July 19, 2022.

The next day, Jenny started tackling her bamboo project. Harvey walked her through basket making while Simon took care of most of the chores. Harvey also helped her turn her rock fragments into usable tools. She worried that he was doing to much, but he promised her that he was fine.

Jenny diligently worked on the bamboo, carefully breaking the bigger pieces in to smaller ones. Her knife did wonders when she got to a certain point. Once she was fully occupied with her task, Harvey turned bones into tools. Jenny paused to watch his fingers turn furry and clawed. She hadn't taken any moments to appreciate the magic of this world and that was a crying shame.

The two of them worked most of the day. Jenny got up multiple times to stretch and go to the sandbox. She felt like she was working for a long time, but her basket still did not look like a basket. She had, apparently, thought weaving would be an easy craft, but she was wrong. It was still a skill that had to be mastered like anything else.

When Simon came home with food, Jenny had something that looked like a basket. She wished Simon would stop throwing her heated looks. It made her antsy. Despite his obvious interest, the male never pushed her. She was grateful for that.

She prepared the soup and let it cook for a while. She wanted to finish her basket today. Her stomach wouldn't let her, so she ate first. She spooned the soup in slowly and chewed the large chunks of vegetables. She wanted to make them smaller, but tried to mind the meat eaters in the house. Leaving the chunks big made it easier for them to avoid. It tasted decent, all things considered.

Once her hunger was satisfied, she went back to her basket. She put the finishing touches on it as per Harvey's instructions and eyed her work. It looked like a basket, a decent sized one. It took her far longer to make than she would've liked, but she was definitely faster than when she first started. The bamboo slivers didn't bother her much either thanks to the callouses on her hands.

Since she had the idea, she might be able to figure out a fishing basket. A survival game she played a long time ago, had a very basic image of one. She might have to get pretty creative to achieve that without instruction, but at least she could try. It was a shame that baskets here were only used to carry babies. It would help a lot with cotton and other small things.

Jenny used a bowl of water to clean up the best she could. She looked up at the window and noticed a new curtain on it. She felt better knowing that they had a little more privacy and thanks to the two males' efforts.

Jenny woke the next day itchy. Her bug bites were gone accept for the scabbed ones, but she wanted a bath really bad. She spoke to Simon who said the feral hadn't been seen in a while and Jenny asked for an escort to the river. Simon enthusiastically agreed. Jenny didn't know why she asked. Simon would be no match for the the other guy if he was still around. Still, it made her feel slightly better.

Jenny checked Harvey's wounds before she left. They were a lot better. They weren't kidding about a male's ability to heal. Harvey said he should be back to 100% less than a week later and more mobile before that.

Jenny left with Simon for the river. It was pretty busy considering a feral was here not too long ago. She did her business fast and felt immediately relieved. Jenny was used to the modern conveniences and not bathing, for even one day, had done bad things to her psyche.

Jenny did not see the male from that day and sighed in relief. She felt the hairs on her neck raise, but saw only a few onlookers throwing her curious glances. The feeling did not go away until she left. Now clean and no longer being watched, Jenny felt so much better.

She made the most out of the reminder of the day. Jenny did what chores she could and got back to bamboo crafting. She attempted to make the fish basket, but had a dilemma. She had no way to keep the fish inside. She hadn't made a door either and fashioned one to the side wall. She would need a way to get the fish out later. Deciding to insert the spike-like pieces of bamboo after the fact, Jenny weaved until the opening was as big as she wanted it.

Jenny added the spikes and had difficulties. It took her past sunset to manage it. Honestly, her finished project looked a little sad. Maybe she could weave the spiked part separately and incorporate it into the main basket later. She would have to try another day.

Since Harvey was moving better now, they relocated the bed back to the bedroom. Simon hesitated to enter and Jenny had to think hard. Letting him in there was essentially accepting him for good, from what Harvey had told her. Harvey was able to be passed off due to the unusual circumstances surrounding their relationship and his pseudo-guardian status, but not Simon.

Jenny figured she would have to have a nice talk with the male first. Feeling uncomfortable, Jenny put on her big girl panties and sat down Simon.

"Simon. I am a strange female," Jenny started earnestly. "I come from a very different and far away place." She had his undivided attention. "The culture is very different and I have some circumstances." Jenny proceeded to explain that inviting him to the bedroom wasn't an invitation to mate right now.

Simon accepted everything she said and only confirmed that she didn't want him to go away. Feeling his point blank adoration was tough for Jenny. He was attractive and earnest, a deadly combo. Jenny didn't figure she could keep him around without developing an attachment. She didn't think too deeply about it since she didn't want her face turning red.

Simon, thankfully, stayed in his beast form. She was already getting used to his smell. Harvey couldn't shift yet which made her uncomfortable. Jenny would gather more grass next time and make a bigger bed. Since Simon was hunting daily, they now had a flow of furs coming in. They could use them for the bed too.

