Hunger, deep thoughts and new beginnings

All three of you sleep in. Doe is physically exhaused, you're mentally exhausted and you think Linne is emotionally exhausted. Whatever the cause, all three of you wake at around the same time, most of the way through the morning and without even embers of last night's fire. Doe is affected the most, for obvious reasons. Still barely awake she uses her arms and tail instinctually to draw closer to you and Linne. It's so comfortable you debate staying here for a while rather than starting another fire.

"Mmmm, why are we here?" Doe mumbles, finally awake enough to notice.

"I think last night did us all in," you say.

"Oh," Doe says, a little surprised. "You too. I thought... me and Linne..."

"Yes, I don't even remember what happened. I think I just collapsed."

"Maybe you were on the couch?" Linne asks.

"Maybe. Anyway, let me up so I can start a fire."

"Let you up?" asks Doe.

"Yes, those are my legs you're gripping."

Finally Doe wakes up enough to see what's going on. She's got a nice big coil of her lower tail wrapped around your legs. She also has no less than three sections of her tail pressing on Linne from various sides, enclosing the cataur in a U-shaped cage of scales. "Oh, um, right. I'll let go."

"Mmmm, but it's so comfy," complains Linne. True to her cat-like nature she loves wedging herself in corners and tight places, so being surrounded by Doe's tail has her in a great mood.

When you're free Doe starts experimenting with controlling her tail, finally curling into a big scaly pancake close to the stove. She watches you, almost with a hunger, as you set light to the new fire. The wood soon begins to crackle and Doe lets out a deep sigh as the heat soaks into her scales.

"That must feel better," you say, rubbing her shoulder. "I did try to keep a lot of the human warm blooded features, but even so you'll have issues with colder days."

"Mmmm, thanks," she says, shivering and pressing her body against you. What a lovely feeling.

"Now I did order in a substantial meal for this morning. I know how much the transformation takes out of people and yours was more taxing than most. Actually it would have been far more difficult if you weren't in great shape."

The mention of more food draws a long, low growl from Doe's stomach. That really shocks her, since her stomach is no longer located in her upper body. Like the centaurs and cataurs it made far more sense to place it down below. In Doe's case her stomach runs for about five feet, then her intestines run most of the rest of the way along her snake body. Like a snake she will be able to consume huge amounts, provided she doesn't care about her scaled belly bulging.

You had a whole boar and a stack of fish prepared by a chef in town. They've been glazed in different sauces to give as much variety as possible. It was meant to act as lunch, but it's almost that time anyway. Despite being a suitable feast for five or six the meal disappears. You and Linne encourage Doe to eat far more than either of you can manage. She's recovering, after all.

Once the food is dealt with you fetch something else - a beautiful red dress. You weren't sure what colors Doe would go for, but you had three dresses in reserve. The dark red one seems like it will suit her and, sure enough it's a lovely contrast with those deep blue scales. Understated, but so very elegant. And you know Doe loves it because she dons it without complaint and checks herself in the mirror.

It's after that you think the most important moment comes. She looks back from the mirror, looking over her new dress, her new body... and then she looks directly at you, her new eyes looking at you with curiosity, not vitriol. "Thank you," she says, gesturing at the dress. Then, more softly, "You didn't have to do all this."

"You're welcome. I expect they will want to see you out there in the city. They will want to show how you've been punished. But I don't think you deserve it. I'd rather people get a chance to see how gorgeous a lamia can be. And I want them to know that anyone who goes after you will be dealing with me."

Doe whips back around to face the mirror, definitely hiding her emotions and perhaps some tears too. But she's far larger than she used to be, so it's easy for you to reach over and rest a hand on the slightly raised ridge at the top of her tail. You press against one of the big golden diamonds she requested and pat her spine. She doesn't complain or flinch or move away. Instead you see the tip of her tail wiggle from side to side. With a bit of magic you can tell that wiggle is not nervousness, but joy.