Ooh. That does smell good. Where is it?

[sense-of-place.mem]

She frowns and flinches slightly at each Sending. "I'm not going to get used to that for a while... I wonder if I can put it on silent for later or something..."

"Ooh, good question. That would be helpful."

She starts skipping toward the restaurant, tails wagging.

Abyssia follows, pensive.

The restaurant isn't far. It's on its own lot, with a cozy cottage feel thanks to a building that looks almost like a house more than a restaurant, and a nice garden. A handpainted wooden sign says 'Mama Grendel's - No Taste Like Home'.

Lenora waves at them exuberantly, hand over her head, then rushes over. "How was the library?"

Sable waves and bounds over, then scoops Lenora into a hug. "It was really great! But the the librarian we met is really strict. Really helpful though. Gave perfect directions to a particular book from memory."

Yay hug! She lifts and spins Sable once before setting her down.

...She does an exaggerated shocked gasp. "Library magic."

Heh. They're kind of cute like that. She chuckles and shakes her head slightly.

Sable grins and giggles in response to the twirl, and gives Lenora a little kiss once she's been set down.

"It probably is! Now I wanna learn that too, oh no!"

"There's plenty to learn. I still have to try some potion instructions... But for now, lunch awaits."

She heads for the entrance.

She takes Lenora's hand and follows.

"Eating food counts as destroying something, right? I will try to think of it that way, at least..."

"Oh, that remiiiinds me. I need more mana, I used a lot of it at work just now actually." She gives Sable an expectant look.

"Worth a try," she says to Bys.

And she meets Lenora's expectant look with a blushy grin, then pulls her closer, wrapping two tails around her, and burying a hand in her hair at the back of her head. Scritch, scritch, scritch.

"Murrrrrthankyou."

"Cuddlebugs," she says without heat. A bit longingly even.

Lenora blushes but doesnt move away.

"'M kinda tired now, work, it turns out, is hard. But very well paying. I'm not complaining. I think I'll go back to the, um, the house after this."

"Valid. Me too, for potions and... Let's go get seats."

"Same," Sable says as she keeps cuddling her girlfriend. She looks around for reasonably private seating options, maybe a booth or something.

There's booths and freestanding tables. The decor is kind of busy. Wood paneling, rugs and photographs all over the walls. A sign says to seat yourself. There's three other occupied tables, it's not so busy.

A middle aged looking woman approaches them. "Welcome, welcome! New faces I think! Glad to see you here. What can Mama Grendel get you all to eat, ah?"

"Um, is there a menu or..."

"Oh of course!" She answers, pulling three copies out from the inside of her robe. "Just give me a wave when you're ready. Drinks? We have very good lemonade!"

"I dunno." Bys looks at the prices on the menu and frowns. 5K, 8K, 6K, 12K...

"Don't worry about the price. Seriously. My treat! I'll try your lemonade... Mama Grendel, right?"

She practically glows with the smile she gives in response. "Yes, I love talking to the customers. I have maid hand and some little helpers to help with the cooking. It's very nice."

"Me too. Lemonade I mean."

"Me three!"

She leans over and gives Lenora a kiss. "Thanks~"

Now what's on this menu?

Steak dishes with tomato, cheese, egg, and ham, chicken dishes with butter and savory sauce and greens, "broomstick" dishes with a long loaf of rich-looking bread and a pile of sides at the base and dipping sauces, savory stews that sound mouthwatering, fish dishes with mushrooms and roasted onions and rye bread, Baklava and European style dumplings and other desserts. It all seems very homey, the portions look big from the menu's pictures, and almost everything has at least two kinds of meat in it.

Oh this looks delicious. "I'll get the fish. This looks lovely! How long have you been doing this? You clearly have a passion for it."

"Oh, ever since the war, dear. I do try my best, thank you. Fish it is! Need anything special with it? I don't think I've seen many like you, and you're not digicasted..."

"Awww, thank you. Yeah, I'm Inkborn, and while I'm not sure if this is all of us or just me, I do need to have some ink with meals. Was planning on just having some when I got home, so no need to go out of your way if nothing's handy."

"Hmph! And not serve a guest what they need? Nonsense, dearie. What makes good tasty ink?"

"I'll have the steak and ham dish here. And maybe these pork dumplings. Cooked medium."

"I'm feeling like soup. Chicken noodle? Classic and simple, you know. And some bread."

"Of course, of course!"

"Well," she muses, scritching Lenora some more, "I've only tried two so far. Only awakened a few days ago. Cheap pens you get by the carton from the dimestore taste like cardboard, while high quality Japanese calligraphy ink tastes better than fine sake. Trying to generalize from that, I'd say the pigment makes the biggest difference — especially the... I guess the richness, if that makes sense? The solvents and binders probably matter too, but I'm gonna have to experiment to see how it all fits together."

