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That Evening - One Day of Dress Shopping Later.

Clay walks awkwardly in her dress, her new instincts and body doing nothing to really prepare her for walking around in this outfit, both how it feels, and the looks she's getting.

She ended up picking out something simple, a white top, complete with frilly cuffs, and a brown skirt that came up around her waist, where two straps buttoned at the waist, crossing in the back over each shoulder.

The effect of the dress was a simple, feminine number that maybe seemed to accentuate her boobs, not that they needed much help. The colors are simple, and it might even look good on her as a deer.

A bit of planning after shopping, and the two picked out a mid-tier ramen shop, a sit-down restaurant with a cozy looking atmosphere and good reviews, only a few blocks away from the hotel, an easy walk (or run) distance away, just in case.

But, at the moment, walking alongside Nithya, Clay has no thoughts about the deer side of all of this, only on the date.

Nithya is wearing a long sleeved black turtleneck dress, the kind she has fallen back on before when she needs to look somewhat presentable. The cloth shows off her new curves rather well, the tan woman having noted that she's gained both more hips and breasts since their changes started. But the dress is also rather practical, she likes it being one piece, and warm, and covering pretty much all of her.

Being naked for her girlfriend is one thing, but for anyone else, anywhere else, she prefers not attracting attention by showing skin.

She holds Clay's hand as they walk. "What's on your mind?"

Clay chuckles, "What's on my mind? A lot... mostly you. Us. A date... who could have imagined... I stopped myself from imagining this back in High school..."

Nithya giggles with a blush. "I suppose so kind of did I, when I realized I swing the other way... which is now, your way. As... as you kind of accepted the change, I found myself more attracted to you..."

Clay blushes along, "My way... if I had known... I... would have had no plan. ...how could I plan for this?"

Nithya shrugs: "Yeah, pretty much. Neither of us could have." She smiles: "But here we are."

Clay hums, "Here we are... Hell, I've blown it with every girlfriend I have had so far... Struck out on online dating... Then I just sorta gave up. Besides, we had plenty of work to do. Places to go. Things to dig up."

Nithya smiles: "Sounds familiar. I kinda did the same, though with even less effort put into attempting to date." She nods as they arrive at the restaurant: "And, well... here we are. Let's get some good food."

Clay grins and heads inside with Nithya. A cozy little hole-on-the-wall with good reviews and modest pricing, the place is busy but not too crowded, and once the pair are seated it's not bad at all. "Can't do Japan without hitting up at least one weird ramen place."

Nithya giggles a bit: "You're not wrong there. And we're probably weirder, anyway."

Clay bows her head, "Weirder than they know... but we were weird enough before any of that." She pauses, looking over the menu to pick something out, then putting it down, "It's hardly the average date... what kind of questions should I be asking? I already know you better than anyone else, I feel like. The usual ice breakers don't quite work."

Nithya laughs a bit: "I mean, you could ask what I do for a living, I'd just get to call you a bit dense. I don't know. We pretty much know all the usual stuff..." She gets a thoughtful expression for a moment. "I guess we haven't talked about it much over the years, but like... What's your stance on kids and/or pets?"

Clay blinks slowly, "Kids... and... well, pets is easy... I had dogs as a kid, always loved them, though they might like me less now with our recent changes..."

She hesitates a bit on the other question, "Kids though... I mean... maybe? It was always one of those things that I felt like, yeah I might be a good dad... mom...?" She blances a bit, "L-let's just go with parent. But life never lined up for that... so it was more just an idle thought than a real desire I guess."

Nithya shrugs: "Yeah, having kids don't really work with our line of... Well, work." She leans on her hand, smiling lopsidedly: "Talk about a definite maybe that I never really put much weight to. I think I misplaced the batteries for my biological clock."

Clay shrinks a bit in her seat "I don't even want to think about having a clock right now. That's... I mean... y-yeah, I probably do... and can... but I do not want to think through that..."

Nithya smirks: "Thankfully it's just an expression and not a real thing. Besides, our situation would make it several degrees of hyper-difficult to raise a child." She shakes her head, amused: "Can you imagine, trying to keep a four year old from talking about deer?"

Clay shivers a bit, "I uh, more meant having the parts that 'biological clock' implies... and how... I do now. But the rest... Yeah, not... with our current 'condition', or our current line of work, or... anything. Guess not much has changed in that regard."

Nithya shakes her head: "Yeah no. No need to really entertain that idea more than that." She offers her hand to Clay: "Sorry for bringing it up."

