by Iliev, Neven
A statement Boxxy was inclined to believe after personally meeting one of the dryads that resided within these colossal plants.
“You sure seem to know a lot about this swaying stuff,” Keira commented.
“It’s common knowledge around these parts,” Rowana shrugged. “Most people really don’t worry about it, and neither should you.”
The shapeshifter was most likely going to do so anyway. Mostly because it was the Hero of Chaos, whose patron deity would no doubt love to see one of these street-sized limbs randomly pop off its tree. Thankfully, Mallory didn’t seem too keen to create such catastrophes herself, but there was no telling what Boxxy’s Agent of Chaos Skill might do. It was therefore a very good thing that the mysterious ability hadn’t activated ever since its wielder had crossed the border.
“Oh, this is the place!”
Rowana led Keira to a small boutique, manned by a kind-looking, gray-haired old woman. Unfortunately, the proprietor in question was human, which made her susceptible to Boxxy’s Butcher of Humanity Perk. The shapeshifter wasn’t worried though, as it had already figured out a way to counteract the instinctive fear its presence instilled in all humans.
For starters, Keira’s non-threatening appearance and cheerful disposition greatly dampened the Perk’s initial impact. It was why the old woman simply eyed the catgirl suspiciously rather than having a heart attack or something equally incriminating. She probably wouldn’t have noticed something was amiss if she just passed the beastkin on the street. And since Boxxy’s Pheromone Control Skill allowed it to literally radiate calmness, it only took a few seconds to completely erase that troublesome Perk’s effects from the old woman’s mind.
The best part about this approach was that it could be applied to an entire room of humans without any problems, though Boxxy naturally did its best to avoid such scenarios.
After overcoming what she believed to be a mild surprise at seeing a beastkin in Azurvale, the aged woman proceeded to measure the redheaded tomboy. She showed the couple a number of clothing designs to choose from. Rowana ended up placing an order for four outfits in total—a formal dress, a casual dress, a light blouse-and-skirt combo, and a set of rather risqué nightwear. The old tailor gave the elf a knowing look at that last one, prompting Rowana to claim that she was merely showing her ‘roommate’ how to best make use of her ‘feminine charms.’
That slightly awkward encounter over with, the couple spent about half an hour just walking around, window shopping, and chatting. They eventually got on one of the floating platforms that served as public transportation and rode it down to the ground. They sat quietly in a park, discreetly holding hands until it was time for lunch. Rowana said she knew a place that served great food at a reasonable price, though it wasn’t a restaurant.
The establishment just so happened to be a certain inn that was situated on the ground almost directly beneath the elf’s cozy little treehouse.
“Well, well, well,” said the old innkeeper when he saw Keira enter his place of business. “If it isn’t the hooligan who won’t stop jumping on my roof?”
“The roof!?”
Rowana took a deep breath following her outburst, then turned to face the guilty-looking beastkin.
“Keira, is there something you want to tell me?”
“Uhm. I may have… leapt down onto this building… a few times…” she answered sheepishly.
“Leapt down?! What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well…”
“You know this girl, miss?” the innkeeper interjected.
“Yeah. We’re roommates,” Rowana answered without looking away from Keira.
“Well, please tell her that vine-swinging is dangerous, and I won’t be held responsible if she hurts herself.”
“Oh-hoh!” the elf crossed her arms. “Vine-swinging, huh? You mean that superbly dangerous thing I told you to stop doing? The one I explicitly forbade on account of how unimaginably stupid it was?”
“It’s not like that!” the redhead insisted. “I was just, uh, practicing! Yeah, that’s it! Rangers need to be able to traverse all kinds of difficult terrain!”
This was a blatant lie. The real reason Boxxy swung from vines was because it helped build proficiency for its Feline Agility Skill, the only one derived from its Cat Job. Plus, it was genuinely faster than using the ‘proper’ way. Also, it wouldn’t die even if it fell. It already tested that by tying Snack up and pushing her off the edge. Granted, the impact with the ground had broken almost every bone in the succubus’s body and she expired shortly afterwards from a punctured lung, but she technically survived the initial impact.
