Author's Note: THIS DID NOT WANT TO GET WRITTEN (and I also still hate this title). Even though I didn't put an official date as to when I wanted the second chapter out, my goal was a week, and that became NEARLY two. I guess I got busy and or lazy. I also just simply ran into the issue stated in all caps. I don't get much writer's block with Golden Sun, but I got a bit here. Oh well. I'll stop whining, and continue whining after the break.
Chapter 2: The Dance of Jupiter
Karis pushed open Matthew's door, her hand still lightly gripping Sveta's, and walked in. She sighed as she released the beast-girl's hand: they were such a joy to caress, dainty and coated with barely visible but velvety soft fur.
The reason for her hands being soft paws rather than her usual claws was, just as the princess of the fang tribe was able to transform into a ferocious and hulking beast, she was able to reduce her more animalistic features whenever she felt the need to do so.
This included her pointed teeth, which she could smooth over when they kissed, her clawed hands, which would revert to the small dainty paws Karis so adored, and her feet, which similar to her hands, would become more human and less sharp if she wanted to wear shoes.
Some of her features were permanent and unchangeable, which Karis was more than happy with. Her slightly pointed nose, delicate ears, and light coat of fur only served to make Sveta more beautiful in her eyes.
There had been some awkwardness at first in their relationship, with Sveta being a beastman and Karis being human. Human/beastman relationships were not very common, and it was not without reason; they had definitive differences, both mental and physical.
A month ago, when they were first starting to form a relationship, Sveta would often have trouble remembering to remove her claws, leading to her accidentally causing three gashes one day when Karis had gone to hold her hand. Of course, Sveta had apologized profusely, but Karis had not minded: nothing a simple Boon or Healing Gust couldn't fix.
Things had been a bit worse and slightly frightening when Sveta had forgotten to reduce her fangs. Karis had cut her lip and tongue on her sharp teeth, and Sveta had, upon tasting her blood, nearly lost control of herself, and quickly forced Karis out of the room.
The spell had faded quickly, and Sveta, after healing Karis's slight cuts and gushing out apologies over her carelessness, had explained to her that it was common during mating for beast-people to taste their mate's blood, sending them into a frenzy of lust.
Karis had smiled, and whispered seductively, "Well, I can't wait till we get to try that," causing her newfound partner to erupt in a deep blush.
Karis had actually begun to worry about how shy Sveta had become around her. When she had first joined the party, she had been naturally shy, but had loosened up in a week or so. However, ever since they had started seeing each other, she had become much more reserved. She knew Sveta felt slightly awkward about their relationship, mostly because they were both girls, and she had asked Karis to try to keep their relationship a secret.
Karis had been fine with that, and it had gone very well, up until they had been caught kissing on the deck. Ever since then, Sveta had reverted to being shy around the rest of the party as well.
Karis felt guilty about this: she didn't want to cause a rift in the party. Hell, who was she kidding, she already had. She frowned, pushing the thoughts of Matthew far from her mind. She had enough on her mind with Sveta, and a relationship that could work, that she couldn't spend time daydreaming about a relationship that was never going to happen… even if it could have.
Anyway, she had asked Sveta multiple times if anything was wrong, and if she was happy, but Sveta would always give her a cheery smile and answer, "Of course, Karis. I'm fine."
Ironically, at this moment she was broken from her thoughts by Sveta asking, "Karis, are you alright?" Karis blinked back into focus, realizing that she had sat down on the bed and that Sveta was next to her. She shrugged as a response to her question, and sighed.
Truth be told, she wasn't alright. But she didn't want to deal with it right now. Just like she hadn't wanted to deal with uncertain feelings for her best fr – she once again pushed the thought of Matthew from her mind, as it only served to bring a bitter taste to her mouth.
"Karis?" Sveta's paw gently nuzzled her cheek, and Karis felt her worries wisp away. She smiled, leaning her head into Sveta's shoulder. Slowly, she raised her arm and ran her gloved hand, her fingers slowly marching, up Sveta's back, until it rested on her head. "Karis…" Sveta whispered softly, then began to purr as Karis's fingers made their way to her ear.
Karis smiled as she glanced at Sveta's face, her eyes now closed, her lips parted and expanding tiny pants. Her nimble fingers ran the length of Sveta's ear, which were lightly twitching and nearly vibrating.
