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BRUN/FIORA'S HOUSE - MORNING
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Brunilda slowly wakes up, but refuses to open her eyes or actually properly do the waking part of waking up. She shifts and groans, feeling groggy and after a moment remembering why; she and Fiora took the cure last night! That sparks her up, although she immediately deflates upon realizing the bed is as big as it ever was for them while changed. Slowly, she turns to look around...
Fiora snoozes a bit later, having gotten a bit used to sleeping in snuggled against Brunilda in the smaller possom form... except now, she's much, much larger than she's bed, putting a substantial dent in her side of the mattress as it seems her giraffe form has been restored, her neck cramped up a little against the wall as she is clearly not in the best position after the change back over the course of the night. She hums, slowly opening her eyes, and reaching out her hands a bit to give Brun a quick snug, "Mmph? Brun... Brun? Where are you?"
Brunilda mrph's as she is grabbed by the much bigger giraffe: "MrF! D-down here, Fiora!" The situation dawns upon the still-possum as she looks up and up the giraffe's neck: "Oh... oh no..." Her little heart sinks: "Fih... Fiora..."
Fiora lifts Brun up towards her and frowns, "Brun... it didn't work? It... wait..." Processing occurs. "Wait. It DID work? But... not on you?" She brings Brun in closer to hug her against her chest gently.
Brunilda hugs tight and really tries to not sniffle. She almost succeeds, too. "I-it d-did. You're, well, you again." She laughs despite her tears as she's held against Fiora's chest: "Oop. Big."
Fiora nods, banging her head once against the wall before she shifts position, almost having forgotten how gangly her limbs are at times, "Oof. Yeah, seems like it?" She takes one hand to check herself, sitting up in bed to scan her body, "Hooves, hands, neck, cones... all seems right. So then... why didn't it restore you?"
Brunilda leans onto Fiora's chest and looks up to her: "I d-don't know... it should have, right?" She nuzzles one of Fiora's breasts: "...t-though I guess this is weirdly... okay, too? Not okay, but... well." She shrugs and looks up at Fiora again.
Fiora sighs, patting Brun and lowering her head down to nuzzle at her, "It's... I don't know. I mean, it's fine. Maybe it's just... taking longer cause you're supposed to be bigger than me? We'll make this work either way."
Brunilda nuzzles upwards, feeling way weird about this position: "Y-yeah, maybe. We'll make this work. M-maybe Erika just needs to make another, stronger dose or something." She sighs, closing her eyes: "I just... w-well, love you anyway." She swallows, choking up a bit as she talks.
Fiora continues to hug Brun against her, frowning as she listens to her girlfriend. "Hey. It's okay. I love you too, Brun. I love you no matter shape or size, you got that. I've got your back."
Brunilda gives a nervous, sniffling giggle: "Even if there's not a lot of back to cover?" She knows she's being silly, but can't quite shake the fear that this is her life now.
Fiora snorts back a laugh, "Hey, you were ready to do the same when I was the small one and you were big, right? Well, I feel the same."
Brunilda hugs onto Fiora best she is able: "I k-know. Just... well yeah, it's dumb. We'll fix this." She sighs, closing her eyes again. It feels good to lean on the much bigger body of her girlfriend, at least.
Fiora nods, "Erika's cure worked on me, so maybe she just needs to tweak it for you. We know it CAN be fixed, so yeah, we'll fix this."
Brunilda nuzzles onto Fiora: "I know. I know." She looks up: "This feels so weird. You're so big now... which is just me being small."
Fiora shifts to get herself out of bed, legs splaying out a bit as she tries to get used to her old limbs once again. "Gonna take me a moment to get used to BEING so big again."
Brunilda looks down from her vantage point on Fiora's hold: "You can say that again. You're tall!" Pause. "I mean, I knew that." She looks up with a small grin.
Fiora grins, chuckling to herself. "And my arms were always this long? And my neck too? Honestly I'm just checking..." She slowly pulls back her hand to set Brun back down on the bed besides her. "You're... okay right? I mean, I know how strong you are, and I don't mean physically. But if you need anything, say the word."
Brunilda sighs, lifting her paw onto Fiora's thigh. "I'm... I'm fine, I think. Just..." She lets out a deep sigh and leans her head onto Fiora: "Might take a while." The small possum is not exactly okay, but isn't on the verge of a breakdown either. Just... down.
