Melodiana nods and walks over to her dresser and begins to gather up her swords, and I hear a slight knock at the door, so I move to answer it, and Iris is standing outside with a tray of tea in her arms. I notice that there are four cups on the tray and when I look up she looks me in the eye and then away from me quickly before muttering, “I brought some tea, if you would like some?”

“Don’t be mean,” Shiva hisses in my ear.

“You say that like I am a going to chase her away,” I respond to her and then I respond to Iris “I would love some, would you like to join us?” to which she nods and I wave her in.

“See that wasn’t so bad and you are likely closer to having an actual friend,” Shiva says, and then adds on, “That isn't apart of your 'Family'.”

I respond to her as I walk back to my seat in the window “I think I died a little bit on the inside.”

“Come now it’s not so bad to have her in for tea is it?”

“That’s not the problem,” I grumble slightly, “I have actual friends.” Iris passes me a cup of tea, as she sits next to me and Melodiana is sitting back down at her chair propping her sword against the side of her chair. Miss Steele, in a testament to her posture, is now balancing a plate with a cup on her other knee.

“And who are these so called friends?” Shiva prods at me.

“Muuu,” I moan slightly and say quietly, “You’re my friend.” She falls silent and I can feel her gently wrap herself around me.

“Is there something wrong with your tea?” Iris asks with a disappointed tone.

“Na, no the tea is lovely,” I quickly respond realizing I actually made sound moments ago, and I take another sip to prove it to her. Melodiana and Miss Steele are discussing something about the type of steel of her sword, and the tempering process.

“Then is something else a problem?” She asks me now sounding more concerned than disappointed.

I chew on my lip while quickly thinking up an excuse and I blurt out, “I think I have been sitting to long, my back is a bit sore.”

“Ah,” she exclaims angling herself more towards me. “Turn around,” she says while motioning with her fingers, and I raise an eyebrow at her, “Turn around I can help.”

Sighing slightly at getting myself into it I do as she ask positioning so my back towards her and I sit my tea on the window sill. She moves her hips closer to mine, and drops my braid in front of me. She then places her thumbs at the base of my tails, and I try to suppress my jump reflex. She giggles slightly as she applies pressure and slowly runs her hands up my on either side of my spine fanning out as she reaches higher. She repeats this a few more times and she then places her thumbs at the base of my tails again and she starts making small circular motions as she runs up my back again and I catch myself moaning slightly, “Ohhh”

She repeats this several times, and adds other motions that I am not confidant I would be able to know what she did without seeing her do them.

“Better?” she asks after a couple of minutes and I nod to her. She sounds smugger as she says, “See I told you I could help.”

As I turn back to the front I notice that Miss Steele has been watching me out of the corner of her eye with a slight knowing smirk on her face, while she and Melodiana finish with her paperwork. “She is rather vexing for some reason,” I complain and I feel a tentative touching midway down one of my tails. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Iris gently brushing her hand across the top of it, and she slowly sinks her fingers into my fur with a look of bliss on her face. I tell her, “I'll let you get away with it for now as repayment... since her rubbing my back did feel good.”

A few minutes pass as Miss Steele asks a few more things about Dargoth forging techniques that I don't bother following closely, before she turns to me and says, “All right we finished up her end of things, and now it’s on to you. Unless you need to take care of something else?” She asks with a smirk on her face while watching Iris.

I stand up before Melodiana turns around towards the window and I turn to sit my empty cup back in the window and Iris appears to be quite content with drinking her tea now. I walk over to the head of my bed and when I turn around Melodiana has moved from the chair in front if Miss Steele over towards the window and Miss Steele motions for me to take the seat in front of her.

“So you primarily use an?” She questions as I sit in front of her eyeing the sword now resting by my side.

“It is an Estoc,” I reply

“Fascinating,” She says writing something down on her sheet of paper, “Where did you ever come across such an archaic weapon?”

“And so begins the explanation game,” Shiva sighs breaking her silence, and mimicking my exasperation.

“My master trained me,” I sigh, “And they also gave it to me.”

She jots a few more notes down on a separate piece of paper, looking back up she starts again “And whom may I ask taught you?”

