"You sounded hurt."

"A little disappointed, maybe. I'd like to be special to you. But I can't force it, now can I?"

"You are special to me! Just, not that way. Yet."

"Well, I can always hope. Would you like to maybe do something else? And, well. I do think we were supposed to have sex or something at some point."

"Yeah. But... it's different, if you want a relationship... I don't know if I... am I leading you on?" 

"Not if you talk to me clearly about what you expect and hope for, I would think."

"Um, well... I expect that... We'll have a fun time, here together, and we'll be... intimate... and I'll learn some things about being a little from you, and you'll learn some things about being a caregiver from me, and - you know, it would be, like, good. But I don't know if it'll last. I do know I'll remember you. I, um, I already have some very nice memories about you. But making you part of my life? That's... That's a tall order."

"We're play partners and perhaps friends, but you're not interested in me romantically?"

"I don't know that. I could still... catch feelings. But it's hard to build on a... kink relationship, I guess... for me. I'm... Oh, I don't know what I'm scared of. But thinking about you being my caregiver and my girlfriend and my - you know, all those things - makes me really, really anxious. I feel... exposed."

"... because you never really considered that you might be able to have a relationship with those things in it?"

"No. I mean, yes, I mean, maybe. It's different when it's something real, not just - an imagination. And it's one thing to have sex with you, and another thing to... have that."

"Yeah, I just bet your imagination did not cast a snake-woman with two cocks."

That startles a laugh out of Audrey. "Yeah, it really didn't. Not that that's a bad thing, but... yeah. Takes some adjustment."

"It's alright, I'm used to it. Perils of the OTC. May I hug you?"

"Um... Sure, I guess."

Kelp snuggles up against Audrey's side and wraps her arms around her, though her coils stay off to the side rather than wrapping themselves around Audrey.

Audrey rolls over so they're face-to-face, and - 

Kissing Kelp just seems like the thing to do, so she does. It's gentle. Her eyes flutter closed, and she leans her forehead against Kelp's for a long moment.

She kisses back softly, and just holds Audrey close, giving her time.

"Could you... sing to me a little more? I felt... so much better, not having to worry -"

"If you want that, yes."

She lays her head on Kelp's shoulder. "I do."

Kelp shifts in, close to Audrey's ear, and starts to hum quietly. Even in this low register, her voice carries ease, comfort, safety. 

Audrey sighs, and settles herself in a little closer.

Kelp draws her hands through Audrey's hair, in time with the wordless ebb and flow of her humming.

Audrey closes her eyes, and listens, and drifts.