After arriving in a small village called Alva and causing a bit of a commotion, the group went to an inn that was recommended to them by the guards. The room situation there had left Sophia a bit confused, though.

"Eh?" She was still rooted at the reception.

"Are you coming already?" Maya went back to her, grabbed the girl's hand, and dragged her towards their room.

"A-Are we really going to share a room...?"

"Sure."

"Even s-sleeping together in that... bed?" Sophia was nervously glancing around until her eyes fell on the bed that would make for a rather cozy fit for two people.

"Of course~."

"Uuh... I-I might die, you know?"

"Why?"

"B-Because it's embarrassing and... I haven't, uhh, p-prepared myself... yet..." Her voice trailed off towards the end.

"Huh? Aren't we sleeping together all the time, though?" The cat-girl didn't understand her reaction.

"B-But... that's different!"

"How?"

"B-Because... we're alone... and sharing... a bed, s-so-" Speaking was becoming hard-, harder for her.

"Oh?" Maya's lips formed into a grin. "Ahhh, just what do you think is going to happen, Sophia~?"

"A-Ah..." She realized her mistake. As her face turned red, she jumped onto the bed and buried her face into the pillow, trying to hide herself. "Uuuh..."

"First, flirting with a group of girls, even though she promised me not to, and now that. My, what a pervert."

"Am not!"

"Really now?" Maya sat down on the bed and leaned her back against Sophia's body, effectively using the girl as a cushion.

"I-In the first place, I didn't flirt with them!" She dodged the subject. "They were just little kids!"

"They seemed to be quite taken with you, though."

"Even so! W-Wait, you're angry, aren't you?"

"Why would I be~?"

"Totally angry... M-Maya, there's really no need to be jealous of little girls, you know? I have absolutely ZERO interest in them that way, okay?" She somehow had the need to make this very clear. "ZERO!"

"I-I wasn't jealous! I, uhh, just got a little upset that you were getting along with them so well... Not to mention that these girls, no matter their age, clearly had ulterior motives!"

"Does jealous mean something else in this world?"

"Urgh!" The cat-girl shrunk down. "S-Sorry..."

"Haha... You're the only one for me, okay? "

"Yeah, I get it. I don't know why I'm bothered by it. I have to get used to it first, I guess. I'm sorry." She apologized again. "So, what did you want to do in this bed?" Maya recovered fast.

"S-Sleep, just sleep! Cut me some slack already!" Sophia didn't want to talk about it anymore and pressed her face deeper into the pillow.

"What a cutie~." Maya leaned further against Sophia's body and relaxed for a moment.

"Uuh, such a mess... just because they thought I'm a human from this world..." The kids only approached her because of her non-beast-girl-like body. "Maybe I should change how I look?"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Like changing my body with magic, or something like that?"

"What?! I like you the way you are, though!" Maya wasn't an immediate fan of the idea.

"T-Thanks... I mean only temporarily. Like Fen, just in the times we meet other people."

"Oh, I see! I think I can allow that."

"My, aren't you generous? She had to roll her eyes at the response.

"So, what do you want to change?"

"Hmm, that's a good question..." Sophia hadn't thought that far ahead. "Maybe add some ears and a tail like you? They're adorable, after all... Oh! Do tiger people exist in this world?"

"Tiger? Tiger, huh? Wait... hmm?" She tilted her head for a moment, thinking about something. "Uh, yeah, they're rare, but I, uhh, yeah, I saw them before."

"Perfect! Well, I'm blonde, ash, to some degree, but I think I've seen tigers in a similar color before? Or maybe change it? Wouldn't that look super cute? Some fluffy ears and black highlights in my hair, together with a bushy, ringed black and blonde tail? Or maybe go orange like most of the real ones, after all?" She wasn't sure about the color yet.

"Hmm..." Maya closed her eyes for a while and imagined the new version of her girlfriend. "Ehehe~. A-Ahem, yes... though reluctantly, I think I'll allow it." She had a bright smile at the same time, though.

"You like it, huh?" It wasn't a hard guess. "Yeah, I think it would be cute. I'll ask Fen how to do it. I'm sure he has a tip or two for me."

"Y-Yeah..." She was slightly excited about it.

"Okay, anyway, I'm hungry! Let's test that bar-, restaurant thing the bear-guard told us about. No, wait.. it would be baer guard, right? Whatever! Let's check it out.

"Sure."

----------------

Leaving together, the two collected Fen from his room and went to eat something. And drink.

"Changing your appearance?" The wolf was looking at Sophia while they were eating.

"Yeah, I'm getting tired of being mistaken with those human... things."

"Ahh, I see. That's a very valid concern."

"I want some fluffy ears and a cute tail! Is that possible?"

"Sure, with a bit of training, no problem."

"Yay!"

"We can train it once we're back on the move again. The basis of that magic is the same as my shrinking, after all, appearance alteration. It changes your, well, appearance without making any permanent changes to your body."

"Great, thank you very much, Fen!" Sophia was happy that it seemed to be easy. "But appearance alteration magic, huh? If that's the case... I wonder, can I-, could I... make my breasts bigger as well?" She looked down at her chest, her biggest regret after coming to this world, being stuck with a not yet fully developed body. "What do you think, Maya?"

