After spending some time with my grandmothers, I left to meet back with Velatha. Her shift was about to end and I didn't want to make her wait.

A quick jog later, I was in front of the bath house. Velatha appeared a few minutes later. Her eyes locked on me the instant she rounded the corner. I smiled and waved at her.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Boring," she said, "desk duty."

"Eh," I shrugged, "boring is good when you're at the desk."

"You're right," she chuckled.

The village was built on top of a natural hot spring and the residents took full advantage of it.

We entered the bath house and greeted the receptionist. She gave us two baskets with towels and soap inside. We removed our shoes and I let Velatha lead the way to the changing rooms. The distinct smell of the mineral water from the spring permeated the air. After undressing we took a quiet spot to wash. I filled a bucket with warm water from one of the spigots.

"Feels so good~," I said as I upturned the water over my head. I felt the remainder of my stress flow away with the water.

"You missed it that much?" Velatha teased. She knew I liked the baths, perhaps a little too much.

"Try going a month without it!" I flicked my hand towards her and splashed her with water.

"Alright, alright," she pushed a stool towards me, "let me wash your hair then."

I instinctively went to undo my braid, only to find out it wasn't done. Someone at the clinic must have undone it when I was sick and I hadn't really noticed. Velatha took a seat behind me and stood very close. So close my heart skipped a beat or two.

At least one thing hadn't changed between worlds. I was hopelessly gay. And had a crush on my best friend. Maybe this time it wouldn't crash and burn like the great lesbian meltdown of '15. I just needed to find a way, or maybe the courage, to fess up. Hopefully she would return my feelings.

In the meantime, I enjoyed every second of her carefully washing my hair. I wished I could return the favor but it would be incredibly silly with her short hair.

----------------------------------------

"Ha~" I sighed in bliss as I lowered myself in the stone pool. The excess water splashed out and disappeared into the network of channels carved into the rock. It was at the perfect temperature as always and I felt myself relax.

Velatha entered after me. She took a spot next to me on the stone.

"How are you going to survive if you ever venture away from the village," she teased, "not everywhere has a spring you know."

"I'll learn water magic and keep a tub in my storage item," I said with a grin.

"You would do that."

We spent the next hour or two talking. About everything and nothing. She caught me up to speed on the major events, those I hadn't already heard about from my grandmothers. The next class ceremony was soon and I hoped I could get to level twenty before then, which should happen on the next hunt if all went well. To keep our levels close, Vel had skipped the hunts while I was sick. It made me smile that she had done it.

We got out of the baths right in time for the evening meal. The smells coming from the kitchens were enticing. The cooks and their apprentices were busy putting the finishing touches on the large plates. People were slowly congregating towards the central plaza and setting up the tables.

I helped ferry the carpets and cushions and even then, most people tried to stop me. I wasn't made of glass but everyone insisted on treating me so. Vel seemed to think it was funny from her giggles.

Vel and I went to sit with my family. My grandmothers were already waiting at the table with my sister.

"Lili," I heard my dad call out from behind. He was still wearing his scout gear but his armor was clean, he probably had been on guard duty that day. I took him in a hug.

"I'm glad you're back on your feet," he gently ruffled my hair, "we were all very worried."

The meal went on like nothing special had happened. I was glad for the normalcy.

Later, I parted ways with Vel and we both went back to our respective houses. As soon as I slipped in my futon and my head touched the pillow, I was out.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

----------------------------------------

As predicted by my mother, a celebration was announced the next day. A big banquet would take place in the evening. I caught the notice on the village board when I met up with Velatha for breakfast. While it was pretty obvious it was to celebrate my recovery, it wasn't explicitly stated.

"You don't like the attention," Velatha said.

"I'd prefer it if it was for something I actually accomplished," I said as I picked at my breakfast.

"In a sense it is," she said, unconvinced by her own argument.

"Eh," I shrugged, "nothing I can do about it. I'll survive."

"You'll need to wear something nice," she poked me in the ribs, "It wouldn't do to show up with your usual shirt and pants."

"What's wrong with that?"

They were perfectly functional.

Vel rolled her eyes.

"If you get something nice, I'll wear that dress you like."

Well, now I need to find something.

----------------------------------------

We went to the clinic after breakfast. Vel had to help in the greenhouse and I needed to be examined by Breknir. Nothing new, I was still off duty for that day. Thankfully, he said I would be able to get back to work the next day.

