A/n- Once again I seem to have to bring my A game to any Tellius story I write and it ends up 4-5 times longer than most stories I write! XD So enjoy some Jill/Lethe because I sure did have fun writing it!
The Commission Files- File #a1407 Friends, Partners, Lovers
Characters: Jill, Lethe
Based on: a commission by jonval_art on Twitter/X
About a year and a half had passed since the final battle with Ashera at the Tower of Guidance. Since then Jill and Haar had been building up and developing their wyvern delivery service and they had made quite the name for themselves across Tellius for their speedy and professional service. Jill had been offered to take a leadership position in Talrega after the war, but she deferred her decision on it until a later date because she still wasn't quite sure if that was something she wanted for her future. Either way it was a nice and sunny day when Haar came into the base of operations of the delivery service with a few pieces of personal mail in his hand.
"Hey kiddo, you've got a letter." Haar stated as he walked over to where Jill was eating and slid it next to her plate. "I can tell from the handwriting it's from you favorite pen pal." He teased her slightly.
"So what if it is? Can't I have friends from Gallia?" Jill teased him back before taking the envelop in her hand and looking at it. She too could tell from the handwriting who it was, but also from the name on the corner as well 'Lethe'.
"Friends. Sure, let's go with that." Haar chuckled to himself. "Well I'm off to take my daily lunch nap. Only wake me if it's important." And with that he slipped off into the bedroom he had installed for himself in the delivery base.
"I still wonder what he means when he says that." Jill wondered to herself as she opened the envelop. "What else could we be besides friends?" The letter came out of the envelope easily and Jill started to read it. Lethe's letters were always short and to the point, but you could tell she really made an effort to make them look nice given she wasn't used to writing with beorc language or tools.
Dear Jill,
I'm hoping that you are still alive and doing well with your delivery business, but I'll get straight to the point as usual. Things here in Gallia are progressing in a timely manner and I feel it's finally stable enough for you to visit like you've been wanting to for a while. I've enclosed a map with this letter to show you where to fly and where a good place to land your wyvern will be, assuming you will be flying here on it of course. I've also taken the liberty of setting up a place for you to stay because I'm hoping you'll want to stay for more than a day or two and because I have something I want to discuss with you that would have you stay a bit longer than usual, maybe about two weeks or so if you have time for it. I'm looking forward to seeing you again and I hope we can deepen our bonds when we meet again.
Your Friend,
Lethe
"That's so sweet of her to do for me." Jill commented to herself after reading the letter. "I never would have thought someone like Lethe would be such a close friend, but now I can't imagine her not being in my life. But two weeks though? What could she be planning? A tour of the whole of Gallia perhaps? Some sort of festival that's going on? That could be fun. Oh, I can't wait to find out. But, hmm, two weeks away from the delivery service, cam I really take that long?"
"I mean, you are one of the owners of said service, can't you take vacations whenever you like?" Haar's voice surprised Jill from the other side of the room.
"Ah! Haar! I thought you were sleeping?" Jill exclaimed in a bit of shock.
"Well, I forgot my pre-nap juice." Haar stated calmly. "And since you were mumbling to yourself I figured I'd listen in and see if I had any witty comments to add."
"Only you would think of such things Haar." Jill said slightly shaking her head at him. "But I guess it's better than trying to wake you up. So you're okay with me taking a trip to Gallia and not being around for a few weeks?"
"Hell, you could stay for a few months for what it's worth." Haar commented. "Not that I don't want you here, but we've got enough replacement riders to pick up the slack. You deserve a bit of a break anyways to do what you want, you've been busy doing things ever since you first got involved with Ike and that whole conflict. Go and have some fun with your friend, make new friends, relax a bit, everything will still be here when you get back."
"You do have a bit of a point there Haar." Jill agreed, thinking back to the last time she wasn't either training, fighting, or working. "You sure things will be alright here?"
"Of course it will be, and if not I know how to ask for help, I'm no idiot even if I act like one most of the time." Haar chuckled again.
"Alright, I'll trust you then." Jill noted, feeling better about the situation already. "And thank you, I know you don't care for being sappy or anything most of the time, but you are a wonderful friend to me as well and I hope you know that."
"Hey, I promised your old man I'd look after you and that doesn't stop now that the war is over." Haar told her. "But you make it easy kid. But enough of that, too much sugar and I won't be able to fall asleep. Have fun in Gallia."
"I will. And I'll write you if things change while I'm there." Jill replied before he slipped back to his personal bedroom. "A vacation in Gallia, this should be interesting." So Jill spent the rest of her day and part of the next morning getting prepared to fly to Gallia, making sure she had all the supplies and things she needed just in case something went wrong. She didn't bring her armor though because she figured she wouldn't need it, instead she wore her new leather and sheep wool jacket to keep warm as she flew through the air. The trip took a few days but the skies were blue the whole time and nothing hindered her progress. When she was reaching close to her destination Jill pulled out the map Lethe sent her and looked it over again to see if she could spot the place she was supposed to land it.
"Hmm, if I'm reading this right there is a clearing a small distance away from a large statue." She pondered as she looked down through the clouds. "Maybe a bit of a lower view will be better." So she took her wyvern under the clouds and was met with the most beautifully green forests in all of Tellius. They looked even better when Jill actually had time to take in the view since she wasn't in the middle of fighting anyone or flying quickly to the next battle destination.
"Yeah, I can see why Lethe thought I would need a map, you could easily get lost in this forest if you aren't careful." Jill commented to herself. "But I bet she knows these trees like the back of her hand. I wonder if I could ever get to know the forest like that. Well, I can think about that later, I need to find that statue." Eventually Jill came across the landmark she was looking for and indeed right next to it was a large clearing where she could see stables and a number of riding animals milling about. So she slowly started to descend until she was at a height where she could talk to the people below.
"Um, hello." She waved a bit awkwardly since she wasn't quite sure how laguz handled situations like this. "I was invited by Lethe to come here and she said this is where I'm supposed to land my wyvern."