Clay reaches out over the table to take Nithya's hand. She breaths out a sigh, "N-no, it's fine. Just wasn't quite ready for that thought. That I could, biologically... have a kid. That's... a lot to consider."

Nithya nods with a small smile. "Sorry anyway. Should have realized the logical next step when I asked that." She hums: "Maybe a dog or a cat one day, assuming we can find one that wants to adopt us."

Clay nods, "Yeah... one day, I certainly wouldn't mind one more bit of fluffy companionship." She squeezes Nithya's hand with a smirk.

Nithya giggles: "I didn't even think of it like that. Heh." She peruses the menu enough to make a choice, but really her attention is on the woman sitting with her. "Clay, I think... I think I, want to move together, when we get home."

Clay gapes at the request, but quickly regains her composure with a laugh, "Is this moving too fast, or not moving fast enough? Whichever the case... I'd be honored."

Nithya: "Fast in terms of this being our first date, probably. Don't really care." Nithya leans on her hand with a smile: "It's obvious we have a lot of thinking to do about living circumstances anyway, and I'd rather do that with the one person I share all this with."

"Honestly even if we weren't together now, it would make logistical sense to share a place."

Clay chuckles, "Ah, I see. Even if the appeal to my heart hadn't worked, you know I can never say no to a solid logistics argument. Well, you're right. On both accounts."

Nithya blushes a bit: "You know how I get. I see a problem, I start to see about approaching it so it's not a problem anymore." She sighs softly: "It's not like I can stay in my high-rise place anyway, there's no way I can make growing hooves once a day to mesh with that."

Clay nods, "It's going to be hard enough explaining myself to my parents... no way I can explain the deer half of this too. The good news is, I've got plenty saved up from years of not paying any kind of rent, other than the storage facility rent."

Nithya nods glances aside: "I don't have that much, but... I've also never had to take any kind of loan since I paid my studies off ages ago, so we can probably find something." She smiles: "Thankfully, what we are looking for is away from the city centre and the most expensive places, anyway."

Clay chuckles, "At worst, it'll cost us to buy a bit of undeveloped property. Or something adjacent to it, anyways... I've always wanted a little place out in the country..."

Nithya giggles a bit, but doesn't say anything as the waiter comes to take their orders. Only after they're gone, she smirks and whispers at Clay: "But I don't think your dreams of that included certain additions..."

Clay places her order, then pokes a finger at her breasts, "You mean these? The hooves? Or you? I guess none of them were in any kind of dream house idea, no. I was more thinking of a nice patio to stargaze from."

Nithya smiles warmly, leaning on her hands: "I think I'd like that. Far enough from the city that light pollution is not a problem... could maybe pick up stargazing anyway since I suspect we're going to be spending more nighttime outside anyway in the future..."

Clay grins, "Suppose we might at that. But a night out in the woods gazing at the stars alongside you sounds pretty perfect to me."

Nithya smiles warmly. "Yep. And also - and I'm sorry I'm thinking practical of the soft stuff again, but - if we ever get proper lost like we did here, would be kinda useful to know one's stars, right?"

Clay shakes his head, squeezing Nithya's hand, "Don't apologize for thinking practically, it's something I love about you. I'm the dreamer, I'm the one who follows her gut no matter where it leads sometimes, and I need you to keep me on course sometimes."

Nithya squeezes Clay's hand back. "...yeah, guess we kind of balance each other out like that. I mean, we always have." She is quiet for a moment, before adding. "The more things change, mm?"

Clay hums, staring at Nithya, "Guess so... you've always been the perfect lab partner, the perfect dig partner, and the perfect hiking partner. We can add life partner into that mix, but I guess not much really does change, huh?"

Nithya smirks: "Aside from us couple of times a day, anyway."

Clay giggles, "I wasn't thinking much about that, though you're right. Things are going to be so much different trying to live with this, and figuring it all out. But the longer we've gone, the more I think it's okay."

Nithya nods, considering: "We're kinda learning the ins and outs of this... could call it us embracing all of this, too I guess." She looks aside: "...not that I really think we had an option to say 'no' in the end, did we."

Clay shakes her head, "Not really... at least, not while staying ourselves." She takes a breath, then smiles, "The trade-offs have been worth it in the end though... maybe that is just embracing it more... but through the fear, I think I've gained a lot more... and I'm not sure if I've lost all that much, except a bit of sleep when we've had to go out into the forest in the morning."

