NOVEL NEXT Chapter 017 – The next day
The first very long day of the group’s resumed travels had finally come to an end after many interesting events, which even included the girls having swapped their partners for the night. Even though it only was about sharing a different room and only involved sleeping with each other in the literal and all-ages way.
"I am SOOO very envious of Steph for being able to do that every night!" Sophia and Chloe had left their room and were on the way downstairs to the living room when the blonde kept glancing and the fluffy tail of the girl she had spent the night with.
“I find it very interesting that you and your sister have the exact same reaction when waking up and letting go of my tail.” The fox-girl smiled at her. “You open your eyes, give my tail a good squeeze, let go of it, and show me the biggest grin possible while saying ‘Thank you very much for the treat!’. Exact same intonation and spring in your voice, too."
“It would be a crime against the universe to react in any other way!”
“Ahaha!” Hearing that, Chloe started laughing.
“Eh?”
“Steph, again, said the very same thing when I asked her one day why she does the same ritual every morning when we wake up."
“I’ve never been prouder of my little sister!”
“You two really are some very loveable dorks.”
“Ehehe~.” The tiger liked that. “By the way, was it really okay for me to use your tail as a hug pillow? I know your outer fluff isn’t that sensitive, but it’s still something very intimate, no? I mean, for us… cats, only your lover is usually allowed to do it."
“Shouldn’t you ask yourself if it was an okay thing for you to do, then?"
"A-Ah.” The blonde got a little awkward. “I-I’m from a different world and only turned into a hybrid cat a year ago! It’s not that heavy of a rule for me…”
“Will Maya be okay with that argumentation of yours, too?”
"A-Ah…” She looked even more awkward.
“Personally, I’m fairly okay with it.” Chloe looked at her again. “Strangers would be a different thing, but I like you quite a lot, on top of being Steph's sister. Again, my tail is also fairly insensitive because of the thick layer of fluff. I barely felt you hugging it, that helps a lot. Compared to Steph, who more than once had buried her entire head and half her body into it, you were nice and gentle~.”
“I’m SOOO envious again!”
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The two finished their conversation soon after and finally made their way into the living room, where another duo was already present.
“…”
“…” Anna and Steph were sitting next to each other, but they had their heads turned in the other direction, seemingly not wanting to look at the girl next to them. Both also had a very displeased expression for some reason.
“Are you two still fighting over that stupid room?!” Sophia shook her head a couple of times. “I can’t believe it!”
“We obviously are!” The princess looked back at her. “It’s just because Steph doesn’t want the room!”
"You won the privilege to use it fair and square!" The dog-girl glared at the blonde tiger. "It's yours, and it'll stay that way!"
“But I don’t want it anymore!”
“Neither do I!” It almost seemed like sparks were flying between them.
“And you called me insufferable…” Sophia took a short glance at Chloe next to her. “Wait, what?” She only then noticed that the issue between the duo had ever so slightly changed.
“The room is the worst!”
“Yeah, I hate it!” Both of them got loud while staring at the blonde.
“Can we go back to bed…?” Sophia seemed quite tired when she faced Chloe once again.
“I like that plan!” She looked back at her with an exhausted-looking smile.
“No, you won’t.”
“Not a chance.” Maya and Ari appeared behind them and blocked the door leading out of the living room.
“But I don’t want to deal with this!”
“Exactly!” Sophia and the pink fox immediately began to protest.
“Tough luck.” The other two merely shook their heads. “We had to deal with that for two hours already." They pointed at the bickering duo. “It’s your time now!”
“Haaa…” The short tiger let out a prolonged sigh before facing her sister. “What did you do?”
“Why me?!” The dog didn’t like her reaction. “This time, it’s really and absolutely 100% Anna’s fault! We had a contest, and she won the right to use the room! I was upset about it, but I let her have it! Just because she no longer wants it doesn't mean I must take it now! I don't want it anymore!"
“Neither do I, though!” The princess vehemently shook her head.
"Listen here, idiots,” The blonde rolled her eyes. “There are still like 5 unused rooms in the cottage. Just take one of them each! It's too early for this! I haven't had breakfast, either!"
