv. Those biscuits there are done if you wanna get started early~"
Nesseth smiles as he goes to kiss Vix before taking a seat at the table. "Morning, Vix. I might nibble on one while I wait for the rest to finish up." He takes a moment to stretch again, "When'd you arrive today?"
Vix giggles as she twirls to flip the eggs in another pan, revealing she's not wearing anything under her apron (no surprise there). "Oh, about an hour ago. I can be an early bird sometimes~"
Nesseth chuckles as he watches Vix. "I'm guessing you peeked in while we were still sleeping, then?" He smirks, "Almost looks like you were thinking about something else~"
Mia yawns as she tumbles out of bed. Unlike the others, she's not naked! She's still got her long socks on. Those stayed on all evening. She pokes her head in to the kitchen, nose twitching before "oh..Hey Vix. You live here too?"
Vix hums as she plates the bacon and eggs and brings the food to the table. "Oh, this~? You know I just like to be comfy, and you keep your house very cozy~" She winks. "And yeah, I peeked. Caught a little of the action, too~"
Vix blinks at Mia as she steps out of the room. "Aha, you're up already! That's right, you heard me~~"
Nesseth smiles as he sees Mia wandering out of the bedroom. "Morning, Mia! Vix made some breakfast for all of us. Have a seat!"
Mia: "Oh! Nice" She smiles, and tilts her head to Vix, blushing a little as what she said dawned "Oh..you..you were looking..."
Vix giggles. "Ah, only a little. We've already done stuff together, anyways~"
Nesseth shakes his head in amusement. "Vix tends to do stuff like that. She's a sneaky sort." He smirks at Vix, "Right, dear?"
Mia: "Well..yeah, but..it was different, Nesseth had something you didn't have!"
Vix sets a breakfast plate in front of Mia, featuring bacon, sausage, biscuits, and eggs. A grand slam! "Aha..my bad, it is a habit of mine. Let me know if you would prefer me to not peek..."
Mia coughs "Uh..maybe..ask, is all?"
Nesseth gives Vix a smirk. "Not everyone's comfortable with you peeking, dear. Some folks like the privacy."
Vix nods and blushes a bit. "I'll keep it in mind. Sorry again~"
Mia leans up when the food is put in front of her, and gives VIx a kiss on the cheek "No harm no foul"
Vix giggles and sits at the table next to Mia. "Soo...how was your night~?"
Nesseth chuckles and nods. "Just for future reference, at least. Not like you disturbed us or anything."
Mia: "Oh..well, it was.." She rubs her ear "It was a lot, and kinda intense, and.." She glances down to Nesseth, eyes flicking further down "It was..uh..I don't know how to say..a squeeze?"
Vix giggles. "Well, things do squeeze~"
Vix blinks. "Oh! Y-yeah, my first time with him was tight, too~"
Nesseth smiles at Mia. "It did get pretty intense, though once we started tiring out, we started focusing more on the snuggles than anything else."
Vix tilts her head. "Intense? Not gentle?"
Mia: "It felt intense! But..uh..in a good way"
Nesseth nods. "The passionate sort of intense. Don't worry Vix, we made sure to start off slow."
Vix leans into Mia and steals a bit of bacon off her plate. "Hehe...sounds like I gotta up my girl-on-girl technique~"
Mia giggles "Uh..I..think you might be missing something key that I enjoyed with Nesseth"
Vix blushes. "B-but there's dummy ones girls can wear and stuff! They're just...expensive..."
Nesseth tilts his head curiously. "I guess it might depend on what parts Mia might like about it the most. The finish is a bit different between guys and girls, after all~"
Mia: "Yeah, that last bit was really nice" She gives Vix another kiss "Don't worry! I had a lot of fun with you too!"
Vix hums and nibbles on bacon. "Well, there's a reason Nesseth is the center of this whole thing we've got going on~"
Nesseth smiles sheepishly as he takes a bite out of his food. "I mean... not really the center, since everyone interacts with everyone to a degree."
Mia: "I think I was reading some of the books about it. Are we like..a harem?"
Vix nods. "We could be~. I've just been thinking of it as a fun casual sex group, though~"
Nesseth tilts his head at the question. "I mean... if you want to get involved in things beyond just experimentation? I guess this is... kind of like a harem, almost, but it's not all just to serve me. We all kind of mingle together and just take care of each other."