Nithya hums: "Something I am sure we will learn to balance out. Thankfully our jobs allow us to either be out there with basically no other people, or work from home as we figure out what's the next expedition or dig going to be about."

She thinks for a moment: "We... I think we are on the positive side after all of this is said and done. Even if I've also had enough heart hammering in fear for a lifetime."

Clay: "That first week in the Russian wilderness, I doubt I would have believed that anything positive could come of any of this."

Nithya: "Yeah... me neither. Things look brighter now, for sure."

Clay grins, "A good deal brighter in some respects... I'm still giddy about a lot of it, so I hope you don't mind how much I'm fawning over you." She smirks wide.

Nithya snorts a bit: "Pff. Better watch it or you'll end up sticking your hoof into your mouth with those puns."

Clay raises a hand up as if taking an oath, "You know I only use my puns fur good." She winks.

Nithya gives Clay a look: "I wouldn't bet my non-existent antlers on that."

Clay shrugs, "It's cervinely possible."

Nithya smirks: "Besides, between the two of us, it's you who has the impressive rack."

Clay blushes, looking down at her chest, "I... guess I do, huh? Hope no one will try to mount these on a wall..."

Nithya giggles: "Hopefully not. Though we can try some... okay, and that's not a food conversation. Or one we are equipped to ponder right now."

Clay 's face goes redder, but she manages to giggle past the embarrassment, "D-definitely maybe not right now, ha."

Nithya blushes and waves her hand at her face: "Yeah um... p-put a pin on that discussion. Food! We should have food soon."

Clay nods, "Pins... definitely for later..." She can't stop blushing as she looks at Nithya, and can't stop smiling at her either. "You're beautiful though, you know that."

Nithya glances at Clay: "I'd ask if you're just saying that cause I'm blushing, but I know better. And you are beautiful as well~"

Clay chuckles, looking down at the table, "I had some help putting this all together. Can't much speak to my fashion sense... err... yet..."

Nithya smiles: "Put it to yourself as a topic to research on, and you'll get there in no time."

Clay nods, "I just might... I... want to be cute. If I can be cute, then I'm going to be cute."

Nithya nods: "You can be cute."

Clay smiles gently, "Then... that's a goal. Ha..."

Nithya shrugs: "I'm pretty sure you can do that. Heck, I could probably use some time making myself look better now that I maybe have a reason to do some of that..." She gives Clay a demure smile.

Clay looks over at Nithya, "It goes back to what I was talking about before... those silly thoughts, just wanting to pretty... not so silly now." She smiles at Nithya, "And if anyone could manage to look better, it'd be you."

Nithya smiles: "...I guess you don't mean that I look bad now, when you just said the opposite a moment ago. So I will take that as, 'put some effort into it like once in your life', instead."

Clay blinks, "N-no, not how I meant that! I meant... you look amazing... and I don't know how you could look better than you already do... but if anyone could find a way..."

Nithya is still smiling: "Thank you, Clay." She's clearly enjoying herself, but pauses as they get their food. She thinks the waiter with a smile, before turning to Clay: "Speaking of beautiful things, food."

Clay awkwardly chuckles, relieved for the interrupting meals, as well as the fact that it was likely only Nithya teasing, "Food is what we came here for, after all. Mostly."

Nithya takes a sniff of her ramen and ahh's as all the spices hit her nose. "Such... such spice...~" She gives Clay a nod, then starts eating with gusto.

Clay takes a long sniff of her own, "Whoa, yeah... I thought I ordered a milder one, but it smells really strong! No wonder this place has such good reviews." She digs in.

Nithya eats for a bit, then whispers with a smile. "...I'm starting to suspect some of our improved sense of smell bleeds over."

Clay blinks, glancing down at her hand. "No itching... no fur... we're not changing... you think it's just... part of the package, hm?" She does sniff at the ramen again, a little more carefully between bites.

Nithya nods as she eats. "Kinda been feeling like I hear better too than I used to, though harder to tell."

Clay takes a moment to look back at her ears, then blushes, "Guess I can shift them about right now to test, huh?"

Nithya giggles: "Maybe better to wait until we're private. Just in case."

Clay blinks, glancing away, "That's... a strange sensation right there... actually looking forward to the change instead of... worrying about it, or dreading it."

Nithya pauses, then smiles: "...yeah, you're right. Kinda makes me wonder if we are able to shift to... or shift back earlier than the change forces on us, if we want to..."

