Chapter 40: Chapter Thirty-Seven – Baby Talk

Leaving Lorepashe required little more effort than waving to a guard on our way out. The gates seemed almost deserted which I guess I should have expected. Given that most travel in and out of the city could be done with teleportation gate.

Still despite having lower traffic than one would expect, the roads were still relatively flat and well-traveled. Not that it mattered much to me. As long as the horses were not impeded I doubted the road conditions would affect us at all. The carriage’s interior never shook or tilted, if it wasn’t for the passing scenery outside the windows I would have believed we had yet to move.

Pretty crazy setup Otrea has, all to impress a Princess who probably never cared to leave the city.

That was the most confusing thing for me. Otrea had gone out of her way to do things specifically for one woman. For a woman whom she met after she’d lived for more than six hundred years. What had been so special about the Princess to cause Otrea to swoon so hard? And why did she ever agree to send her beloved to another world entirely, knowing she’d have no way to return.

Watching Eskame sleeping on the sofa, her stuffed fox clutched tightly in her arms. I knew it would be some time before I could get the answer to my questions. She’d only be able to remember things if she put in mental effort to do so, and I doubted Eskame could focus enough for it. Especially now that she was learning the other members of our little group weren’t going to hurt her.

So far it seemed the only person she was still wary of was Harriette, which I knew probably broke Harriette’s heart. But it was only a matter of time. I was certain that soon enough Eskame would seek Harriette out for attention and treats. After all, out of all of us she was the only one truly capable of cooking.

I guess I could make cookies and waffles if I had the right tools.

So far despite the advanced magic items Otrea had perfected, I hadn’t seen anything resembling a modern oven. Just smokeless cook-fires which worked similar to an electric stove-top. The bread bakers I frequented while we lived in Lorepashe had a wood-fired oven, though I doubted I could make cookies in it without serious trial and error. I needed a consistently heated temperature-controlled box, otherwise, I was useless.

“You’ve got a far-away look in your eyes.” Eurycelia commented, laying her head in my lap. “Maybe I could have you focus on me for a bit?”

“Laying in my lap is a good way to focus my attention,” I chuckled while running my hand through Eurycelia’s hair.

“Do you love me Bernie?”

“I care deeply for you,” I mumbled feeling my cheeks grow hot.

“Is that not love?”

“It is.”

“Then why not just say you love me?”

“Because… I’ve never told anyone other than Mommy Laura that I love them. I guess I told my birth mom and dad that I loved them too… but I can’t remember it. So it’s, foreign to me. I’m still adjusting to having my first girlfriend. I’m sorry if I come across weird, my brain is struggling to catch up.”

“You could be adjusting to having your first second girlfriend too,” Kyra noted looking up from the wooden figures she was currently polishing. “But I’ve been good and have waited my turn.”

I could feel Eurycelia tense in my lap. Though I couldn’t quite see her face from my perspective I was sure she was staring daggers at Kyra. “She doesn’t need a second girlfriend.”

“Hey, I was there when you told her she could have as many wives as she wanted. And she’s already let me kiss her no less than a dozen times. So you have no right to turn me away small-horns.”

“A dozen times?” Eurycelia rolled so that she was looking straight up at me. “You’ve kissed her a dozen times?”

“I… didn’t really count, to be honest.”

“You’ve kissed her more times than you could count?!”

Eskame muttered something before rolling over in her sleep. I watched until she settled down again before lightly tapping Eurycelia on the nose.

“You’re going to wake Eskame up if you don’t reign your voice in.”

“Why should it mattered if I wake her up? It’s not even dark out yet.”

“Because I don’t want her to get cranky. She’s a child, she needs lots of sleep… I think.”

“I don’t see why you’re jealous,” Kyra sighed. “You’re the one with her head in Bernie’s lap. While I’m sitting here watching you two be lovey-dovey. Seriously have some compassion for others small-horns.”

“Fine,” Eurycelia pouted. “Kyra can be your second girlfriend.”

“And Adelita will be her third.”

“Third?!” Eurycelia shouted causing Eskame to jump.

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The little fox sat up rubbing at her eyes with a loosely closed fist before looking at me, her lips quivering. “Big Sis…”

“Sit up Euri, it’s Eskame’s turn to get pet on.”

“…I was here first.”

“You woke her up, so you lose cuddles as punishment.”

Eurycelia tsked before sitting up, freeing my lap for Eskame to crawl into.

“She’s not really a child, Bernie. Someday your mother is going to wake her up, there is no reason to coddle her so much now.”

“And here I thought she’d be good practice for when we have kids of our own,” I grinned at Eurycelia. “But I guess I’ll have to have children with Kyra instead.”

“…Children?” Eurycelia sputtered her face turning a deep shade of pink. I giggled as I watched her face contort with a mixture of emotions before she finally settled on distress. “Undead can’t carry children! You’d have to pick me.”

“Oh, I’m certain the great witch Otrea Ladnier could work something out for me. After all it is as you said, her memories will be freed someday. Besides, maybe I’ll be the one to carry our child, especially if the magic we use could give our child my race. I am after all the only bunnygirl in the whole world.”

“Eskame…” Eurycelia muttered making a come hither motion with her hands. “H-how about you come cuddle with me?”

That was all it took for you to come around, huh?

I looked up to see Kyra gazing at me with her mouth agape. “Are you, okay Kyra?”

“You want to have children with… me?”

“I think you and Adelita would both make great mothers,” I replied petting Eskame’s head. “Both of you have talents that children can appreciate. Lots of stuffed animals and games are the perfect way to spoil a child, aren’t they? Though I’m way too young to be a mother myself. So give me a decade or more before you start making plans.”

“We’re not even official yet,” Kyra squeaked covering her face with her hands.

“First girlfriend already approved you Kyra, what else could you need?”

“A kiss.”

“I can do that.”

“Kiss me too Big Sis~!” Eskame smiled gazing up at me.

“Of course,” I planted a kiss on Eskame’s forehead. “Now then Eskame, I think Euri is gonna cry if you don’t cuddle with her.”

Eskame frowned at Eurycelia, “I don’t wanna, she’s a meanie who won’t share.”

“Well then you’ve got to be the bigger girl and teach her how to share don’t you?” I giggled sending a mischievous glare in Eurycelia’s direction. “Since you don’t want to cuddle her, how about sharing Misses Fox so she’s not all alone?”

“No.” Eskame pouted squeezing her stuffed fox tightly. “Misses Fox doesn’t wanna be cuddled by her.”

“Poor Euri, are you saying nobody wants to cuddle her? Isn’t that sad? Wouldn’t you cry if nobody wanted to cuddle you?”

Chewing her lower lip Eskame gazed back and forth between Eurycelia and me. Then after much deliberation finally crawled from my lap to Eurycelia’s. “I’ll cuddle you a wittle bit.”

“Good girl,” I smiled. “Now Kyra… how about that kiss?”

 

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