"Oh, yes, you must be Jill from Talrega, we've been expecting you." A male cat laguz answered her. "Just carefully land your wyvern right in this area an we'll take it from here."
"Very well, thank you." Jill nodded before bringing her wyvern in for a landing. When it was firmly on the ground she hopped off the saddle and walked over to it's front to speak to it. "Okay now Jupi, you be good for the nice laguz stable workers. If you are I'll give you a snack later, understood?" Her wyvern nodded it's head up and down in understanding and Jill petted it's head gently before hearing someone else speak to her.
"Jill! You made it here." It was Lethe and even if she was trying her best to hide it a bit Jill could hear the excitement in her voice that they could meet again.
"Well of course I did, I wasn't just going to let an invitation like yours go to waste Lethe." Jill replied, not hiding her joy at all. She saw Lethe extend her hand for a shake, but instead of taking it she stepped over and gave her a big, friendly hug.
"J-Jill! What are you doing?" Lethe asked a bit in shock. Of course she knew what a hug was, but she wasn't expecting one from Jill, at least not before the proposition she had for her was stated.
"I'm giving you a hug?" Jill answered a bit confused as she stepped away and stopped. "I'm sorry is there something I don't know about hugs and laguz? Because if there is I'm really sorry, I just thought since we were friends and all..."
"No, no, I just wasn't expecting it, that's all." Lethe replied quickly, a slight blush starting to crawl up onto her face. "It was very pleasant actually, I wouldn't mind another one if that's okay."
"Heh, of course it is. My friends get as many hugs as they like." Jill said with a smile before stepping back towards Lethe and giving her another hug. This time Lethe was ready for it and hugged Jill back. It was nice and warm, but what really made Lethe feel good was the softness of Jill's jacket she was wearing, it was like sleeping on a nice beorc pillow. But a few moments later Lethe could hear murmuring about the scene with her enhanced hearing and slowly pulled away.
"I'm glad you could make it here on such short notice Jill, I hope I didn't disturb your delivery service at all." She stated in a more calm and casual tone, a sign that she really did trust Jill very much.
"Oh, not at all." Jill assured her. "It's been going so well Haar and I have been able to hire some more wyvern riders to help out, so I could theoretically stay for as long as I wanted. So you don't have to worry about taking too much of my time and we can enjoy the time we have together."
"That is a relief, and I really appreciate you doing all that just to visit." Lethe noted. "There is so much I can show you and that we can catch up on, I'm glad that we can take our time and enjoy ourselves."
"Me too, I've really been looking forward to seeing what Gallia is like in peace time and spending more time with you so we can get to know each other even better." Jill agreed.
"So have I." Lethe nodded. "Well, if you're ready to get started I've got a few places I'd like to show you first and then we can get some food to eat if you'd like."
"That sounds wonderful." Jill commented. So the two left the stable clearing and Lethe started showing Jill around the area.
"So as you can see this area is a place where beorc and laguz do a lot of trading together." Lethe pointed out as they walked through the stalls and buildings. "I figured I'd have you land here first since it's the most like your beorc towns and then as the days pass we can go deeper into the country and see more things. It's also a good place for you to stay because it's close to the stables so you won't be too far away from your wyvern."
"That's very thoughtful of you Lethe, thank you." Jill noted as she looked around. "I can already tell a slight difference from the amount of buildings there are, which is to say there are a lot less. I'm assuming that's because most laguz like to sleep outside so you don't need a lot of residential buildings?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much the case." Lethe nodded. "We have a few here for beorc guests such as yourself, but the deeper into Gallia you get the less buildings you'll see. But don't worry, I'll stay with you in the place I've prepared for you so you won't be lonely." Jill couldn't believe her ears when she heard that last part.
"Lethe, did you just make a joke?" Jill asked, trying not to start laughing at how shocked she was.
"What? I can be funny sometimes too. I'm not always so serious all the time." Lethe pouted, which Jill though looked super cute.
"I guess it was just unexpected like my hug, that's all." Jill continued, still trying not to giggle at the look on Lethe's face. "But I am glad that you'll be staying with me Lethe, I'm confident that I couldn't ask for a better guide or roommate." Her saying that just caused Lethe to start blushing again, thinking about what she was going to ask her later, so she quickly tried to change the subject.
"S-So, that new coat of yours, is that a new beorc style or something?" She stammered out.
"Oh, my flight jacket?" Jill asked as she opened it up a bit. "You could say that. It's for riders of flying mounts who don't want to have to put on their whole armor set on to go somewhere. The outside is made with tough leather so any rain waiter slides off more easily and the inside is made from the softest of sheep wool so you can stay warm all the way up there, kind of like a laguz's fur when they are transformed."
"It is quite soft, I could feel it when we hugged each other." Lethe noted, glad that she could talk about something else for a bit. "But other than that its look suits you quite well Jill. Not to say your armor doesn't look good on you, but this more casual look is really nice for you."
"That's really sweet of you to say Lethe, thank you." Jill commented, it being her turn to blush a little bit. "I really like your outfit too, I like how you stick with the green because it really makes your hair and tail pop out to the eyes."
"You know I never used to think about it that way when I was younger, green has just always been one of my favorite colors, but as I grew up I started to see it more and I liked it so I continued to wear clothes of that color." Lethe explained. "Plus it does a good job of camouflage in the forest when I can't transform for some reason or another."
"Style and practicality, just what I'd expect from you Lethe." Jill noted. After that the two continued the tour of the surroundings, but eventually they bumped into someone familiar.
"Commander Lethe, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here!" Came the booming and jovial voice of Skrimir, the ruler of Gallia. "Oh and you have a friend with you! Wait a moment, I remember you from the war. Give me a moment, don't tell me, I can remember...Ah! You're the wyvern rider Haar correct?"
"Uh, close." Jill replied. "Haar is a good friend of mine though, my name is Jill, Jill Fizzart."
"Oooh! So this is the 'Jill' that I always hear Lethe talking about." Skrimir boomed, not really realizing that letting such information out would be embarrassing for Lethe. "It's so nice to meet you again, sorry for the confusion."