“Great!”
“What happened?” Chloe tilted her head while looking at the two. “Yesterday, you were fighting to get the room, and now you’re fighting to get rid of the room?”
“They’re just stupid.”
“I think so, too.” Maya and Ari’s explanation was rather harsh.
“Hey!” Obviously, the girls in question didn’t like that.
“I get the feeling they might be right, though.” Sophia sided with her cat and the jaguar.
“We are not stupid!” The duo got even louder.
“Well then, let me hear the reasons why the room suddenly is no good any longer.” Sophia intensified her stare at them.
“It’s impossible to sleep in there!” The voices of Anna and Steph overlapped perfectly.
“BURN THE ROOM!” The blonde was convinced quite easily.
“Right, there are more idiots in this group.”
“HEY!” This time, three girls glared at Maya.
“What was the reason you couldn’t sleep?” The fox-girl stayed a little more neutral while she addressed the princess.
“No idea.” She just shrugged. "I don't know why, but I woke up at least once an hour, and it took forever to fall asleep again.”
“Hmm,” Chloe tilted her head before eventually glancing at the violet dog. "I have the feeling that's your fault, my dear.” She then concentrated on the tall tiger again. “Our dear Steph here has the worst sleeping posture. She probably did something to wake you up. Repeatedly. Trust me, I have some experience with that.”
“I’m a peaceful sleeper!” Steph was deeply hurt by this unfounded accusation.
"Do you still remember last month when you somehow managed to make a 180-degree turn in bed, wrapped your legs around my neck, and almost choked me with your thighs?"
“…” She immediately went silent.
"While I would imagine that choking is a horrible death, if I had to die by it, I want it to happen like that."
“True!” The tiger duo seemed to be pretty okay with it.
"Anyway, I also woke up during the same time, too!" Steph ignored them and looked at her fox-girl with a serious expression.
“Okay, that has to mean something!” Her eyes opened wide. “For you to wake up, it has to be serious!”
“Exactly!”
“Steph’s sleeping posture is indeed pretty, uhh… wild, though.” Anna scratched her cheek. “Her tail ended up in my face many times. It was very fluffy, so it didn't exactly bother me, but tails should be used with more reservation!” She started to blush a little. “It’s way too intimate, after all!”
“Ahaha…” The dog-girl had nothing to defend herself with. “I get the point, but we should be more open with the tail caressing!”
“EXACTLY!” Sophia agreed with her.
“I knew I could count on you!” Steph smiled at her sister.
“You were all over Chloe’s tail during the night, were you not?” Maya stared right at her blonde while shaking her head a little.
“I-I wasn’t all over it!” Sophia awkwardly looked back at her.
“Really?”
“R-Really!”
“It’s true.” Chloe tried to help the tiger. “She did use it as a hug pillow, but she was so gentle that I barely felt it."
“Impressive. In one way or another.” Maya still had somewhat mixed feelings. “Well, Ari was also way clingier than I had expected, which I didn’t mind at all, so I’m hardly in a position to complain.
“I was?” It was news to the jaguar in question.
“She was?!” Anna didn’t seem to be a fan of this revelation.
“What did I do?”
“What did she do?!”
“I wonder~.” Maya smirked at the couple. “Let’s just say that even I was surprised. Thanks for the treat, by the way~.”
“E-Eh?!”
“It seems like everyone bonded quite well last night, huh?” The pink fox simply smiled at everyone around her.
“That’s not the takeaway here!” Even though it was still morning, Anna was already going strong with her retorts.
“Are you not getting along better with Steph, too?” Chloe stared at the princess. “Sure, you were fighting again first thing in the morning, but it sounded very playful and not at all serious to me once it was clear what was going on.”
“T-This and that is different!” The tall tiger stole a glance at the dog-girl before she decided to be upset again. "Getting along and getting along are two very different things!” She then glared at Maya again.
“How does breakfast sound?” She wasn’t phased by it at all.
“Great idea!" Sophia, Chloe, and Steph were big fans of the plan.
Afterward, as the hungry trio had gotten very excited about the food, any more complaining from the princess fell on deaf ears. Well, even deafer ears.