Fiora lowers her hand to set it atop Brun's. "I gotcha... felt the same at first, just... buried it down. Made myself busy. You know how I am. I'm here for you."
Brunilda sighs and looks up: "Yeah. Making myself busy sounds like a thing to do." She smiles weakly: "I'm glad you're back to yourself, at least."
Fiora smiles down at Brun, "I sorta wish I was still possom sized, at least as long as you are. If just to be better at comforting you about all this. Also... gonna miss how acrobatic I was... but at least I can work the forge again."
Brunilda smiles: "If I can't do nothing else... I can come see you work the forge. You're good at it."
Fiora chuckles, "Been awhile... made ammends with Cavro too, so... family forge is open to me again. Boy that'll feel weird on a couple levels."
Brunilda shrugs: "The more things change...?" She gives Fiora a smile.
Fiora smiles back at Brun, then sticks her big black tongue out at her. "Something like that, I suppose. Hey, I'm still figuring family out, okay."
Brunilda sits back up, though keeps her paw on Fiora's thigh: "Well, a bit more family now, I guess. Not that my brother made any sense either."
Fiora blinks, "Right... your Brother's here too. Hmm. Well, if you need me to beat him up for you... I should probably stop making that promise. I mean joke. It's a joke. It's probably a joke."
Brunilda giggles: "I think I can trust you to not beat him up. Unless he deserves it. In which case, have at it. He's a dork."
Fiora lifts her hand to punch her open palm, "Gotcha. No violence, unless he asks for it. You're the boss. So uh, what now? Breakfast will be a bit easier to handle I suppose. Although you'll have to deal with my cooking."
Brunilda gives a mock-sigh: "Well, I'll just have to live with that." She hesitates, then hops onto Fiora's lap: "By your lead, love." She giggles: "This is weird."
Fiora reaches down to pull Brun into another hug before standing up and taking a moment to deal with the vertigo of the new (old) perspective, "Yeah it is... but I'm definitely down for whatever 'weird' life throws if it means being with you." She makes sure Brun is comfy, then starts to head to the kitchen.
Brunilda giggles at the ride, feeling very weird about it but enjoying it nonetheless: "There is probably a part of me that's going to miss this, silly as it sounds!"
Fiora nods, "Yeah, for sure... I sorta miss it too? But also, hey, we're already in the kitchen! Getting around town will be easy again, not going to miss making every trip for food an expedition."
Brunilda laughs: "There is that. Even if like... I stay like this for a bit, it's not the worst. Right?"
Fiora shrugs, "I don't think so. It's a form with plenty of advantages and disadvantages both. ...the snuggles were really nice."
Brunilda giggles: "They really were." She snugs Fiora's chest once more: "Not that this is all that bad either."
Fiora smirks down at Brun, as she starts getting together some eggs and such for a pretty basic breakfast for the two, "I noticed."
Brunilda blushes a bit: "Well... best to try and enjoy whatever weirdness we come across, right? Not like it does us any good to... lose ourselves, yeah?" The giraffe's attitude is definitely rubbing onto the ex-elephant.
Fiora grins, "Heck yeah. Like I always said, every challenge is just an opportunity. Another story to tell at the bar later once it's all over with."
Brunilda smiles, holding her paw up onto Fiora as she looks up: "Yeah. We can just go with that. I want the cure, but I will live another day or two like this, I think."
Fiora leans her head down to give Brunilda a rather big Giraffe kiss. "I'm sure you can handle anything. A day or two like this will be nothing for you."
Brunilda squirms slightly at the kiss, flailing! "Eep! Y-yeah, probably. Fine. I'll be fine."
Fiora pulls her head back, blushing a bit at the squirming possom. "Heh. Err, yeah. We got this."
Brunilda giggles as she sticks her tongue out at Fiora: "We do! We do. We... yeah, we do." She doesn't sound entirely convinced, but cheery enough regardless.
Fiora smiles at Brunilda, then gets back to work at preparing breakfast. "If I knew a song about us having this, and also if I was any good at singing at all, I'd sing it while I cook. Instead you just gotta settle on my uh, me... doing this."
Brunilda giggles and gives Fiora's chest a soft kiss. "I will just have to deal with this, then~."
Fiora gives a rare giggle as well, "I know you'll manage somehow, in the hardship that is my cleavage."
