“It is a pleasure to meet all of you,” a soft voice calls from in front of the others, “I am Beatrice Averill.”

“How did I end up at the back of the line?” I mutter to myself.

“It’s likely because the other girls move faster than your short stride,” Shiva laughs then adds, “Though you think with those legs of yours you would be able to take longer steps without an issue. She is also trying quite hard to ignore you and her sister,” she adds on referring to Iris quite obviously ignoring anything that the two of us say to her. Melodiana has noticed as well but she hasn’t said anything about it.

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well,” Iris dips her body slightly, “I am Iris Schnee.”

“I am Leyla Schnee, nice to meet ya,” Leyla introduces herself as well.

“Melodiana, I thought you said that there would be four of you,” the soft voice says after a moment.

“Oh she is back here,” Melodiana looks back over her shoulder at me as Leyla and Iris move into the brick building.

As Melodiana moves out of the way I get a look at the source of the voice. She has an oval face with big blue eyes, framed by long black hair, a small smile set on her light red lips, and she is about my height. Underneath a pink apron she is wearing a simple blue dress that just barely brushes the floor, and I notice that she has faint scales up the back of her arms.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” I bow my head slightly, which she returns, “I am Lily.”

“Hmm you must be the trouble maker then,” She laughs slightly

“He-hey” Melodiana stammers out.

Beatrice ignores her and turns back towards me and asks, “Is there another name that you would prefer I call you? I understand that most members of your race use your family names.”

“Just Lily is fine,” I sigh slightly, “And I’m basically a Succubus anyway.”

“Alright Lily come inside and I will serve dinner,” she smiles.

As I step through the door I can smell something wonderful, probably fish. Melodiana moves over toward the table by the wall that Iris is sitting at, and Leyla asks “Would ya mind taking the inside seat?”

“I don’t mind,” she steps around to the other chair.

I take a look around the room that we are in as I walk over towards the table. In the back quarter of the building there is a light red wood bar with a few knitted colorful cloths across it. There are quite a few tables spread out across the room that are covered in white table cloths and have small empty flower vases sitting on top of them. There is also a small fireplace on the outside wall that has a few tables and chairs nearby.

“What do you think hmm?” Beatrice asks from behind me.

“It seems…cozy, inviting even,” I tell her.

“Wonderful,” she nods and heads for the counter door.

“Do you need a hand?”

“No you are all my guests tonight so go ahead and have a seat, but thank you.”

I walk over to the table and sit next to Iris, who angles herself just ever so slightly away from me. I take a look at the table and it already has glasses and plates around it, with an extra spot to my left where I assume that Beatrice will sit.

“So what is your relation?” Leyla asks Melodiana.

“Beatrice is my older sister,” Melodiana sighs.

“That’s quite interesting,” Shiva murmurs.

“…But she looks like a Human not a Dargoth,” Iris sounds surprised, and I hear someone walk up to the table from behind us.

“That’s because I take after father, and Melodiana takes after mother,” Beatrice sets a large platter full of white fish in the middle of the table with one hand, and a couple of bottles with the other.

“So ya are…” Leyla begins.

“We are half-Dargoth and half-Human,” Beatrice says with a smile before reaching out with a spoon and flicking downwards eliciting a yelp of surprise from Melodiana, “You can wait for just a bit longer.”

“But I’m hungry,” Melodiana mumbles quietly, but Beatrice ignores her as she reaches into the pouch on her apron and pulls a small amount of silverware out and puts it on the table in front of the four of us, followed by a corkscrew. Then she walks over to the counter and picks up a plate of rolls that she puts in the middle of the table before sitting down in the other chair.

“This may be somewhat strange, but go ahead and help yourselves to whatever you would like,” Beatrice gives us another smile, “The way that our people handle food is generally a free for all so eat up.” As she says this Melodiana quickly pulls multiple fish off of the tray onto her plate.

“That's pretty much how we eat at home,” Leyla comments as she puts a piece of fish onto her plate.

“So how are you going to make peace with your table mate hmm?” Shiva asks me laughing slightly while I pick up a roll as I wait for Iris to get the fish she wants.

“Oh I don’t know,” I adopt a ponderous tone as I pull my tails around my waist and drape them so that they gently brush against Iris’s hip as they move, “Appeal to her sense of forgiveness.” She reaches down and pushes my tails off to the side, but after a moment I pull them back up into the same position and she just sighs slightly, but I pretend that I didn’t notice as I pour myself a glass of wine.

“More like appeal to her fondness of soft things,” Shiva says. I take a bite of the fish and my mouth is immediately flooded with garlic, salt and a mixture of herbs.

“I was never that bad,” Melodiana mutters as she takes another bite.

“Uh huh,” Beatrice gets a knowing look on her face as she finishes preparing her own plate.

“This is, surprisingly, quite good,” Leyla says in between bites of food.

“Thank you,” Beatrice responds before asking, “But why is it surprising?”

“Because Melodiana is an awful cook,” I tell her as I take a sip from my glass.

“Ah I see,” she says sighing slightly, “She never did attempt to learn how, and thus I have a request.”