"Oh, it's no problem, I know we didn't interact much, so I'm not offended." Jill assured him.
"Such an understanding friend you have here Lethe, no wonder you've become attached to her." Skrimir teased.
"King Skrimir, surely you have better things to do than to be joking around with us in the middle of town." Lethe commented, almost completely through her teeth since she was getting more agitated by the moment.
"Perhaps, but I always have time to try and strengthen the bonds with our beorc allies." Skrimir noted. "Just like you seem to be doing Commander Lethe. Of course I don't have as much leisure time to do so, but with what's coming up for you soon you and Jill here are sure to get intimately acquainted with each other." Before Lethe or Jill could respond to what he said Skrimir locked eyes on the person he was to be meeting and started walking away. "I hope you two have tons of fun together, I'll be seeing you later!" And with that he fully walked off.
"Do I want to know what he was talking about?" Jill wondered once he was out of earshot. She could clearly tell Skrimir had been teasing Lethe about something, but she didn't have the context to understand what it was.
"It has something to do with the situation I want to discuss with you that I mentioned in my letter." Lethe explained. "It's a bit personal though, so I'd like to discuss it later tonight when we're alone and away from people if that's okay with you Jill."
"That's perfectly fine with me Lethe, if you think we need some privacy to discuss it then I understand and I'll wait for you to be ready to talk about it." Jill assured her with a warm smile.
"Thank you Jill, you're a good friend and I appreciate that." Lethe said taking a breath to calm herself down a bit. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Would you like to get some lunch? I know a place that I think you're really going to enjoy."
"Yeah, I could go for a good meal right about now." Jill agreed. So Lethe took Jill to a stall that made food with Daein inspired recipes but made with Gallian ingredients and preparation methods. "Mmm, it smells so good. I find it hard to believe laguz don't get overloaded with smells in a marketplace like this with just how many scents like this are around."
"It's something a laguz learns to filter out over time." Lethe noted. "When I was younger I couldn't count the number of times I got dizzy just walking through places like this, but as my sense of smell matured through the years I was able to discern each and every different smell and almost block out the ones I wasn't interested in."
"Huh, I guess that makes sense." Jill replied, glad to have learned something new about laguz and her friend all in one go. "What kind of smells do you like the most?"
"You have to promise to not make fun of my answer." Lethe stated as she was handed two meal plates from the stand.
"Why would I do that?" Jill asked, but Lethe just gave her a look that told her she was serious. "Okay, I promise."
"The scents I like the most are...flowers." Lethe admitted like it was the most scandalous thing in the world as she and Jill found a place to sit and eat their food.
"What's wrong with that?" Jill wondered. "I like the smell of flowers as well. In fact sometimes when I take a bath I use soap that was made with flower scents in them so I can smell like them for a bit."
"You do that too?" Lethe asked with a bit of surprise on her face and in her voice. Jill tried her best not to laugh in reaction, but she couldn't help but let a few giggles out.
"Sorry, sorry, that's not me laughing at your answer, it's me laughing at your reaction to what I said." Jill clarified as she got a hold of herself. "But yes, smelling like flowers is nice, it makes me feel good. Why did you think I would laugh at you for that?"
"You know, because of how I am." Lethe replied and it was Jill's turn to give her a look that made her explain more. "You know I don't act as 'feminine' as other women. I mean just compare me to my sister. I just thought you'd maybe think it was weird I liked it so much."
"Lethe, you can like whatever smells you want, things like that don't really matter in the big scheme of things." Jill noted. "And so what if you aren't as 'girly' as other women are, I like you for the proud and confident woman you are and I wouldn't want you to be any other way."
"Hearing you say that means a lot to me Jill, I'm sorry I doubted you." Lethe replied and Jill wrapped her arm around her shoulder in a hug, letting Lethe's head rest on her shoulder.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Jill responded with a soft smile. "Now let's dig into this food before it gets cold, I'm sure it tastes really good." Lethe smiled and nodded back to her before they began to eat. And Jill was right, the food was delicious. She could really tell the difference between the Gallian and Daein ingredients, but that was a good thing because they blended together really well. As for Lethe she was still developing a tongue for beorc food herself, but she was satisfied with what she ate and wouldn't be opposed to eating something similar in the future, say if she visited Daein herself again one day. After they were done eating they brought their dishes back to the stall they got them from and were about to keep walking around when a large squirrel climbed up Jill's leg and into her jacket.
"Ah! What the heck!" Jill yelped as she tried to get the squirrel out of her jacket. Thankfully a large hand from behind her helped her get it off and then another took the squirrel from off her back.
"Apologies for the trouble, my little friend is a bit excited today." A soft yet firm voice said from behind and Jill turned around to see it was Mordecai, Lethe's tiger friend. "Oh, Miss Jill, I didn't recognize you without your armor on. It's nice to see you again."
"It's nice to see you again as well Mordecai, how have you been since we last met?" Jill asked him once she got her jacket back.
"It's been very busy since the war, but it's also been peaceful as well." Mordecai answered with a smile. "I couldn't ask for anything more, plus more beorc and laguz are learning how to coexist with each other and I think that's wonderful. You and Lethe are a perfect example of that."
"I think so too, don't you Lethe?" Jill asked with a bright smile.
"If other beorc and laguz can learn from our example then I would be proud to be said example." Lethe nodded.
"Of course I don't expect all beorc and laguz friends to become as close as you two are, but then again you two are a special occurrence." Mordecai noted with a knowing tone, making Lethe get a bit riled up again.
"Mordecai..." Lethe said in a tone that let him know that she hadn't asked Jill yet and his eyes opened just a bit in comprehension.
"Either way, I'm happy for the both of you. But I must be on my way, my little friend here needs to go home to his family." Mordecai responded.
"Say hi to everyone for me then if you see them." Jill noted before he walked off. "Hmm, I wonder if we'll run into Ranulf or Kyza some time today, we've been really lucky with finding people."
"I sure hope not." Lethe muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Jill asked, not hearing what she said.