"Well don't you worry, Grendel will find something. Any requests, you two?" She smiles brightly at Lenora and Abyssia. The pair shake their heads.

"Okay then! It shouldn't be too long, I'll have your food out in a jiffy, dears. You want some bread or salad to share in the meantime?"

Sable shrugs cheerfully. "I'm fine either way. Up to y'all."

"Yeah, let's have a salad."

"Yes, very good! And I throw in a small bonus for new students, some cookies. Lemonade and salad and cookies will come out soon!"

And Mama Grendel waves and turns to trot back into the kitchen.

"This place is kinda... Something. It's nice, but I can see wanting to just eat something sometimes instead, I mean."

"Yeah, sometimes you wanna do something low-effort, where it's okay not to interact as much."

She giggles. "Yes, even me, there are times when I don't want to interact as much. Not many, though."

"That's just life. Ups and downs..." She sighs happily, taking in the smells. She could tell just passing by, but this close its amazing. "Have a good library run?"

"Um." Glance at Sable. "Yeah. Did some research on consortation. Seems likely to be useful with care and moderation."

"It does seem like we've got some safe angles on it. Also, Hell is even worse than I expected, and seemingly even for the demons."

"...This isn't really lunch conversation." Sigh. "Can I talk about my job instead? And you should tell us more about sparring, Bys!"

It is at this point that a heavily pixelated, stylized waitress zips past their table at high speed, perfectly depositing a large salad bowl, three individual plates and cutlery sets, and several bottles of dressing - all without slowing down in the slightest.

A bare moment later, she zips back with three glasses of lemonade.

Bys double-takes.

"I thought that was you for a second!" She exclaims at Sable.

"Oh wow, that's really cool! Is that what Digicasting can do?" She boggles a bit at the waitress.

Then to Lenora, "Sure, either or both of those!"

She scoops some salad onto her plate and pours a bit of a comparatively light dressing over it — a vinaigrette or something — then digs in.

"Yeah, it has to be digicasting. That's, um. I don't know her name, but she's from this mobile game, Diner Dash."

"I guess digicasting is strong enough to create strong minions. I wonder what rank that is. Cool!"

She starts serving herself salad. "I wanna learn that. But I want to learn everything, so... What I did today was pretty cool actually, though. Apparently I'm good enough with rocks to like physically meld them. This company's now paying me to turn a bunch of gravel into pretty paving stones. They mixed something silvery and I think fool's gold in too, it's actually very pretty-"

shiny.png

"Isn't it?"

Sable bounces in her seat and wags delightedly. After she (hurriedly) swallows her current bite, she gushes, "Oooh, that is so pretty! Now I'm wondering about eventually prettying up the house—damn it, Lenora, you're giving me ideas~!"

"If it involves doing creatively difficult things to rocks, I'll totally help! It was a workout. Not, like, a real one, but a magic workout. I was doing Earthbending stances, but I need to watch it all again some time, get a better feel for it. Maybe I can digicast into Ba Sing Se."

"I've got to watch this show some time if you gush so much."

"You haven't watched Avatar?? What about Legend of Korra?"

"Nope. Just memes and clips."

"I'm gonna correct that some day. It's a great show."

Sable nods sagely. "'Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true pleasures.'"

"What was that about martial arts having to do with this show?"

"So the idea is that some people can bend the classical elements - manipulate them like witches can, I guess. One each. Except for the Avatar, who can do all four. But to do it they have to move their bodies and focus, and the styles are based on traditional martial arts..."

Lenora happily infodumps about Avatar: The Last Airbender and chats about martial arts, munching on salad, until the food comes out, delivered by Mama Grendel, about ten minutes later.

A plate of exquisitely baked salmon is set before Sable, drizzled with a savory sauce, and topped with roasted onion and mushrooms, and a fresh-baked rye bun. On the side is a little dish of home-churned herb butter and a small bowl of rich-smelling ink.

Sable's jaw drops.

"This looks and smells delicious. The ink looks just lovely, too." She smiles gratefully at Mama Grendel. "Thank you!"

"Of course! I didn't know how to best serve you, though. For this I apologize. You should come back some time so I can fix that."

"That's so kind of you! I'd be glad to. That'll help me, too, 'cause I don't have the first clue how to start adapting my recipes to include ink either. No idea what kinds of ink go with what dishes at all." She gets out a pen and a scrap of paper to write down her email address. "Send me an email when you wanna try things?"

"Very well, very well. What about you two, what do you think?"

"Chicken noodle soup tastes like home. It's great, light but savory."

Mama Grendel practically glows.

Bys closes her eyes to focus. She's destroying this meal.

She takes a bite of the steak, chews and swallows.