“Bullshit!” the old innkeeper snapped. “My daughter’s never had to do things like that! Isn’t that right, Lia?” he yelled towards the back of the inn.
“What is it now, dad?” a green-haired elf poked her head out of the kitchen. “Oh, Keira!”
Her pained expression became pleasantly surprised when she saw her classmate. She ducked back inside the kitchen, shouted something about taking a break, and went out to give her friend a proper greeting.
“Hey, didn’t expect to see you here!” she said happily, completely ignoring her father’s shocked look.
“Lia! What are you doing here?!” Keira asked in genuine surprise.
“I’m helping my parents out with the family business.”
“In the kitchen?”
“Mhm. I know, I know, I’m not exactly the domestic type, but I can still make a killer croquette,” she boasted.
“How do you know this hooligan!?” her father interjected.
“She’s no hooligan, dad,” Lia rolled her eyes. “This is Keira, the one I was telling you about earlier.”
“What? That’s her?”
“Of course it is. How many catkin girls do you think there are in this city?”
“Are you sure?”
His daughter had described her classmate as kind-hearted, polite, awkward, determined, and hard-working, none of which were traits he’d associated with the ‘hooligan.’
“Yes, I’m sure. Now stop bellyaching about your dumb roof and go help mom in the kitchen before you embarrass me to death.”
Lia grabbed her mildly-protesting father by the shoulders and pushed him into the back while Keira, Rowana, and most of the customers looked on in a sort of bemused stupor. The patrons lost interest by the time the daughter returned, thankfully by herself.
“Sorry about that,” she apologized. “My dad likes to yell a lot, but he means well.”
“That would explain a lot,” Rowana nodded lightly.
“Ah, hello there. I’ve seen you around before, but I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Lia Torlee, one of Keira’s classmates. And you… must be ‘Rowie.’”
“I am Rowana Slyth, yes.”
“I heard a lot about you.”
“Well, you have me at a disadvantage. I had no idea you existed.”
Boxxy was momentarily stumped. Rowana’s tone of voice was subtly different. Harsher, accusatory even. While the shapeshifter couldn’t figure out what the matter was, the apprentice Ranger seemed to have realized what was going on almost immediately.
“I assure you, Keira is not my type,” she said in a hushed voice. “I have no intention of stealing her from you so please stop looking at me like that.”
“R-right. Of course. Sorry, it’s just that… I don’t get a lot of chances at finding lo- love, so I got a bit… jealous,” Rowana stammered in embarrassment.
Oh, so that’s what jealousy looks like! Boxxy exclaimed internally.
It hadn’t seen that emotion up close before, so it made sure to memorize it for later reference. This was probably a good time for a response from Keira, but what kind? If Rowana was jealous, that meant she suspected her lover might be seeing someone else behind her back. This implied she didn’t trust her girlfriend completely. Of course, Boxxy had no intention of ‘cheating’ on her. According to her made-up profile, Keira was the devoted
and faithful type, so that would not happen, even if Lia did smell rather delicious. Therefore, the appropriate response in this situation was to vehemently deny there was anything between them.
“Rowie! You should know better!” it stated in a harsh whisper. “I’m not gonna go after any woman I see just because her boobs are bigger.”
“Hey!” both elves responded in unison, crossing their arms over their chests. They then looked at each other, realized they had the same reaction and shared a small, awkward giggle.
“Come on, you two. Let’s get you a table.”
Lia guided the couple to some quiet seats in the corner. She joined them for lunch and said it was on the house. They chatted while they ate, and the two elves got along quite well, which was only to be expected considering they had a common topic in Keira. Boxxy didn’t know how to respond to them poking fun at its public persona’s quirks and habits, but the mood seemed jovial and light-hearted, so it decided to just go with it. The conversation shifted to more personal topics soon enough, anyway.
