Chapter 426: Chapter 426 - Observant Disciples, Unobservant Managers
Nohre and Fusand stood on the threshold, in outfits that were a bit more impressive than their old streetwear - but not quite as formal as what Elua had bought them to wear to the competition viewing areas. The pair looked every bit the promising young cultivators they’d become under the Talcres couple’s close guidance these past months.
"We didn’t expect to find anyone here. Though with the door open, we though maybe... well, we just came to check on the cultivation room and..."
Nohre’s words trailed off as green eyes took in the scene behind Klaytei - the increased home comfort in so many little details that had been changed from its workshop feel, the shared meal being prepared that smelled of nice things... all obvious signs that this wasn’t just a temporary visit from the two older women.
Fusand, meanwhile, was staring at something near Dima’s feet. The fox had stuck its head between her legs to assess the new arrivals. Its amber eyes fixed on the young man with unmistakable disdain before it deliberately turned its attention before it padded toward the braided haired girl instead.
"O, aren’t you cute..."
The teenager knelt immediately as the fox approached, extending her hand for its inspection... but not before simultaneously palming a little orb of water from her container. One that would shoot for its little nose if it tried to bite.
A precaution she came up with to dissuade cats and dogs that were not so friendly when she went looking to pet them. However, this fox all but melted under the attention. Allowing the youth to scratch behind its ears... while shooting a side eye look back at Fusand.
"Yes, yes. What’s your name, gorgeous?"
Klaytei watched this and then looked to the side where her living partner stood before feeling her chest twist. Dima’s expression had clearly tightened - and the servant couldn’t tell if she was just not certain of the company or... jealous. Of ’her’ fox getting attention from their unexpected visitors.
’I’m the one who should be jealous, I never see you making that look when the returning patrols stop to talk to me!’
"Please, come in. There’s plenty of stew about to be ready if you’re hungry. Though I should warn you - our resident fox has very strong opinions about male house guests. He won’t bite, probably, but..."
As if to prove her point, the creature continued to rub itself and lavish attention on the Water Element user. Fusand was looking increasingly bewildered by the animal’s obvious prejudice. As well as the sense that his wife-to-be was actually being coveted by a small beast.
"I don’t understand. What did I do to offend it?"
"You were born male. Apparently that’s crime enough in his estimation, as the thing will only let females touch it."
Klaytei replied dryly to the little scholar, who was actually looking a lot more fit than he used to. The Avatar had more or less translated what was going on for the fox, a feature that was needed to help understand commands from Qat - so the responding yip at the sandy haired teen was meant to suggest that indeed, being male was an unforgivable character flaw in its eyes.
"That’s a cute noise. Maybe it actually likes him?"
With such seeming rose-colored glasses on, the girl continued to rub and show affection to the fox. When she picked it up into the air and held it out toward Fusand, it started to squirm.
"You like him, right?"
Fingers squeezed just a bit to get the point across. Even as Mend flooded the areas she gripped with healing energy, just in case she was being excessive again. But that cat last month had come around, so she was sure the fox would too!
The creature’s squirming intensified as the girl held it closer and closer to the boy, its amber eyes wide with what could only be described as ’betrayal’. A series of increasingly frantic yips escaped the creature as it tried to communicate its *absolute refusal* to be near the male human.
"I really don’t think it likes the idea."
Fusand said while taking a step back, trying to be diplomatic about it all. His spiritual sense could tell - but it was even more obvious with his studies of imagery and motion... to better understand how to perfect his Projections, that this beast was throwing an absolute fit.
"Nonsense! Animals just need patience and coercion."
The fox managed to twist around in Nohre’s grip and deliver a sharp nip to her thumb. It did respect Elua’s ’unfathomable strength’, but that had also been *before* learning of ’fathomable softness’.
"Ow!"
Launching itself toward Dima by kicking off the younger cultivator, it landed against the woman’s chest and immediately began murring loudly in its sanctuary. The low growl of a purr was meant to show off what proper companionship looked like as Nohre examined her thumb with more surprise than pain.
"Well, that was rude."
The branch manager had instinctively moved up and caught the ’flying’ beast, and now cradled it protectively against herself. The look of satisfaction on both her and the creature’s face was unmistakable as it settled into her arms like it belonged there. With warm expression and soothing words...
’Lucky little thing...’
Something of a low stuttering growl also came from another source - Klaytei’s throat.
"It’s just more used to us. And we’ve learned not to push it’s boundary. We’ve been taking care of it for months now while Qatrand was out fighting."