Karis gently grasped the end of the ear, pulling it slightly, causing Sveta to gasp and then let out a small moan. Then, slowly, she brought her fingers to the base of the ear, right behind it, and began to gently rub back and forth. Her smile widened as Sveta's panting became heavier, and her entire body began to twitch.
When Karis had figured out how much feeling Sveta had in her ears, she had instantly fallen in love with turning the already adorable beastgirl into a drooling mess of cuteness. Sveta was very nearly there now, as Karis began to dig her fingers deeper and with more urgency. Sveta's entire body was stiff, and her toes were curling from pleasure.
Finally, she could take no more, and fell backwards as she let out a long moan, Karis lying back with her, easing up her ear rub until she was simply stroking up and down the ear. They were inches apart, their faces toward one another.
Sveta opened her eyes, which were slightly dazed, and gazed into Karis's. Karis mentally cursed; she could tell that Sveta was still worried, but before the beast-girl could ask her what was wrong again, Karis closed the short distance between them, pressing her lips onto Sveta's.
It was funny; Karis always made the first move, but from then on, it was mostly all Sveta. She wondered if this was beastman custom as well, as Sveta returned the kiss, her hands lacing themselves around Karis's back. Karis responded by running her finger through Sveta's soft, pale lavender hair, stopping every now and again to give her still erect ears a slight graze or rub. In the back of her mind, Karis knew what she was doing, and she knew it was wrong. She was ignoring her problems and trying to fill the pain they were causing through pleasure.
All of a sudden, Sveta shifted her body so she was on top of Karis, and gently parted their lips, instead running her nose down Karis's neck before replacing it with flurries of light kisses and sometimes long strokes from her textured tongue. It was Karis's turn to moan, and any hesitation she had held moments prior dissipated, as Sveta coated her neck with her lips. Karis's hands soon found themselves travelling lower, at first grasping Sveta's love handles, then her hips.
Karis bit her lip to keep quiet, all the while her mind dully thumped Oh Sveta, oh Sveta, oh Sveta, OH Sveta, oh Matthew, oh… oh hell. And just like that, the image was broken, and all of the bliss she had been in vanished. She sighed, and felt Sveta's lips leave her neck, glancing up to see her innocent and piercing green eyes matching her deep violets. "Did I… did I go too far?" Sveta whispered softly, parting a few strands of hair blocking Karis's eyes.
Karis shook her head, and smiled. "No, Sveta, you were amazing… I just… I don't know." She bit her lip once more, this time in frustration. She felt bad, lying to Sveta, but the truth… she didn't even know what the truth was.
"Karis," Sveta's voice sounded once more, and her eyes held worry in them. "I know something's wrong, even without using Spirit Sense. You can trust me… you know you can tell me anything, right?" The smile that Sveta gave her then was so warm and full of compassion, that the idea of lying to her no longer presented itself as an option.
Karis needed to tell her the truth, or at least tell her how she felt. Before she could, Sveta lifted herself off of her, sat back down further along the bed, and then gently lifted Karis so her head was fitted in her lap, and she was staring straight up at her.
"Sveta, I'm not alright," Karis began, as Sveta patted her head gently. "I've been feeling off the last week."
"Matthew?" Sveta questioned, and Karis nodded. She racked her brain, trying to figure out exactly how to tell Sveta why she was feeling so much inner emotional turmoil. No clear ideas came to her, and she sighed.
"Sveta… I… I just don't want to talk about it, alright?" Karis said, looking Sveta directly in the eyes, hoping that she would understand. Of course, she did. The beast-girl gave her a sympathetic smile, before moving in and planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I love you, Sveta," Karis whispered, pulling her friend close.
"I love you too, Karis," Sveta replied, returning her embrace.
Karis wanted to indulge in the moment, and leave her thoughts behind. To push back all the insecurities and doubts that she had been wrestling with. She could do it with most of them, most likely. But one, the most painful, she had to address.
Karis had begun to worry that Sveta didn't actually want to be in a relationship with her. She knew that Sveta had, as royalty, never actually dated anyone. Karis herself had only had a few meaningless boyfriends, and Sveta certainly was the first person she actually held deep feelings for romantically.
What if… what if Sveta only saw her as a friend? Karis knew she had feelings for Sveta, but what if she was pretending the feelings were requited because she didn't want to hurt her feelings or their friendship? She knew Sveta liked boys well enough.
