Harvey woke up and carefully removed himself from the furs. Jenny still stirred awake and Harvey flinched. No matter how careful he was, she was a light sleeper. He wanted to get to work and let her rest. He didn't dare ask her to stop helping since she wanted to so bad. But he felt guilty. He felt like he should be accomplishing more.

Today, he would make more stoneware, specifically, a water basin. Jenny would need one to bathe in. He also need to chop wood and make a new door. That wasn't even half of his list of to dos. Since jenny was awake, he took her out to the river. Once she cleaned up, he took her, at her insistence, to find fruits and herbs to transplant into the garden. Harvey relented and brought her with him.

They went a little farther out than before and dug some berry producing bushes as well as some leafy greens that Jenny could eat. Once Jenny's bag was loaded with fruits and vegetables, they made their way back with both hands full of plants for the garden.

On their way back, Jenny brought up the topic of Winston. Harvey had heard of the other male. He was concerned for Jenny since the male didn't have the best reputation, but Jenny insisted. Harvey would ask around when he could. They replanted the crops and Harvey left to chop wood and make a new door.

Jenny took the spiky fruit to the river. She washed the fruits, ate them, and cleaned her teeth with the spikes ones. She looked for flat pebbles in fished some out of the water. She did some stretches next to the river and bathed with her clothes on. She could switch to her normal clothes when in the den while these ones dried.

She grabbed a few different pebbles and settled them underneath the remainder of the fruits she had left. She looked along the bank for a stone that she could use to as a makeshift carving tool. She didn't want her knife to go dull from too much use. She found several rocks, but none were as she wanted. She took one and started busting it against another to try and get a good sharp-sided sliver.

She was naturally approached by some distressed males who asked her what she was doing. She told them and they volunteered to break it for her. She accepted. She didn't want to ask for help since this was something she could accomplish, but she did not like all the attention she was getting. She thanked them and got some goofy looks.

Could 'thanks yous' get her suitors? She wondered if that was really enough, but maybe it would be. Out of the three males in front of her, only one had a stripe. She didn't want to focus on power, but it would let her rest easier if her protectors were strong.

'Protectors...' She thought to herself. She should call it like it would be. They weren't free. They would expect to mate at some point, even if they were patient enough to wait awhile. She'd been avoiding the thought of sex since it made her uncomfortable. There was no point in worrying about that until she had males who wanted to.

None of the males asked Jenny out so she didn't think about it anymore. She gathered her supplies and left. She didn't know if the smooth stones would have a use, but she figured it couldn't hurt to keep them around until she thought of something to do with them.

After returning, Jenny felt a little stir crazy. She figured there was something she should be doing now. Whether she was out interacting with potential suitors or helping gather stuff for the den, there should be something else she could do. She thought about the big issue that had yet to come up. She had just finished her period before coming here. Over a week has passed, so she still had some time. It wouldn't hurt to prepare in case.

She should find cotton, and get bamboo if she could. She needed to gather a ton of things to keep her occupied. She wouldn't be able to leave the house when she was bleeding. The less people who knew she was menstruating, the better. She did not want to be bugged to mate and they might find it weird if she bled the next month too, which she would. Her cycles were regular.

If this was a game, she'd have a quest to gather all kinds of goods first. That was what she would do. She stepped outside and came face to face with a shy Simon. He handed the small package to her and she hesitated to accept it. Was he courting her?

She gave herself a mental push forward and took it. He looked happy and explained that it was some fruit, having noticed her berry stained fingers the day prior. Jenny felt uncomfortable, but with butterflies not being off put. It was a new feeling to be pursued and it made her want to squirm. She thanked Simon for the berries and he left quickly. His black tail wagged behind him.

She smiled a little at the sight. She liked that he seemed easy enough to read. She thought about her newest suitor as she walked back to the lavender field while eating the fruit he brought.