"-Yes. It's delicious. I didn't know how much I needed something tough to chew on until right now."

She samples the ham and straightens up. "Mmm!"

Sable's taking her time, savoring everything. "Mmmmmmm~"

She tries a bite dipped in the ink and sighs happily, some bit of tension in her shoulders unclenching. "Oh this is good. This hits the spot. You did a good job with this ink. Dunno if it's the right pairing for salmon, we're gonna have to science that sometime, but it's seriously solid start. And the salmon is so lovely."

She takes another bite and makes a positively indecent sound.

Abyssia is eating like a barbarian, fork spearing the meat and gnawing chunks off it directly.

"What even is this sauce? It's sort of like mustard but definitely not mustard."

"Family recipe! It's always so nice to serve good food. Fill you up and make you whole. Can I get you three anything else? Oh, and how are you finding Arcadia so far?"

"I'm good, thank you," Sable says between bites. "And it's only been a couple days, but I like it so far."

"Arcadia is nice, but not everything has been. It's bittersweet, and been a long few days. You seem like someone who'd get that. You mentioned a war..."

(Bys nods along to this)

"Ahhhh. Yes." Mama Grendel shakes her head slightly. "...All I can say to you is, that was long ago and far away, and I'm happy now. I was young and angry and lost, and a great many things happened. It will never not have happened. But I'm happy now."

"Yeah. We all had a rough road getting here, but there are things we can enjoy going forward. Just have to grab hold of those opportunities as best we can."

"Yes, well, go on and eat! I've spent enough time blathering on and bothering you, enjoy you three and leave me to my old lady ramblings!" She laughs - a proper witch cackle, before turning away to another table where the patrons seem about done.

And Sable digs in, snuggling close to Lenora while she eats, stroking her back with her tails to further top off her mana (as well as just enjoy the closeness), and at one point offering a bite of her fish.

Lenora leans into the contact. Her tail winds around Sable's leg lightly as she sips at soup and relaxes.

Cute.

...Too bad she's not a mimi. No, none of that. ...Well, maybe. It'd be embarrassing, but Lenora's lucky and has a relaxing time of it. It's cutesy, saccharine even, but-

She's kind of staring at them with a slight, considering frown. She shakes her head and sighs slightly and continues munching on veggies (the steak is half gone, she's saving the rest for the last part of the meal).

"We'll get used to this place in time," she says, mostly to herself.

"Mmmmhm! Just as soon as you get used to the idea that you could have this too."

"Hmph." She crosses her arms defensively and levels a glare. It's a light glare, as glares go, though. "It's not that... Straightforward."

"Am I missing some subtext here?" She asks, having finished the offered bite of fish.

"Nothing important."

"Mhm, nothing important," Sable says with a giggle, "just Bys repressing her loneliness and longing under the mononormativity and slut-shaming mortal society tried to teach us, that's all."

"I don't want to butt in! It's just, seems nice, that you like each other. Cute, I guess."

"Hmmmm. You need hugs."

"I do not Need hugs."

Sable focuses for a few moments and conjures a spare Hat in her hand, under the table, while she keeps talking.

"I could argue the question of 'need' with the consequences of touch starvation, or the fact that even if none of us are 'human' anymore we're all derived from them and need interpersonal connection just as much, but even if we set 'need' aside, you crave them."

She tosses a Sending to Lenora:

Duck across to the empty spot between her and the wall when I distract her, then wrap her in a hug at the same time I do.

She lifts up slightly and slides her hat underneath herself, masking the motion by leaning in to look intently at Bys.

"You're in a new world, you've been isolated from everything you knew, you've been dealt an isolating hand, and you're surrounded everywhere you look by pretty people sharing warmth and affection and companionship. It's okay to want to be a part of that."

She pulls her primary Hat off her head and tosses it lightly over the table, catching it in her TK to have it end up hovering over the empty bit of Bys's bench seat between her and the open end. At the same time, she sits back down and falls through one Hat and out the other, landing next to Bys with a soft whumpf.

"It's also okay not to know how to ask, at least when you're still starting out."

And then she wraps her arms around Bys in a warm hug.

Well if Sable insists, she will help with the hug! It's surprisingly easy to duck under the table. Perk of being small, perhaps.

She joins the hug from the other side, capturing the dragon. Heheh.

She opens her mouth and manages a 'tch' when she realizes in a moment of half-formed instinct what they're about to do, but it's already too late to do anything about it. She is promptly hugged. Quite thoroughly.

She tenses, sitting up straight, and holds her arms close.

...

She sighs and slumps back, looking up at the ceiling. "That's the kind of roomies I picked, huh? Not everyone's so touchy-feely. Well, whatever." She pushes against Sable a bit, the hug-engulfed equivalent of a friendly shove. Her hands fall to the tail that's across her lap and she breathes deeply. "I'm fine, you know. Really am. You can stop hugging me now."