Karis was observant: she saw the way Sveta looked at Matthew. And hell, she saw the way he looked back… neither of them probably realized it, but Karis had. But before anything could happen, she had swooped in. "…Sveta?" Karis started wearingly.
"Mmm?" She purred in response, nuzzling lightly into Karis's shoulder.
"I want you to answer honestly. I've really loved a lot of things about this month. I always wanted to try being with a girl rather than a guy, and to be honest thought for a long while that I only liked girls. As I've told you, I've realized that's not the case, but still. I… I love being around you. I love talking to you, and I love doing things with you. But, at times, you seem… detached." Sveta's looseness slowly dissipated, her body tightening, foreshadowing her response. "You see me as more of a friend, and less of a lover, don't you?"
Sveta pursed her lips, staring straight ahead as Karis stared upward at her. "Karis, to be honest, I'm not sure," Sveta began, and then paused. Karis gave her a reassuring nod, and after a deep breath, Sveta began again. "Just as you said, I love being around you. You make me happy, regardless of our relationship. But, I don't know, about how I feel with… you know, dating another girl."
Karis nodded, and asked, "Are you worried about the social aspects, like how people will view you, or… do you not like the, um, physical aspects?" They both blushed, and Sveta averted her eyes. "Like, do you enjoy it when we kiss and snuggle?"
"Ummm… I mean, it feels nice, I guess. Especially when you rub my ears. And I've kind of gotten used to it, but sometimes it still feels weird. And sometimes… oh, Karis, sometimes when you are kissing me I imagine you're a boy." Sveta blurted out, her eyes sullen and her ears drooping low at her revelation.
"Shhh, it's okay," Karis whispered, rubbing Sveta's back and comforting her, though in the back of her own mind what Sveta had just revealed stung deeply. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
Sveta sniffled, and replied, "I didn't want to make you sad. You've been so happy the last month, and it made me happy. Well, up until this week. I know you really enjoy our relationship, and it made me happy too, getting to be close with you. I also know you really like it when we, um, kiss and snuggle, so even though sometimes it makes me feel weird I just go along with it. I'm sorry that I feel awkward or act shy sometimes, I'll work on that."
Karis shook her head, and responded, "Sveta, no, if you don't feel the same way, we don't have to be together. You shouldn't have to put yourself through anything awkward just to make me happy—"
"But, it's not that bad!" Sveta said, interrupting her. "I like it when we cuddle, and I usually like it when we kiss, it's just I sometimes feel bad when I… think about what it would be like with a boy. Like, I feel guilty that I'm imagining kissing someone other than you."
"Oh…" Karis said, her mind being drawn back to what had caused them to stop kissing in the first place; her thoughts straying toward Matthew. "I… I can understand that feeling."
"It's not that I don't find you attractive, or don't like being in a relationship with you. I mean, I feel awkward sometimes, but that happens in all relationships, right? I think I just like guys a little bit… more than girls. But I like being with you, and I don't think we should break up or anything."
"Are you sure Sveta?" Karis asked, her guilt rising as she pictured Matthew and Sveta holding hands, laughing, kissing, happy.
"Y-yes…" Sveta stuttered, nodding.
"Sveta. If you like boys more, then you should… I mean… I'll be completely honest, I've seen the way you look at Matthew, and I feel guilty that I'm coming in between you two. Especially if you'd rather be with him than me."
Karis tried to stay strong, but she faltered. She had been fearing this outcome for weeks, and had been stuck in a terrible hard place: continue a relationship she loved being in even though she felt guilty over it, or letting it end and letting Sveta be with Matthew. Which would be… which would just be…
"Karis… I… Matthew and I…" Sveta stuttered, knocking Karis from her thoughts. "It's just a crush. I mean, Matthew's a great guy, but… Karis?" She whispered as she noticed the tears falling silently from Karis's eyes.
"I'm so gods damn stupid Sveta," Karis said with a bittersweet smile. "You and Matthew will make a great couple. We, we're over. I just… need time to be alone." Sveta gasped, but before she could respond, Karis jolted from the bed, burst through the door, and ran down the hallway.