Brunilda laughs: "If I am small, I will do my darnest to make the most of it. Right now, the most is your cleavage."
Fiora shrugs, "Hey, you do what you have to do to cope."
Brunilda pokes Fiora on the chest as a thought occurs to her: "That said, do you mind me being... well like, more close than usual? We took our time getting here, after all."
Fiora blinks, looking down at Brun, "More... close? Like this? I mean... I did say I liked the snuggling and all. It's still pretty new and all that for me, but we've gotten closer."
Brunilda smiles up at Fiora: "Good. Just wanted to... like, make sure. Probably sounds silly coming from down here, but I don't want to seem too pushy, like I once was."
Fiora pffts, "Hey now, I haven't punched a wall in Ages. I... I like having you close."
Brunilda giggles, a tiny squaky sound she's only mildly ashamed of anymore: "Me too. You're like... well, you're you. I kinda probably love you." She blushes as she looks back up.
Fiora stops stirring to bring a hand back up and support Brun, bringing her head down towards her to nuzzle again, "And uh, same. Yeah. I love you too." She makes it sound pretty nonchalant but it's a fairly rare direct statement from the giraffe.
Brunilda gives a soft little laugh as she nuzzles Fiora: "Bestest giraffe I've ever had the honor to spar with." She's mildly babbling now, but she doesn't care.
Fiora: "I'm back in action and ready to smash down the walls of heartache. Or um, something. With a bit of breakfast, and a bit of excercise to get me back to top shape, anyways."
Brunilda giggles: "Yeah, l-let's start with a breakfast before breaking any walls, heart or otherwise. Whatever that means."
Fiora giggles again, finding Brunilda's laughter contagious, "I have no idea, love."
Brunilda giggles some more: "Me neither."
Fiora goes back to preparing breakfast for the two as the continue to have whatever this discourse is, and enjoy a hearty meal while staying quite close together.
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MARKET STREET - MID-PARTY - AFTERNOON
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Vix orders yet yet another free drink from the ad-hoc party bar that was quickly erected just for the event. She leans on the counter, doing her best to roll with the sudden festivities
Gareth wanders through the market street, a look of bafflement on his face as he watches the party unfolding around him. Of course, confused as he is, he's not going to be one to miss out on free drinks, and he winds up making his way over to the same bar that Vix is currently at. He waves at the familiar black cat once he orders himself a drink. "Afternoon, lass. Did I... miss somethin' o' importance happenin' while I was gone from town?"
Vix meows and waves in return. "Heya, wolfie...looks like some bored noble threw some money around to get somethin' started. Bought out all my snacks and everyone's too busy partying to buy anything else, so uh...guess I'm drinkin too."
Gareth raises his glass in a little cheer as it arrives, then takes a drink. "A bored noble, eh? Can't have been the ones out o' the Bouquet Estate. The rabbit lady livin' there sounded anythin' but bored when I last talked to her that one time about me shippin' company maybe helpin' them out." He laughs, "I won't say no to a good drink, though."
Vix takes another swig of beer and wobbles. "I heard there's some kinda giveaway if ya get really drunk and wear a dress. You up for it~?"
Gareth blinks and tilts his head at Vix. He's pretty able to tell the feline's more than a few beers into things already, having seen many, many pirates pass-out drunk in the past. "A... say what, now? By the same person that started this party?"
Vix points to a few rowdy men in dresses and rowdy ladies in pants. "Yeh, think so. Ya think the prize is a stack of cash, or a night in bed~?"
Gareth looks around, only to laugh upon seeing some party-goers actually opting to try for whatever the prize might be. He shrugs at Vix after a few seconds of just watching the slightly drunken folks nearby. "Wouldn't know, lass. I've only just come back from a trip out to Orela, so the party'd already started by the time I passed through the town's gates."
Vix 's attention settles on another commotion nearby. A crowd claps and cheers along to an energetic tune as some kind of mechanical person in a frilly dress dances along on a stage. "Da hell? Is that construction equipment?"
Gareth looks around again as Vix's attention wanders. It takes him a moment, but he recognizes the mech quite readily. "...Isn't that the lass with the... Huh, it is..." He laughs a bit as he watches the mech dancing around, "Aye, that's one o' the construction workers. Little mouse lass by the name o' Pinna."
Vix sobers up for a moment as her brow furrows. "Son of a bitch."