“My master,” I respond a bit sharply and then ask “What does this have to do with getting licensed?”

“Everything,” She replies with a gleam in her eye, “Will you please draw it for me?”

I look to Melodiana and she is chatting with Iris about the type of tea and how she made it. I sigh and draw the blade, and as the tip leaves the scabbard the surrounding temperature drops as the sealing sigils are nullified.

Miss Steele gasps, “Wonderful, what type of metal is that made of? I don’t think I have ever seen a blade of that material before, and what makes it black like that? And what type of enchantments does it have on it?” she asks excitedly in rapid succession.

“She seems to like her swords,” Shiva points out, and I can’t help but agree.

“It’s a variant of steeled ice, with special materials added during the folding process to give it its color, and a bit of this and that,” I tell her and she happily writes more down on her spare sheet of paper, and I ask, “If we could move on now?”

“I suppose we can, even though you didn’t actually answer any of my questions,” She says “Do you have any other weapons?”

“Just a Stiletto, and a curved knife,” I respond hoping that she won't ask to see them, as I sheath my blade, and she jots something else down on her official form.

“You should just get another bow,” Shiva complains

“None of the ones in any of the shops fit my needs.”

“Maybe you should be less picky.”

“And I assume you will need to buy…” She pauses looking around the room, and whispers quietly , “a selection of herbs?”

“I suppose if I have to have a license for that as well then yes,” I sigh, although my current stock should stay fresh for a few more months, and then I ask, “Do we need permission to grow a garden?”

“As long as it is for produce, or decoration, and nothing else,” she stresses the word nothing, “The land surrounding the house is free for use as you and your housemates see fit to use.”

I look over my shoulder to check on the other two and Melodiana is now taking notes on a small pad as Iris explains about different types of tea and how to make different ones and the types of food that go well with them, mainly desserts.

“Is there any other information that you need?” I ask her as I turn back to her.

“From our evaluation you use Magiks,” She states looking up at me, and I nod so she continues “So I will fill out the forms for that. What type of armor do you normally wear?”

“A light chainmail shirt underneath my clothes,” I tell her and she looks up to me in surprise

“Is that all?” She asks

“Well yes,” I respond and then continue, “Anything heavier just gets in the way.”

She just makes a sound at that and then writes something down on a new paper from the bottom of the stack, and then looks back to me, “I am going to put in a requisition form for you to find a suitable set of armor to wear.” I start to complain and she holds up a finger and cuts me off, “No excuses. We have the most advanced smiths here in this city and I am sure one of them has a set of armor that you can wear for protection, without it getting in the way.” She says that last part with a heavy amount of sarcasm.

Iris speaks up from behind me apparently she was paying attention to our conversation, “Leyla can make you a set of armor.”

“Hmm?” I question her.

“Leyla is an Artificer,” She says, “And she is good at making weapons and armor, even though you wouldn’t guess it since she is always making other things.”

“Well there you go,” Miss Steele speaks up as she passes the other form to me, “That will cover the cost of your gear up to the listed price. You can go wherever in the city you please to get a set made and just give that to the smithy and it will be taken care of.” Then she adds on, “I expect you to have a set of armor for our joint training.” I sigh and nod to her my understanding.

“Good, now that that is settled just need you to sign these forms,” She says while passing a small stack towards me. I look over them quickly and place my signature on the ones that need it and I pass all but the requisitions form back to her. “And our business here tonight is concluded,” She says while packing up her things and finishing her tea and she asks, “Now are you going to see me out?”

I sigh slightly and stand up and Melodiana and Iris both stand up behind me and I say, “Let’s go.”

Back out in the sitting area Alice is trying to get a very drunk Lady Ledoux up and out the door, and Leyla is standing on her other side helping as well.

Iris speaks up in exclamation, “I thought that you were leaving twenty minutes ago.”

“We tried,” Alice complains, “But Elsie was being difficult.”

“M not difecolt,” Lady Ledoux whines and Alice sighs at her. Alice and Leyla manage to get her to the front door, and I notice a carriage in the street. She turns on me, “You… You’re…” and she pauses with a look on her face as if she is trying to figure out what to say to me.