She didn't stop until she reached the deck, and heard strange music dancing in the night air. Quickly, a lone figure staring out into the ocean and leaning on the railing caught her eye. A glance at their blue hair and odd clothes let her know it was Amiti, no doubt playing his precious Tree Flute. In no mood to talk to anyone, Karis turned to find somewhere to be alone, but before she could Amiti's voice pierced the air.
"Hello, Karis. How are you?" A part of her still wanted to simply turn and run away, but she resisted that urge, turning to face the prince of Ayuthay.
She could already see him eyeing her puffy eyes with worry, but decided to leave no doubt in his mind. "Bad."
He grimaced, and nodded in understanding. "Would you like to talk?" It was Karis's turn to grimace. And yet, she hesitated refusing his offer. Amiti was level-headed, caring, and certainly wouldn't judge her. Yes, he had been arguably one of the most shocked at her and Sveta's relationship, but she really couldn't blame him for that. Hell, he had thought he didn't have a father up until this year: clearly his information on sex and relationships was limited. Maybe a third party to sort through her mind was all that she needed.
"I don't know, Amiti," She replied, walking over to him. "I think burdening you with my messed up love life is slightly unfair, and I don't even really know where to begin."
Amiti shrugged. "I'm not saying I know what's going on, but I do know some of what's been happening. If I'd wager a guess, either your relationship with Sveta isn't going well, or you're saddened by how you and Matthew have been acting around each other the last week."
Karis let out a dry chuckle. "Both. I just broke up with Sveta, and it's probably too late to save my best friend. At least they'll have each other."
"That's very noble of you," Amiti whispered, turning to face her. "Unrequited love is very painful. I imagine it's been hard for Matthew, and is now hard for you."
Karis shrugged. "I wouldn't say noble. It's really all I can do at this point. Besides, I've been horrible leading up to this point… I've been treating Matthew terribly, and I've been using Sveta to relieve my self-doubts about… never mind." Karis cut off quickly. She had nearly said too much.
"I'll make you a deal," Amiti said, stretching his shoulders. "I'll tell you something that's been bothering me that's personal, if you tell me what's truly bothering you." Karis hesitated, but felt her weariness wane as Amiti gave her a reassuring smile. She nodded, and he continued.
"I have been thinking of the same thing, unrequited love. More specifically, of my father, and whether or not he loved my mother, or simply used her to turn on the Alchemy Well. Sadly, I may never know. I worry that she died not from complications of my birth, but of a broken heart. That viewing me, something she had made with a man who had lied to her, caused her love for life to vanish."
His tone was calm, and his eyes clear, but Karis could feel the emotion radiating from him as he said these words; Amiti was of course their friend, but it was rare that he opened up as much as he just had. In particular, the party had danced around bringing up his father and mother, at first out of basic respect, and then even more so since Tret had mentioned he was related to one of them.
And now, she felt selfish and petty, for being so caught up in her little emotional squabbles over Matthew and Sveta, while here Amiti stood, having never met either of his parents, wondering whether or not his very existence had killed his mother.
"Amiti… I'm so sorry. That's terrible. I'm sure you're mother loved you, and wanted to raise you, and that it was complications that took her life. And if it was a broken heart, it was from him, not from you."
Amiti smiled, and replied, "Thank you for your kind words. My uncle often told me how happy I made my mother even in the few hours she knew me. Sometimes I wonder how truthful he was, as after all originally he told me I had no father, but I believe he spoke with honesty. It still hurts my heart, but not much can be done. Maybe someday I will meet my father, and ask him these questions myself. But enough of me. What is troubling you?"
Karis sighed, and closed her eyes. She had agreed to do this, hadn't she? Maybe he would understand if she refused.
On cue, Amiti said, "You need not reveal to me you woes if it brings you this much distress. However, I imagine you would feel much better after doing so. I promise to reveal none of what you say to anyone."
Karis nodded, and slowly began to speak. "About a year ago, Matthew told me he had feelings for me and wanted to be with me. I told him no, and that I didn't have feelings for him." She paused, a final barrier of hesitation holding her back. She held the silence for several moments, her thoughts in free-fall.
All of a sudden, she burst out," But it was a lie! The truth was that I was confused about my sexuality, as I had just realized I also liked girls and had discussed it with my father, and had feelings for Matthew that I was unsure of. On one hand, I loved being his friend, he was handsome and everything I could want in a guy, and our dads were pretty sure we were made for each other. But because of me being unsure about my feelings, I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship by getting into a relationship with him only to find out I didn't like guys or I only liked him as a friend.