“Say Lia, you wanna join us on our girls’ day out?” Rowana suggested.
“Wait, are you serious?” the other elf responded.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, didn’t you two say you were, y’know, on a date,” Lia practically whispered that last part.
“We are, but… Haah,” she sighed. “Honestly, I could really use a friend. Like, a real friend.”
Though Rowana had no difficulty making a good first impression, maintaining meaningful relationships was another story entirely. Her paranoia regarding her sexuality made her keep people at arm’s length. She would be hard pressed to find someone in her life that she considered to be anything more significant than an acquaintance or coworker. Lia, however, was different. She already knew of Rowana and Keira’s naughty little secret, and her support of their relationship was quite refreshing.
In short, Rowana just wanted someone other than her girlfriend to share her troubles with.
“I mean, it’s not like I can’t,” Lia said hesitantly. “The lunch rush is already over and it’ll be a few hours before dinner prep starts, but is it really okay? With both of you?”
Though she didn’t want to be the third wheel, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the odd couple’s company.
“The more the merrier!” Keira declared.
Boxxy had already resigned itself to entertaining one moronic elf for the day, so why not bump that up to two? After all, more people to socialize with meant more XP for its Doppelganger Job. In fact, if things kept going this way it would probably hit Level 14 before nightfall.
“Alright then, I’ll keep you company for a while. Just let me know if I’m a bother and I’ll make myself scarce.”
Lia excused herself to change out of her stained apron and came out in a casual dress similar to Rowana’s, though this one was a pale green rather than navy blue. The three of them then set out in a random direction.
“Keira really needs some cuter clothes,” Lia commented while they were walking down the street.
“I know, right?” Rowana exclaimed. “Don’t worry, though. I already placed an order for some this morning. The blouse and skirt I picked out would look positively adorable on her!”
“Wow, she has it bad, huh?” the younger elf mumbled.
Rowana squirmed and squealed almost exactly like how Keira behaved whenever the catgirl talked about her girlfriend. That sort of behavior fit the youthful beastkin perfectly, but seeing a grown and mature elf act that way was a bit weird. Then again, Lia had never been in a romantic relationship before, so she had no idea if this was normal behavior. Or at least as far as ‘normal’ could be applied to these two.
“Hmm? Keira, what’s wrong?”
The catgirl had stopped in her tracks to stare into the window of a pawn. She leaned in closer and looked through the glass, but couldn’t tell which of the myriad of items lined up on the windowsill had caught her interest. Rowana was still daydreaming, so it took her a few moments to notice what the other two were doing.
“What’s going on over there?” she asked.
“Dunno,” Lia shrugged. “Keira?”
“I just need to check something out,” the beastkin replied. “Be right back.”
The redhead pushed the door open and walked into the shop, ringing a small bell dangling above the entrance as she did so. It was a decently-sized place, slightly bigger than Fizzy’s old store back in Erosa. Numerous curious objects of all types lined the shelves along the walls or were on display inside the glass counters. Books, bells, weapons, jewelry, jugs, jars, board games, dolls, statues, flutes, lutes, hammers, cutlery, even the odd potion—this place seemed to have it all.
There was another ring at the door as the elf girls piled in behind Keira, mostly out of curiosity.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” a balding elf greeted them jovially from behind the counter. “Welcome to Orym’s Pawn Shop.”
The man didn’t bat an eye at the peculiarity of his visitors, even if one of them was a beastkin. The type of business he ran tended to attract all manner of odd individuals looking to buy or sell equally odd merchandise. Compared to his usual clientele, three pretty young girls randomly showing up in his shop was almost a godsend.
“So, what can old Orym do for you?” he asked in a jovial tone.
“Ask her,” Rowana and Lia simultaneously pointed at the redhead.