Clay looks down, stirring her ramen thoughtfully. "Maybe...? Maybe... I'm kind of curious now too."

Nithya continues eating as she thinks: "Like... there's this desire to see if we can affect the when and where of our daily routine at all. I hope we can."

Clay hums, "Would be a lot more convenient... and just... feel better in general, I think. Feeling like there's some kind of control there."

Nithya nods: "Yes, it's like... if we give our time to the deer, so to say, can we decide a bit about when it happens?" She shrugs: "I don't know. Just a feeling, and I say that realizing that I've had a lot of 'just a feelings' be at least partially right lately."

Clay nods, "You read those tablets without understanding how... maybe it's just part of how we learn this. Not all just trial and error."

Nithya nods, frowning: "Even if part of me really kind of hates having knowledge just... imprinted in my head like that, I can't really deny it."

Clay chuckles, "Certainly doesn't appease the scientist in us, does it? Though, I doubt the goddess had a thesis prepared to fully explain how this works."

Nithya chuckles: "Yeah no, that much is obvious. Vague idea on what happens and I've had to figure out the rest myself." She hums: "Really would have benefited from a cliff's notes addition at the start."

Clay continues to eat her ramen, taking a moment to wipe her mouth, "We can draft up some notes for folks who come to that temple afterwards. A primer for transforming into a deer and back."

Nithya giggles: "Don't tempt me."

Clay sits back to think, giggling, "Would the goddess approve of us spreading the word? Or disapprove of us spoiling things."

Nithya shakes her head. "I don't know. Suppose it doesn't matter cause I can't name you any reason I would want to go back up there in the first place." She shudders a bit.

Clay hums quietly, thinking, "Y-yeah... I also... I don't think there's anything left in that temple for anyone... I think we brought whatever was there with us... for whatever that's worth. I'm half convinced we could lead a dig back there and not even find it again..."

Nithya pauses, briefly looking like she intends to argue the point, but then relents. "You may be right. For all we know, it's not even in the same coordinates anymore."

Clay smiles awkwardly, "Just a feeling, you know?"

Nithya blinks, then giggles. "Heh, gotcha. Really the only reason I could think of trying to get back would be to try and get you back, but..." She smiles demurely: "I think we already found you."

Clay blushes and looks down at herself once again, "...I think we did... heh. Not exactly how I imagined things working out... it still doesn't feel real sometimes, and my head is... I don't know. I'm still figuring 'me' out, but I know enough to think... no, I don't really need..." She pauses and lets her voice drop, admitting a truth from deep down, "I don't really want to go back."

Nithya nods and offers her hand again: "I am happy to hear you say that. And not just because we have no idea if we could change any of this. I'm happy because you are."

Clay hesitates, then reaches her hand out to take Nithya's, "It's so weird to admit that... I am happy. And there's still that little voice that says I shouldn't be happy... that I should push this feeling away, but... I want it too much. I... think part of me always wanted it, deep down."

Nithya smiles warmly, softly taking Clay's hand in her own. "I can see that. Like I shouldn't be... That we shouldn't be embracing the deer, but... Even if it didn't feel so nice a lot of the time, what good would abject denial do?"

Clay laughs a little sadly, "Maybe it's crazy... but no good that I can see... except make us miserable, trying to fight it..."

Nithya sighs, but there's a smile at the end of it. "Yeah, pretty much. But then again, plenty of people have called us crazy before, just for the places we wanted to explore at. So what's a bit more?"

Clay laughs quietly, smiling back, "Being crazy has helped me fulfill a dream I didn't know I had... Or, wanted to admit to anyone, even myself. Me, in a dress, on a date... With you. Or, I could have kept denying these changes, denying how they made me feel... I think i would come to hate myself."

Nithya leans on her hands, having finished her meal already. "Mm, I think this is much better. I must admit that you look mighty good as a woman, now."

Clay tries to hide her blush, a little hint of embarrassment, by returning to her meal, eating the last of her ramen, "Feels so weird to hear that and know you mean me."

Nithya nods, glancing upwards: "Some part of me is still having difficulty connecting you to my lifetime friend, on some level. I just tell that part to shut up." She smiles at Clay: "You are my lifetime friend, and it takes more than this to shake that."

Clay looks down into her now empty bowl, "No, I get it. I keep looking in the hotel mirror and I still expect someone else to look back. Sometimes, the deer part feels more natural, because I can say 'oh well, you're a deer, of course you look different', you know? And then when we're back to normal... Or back to this, whatever normal means now... I wonder."

