Some Soul Supposition & A Quick Kitchen Tour

“Ach, ignore ‘er.” Beryl gently squishes the bunny-mouse girl’s cheeks one last time before getting Krvavy to help move the girl back into an upright position.

“Eeee...” The Halfling makes a weak whining noise as she holds onto the Drakling’s arm, keeping it wrapped around her slightly shaking shoulders. Her face flushes with embarrassed joy as Krvavy’s thick tail twists and curls around her wide hips, its tip resting in her soft lap while her own tufted tail remains coiled around it.

“Yer lunch is gettin’ cold.” Beryl presses the plate of food into Adeline’s little hands as she frets over the timid girl.

“Hmph.” Thea sighs out, sounding more bored than annoyed. “You really need to stop doing this, Krvavy.”

“And by ‘this’ you mean...?”

“Giving away parts of your soul.” The noble girl dryly returns. “Seriously, what excuse do you have for doing it this time?”

“Mm. I do have to question what the mechanism behind it is.” The Dwarf idly hums. “While I wasn’t around to witness it myself, I can understand how it happened the first time with Thea. Some degree of ‘mixing’ is theoretically plausible in such a unique situation – a situation that we will need to explain to Adeline now that she is truly one of Krvavy’s girls. That conversation can wait until later, though.”

“Aye,” the Wood Elf agrees with a nod, “no point in overwhelmin’ ‘er wit’ tha’ right now.”

“As for Khalia...” Inanna furrows her thick brow. “Was mixing a part of their souls together an expected result of the ritual you performed to make her as she is today?” She asks the Elf.

“Ach, tha’ is... complicated.” Beryl frowns faintly as she tries to figure out how to explain herself. “Tha’ ritual wasn’t done exactly as it should’ve been. Khalia wasn’t in the best state before, as Ah’m sure ya remember, so Ah made sure tha’ aspects o’ both myself and Krvavy would become a part o’ ‘er. Mostly so tha’ we could properly communicate without ‘avin’ ta teach ‘er an entire language.”

“Mm. I see. Khalia’s soul would have been fairly malleable while the ritual reformed her, allowing for Krvavy’s own soul to exert itself onto her, intentionally or not.” The grey-skinned shortstack slowly nods her head. “Which does not help to explain just how Adeline received a portion of Krvavy’s soul. Neither would have been particularly **** at the time.”

“Really?” Thea sneers slightly as she raises an eyebrow at the Dwarf. “The little rabbit could hardly form a single coherent thought. How is that not ****?”

“I was referring to a different kind of vulnerability.” Inanna replies, calmly meeting the bratty girl’s gaze. “Going into heat should not have been enough for her to gain a portion of Krvavy’s soul, no matter how small that portion is. I do wonder if there are certain conditions that must be met for that to happen, or if it is pure chance. Krvavy’s unique circumstance makes even educated guesses uncertain.”

“Tsk,” the Wood Elf woman clicks her tongue. “If we could figure out just ‘ow it works...”

“Mm... A sample size of three is less than ideal.” Inanna plainly points out the obvious. “It is not enough to determine if Adeline is an outlier to the usual process. Which limits the usefulness of what little information we have...”

“Ugh!” The bratty girl groans out, tilting her head back in exasperation. The fact that she just ends up pushing against Khalia seems to annoy her a little. “Get on with it already! Do you have any idea why this degenerate Dragon is so loose with her soul or not!?”

“I have some ‘ideas’, of course, but none that I would consider solid enough to even call a hypothesis.” The Dwarven shortstack calmly replies. “I believe that Krvavy has some degree of subconscious control over the process, but that is all that I can say at this time.”

“So ya’re sayin’ tha’ Ah can blame Krvavy fer not givin’ me a part o’ ‘er soul yet?” It is difficult to tell is Beryl is being serious or if she is just joking around.

Either way, Inanna answers the question. “No. I highly doubt that it is a willful decision, and there are almost certainly numerous other factors at play. Either that or it is the work of her Patron.”

The tomboyish Elf frowns slightly. “Wha’ makes ya say tha’?”

“The titles. They fit far too well to be mere random chance.”

“Hey!” Thea outrageously glares at the Dwarf. “Just what do you mean by that?!”