Mia: "Well..lots of girls..one guy..."
Mia: "There were a few, but I stopped reading all the ones where there was nothing happening for 30 chapters in a row..."
Vix giggles. "So, do you have any questions~?"
Nesseth chuckles. "Well... if we wanted to look at things that way, we could~" He tilts his head after a moment, "Sounds like the less story-heavy ones are the sort you enjoy. I think I can accommodate that much activity~"
Mia: "Hey! There's stories there!"
Nesseth holds up his hands with a grin. "I didn't say there wasn't any story! Just the sort of novel that goes into the fun stuff more often."
Vix leans against Mia and steals another piece of bacon. "I might have to borrow some of your collection~"
Mia: "Oh..it's mostly on loan from the library"
Nesseth chuckles. "You should get yourself a library membership, Vix. The place has a lot of books to read."
Vix scratches her head. "Mine got revoked after I kept losin' books in all my junk..."
Nesseth hums a bit, shaking his head with a slight smile. "Well... let me know what books you want me to grab, since I've got a membership there now. Just... keep them here in the house somewhere." He tilts his head at Mia, "So... you mentioned wanting to be a part of the, er... 'harem'?"
Mia: "Uh..well, I dunno. I've always found it a bit weird?" She ponders "Maybe we could find another guy? Then it could be less weird"
Vix smirks. "Well, you did pass the 'interview phase' with both of us." She blinks. "W-wait, you want to do it with two guys??"
Nesseth shrugs. "I mean... we could always keep it simple. It's not like we all get together all the time. If you just want one-on-one, that's more or less what we do most of the time?"
Mia: "I mean..if Nesseth gets to get with two girls at once, its only fair!"
Vix glances at Nesseth. "W-well, there's a thing he can do with his tail that uh...you can use your imagination with~"
Nesseth blinks, then nods with a bit of a cough. "Oh, right. Yeah, I can, er... well, my tail is pretty flexible." He lifts his tail up and gives it a wiggle to demonstrate, "But I get what you're saying, Mia."]
Mia: "Wait...Why do I have to use my imagination?"
Mia: "Can't you show me?" To Nesseth
Vix boops Mia's nose. "I just imagine it's another guy in the heat of the moment~. We can show you later~"
Nesseth nods at Mia's question. "Yeah, I can show you when you want to find out, of course. Vix just means my tail could maybe stand in for another guy, in a way."]
Mia: "Oh! Right! Well, I suppose..but.." She ponders "One experience at a time"
Vix giggles. "Did you have any questions about your night? We could offer some tips, if you want~"
Mia: "Oh! I think I want to just learn by doing. I'm not great at learning by listening to stuff"
Vix sticks out her tongue. "Well in that case, we are all naked and we just finished breakfast~"
Nesseth nods with a chuckle. "Hands-on learning is a good way to go about it. If you want to find out about the tail thing, I could show you~"]
Mia: "Well, now that Vix has brought it up...sure!"
Vix grins and starts gathering up the dishes. "I'll just clean up out here. You two can get comfortable~"
Nesseth nods and gets up, then smiles at Mia as he offers a hand again. "Sounds good, Vix. Shall we, Mia?"]
Mia takes the hand, then leans in, and takes much more than his hand "Yes, Yes we shall"
Nesseth gently pulls Mia close, only to shiver at her grasp. He smirks after a moment, then picks her up in his arms and starts making his way to the bedroom like he does with Vix here and there. "See you in a minute, Vix~"]
Mia: "Hey..Vix can come too!" She wasn't stopping though.
Vix waves and giggles as the two disappear into the bedroom. "Gimme five minutes. You can last that long, I'm sure~"
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RESPITE MARKETPLACE - NOONISH
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Jennica is sitting to the side on a crate, fiddling with a trinket. The cow has learned that it's easier to just sit on something without any kind of back rest with her new tail, isntead of trying to fit into something she can't bend anymore. She's in a good mood, humming to herself as she keeps an eye on the stall even though it's been a quiet day so far.
Rhask arrives at the stall with a couple plates of food wrapped for transport, having decided to grab something from the Minnow for herself and whoever is managing the stall now that she's ready to start her afternoon shift. She smiles and calls out when she sees Jennica behind the counter. "Hey there, Jennica! I got some food, if you're hungry!"