"We?"
Fusand raised an eyebrow at the sigilist, glancing between the two women. He understood why the servant would be in this place... they’d gotten a letter explaining slim details about some project that El had ’been working on’. That the Yecine heir was taking over while she was missing.
But he wasn’t sure at all that their master would like it very much knowing that this woman was here. While the heiress had never said anything explicitly to them about hating her and was always nice enough, the woman was another matter. Clearly holding grudges and suspicions about Elua with the way she behaved.
Though he was also aware that the former liaison had been communicating with Meyran through letters - to get the numbers, figures, and exact details of the mysteriously appearing ’fraudulently obtained’ items that the Void Defense were allowing to be stored there for processing. Therefore, aware that she was at least one of the forces responsible for helping to clear the Goltbred name.
"Yes. We. Klaytei’s been generously letting me stay here with her because cooking for two is just as easy - and other chores can be split."
The women felt it made more sense when she had explained it originally. Something about it tickled her when telling them this time, but she shook her head and stroked the fox’s fur instead of worrying about it. Green eyes moved between them and the room again with the calculating look of someone putting pieces together.
"How... practical."
She said slowly while squinting at the personal servant, who cleared her throat and turned around to hide anything that may appear in her cheeks. There had been something in the girl’s tone and look that suggested she was seeing more in it. At least far more than the dense Dima had this whole time.
"The stew can be eaten now if you’d like to stuff your face first instead of talking."
She announced perhaps too loudly and ’combatively’, with a second turn toward the pot.
⟠ ⟠ ⟠
As Klaytei began ladling stew into bowls for seconds, she noticed Nohre watching her and Dima’s movements around the kitchen. The way the cultivator automatically handed her the next bowls without being asked. How they navigated around each other in the small space without bumping into each other.
Little touches and glances and nods that had become second nature over months of shared living. As the other woman adapted to the pace of the mortal. When their fingers brushed as Dima passed her the ladle and she looked down shyly after she turned away... the personal servant looked back up to see Nohre’s eyes go from wide to sharpened.
"Excuse me. Before we start eating more, do you happen to have any seed or treats for birds?"
The girl said suddenly with such casual tone, but there was something in her expression that made Klaytei’s stomach flutter nervously. Quickly, a little pouch of such dried feed that Qat had left for the Skydancer traveling with her - should she send it to deliver letters - was handed over by the branch manager with a gentle smile that expressed she *thought* she was being helpful.
"Oh. Great. Could you help me with calling and feeding them outside, Klaytei? M- Elua left two of her birds with us and they should be waiting nearby still."
"...Of course."
Once they were a few steps from the house, Nohre turned to her with a giddy directness that was piercing. Young hands grabbing the servant’s wrists and clasping around them between their chests.
"She doesn’t know, does she?!"
"Know what...?"
Her heart was already racing with the certainty that she knew exactly what the girl meant. But she wasn’t going to say anything that would get her caught. Letting her charge know what she was about in the ways of romance was one thing, but involving her friend?
One hand slipped away and gestured vaguely towards the little house behind them. The little love nest as it was for El and Qat... and now as it seemed to be for these two women.
"That you two are basically... married. I lived in an orphanage, you know. I watched adults working together in the kitchen before. That was... yeah, that was not that."
Knowing that such a youth could ’tell’ that in a single meeting, but the important person could not made Klaytei sigh. At this rate, she was certain that she could convince the woman to be a permanent roommate, even after they left the little house when everything ’returned to normal’.
But it was looking more and more like ’years’ until the cultivator realized would very much be the reality! Her old conviction that she could wait around for that long if it was really such a *right person* was growing just a bit thin.
With a wry smile, her now free hand lifted up a little *silver* necklace pendant on the girl’s neck. A small knotwork representation of the ’binding cord’ used in marriage ceremonies that she appreciated before letting it drop back to Nohre’s collar.
"I suppose a girl who wrestled for so long with ’friends or more than friends’ would be so insightful, hm?"
Reddening, but not looking away, the braided haired girl chuckled and nodded.
"...Well, yes. I guess so. But there was a chance I have weddings on the brain and was just seeing what I wanted to."
Fusand had given it to her right before they left on the journey here. As a little promise that he had not forgotten her while the Talcres were pushing studies harder than ever - about how they managed their holdings so that he came off as a very competent adopted child.
’And he held me the whole train ride... talking about the past like an old man reflecting on his youth. Ah, I hope master gets back soon...’