“Are incredibly cute, charming, and soft,” Miss Steele interjects.

Lady Ledoux then turns to her and just looks at her, and Alice sighs saying, “Just how am I going to get you inside later?”

Miss Steele giggling still says, “I will help you with that if you would like.”

“That would be wonderful,” Alice says sounding relieved.

“Just give me a moment,” Miss Steele says turning to the rest of us, “Thank you for the lovely dinner.” There is a round of acknowledgment from the others, and she turns to leave. She stops almost immediately and turns back and says, “Just one more thing.”

She steps up and reaches forward and cups my cheek as I try to take a step back but bump into Melodiana and don’t really move anywhere at all. She smiles slightly and leans in and quickly kisses me on my other cheek and says, “Remember my offer.” She lightly turns and steps underneath Lady Ledoux’s empty shoulder and starts to help Alice usher her towards the carriage.

“Hmm so she tried to acquire ya I assume?” Leyla says as she closes the door.

“I guess you could call it that,” I sigh and stretch and I pause midway and turn to her, “You knew she would try.”

“I assumed she would try after I heard her name,” She says with a crooked smile on her face, “We have heard quite a few stories about her from Alice and Elsie.”

“And you didn’t even think to warn us about that?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure if she would offer or not, and I didn’t want to paint her in a bad light because she handles her responsibilities in the city quite well, and I wanted the two of ya to be able to make a fair decision.”

I sigh again and start to head back to mine and Melodiana’s room when I hear Iris speak up, “Sister, Lily needs a proper set of armor.”

“Hmm and what type do ya need?” she asks my back.

“Something light and flexible,” I respond “and preferably something that can be hidden underneath clothes.”

“Hmm I will come up with a few designs and we can go over them in a few days.” She says and I nod to her.

“I will be outback training if anyone needs me,” Melodiana says.

“Isn’t there only a half-an-hour of light left?” Iris asks.

I don’t hear the rest of their conversation as I move through the hall and shut the door behind me.

“It has been a busy evening hasn’t it?” Shiva asks and I grunt in acknowledgment as I walk over to my dresser, “So what are we going to do now?”

“Going to go take a bath, and get some sleep,” I yawn to her.

“Yes bath time,” She exclaims joyfully as I gather my things.

After my bath, when I get back to my room Melodiana is playing chess with herself, so I sit down across from her and take her other position, she just nods to me and we continue the game for a few rounds before I speak up, “You know Ginbow is a deeper strategy game?”

“I don’t know how to play Ginbow,” She says gently.

“It’s not too difficult,” I tell her placing a pawn, “If we pick up a board I could teach you how to play sometime if you would like.”

She just nods slightly concentrating on the game. A few more rounds pass before she looks up again and when I meet her eye she quickly looks back down at the table before moving another piece. She doesn’t look up at me again but she begins to fidget slightly in-between turns.

“Maybe she has to go pee, but doesn’t want to interrupt the game,” Shiva offers.

Melodiana then speaks up, “Umm…”

After a few moments of silence I look over to her again and she is still looking down so I ask her, “Yes?”

Taking the cue she says, “If… if you ever need some… time...” She pauses fidgeting more now than before and I wait for her to continue, “Sometime to take care of… things, j-just let me know.”

“Things?”

She answers in a quiet voice, “When you are… in he-heat, if you need time to ta-take care of yourself, j-just let me know and I can gi-give you some… some alone time.” She finishes in a barely audible whisper and it takes a moment for that to sink in.

Shiva squeals in my ear, “That is just so cute, and kind, and considerate.”

“And embarrassing,” I add before attempting to address Melodiana but she cuts me off.

“An-and I won’t get angry with you if…if you end up bi-biting me or rub against me,” Saying this she quickly jumps up from the table and runs from the room leaving me no time to give her a reply.

I sigh and place my queen and declare “Check mate.” I stand up from the table and head to my bed and crawl underneath the covers.

Shiva still giggling to herself says, “You have some interesting housemates. Oh and where did you pick up this gown? It is quite lovely.”

“From a little shop in town,” I tell her while yawning

“We should buy more things from there,” She states and I nod slightly dozing off.