"I said that would certainly make the day even more interesting." Lethe replied a little louder. "Now let me show you something that will give you a bit more perspective on how laguz live."
"Really? Lead the way then." Jill said with an excited nod. So Lethe continued to lead her around. Eventually the sun started to set and Lethe took Jill to the inn where they would be staying for the majority of her stay in Gallia. As they passed through the dining area they got a few cheers and whistles from people who knew what was going on and that just caused Lethe to drag Jill into their room faster. Once they got into the room Lethe closed the door and locked it before slumping down in a chair and taking a long breath of relief.
"What a day, we really got a lot done didn't we?" Lethe asked Jill as Jill was setting her belongings down.
"Yeah, I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot about not only how laguz live but about you too Lethe." Jill agreed. "In fact I learned that you've been stressed out pretty much every time we met somebody you know. Was there something going on today that I don't know about? Or is it about the thing you wanted to talk to me about perhaps?" Lethe wasn't expecting to get into this conversation so soon after they had gotten to the inn, but the conversation was coming straight for her so she knew she had to face it head on.
"It is, and I guess since we're alone now where no one can bother us I can start telling you about it." Lethe said as she stood back up. "Like the thing with the flowers I really need you to take what I'm about to say seriously Jill. I know for a fact that this is a touchy subject between beorc and laguz and it's possibly going to sound strange and foreign to you, but everything I'm about to tell you is the truth, from what's happening and how I feel. Do you understand so far?" Jill could tell that Lethe was being very serious in what she was saying, but she could also sense she was still very stressed. So instead of just vocalizing her acknowledgement Jill walked over and gave her another hug in the hopes it would help her relax.
"Lethe, I don't know what you're about to tell me, but I do know that I'm going to listen to whatever you have to say with open ears and an open heart." Jill assured her. "We've come so far together already so I don't see anything you telling me really causing that much chaos between us. So just relax and tell me what you're feeling and I'll try my best to understand like a good friend should." Lethe really did appreciate the hug and it did help her relax a lot. Plus it made her feel nice and warm and that was always a plus. Once Jill stepped away she took a deep breath and began explaining herself.
"Thank you, that makes this a lot easier for me." She admitted. "Alright, so here is what's going on with me. I don't know how it is exactly for beorc, but for laguz like myself every couple years or so our bodies go through a very dramatic shift in how they work, with the purpose being that it helps us prepare ourselves to bear children."
"Oh, kind of like farm animals when they get into heat then?" Jill chimed in, remembering a conversation she had with Nephenee once.
"Yes actually, a lot like that now that you mention it." Lethe nodded. "And I'm bringing this up specifically to you Jill because that period of change is coming soon for me, practically any day now."
"I see." Jill noted, taking the information in. "So I'm assuming you invited me here to Gallia to help you out with that? Like make sure all your things are in order and help out around where you live so you can focus on that? Because I can totally do that no problem and I would love to help you out in that way."
"I appreciate you saying that Jill, but I was hoping you could help me out in a different way. A more intimate way even." Lethe continued. She looked at Jill for a reaction but it seemed like she didn't get the hint just yet. "You see I'm not quite ready to have children, I still have many responsibilities to the Gallian army and honestly I don't think I'm prepared for it yet. So usually I just go out on my own and try to take care of it, to varying success, but now that we're so close I was hoping that maybe you could be my partner for the time being." Jill was about to open her mouth to start responding after that since she understood what Lethe was talking about now, but Lethe quickly cut back in before she could say anything. "Now I know you've heard about Branded and beorc/laguz relationships and what happens, but I've done my research and nothing like that should happen between us since we're both women and-"
"Lethe! Calm down, let me respond!" Jill finally cut in, making Lethe stop in her tracks. Jill took a deep breath herself to think about what to say before she spoke up again. "I appreciate you being more specific about why you invited me to Gallia, and yes I've heard the tales about what happens when laguz and beorc mate, and if I'm being honest that's not my main issue with what you had to say. I don't see why a laguz and a beorc can't have a loving relationship if they are careful about it."
"Then what is the issue you have about it?" Lethe wondered if her being a laguz wasn't it.
"Well, you see..." Jill started, feeling a bit embarrassed about how she felt. "...it's more because you're a woman more than anything. Not that I have anything against people who enjoy being intimate with people of the same sex it's just that ever since I was little I was taught-" But as soon as that word escaped her mouth it was as if a rush of memories flowed through her mind, memories of her first meeting with Lethe, memories of how she first got to know her, memories of her saying almost the same exact thing to her that she was right now. "Oh goddess, not again." Jill sighed, almost sounding like she was laughing at herself for being so ignorant.
"Are you feeling okay Jill? If you're not comfortable with my proposal you can just say so, I won't be offended." Lethe asked seeing her friend struggling with her thoughts.
"Lethe, right now I honestly don't know how to feel." Jill admitted. "This situation is almost exactly like how I used to think about laguz and I kind of feel dumb not realizing it."
"Well I know for a fact you aren't dumb Jill." Lethe noted. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really much to talk about honestly, as I was growing up I was always told that once my military service was over I was supposed to marry a good Daein man and start a family and that anything else was just frivolous or selfish." Jill explained. "But now that you, someone I really respect, is asking me to do something that kind of flies in the face of that I'm starting to realize that my way of thinking was very sheltered and pretty much given to me by people who, while having good intentions for me, weren't me and didn't share my experiences."
"Heh, that sounds quite familiar, yes." Lethe chuckled. "Not just from you, but from my point of view as well. So I understand how you feel, it's hard to change really ingrained thoughts sometimes, and sometimes you do actually feel that way. Maybe it's my fault for assuming that you'd be so open about something we've never talked about before because I knew you were an open minded person."
"No, I wouldn't say it's your fault Lethe." Jill noted. "I mean it's a logical assumption I would think, so I get it. Actually I'm kind of honored you thought of me first, it really makes me feel like you do care about me and that we are true friends."