I still had an entire day to myself but not much to do. I made my way to the great tree, the school building there also doubled as a public library and community center. I greeted the librarian on my way in and made my way towards the fiction section. Most of its contents were books traded with caravans or adventurers passing by. A hodgepodge of literature from many different cultures.

It was an interesting window into the world. Romance novels from the human kingdoms, focused on court politics, dwarven steampunk science-fiction, elven poetry, and so on. I picked The Eclipse, the sixth volume of the Red Dwarf saga, a sci-fi epic set in space. Unlike a lot of dwarven literature, this one has a more varied cast than the usual fare.

There were quiet reading rooms for those who wanted to study but I opted for a beanbag in one of the common rooms. I liked the background din of activity. People played card or board games, caught up with their friends, or made new friends.

----------------------------------------

For lunch, I swung by the kitchens a little early and bribed one of the cooks to get two bowls. Which I brought to Vel at the clinic. The smile on her face had brightened my day considerably.

We had a nice meal in one of the small greenhouses on the side of the clinic tree. It was partially built as an observation deck with places to rest at regular intervals. The bark had been shaped into shelves on which a collection of clay pots and planters rested.

Her morning had been business as usual. Many of the medicinal plants in the gardens needed regular attention to grow properly. Between bites, I gave Vel an inaccurate and jumbled summary of The Eclipse. Despite not being a fan of dwarven sci-fi, she loved it when I talked about it.

After some time, Vel went back to her duties. And I went to the clothier with a purpose. It was time to get a dress, impress Vel, and confess my feelings. The celebration was the perfect opportunity. Unlike most workshops, the clothier had an area at the front set up to receive people. It had shelves with stacks of shirts, pants, and other widely used clothes in a variety of sizes. A few mannequins had elaborate outfits on in a variety of styles. And a small area to try them out with a full size mirror.

"Liscura," Naeris greeted me as I entered.

"Naeris," I waved at her. "I need some help."

"Let me guess, you want something to impress this evening?"

From her grin, it was fairly obvious that she wasn't talking about me impressing the crowd.

"Yes," I replied with a blush.

She clapped her hands together.

"I'm sure I have what you need. What are you looking for?"

"I … don’t know," I admitted, "I'm not really …"

"It's okay, we'll find something great for you."

She took my hand and pulled me towards another room, it was a bit more spacious and had another fitting booth with a full mirror. Dozens of clothing racks were arranged around the room with dresses, shirts, pants, and more hanging from them. Unlike in the main room, every piece of clothing was unique.

The windows to this room were frosted and additional light was provided by strong mana lights in the ceiling.

Naeris started to look through the clothes with practiced efficiency.

"Alright, strip to your underwear. The best way to know if something looks good is to try it."

I did as she asked. I put my clothes on the small stool in the booth. Much like with literature, clothing styles were also influenced by our trade with visitors. Naeris had picked up several dresses in her arms.

She passed me the first one. A dark red dress that fell down to below my knees. It was tight around the waist with a circular neckline.

I put it on and Naeris walked around me. She tugged in some places to adjust the dress but she seemed unsatisfied.

"No. Doesn't really work. Let's try something else."

I removed the dress and handed it back. She gave me another that was looser around the chest. I had a feeling it would take some time.

The next few hours passed in a bit of a blur. I tried on so many dresses I had trouble remembering all of them. Every time I tried one, Naeris seemed to get closer to her goal. And for the last few, she certainly had a firm idea in mind.

I turned around in front of the mirror. The final dress was a light burgundy with mesmerizing silver patterns, they reminded me a bit of magic circles. It had a halter design with a high collar which reminded me a bit of a qipao. My shoulders and upper back were left bare with a big cloth bow attached to my lower back. The front had a teardrop neckline which showed just enough to be both tasteful and enticing. I would need a new bra however, as the one I currently had was clearly visible. The skirt itself was slightly pleated and came down to my knees.

I let the dress swish around as I moved. It had no right to look that good on me.

"You like it?" Naeris asked.

"Yes," I said with a smile.

"I'll add in some underwear, you can come pick it up later this evening."

"How much do I owe you?"

"Since you modeled quite a bit of my creations, only thirty beads," she gave me a wink, "and I'll throw in the underwear for free."

I pulled a small leather bag from my belt and started to count the wooden beads. They were used as currency in the village. I dropped them in Naeris' hand and she made them disappear behind the small counter of the workshop.