My head swam with visions of distant places, faces half-forgotten, and emotions long since buried. One moment I was facing Lady Azalea in my Uncle’s home, her head hung in shame as she stared at me, before turning and leaving me alone. I sat at the desk in my dormitory at the Academy, while Lilia stood above me and shook her head. I blinked and found myself at the academy training grounds as I practiced my spells, and Alder stood by, his face a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment.

They were all arranged before me, and my shame, humiliation and anger boiled over, consuming the room in my frigid loneliness. The mansion’s inhabitants cowered before my display of raw emotion, and my magic consumed more of the academy, but the pain never once receded.

Then I felt a moment of warmth come over me, spread from my hands, and soothe my troubled heart. My mind teetered on the edge of consciousness, my new friends sat by my bedside, and cared for me with gentle hands. Lilia gave me water, her smiling face tinged with concern for me, something I’d only rarely seen before.

I saw Azalea’s face as well, tinged with regret as Lilia instructed her on how to properly wipe away sweat, administer fluids, and provide non-solid food. I spotted the bandage on her finger where I’d injured her, and my body rushed with anxiety that was quickly dispelled by her soft hands patting my head.

“I’m sorry for pushing you so hard Iris, I promise I will do better for you.” Her hand continued to gently stroke my head, soothing my confused emotions.

Why did she apologize? Wasn’t I the one at fault for losing control, and allowing my emotions to boil over?

Lilia approached Azalea, and placed a hand on her lower back, and gently began to rub her. “We should let her rest now, Mistress.”

The lady of the house nodded, and turned away from me. Lilia’s hand remained on her mistress, and then let out a soft sigh. Azalea turned her gentle gaze to the maid and patted Lilia gently on the cheek. “What’s wrong, love?”

The elf maid turned her head away, and sighed. “I’d prefer not to talk about it in front of her.”

Azalea’s expression froze for a brief moment, before she nodded her head. “I understand. We can talk more in the office if you’d prefer.”

Lilia nodded her head, and reached up a hand to Azalea, and smirked. “I promise that I will be gentle, my Lady.”

As the pair of them walked hand in hand out of the room, I couldn’t help but notice as Azalea’s tail curled tighter around her leg, and slipped in between her legs. The image of a wounded dog entered my mind, and I thought again about how different she was from what I expected.

Without the presence of company, my mind began to slip back into unconsciousness, and I allowed it to blanket my mind in a shroud.

*
My eyes opened to a dark world, the only point of light being the rays of moonlight filtering through the window. Thoughts were slow to return as I took in my surroundings, and realized I was back in my room, under a nest of blankets.

I thought back to the conversation I’d witnessed between Lilia and Azalea, guilt flooding my system again as I realized I’d caused them trouble again. It would be awful if the stunt with Azalea earlier caused a rift to form in their relationship. I resolved to apologize at the earliest possible opportunity.

She kissed You though. You didn’t make any moves on her.

I tightened my hands around the blankets and shook my head. It didn’t matter who was at fault, I was the party creating the problem, and it would be solved most easily by me apologizing.

I’m a good girl now. And good girls don’t make excuses.

I could start my repayment towards them by rising from my current predicament and taking care of the grumbling in my stomach. With a blush on my cheeks, I realized that I was in the nude, and that the other two ladies had doubtless seen me and the bits that I was none too proud of.

“We both are.”

Azalea’s words echoed through me, my thoughts spinning on the idea that both women had undergone the same journey that I had. I resolved to speak more about that with them, when I had the opportunity.

A shiver brought me back to the present, as I recalled that I was standing in a cold room with no clothes on. After lighting the tableside lamp, I shuffled over to the closet, and found a nightgown. The soft fabric sent shivers through my body as it made contact with my increasingly sensitive skin. I winced as I felt it brush up against an unfamiliar object jutting out from my backside.

Did I change more in my sleep?

Recalling the mirror in my room, I stepped towards it and looked at the reflection of the girl. The lamp cast a dim glow around my body, and I could see that my face had softened considerably while I slept. The adorable girl in the mirror was somehow even shorter than I’d been before, and the nightgown she wore hung loosely from her tiny frame. My silver hair, one of the many things I was teased about, hung to my shoulders. It was unkempt, and adorned with cowlicks, but that only added to the girl’s cuteness.

With a nervous gulp, my free hand reached up to gently cup the burgeoning chest beneath my dress. My breasts were small, but definitely visible. I gently squeezed it and let out a cry as the incredibly sharp but pleasurable sensation caught me off guard. Were they normally this sensitive, or was it because mine were just beginning to grow?

I have breasts!

The thought sent a rush of euphoria through my body, and I felt the urge to perform a twirl in my nightgown. While I spun, I spotted a small bump jutting out from the backside of my skirt. Swallowing, I lifted up my nightgown to spot what I knew would be there. I experimentally urged it to move, and it began to wiggle back and forth.

I’m growing a tail.

Just like with the other changes, I felt no fear from the tails’ presence. Instead, the fluffy appendage made me feel giddy inside, as thoughts of emoting with it, cuddling with it, or any number of possibilities went through my mind. Azalea’s tail had convinced me that they were beautiful, and I was going to embrace it.

