July 17th, 2022.

Jenny spent the rest of the time trying to study Harvey's goods without touching them. She knew the cultures were different, but didn't know if his culture would also find it rude to rummage through someone else things. Since Jenny felt it was, she did not in spite of her curiosity.

She wandered back outside again and caught the attention of a leopard. Jenny hesitated briefly. Based on its size, it should be a beastman, but that knowledge didn't stop the fear from flaring up. Predators were predators and they should be treated cautiously. At least that's how Jenny felt until it changed into a man.

"Female? Do you need something?" He looked friendly enough to Jenny, but she still hesitated. In the end, she decided to chance it and ask which direction and how far the river was. Jenny pointedly avoided looking at the male's lower abdomen and focused on his face as he gave her the information. She thanked the male who paused, but he still left.

Jenny thought to leave a message and realized how stupid that was. She was pretty sure that written language was not a thing here. Still, she drew an arrow pointing at a poor dirt-drawn river. She didn't know if Harvey would understand her meaning. Maybe she could beat him back and erase it before he sees it. She was never good at drawing and it made her self-conscious.

She scraped some of the dirt out from under her nails and looked for a stick and rock. She was no survivalist, but she had read several books with main characters who were. Given her cruddy sense of direction, she thought it necessary to mark the trees along her way and draw arrows in the ground for her to follow back.

Jenny did not run into anyone else as she made it to the river. She looked around one last time and stripped off her shirt, pants, socks, and watch. Her watch was supposed to be waterproof, but she never trusted that just in case.

Her sports bra made her feel covered enough on the top, but her black, bikini-cut panties made her wish she wore a different pair. She submerged herself into the cool water. It made her shiver and the goosebumps rose all over her body.

Jenny scooped up some silt for lack of anything else and scrubbed her body. She avoided scrubbing her privates with the stuff in case she could give herself an infection with it. There was no medicine to deal with that kind of thing here. She opted for a quick hand scrub and made sure to clean her panties as good as she could. she pulled the bra away from her skin to scrub up and under it. The silt did not feel good on her sensitives nipples, but she endured.

Once she was sure that she was as clean as she could be, Jenny carefully undid her braid. She rinsed and massaged her sweat soaked scalp. She couldn't recall if Bai Qingqing discovered a shampoo substitute in this world, but she really hoped she did. Once her hair was as clean as she could make it, Jenny looked at her clothes. Her pants would take ages to dry once they were wet given their thicker fabric, but her shirt would dry quickly.

Jenny washed her shirt and socks, but left her pants dry. It grossed her out, but she didn't have the luxury of being picky. If she could make herself another pair of clothes, she could wash them later. She laid her shirt and socks out over a large rock to dry and leaned against it.

After confirming that there was no one around her, that she could see, Jenny started fussing with her hair. She squeezed out some excess water and used her fingers to work through the few tangles that developed. She then deftly braided her hair back into the single, long braid before securing it with her hairband.

She squeezed the water out of her panties and sports bra as best as she could and used her hand to push the water off of her skin. She stayed where she was for a little while. She wanted to appreciate how pretty the river was, but her anxiety flared up. She looked at the foliage to distract herself and tried to find anything she'd recognize.

She was no hardcore camper and only knew some of the native plants that grew around her parent's property. She really wanted to find something familiar. She noticed a small flowering plant, but couldn't say she recognized it. Sighing again, she wondered if she could work up the nerve to ask Harvey if he would teach her a bit.

She figured it had been an hour since she left. Her washed clothes and hair were still slightly damp, but they had dried quickly. The sun was out and pretty hot. She wanted to finish drying off, but her paranoia was triggered. She didn't know who might be watching her and wanted to go back. Her clothes were dry enough and she was glad she did not wash her pants.

Jenny followed the signs she left back to the hut feeling lightheaded. She would need to eat soon or fall over. Harvey had not beaten her back, so she erased her message. She didn't have to wait much longer for him. He came back with two cleaned rabbits and a makeshift basket of fruits and vegetables.

Jenny over thanked Harvey, making him uncomfortable. Jenny stopped herself before she over did it. His blush reminded her that the males here did were not used to receiving gratitude from females.

Jenny cleaned and prepared the stuff she would be eating alone and asked to season the meat. Harvey hesitated until Jenny assured him that this was a normal practice for improving the food where she was from. The ate a full meal. Jenny hadn't really eaten much at all and was starving. She hesitated to take seconds, but Harvey had already passed her some. She thanked him absentmindedly again feeling embarrassed.

Harvey loved the herb covered meat. It was flavorful and pleasant. He asked about it and Jenny taught him different recipes and uses for the herbs when applied to food. He learned about marinades and different cooking techniques as they ate.

Jenny ate carefully while speaking. She was worried about dribbling food out of her mouth or making too much noise while chewing. It seemed like a stupid worry, but she always got that way when she ate around people she wasn't close to. Thankfully, Harvey took a liking to the cooking with herbs idea and asked her various questions.

