Kara Uses Words

“Stoooooop!” She jumped in front of you and stomped hard to get your attention. He was glaring at the two of you and you thought that she was about to lose it, but she took a breath and, once you had stopped and were paying attention she explained.

“I worked in a bath house for a day. That’s why I got into this mess. They have bathhouses and brothels. Why go somewhere like that and risk them finding us or worse?”

“Why didn’t you just say that to begin with?” You asked.

“You weren’t listening!” She argued.

“I’m not smelly. I don’t need a bath! I wash myself.”

“How?” Jeane asked pointedly.

“Streams. Outside.” She blushed and averted her gaze to add.

“Tongue…”

“Hmm. That sounds horrible.”

“Agreed.” Jeane sounded livid.

“I guess we’ll just have to go without.” You uttered listlessly.

“No.” Jeane stated.

“We simply need to give up on this concept of going somewhere private. These low class places are the issue because they are bought and run by the rabble. An upper class establishment is better than nothing.”

You made a face of complete disdain. “But then it would be a public bath…”

“Are you shy?” Jeane lifted a thin brow.

Kara giggled. “Is shy. Doesn’t wanna undress. Fin never took off his armour. Embarrassed?”

“That’s-” You seethed a little.

“Yes, are you embarrassed, Fin?” Jeane asked with mock innocence.

“I’m not.” You mumbled, walking ahead of them

“Fine, we’ll go to a normal, upper crust bathrouse.”

“I do not see the issue.” Jeane remarked flippantly.

“You bathe with the men, among your kind and we bathe among women.”

“Not gonna bathe amongst a bunch of shitty men…” You promised.

“What?” Jeane stared at you.

“You really are shy.”

“I’m not.”

“Fin wants in the girls bath.” Kara snickered.

“Will gladly sneak you in.”

“Thanks.” You smiled and offered her a short not.

“Wait…” Jeane paused, then asked.

“You’re serious!? Why are you so insistent?”

“Just because. I…” You tried to think of a reason.

“Don’t like the clientele. All the men that go to these things are old, fat or shitty.”

“Fair enough… I do not know how I feel about you joining us, however.”

“You don’t have to worry. I don’t wanna see you two in the bath. I want to find my own corner, rinse off and leave. You won't even see me in the pool.”

Jeane and Kara exchanged a sceptical look. Kara shrugged and Jeane responded. “Very well. I have no reason to not trust you, so I will aid you in this-” She looked at her painted nails thoughtfully before finishing what she was saying.

“This ruse.” She watched you breathe a sigh of relief.

“Not like I wanted a public bath to begin with.” You grumbled as you walked ahead. Behind you, your eye twitched as Kara and Jeane continued to converse in a tone they thought was quiet.

Do you think humans have no hearing at all, you idiots?

“It seems as though our Hero lacks confidence in his body.”

“Looks kinda thin.” Kara observed.

“That is fine. I suppose it does not need to make sense to now be happy with the way one looks. But I do not particularly get it.”

“He’s handsome.” Kara blurted out.

“Pretty, even.” Jeane agreed, rubbing her chin.

“Maybe we should-”

“Spy?” Kara finished that though with an impish expression. They jumped as you turned around suddenly, face red and expression one of annoyance.

“You wanna know why?” They both nodded. You begrudgingly told them

“People have often said that I-” You tried to think of a good way to word it.

“That I have a feminine physique. That it looks like that. So…”

“Oh.” Jeane nodded.

You cocked your head to one side. “Just like that?”

“It makes sense. If I were a man I would wish to guide my girly little frame from other men, too.” She said casually. It bothered you more that she said that without trying to be insulting.

“Do you wanna die?’ You asked.

“W-what?” Jeane blinked.

Kara got close, looking at you at different levels. At one point she leaned right in near your collar and sniffed.

“G-get the hell off of me!” You batted her away. She jumped back, landing in a squat with her ears back and her tail up.

“Mmm.” She growled.

“Don’t growl at me, girl! Personal space!” You shouted while pointing at her. Her posture softened and her ears flattened forward as she looked away.

“Kay.” Kara stared at you intently with catlike wonder.

You headed up to the wealthier Upper Teor, where the guild hall was held. You had planned to get out of that area, stay at a place with a private bath and then leave the city in less than a couple days, but your two wards compromised things somewhat. The worst thing was, you were not sure how to handle them completely. As you were walking you asked them both an important question.

“What do you two actually want to do?”

Jeane was the first to respond. “I need to get someone who will not discriminate against me to hear me out and correct this issue I am having. As it is, I will be considered a criminal by any authority in the damned city.” She scowled, keeping her hood pulled tight over her head. You noticed the polish in her nails had already turned black again, and the cloak was also pitch black.

“Ironically… the person you were hiding from might’ve been the best option. I wasn’t thinking about it at the time but that Knight didn’t seem like a bad person.” You clicked your tongue and turned to Kara, who was levelling a consistently curious gaze at you.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Kara insisted unconvincingly.

“Well what is it you want?”

“Keep Hero safe.” She offered simply.

“From what?”

“Evil. Bad. ****.” She said vaguely. You knew for a fact that not even she knew what she needed to ‘protect’ you from.

You returned to staring straight ahead, passing your eyes over the various buildings to look for a sign of a bath.

No idea what to do with that one. You thought.

I’ve collected some delusional, homeless stray. It makes sense that she’d say she wants to protect me. It would be the most earnest way to stick close to her meal ticket and protection without offering any selfish reasoning. You passed another subtle glance back at her to see that she was still staring at you.

Doesn’t seem to be lying, though. You scratched your head.

I have a guess as to what she’s picking up on… beastfolk have good intuition. May be hard to hide it from her for much longer.

You all stopped as the street opened up. Looking at the rooftops you were pleased to see smoke rising, a lot of it. You pointed up, then down a nearby street.

“This way. I see smoke, which means there’s a lot of furnaces running. At this time of day it’ll only be a bath.” You slowed down as it occurred to you.

“Shit, how am I even going to get you two into this place?” Rounding the corner and looking at the front of the fancy bathhouse you saw upper-class people socialising.

“Wait… How am I gonna get in there?”

“You are a noble. I can tell by the way you carry yourself.” Jeane claimed. She sounded too certain to be bluffing. Kara’s eyes became big with shock. She got close to you, but stayed far enough away to respect your space.

“You can tell?” She cocked her head to one side. Jeane merely nodded.

“Not if anyone asks.” You muttered at them.

“Got it?”

The two girls seemed to understand, thankfully. “I am nobility.” Jeane stated.

“Not here, you dolt.” You knocked her head through her hood lightly. Your shoulders slumped.

“May have to give up…”

“Hygiene is very important to you.” Jeane observed.

“Because I’m a noble…” Your cheeks flushed.

“Hmm.” Kara squinted and leaned a bit to close. You placed your palm over her face and pushed her back gently, but insistently like one would to an animal that was trying to search the inside of their mouth for some unknown reason.

“Ack! Hey!” She shouted, batting at you blindly as you kept her arms length. You eyed both her and Jeane, then the crowd. You spotted an interesting sight. There were maids waiting by their masters.

“Oh? I do have money, regardless of how I look. I also have an emblem…” Your gaze fell upon the two girls, then upon the assorted servants present.

“There’s a good mix over there. I guess they don’t actually care that much, so long as they’re filling the niche society wants them in.”

“What the devil do you mean?” Jeane asked coarsely.

“You don’t mean to-”

“What?” Kara looked up cluelessly.

***

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