Simon was a little over six foot tall from what she could tell. His skin was light and had short, black hair. His eyes were medium brown and slim, they reminded her of asian features. He had a stronger jaw line and she couldn't say she noticed his other features too much. She figured she would have more time in the future to see.

Jenny notched another tree and asked a passing male for directions. He brought her to the cotton field and gathered his own. Thankfully, the field hadn't been far. She was happy for it, since cotton was going to be her good friend. She got another comment about why it wasn't her male taking care of that and so on. She answered with a simple, "I like to." The males usually accept that answer and don't pry.

Realizing she hadn't informed Harvey of her wandering, she cursed lightly. She was too distracted by the fact that she had another suitor. Hopefully, he would not worry. She filled her almost empty bag with cotton and tried to remove as many of the seeds and plant parts as she could. That task ended up being too much for her right now. Once her bag was stuffed full, she filled her arms up some more and made her way back. She got several looks, but no one else approached her until she was almost home.

"Jenny?" Questioned Mestor.

"Yes?" Jenny responded, looking at the male. His orangish-red hair was very eye catching, but his black tipped ears drew her attention. She hadn't allowed herself to stare too much at any of the tails or ears. She wanted to though. It was really interesting and cool to see. She purposely avoided looking at his face. With only the few glances she had seen, Jenny could tell he was too good looking.

"Can I help you with that?" She felt a tiny smirk on her face. Everyone always seemed to think she needed help. Here she thought her muscles could inspire more confidence than that. She hid her smile with the mound of cotton.

"Okay," Jenny accepted the help. It hadn't hurt her so far, so she intended to take it this time. Maybe she could try to strike up a conversation while she was at it. He took most of the cotton load, but listened well enough when she told him that she would carry the rest.

She walked home and tried to ask the male about some simple questions regarding the city and it's rulers. It was important for her to practice her small talking skills while gathering information. Jenny knew a lot about the happening now, but she could slip in a question about salt trade and the strongest beasts in the city.

Mestor was more than happy to answer any questions Jenny had. "The wolf king, tiger king, leopard king, and ape king rule the city. The ape king has two stripes, but the rest of the kings have four. Aside from them, the only other beast with four stripes is Winston who is also a tiger," Mestor said.

Jenny nodded. That was what she knew. Now, it was a matter of finding out when Winston would come back. Harvey could ask for her, but she wanted to take something off his plate.

"The ape king makes sure that all of the cities females receive enough salt. In fact, they had a surplus this year and went to trade for more females," added Mestor.

Jenny tried not to show her excitement and asked, "That's great! Do you know when they return?" Jenny didn't know if her curiosity was perceived as normal, but Mestor did not question her.

Mestor thought about it and said, "They have been gone for some time and must be on their way back now. They should be back before the rainstorms starts."

Jenny nodded and asked about when that would be. Mestor didn't know the exact time and said that the ape king would announce the beginning of it. He guessed a few weeks away at the most.

Considering this new information, Jenny wasn't sure if she should be glad or not. She was satisfied having an actual time frame, but didn't know if waiting longer would be a good thing. She was anxious to see if Winston would accept her. She felt a blush crawl up her cheeks and felt stupid. 'He either does or doesn't,' she reminded herself.

Sensing a change, Mestor eyed the female next to him. Her tan face was turning a little red. She wasn't breathing hard or struggling from what he could tell. He didn't think he said anything that would have angered her. 'Was she embarrassed about something?' He wondered. The blush disappeared soon after and left Mestor a little confused. He thought he could read female's better than that, but maybe he was wrong.

Jenny thanked the male for his time which added to his confusion. Still, Mestor felt his heart swell a little. He had done very little, what was only expected of a male, but Jenny gave him her words of appreciation.

Mestor assessed the female next to him. He only approached out of curiosity. Jenny did unusual things and he had a tendency to get nosy. He hadn't planned to court the female as he had a higher standard for looks. Still, he found the company of the female next to him more pleasurable than most.