The next day Jenny tested out her fishing basket prototype. She secured it with some rocks in the shallows after adding mashed up worms and meat scraps to it for bait. She was quick about since she felt herself being watched. She really couldn't tell anymore what was paranoia and what was not. She just assumed it was real most of the time, since a lot of males would watch her curiously.

She spent the rest of the day helping with chores. She gathered more grass for the bed too. She stashed some lavender in with the grasses to help cover up a little bit of the odor. Once she was done, the bed was now double the size. They didn't have enough furs to cover it, but the males didn't mind laying directly on the grass and hay.

The following morning, Jenny eagerly checked her fishing basket. She got very exited to find two fish in it. She was sure her design was lacking, but it still had results. She might not be a big fish fan, but she needed vitamins and a varied diet. Fish could also be caught by her basket reducing the need to hunt. If she really hated it, she could throw it in soup and cover the flavor up with spices.

She took out her knife and cleaned both fish at the riverside. Her knife was no filleting knife, but she managed well enough. She cleaned her knife well before and after taking care of the fish, hoping it would be enough to save her from illness.

Simon marveled at Jenny's skill. She seemed familiar with the motions. Of course, he noticed the strange tool she used, but knew better than to ask. There was a lot of mysterious things about the female he pursued and knew he would learn about them when she wanted him to. He was afraid that prying would make her dislike him, so he did not.

Once done, Jenny put the fish skins and bones into the trap and showed Simon where and how to set it up. Satisfied with her success, Jenny went home. They didn't have a proper skillet, so Jenny went with soup again. She cut up the fish fillets and added them. She hoped the flavor wouldn't be too strong.

Jenny worked the rest of the night on another fishing basket. The soup was not overly fishy and Harvey seemed to especially like it. She would definitely need more fish. She tried her other idea using two different woven bamboo parts and combined them. Jenny assessed her new creation with a critical eye. It was funny looking, but seemed better put together than her other one.

Knowing that the best way to test it was by practical application, Jenny added a door to the side wall of the basket and planned to put it to use tomorrow. She slept better that night and woke up early the following day.

Eager to test her new creation and check her old one, Jenny headed to the river first thing in the morning with Simon. A familiar face intercepted her. Simon growled and Mestor growled back. Simon backed off very quick with his ears pinned. Jenny watched the interaction with flickering feelings.

Jenny wasn't fond of all the growling, but that was part of their dominance thing. Since it didn't come to blows, she didn't say anything. She wasn't really sure what to say anyway. 'Don't growl,' sounded odd to her. Like saying don't be an animal. Then again, she also wouldn't want them to fight and would definitely say something then.

"Is that one of the crafts you talked about?" Asked Mestor, stealing her from her thoughts.

"Yes. The fishing basket, version two," Jenny said. Her eyes flicked between the two males. She wanted to make sure they were really okay after that growling thing.

"Version?" Mestor questioned with interest.

Jenny explained her words as Mestor followed them to the water. He inspected the fishing basket curiously. Jenny was explaining the various parts of its design when they arrived at the riverside. She baited it and Simon fixed it into place. Jenny pulled out the other one. She had four fish today, but they were smaller than yesterday's catch. Each one was the size of her palm. Maybe it was because she switched bait.

She showed off her catch to the two males anyway. The basket idea was working and she found the small triumph exciting. She left the fish inside for now since she hadn't bathed yet. She looked at Mestor and tried to send him away.

"I'm going to bathe now," she said shyly.

Mestor didn't move at first. Once he got the meaning he blushed lightly and left. He was still curious about the baskets, but he would wait until Jenny finished bathing to ask more.

Once Simon gave her some privacy, Jenny scrubbed quickly. She made sure to wash her clothes good too. She even washed her makeshift shoe-furs that already looked pretty beat up. They were getting grimy.

Today, jenny decided to also wash her hair. She usually didn't since it was always in a braid and her scalp could use the extra oil. Then again, it wasn't like she had real shampoo here. The washing herbs hardly dried her out like the synthetic stuff in a bottle that she was used to, so she should be okay.

Once finished she squeezed out as mush water as she could and dressed. Sitting on the bank, she braided her hair a little looser than normal. She was pretty bad about it usually, but it wasn't good to braid hair too tight when it was wet. Telling Simon that she was done, she found Mestor coming back as well. 'Did he wait to?' She wondered.

Not sure how to interpret that, Jenny didn't. Instead, she got to filleting her little fish. Mestor and Simon watched intently giving her stage fright. Jenny thought it was stupid to get worked up over every little thing, but they were pretty handsome. Her stress was warranted.

Jenny loaded the basket with fish scraps and Simon placed it in the shallows. She carried her filets and fish bones that were cleaned by the fish and tried to answer Mestor's endless curiosity. She had no way to properly explain her knife and just said it was a creation from her home.

Mestor could sense the evasion of his questions and changed the topic. He wasn't uncouth and wouldn't pry, but he wouldn't forget about the odd knife. His eyes twinkled and he asked about something else.

"Will you be making more of the fishing baskets?" Mestor asked Jenny.