"That's because I do care about you Jill, very much so. I mean learned how to write letters just so we could keep in touch you know?" Lethe replied, slightly making another joke at the end. Jill was able to laugh at it and things seemed to be calming down on the stress front between the both of them.
"You did, didn't you?" Jill muttered before making a decision for herself. "So I should try something out of my comfort zone for you, that's only fair right?"
"Jill, please, if you truly don't want to, I understand." Lethe told her genuinely.
"Well, how can I know I don't like it if I don't try it first?" Jill mused. "Just like how I couldn't be friends with a laguz without trying to be understanding, I should at least give it a shot right? You said your 'heat' or whatever won't flare up for another couple days right?"
"That's right." Lethe confirmed.
"Then why don't we have a test run tonight to see how it goes?" Jill suggested. "That way we'll know if I'm okay with it or not and you might be able to find someone else before it takes your body and emotions over."
"You'd really do all that for me Jill?" Lethe wondered, her heart feeling like it was almost beating out of her heart slightly.
"Of course I would Lethe, you're one of my best friends, I want you to be happy and satisfied." Jill confirmed. "And hey, if I do end up liking it, we'll both be happy and satisfied. So it's win-win in my book."
"You truly are an amazing friend Jill, thank you." Lethe replied very warmly. "Well, I guess if we're going to do this I might want to ask just how experienced you are with things like this. I'm obviously a bit experienced just because of how long I've been alive, so I know a thing or two, but how about you?"
"Hmm, well I've had a few flings here and there after the war, but I've never really been in a steady relationship if that's what you mean. I'm no virgin, but I'd say I'm pretty unexperienced when it comes to romance and intimacy." Jill answered.
"Nothing against you Jill, but that's kind of what I was expecting, just because I know how hard a worker you are. I feel like you don't have a lot of time for relationships." Lethe commented.
"Well, I guess that just means you can teach me everything you know." Jill replied confidently. "So, how should we start?"
"Oh, you want to do it right now?" Lethe wondered.
"Yeah, why not?" Jill asked. "Before our minds have a chance to catch up and screw with us more."
"Fair enough." Lethe noted. "Well I guess if you really want to jump in to see how it feels we should probably just skip to taking our clothes off and go from there."
"A woman of action as always, let's do it!" Jill replied before starting to take her clothes off. Beorc clothes had always been a bit more complicated that laguz garb so it took her a bit longer than Lethe to get everything off, but that just gave her the ability to look up to see her close friend in all her glory as she stood up from slipping her panties off. "Goddess, I had an inkling of what you'd look like Lethe, but this blows that out of the water completely. You're beautiful."
"You really think so?" Lethe wondered as she looked Jill over back. "Because I think you look a lot better than I do, I mean look at those legs and hips you have, I guess riding wyverns really has its benefits."
"Of course I think you're pretty Lethe, your body is so sleek and agile looking, which is no surprise considering who I'm talking to." Jill confirmed. "So, what now? Should we kiss? Do women who like women enjoy kissing?"
"I like kissing." Lethe noted, not really knowing what else to say.
"I guess that's all that really matters then I would think." Jill said before stepping closer to Lethe once again and wrapping her arms around her body again in a light embrace. "Your skin is so soft to the touch, it's nice."
"Your hands are really warm, I like that." Lethe replied as she moved a bit closer, taking one of Jill's hands in hers. After that they looked each other in the eyes and nothing else really needed to be said as they closed their eyes and moved in to lock lips with each other. As soon as their lips touched Jill's blood started to rush in excitement, it just felt right to be kissing Lethe right here and right now, it felt almost exactly how it felt to be riding through the sky on her wyvern which was one of her favorite feelings of all time. If this was how she was going to feel from just kissing Lethe, she couldn't imagine just yet how everything else would go. As they continued to kiss Jill wrapped her free hand around Lethe's back and brought her even closer to her body, causing their breasts to brush against each other, which made both of them shiver in pleasure slightly.
"I take it that means you liked it?" Lethe asked slightly out of breath once they finally broke off their kiss.
"It was exhilarating." Jill breathed. "And I want more, can we do it some more?"
"Of course, my close friends get as many kisses as they like." Lethe playfully teased, mirroring what Jill had told her earlier about her hugs.
"Good, because I want a lot of them." Jill replied back just as playfully before moving back in for more kisses. And more kisses is exactly what she got. They locked lips again, but this time since they both knew they were enjoying themselves they took it a bit further, opening their mouths wider, tilting their heads slightly, and letting their tongues battle it out in the free space between their lips. All the while they held each other closer as well, so close that their chests were pressing up against each other and their nipples were brushing the other's back and forth repeatedly. After a bit Lethe suddenly took her hands and placed them on Jill's cheeks so she could hold the kiss steady as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around Jill's waist. Jill took no time to help her stay steady by grabbing her hips firmly.
"Getting a little more feisty are we?" Jill breathed only separating their lips just enough to speak.
"Just preparing you for what you'll be in store for later if you decide to help me out." Lethe breathed back. "I'll be all over you just like this."
"Is that a threat or a promise?" Jill teased before they went back to kissing each other passionately. They continued on for a while longer like that, and Jill's hands slowly slipped from Lethe's hips to her butt, cupping each cheek with one of her hands but still holding her steady.
"You like how it feels?" Lethe asked when they had to take another breath.
"It's so firm yet very squeezable, you don't mind it do you?" Jill wondered.
"Mind it? Not at all, your hands can go wherever they please Jill." Lethe assured her. "Though I would think your legs might need a bit of a break, why don't we take this over to the bed to continue?"
"I could stand to stand a bit longer, but if that's what you want to do who am I to deny you." Jill teased before carrying Lethe over to the bed and gently laying her down on it. She quickly joined her on it and the two started kissing once again. But this time they could move around as they pleased, their hands exploring every inch of the other's body and their legs locking around each other as they continued to be so close to each other. Both women's bodies had rose in temperature considerably and a light lather of sweat was making things just that much more hot and slippery for the two of them. Not to mention the heat rising in their cores and the small amount of intimate fluids coming out as well. Eventually Lethe determined it was time to move on and she figured since Jill was new to this she would take the lead and show her just how good she could make her feel. So first she got Jill on her back and pinned her arms behind her head to start.