“I mean that the titles, and the general theme of the accompanying traits, are a near perfect fit for those that bear them. Yourself included.” Inanna seems completely unbothered by the brat’s increasingly angry, and pouty, gaze. “Khalia is an Orc as well as a Were-Beast, and let us not forget that her Class is a variety of Berserker. All of which are associated with rage and anger. With Wrath. You, Thea, are a Courtesan with traits overwhelmingly related to lewd acts. That, in combination with your proficiency in Eromancy and the undeniable nymphomania that you are clearly remaining willfully ignorant about, makes you quite the fit for Lust.”

The bratty girl presses her lips together into a thin line. “You are forgetting that I had all of that thrust upon me by this degenerate of a Dragon!” She forcefully hisses out. “I was not like this before being tainted and corrupted by Krvavy’s co– by Krvavy! As a whole! Not just a specific part of her!” The silver-blonde brat’s face flushes a deep red as she tries to keep looking stern and angry.

“Still trying ta ‘blame’ that on our dearest love?”

“Again, our small sample size is a slight hindrance, but it is unlikely that your traits and magical affinity are a result of you gaining a portion of Krvavy’s soul.” The grey-skinned shortstack calmly meets Thea’s narrowed eyes. “Adeline has not gained any magic or skills from it, and I would say that neither has Khalia: even if she had no prior affinity for Beast Magic, it is logical to assume that the ritual that caused her transformation is the true ‘culprit’. Being suffused in and completely reshaped by a certain type of magic tends to leave a mark, so to speak.”

“Hmph...!” Thea crosses her arms in an adorably petulant pout. “Who even cares!?” She exasperatedly groans out, trying to move on from her embarrassment. She seems to realize that denying her lewd nature will only bring more attention to it. “You are just droning on and on without saying anything of note or importance!”

“Ach, girl,” Beryl sighs and shakes her head. “Do ya want some random woman ta get a part o’ our dearest love’s soul the first time they sleep together? No? Then it’d be best if we could figure out ‘ow it is ‘appenin’.”

“And talking in circles is helping in what way?” The silver-blonde brat stares at the Elf with heated eyes.

“Thea has a point.” The Dwarf speaks up, drawing both Beryl and the brat’s attention towards her. “We simply do not have enough information at the moment, and going over what we do know isn’t going to change that. So unless anyone else has something to add...?”

Inanna’s normally neutral expression is tinged with just the slightest bit of disappointment as nobody speaks up.

“Well...” The tanned Wood Elf idly drums her fingers, breaking the silence before it drags on long enough to become awkward. “Adeline, sweetie, ‘ow do ya feel about all o’ this?”

“Eeep!” The bunny-mouse girl squeaks in surprise as she suddenly finds herself the center of the conversation once again. She nearly drops her half-eaten plate of food as she jumps slightly, though Krvavy’s hand is there to hold it in place. “I-I-I-I...!” Adeline shudders slightly as confusion fills her round face. “W-what? A-ab-abou-about w-wh-what?”

Beryl reaches out to gently pat the timid girl on the head. “The new traits tha’ ya got.” She reminds the girl who clearly hasn’t been listening to them all talk. “About ‘ow ya now ‘ave part o’ Krvavy’s soul in ya.”

“H-huh?” The Halfling’s huge hazel eyes blink blankly a few times, before a deep red blush suddenly fills her cheeks. “W-what?!”

“Ugh, have you not been listening to a single word that we have said?” Thea scornfully stares down at the tiny blonde, causing Adeline to nervously shrink in on herself. “Hnngh!” The bratty girl winces out as Khalia gives her a squeeze, one accompanied by a warning growl.

“It’s nothin’ ta be worried about, sweetie.” The tomboyish Elf warmly smiles as she continues to reassuringly pat the Halfling’s head. “Both Thea and Khalia ‘ave parts o’ our dearest love’s soul as well. Ya should feel honoured, really. Ah’m a little jealous o’ ya myself~.”

“Eeeeeeeeieee...” Adeline simply making a squeaking sound not dissimilar to a deflating balloon as she presses against the barbarian’s side. She shakily places her plate aside and grabs onto Krvavy’s thick tail with her clingy little hands, pulling it up against her nearly flat chest in a tight squeezing hug.