Jennica looks up and smiles brightly: "You know me, I always am!" She giggles as Rhask gets closer: "Maybe too much, but you know. Cooking may not be my passion but I still eat a lot."
Rhask giggles as she moves around the counter and sets one of the plates down on a free spot near Jennica, having made sure to get something specifically for Jennica or Emmeline, since their diets are a bit different from hers. "There's nothing quite like a good, hot meal any time of the day!"
Jennica smirks, pausing in her magic-fiddling for the moment: "Particularly one someone else made for you, heh. How are you doing today?"
Rhask sets her own plate down as she takes a seat, then stretches her arms a bit to loosen up after walking all the way from the Minnow with two plates balanced on her hands. "Pretty good, really! Had a nice night's sleep, spent a bit of time knitting a few orders after I washed up for the morning, got lunch, then came here." She smiles at Jennica, "You look like you're in a good mood, too, today."
Jennica shrugs with a smile: "Might be, yeah. Cleared some air with Em." She pauses, gathering her thoughts: "Something I guess I should tell you as well." Her thick tail twitches just a teeny tiny bit nervously... but just a bit.
Rhask tilts her head curiously as she looks at Jennica while in the process of uncovering her plate. "Cleared the air with Emmeline? Did... something happen between you two?"
Jennica nods, humming a bit as she turns the trinket in her hands. "We... agreed to stop dating, I guess, is how I would put it. It was sort of... kinda putting pressure on both of us we didn't realize?" She's smiling and is rather relaxed as she says this.
Rhask hums a bit, turning the thought over in her head as she considers. "Stopped dating, so you two broke up? What kind of pressure was it putting on you two?" She seems genuinely curious, having no real viewpoint to work off of otherwise.
Jennica looks at Rhask, considering her words: "It was... like a sort of we tried to be more than we are? She's my best friend, it just became hard to kind of... err..." She pauses, frowning: "We created sort of performance standards for ourselves?"
Rhask starts to dig into he plate a little as she listens to Jennica. "So instead of just being yourselves, you were both acting differently? Then I guess... instead of partners, you're both just back to being friends?"
Jennica nods with a smile: "One experience richer, but still friends." She giggles: "I mean, we still live together and work this stall together, nothing's really going to change that much besides... a sort of freedom, I guess?"
Rhask smiles in turn. "Well, at least you're both still friends, so that's a good thing! Back to how things were before, and no bad feelings sounds like a good resolution to the whole thing."
Jennica smiles warmly: "I hope it is. Feel less stressed about things now, at least." She shrugs: "So, uh... yeah. We did that."
Rhask hums and nods as she takes another bite of her food. "Mmh, less stress is good. So... business as usual otherwise, I take it? Just a bit less worrying about that."
Jennica smiles: "I'm finding myself enjoying cooking again, too, now that I'm just cooking for a friend and not my date, if that makes sense." She pauses and blinks. Did she just say that out loud?
Rhask chuckles. "Doing it more because it's fun and less because you have to... I could see why it'd be less fun if you felt you had to, before."
Jennica winces: "It definitely wasn't fun when I had to, back home..."
Rhask tilts her head. "But you're having fun with it now?"
Jennica shrugs: "Sort of? It's... well, uh. Have I ever told you what my actual training is?"
Rhask shakes her head at the question. "Nope, not that I can remember, anyway. I always figured you were a tinkerer by trade, since you and Emmeline made it your business."
Jennica blushes a bit, then shakes her head. With a lower voice: "You're my friend, so I trust you. But, well... I am a chef. My family's business wanted me, the only heir, to take over when my parents would retire. I know the ins and outs of everything foodmaking."
Rhask seems a little taken aback at that. "You're a chef? I'm guessing you didn't enjoy cooking too much because of the pressure back home, then?"
Jennica shakes her head: "N-no. It was... pushed on me. Hard. Day in, day out, just learning more ways to make food."
Rhask pulls a bit of a face. "Bleh... that doesn't sound like fun at all. If you're going to make something a career, you might as well enjoy doing it. My parents made sure I really enjoyed clothesmaking before they started teaching me how to do it."
Jennica sighs, leaning back on her hands: "Mmmh. Wasn't fun, nope. So, eventually all the training started to eat on me so much that Emmeline, she... well, we made a plan to leave, gathered what we could take with us, I wrote a letter for my parents to find... Emmeline said a handful of harsh words to them she had been bottling up... found ourselves here."