Gareth raises an eyebrow as he pulls his attention away from Pinna's mech. "Hm? Somethin' amiss, lass? Ye have some kind o' history with her?"
Pinna pulls aside the curtain covering her chest and pilot seat, revealing a very drunk mouse. She takes a big swig of beer and adds her cute, megaphone-enhanced cheer to the din of the crowd.
Vix grumbles. "Just a weirdo nerd I knew as a kid."
Gareth hums a bit, watching Vix's expression. "If ye say so, lass. Seems like she's pretty occupied, though, so I wouldn't let it distract ye."
Vix finishes up her drink as she watches Pinna continue to expertly pilot her surprisingly nimble mech equipment. "Ain't ya supposed to stay away from machines when drinkin'? Someone should probably uh...I dunno..."
Gareth shakes his head and shrugs again at Vix's question, now leaning against the bar as he watches the mech dancing about. "Ye should, just to avoid gettin' hurt if ye do somethin' dumb with the machine. Looks like she's handlin' it pretty well, though."
Narrator: As if on cue, the mech overextends and topples over clumsily. Pinna emerges from the wreck, giggling uncontrollably. The cheering crowd picks her up and treats her to a crowdsurf, passing her hand-to hand towards the bar.
Vix covers her face. "Ah shit here she comes."
Gareth just watches in bemusement as the mech goes toppling over. "...I hope she's got that thing insured. That can't be a cheap piece o' equipment to damage..." He looks back over at Vix with curiosity, "Ye think ye need some time fer yerself talkin' to her, or...?"
Vix tries to get up and scramble behind the bar for cover, and eventually manages to make it there. "Keep 'er busy, yeah?"
Pinna is quickly deposited at the bar next to Gareth and treated to several rounds of drinks. She spins in her seat and smiles at him. "Oh, hey. Think I'mma need some help with these~"
Gareth gives Vix a bit of a nod as she scrambles clumsily around behind the bar and out of sight, and he makes a mental note to figure out what even is going on between the two. Once Pinna's deposited next to him in the now-vacant seat, though, he gives her a smile and a friendly nod. "Hey there, Pinna. Good to see ye again. Looks like ye were enjoyin' the festivities just now."
Pinna shimmies playfully and downs a shot. "Hah, you kiddin'? A whole weekend off, AND free food! It's a blue-collar paradise!"
Gareth nods over towards the mech, which is still in a heap on the ground where Pinna was dancing earlier. "What about yer buddy over there? Didn't ye say he was kind o' company property or somethin', a while back?"
Pinna blinks as she notices a few of the crowd start messing with the fallen mech. "Hey. HEY! Paws off, that's my job!!" She runs back up to the stage to recover the equipment.
Vix peeks out from behind the bar and snatches one of Pinna's abandoned drinks. "Don't mind mee~"
Gareth blinks as Pinna runs off to chase off the party-goers from her mech, only to chuckle quietly upon hearing Vix sneaking one of Pinna's drinks away. "Well, at least she's still sober enough to figure that thing's still really important fer her job..."
Pinna manages to convince several people to attach a tow rope to the mech and drag it back to the bar, with her sitting on top. She playfully fans herself like an exhausted noble. "Just a little further~"
Vix ducks back behind the bar as Pinna approaches. She is however starting to forget why she's doing this.
Gareth chuckles a bit as he watches Pinna being escorted back. "Really gettin' into the mood o' the party, I see. Yer pretty skilled at dancin' while drunk. Better coordinated than a lot o' people I used to know."
Pinna reaches into the cockpit of the mech and pulls a couple levers to make it give a thumbs up. "Heh, I'm kinda rubbish on my own feet. This guy can really get it, though~"
Gareth laughs a bit. "The way ye were spinnin' around and prancin' about out there a little while ago, I'm guessin' yer a bit more coordinated while in yer pilotin' chair, then? Ye had some fancy moves just then."
Pinna giggles and sips one of the beers left for her. "Y'know, it's like an extension on my own body. Managementsays I've got a gift for operatin'~"
Gareth smiles at Pinna and nods as he takes another drink and sets the near-empty glass down, which gets refilled in an instant without him having to even say anything. "I could see it. I still remember that arm wrestlin' match we got up to when we first met, ye know. Seein' ye dancin' around in yer friend like that, well... ye've got some great skills."