“Aww, sweetie, ‘ow adorable~!”

Beryl’s sweet cooing just seems to embarrass the timid girl even more, which just seems to make her look even cuter to the Elf.

“Alright, give her some space.” Krvavy gently nudges her Elf’s patting hands away from the poor bunny-mouse girl. “She’s had a lot happen to her and clearly needs some time to process it all.”

“Ach, sorry sweetie...” Beryl has the decency to look a little ashamed over getting carried away like that.

“To change the topic,” Inanna speaks up after a few seconds of relative quiet, turning her gaze towards the Halfling. “Is anyone in your family capable of reading, Adeline?”

The tiny blonde stares wide-eyed at the Dwarf, taking a few seconds to compose herself as best she can. “Y-y-yes...?”

“Would you like to send a letter home to them? As reassurance that you are not dead and are, in fact, doing alright?”

Adeline freezes as she hears that suggestion, her mouth slowly opening and closing while hardly making a single sound.

“It would not arrive in a timely manner,” the grey-skinned Dwarf continues, “as Krvavy would need to mail it from Raseyne the next time she visits the city.”

“Uh... I don’t have any idea how I would even send the letter.” Krvavy honestly admits, not wanting her Dwarf to get the Halfling’s hopes up over something that she might not be able to do.

“You are on friendly terms with a Countess.” Inanna plainly states. “If all else fails, you could simply ask her how to get the letter to where it needs to go.”

“Fair enough.”

“So, sweetie, do ya want ta send a message back ta yer family?” Beryl gently asks, clearly resisting the urge to give Adeline another pat on the head. “Ah personally think it is a wonderful idea.”

“Eeie!” The bunny-mouse girl jumps a little, for seemingly no reason. “I-I-I...!” She nervously stutters out. “O-ka-kay!”

“Mm.” Inanna smiles ever so slightly at the Halfling girl. “You can take your time thinking about what you want to say.”

“Ugh, are we done here?” Thea groans and struggles against Khalia’s tight hug, unable to escape the Were-Beast’s grip.

“We do all appear to have finished eating, so I would assume so.” Inanna lightly shrugs her shoulders.

“Sorry Ah gave ya too much, sweetie.” The tanned Elf gently smiles towards Adeline as she takes the Halfling’s half-eaten plate away. “Thought ya’d be ‘ungrier, but this is just yer breakfast.”

Thea rolls her eyes and ignores that little interaction. “Are you going to finally finish the kitchen today?” She asks the barbarian with a bit of sass.

“Oh, yeah, we completed that like an hour or two ago.” Krvavy nonchalantly replies. “Even attached all of those cupboard doors that Beryl made yesterday. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“No problem, my dearest love~.”

“Wait.” The silver-blonde brat narrows her eyes. “You finished working before the Elf hag even started cooking lunch? And you did not think to come up here and tell any of us?!”

“We were still working.” Inanna speaks up, defending the Drakling with her utterly neutral voice. “Do not forget that the foundations for the balcony that you so desire will be attached to the kitchen. And, with how precarious its position is, it is best to have a very sturdy foundation with far more support than needed. Unless you would prefer the constant risk of the balcony falling all of the way down into the grotto?”

“Hmph! You still should have told us that it was done!” Thea refuses to budge on this, which is rather fitting considering how immobile she currently is. “We could have had a lunch cooked in a proper kitchen!”

“My dearest love, ‘ow about ya give us a tour o’ wha’ ya’ve made? Once we’re done cleaning up, tha’ is.” Beryl warmly asks, her blue-green eyes filled with love. “Ah’d love ta see ‘ow it all turned out, and Ah think it’d be nice if we all got ta see the big reveal together.”

“Sure,” Krvavy lightly shrugs her shoulders, “but it is just a kitchen. It won’t exactly be an exciting tour.”

“Tha’ just means it’ll be quick, aye~?”

“Finally...” The bratty blonde quietly sighs out as the Were-Beast’s grip loosens, freeing the noble girl from that tight hug.

“Khalia? Don’t ya want ta come along wit’ us?” Beryl questioningly raises an eyebrow as the Orc heads over to the bed and carelessly flops down onto the soft moss.

“No.” Khalia simply grunts back. “Boring.”