"Alright Jill, I'm gonna do my best to convince you right here and now, if you're up for it." Lethe told her genuinely.
"I'm not sure what else you could do, I'm quite enjoying myself so far." Jill noted. "But if you've got something to show me, I'm ready for it."
"Good." Lethe smirked. "Just make sure you keep your legs spread for a bit. You'll know when you can close them back up." Jill nodded and Lethe let her arms go before slowly starting to pepper kisses down her neck and shoulders. Since their lips were no longer connected to each other the sounds coming out of Jill's mouth could clearly be heard now and Lethe smiled to herself as she heard every cute sound and moan coming from it as she continued to kiss her further down her body. First down to her chest, then their were kisses on her stomach and navel, and eventually her kissing led her down between Jill's legs and thighs.
"Go easy on me to start Lethe, since I'm not used to it." Jill asked and Lethe nodded in agreement before she moved her head even closer and stuck her tongue out. She slowly moved it towards Jill's clit and when it made contact Lethe could feel the shiver of pleasure running up and down Jill's body. She waited a few moments before starting to lick it back and forth gently, Jill's moaning and sounds becoming slightly louder as she continued on. She wouldn't say it out loud, at least not at the moment, but Lethe really loved hearing those sounds from Jill. They were really cute sounding and it let her know that Jill really was enjoying herself. Slowly but surely though she sped up her licking and as she did she could feel Jill's legs wrapping around her head trying to keep her in place. She was of course prepared for it and adjusted accordingly.
"You could probably crush a watermelon between these legs if you tried Jill." Lethe teased her when she had to take a small break to breath and lick her lips free of all the juices and liquids that were coming out of Jill's body.
"Maybe." Jill gasped as she finally got a break from all the pleasure, but the thing was that she didn't want it to stop, she wanted more. She wanted Lethe to give her an orgasm and she wanted it soon. "But please, keep going and don't stop again, I'm almost there."
"As you wish Jill." Lethe smirked before diving back in. And since Jill asked so nicely she started thrusting her tongue in and out of her pussy along with continuing to lick her clit passionately. She explored the inside walls as much as she could before quickly and suddenly she felt Jill's legs squeeze tightly around her head as she moaned out and even more fluids started to flow out of her. It seemed that Jill was a bit closer than Lethe was expecting, but she was happy that her friend had gotten to experience this type of pleasure.
"Sorry, I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" Jill worried slightly as she let Lethe's head free and she climbed back up her body so they could look at each other again.
"What, of course not, that kind of reaction is pretty natural for a first time." Lethe assured her. "I'm just pleased that you enjoyed yourself, or at least I assume you did."
"It felt great Lethe, thank you." Jill replied, giving Lethe a kiss on the cheek. "Now I would assume I should do the same for you?"
"Sort of, but I know a position that's a little easier for beginners, at least in my opinion." Lethe noted. "It allows me to help you out a bit more but it does mean that my legs will kind of be wrapped around your head a bit. So it's not for people who get uncomfortable in tight spaces."
"I don't think that should be a problem." Jill commented. "And if it does become one I trust you to stop Lethe."
"Alright, just let me know if it becomes too much." Lethe told her. "So first you should stay on your back but slide down on the bed a bit."
"Like this?" Jill asked as she slid down on the bed slightly.
"Yes, that's perfect." Lethe noted before she got up on her knees on the bed. Then she carefully put Jill's head between said knees and made sure that they weren't pinning her hair down either since it would hurt if Jill moved her head too much. "So I'm just going to lower my hips down onto your face and you just stick your tongue out how you please. Since I'm on top I can move my hips around and influence where it goes slightly, make sense?"
"Yeah, I think I see the idea here, I'll try my best to breathe through my nose so you can stay down longer." Jill replied. "I'll tap you on the hip with my hand if I think I need to breathe."
"That's a good idea. And I'll be holding my hands on the headboard here to keep myself steady as well, so you don't have to worry about me falling on you." Lethe added.
"Perfect." Jill smiled up to Lethe. "Well, whenever you want to start I'm ready."
"Okay, let's try this." Lethe noted before she started to slowly lower her hips down closer to Jill's mouth. As her clit and pussy got closer Jill started to stick her tongue out and since she didn't really know what to do with it other than that she just started moving it all around in a semi-random fashion. Eventually her tongue and Lethe's body connected and Jill took one last deep breath from her mouth before switching up to her nose. Lethe felt the wetness and rough texture of Jill's tongue touch her sensitive skin down there and it was then her turn to feel a wave of pleasure roll up her body, even causing her to purr gently at the feeling. Lethe couldn't see it but Jill's eyes lit up in surprise at hearing that since she wasn't expecting it. But she liked the sound nonetheless so she was going to try her best to hear it some more.
"You're doing good for a first time Jill." Lethe commented with a slight moan after a while of letting her tongue play with just the entrance. "With a bit of practice I'm sure you'd become quite skilled in a short amount of time. I'm going to lower myself just a bit more, is that okay?" Lethe could feel Jill nod her head under her so she lowered herself down a bit more, causing Jill's tongue to enter her body just a bit. Jill still wasn't sure exactly what to do with her tongue but she figured that licking on the sides would be better than just randomly licking nothing so she maneuvered her tongue to do just that with good results.