Pinna hums and counts her drinks. "Thanks~! And...hold on, wasn't there a third margarita here?"
Gareth looks around towards the counter again as he picks up his refilled drink. "Was there? Sorry, lass, wasn't countin' when ye arrived." He lifts his drink and gives it a little wiggle, "All I've got is this one right here. 'Course, ye can get another one pretty quick anyway, right now."
Pinna stares at her stack of waiting drinks like she's trying to figure something out. "Wasn't there a black cat over here?"
Gareth nods after a moment. "A bit ago, aye. They had to leave after a few drinks, though. Friend o' yers or somethin'?"
Pinna chuckles. "Maybe. I used to know a black cat, when I was a kid. She was nice."
Vix meows indignantly and peeks over the counter at Pinna. "Nice?? That's all? Ya called me a dropout and...and threw a dictionary at me!"
Gareth twists in his seat a bit to look across the counter at the irate feline as she peeks up over the top. "Wait, so ye do have a history, then?"
Pinna sticks her tongue out at Vix, who returns the gesture. "Schoolmates, mostly. When she even showed up to class."
Vix hmphs. "Guess I kinda disappeared on everyone. Sorry bout it."
Gareth just sort of glances in bemusement at Pinna and Vix, then laughs as he goes to take another sip of his drink. "Well... what are the chances o' this sort o' meetin' happenin', aye? How long's it been since ye two saw each other last?"
Pinna downs a shot. "Like...a decade? Heck..."
Vix wobbles and rests her chin on the counter. "Yeah that's about right. Guess that trade school program your folks were always talkin' about worked out for ya."
Gareth chuckles a bit as he downs another sip of his drink, only to nod at the person managing the bar when his drink gets another refill. He's still looking pretty steady on his feet. "Trade school stuff usually makes fer a good background. Always goin' to have call fer those kinds o' skills."
Vix grumbles and rests her head on her arms. "Bleh, I could never do that stuff. Looks too fancy."
Pinna pats Vix on the head and lightly scratches between her ears. "You're not gonna suddenly turn into a snob if you learn a lil' math, Vix."
Gareth chuckles and grins. "Pinna's right, ye know. I might not look like it, but I've got a backin' in merchantry that goes back to when I was a wee little pup. Still wound up goin' pirate fer a while, then bounty huntin' before I made good use o' the knowledge."
Vix issues a muffled objection without raising her head. "H-hey, I know math! And I bet I could out-dance ya, too!"
Pinna ignores Vix's objection and stares at Gareth. "Wow, that's really hot..."
Gareth pats Vix on the shoulder for a moment. "Just an example, lass. All kinds o' skills out there fer all kinds o' people. Bein' a merchant isn't easy by any stretch, and I'm bettin' ye know it already." He pauses, then gives Pinna an odd look, "What, the bounty huntin' bit, or the pirate thing?" He chuckles and shakes his head, "Sorry to say, lass, but I'm already taken."
Pinna seems a bit disappointed and takes another drink. "Aw, too bad. I heard this was supposed to turn into a really sexy party later."
Vix's ears perk up at the suggestion. "Eh? W-well good luck finding someone to make love to your robot, hehe~"
Gareth tilts his head. "Ye heard it'd become a sexy party...? What kind o' celebration did that noble even start...?"
Pinna laughs and pats her robot on the head. "Psh, we're in a committed relationship. It'd take a lot to woo both of us...like a bounty hunter~"
Vix sticks out her tongue, unsure whether Pinna is joking. "We'll probably figure it out by tomorrow night, eh?"
Gareth chuckles in amusement. "Well, only other bounty hunter in town I know is also in a committed relationship. I doubt she'd want to mess around with anyone even if she were pass-out drunk. Sorry, lass."
Pinna: swirls her drink in its glass. "Aw. It's too bad all the big strong guys prefer somebody taller. The suit makes up for that but it's awkward in bed. How bout you, Vix? Any luck lately?"
Vix sighs and blushes. "I think I helped start a harem? Sooo...that's been pretty fun~" She grins.
Gareth isn't sure what he's even gotten himself into in this conversation, so he simply sits back and enjoys his drink for a little while as he lets Vix and Pinna chit-chat uninterrupted.
Pinna and Vix carry on talking about boys and girls and sex, generally uninhibited by their drinks~