Being out and about spooks her

It's a good thing you've got Linne used to going out in town. You've had her pick some supplies up, taken her back to the orphanage a couple of times and just walked through town with her. After so long being cooped up at your tower with just two people to talk to Doe is on pins and needles. Every new noise, every new person looking or whispering makes her tense. She expects a crowd of pitchfork wielding snake haters to burst forth from every corner. Despite having been a soldier, or perhaps because of it, she's not prepared to deal with this foreign situation.

Doe may not realize it, but her dress and Linne's maid outfit are acting like armor of a different kind. No low class woman could afford a dress like that, so everyone stays back and stays pretty respectful. The average person my not know you by sight but they can tell messing with these women, whether human or not, is a bad idea. All the worry means that Doe doesn't fight you when you take her elbow and lead her along. As a female knight you imagine she would have bristled at being lead anywhere by her elbow. As a guard captain you bet her family would have had to tackle her to get her to dress up nicely for a big party, hoping desperately that her beauty would draw a suitor who would ignore her unladylike attitude long enough to marry her.

Linne is bouncing, so happy to have a chance to show Doe all her favorite spots. Maybe she's being a bit more excited than usual in an attempt to distract Doe from her worries? It seems to work, particularly when she leads you and Doe over to a street vendor. He's pretty famous around town for the spiced meat skewers he sells. That and some strong ale soon has Doe in a better mood.

By now the pitchfork wielding crowd is obviously late, so your lamia's tension starts to fade. You know she needs a bit of a rest, so you lead her to a scenic overlook, a little bridge near one edge of the city that offers a lovely view of the distant mountains and the many fields and vineyards between here and there. Doe seems to have loosened up enough that she's willing to lean on the stone railing and allow you to put a hand on the small of her back.

"It's not what I expected," she says after a very long time.

"I hope that soon you'll feel quite comfortable around here," you say, pulling her closer. You know that at some point she'll decide she can't let you canoodle her in public. It actually takes way longer than you thought - for a good few minutes you get to stand there, looking out over the countryside while your hand gently caresses her back.

Linne, for her part, was happy to lie down, her whole lower half pressed against the side of Doe's tail. Linne's just tall enough that arranged like that she can still peek over the railing, like a little kid. As soon as Doe clears her throat and starts brushing at her skirt Linne jumps to her feet and asks, "Are you going to take Doe to see the kids?" As soon as you nod Linne starts leading Doe toward the orphanage. Part way there she gets so excited she has to race ahead, zoom back, circle the both of you and race ahead again.

"Where does she get the energy?" asks Doe, shaking her head. But you know that Linne's exuberance is boosting your lamia's spirits immensely. When you arrive at the orphanage Linne quickly makes some introductions. She's managed to learn the names of most of the older or more forward children. They don't know what to make of Doe at first, but once Linne starts giving some of them rides Doe can't avoid joining in. Not when one of the younger girls asks her very softly, "Can you do that?"

For a long while you get to sit there, watching as Linne scoots around with two or three kids on her back. She's a bit more careful when she's carrying them. Doe doesn't have as many takers at first, but she gets interest from some bold children. At first just the little girl clutches on Doe's scaly back. Once it catches on she ends up with a set of five kids riding all along her long tail. It doesn't seem to be much of an effort for her to move with the kids aboard and both Linne and Doe start to look contented. Doe does constantly look over her shoulder to check on the kids, each time her expression says, 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' But she doesn't want to stop either.

Though you do some other things with them, it's certain that for Doe meeting children who enjoyed spending time with her was the highlight of the day. She doesn't have to be a monster. You get home with both of them tired out, serve up a simple but filling dinner, and then spring your next surprise on your transmuted housemates. You lead them up to your room.

"Wait, what?" asks Doe as she realizes you're heading in the wrong direction.

As you lead her into the tower's master bedroom you answer, "Lets face it, your old room isn't big enough for you anymore".

Doe takes in the much larger room and its huge bed. Honestly, up until now it has been a ridiculously large bed. "People will say things..." she says as she takes it all in.

"Eh, I'm sure people have already said all sorts of things. Two women, locked up in the mage's tower. I guarantee every rumor you can imagine has gone round the country twice by now." While she and Linne chew on that, and on the fact you haven't actually taken advantage of them, you gesture to the bed. "A leftover from the tower's previous owner. The frame, at least. Obviously the bedding and sheets are new. I thought about taking it out and getting a smaller bed, but there's nothing else I wanted the space for."

"Will it, um, support me?" asks Doe.

"Oh yes. I have no idea why it was built like this, but the timbers under this bed can support anything."

"You want me here too?" asks Linne.

"Yes, I'm not about to split you up after you've slept together for so many weeks. I have to say, last night was some of the most pleasant sleep I've had in ages." You had worried they wouldn't take you up on the offer right away, but after presenting them with some very chaste and opaque shifts the two girls look at one another, at the huge bed and at the welcoming hearth. Then they slither and bounce, respectively, off to change.