Peering closer into the mirror, I checked the rest of me for other changes. My eyes were still the same icy blue they’d always been, perhaps attuned to my element, and my skin was still the same brown color it always was. I reached up a hand to check my ears, and found that the fluffiness had only spread. My hand lingered on the increasingly triangular appendage and gently rubbed at it, sending more shivers of joy through me.

I could get used to this.

Tallying up the changes to my body, and the behavior I’d exhibited while with Azalea, I came to the conclusion that I was becoming some manner of canine hybrid. Beastfolk were a somewhat common sight within the Empire. Many humans viewed them as savage animals, but those in power knew of their not inconsiderable talents, and the Empress had decreed laws banning their discrimination that had gone on for centuries.

Did I count as a beastfolk though? Magic was changing me from a human and giving me beastfolk features, but in truth, I was a human mage. I supposed that would be a question for when I returned to the capital.

If I ever returned to the capital.

My stomach growled once again, and I winced. How long had it been since I’d had a meal? If my nighttime visions were true, then Lilia and Azalea had been caring for me while I slept. Which begged the question as to how long I’d slept. The last time I passed out, I’d been asleep for two days. Was this time shorter? Or longer? It was clearly a consequence of expending so much mana within a short time period.

Another growl spurred me into action, as I made for the door and tested the lock. Thankfully they’d left it unlocked this time, and I stepped into the dark halls. Aside from my lamp, the only light to guide me was the moonlight streaming through the windows.

If my directions were right, then I was close to the kitchens now. I turned the upcoming corner, and opened the door, to step out into the gardens.

Oops. Guess I still don’t know this mansion all that well after all.

The crisp air brought me to the present, and I looked up at the bright full moon in the sky, casting silvery light upon the world. The smaller moon was visible as well, though its light was barely noticeable. Most people referred to them as the Sisters, with the larger moon being the older, and the smaller moon the younger. I stared transfixed, not only at the bright moon, but the clusters of stars around it. This was my first time away from the capital, and the sight of the canvas laid out before me stirred my heart in an unfamiliar way.

I never knew there was such beauty in this world…

Rather than head back inside, I took a step forward into the garden. It would be such a waste to not absorb as much of this sight as I could. The white flowers shone brilliantly with the Sisters shining upon them, they reminded me of stars amidst the dark backdrop of the heavens. The pathways were so clearly lit by the moons that I had no need of my lamp, so I put it out to admire the natural beauty of the Moon Garden.

I eventually stopped before a large statue, positioned perfectly to cover the larger sister with its head. I recognized the statue of the Older Sister, whose name had been lost to time, wearing robes that covered her modest body, a hand gently resting on the head of her Younger Sister. The woman representing the smaller moon rose to about chest height on the older sister, and her head rested gently against the Older Sister.

It was certainly a lot different from most depictions I’d seen of the Sisters in the capital. This portrayal made them seem closer to… Lovers, than Sisters. The Older cradled the Younger closely to her body, her hand frozen in the middle of consoling the younger.

“Enjoying the garden?”

I turned my head suddenly to see Lady Azalea, in her disguised form, wearing a nightgown similar to my own. My mouth opened to speak, but no words left. Azalea’s gaze turned back to the statue, and she smiled. “I suppose you would be confused. In the Empire, the Sisters are often shown to be Sisters, following the will of their Father, the Sun.”

I nodded my head. That was the version of events I’d grown up with. Azalea looked to the statues, and for a moment I thought I glimpsed a tear in her eye. When she turned back to face me, it was gone. “In this part of the world, they are known as The Lovers. They were cast out from the light of the Sun for their love, and now wander together through the cold night.” A smile spread on her face as she continued. “They are known to look down upon young couples that share their love in the night, and bestow their blessings upon them.”

My brow furrowed at the explanation, and I looked up to the Moons themselves, now seeing them in a different light than I had earlier in the evening. “I can certainly imagine why the Empire wouldn’t want to teach that.”

Azalea nodded her head, then bit her lip and looked over me with concern. “How are you feeling, after what happened?”

I blinked, and considered her words. Turning my gaze inwards, I took stock of myself and smiled. “Aside from being hungry, I’m okay.”

The Lady nodded her head, and smiled. I noticed a basket in her arm, which she opened to reveal an assortment of sandwiches and other foods. “When the Moons are out, I like to have a picnic out in the garden.” Her cheeks turned a bit red, and she turned to face me fully. “Would you care to join me this evening?”

My heart jumped at the question. I’d been hoping to find the kitchens and serve myself, and if I accepted her offer then I would be relying on her charity once again.

Perhaps sensing my hesitation, the Lady smiled gently. “You don’t have to, but if you did it would make me very happy.”

Well that settled it. I wasn’t about to make my Lady unhappy.

Violet_Velvet

Thank you for reading Chapter 14 of Getting Comfortable!

Apologies for the delay, some stuff happened, but we're back!

Have a wonderful day, beautiful reader. <3