"Yes," replied Jenny.

Jenny found it neat that she was talking pretty normally with a man, a very handsome one at that. He seemed to be a natural at conversation. He always backed off on the uncomfortable topics which she was grateful for. Even the few times she tripped over her words were ignored and treated normally.

Simon didn't add anything to the conversation and felt a little left out. He didn't say anything though. The other male was superior to him in strength and he was too cowardly to challenge him for Jenny's attention. At least Mestor wasn't allowed into her den. The thought improved Simon's mood as he followed along silently.

They made it back to the den and Jenny said her goodbyes. Simon went off to hunt and Jenny tried to cook up the fish for her and Harvey. She wanted oil, egg, and flour to fry it with, but they did not have any of those ingredients. Knowing that Bai Qingqing found all three things later made her feel better.

Jenny asked Harvey about the oil producing branches, but he did not know. Would she have to start crushing random branches to figure it out? How would she know if the oils were all safe? By smell? Sighing, Jenny thought about the risks and benefits. She knew there was definitely safe oil out there, maybe she should take the gamble.

After making a mess out of the fish, she ate some and gave the rest to Harvey. She was not a fan. Harvey accepted her fish pile and ate with gusto. Glad that someone liked her cooking, she nibbled on some raw carrots that weren't really carrots.

Jenny tended to the garden and gathered more cotton. She fended off the suitors who approached her. Although they were all attractive, she couldn't bring herself to consider them right now. Jenny wanted to stabilize herself first and make Winston her primary target. When she returned she found several fruits left at her doorstep.

Simon would have brought them inside, so it wasn't his doing. Jenny got a little excited wondering what the new suitor was like and laughed at herself. She hadn't ever been asked out before, besides Simon, so suddenly having such attention was still a new experience.

Jenny was glad to know that her 'ugly' status didn't hurt her as much as she thought it would. After setting the cotton inside, she retrieved the fruits. Confirming that Harvey wanted none of them, she ate.

Jenny spent the rest of the day exercising and crafting. She didn't find her work pleasant. If she was inside, Harvey was watching her. If outside, strangers were. Everyone was so nosy, and she was starting to find it annoying.

Shaking her head, Jenny realized she was being negative again. She needed to think of this in a better light. She wasn't attracting strong males, but she was attracting some. She was also achieving a lot of crafting goals. Successfully lightening Harvey and Simon's load was a good thing that made her feel better about herself.

Jenny was enjoying the thought of being useful. It was a shame she couldn't be truly independent here, but she didn't let that bother her much. Since her crafts were successful, she would keep on going.

That's exactly what Jenny did. She crafted many baskets for fishing and holding other things. Too embarrassed to take them outside, Jenny used them to contain cotton, herbs, tools, and other miscellaneous items in the den. Jenny successfully found oil in tree branches with Harvey and Simons' help.

She gathered a lot of cotton, herbs, and plants that she added to the garden. Simon restocked her bamboo pile and Harvey made a complete recovery. Simon and Harvey alternated hunting daily and Jenny got really good at cooking soup. Thanks to their consistent hunting, they now had curtains for the windows and more furs for bedding. Harvey even made her some new foot wraps.

Mestor visited her frequently and even Tony stopped by once. Her mystery suitor continued to leave goods in front of her doorstep, but Jenny never spotted him. Of course, she could ask Simon about the unknown man's scent, but felt like leaving the mystery for some fun. Neither one ever had poor reactions to the occurrence so Jenny did not worry herself over it.

Jenny got much more comfortable interacting with the two males in her house. She could speak fairly openly to Harvey and was getting more comfortable talking to Simon. The only times she felt uncomfortable was when Simon expressed his interest openly. Jenny was not used to that kind of thing yet. She wondered if she would get used to it one day.

The feral from the river never showed back up and Jenny started to ignore the various looks she would feel. Less males approached her now since Mestor was often talking to her. Out of all the males she interacted with, he and Tony were the only ones with two stripes.

Jenny had been thinking about the concept of poly and found herself less off put from the idea than she thought. To her, it was more difficult to image herself in a romantic relationship at all, as opposed to one with multiple partners. This world encouraged it after all and she believed herself open-minded.

Despite understanding and accepting her situation, Jenny couldn't make herself accept Simon yet. She did however, practice asking out Harvey. She explained her reasoning and he accepted it.

"Will you join my family," Jenny said the words after much difficulty. She imagined her face must look like she was going to battle. 'Love is war right?' She thought to herself.

"I-I have a female I love," Harvey said with difficulties.

Jenny continued her practice until it no longer felt like she was walking on nails. Harvey looked like he received a significant amount of damage after her fifty ways to ask out a man. So she was exaggerating, but she tried to be creative. Thanking Harvey profusely for the help, Jenny promised him fish fry for their next meal.

Simon apparently heard of their courting practice and joined. He was the opposite of Harvey. He accepted every time and couldn't say no at all. Feeling her shame crest, Jenny didn't think she would ever get used to hearing 'yes' to that question.