"I think I have...  A lot?  Of options.  Not to mention whatever's going on with my boobs.  Because there sure is something going on there."

"They're very nice boobs. I appreciate them. But the milk is not something I've heard of from kitsunes, no...... Uh, um. Idea. Use it as ... ink? Since the whole problem with making ink for scrolls is infusing it with will at an even pace so it doesn't explode or burn."

"I bet there's gotta be at least one kitsune who does this and isn't me.  It feels too coherent.  But...  Huh.  I had been thinking of mana potions.  And, well, seeing if I could figure out where its supernatural properties were coming from and if they're replicable.  Because that could be as revolutionary as diamonds."

"...Hmmmmm. I feel like... It's a Tamamo thing? Probably worth trying obvious things to try. I'm not sure what a mana potion would do, wizardry is dependent on will and witches are pretty inflexible... Maybe sorcerers can benefit from it?"

"...there is a reservoir of magic behind one's spellcasting of any given stripe, isn't there?  Or how the heck would I be at risk of draining it?"

"It's different for spellcasting kitsunes. We cast from hunger bar, so to speak. I have this on good authority. Tamamo herself."

"Ah.  Huh.  Well.  Mana potion for me, at least, then."

"Quite possibly! I wouldn't know. I wouldn't want to produce milk myself, so I'm glad I don't."

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't at all a sex thing making this good for me to have, to be honest.

"...Also, do you know if whatever command over fire I appear to have picked up is relevantly sorcerous such that it would be worse than useless to try for any other options?  Not that I intend to do anything that risky anytime soon, I like being alive and having hands, but."

"Mm... It is a bit odd in hindsight to have drank some of your milk. But it was hot in the moment as a sex thing, yes. Uh... I'm not sure. You seem to have a lot more kitsune type traits than I do. A real grab bag. It's probably not useless to try? I don't think I have fire command as a trait, like you, but I did meditation about it. I sort of feel like I might be getting close with water too, but I haven't been mono-focused on it. I have heard that everyone has some level of sorcerous talent, in principle, it's just usually not worth it to try and cultivate it."

"Oh huh.  I had been under the impression that it was Basically Only Something You Get Through Experiencing Mortal Peril."

"I was under the impression it's largely a bloodline thing? There are noble lines famous for sorcery... Mortal peril and training from a young age both might help. I don't actually know."

"Well.  I'll have to meditate on things sometime.  Not now though because that would be horribly boring and I just can't with all this going on right now.  But what to do..."

"Things are going quite well in terms of destruction, embarrassment, and mayhem so far. You probably are over the hump of the Red Dream, if not nearly clear. Food? Back to your bonded video game console? Jealous, by the way."

"Food sounds good.  And I'll share the console, just don't delete my saves or anything."

"'Course not. Uh... I barely remember anything about games... Super Smash, I think..."

Anyway she will start making foodwards motions, pulling gently away from the snuggle.

Food is a good plan.  "Ooh yes we should play Smash.  I wonder if there's anything from The Future on here."

(There totally is. It's mostly games from The Future by volume, for all that hundreds of 'classics' are also loaded on it.)

Sliced sausages and rice in boiling water and the last of the nice raisin bread.

And then video games!  She is so wigglybouncy about this.  (Hi yes she does have ADHD thank you for noticing!)

Yay. Videogames.

She is having feelings. About all the sex she just had with Alicia. This was probably predictable. And it felt very good, both just physically and the - thrill, she supposes, of being with someone else, of teasing and making another happy, someone who isn't you, who can never be you, you can never truly know what another's qualia is. But... 

Who is Alicia, really? She was a tiny fox, a new kitsune, but a clever one, a fellow earthling. And to think, just make diamonds, break the magic system, it's that simple- But. But but but. (Hehe... Butt...) She bites her lip and flushes, remembering hands on her breasts and herself buried inside Alicia and-

Okay so that's the horny coming back for round 42 or however many. And making her want to kiss Alicia on the back of the neck. Uh. Where was she...

...What next. Obviously, the diamond project. Being with someone is... Kind of terrifying? She can see herself growing very annoyed with Alicia very quickly, if they had to live together in a box and never leave. For now it's fine. But if she had to, no way.

So is she with Alicia? What is contained in that 'with'? Coworkers? Fuckbuddies? Girlfriends? Sisterhood of the Fluffy Tail? A and B? All of the above?

Her thoughts go in moody circles. And after a bit she decides to go splash in the stream to clean up a bit more. Nobody comes out here and she has a resistance against cold, even if Alicia doesn't (Shit! She completely forgot about that!) so it's fine.

Alicia has fire, anyway!

"You look like you're thinking."

"I'm having feelings. And going for a swim join me if you like."

Out the cave entrance she goes.

Bah.  Feelings aren't for now.  ...She could go for a swim.  It's been a while!

She dives in to the water excitedly, despite having no real plan for what to do once she's actually there.

The water, it must be said, is near freezing.

It's also quite pretty, deep and clear as it burbles gently over rounded pebbles, not really obstructed by too many living things, about four feet deep at the deepest part of the mountain brook.

But near freezing cold water. Which Nicole does not mind at all. 

"Wait, you're not-" Splash! "-Immune to cold!"