“Ugh...” Thea rises to her feet and stretches her whole body, causing her sundress to ride up and show off more of her thighs. “What are we waiting for? Get moving already.”

“Oh.” Beryl stops halfway through the empty door. “Thought ya were going to make the counters shorter?”

“How are you surprised by that?” Thea stares incredulously at the Elf. “You helped make them.”

“Ach, not really. All Ah did was grow a bunch o’ panels and doors. Nothin’ tha’ needed me ta actually come in ‘ere myself. Ah was just given measurements and told ‘ow many ta make.” The tanned tomboy lightly defends herself.

“Still you should have figured that something was off considering the size.” The silver-blonde girl rolls her eyes.

“Would you like to explain why you decided to make the countertops this height, my Ushumgal?” Inanna idly asks the Drakling as she steps towards the gap in the counters, nearly entering the kitchen proper.

“Peer pressure.” Krvavy softly sighs out. “I caved into peer pressure and made them at this more ‘normal’ height...”

“Oh, but wha’ about Adeline~?” The Elf teases her Draconic lover, bringing up the reason that Krvavy wanted to make everything in here much shorter. “Just ‘ow will she ever reach these oh so high counter tops~?”

“With stepping stools. That you will have to make for her.” The barbarian dryly returns. “I figured that they’d be easier to move around if they were made out of wood instead of solid stone.”

“Alright,” Beryl lets her playfulness slip away, at least for a moment. “And ya need just ‘ow many?”

“Four. Probably. It really depends on whatever is most convenient for Adeline.” Krvavy briefly glances down towards the Halfling who is holding onto her hand, smiling a little as she sees some excitement in the timid girl’s expression. “I’ve already made that many cubbyholes to store them in, but I can always convert some more cupboard space if needed.”

“And wha’ about these spots ‘ere?” Beryl steps towards the Dwarf and gestures to the two sections of counters on either side of her, both of which have replaced the wall that separates the kitchen from the dead-end hallway that they are all standing in. “Do ya want some stools ‘ere too?”

“Yeah, taller ones for sitting on. There’s space for about, I don’t know, six of them? Depends on how close together we want them to be.”

“And this is supposed to be a finished kitchen?” Thea stares at the Drakling with slightly narrowed eyes.

“It is. Those stools are just for if we want to sit and eat at the counters here.” Krvavy evenly replies, before deciding to be a bit of a smartass. “And they’re technically not in the kitchen either. This hallway is separate, even if it doesn’t really go anywhere right now. We’ll eventually have a pantry or a cellar of some sort over there, but currently it is just a dead end.”

The silver-blonde brat just rolls her eyes. “Whatever...”

“Ah like wha’ ya did wit’ the floor.” Beryl warmly states, looking down at the large white and black checkered tiles beneath her feet. “Didn’t expect ya ta make them diagonal.”

“Yeah, I wanted to make it look noticeably different from the bathroom.”

“Mm. Leaving out the mishap you had in measuring out the floor, my Ushumgal?” Inanna asks with just the faintest bit of playfulness in her tone. “How interesting.”

Krvavy narrows her eyes at the Dwarf. “I measured the room perfectly, thank you very much. I just forgot that the kitchen isn’t a perfect square, so having square tiles that were lined up with the counters meant that there would have been a lot of weird rectangle slivers at at least one edge. Lining the tiles up diagonally fixed that, as the whole floor is now surrounded by triangles and those odd spots don’t stand out.”

“Are you talking about that spot over there?” Thea smirks a little as she points over the countertops flanking the empty fireplace.

“It would have been worse around the island, but yeah.” The Drakling sighs out slightly. “The counters over there are about half as wide as the rest of the ones around the edge, which means there’s a little more floor over there.”

“Speakin’ o’ the counters,” a warm smile fills the Elf’s face as she gently nudges her lover in the side, “Ah’m ‘appy tha’ the wood Ah used fer the cupboards goes well wit’ them. Could’a given the entire kitchen a whole different look if Ah’d gone wit’ somethin’ darker.”

“Wait, so Inanna didn’t tell you to make them like that?” The Drakling glances sideways at the unreadable Dwarf.