"And now, the entire situation is screwed up. I started dating Sveta, and tried to keep it a secret because I knew he was attracted to her as well, but that blew up in my face. And instead of apologizing for hiding it from him when I should have told him in the first place, I misinterpreted his shock as anger and disapproval, and have been slowly pushing him away and destroying our friendship.
"If I hadn't been so… so stupid a year ago, and just said yes, none of this would have happened. I mean, I thought I liked girls, and I guess I wanted to try to be with a girl before I tried out another guy. And… well, I was right, I do like girls, but… gah, I guess I still like him too. So now, Sveta and I are through, Matthew probably hates me, and… puh!" Karis finished her rant by spitting into the ocean.
Amiti lowered his head, taking all of what she had said in, eventually replying, "You did have a lot on your mind. But it would seem more of it is on your heart. Affairs of the heart are always tricky, Karis. Don't blame yourself for saying no to Matthew previously. At the time, you valued his friendship more than a relationship with him. There's nothing wrong with that."
Karis shook hers, and responded with venom in her voice, "I broke his heart. I didn't even give him a chance. Then I stole another girl from him, and I've treated him like crap. There's plenty of wrong with that."
"Nothing an apology and an explanation can't fix," the young man replied, his serene eyes staring into hers. "You need to tell him that. It will be hard, but you have already said how much his friendship is worth to you. Losing that because you tried to save it would be terrible. I also think you owe Sveta a bit of an explanation. She must feel at least slightly guilty over the whole situation."
Karis sighed, and said, "Amiti… I don't want to… Matthew, he…"
"Karis," Amiti said, interrupting her and closing the distance between them by placing his hand on her shoulder. "Matthew has been distraught beyond belief the last week. No one has said anything, and he's been doing a spectacular job of trying to hide it, but it's clear that the gulf of your friendship has left him confused, saddened, and morose. Moreover, I do not believe he blames you in the slightest. Tyrell has talked to him about the matter, and he holds no ill-will toward you: he simply wishes to explain himself and fix things."
Karis gasped at this. "I… I should have figured, he has this tendency to blame himself for things he had no control of or no fault in. But… if he feels that way, why hasn't he tried to talk to me about it?"
Amiti pondered this for a moment, before replying, "Well, I'd imagine that would be for the same reason you haven't talked to him: he's been afraid it's already beyond repair, or that he would make it worse. I've seen him nervously pacing all around the ship today several times, trying to avoid a confrontation; he'd stop at corners and look around them, and at one point I believe he may have simply hid in the crow's nest for a few hours."
Karis frowned. "I didn't… I didn't know he was taking it so hard."
Amiti shrugged. "I haven't known him as long as you, and I would not say I have the observational skills that you and Matthew possess, which is why you are the best leaders in the party, but he has seemed very off. At any rate, whatever you decide to tell him, you should probably talk to him as soon as possible."
"I…" Karis sighed. "You're right. I actually know where he is: he's in Himi's room. I… I'll talk to him in the morning. I need to clear something up with someone else tonight."
"Sveta?" Amiti supplied, turning back toward the ocean.
Karis sighed, and replied, "Yes." Then after a pause, she whispered, "Amiti?"
"Yes Karis?" Amiti responded, not turning around.
"What would you do? I mean… I should let Sveta be with Matthew. But if I tell him the truth, that means, well, he'll know how I feel about him. Should I…"
"Karis," Amiti said soothingly, turning to face her once again. "Do whatever makes you happy. You are a beautiful young woman, and as difficult as matters like this seem now, you're only seventeen. You have plenty of time to make mistakes, and learn from them. You should do what your heart tells you to do, even if it's hard. That is what you did a year ago when you didn't know if you wanted to be with Matthew, and now it seems you do."
"But… Sveta… I…" Karis began to stutter. Things were a lot easier this morning, even if she and Matthew had been on bad terms. At least she had still been with Sveta; breaking up with her was starting to seem stupider by the minute.
"Karis, sometimes things don't work out for everyone involved. That's just the way life works; you have to accept it." Amiti said these words with a certain longing in his voice, and as she glanced into his eyes, she thought she saw a spark of… longing? She had seen that look before, in Matthew's eyes.