“What?” I ask in surprise as Leyla and Iris both look on in interest, at least before Iris remembers that she is supposed to be ignoring us and she turns away.

“As I have heard you are all at least decent cooks, so please take care of my sister and make sure she eats properly,” she slightly bows head.

“I cam take care f m’self jus fine,” Melodiana mumbles around her mouthful of food.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s bad manners,” Beatrice scolds her and then continues, “And taking care of yourself is not what I would call it. Only carrying around hard tack and jerky for food when you travel.”

“How awful,” Shiva exclaims in horror.

“They don’t go bad, and taste just fine,” Melodiana argues after having swallowed her food.

“Yes they do, and no they don’t, and they are basically worthless for nutrition.”

I look across the table at Leyla and she just shrugs her shoulders and goes back to eating while casting glances over at Iris.

“Are siblings always like this?” I ask Shiva.

“I wouldn’t know,” She responds, “I think that you would know better with all of those sisters.”

“Hmm maybe it is only something you can see when you are looking from the outside,” I shrug and tell Beatrice, “Well as long as the four of us are living in the same house she shouldn’t starve.”

“That is a relief,” She says with a radiant smile.

“So what led you to open a café?” Iris asks.

“Well I enjoy cooking, and it is a bit of an experiment.” Beatrice takes a sip from her own cup.

“What type of experiment could ya perform in a café? And isn’t it strange ta have built here instead of, say near where visitors ta the city stay?” Leyla asks as she puts another piece of fish on her plate.

“Well this is a prime spot for the experiment,” she tilts her head to the side as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I see,” Leyla says and out of the corner of my eye I see her glance over to me and try to catch my attention. I turn more towards her and she glances over to Iris and back to me quickly and slightly tilts her head slightly.

“I think she wants you to do something,” Shiva whispers in my ear.

“And what am I supposed to do?” I ask, and swing my tails slightly, “She would know better how to appease her sister.”

I look back up from my plate and Leyla is looking at me pleadingly, “Is there something wrong?” Beatrice asks.

“Just ignore the inamoratas,” Iris says, causing Leyla to blush slightly “It’s for the best.”

“Hmm, I am unfamiliar with that term,” Beatrice comments after a moment of looking around the table, and I look over to the counter and sigh inwardly.

“I suppose I can’t have expected too much with barely just a single day notice,” I sigh.

“Where you able to get all of the measurements that you needed?” Melodiana asks as she sits her plate to the side, and I see Iris stiffen up slightly.

“Yep,” Leyla nods in responds, “Now I can get working on actually making it.”

“Just with the changes we discussed,” I remind her and then think of something else, “Make sure to make the area's around my stomach, chest, and neck thicker as well.”

“Miss Steele will quite pleased to hear that,” Melodiana says.

“What are you making?” Beatrice asks.

“I apparently have to have a suit of armor made,” I roll my eyes, “and Leyla is going to forge it for me.”

“With the help of Alice anyway,” Leyla adds.

“So then earlier you weren’t…” Iris says quietly.

“No we weren’t,” I flip a couple of tails at her, “But you and your sister both jump to conclusions far too quickly, though it is quite entertaining.”

“Wah, well if you didn’t go around flirting with everything that walked in your vision maybe the rest of us wouldn’t jump to conclusions,” she shoots back, going slightly red in the cheeks.

“I do not flirt,” I protest while pushing my empty plate to the side.

“Yes you do,” Shiva interjects, "And you know it. It gets one of the reactions that you like to see."

“So you going around the house half naked, shaking your hips, rubbing against us randomly, and all of the other interactions you have are completely normal and not flirty?” Iris waves her fork at me, while Beatrice is watching between the two of us with quite a bit of interest. Leyla and Melodiana are talking about the forging process, apparently only half paying attention to the conversation.

“I think I might prefer being ignored, I do not shake my hips, nor rub against all of you, and I bought a gown.”

“That you still only wear half of the time,” Shiva laughs

“What about this morning in the kitchen hmm?” Iris asks with a triumphant look on her face.

“That wasn’t flirting,” I wave her off.

“Or what ya said ta me on the first few nights,” Leyla joins the conversation apparently paying closer attention than I thought, “that was most definitely flirty.”

“Didn’t you kiss that shop woman earlier today in thanks as well?” Melodiana asks and Leyla and Iris both quickly look at her and then back at me with surprise on their faces.

“Not quite a month and you are already courting,” Beatrice says laughing, “That is quite impressive. So who is it that caught your eye then?”

I turn toward Beatrice and say, “They are all so mean to me aren’t they?”

“Appealing to the neutral party now?” Shiva says in a fit of giggles, “And to think, if you hadn’t wanted to interrupt Maya, Melodiana wouldn’t have had anything to throw in as well.”

“So who was she?” Leyla and Iris both ask Melodiana at the same time.

“You’ll have to turn those lovely eyes elsewhere for pity, you wiles won’t work on me” Beatrice says, as she gently pushes on the bottom of my chin, “In my line of work I have found that if large parts of a group are saying something it generally has some foundation in the truth. You know what they say, there isn't smoke without fire.”

“But what if they just didn’t like me,” I complain, knowing it is in vain.