“Heh. Alrighty then, what’ll be little missy?” he turned to Keira. “I can tell by the way you were staring through the window you already have your eye on something.”
“Uh, yeah. Hi. I was just wondering, where did mister Orym get this?”
She stepped over to the display in the windowsill and pointed at an ornate jewelry box in the corner. It was rather small and cube-shaped, each side measuring somewhere between fifteen and twenty centimeters. It appeared to be made of wood, with some faint and worn out vine-like patterns carved on the sides, and stood on four very short and stubby legs. The rectangular lid was also wooden, with a single, circular red gem faceted right into the middle of it. All of the corners, edges and legs were gilded, giving the small box the undeniable feel of a miniature treasure chest.
“That, huh?” Orym mumbled while staring at it.
He blinked a few times trying to jog his memory, but couldn’t recall where exactly it came from. It had been sitting there for quite a while though, six months at the least. Nobody had shown even the smallest bit of interest in it before this fuzzy-eared kid showed up, so it was only natural he’d forget about it. It didn’t matter, anyway. He felt fairly confident it was his to sell, even if he couldn’t remember its origin. Wouldn’t be the first time it had happened.
“I can’t divulge that information.”
“You don’t know, do you?” the girl said in an accusatory tone.
“Don’t be silly,” he brushed her off. “Of course, I know. It’s in my shop, so I should obviously know how it got there, right?”
“Do you even know what that is?”
“It’s just an antique jewelry box,” he shrugged. “Collector’s item, really.”
The catgirl shook her head.
“Can I pick it up for a moment? I want to show you something.”
“Okay, but if you break it, you buy it.”
“Keira,” Rowana whispered. “Are you sure about this? We don’t really have the money to afford that thing in the first place.”
Splurging on some outfits and a day out on the town was one thing, but that an ‘antique collector’s item’ was completely out of the question.
“It’s okay, I got this,” Keira assured her.
The disguised doppelganger reached over, took the shiny box off the shelf and placed it on the counter in front of the pawnbroker. It then smiled at him, looked down at the box, let out enough murderous intent to make even Orym twitch, then firmly knocked on its lid.
“Yap!”
All three elves in
the room jumped in surprise when the jewelry box gave out a high-pitched yell. It sprang to life and moved along its small legs towards the edge of the counter, trying to get away from the terrifying creature that had caught onto its identity. Keira’s hands deftly grabbed it by the sides and put an end to its daring escape attempt before it got past her arm’s reach. The others stared in silent disbelief as the catgirl nonchalantly dragged the living jewelry box back in front of her and held it down. She forced its lid open to reveal a red and wide tongue, a tiny throat letting out a pathetic whine, and a perfect set of short, flat, white teeth.
“I’m sure you won’t mind if I take this mimic off your hands, right?”
The shopkeeper gave a few short nods of his head.
“Thanks, Mr. Orym. I really appreciate it.”
Keira hugged the miniature chest against her underdeveloped chest and left the shop with a huge smile.
“What… just happened?” Rowana finally found her voice.
“I think you two just got a new pet,” Lia responded.
Part Two
“C’mon Keira, you can’t be serious!” Rowana protested. “That thing’s a monster, isn’t it?”
Of course she was upset. Her girlfriend had just picked up a rather outrageous creature from a random pawn shop and seemed like Keira had the intention of looking after it. Rowana wasn’t an adventurer herself, so she wasn’t a hundred percent sure what the small animate box really was, but it certainly didn’t look like a puppy.
“But, look at it. It’s so tiny and cute,” the catgirl argued.
Boxxy’s actual reason for wanting to look after this thing was a deep, nagging curiosity. Whatever this thing was, its internal structure was much different from the shapeshifter’s own. It was undoubtedly a type of mimic, but what kind was a mystery. It certainly wasn’t a Lesser or Greater variant of its old species, which meant it was likely a completely different being. Also, looking after this thing was the perfect excuse to look up research materials regarding shapeshifters.