They arrived at the den and found a visitor speaking with a tense Harvey. Jenny recognized Oliver and frowned. She hoped it wasn't a problem.

"She accepted my court, no-mark," growled Oliver.

Jenny didn't need super hearing to make out his words. He wasn't trying to keep it quiet. Not liking the words he was spewing, Jenny approached quickly. When Oliver noticed her, his countenance immediately changed. Feeling uncertain at the drastic difference, Jenny tried to ask what was going on.

"What happened," Jenny questioned.

"You guardian tried to tell me how to court," Oliver spat.

Jenny looked at Harvey. She felt like she knew him well enough and doubted the man capable of strong words or orders.

"I gave him advice," Harvey said weakly in his defense.

"I don't need your advice. It hasn't done you any good," Oliver remarked.

Jenny flinched for Harvey. He wasn't wrong, but that was a crappy thing to say. Jenny steeled herself. This was one of those moments where she should stand up. She thought about her family and closest friend. If it was one of them standing behind her now, or being talked to like that, she wouldn't be hesitating. Recalling how comfortable she was around her family, she channeled that into her response.

"Oliver," Jenny said, grabbing his attention. "Harvey is my friend, not my guardian. Please do not talk to him like that."

"Friend?" Asked Oliver.

"Someone important," Jenny answered, but did not elaborate.

"A no-mark is important?" Oliver questioned with disbelief.

Jenny felt something give. A moment of understanding hit her strongly. Oliver would not work out. Not if he treats others like that. Even Parker didn't say things like that to Harvey.

"Harvey is. Please leave," Jenny said in her coldest voice. She wasn't good at using that tone. When Olive didn't take her seriously she took away the 'please.' "Leave," she insisted.

"You choose a a male who has no marks over me?" Asked Oliver incredulously.

"Yes," Jenny answered. She didn't not feel like explaining herself to him and decided she did not have to. She did not owe him that. She thought he might not go. He looked angry and upset. Her hand found it's way to her knife as small beads of sweat collected on her forehead.

Thankfully, the male only growled before storming off. Only when he was a good distance away did Jenny sigh. Her hand slipped from her knife and she thanked the gods it didn't come to that. She wasn't confident in her self-defense skills.

Jenny walked towards Harvey. He seemed fine, just a shocked. Jenny hoped he didn't misinterpret her meaning. He seemed pretty set on Bai Qingqing and didn't think he'd suddenly change his mind. Harvey would be an ideal choice of partner, but Jenny wasn't ready to think of him like that. If she did, she was sure she would turn stupid and awkward around him. She liked him as a potential friend and hoped that would be the extent of their relationship.

"Are you okay," she asked.

"Yes," Harvey answered a little dazed.

"I forgot to tell you, I went out to get cotton," Jenny said. It was then she recalled Mestor's existence. She felt some embarrassment knowing he got a front row seat to her drama. Jenny glance at the male who didn't appear bothered and sighed.

Harvey nodded and collected himself. He was greatly surprised by Jenny's earlier words. He was moved knowing that she would stand up for him, but also ashamed that he wasn't able to do that himself. He took Jenny's cotton and she turned around to take the rest of the cotton from the fox male.

She set the cotton and lavender inside, noticing that she was now fully dry. She originally wanted to go gather more, but didn't want run into Oliver while she was out. Bidding Mestor goodbye, she sat down and prepared the lavender for drying. Harvey went to hunt and Jenny eventually fell asleep.

Waking an hour later, Jenny stretch and re-cleaned the cotton. It took her hours to pull out the seeds and her fingers hurt. She had no idea how difficult it was to process cotton by hand. 'No wonder the cotton gin was so important,' she thought. 'This sucks.'

Jenny looked at the small mound of white fluff. Out of all the random things she's watched or read on the internet, preparing cotton was not one of them. She knew of the cotton gin, but not a clue about it's assembly or production. Unless she gathered way more, she couldn't hope to try any cloth making with it. She would need a lot more to stuff furs with for blanket making too.