Rhask taps her chin a bit in thought with the handle of her fork. "So... not really the best departure from Vamas, I take it. Still, if you weren't enjoying it that much, it's a good thing Emmeline pulled you away, right? No more stress from expectations?"
Jennica nods with a sigh: "I do wonder how my parents are doing now, it's not like I hate them... b-but if I wanted to pursue this-" she holds up her unfinished trinket in her hand: "...I had to. Needed Em to dare do it, though."
Rhask tilts her head curiously. "You've not tried to contact them? I keep in touch with my parents as much as I can, even though letters take a really long time to travel between here and Vamas."
Jennica frowns: "Haven't... d-dared, really. I'm not sure I would put it beyond them to try and find me if they knew..." She looks aside, towards the marketplace: "Maybe one day."
Rhask hums. "Well, that doesn't sound good at all... You two have only been here for... a little longer than I have? Maybe it'll be worth leaving it for a year or two more before trying?"
Jennica sighs, leaning back: "Probably. I'm happy here, I d-definitely don't want to leave." She smiles at Rhask: "Finding friends, too. Like you."
Rhask grins happily. "This place is really nice, even if it's a lot warmer than Vamas is most of the time. I got to see a lot while traveling around, but I always did it by myself." Her grin shifts to a content smile, "Having friends here makes it a lot easier to just... settle in, you know?"
Jennica smiles: "It does. It really does." She hums: "N-not that I mind the warmth, either. Never was a big fan of snow everywhere."
Rhask blinks in surprise. "Really? I loved how much snow there was where I lived! It always made everything look so beautiful, and the air was always crisp, even on the shore of the northern bay."
Jennica sticks her tongue out: "If there's one good thing about toiling in a kitchen, is that it's warm even when outside is not."
Rhask giggles. "And I liked the snow because the cold made the hot meals all the more satisfying. Big portions, all hot and tasty..." She trails off, getting a little dreamy look on her face for a moment before she snaps back, "Oh, but, er... the warmth here is nice, too!"
Jennica looks at Rhask with a smile: "I suppose I can see that... kinda was a lot of the customers' opinion too, back then." She lets out a sigh: "But, uh... yeah. That's sort of why I'm here, so I can craft."
Rhask chuckles and nods. "If that's what you enjoy, dig into it, right? Doing something you don't like as a job is just draining, I can imagine. No fun, and no reason other than "you have to", it's a good thing you got away to do what you want!"
Jennica smiles: "Yeah... I'm happy to have you as a friend here, too. Even if we craft entirely different stuff."
Rhask smiles again. "I'm really kind of surprised at how many folks buy our stuff every day. I didn't think a town as small as Respite would have this much merchant activity."
Jennica looks around and shrugs: "It's been growing quite a bit in this short time, though? Like visibly so."
Rhask nods as she looks out at the marketplace, noting the new faces all milling around in their day to day routines, including the various Saurs that have been getting more and more comfortable wandering the town. "True. There's all that construction going on out past the west wall, too."
Jennica glances at her collection of trinkets: "Saurs are odd... some of them are like not-trusting of what I make, and others are fascinated. I've sold quite a few to the latter category..."
Rhask smiles. "Sounds like most anyone, I think. There were some folks who thought the patterning on my clothes were magical wards or something, while others just like the pretty designs."
Jennica giggles: "I guess that's how it always is. Magic... tech... I sorta do both?"
Rhask hums. "To me, both are really similar, just one is... stuff I could maybe learn if I wanted to, and the other is kiiiiiind of stuff you need to be born with most of the time?"
Jennica shrugs: "Kinda? I don't think I was born with much... maybe some, but always just had the affinity to poke at these."
Rhask shrugs modestly. "And I wouldn't even know where to begin with something like that. Even seeing someone like Mia building her gadgets on the other end of the marketplace... it looks neat, but I don't know how any of it would fit together."
Jennica raises an eyebrow: "Mia? Someone new?"
Rhask gestures with her fork out across the marketplace, in the general direction of Mia's stand. "Oh, no, no. That's, uh... that's Strix. She changed her name not that long ago, I think? I finally got to meet her when she stopped by a few weeks ago, and she bought some clothes to accompany her changes!"
