Mature Content Warning: Lots of naked Shara continuing her plot advancement and characterization conversations.

Author's note:

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Chapter 22.3: Please Stop Protecting Me

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In the time that Scott and Sonja had spoken of his past and discussed the immediate future, Shara and Ashton had gotten to know a bit more about each other. The drunken redhead had calmed herself a little, and was currently stretched out on the couch with her head in Ashton’s lap.

“I see.” said the fox-girl.

“Yep, so there you have it.” said Shara.

Ashton took another drink of her orange juice then stroked Shara’s hair. “So, how is it working out for you?”

Shara smiled. “Pretty good, I think. My website is getting more hits every day, and I managed to sell six outfits this week.”

“That’s great. Soon, you’ll be able to afford to do it full-time, huh?” asked Ashton.

“I hope so. It’s one of my dreams.” replied the red head.

“I can understand that. I want to run my own business someday, too.” Ashton stroked Shara’s hair once more. This was nice. She never really spent time just chatting with girlfriends anymore. Sure, the fact that Shara was naked sort of made it weird, but the alcohol helped a lot.

“Really? Do you want to be a cosplay idol, too?” asked Shara.

“No, no. I’m more interested in the business side of things. Something about making lots of money while I crush my rivals is really exciting to me.” said Ashton.

“Aha!” Shara raised one hand in the air and waved it around a little. “So you’re a business fox.”

Ashton chuckled softly. “That sounds about right.”

“Nope.” Shara pouted cutely.

“Hmm?” asked Ashton.

“Nope, nope. You have to be a cosplay idol with me. Your fans demand it.” Shara smile lightly then snuggled the back of her head against Ashton’s thighs.

Ashton laughed gaily. “Since when do I have fans?”

“Well, it might be the alcohol talking, but I’m fan of your lap.” said Shara.

“I can tell.” Ashton smiled and stroked Shara’s hair a little more. There was something comforting about the girl’s presence. Earlier she had been a bit weird, and seemed almost like a predatory lesbian. Now, she seemed much more normal.

“Hey, tell me something.” said Shara.

“Hmm?” asked Ashton.

“Out of all of the places that you could have worked, why Archers?” asked Shara.

Ashton smiled. “They hired me.”

Shara giggled obnoxiously in a loud and moderately high-pitched tone, much like a stereotypical drunk girl at a party.

“You so funny, Ashton.”

Ashton burst out laughing at the absurd sound that Shara had made. She had not heard anything like it since her old sorority days. Though that had only been two years prior, it still felt like a long time. Fun had been limited in recent days.

“That’s my girl.” Shara reached up and patted Ashton on the stomach.

“How am I your girl?” asked Ashton with a smile.

Shara snorted then rolled over, lifted Ashton’s shirt a little and then proceeded to use her tongue to make a rude flapping noise against her belly button. Ashton laughed and squirmed as Shara’s impromptu raspberry made her point for her.

“You’re so weird, Shara.” said Ashton.

Shara chuckled softly then rolled over once more. She looked up toward the ceiling and smiled gently with her lips, but her eyes seemed distant and unfocused. “Yeah, that’s the story of my life.”

Ashton stroked Shara’s hair again, but acquired an introspective expression. Something about the way that the redheaded girl had said that made it seem sad. The fox girl immediately wondered if this strange naked girl in her lap was just being over the top because she was lonely.

Shara made a cute little noise then sighed. “This is nice, but I wish I could pet you, too.”

Ashton winced. That statement could be taken in many ways. “What, you want me to transform?”

“Please. Let me pet the golden fox.” said Shara cutely.

Ashton’s eyes widened and she coughed a little. It was hard to tell what Shara had really meant by that, and it caused her mind to wander into strange, but slightly tempting territory.

The blond girl blinked. Upon reflection, she realized that she might be a little more drunk than she had thought. “You... want to pet the golden fox?”

“Mhmm...” said Shara in a slow, musical, hum. “I’d love to pet the golden fox.”

Ashton’s face became flush for reasons other than the alcoholic content of her orange juice. She tried to change the subject, so said, “You’re different than you are at work.”

Shara acquired a thoughtful expression. “Isn’t everyone different than how they first appear?”

“I suppose.” said Ashton.

Shara smiled. “I’m normally a mild-mannered shop girl. Right now, I’m a naked super hero who just wants to be friendly.”

“I understand.... but must you be naked to make friends?” asked Ashton with a grin.

“I don’t have to not be naked to make friends.” replied Shara with a giggle.

Ashton laughed loudly at her new friend’s way of putting things. “That’s funny, but my mother would have burst into flames after hearing that double negative.”

Shara blinked owlishly. “Was that really a double negative?”

Ashton blinked then tried to think clearly about what Shara had said. She whispered her statement softly and nodded her head as though she were mentally counting words.

“You’re putting so much effort into it...” said Shara.

“Sorry... I’m just like that I guess.” said Ashton meekly.

“You put a lot of effort into things?” asked Shara.

“Well, yeah.” replied Ashton. “I guess you could say that it’s the story of my life.”

Shara made a loud and lengthy *Hmmm* sound then sat up. The naked girl turned her head toward Ashton and said, “I guess if we worked closely and combined out life stories together, we could put a lot of effort into being weird.”

Ashton laughed and snorted at the same time. It was an obnoxious, but strangely cute, sound that caused Shara to follow suit. They would continue to giggle and snort for some time to come, and get to know many things about each other.

While the fox and her new friend Soopa Ninja giggled like a couple of cute but obnoxious drunken co-eds, the scene was quite different in Scott’s bedroom. It was a quiet and gentle atmosphere within the sleeping chambers of the exhausted man.

Sonja slept softly while Scott in dragon form rested atop her naked body. There was nothing sexual in their positioning. The tiny dragon had rested his head on her chest, and had his forelimbs wrapped around her torso.

Scott nuzzled his head gently against her breasts, his eyes only slightly open. Thoughts of the past filled him with regret, anger, and an almost incomprehensible sadness. Yet, he also had a strange sense of calm. Holding Sonja like this made him feel strange. It made him feel... safe.

In this world that had caused him nothing but pain, and granted him nothing but entrance into a dark downward spiraling depression, there was a gentle and beautiful light that soothed him. There was someone who had truly shown him that there was beauty and hope in the world, even for useless garbage like him.