She loosens the hug a little, but doesn't let go, and throws another quick Sending to Lenora.

Mind if I explain the nonexclusivity thing to her?

Don't push too hard? I don't want to actually make her hate us.

"Bys, I've seen the way you resist eying the hot springs. I've seen those occasional longing looks. You're used to resisting, used to holding yourself back because maybe your advances will be rejected and you'll lose a friend, used to a world that usually told you no."

She looks up into Bys's eyes. "Lenora and I had a talk about not being exclusive. She's already used to the possibility of sex being casual, while I'm polyamorous and full of more love than I know what to do with. Witch culture seems to be more sexual than the mundane world, too. So the barriers you're used to facing aren't there. And honestly? You're a good friend, I like you a lot, and I think dragons are hot."

And on "hot" she bounces up to kiss Bys on the cheek.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, or anything you're not ready for, but I don't want you holding back from a sense of not being allowed, either, okay?"

She blushes deeply.

...Sigh. "It's not even about sex. Not entirely right at this moment anyway. Or if it is, only because everything is a tangled mess. Because I'm a teenager. And kind of a bitch. And how are we good friends? We've known each other for all of a day, you two seem sensible and fun, but a day."

She starts tugging away from the double-sided hug.

She blurts out the next part before she can think better of it, "Anyway, a threehug is way too lewd for my first time."

Sable giggles happily and lets go. "Valid as fuck. You set the pace you want."

She hums thoughtfully as she scoots back. "I make friends quick. I get attached easy. And you seem pretty great, after I account for the lies the stupid aura is trying to tell my brain. Take all the time you need, but don't let the mortal world's bullshit hold you back from something you want, okay?"

Lenora un-hugs as well. And then clambers under the table again when it's still kind of crowded.

"I see both of y'alls points here. Cautious and not wanting to jump into things and screw up or get hurt... Taking things moment by moment and just having fun. Honestly... I really feel both sides here. I'm coming down closer to Sable's side than you, but yeah. Valid as fuck."

"Yeah, well."

"Let's just finish eating for now. I'll think about this stuff."

"...You were a waitress, Lenora? I was just a high school girl. Senior year, the scary loner stalker, or the trashy country girl, set to go to a community college. General studies. Maybe business, maybe some sort of science. I guess I wasn't really any less lost a month ago, than I am now."

Sable walks back around to her seat. "Yeah, I get that feeling. I hated high school. Trans girl with basically no friends in person, not until college, and even then only the other creative writing nerds. So it's okay to be lost, and it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to take your time."

She spears a bite of fish. "And It's okay to enjoy the hell out of this delicious food." And digs in again.

"We're swearing a fucking lot today aren't we."

"-Pffft! Hell yeah we are. It's our right to free speech. Also yes, high school was hell."

"Maybe point one, point two Hells. It's pretty bad."

"Hah. Fitting metric, and fuck yes we are. I am not a Saturday morning cartoon. More Adult Swim at the minimum, or maybe something you had to order online."

"I'd order you online! Wait no, that came out creepy..."

"Because of being in Japanese and using foreign tropes, or because of questionable rating standards made up by conservatives or both?"

She cackles delightedly at Lenora's comment, "no, please do," and grins at Bys and just says "Yes."

She smiles and hums the Pokemon theme song under her breath, and also resumes digging in.

"I don't want to take away peoples' choices. I guess sometimes it's for their own good - or for others, like criminals, but it just sounds creepy, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that. Choice matters. It's important. At the same time, I'd rather be tangled up in someone I can help than have 'completely free choice' with no one around. All my choices come back to getting involved with people, at the end of the day."

"Mom told me, whatever life throws at you, you can always choose to be nice. It's not like anyone's ever completely free, anyway. Bound to the almighty dollar - or Kisses, I guess. Or, you know, kisses, if you care a lot about that, or any number of other drives... Oi, enough depressing stuff. Let's talk about something fun. Like... Music!"

The-Very-Best.wav

She transmits, smirking as her clear memories of the vocals come through.

Sable nods at Lenora, then giggles at the fond memories. "Okay, what was your favorite game of the series?"

"I played a lot of them. Ruby, I guess, but that might be mostly nostalgia."

Sable bounces and grins. "Sapphire, for me. Hoenn was my favorite region in any case, but I had to have Latias."

"We couldn't really afford to get lots of new ones. I've played Yellow and Ruby through like ten times, though."

"Understandable. I wouldn't have been able to play as many as I did without rampant piracy."

"Oh, Nintendo absolutely hates that. Heh. I do download old abandoned games sometimes. Ones you literally can't buy."