Jenny finally felt like she was doing something useful and eagerly told him about all kinds of meat dishes and their preparations, visibly relaxing as she did so. She ate a lot and saved the fruits for later. Her watch said 17:21 and she figured she might get a little hungry later. Her fast metabolism would not help her here.

Harvey insisted that he clean up and Jenny backed off. She did however, insist on taking the furs and needle from Harvey to make her own clothes. Being measured was an experience Jenny would rather forget, as it clearly made them both awkward. At least he wasn't a pervert about it like Parker and Curtis were in the original story.

Eventually, Harvey relented the task to Jenny. Jenny struggled with the sewing job. The stitching was made with tiny strips of leather and piercing through leather was no easy task. Her hands cramped before she was complete and Harvey took over for her. She scratched her head in embarrassment. She made a fuss out of doing it herself, but failed spectacularly. Harvey finished it before the sun completely set.

Jenny tried on the clothes as Harvey turned away. She didn't want to change in front of him even if he wasn't facing her, but she couldn't kick him out of his own house. He has been considerate and polite to her so far. She didn't think he would suddenly ruin that to take a peek at her.

It was made from a deer hide and was a simple two piece. Instead of a tube top, she asked if it could be fashioned in something that went over her sports bra. Harvey tried and made a crop top with big arm holes. If Jenny didn't wear her sports bra, she would definitely be flashing side-boob. But she would be wearing it with her sports bra, so that was fine.

Jenny had Harvey make the skirt knee-length, but double slitted. She needed to be able to move around in it without flashing anybody around her. Jenny felt it would do and attracted far less attention than her clothes. Not that attention had been a problem for her so far. She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts.

The only complaint Jenny had was her legs. She only bothered to shave a couple times a month, if that. Her leg and arm hair were lighter than the rest of her hair and didn't show up much. That and she never wore anything other than pants in public unless it was for a special occasion. So she didn't need to shave much.

She looked at Harvey's legs briefly and felt guilty for stealing a peek. His looked bare as far as she could tell. Jenny doubted they had a practice of shaving here, so that must be natural. But... Where does that leave her? Hairy leg life? Bushy armpits? She shivered. She could get over the hairy leg thing since she was used to rocking that at home, but growing a new biome from her pits did not inspire good feelings in her.

Feeling that she had kept the man for too long, Jenny told him she was done. He nodded at the clothes, but didn't show any other reaction. He asked about her socks and Jenny thought about it. She was not ready to give up shoes. She would need them to outrun things and just walking in general. Even if she had a male to act as a chauffeur, she imagined it would take her a while to adapt to that custom, strangely enough.

She picked up some scraps of fur and started making foot wraps. Her hands cramped, reminding her of why she couldn't finish her own clothes. Harvey took over once again and she had thick food wraps that could be laced up like boots. They were not as good as shoes, but they should keep her from scratching up her feet too much.

Their crafting session went passed dark and Harvey said they should settle for bed. Jenny panicked again, but Harvey shifted into his furry form. Jenny wished she could say that relieved her, it did, but it also scared her. Logically, she knew it was Harvey, but instinctually, she saw him as a beast. It looks like she had a different priority to work on; getting used to beast forms.

Jenny did not sleep easily and had to get up to go to the toilet twice. She nibbled on some fruit to settle her stomach and saved the rest for morning. She didn't expect them to remain fresh, but they shouldn't mold or spoil that quickly.

Jenny woke up as the sun illuminated the world. She stretched and found herself petting the smooth fur. She flinched. She knew it was Harvey and that was the problem. He made it obvious that he wasn't interested in Jenny and she doubted that casually receiving pets from anyone other than Bai Qingqing would be comfortable for him. She apologized and Harvey made some sounds that she couldn't not decipher the meanings of.

Harvey shifted and Jenny turned her head away fast. It wasn't fast enough and she caught a nice look of toned behind. She felt embarrassed and tried to remind herself that she would be the weird one here for getting worked up over that.

Harvey dressed and went over his stock of goods. The water was running low and he would fill it. He would also need to stock the firewood up. He found Jenny eating the rest of yesterday's berries and he declined when she offered him some. He could eat a few, but preferred not to. He told her of his immediate plans and that he should return soon.

Harvey pointed out the stock of vegetables he collected yesterday and noticed Jenny brightening up. He got the fire going and offered to cook for her, but Jenny insisted that she could handle it. Harvey could tell that Jenny was getting a little bolder. He didn't discourage it. If anything, he thought her attitude had been awfully passive and worried for her. He left quickly to gather what he could.

Jenny finished off her stone bowl of fruits and munched on some raw spinach. It was bland without any dressing, but it was tolerable. She ate little and went to the sand box. She had been dreading pooping and the stress had stopped her up. Now she had to go and she cursed at this underdeveloped world.

Once she was done squat pooping, she used the leaves that Harvey had explained were for wiping butt. She didn't feel clean enough and planned a trip to the river. Harvey had only made a small comment about her trip yesterday and asked if he should bring the water to her. She denied him and swore she would rather bathe in the river. He was already doing a lot for her and she didn't want to be a bitch by taking anymore advantage of him than was necessary.