And then, it hit her. Tyrell had made some jokes about Amiti having a crush of her, but she had thought they were just that, jokes. Not that he really… and she had just spent ten minutes moaning about her love life to him, and she hadn't even given him a shot. "…Amiti, I'm so sorry."
"For what?" He replied cheerfully, and gave her a warm smile. She returned it, and pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you for the talk, Amiti. You're… you're a really great friend." Karis whispered, trying to rid herself off the lingering guilt she felt. The warm way in which he returned the embrace helped.
"Of course, Karis. Any time." They shared another smile, before Karis turned, and went back the way she came, down towards Matthew's room.
Amiti turned back towards the ocean, and sighed. He had done what his heart had known was right, even if it wasn't what he wanted. He allowed himself a small smile. He hadn't know his mother, true, but he would often imagine that she watched down on him from above, and would smile when he did the right thing. Tonight, just maybe she was staring down at him from the star filled sky, a smile gracing her lips.
Karis walked quickly back to Matthew's room. Without knocking, she threw the door open, glancing at the bed to see Sveta sitting on it somewhat dejectedly but slightly roused due to the sudden opening of the door.
The moment they made eye contact, both Jupiter Adepts ran towards the other, Karis slamming the door behind her and Sveta leaping off the bed, both shouting, "I'm so sorry!" over and over, until they reached each other.
At which point, they both paused, before embracing tightly, this time giving each the opportunity to speak. "I'm sorry I ran out like that, I don't know what came over me…" Karis began, but was quickly interrupted by Sveta.
"No, I should have stopped you, or consoled you, or anything. Karis I don't want us to break up, we can—"
Her thoughts were cut short as the door opened, and in stepped Tyrell, saying, "Matthew, why did you slam our doo—whoops, walked in on a lesbian make out session." Both Karis and Sveta blushed, though Sveta's was deeper and was accompanied by a embarrassed "Eep!" that Karis would have giggled at if she wasn't so mad at Tyrell for ruining the moment.
Before she could yell at him, he quickly raised his arms in defense, and shouted, "Kidding! Just kidding! You guys are cute, I just, you know, didn't expect you to be doing this in our room of all places, but hey, whatever floats your boat. Get it! Because we're on a boat!" Tyrell devolved into silent laughter while Karis rubbed her eyes in disbelief and Sveta simply stared.
"Okay, I guess I'll be going now," He continued after a few moments, breaking out of his laughing fit. "Unless you wouldn't mind me joining in?"
Sveta let out another "Eep!" of embarrassment while Karis, a known Jupiter Adept who had only Jupiter Djinn on her at the moment, looked very close to being able to breathe fire. "TYRELL!" She boomed, putting one foot out in front of her, daring him to try anything else.
"Kidding, kidding, jeez, you guys are so touchy about this whole thing. I don't get what the big deal is. So there's no dick involved, so what? You know what, if you two can be together, why can't I and another guy date? You know what! Yeah! I've got it all figured out. So, I'll be going… unless…"
"OUT!" Karis shouted, her mind now filled with images of Tyrell and Matthew awkwardly kissing. "Just, out!"
"Okay, okay," The hothead replied, his signature grin not waning in the slightest. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me. Or not, actually, since you're in my room. Oh well. Don't stain the sheets!"
Tyrell was very lucky he had possessed the foresight to equip a Zol Ring that morning, as without the agility boost it supplied him, chances are he would not have dodged the shot of Plasma Karis fired that moment at his face. Whether or not he deserved the said Plasma to his face was another story all together, one that did not cross his mind as he ran down the hallway, trying to decide which male on the ship was most likely to give this whole "gay" thing a try.
Karis sighed as Tyrell darted out of the way of her Plasma, and turned back towards Sveta. "Well… we should probably... talk," she said, motioning towards the bed. Sveta nodded hesitantly, and followed Karis to the bed. Karis sighed again, still not wanting to deal with the topic at hand.
Sveta, sensing her apprehension, asked, "Karis? It's been a long night… perhaps, we should wait until morning?"
Karis shook her head in frustration, before nodding. "Yeah. I just… I need to sleep some of this off." Sveta smiled, and standing up, began to remove her clothes, stripping down to her undergarments. Karis couldn't help but lick her lips as she took in the sights, staring at Sveta's back and… lower back.
