"I see..."

Lily takes another bite of the cheese and untenses a little more. "That was scary for a moment."

... She looks over at Sable, pauses for a moment... and then leans over to rest her shoulder against her. 

She contemplates her sandwich, then takes a smaller bite.

Well that gets an incandescent smile, a fluffy tail wrapped lightly around her waist, and a wing draped over her back. Sable continues eating while beaming.

"... Just so you know, no sex until I'm... less dependent on you. But I would, if it weren't for..." She makes a circle with two fingers in the air. "Everything."

At that, a vivid violet blush colors Sable's cheeks. "Smart girl, drawing that line. Also I'm flattered. And flustered. But. Very sensible and I heartily approve. We'll just have to flirt with the locals and see if you still feel that way when you've got your feet under you properly."

Lily shudders softly. 

"And no praise, either. Not till we know each other better." 

She pulls down the high collar of her dress to expose the tattoo around her neck. 

"Do you know what this is?"

Her eyes widen and she starts cursing in a language Lily doesn't recognize, making her way through three more before shifting into swears that Lily can understand, "—Damn that ignorant, blind, entitled fool to the deepest pits of the Void. Oh Lily, I'm so sorry. I should have guessed. Of course he fucking would. Not sure I recognize everything in that, but from context and partial recognition that's servant or slave, and the mention of praise means it's probably servant—fuck. Okay that's going to be an adjustment, I'm used to glibly throwing praise and joy around freely. Goddess fucking damn it, gah. I'm sorry."

Her face falls, she shakes her head, and she growls a bit. "Ugh. D'you want the line on praise or would you rather I moderate the glee a bit, too? I do not want to be imposing coercive emotions on someone I respect and like. That is not okay."

... This time it's Lily's turn to hug Sable. 

"You don't - mean anything by it - it's not your fault, Sable. Don't beat yourself up about it."

She takes an unsteady breath. "I only mean to say that... we don't know each other that well yet, yes? There... could be a time when I'd be happy to be praised by you. It's just that now isn't then."

She blushes a bit more and lets herself lean into the hug, hugging back a bit. "Point. And... that helps. I'm mostly pissed at him though. You cover the thing thoroughly, and as good as I am I do miss things sometimes. Can't reasonably expect myself to catch everything, can I?"

"In a sense this is just how I am. All of me was created to milord's instructions, so it's not so surprising that I've been marked as one who serves, in the bedroom or outside it."

She touches two fingers to the paired hearts on her throat. "Servant, yes... and also Resonance. To make sure I put Maxwell first. It's less troubling - Kamryn was able to... find ways around it - but it certainly complicates things."

She sighs. "I know you say I should date around, but... That sounds very complex and difficult. Finding someone I'm comfortable being vulnerable with, and letting them see these, letting them know my nature... Getting all wrapped up in emotions and needs and wants..."

She shakes her head. "There was a boy from town who said he used brothels to satisfy his needs. I'd be tempted - simple gems, a business relationship, under my control, no need to worry about attachment - if I could only afford to visit something where the staff were actually treated well."

She frowns thoughtfully at the description of Lily's creation, still disliking that noble asshole and his entitlement, but nods. "Yeah, I can see how there could be ways around it, especially if you're in control of the scene. I do not like him though."

At the mention of emotional entanglements, she tilts her head and nods. "Ah, that's a good point. It's easy for me because I just care, that's what I do, but sane people have complex things about attachments, right. Hmmm."

She nods again. "Yeah, I agree, brothels are a reasonable option. I haven't used 'em much since landing in this world — and never back in my old world, our culture had a lot of built up sex shaming — but they do exist, and there are ones that treat their girls well. Hell, in this world there are even ones that do the thing properly, making it the kind of job someone might actually want to make a career out of. A really good courtesan can even act like a therapist or counselor from my old world, helping people process emotional things. I like that idea. Hm. Honestly I probably need to talk to a good courtesan in that confidant capacity, get my perspective a little righter."

She drums her fingers thoughtfully on her leg, humming. "Is there a way to help with that without worsening the dependence, though? Maybe I could pre-pay an account with a really classy place, put both our names on it, and have a provision that at any time either of us can agree to split the account and the remaining balance gets divided fifty-fifty? And then when you're making your own money either you throw in on the account too, or split it and pay your own, whichever you prefer? Hmmm."

"I don't think I'm above letting you do me a favour. It's important that... It's not for anything crucial, you know? I can live without."

"Fair 'nuff," she says with a playful smile. "I'm probably still going to pre-pay an account and put both our names on it, though. Just more convenient that way, and you won't have to come asking me every time."

"Sounds like a good idea."

She lays in a little closer and continues to eat her sandwich.

"... This was really a surprise, but I think I actually like it?"

She snuggles closer as well, sighing warmly as she works on finishing hers off. "Oh yay! I'm glad. Someone else I can share my love of spicy foods with. Had to source my peppers down in the Tyrepts or Vynait, and almost nobody up in Bell understood why I like 'em. Helps that they probably can't injure you, if I'm guessing right about your construction."

She grins and raises what's left of her wrap in a mock toast. "Here's to not being made of mundane biology."

Lily laughs, and raises her wrap as well. "Agreed." 

Nom!

And they can enjoyably spend the remainder of their lunch like that. Afterward, Sable packs her lunch kit away and closes her bag up securely, then stands back up.

"Okay," she says, offering a hand to help Lily up, "ready to get going again?"

"Yeah." 

She stands up and spreads out her arms wide, like she's asking for a hug. Which, in a way, she is.

She smiles and steps behind Lily, crouching down to line the heights up properly, then wraps the girl tightly in her tails. She straightens, lifting Lily odd the ground, and turns to face the edge of the outcrop before backing up several paces.

Then she sprints at the edge and leaps.

Several hard wingbeats take them swiftly skyward.

Lily keeps her eyes closed, and after a little while, starts to hum again.

Sable flies on, taking over on music if Lily stops, and enjoying little conversations in between. Several hours later, the sun low in the sky, city walls come into view.

Sable interrupts her current song, saying cheerfully, "Spasiba is just now visible in the distance. We will be landing in the next several minutes."

Lily keeps her eyes closed.

"Alright. And... thank you."

"Gladly, Lily."

Over the next few minutes, Sable glides lower and lower, aiming to be easily visible from quite a ways off for the guards. She finally lands a good hundred meters away from the walls — in easy view but not quite in bow range — and sets Lily down gently.

"Welcome to Spasiba."

Lily settles her feet beneath her, takes a deep breath, and opens her eyes. 

It's a little less dramatic than she expected, given that the town is still some distance away. 

She takes an unsteady step, then another, then turns and looks at Sable.

"... Well, let's go."

Sable nods and falls into step alongside Lily. As she walks, her wings melt back into ink and reabsorb into her back, disappearing.

"I'd love to do a flashy arrival, but the best kind of relationship with city guards is a boring one, and being unsurprising is the best way to achieve that. I'll handle most of the conversation, but Spasiba's guards are comparatively relaxed, so there shouldn't be any dangerous questions to worry about answering carefully. They've never given me any problems about being a shapeshifter, and have a significant population of beastfolk, so I think they shouldn't have a problem with your nature either, should it come up.

"The standard greeting is either 'Peace and Progress' or 'Peace and Patience', depending on whether the speaker is progressive or conservative, optionally followed by a term of address or a title. Informally you can just say 'hello'. Physically, they clasp each other's forearms."