“I think we both know that’s not quite the issue,” She says with a smile, “it just means that you are a flirty fox.”

“I am getting a bad image,” I whine to Shiva.

“I wonder why?” Shiva says with mock curiosity in her voice.

“I’m telling you I don’t know who she is,” Melodiana sighs, “They were just standing in front of the store with collars on display; I believe her name was… Sa…Sa…”

“Oh you must mean Samura then,” Beatrice says offhandedly as she stands up from the table.

“Who?” the sisters ask in unison turning to Beatrice who has walked over to the counter where she picks up a small handful of plates and from behind the counter she balances a small cake in her hand.

“You don’t have to look so happily surprised,” Melodiana says, “I told you that there would be a cake here.” She then adds on under her breath, “Besides it will make you fat.”

“Lies,” I hiss pulling my ears down as Beatrice sits the cake down on the table.

“So who is Samura?” Iris asks, ignoring the cake.

“Is that all you care about?” Shiva sighs.

“No I care about a great deal of things, like how am I going to live with any of them now, but the cake is a nice distraction.” I tell her as Beatrice hands me a plate with a chocolate slice with white icing on it, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” She says with a smile, as she passes plates to the others “It is nice to live somewhere that all of the ingredients can be bought relatively regularly.”

“Who is she?” Leyla takes her turn to ask as she takes a plate. I take a bite of my slice and it practically melts in my mouth.

“A young woman that is a very talented tailor and, according to her mother, quite a singer as well,” Beatrice says.

“What does she look like?” Leyla asks.

“Is she pretty?” Iris immediately follows suit.

“What’s she like?”

“You both pry too much,” Melodiana sighs quietly as she takes a bite of her cake.

“I thought you said it would make you fat,” I accuse her.

“No I said it would make you fat, since all you do is lay around all day.” I turn away from her and go back to enjoying my cake.

“She has long flowing blond hair, two tails, and quite a lovely face from what people say about her,” Beatrice continues entertaining the twins, “I’m in no position to judge myself, but apparently since she came of age she has turned away quite a large number of suitors; quite a few of them being well off.”

“So she is quite sought after then?” Leyla asks as she takes another bite.

“Not quite as much now,” Beatrice says laughing, “It seems that after enough rejections she gained a reputation of being unapproachable. So it is quite impressive that less than a month that they were seen kissing isn’t it.”

“It was just on the cheek,” I mutter but no one seems to pay attention so I sigh deciding to ignore the rest of the conversation, and continue to eat my cake.

“Probably best to not deny it as it would likely just make it worse,” Shiva says as she continues to listen in.

…

…

“Oh pay attention but don’t move, they have turned their conversation to you,” Shiva says excitedly.

“Certainly looks happy, doesn’t she?” Iris says, and I hear a plate slide across the table.

“With looks like that they would make a cute couple,” Beatrice says and I hear a sigh from the other corner of the table.

“Not sure if I would call it happy,” Leyla says, “It’s more of a face of content.”

I glare at them out of the corner of my eye and Beatrice laughs and says, “Trying to be terrifying while eating cake isn’t the most effective maneuver.”

I quickly put the rest of the cake in my mouth, and finish my glass of wine while looking around the table. The rest of the plates are empty and the girls are finishing up their wine as well.

“I suppose they were waiting on me then,” I mumble to Shiva and she just snickers.

“You have to at least let us help you with the dishes,” Iris insists.

“It’s just a few plates, glasses and forks,” Beatrice waves it off, “Besides you are all my guests so I can’t have you doing chores for me.”

“But,” Iris begins.

“It’s no use,” Melodiana yawns, “She will never let you in the kitchen to help, and she might not look like it but she is still a Dargoth.”

“Fine,” she responds under her breath.

“Well in that case thank you for the lovely meal,” I tell her.

“You’re quite welcome,” She says smiling, “It is always best watching the food you cook being enjoyed by others.” With the sound of a chair scrapping across wood she then stands up and the rest of us follow suit.

She leads us over to the door and says, “Feel free to stop in anytime,” she then turns to Melodiana and me, “Oh and if you ever need information for anything for any of your missions make sure to stop in.”

“Why would they need ta do that?” Leyla asks sleepily.

“Did Melodiana not mention that I am a part of the Wingless as well?” She asks.

“No that seems to have slipped her mind,” Iris says over her shoulder as she steps out of the door.

“Well then I look forward to working with you in the future,” she says, and I nod to her as I walk out of the door.

“Have a good night Beatrice,” Melodiana says to her.

“And all of you as well,” She gently shuts the door behind us.

“She seems nice,” I say as we begin to head down the lamp lit road.

“As long as you stay on her good side she is,” Melodiana winces.

The sisters look back and forth between each other and then back towards me with a smile on their faces.

“So are we going to have guests over more often now?” Iris asks.

“Or are ya going ta be spending evenings away from now on?” Leyla adds, and I just sigh and catch myself rubbing my brow again.

“It could be worse,” Shiva says laughing, “They could have directly seen you with her, just think of what they would be saying then.”

“I would rather not think about that situation,” I tell her, and then say to the others, “How about we just go home in peace?”

“No chance,” the sisters say in unison.