Yes, she did share a room with Sveta, meaning she saw her change often enough, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate every time she got to see her slim and muscular form with a good deal less clothing on.
Sveta turned back to Karis after she kicked her clothes into a corner, and blushed as she realized Karis was eyeing her body. She did little to hide herself though, facing forward now, letting Karis get a good view of her front as well.
Karis giggled after several moments, standing up herself and stripping down as well. Sveta watched her with a somewhat awkward longing, a small smile playing on her beet red face.
"Karis?" The beastgirl whispered, as her fellow wind Adept pulled out the covers of Matthew's bed and lied down in it.
"Mmhmm?" Karis answered, groggy, and ready to succumb to rest.
"…Are we broken up, right now?" Sveta implored carefully, her feet rooted to the spot.
Karis rolled over, and smiled at her friend. "I don't think so. Probably tomorrow morning, but for tonight, let's just say we're together."
Sveta wrinkled her nose in confusion, but did not push the topic further. "Alright," She replied quietly, and then suddenly leapt into the air and into Matthew's bed, landing next to a very surprised Karis.
"S-Sveta, I," Karis began to stutter, but was hushed by Sveta's lips.
"K-Karis, I don't want to go… you know… further than we have in the past, Sveta whispered, as he hand lightly grazed Kari's cheek. "B-But, I always wanted to sleep in the same bed as you, and snuggle with you, at least just one night."
Karis smiled, and returned the kiss with one of her own. "I've always wanted that too, Sveta. I think I'm going to sleep very well, tonight."
Sveta smiled, then lowered her head and nuzzled it into Karis's neck. Karis smiled as she felt the beastgirl's soft ears graze her smooth skin. Sveta, after a small yawn, whispered, "I think I will sleep well too. Goodnight, Karis."
"Goodnight, Sveta," Karis whispered, and as sleep slowly took her, for the first time in that entire day, she was at peace.
I have even more mixed feelings about this chapter than I do the last one. See, this is what ended up going down: originally, this chapter didn't exist, and the current chapter three was chapter two, in which Himi and Matthew talk and then there are more shenanigans toward the end. However, I realized I REALLY needed a chapter that fleshed out Karis a good amount (she has a big character moment in chapter three) and Sveta at least somewhat. Along with that, I needed to introduce a few of the other characters, whether it be in serious ways (Amiti) or completely ridiculous ways (Tyrell).
Amiti has a significant role to play here, as does Tyrell. Eventually. I'm still trying to find a good way to fit Eoleo and Rief in, which may or not happen. I'm not going to force it. I have some ideas for Eoleo, less for Rief.
Back to why this chapter drove me nuts: Karis's characterization. I pretty much wrote the majority of this chapter swearing at myself because I thought I was doing a bad job with her character. In retrospect, I think I did a good job. I think.
Sveta's character is just adorable to write, but as things go on she gets less shy and more outgoing. Which makes me sad, but hey, character evolution.
The pacing in this chapter also was grating in my opinion. And… oh, I don't know, I'm probably being overly self critical. I almost scrapped it a few times, and bleh. Stuff happens.
Amiti served a plot need well, but I also used it as a way to flesh him out a little. Like I said, he'll have a role going forth.
And oh goodness Tyrell is trying to hook up with one of the guys. This can only end funny. It was kind of spur of the moment, but this is partially a humor fic, and needs said humor. I'm looking forward to writing these sections.
The "ear" scene was spur of the moment too, but I couldn't help but add it because the image of it was adorable beyond words and makes me dawwww. Karis and Sveta are too cute together.
Finally, more concerns: I worried about the dialogue in this one (it was really dialogue heavy), once more the pacing, Karis's character, Karis and Sveta's relationship, and finally the plot. I mean, as I said last time, a lot of this is stupid teen romance, so a lot of humor and awkward feelings, but I don't want that to hold the fic back. The plot gets more serious as things go along, it begins in a somewhat lull of action.
Okay, enough ranting. Next time it's Matthew and Himi, a bit more Karis and Sveta, and then finally a surprise. Also of note, the third chapter should be out realllly soon, because all I need to do is add in a Karis and Sveta section to it, and edit lightly. Otherwise it's already written. If it takes longer than a week send angry PMs, I deserve them.