Jenny got up and used the sandbox. She took a look at the setting sun and got a little worried. Harvey was usually back by now. A rock settled in her stomach and she prayed that nothing was wrong.

The sun set that night, but Harvey hadn't come back. Jenny went full panic mode. She wasn't close enough to him to be insanely distraught, but she was heavily dependent on him. He was acting as her emotional support. Her sanity keeper. She didn't realize how important it was to have someone around to talk to and trust, until they disappeared on her.

'No, no, no,' she fretted while pacing. She needed to calm down. If something bad did happen, she needed to think of her next step. But she couldn't calm down enough to do that. Game or no game, she always hated when characters died. The only times it didn't bug her was when the villains got their just dues. Now Harvey was a living and breathing guy who helped her out a lot.

Pacing a trench into the floor, Jenny decided to go outside. She powered her little flashlight on and scoured the immediate area. If he was hurt and lying around close by... She felt eyes on her and swung her light around. She froze when she heard a hiss. Her heart thudded. It hadn't been smart to come outside in the dark. She felt really stupid. Then again, anything out here can easily get into her house. Her new door and totally open windows wouldn't have made a difference.

Jenny's internal monologue wasn't making her feel any better and her eyes finally made out the one she was shining the light on. It was Oliver.

"What is that light?" He asked with a growl.

Jenny had her knife in her hand the next second. She gripped is so tight, that it might've merged with her flesh. Instead of answering his question, she asked one of her own, "What are you doing out here?" There could've been a thousand reasons as to why, but she could only think of the worst ones right now.

"I wondered how you are doing all by yourself," Oliver grumbled while rubbing his eyes.

Jenny froze. A million scenarios tried to explain those words, but the only thing that stuck was a question. 'How the hell would he know that I was alone right now?' Jenny felt her skin clam up. He was either watching her or he knew something.

"A weak male can't protect a female alone or at all," Oliver stated matter of factly and Jenny's blood ran cold.

"Did you do something?" Jenny asked quietly. Her eyes never leaving the male in front of her.

"I fought your weak male and won of course," he said with pride and Jenny's mind went blank.

Jenny held her knife in front of her protectively, unsure of what Oliver would do. "If you come begging to me for help, I will of course. I'd be a good male to you," he turned around and left, much to her surprise.

Jenny shook lightly. Now that the adrenaline was pumping and the threat, seemingly gone, Jenny got angry. Really angry. The piece of work, named Oliver, hurt Harvey because of his stupid pride. It was ridiculous. Harvey could be dead and that guy just wants her to beg! Jenny ground her teeth. Her passive side was squashed by her boiling anger.

She was alone now, but too worked up to get scared over that. Instead she took her flashlight and quietly called for Harvey. She didn't know her way out of the city or which way Harvey even took. She milled around aimlessly, frustrations building. She couldn't even help. She had no strong tracking skills and she was certainly lost already. She looked up at the sky and felt her surprise.

She forgot that there were three moons. She hadn't exactly treated this as the nature tour she wanted to. One day, she would try to appreciate it, but today was not that day. At least they were giving her enough light for her eyes to adapt. She still felt blind in the dark and wanted to curse.

She couldn't believe that this all started because of some stupidly reckless decision to let the stranger court her. Temper flaring, she tripped and caught herself.

"Damed forest. Shitty world," she cursed at nature. She stumbled into someone else yard more than once and was growled at every time. Honestly, she agreed with that approach. At least the male of the second house sent some of his kids to help her. She was too upset to feel guilty about that. After some more fumbling and cursing, she attracted a group of concerned citizens, all male.

"Female, it's dangerous to wander at night. Where are your males?" Asked one.

"Do you need help getting home?" Asked another.

Various questions were aimed at her, but she insisted on looking for Harvey. Her stomach growled as if to kill some of the tension. Unfortunately, she couldn't find the loud sound comical at all.

"Jenny?" Simon questioned.