Jenny found her way to the river by following her markings. She jogged when she could and realized she hadn't done her stretches. She would do them later. It only took her ten minutes to get there and she only came to rinse her face, mouth, and butt. She would come back later to wash her pants. She quickly threw on her clothes, but saw no one else around. Sighing in relief, Jenny jogged back to the hut. Her feet slipped around in the new wrappings and she bit back a curse. She noted not to run in leather with wet feet and made it back slower than before.

Thankfully, she beat Harvey back again. She did her stretches and some exercises. Harvey came back carrying wood and more food. He held a dead bird along with some other things. Jenny worked up the courage to ask about it. Harvey told her it was a short bird and Jenny's mouth salivated. Chicken sounded good to her, but she tried not to make it obvious.

Harvey, in turn, asked her about her exercises. Jenny explained her reasoning which troubled the male. Jenny tried to make it better by saying it was also for health. Harvey took an interest and Jenny tried to explain the various benefits of cardio. They talked about her muscles much to her horror. She wasn't used to bragging and tried to explain the draw of muscles on a women.

She used the opportunity of flowing conversation to ask about various plants and herbs. She crushed up some garlic as Harvey explained various things to her. She absorbed as much as she could. She might not always be able to call on a doctor and may need to rely on herself in the future.

Harvey was happy to teach her about various things. They talked while they ate and Jenny felt okay. She had been nervous around the man and it wasn't necessary. Harvey wasn't from her world and nothing like the men there. She didn't have to be nervous, he wouldn't bring harm to her and was going out of his way to make her comfortable.

Jenny learned about all the herbs she used had cooked with so far. She hadn't really thought about the medical uses of them. She knew ginger was brewed in teas and used to help with diabetes, blood pressure control, and anti-inflammation because of her grandparents' health needs. But he also said it was used to control nausea for pregnant females.

She was pretty familiar with the benefits of garlic though she hoped he would never have to put a paste of it on her. He could even use chili pepper to help relieve joint pain, but said it isn't the best since it can cause eye pain. She nodded since that would be an obvious result if someone touched the paste first. He used it more commonly to help treat coughs.

Jenny listened intently and Harvey offered to take her out to identify the plants in the field. Jenny agreed readily and asked if they could transport some plants back. Harvey did not deny her and she felt guilty for requesting it. She had gotten a little too comfortable and asked without thinking.

They ate breakfast and Harvey brought her out. He showed her various plants and Jenny did her best to memorize them. They took several transplants back with them and Jenny used her knife to carve their names into pieces of wood. Harvey questioned her about it and Jenny told him about written language and the knife she had.

Jenny felt a small prick of worry about exposing too much of her culture, but decided that this much would be okay. Harvey was only interested in her differences, but rarely showed negativity. If he did, it was usually directed at her desire to do things.

They finished planting them and Jenny marked them with her wood pieces in case her memory failed her. Harvey went back out to hunt for their dinner. Jenny glanced at her watch. Harvey never asked her to remove it and she didn't want to. There were no males approaching her and the watch wasn't terribly noticeable. She justified her dependence on it to herself. The watch read 14:31.

Jenny grabbed her pants, emptied their contents, and hit the stopwatch function. She wanted to see exactly how long it would take her to jog to the river and walk back. She took off following her signs. It took her nine minutes at a steady jog to get there.

After washing herself and pants, she dried briefly before walking back. It took her fifteen minutes at a brisk walk to make it back. She took the time to really study her surroundings. Jenny tried to identify and herbs she spotted, but there were not many that she could. She felt the hair on her neck raise and looked around as calmly as she could. She tried to pretend she was doing the same thing as before, but could not make out the source of her unease.

When Jenny made it back to the hut, the feeling of being watched ceased and she sighed in relief. She didn't want to head back to the hut with anyone following her, but her nerves got the better of her. There was nowhere else that could count as safe, even if this current safety was an illusion.

Harvey could not defend her against most threats and she hoped she never had to expect that of him. It wouldn't be fair. Jenny thought it was odd that she was seeing him as a real person instead of a character, but Harvey was living and breathing. He expressed emotions and it was weird thinking him as fake.

Jenny sunk to the floor of the hut, clutching her wet pants to her chest. 'Like a game,' she chanted in her head. It's okay to think of them as real, as long as she didn't think this was all real. Not yet, she wasn't ready to come to that conclusion.

Once she regained the will to move, she spread out her pants on the cleanest part of the floor. Noticing some dirt build up, she grabbed some old straw that Harvey wanted to burn and fashioned a poorly made hand broom. She tied her shirt around her face so she wouldn't breathe in much. She opened the window and door and left them like that for now. She did what she could to clean up the hut and returned the used straw to where it belonged.

She sneezed once she removed her makeshift mask and stood outside waiting for any dust to settle. The unnerving feeling from earlier did not come back much to her relief. While she was waiting, Harvey got a patient.

"Harvey is taking care of a female?" Asked the stranger. Jenny told him that Harvey was away and he decided to stick around until he came back. His female wasn't well apparently. Jenny did not chase him away, but did not invite him in. It wasn't her home, she was only a guest.