“Not at all~.” Beryl replies in an almost singsong voice. “But, my dearest love, Ah know ya quite well. Ah know the style tha’ ya like. And Ah knew tha’ a nice light wood would look great wit’ wha’ever ya did ta the rest o’ the kitchen. The room would be nice and bright if ya made the countertops white. And if ya made them black, like ya did, then it’d contrast beautifully.”

“How lucky.” Thea dryly comments, stepping towards the counter and idly running her fingers across the perfectly smooth and polished surface. “You have an obsession with marble.” She glances back over her shoulder and meets the barbarian’s gaze.

“It looks nice.” Krvavy nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders. “I like the wavy, well, marbling pattern.”

The bratty girl just rolls her eyes.

“Uhm... K-kr-krvavy...?” Adeline takes that brief moment of silence to shakily speak up, nervously squeezing onto the Drakling’s hand. Her face flushes in growing embarrassment as she works up the courage to continue speaking. “C-can y-y-y-you l-l-li-lift m-me up...?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Krvavy tries to act casual, as to not make the tiny blonde even more embarrassed, but can’t help but smile as she reaches down towards Adeline.

These counters are around the height of Adeline’s chin, so while the girl can see over them, she isn’t exactly getting the best view. And that isn’t very fair, especially not since this kitchen was more or less made for her.

“Eeep!” The Halfling makes an adorable squeak as she gets scooped up into the Drakling’s strong arms. Her tufted tail twists around her body and ends up in her lap, giving the nervous girl something to grab and hold onto for comfort.

“Not going to hold me up so that I can see better as well?” Inanna asks, her lips curled upwards into the faintest smile.

“Nope~.” Krvavy playfully responds. “The counters don’t even reach your shoulders. You can see over them just fine.”

“Ugh, just get on with this so called ‘tour’ already...” Thea grumbles out, trying to avoid looking too jealous of the Halfling.

“Right, well...” The barbarian gently shakes her head as she walks across the kitchen. “Over here we have the sink.” Krvavy nods her head towards it, as both of her hands are currently occupied with holding the Halfling. “I was going to make it out of the same stuff as the counters, but figured it’d be easier to clean if it was white. So now it matches the walls, I guess. Anyway, its a sink. It works. These taps are for cold water, which is also our drinking water, and these ones are for hot water.”

“The storage tank for our drinking water is directly behind the sink, well insulated within the wall.” Inanna adds. “There is also a basic filtration system, relying on runes rather than actual filters, to ensure that the water entering the tank is clean. That likely isn’t necessary due to the origin of our drinking water, but it does not hurt to have that extra layer of security.”

Krvavy nods and turns around, stepping towards the H shaped island. “Over here, in the very center of the kitchen, are the ovens. One on this side and one on the other. The doors slide open to the sides and move pretty smoothly considering how solid they are.”

“The two ovens are almost entirely insulated from each other. There may be a bit of bleed over if one is considerably hotter than the other, but it should be fairly negligible and not effect your cooking.” The Dwarf states, glancing up at Adeline. “This dial controls the heat of the oven, while the others are for the matching stovetop elements on the flanking countertops. Though I should point out that it is also possible to fuel the ovens with wood and other combustible materials. Mostly as a backup, but you may use it that way if it is your preference.”

“The other side of the island is the exact same, just mirrored. Well, the controls aren’t mirrored, but their placement is.” Krvavy comments with a slight shake of her head. “Anyway,” she steps away from the H shaped counter, moving towards the outer wall. “This is where the lift will be. Right now its a bit of a safety hazard, I guess, but it won’t stay that way forever.”

“Mm.” Inanna curtly nods in agreement. “It is currently quite the drop. I realized that having a lifting platform hanging this high above the ground is... a bit daunting. Especially if one would have to step onto it to retrieve whatever it has lifted up. Thus, my plans for the pulley mechanism have changed slightly: it will now, at the very height of its ascent, ‘swing’ inwards onto the solid floor of the kitchen. That further complicates what was previously a simple idea, but that is worth it for the extra security.”

“I’ve kind of marked off that spot by not covering that bit of the floor with the tiles.” The Drakling lightly taps the rectangle of plain stone with her foot.

“That is just a gap between the walls.” Thea dryly points out.