"Yeah, I have no pity for Nintendo. It's even worse, now, because my Inkborn nature seems to explicitly prioritize cultural reach over sales, so piracy is literally just as good for me."

She sighs softly. "And yeah, I hate when games get completely lost. I'm glad piracy helps make up for some of that, but sometimes we don't get to 'em in time, and that sucks."

She shakes her head. "Bah, no point dwelling on that. What's your favorite piece of abandonware?"

"Oregon Trail."

"Ooh, I know that one! They let us play it in computer lab if you typed fast enough."

"Same! Favorite part of elementary school."

They keep chatting about games and music as the food steadily disappears. The lemonade is very good.

When it's all done, Lenora insists on paying up for everyone, and actually argues with Mama Grendel to be allowed to tip, from what can be overheard.

This display of generosity earns Lenora a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek from Sable, and soon enough the group find themselves outside the restaurant once more.

"We're all going back to the house, right? I want to make a potion, Lenora wants a break. I guess I don't know about you, Sable."

"Hmm... Probably need at least a bit of a break myself, and at some point probably some studying of my own."

"Housewards it is. I don't really feel like walking, but too bad. Still need to see about my Mothergifts too, come to think... I don't have the talent for it like you two. Yet, possibly."

Sable nods. "It's probably a 'yet', nearly everybody has 'em, and most people can advance their skill with 'em at least a bit. After we get home, I could pull up the visualizations I looked at when I was learning how, found 'em on HexVPN."

"Kind of pointless until I do what the boss man wants, as I understand it. But can't hurt, I guess."

"If I remember it right, it said that nearly everyone should be able to at least summon 'em, though at absolute zero-rank it'll take ten minutes of focus. So it'll be informative, I think."

"Sounds like a plan." She smiles.

"I'm still feeling largesse-y. And kind of antsy but also tired. Might go shopping for stuff... After a nap. Maybe rune supplies or potion supplies."

"Maybe you could rest your head in my lap while you nap, get all snugly wrapped up in my tails? I could study while you rest."

"Oh, that sounds really comfy."

It really does. ...Pillows will have to do.

Was that another Look from Bys? Maybe? Hard to say. Probably not, she can overmatch these patterns sometimes. Maybe she'll widen the casual swish of her tails a bit wider, to a potentially teasing angle, but that's conveniently deniable too, and innocent enough in any case.

"That sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon then."

She reaches out and takes Lenora's hand with a smile.

The rest of the walk home can be made in peace. It's pleasantly gloomy and drizzling lightly in Scotia, but she doesn't mind.

"I'm gonna use the computer room, see ya later."

Lenora sighs in relief and stretches repeatedly, not intending to show off but trying to get all the major tendons.

Certainly has the result of showing off. Sable makes sure to grab her books from Bys's bag before her roommate heads off, and adds "visualizations were linked from the Mothergifts article on Witchipedia," as she goes.

And then she wraps her girlfriend up in a snug, tail-wrapping hug. "Where d'you wanna snuggle up, hon?"

"Bed's softer, but couch is more convenient for you... Hmm..."

"Bed lets me put the books I'm not studying at the moment on my desk, and couch isn't that much more convenient."

"Oh right, Maid Hand. Bed it is."

She hugs Sable and nuzzles her neck.

Sable savors the hug for a moment, nuzzling into Lenora as well, and then has an idea. Sure, she's shorter than last time, but so's Lenora, and she shouldn't be notably weaker than when the was full-size, and she could do this before — wait though, cartoon strength should Just Work™ as long it's something that makes narrative sense for her archetype? Fuck it, she's trying this.

She bends her knees, leans forward, and scoop! Up Lenora goes into a princess carry, while a Maid Hand takes the books and heads to her room ahead of them.

"Eep!"

"...Onwards fair steed, to the place of repose and restoration!"

Sable giggles and carries Lenora upstairs. When they get into Sable's bedroom, volume one of Wibbly Wobbly is on the bed, while the other two books are on the desk. A few decorations seem to have come with her from her old place: a fanmade poster of June Egbert and Vriska Serket back to back with mad grins on their faces, a Re:Creators poster featuring Setsuna and Altair, and a little fountain sitting on her desk.

She sets Lenora down gently on the bet and kisses her sweetly.

She leans up into the kiss, then back down with a deep yawn. "Falling asleep with you rubbing my ears will be like... You falling asleep while I brush your tails." She squirms a bit happily and pats the bed for Sable to sit. "Just so cuddly and nice."

"Then that sounds like exactly what I'm aiming for."

She hops onto the bed, all the way to one side, and pulls a bedside table a bit closer, then sets the book, a notebook, and a pen on it. Then she bunches some pillows up behind her back and leans back against the wall, her tails all stretched out toward the other side of the bed. She pats her lap invitingly.

