"Oh. Okay," she says, relaxing a little. "Different but better. That makes sense. If you're not getting something you need from just me, let me know?"

"...I... what?"

"I - I don't mean, um, you necessarily getting, the - whatever it is from me in particular, just, um. ... I'm making a mess of this."

Slightly baffled snuggles.

"Sorry. Let me try again, um." Snuggle, deep breath. "Okay, so since I'm in a different category than your previous, uh, guests, I'm worried that, hm. Just cutting everything in that category out of your life would be bad for you? Mentally? Like you'd feel like you were being forced to just eat one type of food and would eventually get frustrated. I, um, I'm definitely not okay with you kidnapping and torturing new girls, but. Maybe we can figure out a way to get you a happy substitute? Or maybe you don't need it at all and just want to snuggle me, maybe I'm just overthinking things because I want to help you properly."

"...I don't know," he says, snuggling her. "I don't know... what it would mean, what it would be like, to have everything I need."

"Oh," she says, softly. She kisses his hair again. So much snuggle. Many snuggle. "Okay. Then just - let me know if you're unhappy?" Pet pet pet.

Nod. Snuggle.

Snuggle. She made kind of a mess of the talking, so she's just going to stick to this for now. Snuggle, snuggle.

Snuggles are good and cozy and important.

They are! So very, very important. Snuggle, snuggle.

She's willing to stay like that for a while. This time she doesn't fall asleep, just begins absently humming another tune while petting him.

Good! Cozy!!

...he might doze off a little.

That's fine! He's allowed to doze off. She'll have some time to think, while he naps.

Clearly she's going to need to pick up some hobbies while living with a dragon. She reviews the ones she already has for whether they'd be much good while she's living with a dragon. At the very least, she should probably ask him to make her a harp so she can polish her slightly languished musical skills. Embroidery had been a bit too sedentary and time-consuming for her tastes, even if she'd liked the finesse and detail, she'd had too many other things to do. Maybe it's more viable if she combines it with snuggling. Since she's already staying still so she can cuddle a dragon.

Most social hobbies are out, but not all of them. There are probably a few card games she could teach him, so they can play cards together. There are definitely some two person board games, though maybe they have different tastes there. Hmm, what other social things does she have available? She supposes she could be ridiculous and suggest braiding each other's hair...

...

Actually now that she thought of that, she kind of wants to. She spends a minute considering the wisdom of braiding a dragon's hair while he sleeps. Soon enough, she decides that she's his favorite person partially because she's kind of silly sometimes. It's not like she's going to go as far as to make him look absolutely ridiculous by putting bows in it. Mostly because she doesn't have any ribbon, but still. Braids can be perfectly serious. Plus, while cuddles are extremely comfy, they're not very mentally stimulating. Neither is braiding someone's hair, really, but that's at least stimulating in a more tactile way.

Gently, she combs her fingers through his hair and starts carefully making little tidy braids. There's nothing to tie them with, so they'll fray apart, but she doesn't really mind.

Partway through this endeavour, he yawns and stirs, giving her a sleepy hug.

"Hi there," she says, dropping the braid she's on in favor of kissing his forehead and hugging him back.

...he shakes his head slightly, noticing something strange about it. He unhugs one arm so he can reach up and touch the strangely-behaved hair.

"...Saveth, did you braid my hair?"

"Who, me?" She blinks, innocently. "Yes."

...he giggles. "Why?"

"I was thinking of potential hobbies I could have, and facetiously thought 'we could braid each other's hair!' Then of course when I thought of it, I really wanted to. So here we are, and now you're pretty!"

Further giggling.

She giggles, too.

"I hope you don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have thought I even had enough hair to braid!"

"You do if they're little ones! I'm glad I could enlighten you." Snuggle.

He shakes his head a couple more times, until the braids all fall out, then wraps his arms around her waist and nuzzles her shoulder.

She giggles again - that tickles a little - then resumes combing her fingers through his hair. Not to braid it, just because it seems responsible of her to help clean up the mess. What with her having inflicted it upon him.