"..." The cat-girl was strangely silent on the topic.

"Err-" She stared at her with a complicated expression. "I'm no expert on relationships, far from it. Actually, I'm the last you should ask... and I'm also the one who brought it up... But, shouldn't my girlfriend say something here?"

"A-Ah, right... Y-You're, of course, fine the way you are, as well!"

"A-As well?! Well, I'm sorry for being small!" She covered her chest in response.

"T-That's not what I meant... I-I mean... Wait, is there anything I can say now that won't make it any worse?!" Maya felt trapped after she messed up.

"This question doesn't help your case, that's for sure." Fen sighed, wishing he would be able to do a facepalm as a wolf without looking stupid.

"What he said." Sophia had to agree.

"I mean... I, of course, like you the way you are. You're the most beautiful girl I ever met! That naturally includes your body as well... It's-, it's, uhh, I like them that way-" Maya looked at a particular part of Sophia's body. "I saw them in the bath, after all... and they're beautiful, b-but... I may... wouldn't necessarily, you know, err, complain if they were one size... bigger. Or two." She only mumbled these last two words.

"So, you do like them bigger?"

"I-I like you, okay?! The size doesn't matter!" Maya was getting desperate.

"Fen, as soon as we leave, I want to learn that magic!"

"Sure..." He didn't care anymore. Not that he ever did.

"I knew it! There was no right answer!" The cat-girl had lost the moment she brought it up.

----------------

While Maya was trying her best to get on Sophia's good side again, the group ate some more, and, as they were in a bar, lots of alcohol, too, was served. A couple of hours went by, and the couple eventually made up to some degree. A short while later, the baery guards from earlier entered the bar and approached the group once they saw them.

"Ah, there they are! Looks like you guys are having a good time." One of the baers saw the empty plates and glasses on their table.

"Yeah, sure..." The couple had a rough start and a slightly different opinion.

"I'm having fun~." As most of the empty glasses were in front of Fen, he was feeling great.

"Here, have another one." Sophia wanted to shut him up. "Anyway, what's up?" She faced the guards.

"We finished the investigation on the bridge you built."

"Already? That was fast."

"That bridge-" The second guard seemed overwhelmed. "I never saw anything like that, really... Seriously, who are you guys?!"

"We? Just a small group of traveling magic enthusiasts." Sophia was doing the talking as she was the only one still sober, whether she liked it or not. She didn't have a choice, after all, being unable to get drunk.

"How mysterious. Well, we're not going to pry. Everyone has a secret or two, and it's more than obvious that all of you are extremely powerful."

"S-Sure..." It really was basically all they were, a group of bored magic enthusiasts, but she didn't feel like correcting them.

"Anyway, we spoke to the major earlier, and he agreed that you did us a huge deed. While we think the bridge's worth a lot more, this is all our little village can comfortably offer at once without suffering." With a big thud, he placed a heavy bag full of coins on the table. "Those are 750 gold coins. I hope that's enough for you."

"SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY?!" Sophia couldn't believe it. "F-For a minute of work?! Seriously?!"

"A minute, she says... Girl, such a bridge would've taken us weeks, no, months of very labor-intensive work. That much of compensation is the least we can offer."

"Well, okay... On behalf of those two drunk idiots here, I accept the reward." She pointed at her companions.

"I'm notsh drunk...!"

"Meee neitsher!"

"Of course..." Sophia rolled her eyes. "Anyway, thank you very much!"

"Nono, we're the ones that are grateful." The two guards bowed a little. "Alright, I'll throw in a little extra. Keep eating and drinking, you all. The night's on us!"

"Are you sure? That could end up being expensive. Maya feels, let's say, guilty about something and is drinking, Fen is a heavy drinker anyway, and I plan on trying every dish on the menu."

"Y-Yeah, go for it." He had slight doubts about his offer but didn't take it back.

"Thanks."

----------------

The guards took a couple of drinks with them but left after a while. The group continued to drink and eat deep into the night, though. Once it was closing time, they finally went back to their rooms. Sophia first had to help Fen reaching his before she could leave with Maya.

"Shophiaaa~." Once the door of their room closed, the cat-girl latched herself onto Sophia and whispered her name with a sweet, almost purr-like voice.

"W-Wow..." She took a lot of damage from the sensual way of how she called her." M-Maya, I think... hmph!" She wanted to say something but never got the chance. The cat-girl got even closer and kissed her on the lips before pushing her down on the bed.

"Shophiaa~!" Another sugary purr echoed through the room while Maya climbed on top of Sophia before taking her lips again.

"O-Oh..." Sophia was getting embarrassed by the situation. A part of her felt like she had to stop the cat-girl, but she was also getting excited. In the end, she was unable to bring herself to stop her. Instead, lying with her back on the bed while getting pinned down by Maya on top, Sophia wrapped her arms around the cat-girl's neck and returned the kiss. Unsure, embarrassed, excited, and slightly turned on, Sophia decided to let herself be guided by the cat-girl and let her do whatever she planned.