Head goes flop, with the rest of her laying on the bed perpendicular to Sable. She yawns again and looks up slightly with a frown. Kicks off her shoes and lifts her legs up to peel off socks as well. Then flop again, eyes drifting shut.

"Thanks for being..." Vague handwave.

"Always. Like you a lot, Lenora."

Tails wrap snugly around the girlfriend, one in easy reach to be hugged. One of Sable's hands scritches tenderly along the back of Lenora's ear.

Hug the tail: Yes. She sighs happily and her breathing slowly evens out and slows.

Sable sighs warmly as well, her scritching slowing down a bit, but continuing as Lenora falls asleep. Yeah, she really likes this girl. She spends a few minutes just savoring the cuddle, the affectionate contact giving her a bit of a mana refill herself (she did spend a little on some silliness and drama earlier), and then starts studying, taking careful and thorough notes on the mechanics of Portals, from the fundamental spatial curvature involved to the shape of the mana when opening an aperture, happily spending her time like that until Lenora wakes up.

She kicks in her sleep a few times, shifting afterwards.

...She'll sleep for a while if nothing particularly interrupts, even in day clothes, er, robes, this is an astoundingly comfy spot to be in for some reason.

After about three hours of delightfully cuddly studying, Sable decides to stop before her brain turns as wibbly-wobbly as the spacetime she's studying. She closes her books, stretches a bit, and gazes down happily at her girlfriend. This is pretty damn great.

She leans forward and pecks a gentle kiss to Lenora's cheek.

Yaaaaaawn. She lifts her head and blinks blearily, then slowly shifts, tail unwinding from where it wrapped around one of Sable's tails. She hugs her hugged tail tighter, making a tired but happy noise.

"A nice way to wake up, instead of a blaring alarm. Oof, how long was I out?"

She has a tiny happy shiver at the tighter tail hug, then pokes her phone. "Looks like it was about three hours?"

"Oh wow, that's more than a little nap. Sorry, ehehe. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"Nothing to apologize for, sweetie. Was a really nice study sesh," she says with a smile.

Then she tilts her head thoughtfully and frowns a bit. "And you're probably still making up the sleep debt of service industry life."

"I mean... It was a running joke that we had 'sleep' 'schedules'." She makes air quotes with a finger. "And needed coffee to be basically functional..."

Hrmm. She shifts her legs off the bed and slowly starts to sit up. "...You make a nice blanket."

She nods at the service industry commentary and adds, "It was similar when I worked retail, before I started taking writing jobs. Schedule gets weird? Too bad." She shakes her head at that.

And at the blanket comment she blushes and grins. "I'm glad. You're pretty delightful to cuddle with too."

"What, you mean you didn't check the modified schedule the manager scrawled on the door at 11 PM Sunday night, and missed your Monday shift? Shame. On. You." She enters a period of frustrated, high pitched and surprisingly mouselike mutter-squeaking.

Sable nods, then reaches in and cups Lenora's cheek. "You're really pretty when you're righteously angry at how awful capitalism is," she says when the interrupt lands, and then leans in and kisses her.

"Um! That's not capitalism though, it's just a terrible manager."

She rocks from side to side sitting up on the bed.

Sable leans back a bit and takes Lenora's hand. "I've seen an awful lot of terrible managers, but we can get into how much of an absurd leftist I am another time. Are you okay? I'm sorry if that was too far or something."

"...Entering serious mode."

She takes a deep breath and un-hugs the tail. "Being pretty is supposed to be a good thing, but mostly it's just... A thing? Context matters a lot here. I like you, and you know that. But I also have a whole new body I'm not used to, and I can't get the old one back. Was the old one pretty? Yeah, kinda. Enough that people are casually sexist about it, at least. Anyway it's nice to be called pretty, it just also calls up lots of related stuff. You're pretty too, though the stylization is a little incongruous - aaaand I guess I might be bringing up the same stuff."

"Okay. Serious time it is. First, I'm sorry for reminding you of that, that's definitely something that could be stressful. I forgot that the service industry would naturally be full of casual sexism like that, even more than just the world in general, so you've probably seen a lot of that. I was aiming to maybe pleasantly surprise you a bit and take your mind off the old stressors, but instead I reminded you of more of them. My bad, seriously.

"As for being called pretty myself, I have stuff about it too. Different stuff, though. I'm trans, Lenora. I grew up thinking 'pretty' was something i wasn't allowed to be, all on the basis of societal baggage about my assigned gender."

"Everyone has hangups I guess. Different ones from each other, even. And I feel like I've said it a million times today but there's just so much going on now. New body. Magic. New house. Back to school. Wow you have The Strong Magic. New scary facts about the world and big questions. Fucking gods being real! How are you supposed to know what's the right thing to do with so many curveballs at once? And the new body and new life loom larger than all the rest of the huge stuff somehow..."