“Yeah, but those are some thick walls.” Krvavy replies with a shrug. “I could extend this little area out some more, but I don’t really want it to eat into the kitchen space. Especially since I’m thinking about adding another, probably shorter, counter here that the platform would ‘land’ on top of. Mostly just because it’d be a lot safer than just having a hole in the wall that leads to a giant drop.”

“Would ya style it like a window o’ sorts?” Beryl curiously asks, staying a fair bit back from the edge.

“I guess...?” The barbarian idly nibbles on the inside of her cheek. “Wouldn’t hurt to add some shutters... Not sure if we’d really need to ever close this ‘window’, what with our entire home being underground, but it wouldn’t hurt to have them...”

“Ugh, there you go again...” The silver-blonde brat rolls her eyes. “Constantly dragging your projects on by finding more work to do...”

The Drakling chooses to ignore her fiancée, instead walking away from the gap in the wall and stepping around the island. “And, finally, over here is the open fireplace. On the complete opposite side of the kitchen from the sink, which might be a little inconvenient... The counters over here are a lot narrower, as they’re pretty much just meant to divide the kitchen from the dining room.”

Hearing a note of finality in Krvavy’s voice, Thea critically stares up at the tall Drakling with narrowed eyes. “Was that the whole tour?”

“Yup. It’s a kitchen. There is really not much to say about it. Well, beyond the fact that it has way too many drawers and cupboards...”

“Ah think tha’ it is quite nice.” Beryl declares with a warm smile on her face. “Wha’ about ya, sweetie? Do ya like it?”

“Eeei!” Adeline squeaks out in surprise, pressing herself into the barbarian’s body as she recovers from the brief shock of suddenly being addressed. “I-it i-i-is n-nice...! I-I-I...! Ireallylikeit!” The tiny blonde shudders slightly as she quickly spits out her stuttered words.

“Good, tha’ is good.” The tanned Elf gently pats the Halfling’s head.

“What about the dining room?” Thea asks, leaning over the narrow countertop and staring out into that large, empty room. “It does not look finished, despite the fact that you had said that it was.”

“It is mostly finished.” Krvavy nonchalantly replies, earning herself a light glare. “I just need to decorate it to make it look less plain. That’s all. The whole space is already dug out and ready to use.”

“I do not see a table or any chairs.” The bratty girl comments, crossing her arms.

“Well, okay. It’s not furnished either.” Krvavy concedes, meeting her little princess’ gaze. “But that’s an easy fix. Because I’m not building a giant table in there any time soon. It’d feel a little weird to eat at a table that is ninety percent empty.”

“And eating at a small table in the corner of a very large room is any different?”

“Fine,” the barbarian dramatically sighs out, though her act isn’t the most convincing as she can’t help but smile a little maliciously. “If you’re going to complain this much then I’ll drop what I’m doing with your balcony and get right to finishing the dining room instead.”

“No, that is... Ugh!” Thea groans out, realizing that Krvavy is just screwing with her.

“Not ta interrupt yer flirting, my dearest love,” Beryl playfully speaks up. “But if we’re done ‘ere, can Ah take Adeline off yer ‘ands? Ah’d like ta ‘ave ‘er input as Ah make those steppin’ stools fer ‘er.”

“Oh, sure. In just a second.” Krvavy lifts the bunny-mouse girl up slightly while tilting her head down, giving the Halfling a quick kiss on the lips. “Here you go~.”

Adeline remains completely frozen as she is handed off to the Elf, who gently lowers her onto her feet. A bright red blush fills the timid girl’s cheeks as she clutches onto her tail, her mind unable to properly process what just happened.

“So adorable~...” Beryl coos out, crouching down to give the tiny blonde on the cheek. “We’ll see ya later, my dearest love~!”

With that the dazed Halfling is gently led out of the kitchen, her hand held by the tall tanned Elf.

“Hmph!” Thea huffs out, a faint blush filling her cheeks as she grabs onto Krvavy’s hand, quickly locking fingers with the barbarian. “You owe me some time together!”

“Do I~? What about all that time we spent together yesterday~?” The Drakling teasingly asks, giving her beautiful fiancée a playful smile. “Does that not count~?”

“Ugh! I am not talking about that kind of personal time!” The silver-blonde brat rolls her eyes even as her blush grows a little more intense. “And no, it does not count as that rabbit was hogging all of your attention!”