She sighs, "I still feel the same in my mind though. Same dumb jokes and bad references. Same gut feelings and lifetime of experience. I just feel more... I guess you did call it when you said I seemed more 'free'."

Nithya nods with a bit of a smile once more. "Yes. Maybe it's the last few weeks talking, maybe it's my newfound attraction to you talking, but you seem more... satisfied. Happier. I don't want to push you into accepting anything, but... I don't think I would need to even if I would."

Clay shakes her head, "Maybe... All else being equal... Your admission has just made me drop a lot of pretense. If you like me like this... Why should I even pretend to be something else anymore? I want to be a woman for you, but in turn, that's because I wanted to be a woman for me but felt like I had to keep fighting it." She breaths out a long sigh, "I feel a bit in my own head about this still... Sorry."

Nithya smiles softly: "Come on, Clay. Give yourself some credit. You've had a rather earthshattering change happen to you very recently. We may be-" She glances around to make sure no one is in earshot: "...deer, but that doesn't mean we aren't very human as well. And to want to resist change is pretty human."

Clay chuckles, "It feels like the right direction, but I'm trying not to go down it too fast. But... at the same time... I quietly wished I could be cute for years, and here's the chance. Not just cute, but cute for someone I care about." She smiles warmly at Nithya and winks, "I won't say your love has changed me, but..."

Nithya giggles softly: "I think that's giving me too much credit." She counts with her fingers: "See, here's how it worked. First, we changed. Then I noticed your deer rear looked good."

Clay giggles, "I was partially joking... but the rear first. Good to know."

Nithya giggles: "Things in order of importance, you know. " Her smile softens: "That, and you are my closest, dearest - pun intended - friend, too."

Clay: "The pun is always intended, I know that." Her smile fades the smallest bit, "I'm still working through this. But I'm glad to have you here to help."

Nithya: "Always." She holds Clay's hand for a long moment, before continuing with a smile: "Shall we get ourselves some delicious mochi, locate a bit of snackery for the evening and retire to our room for the rest of today?"

Clay squeezes her hand, taking a moment to recenter herself, and take comfort from Nithya's contact. "Yeah. All that sounds lovely."

Nithya is about to say something, but is interrupted by the waiter dropping by. With a smile she orders their dessert, and once the waiter is gone, she leans over to whisper at Clay's ear: "And I want to touch your teats again~."

Clay goes bright red at Nithya's whisper, center quite thrown off as quickly as achieved, she's unable to do much more than nod and stammer, "Y-yeah~."

Nithya looks innocent. Or attempts to, anyway. "I hear mochi is quite good but I have never tasted any."

Clay blinks a few times, trying to catch up with her derailed line of thinking, "Y-yeah! Uh, very... Good."

Nithya giggles as she looks at Clay once more. "Sorry. Couldn't resist a little tease."

Clay is still blushing, but recovers enough to laugh, "I uh... don't exactly mind... But it does make it hard to want to stay for that snack..."

Nithya mm's, then feels a bit of a shiver. "Did I...? Oh boy. Umm. Huh." She considers, then whispers again. "...is it possible to feel a jolt in part you don't currently have?"

Clay laughs awkwardly, "Ha, d-don't know, but... Convincing evidence says 'maybe'?"

Nithya pauses, then relents. "I best not explore this concept further or I'll need that ice cream for things other than eating."

Clay nods, "Well... Not explore this yet. Mochi, snacks... And then..."

Nithya attempts to steel herself. "Yeah. Then, we get to..." She blinks, suddenly a bit confused: "You know, I have no idea if that was me, or the deer side of me, or bit of both..."

Clay looks aside, "...I think the difference between the two is getting less and less..."

Nithya nods, blushing a bit. "Y-yeah. I can't exactly go blaming the deer, when the deer is also me, and I am currently, right this moment, finding you rather hot."

Clay blushes again, "I'm very much not a deer right now... But I certainly don't mind you feeling that way. I feel the same about you."

Nithya smiles, squeezing Clay's hand again: "Crazy, isn't it. After all this time... took the freakiest of freak accidents."

Clay tears up a little, holding Nithya's hand once more, "I wish I could have said it long ago... I'm glad I can say it now, I love you, Nithya."

Nithya smiles warmly: "I love you too, Clay~."

Clay squeezes her hand and grins, "Let's finish our date... And head back to figure out more about ourselves~"

Nithya smirks: "I agree~."

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