"Yeah. Curveballs a-plenty. Hit what we can, I guess, and for the rest? Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. I have two days of wiki-diving's headstart in learning about this madhouse, and I still have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just running on 'find people I like, grab hold of 'em, and get us as much fun and level-grinding as I can' while I make the rest up as I go along. Frankly 'keep running and figure out the route as you go' has been my pattern for a long time."

"I mean, that's called life." Hug. "You do what you can with what you have. You make friends. You try things and sometimes they work."

Hug. "Heh, yeah. It's a mess and becoming Witches doesn't seem to change that, just add new flavors for it to be complicated in. Oh well."

"I'm honestly... Kind of mad about the Veil. There must be some trade between mundane and magic, but there's so much potential here... I guess there might not be that many witches, especially strong ones, in comparison..."

"I know, right? We could do so much for the mundane world, alleviate so much human suffering! I think I read something about needing mundane consensus reality for some reason, but still."

"What you can, with what you have."

"Kinda want to go back asleep - or something - but should we go see what Abyssia is up to?"

"Probably a good idea, but you've piqued my curiosity with that 'or something' now."

"Like I said earlier, I'm just really antsy and also worried I'll be a mediocre witch."

Sable hugs Lenora tighter, wrapping her tails around her. "Hey, that's a really relatable worry, and a really understandable one. But also I disagree completely. It's day two of witchdom for you, and you've already made some money, created extremely pretty paving stones, and discovered that you're basically the Avatar. You're starting at a level of capability that other witches feel accomplished to even reach. Give yourself some credit and some slack, sweetie."

"Brain does what brain wants. Let's go see Bys."

Abyssia is in the kitchen, fussing over a cauldron - well, a pot - and surrounded by a slight mess. In two bowls off to the side lie something white and green, and a bowl of pepto bismol pink liquid that is also glowing, with trails of light on nearby surfaces.

"Valid," she says to Lenora, giving her one last squeeze as they get up,

"Oooh," Sable exclaims to Bys with a delighted grin. "You've been busy!"

She jumps slightly.

"-Oh hi. Yes. I trawled recipes until I found interesting looking ones that we had the stuff for. That's toothpaste, that... Glows, that's all it does. And I'm finishing this like, and soap slash antiseptic thing. I think there's an order to this and it's not just willpower and belief, but it kind of feels that way..."

"Very cool. And I'm sure there is, but I can totally get how it would feel like that."

"Is making your own toothpaste any easier than just going and buying some?"

"Not really? This stuff won't dry out or expire, apparently, and it's good toothpaste, but yeah it doesn't scream magic. But it's practice for more, bigger potions later."

"Makes sense! You'll get there. And I'm sure there are things that are probably hard for us to go back to the mundane world to get that can be replaced with potions."

"It's pretty relieving that I can actually do some productive magic, being honest.

I might try to summon an imp later, just to talk to one. See if it's - I don't know, but I feel like I should try it."

"If you don't let them do anything evil and it doesn't, like, mark you as infernal or anything..."

"Nothing I've read indicates that practicing consortation is harmful if you're careful about what deals you make. And anything summoned is bound here by my mana - I can send it away."

"...Sloth? We can ask some questions about Hell and pay by letting them be not in Hell and do nothing for a while."

"I was thinking Lust. Internet access. But that works too."

"Either should be easy enough. Oh, did you get a chance to try summoning your mothergifts?"

"Yeah, the magic internet told me how. They're the really basic kind. I can broom and wand my Rod. I don't see much point to wearing the robe and hat unless they can do things for me, though. Flew to the hot spring down the creek a bit and back, kind of slow but faster than walking."

"Hey, that's a start. Room to grow. You'll get there. Want company for the summoning?"

"I'm not even sure what questions to ask, so may as well." It'd feel oddly safer to have... Friends there. Friends, huh. Hopefully they are.

Well, if the way Sable's tails have unconsciously curled affectionately around both Bys and Lenora is anything to go by, signs look pretty positive.

"Sounds good. Glad to help. Soon as you're done with this one, then?"

"Yeah. It's, uh, combo disinfectant and soap, for scrapes and cuts. Gonna bottle it properly."

"Hey, that one does sound very handy! If you feel potiony again later, some burn cream just in case might be nice before I start playing with fire. For practice, of course."

"If you cover some ingredient shopping, sure. I don't have infinite mana. I think this is about done, anyway."

She sprinkles a bit of salt into the mixture and starts stirring.

"Sounds fair."

Sable nods and smiles.

Lenora shrugs and goes about Maid Handing the kitchen clean, after confirming what Bys still needs and what can be put away.