"Ahh! Yes! Right there is perfect Jill!" Lethe moaned as Jill had randomly found one of her sensitive spots. She was just a bit away from hitting it perfectly so Lethe lowered herself down just a bit more and when she did she let out a very long and loud purring sound. Jill had a bit of an idea now of what to do so she continued to lick that spot inside Lethe back and forth and all around, varying her speed and direction at random to see how that would affect things. And for Lethe that was honestly the perfect thing for her to do, because it was working. And it was working so well that Lethe couldn't control herself as much and lowered herself down even more onto Jill's face. But Jill took it in stride and since that one spot had moved away she started to feel for another one. And luckily for her she found another, more sensitive spot, very quickly. It caused Lethe to throw her head back in pleasure and start rocking her hips against Jill's tongue inside her to give it that much more action. With this Jill gained a ton of confidence and with it she grabbed Lethe's hips to hold them steady as she lifted her head off the bed slightly and did what she could to reach as deeply inside Lethe's body with her tongue as she could. And that was the straw that broke the laguz's back, metaphorically of course. Lethe had a sudden and powerful orgasm and her fluids rushed into Jill's mouth as her walls constricted against her tongue. Jill wasn't expecting it so she had to pull back and put her head back on the bed so she could breath, but luckily Lethe pulled her hips back up just as quickly as well so she didn't choke on anything.
"Are you okay Jill? I wasn't expecting to be that rough with you so soon." Lethe asked, hoping that she hadn't turned Jill off too much.
"What? Yeah, I'm just fine." Jill assured her with a smile. "It was a bit of a surprise, but that was fun. Though I must wonder just how I got you to get off that quickly, I thought you said you were experienced." She added at the end to tease Lethe.
"You got lucky." Lethe pouted back as she crossed her arms under her chest. But she couldn't hold that look for too long before she smiled warmly down at Jill. "But sometimes it's better to be lucky than experienced." After that she moved around so she was no longer on top of Jill and they started to cuddle with each other. "So, what do you think? Is this something you'd be interested in doing more?" Lethe asked as she looked Jill in the eyes intently.
"I might still need some time to get used to it, but if I've got someone like you to guide me through it Lethe then I wouldn't see why not. I've really enjoyed myself so far." Jill answered truthfully with a smile. Then a thought came to her mind and she started biting the bottom of her lip trying to decide if she should bring it up to Lethe. Eventually the thought won out and she continued talking. "But, um, if you're still up for some more tonight, I might have an idea for something I'd like to try with you."
"Oh, you do?" Lethe asked intrigued. "What is it?"
"Well, let me sit up and I'll tell you." So Jill sat up and Lethe followed after her. "So, could you sit in my lap with your back facing me?"
"Sure, I can do that." Lethe said before moving into the position Jill asked for. When she was positioned correctly Jill slipped her hands through Lethe's arms so that she could use each one to cup one of her breasts.
"Do you mind if I feel them up for a bit as I get some energy back?" Jill asked gently, moving her mouth closer to Lethe's neck in the process, so close that Lethe could feel the breath on her skin and it made goosebumps start to form there.
"Only if I get to feel yours back later tonight." Lethe teased her back with an unseen smirk.
"Mmm, it's a deal then." Jill breathed before she started using her hands to knead and squish Lethe's breasts. But she didn't stop there, she also started kissing on Lethe's neck and shoulders just like Lethe had done earlier. And almost instantly she got the reaction she wanted, hearing Lethe purr gently once again. It was just the sweetest sound Jill could imagine in this moment and she loved how it sounded.
"You know Jill you could have fooled me saying you're not experienced in things like this." Lethe commented between purrs. "You really know how to treat a woman right."
"Honestly, I'm just trying to make you purr like that and I thought this would work since it's something I know I would enjoy." Jill admitted.
"You like hearing me purr?" Lethe wondered.
"Is that weird?" Jill wondered back. "Or offensive?"
"No, no, it's just unexpected, like a lot of things have been today." Lethe noted. "I don't really purr that much, it's just how I am, so it's ironic to me that you like it so much."
"Is there a reason you don't purr a lot?" Jill asked. Even in an intimate moment like this she wanted to learn more about her friend.
"Well, I think it's kind of embarrassing honestly." Lethe admitted. "And you know me, I hate to be embarrassed or look silly when I'm trying to be serious. Purring is always seen as cute and defenseless, and while I may be cute sometimes I'm never defenseless."
"Hmm, I can understand that, you've always been in very important positions and you don't want the people under you to see weakness." Jill noted. "But I guess that bears the question of why you're willing to do it now with me."
"That's a simple one Jill, I respect you as an equal." Lethe replied before letting off another short purr as Jill's finger passed over one of her nipples. "And you're my friend as well. I know that if even if you did tease me about it that it wouldn't change how you feel about me, so I'm more comfortable doing it around you. And now since you've told me you like it I'm even more willing to just let them out. Just don't expect me to do it much in public."
"Of course, we can just keep this between us." Jill responded as she continued to kiss Lethe's neck and shoulders gently. "It actually makes it feel more special that way, don't you think?"
"I like the way you think Jill." Lethe smiled. They continued on like that for a bit longer until Jill felt she was ready to go another round. But first she had one last question.
"So, before I accidentally do something I might regret, about your tail." Jill started.
"What about it?" Lethe asked.
"Like is it okay if I grab it or stroke it while we do stuff, or is that something that's off limits?" Jill wondered.
"I mean it's not any more sensitive than any other part of my body, but if you want to try something with it I wouldn't be opposed to it." Lethe answered her. "Though I do appreciate you asking before you do anything, some laguz don't like their tails played with. I just happen to be one that doesn't mind too much."
"Well, I doubt I'll be in this situation with any other laguz any time soon, but I'll keep that in mind." Jill noted.
"What? You don't want to test your skills out on someone else?" Lethe teased her playfully.
"Why would I when I have the perfect partner with me right here?" Jill asked back genuinely. Lethe didn't know how to respond to that right away. It was as if Jill's question was an arrow straight into her heart, but in a good way. It took her a few moments to collect herself and when she did she was blushing and blabbering a bit.
"A-Anyways, the next thing I want to show you is a position that I've heard beorc name after one of their tools." Lethe stammered, glad that Jill couldn't see her face right now.
"Oh, which one?" Jill asked intrigued.
"If I remember correctly they are called scissors." Lethe noted.
"Scissors?" Jill mused, trying to think of how that might work. Then it came to her. "Oh, I think I know what you mean. Okay, let's try it!" And with that the two of them continued through the night with Lethe showing Jill the numerous ways that two woman could be intimate with each other. And of course Lethe got her opportunity to feel up Jill's chest during some down time as well. Jill's chest was just slightly bigger than hers, but she wasn't envious at all because that would be petty and Jill didn't deserve that. Hours passed and eventually the two tired out and started cuddling again with Jill being the big spoon since she was just slightly taller than Lethe as well.