Jennica blinks: "Oh! She decide to change her name. That... that makes sense." She smiles, glancing towards the direction of Mia's stall: "It fits. Should go see her sometime, then."
Rhask nods. "You should! There's all sorts of neat things that she's working on, but she always seems so into it that I don't want to disturb her."
Jennica shrugs: "We kinda get into the 'zone' when we craft, don't we?"
Rhask hums at that and nods again after a moment. "I guess that sounds right. There were a few times you were busy working on something that I had to call your name a few times before you responded, remember?"
Jennica blushes and grins: "Y-yeah, I do that... I reckon I expect Str- Mia... to do that same thing still."
Rhask shrugs. "No idea! I never met her before the change, and only knew about her from you."
Jennica hums: "Guess she's pretty much the same, except just dealing with change." She gets up and twitches her own rather changed tail: "...something I can definitely relate to."
Rhask looks over at Jennica's tail and giggles. "Seems to be something you two have in common, yup." She tilts her head a bit, "Last I'd spoken with her, she seemed to be handling the change well?"
Jennica nods with a smile: "Good if that's the case. She was a bit out of it right after the change." She recalls her own screaming upon realizing her kobold-ness: "...not that I was all that great either, back then."
Rhask hums quietly. "That big of a change, I don't even know what I'd do to start. Blanking out for a little while sounds at least a little reasonable."
Jennica giggles: "Nothing about it was reasonable, least of all me."
Rhask chuckles. "At least it got fixed, hm? Er... well..." She looks at Jennica's tail again for a moment, "Mostly, anyway."
Jennica twitches her tail, smiling lopsidedly: "Mostly, yeah. It's well... it's okay. A permanent reminder on not doing experimental stuff when all huffed up emotionally, too."
Rhask smiles. "As permanent as things can be when magic is involved, at least. Still, it was fun watching Emmeline tease you about how cute your tail looked."
Jennica blushes: "It's not! It's scaly and big and... you know."
Rhask brings her own long tail around and wiggles the tip in the air as she smiles in amusement. "And pretty similar to mine!"
Jennica looks between their tails in comparison: "I suppose so..."
Rhask reaches her tail over and boops Jennica on the nose for a moment. "I mean, sure, it's different from a regular cow tail, but it's still plenty useful!"
Jennica sticks her tongue out: "Sure is. Sitting down is a lot trickier now."
Rhask giggles as she and Jennica settle in to talk over the pros and cons of various tail types while they enjoy their meals between helping customers, as well as talking about whatever else catches their fancy for the rest of the afternoon... much to the confusion of anyone that might have listened in here and there.
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RESPITE GENERATOR - LATE EVENING
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Jennica has found herself wandering towards the generator a lot of late evenings lately. Once again she is leaning on it at a corner she's found the warmest to lean on.
Jennica is talking about recent events: "...so now I'm sort of free, you know? Emmeline took it fine I think, though it's hard to tell. Not that I suppose you have much experience."
Jennica sighs, leaning her head to the generator and closing her eyes: "I hope that it's fine. Em is... I've known her all my life and she can still be so cryptic."
Jennica blinks her eyes open and glances upwards: "Oh? Well, if that's what you want. Amee it is." She smiles: "It's a nice name."
Jennica lets out a small giggle: "I wonder what name I would pick for myself if I had to do it now. Mia seems happy, at least?"
Jennica feels her hand across the surface of the generator: "It's not always so easy. I didn't feel like changing my name when I was a kobold, but had it been permanent..." she shrugs: "Couldn't tell you."
Jennica gets up enough to pick up her paper bag of late evening snacks: "Do you mind if I eat? I guess you won't since you can't share on it anyway." She starts munching on an apple: "Where was I? Oh yeah, the freedom thing. Though I suppose that's the wrong thing to call it. Not like Em chained me down or anything." She blushes at the thought that finds her mind, totally not dirty.
Jennica swallows: "...anyway. I wonder what's out there in this growing town, you know? And like... that scares me, I've never been that brave before but now I'm curious? Does that even make any sense?"
Jennica starts nibbling on a cookie after the apple: "Here I am talking about exploring the town, and leaning on a corner of a generator in the middle of the night. Some bravery." She giggles at herself, only to be interrupted by cookie crumbs in her throat and having to take a sip of water. "Ahem. Yeah... one step at a time, right?"
Jennica pats the side of the generator with a smile, before leaning back on closing her eyes.