She decants the new potion into several mini-size Mason jars. And labels them with a Sharpie. The glowy potion gets put in jars too, "Might as well keep it as a decoration. Anyway, summoning... In the 'garage', I guess? We'll need some fire, but they said witchflame works fine," she nods at Lenora, "And getting thematic with the circle and decorations doesn't hurt."

"Awesome. Which do you wanna go with? I'll see what I've got to help with theming."

"The options for 'relatively harmless' were sloth or lust and I know which of those two is less embarrassing," she says, shifting uneasily a bit.

"Noooo, embrace the lewds~," she says with a giggle. "You know you want to~."

But then she puts on a more serious smile and nods. "I'll go grab some blankets and snacks. Maybe some chips. That oughta make a nicely lazy vibe."

"Pizza, or is that more a gluttony thing?" She wonders as she follows Sable to go help.

She takes a deep breath and follows her reference material to create an R1 circle. Pentagram in salt, with sigils at the five points and open spots for witchfire.

Blankets carefully wrapped around in an outer circle of snuggliness around the rest, snack foods at five opposing points outside the blankets.

After soliciting a bit of Witchflame from Lenora, she sits crosslegged outside the circle, twists her magic and - connects, there, yes. She pulls, a line tossed out into the Hellish sea, a thin and weak one suitable for all the minnows, resting there waiting to be snapped up.

A few seconds pass.

"Is it... Working?"

"Yes. I thought it would be instant as well, but it is a sloth imp, I'm trying for here."

A few seconds after that, there's a swirl of black energy, and a short, grey-skinned creature appears. Naked save for a rough rag, looking clammy and pale and creepy. He looks around, shrugs, and flops back on one of the blankets.

"Hoo boy, at least you're rolling out the welcome wagon. New summoner? Feels like it. Hiya. Sure you were aiming for me? Not wrath, miss dragon, or gluttony for all the snacks? Anyway, what'cha want? I hope it doesn't involve too much work."

"Just have some questions. General Hell knowledge type things."

"I'll answer a buncha questions but you gotta pay up first, you know. Leave me summoned here with the snacks and the blankets for a couple hours, that's plenty of time for a nap and some lounging."

"What's a lazy afternoon without snacks, right?"

"Yeah, you got it! I get a break, you get some questions answered, everybody wins."

"Makes sense. I'm gonna want some numbers on that, though. An hour and a half of downtime plus the snacks, and you spend, say, up to twenty minutes answering some questions and then help me brew a relatively complex potion, how's that sound?"

The imp sighs dramatically. "Come on, you're killing me here. What's the harm in just letting me be a while longer?"

"My mana's keeping you here. You obviously want to be here, lounging around, instead of back in Hell and I try for another imp, right? I know I'm not giving you a good deal, but I'm not giving you a bad one either. Oh, and I'll be reading off terms in a bit, all standard."

"Ughhhh. Fine, fine. Up to twenty minutes of questions, helping you brew a potion for at most one hour. In exchange for at least an hour and a half free time, alone, in here. And only if you turn up the heat with a bit more witchfire so I can coze properly."

She starts reading off the recommended terms for Sloth Imps from Modern Standards in Consortation. 

She spreads out more witchfire - carefully intending for it not to consume and spread. It's practice, either way.

She stretches and yawns dramatically, looking exceptionally cozy and snuggly with her tails wrapped around herself, just to tease the imp a little.

"Those tails look awfully snuggly, miss. You want to literally and not metaphorically sleep together?"

"-I was laying out terms." Bys says, annoyed.

"Yeah, but you're stuffy and boring and gonna make me work."

She giggles. "Thanks but no. You're annoying my friend here, and besides I'm going shopping with my girlfriend. You'll have to settle for the blankets and snacks and work."

"Eh, fine. Continue." He waves negligently at Abyssia.

She finishes laying out the terms - basically not to cause trouble or deliberately hurt anyone - and repeats her offer.

"Deal. Now get outta here and turn the lights off when you go. Pleaaaase."

She gets up and follows the girls out, tail flipping the lightswitch as she goes.

She sets an alarm for ninety minutes. "I could use a nap myself, honestly. See you two later."

She nods at Bys as she goes, then turns to Lenora. "Y'know, I could go for some quiet time myself. Y'wanna put shopping off until later?" She waggles her eyebrows playfully.

She raises one eyebrow, and then smiles.

"You know what? It's the weekend. We can do whatever we want."

Like, for example, stepping closer and gently petting those fluffy tails.

Sable blushes and smiles, a slight shiver whipping through her at the sensitive touch, wrapping her tails around Lenora and pulling her even closer.

"And do you know what you want?", she asks with a bit of a grin.

She takes Sable by the hand, gives her a quick kiss, and then starts dragging her toward her bedroom.