"I know I already asked you Jill, but what do you think? Would you be my partner for my mating season this time?" Lethe asked as she rolled over to look at Jill.
"Lethe, after everything that's happened tonight, I would love to." Jill answered with a warm smile. "Once again you've opened my mind and heart to something I never thought would be possible, it's the least I could do to repay you. And besides that, I care about you Lethe. I wouldn't want you to have to deal with something like that alone again, so of course I'm going to be there to help my best friend out."
"I'm your best friend?" Lethe wondered, honored from the thought of being such. Jill had said something similar earlier of course, but it was a bit vague. But this, this was confirmation that she was on the top of Jill's list which made her feel very happy inside.
"Of course you are Lethe." Jill confirmed. "Even before all this you were, but now that we've been close and intimate like this there is no question about it."
"Good, because you're my best friend as well Jill. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you in my life any more." Lethe admitted.
"Oh, you'd be fine, you're an amazing woman Lethe." Jill assured her. "But I won't lie and say that you telling me that doesn't make my heart feel all warm and fuzzy either. If anything though I should be wondering where I would be without you."
"Well, how about we just stick close to each other so neither of us lose our way then?" Lethe suggested. She knew it could be construed as a bit of a confession, but also could let her have deniability if Jill didn't reciprocate.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea Lethe, I wouldn't want to spend my time in Gallia or anywhere with anyone else." Jill replied before pulling Lethe closer and giving her a kiss on the lips.
"W-What was that for?" Lethe wondered, blushing once again.
"Hm? Do laguz couples not kiss casually like that?" Jill wondered.
"T-They do." Lethe confirmed. "I guess I just wasn't fully sure you'd get the meaning of what I said yet."
"Lethe, you yourself stated earlier tonight that I'm not dumb." Jill teased her. "You invited me here to Gallia so we could be intimate for an indeterminate amount of time. You set all this up for me, including writing all those letters. Once I got past my own hang ups about this during the night I could see more clearly how you felt, and I feel the same Lethe. We might be from different worlds and different races with troubled backgrounds, but I want to see where this goes with us. I like the person I am a lot more with you around and I honestly missed having you around. Maybe that's the reason why, deep down, I didn't want to take a leadership role in Daein, I wanted to see how our relationship could blossom, romantic or not."
"Well, how can I argue with that?" Lethe questioned, relieved that things were going so smoothly. "Because with you Jill I feel like I can be more of myself than I am with anyone else. You understand me and the emotions I've been through because you took the time to listen and actually act on the things you learned. And like I said before, I see you as an equal, I don't have to worry about you holding any power over me or for you to be scared of me because of any power I hold over you. We can just be us and it's been a long time since I could just be myself with someone close like you."
"So you're saying your not usually so stuck up and combative?" Jill teased her, getting a soft laugh out of Lethe.
"You'd be surprised how much like my sister I can be when I'm relaxed." Lethe noted.
"I'd like to see that actually." Jill smiled. "So then, we're a couple? Just like that? That was a lot more simple than my last few attempts at a relationship."
"Same." Lethe agreed, getting an interesting look from Jill in response. "We can swap stories about failed relationships later, you know we'll have time for it."
"I'll keep you to that." Jill smirked before yawning a bit. "But you're right, I'm tired out from all that lovemaking, you don't mind if we just sleep like this without our clothes on right?"
"Honestly, I usually sleep without clothes most of the time anyways." Lethe admitted with her own yawn.
"Fair enough." Jill yawned again. And they were about to cuddle closer and fall asleep before Lethe thought of something else that felt urgent to her.
"Wait, what about Haar and your delivery service?" She asked Jill.
"Oh, I think I can get that taken care of."
A Few Weeks Later
Haar stepped into the base of the delivery service with a few letters in hand. He was going to ignore them all and take a nap, but as he filed through them he saw one with a familiar handwriting style. So he sat down at the table inside and opened it quickly so he could read it.
To Haar,
Hey, it's me Jill. I know I should probably be back in Daein right about now, but things have changed here in Gallia and I'm writing you because I said I would. Things went smoothly with Lethe, really smoothly actually. So smoothly that we decided that we want to see how a romantic relationship would work between us. (I know you might not be shocked but make sure you only tell people that would understand.)
And since Lethe is still a high ranking member of the Gallian army I figured it would be best if I stayed here with her for the time being. If you could gather my belongings up I should be able to come get them eventually, but for now I've got everything I need. I know I'm kind of leaving you in the lurch with this, but this is an opportunity that I really feel I need to take for myself and my personal growth. If you're mad at me I understand and I'll do whatever you need me to so that the delivery service can continue to run smoothly, thought I might need some time until I'm fully settled in here in Gallia.
Other than that I'm doing really well, I'm happier than I think I've ever been and I hope that you're doing well as well, even if this might throw your plans off in a major way. I hope the next time we meet can be a nice reunion, or at least civil, and I look forward to that time.
Sincerely, Your Friend
Jill Fizzart
"Kid, this is exactly why I told you to take as long as you needed." Haar mused to himself before taking a drink of orange juice. "You may not think I was paying attention, but I knew you and that laguz girl had something special going on. I'm just glad you acted on it before it passed and you regretted it for the rest of your life. Yeah, you might have put me out a bit, but this is a decision you made for yourself and I couldn't be more proud of you." After that he finished his drink and stood up from the table, turning his head to look at an old painting of his platoon.
"Shiharam, if you're looking down on us you better be smiling." He said to the painting. "Because your little girl has finally grown into a woman that can stand on her own and has morals shaped by her experience and not what other people beat into her. I just wish you could be here to see it in person." With that he turned to face his personal bedroom, but instead of going to take a nap he decided to do something else with his free time.
"Let's see if I can whip these delivery fliers into better shape."