Arriving back inside of Brewbrt's home, I let out a lengthy groan and my body slumps. A bath or shower isn't far now, whatever it is Rose-sweerui wants to show me, that'll give her more time to work on it. I can just... Clean myself, scrub myself clean of all this filth and more.

Hearing speedy echoes, I try to figure out where they're coming from. A familiar distinction sticks out and I can't help but smile. Excited running and chatting. A beaming smile on a certain someone's face not long after.

"My love! You are back... But a bit too early." she squeals initially, and she physically turns ironic to her secretive behaviour. A huff escapes me and I look slightly to her side as Einervaene finishes her struggle to catch up. The foreign beauty gets her metallic-shaded back into order and she joins in with the smiles. Oh, I wonder how Neeameth would react upon meeting the window-breaking clutz?

"Hello, Einervaene, how have you been?" I ask, and she flinches at my focus.

"I have been well..." she answers, her cautious eyes flickering between me and Rose-sweerui.

A blur goes off behind Rose-sweerui, it's her tail, "We are nearly done with the surprise!"

She wiggles and giggles without ending, bouncing up and down like a child with a present in sight. Whatever her secret is, she wants me to see so very badly and there's a circumstance we both benefit from. Nearly done. Time for me to clean myself, if only quickly or so. Gods above, though, her eagerness might make her barge in with whatever this surprise is.

"You best not let me see it, then. I need to have a bath or something." I say, and she meets my first step immediately with absurd aggression. Rose-sweerui backs away, a delicate nature in her posture.

"You need to find another room for that. I'm not kicking you out or doing this because I hate you. I just want this to be a true surprise. No chances of it being spoiled at all." Rose-sweerui tells me as she shifts around through expressions of embarrassment and nervousness. She ends on a pout and moves closer to me, her hand cupping my chin. Her fingers stroke me gently and I take it as a silent apology as she steps back.

"That's fine. It's fine." I say to the pair, frowning out of sight as I try to recall where I might be able to find some privacy. I'll probably try my luck in one of the unused rooms and using the bathroom in there after I lock it up. Really, it would be nice if they just hid the surprise, whatever it is, but no point in holding resentment over it. Well, maybe a little for making me find a new room to bathe in.

"I hope I have done a good job with them. Working around Rianta-chira's legs has been an... Interesting experience. I kept worrying about how I would fail to remember she has no feet...!" she laughs with lacking confidence and her expression goes down. Her fingers come together and pull at each other. Sparks come off of them and fizzle out in the air.

"Sore fingers?" I ask, noticing how red they are. Is this a nervous habit or something more concerning? Rose-sweerui's fingers are fine, so I'd hate to find out that one has been mushing the other along.

"A little. I've had to do a fair few practice knots to make sure the leggings fit on tight enough. Accounting for all these dauntingly simple changes and keeping to my native style..." she says, trailing off as she eyes Rose-sweerui's bare points as they otherwise perfectly balance the aelenvari.

"So how long would you say you have until you are done?" I decide to ask, pondering how much time I have in the bath. A good hour or so should get rid of most of my filth. Maybe a few more if I want my clothes to be soaked and washed clean of the blood and muck.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Probably..." Einervaene begins to let out, one hand tapping three fingers of the other, "Three days?"

I blink.

"You are almost done... According to Rose... And you got three days of work left?"

I blink again, my confused claw expressions coming to an end.

Einervaene looks away with a growing red face, as does Rose-sweerui herself...

"I've been quite picky-"

"Rianta-chira has been quite demanding-"

The two trail off into a muddled mess and they look at each other and then away. Even with the other out of sight, they somehow emulate each other. The pair put their hands together and squeeze them. An awkward silence comes with a heavy blanket for us all to dwell under.

"And what have you been asking that makes it take so long?" I call out Rose-sweerui for and her body tightens. It's like I've caught her stealing a treat, one she's barely hidden behind her wrist. If I was her father, I'd be only one demand from seeing it.

"I have only been asking her to make sure it is something you like!" she insists, and my head corrects her. She's only been asking her to make something - she likes- and then thinks I, in turn, will like. My mouth curls up quite evilly as I take these thoughts beyond that.

"Oh, you've been making sure that this surprise will make you very much a covered woman? Barely showing off any figure and skin at all? You know, something that makes it all that much more fun to peel off and undress you out of." I tease, moving over to one of Brewbrt's decorative armour displays and emphasising my point with its complex articulation.

My grin becomes a toothy smile as Rose-sweerui's body tenses up further. She stammers and turns to Einervaene, who moves away with a frightful back-step. The pair look to me, their plans supposedly in ruin. Rose-sweerui's eyes start to water and she clutches her head with a strained growl.

Putting a claw on her, I rub her head and left my laughter come out properly. The pair blink at me until the gears in their heads finally get to work. Einervaene surprises me with a light growl and glare and she throws it away as quick as it came. Rose-sweerui continues to stare at me with a trembling shiver.

"I..." she chokes back, her genuine panic blocking up most of the thoughts in her head.

"Oh, don't be like that, Rose-sweerui. You silly girl. I will like it however you prepared it." I tell her, letting my laugh grow louder as my claw works its way deeper into her hair. The desired effect takes some time to blossom, but it comes. Seems like she's worked herself up by quite a bit.

"Should I go and find some tissues?" Einervaene asks as she gets a proper glimpse of Rose-sweerui's face. Shaking my head on the aelenvari's behalf, I guide her closer to the woman who might be joining us soon. Will probably be best off sending the pair to get themselves and this surprise sorted.

"Yeah, go on and sort her out. And then we can go and do something later. If you two are not too shaken up by my joke?" I offer and Rose-sweerui's bulbs light up for some reason. I want to make an assumption, but it's hard to tell. Nonetheless, the pair seem to perk up at my offer and they hurry along.

I'm glad it's turning out like this. Rose-sweerui is on her way to a fast recovery regarding the humour. And, Einervaene seems to be growing increasingly comfortable around us. Or, well, Rose-sweerui, anyway. A project like this probably helped the pair set aside any issues they had, make them forget or something.

Offering a little wave, I wander off to find myself a spare room. I walk by several doors and eye the staff cleaning them out or using them properly. Guess that means Brewbrt lets some of his staff live here? Makes sense, I suppose. How many bedrooms does this old man need, anyway? This estate is a town within a town!

Whatever, I suppose, as long as I can find one that I can briefly borrow. Passing some more doors, I flick and tap on the doors to test their locks without coming off as weird. Finding a room far away from anyone else, I find myself stopping at its door for another reason. The awkwardness of my claw on the little turner for the lock sticks in my head.

This academy better be worth the effort. I hope... No; I want them to sort my body out. If they can- Get me back to normal so I can go home without issue.

Turning the way I came, my head tilts in thought. A long sigh escapes me. It's a good thing neither is here to hear me. I cannot say for certain how Einervaene might feel. But, Rose-sweerui, I know she'll be far worse than she was a minute ago if she so much as hears anything about us two separating.

"It's all a while off, anyway." I mutter, going into the room and locking the door behind me. Getting into the bathroom, I start to strip and, with a twist of metal, let the steam rise.