1.19 – Riverside

No content warning needed, probably.

It was shortly after her lust fueled conquest that Maple realized she hadn't even talked with Bailey about—well, anything. She wasn't sure if he even knew she and Emma were together. In her defense, they hadn't been labeled until after he asked her out, but she still felt guilty over potentially leading him on if he was looking for something different.

"So um, that was your first time earlier—"

"With a woman, yes."

"Right, so you were a virgin."

Was he expecting something more monogamous because of that? That would probably be normal to expect. Then again, how much commitment did a single date imply? Her own lack of experience was making her overthink things. She missed being able to search the internet for advice on matters like this.

Before coming here she'd only been in one brief 'relationship'. It'd been in high school, and he ended up being a jerk and pressuring her to do things she didn't want to. She ended things not long after and just never ended up meeting anyone else.

"Hrr. A virgin with women."

She looked at him and couldn't figure out why he was repeating it like that.

"I mean that I'm bi, Maple. I was only a virgin when it came to women."

"Ohh, okay. That makes sense. Uh, I am too I guess. Bi, I mean. I didn't know I was until I ended up here—I mean, until recently. That was my first time with a guy too though, so you know."

"Really? Before today you were only ever with your own gender?"

He looked surprised. That was what she said, wasn't it? Maple shrugged and popped a potato wedge into her mouth.

"Yeah, but um, Emma doesn't really identify with a particular gender, I think. There was another woman too, though..."

"You and that Soap Slime really are a thing, then? I might have guessed, but that is surprising too, is it not?"

"Yeah...that was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. And I probably should have told you sooner, but she's my girlfriend—ah, I'm not like cheating or anything. It's just like an open relationship, you know? We're uh, poly, I guess is the term."

Bailey waited for her to finish explaining. He didn't seem upset about that part, at least.

"I understand. I wasn't expecting some kind of commitment just because you agreed to go on one date with me, Maple. Honestly, I'm relieved that you're not looking for something exclusive. And I wasn't implying you were cheating. She helped convince you to go out with me yesterday, didn't she? It is just surprising that you two would be together."

"Oh. Well, that's good. Why's it surprising though?"

"Hrr. It's obvious, isn't it? Your cities indoctrinate you to hate both queerness and interspecies relationships, and have even executed those who don't conform. Do they not?"

Maple almost choked on her food. She hadn't thought about it much, but it had occurred to her that visiting a city with more Humans might be nice sometime. Not if they were like the worst of the worst kinds of people from her world, though. If most of them were bigots here, then no wonder people sometimes sounded wary of her.

"Oh my god, that's awful. They actually do that?"

A passing Gnoll nodded to them as he used a long pole to steer a small boat down the river. A glowing lantern hung at the front.

Bailey cocked his head at Maple, puzzled.

"It usually doesn't go that far, but it's at least frowned upon in every Human region on Kantra. How were you not aware of that?"

Maple stared at the fading sunset. As nice as Bailey seemed, she couldn't reveal where she was from to someone she met only yesterday.

"Um, I'm just really not from around here, so don't know a lot of things like that. I don't want to talk about where I'm from, though."

"Hrr. That's fine. Another continent then, I'd guess. Still, you should know that kind of thing if you ever leave Syber. It'd be dangerous to be open about your relationship with Emma in a lot of places."

"Yeah...Humans suck."

Maple sighed and leaned back against the bench. There were more little boats slowly making their way down the river. Bailey squeezed her hand and looked at her.

"Not all of them."

"Heh you think so, do ya? You cheesy Gnoll."

She laughed and leaned against him. The conversation returned to lighter subjects after that. It grew dark and more boats with lanterns lit floated down the river.

Maple finally decided to ask what was up with them.

"Oh, you can rent them. A little further down the river is a canal with walls covered in art. It's particularly popular during fall when even more decorations and lights are set up."

"That sounds cool. We should do that too, sometime."

Bailey's tail slapped the bench they were on as it wagged once. Things had gone well enough for a second date, and he was already trying to choose a day.

"Maybe next week on the same day, then?"

"Um, maybe. I really do need to find a job and get settled in somewhere so I don't know what days I'll be free yet. I'll let you know, though."

Bailey nodded, and Maple realized the lack of phones was problematic. Would she have to just show up at his home unannounced one day? His job? That was so weird. She glanced up and was broken out of her thoughts.

A Dwarf in overalls carrying a ladder on his shoulder approached the lamppost next to their bench. He set the ladder up in front of it, and then had to climb high enough to reach the glass box at the top. He opened the door and lit a wick inside before climbing back down and folding up his ladder.

He had a thick beard, and was maybe around 4 feet tall. He noticed Maple staring and gave them both a nod.

"Don't mind me, lassie. Just brightening up the world, one lamp at a time."

The little quip put a smile on Maple's face, and he continued on to the next. Not long after that, they decided to head home.

"Wew, I am exhausted. Has Emma come back yet?"

"Oh, hello Maple. I haven't seen your girlfriend around, no. Rachel's still out too, I think. Did you want anything?"

Maple sat down at the bar in the main room of the Copper Butterfly. She might have just stayed in her room after finally putting her sack of clothes away, but it wasn't like a hotel on Earth. There was no television, radio, or even a fridge. There was nothing to do. The inn's common area may as well be her living room.

"I'm stuffed, but maybe a drink. Hmm..."

"I take it your date went well? I heard there were a bunch of undead rats earlier."

"Yes, ew. It was awful. That's why I had to change clothes. And I accidentally made an enemy of some bathhouse owner, so it's a good thing I have Emma haha. It was fun after that, though. We got street food and went to the river."

Sasha grimaced and an older man sitting at the bar jumped into the conversation. He was a muscled man with elongated furry ears, but otherwise Human features. A few strands of gray were barely beginning to pepper his mustache and head. Maple tentatively decided he must be some kind of Beastkin until further information was acquired.

"A young gal like you got caught up in that mess? Let me buy ya a drink. I've got a knack for reading people. How about a...Slime's Delight. Put it on my tab, 'Sash."

"You've got a knack for maxing out that tab."

The man let out a hearty laugh and Sasha did at least seem impressed by the choice. She got to work making it after Maple didn't object.

"Hah! I always pay eventually, don't I?"

The drink name made her think of Emma, of course, and she wondered if that had been intentional or not. She couldn't remember seeing the man before though. She just really hoped he wasn't trying to hit on her or something.

"Um, thanks. I'm Maple."

"Most people just call me Pops. And 'tis nothin'. You remind me a bit of my daughter, Gods bless her. She'd been around your age, with those same green eyes. Anywho. Buncha folk paranoid 'bout them rats now, and some are even trying to demand the manholes near 'em be sealed up. Fools. But you can't blame 'em too much when half the city doesn't even benefit from having the sewer."

The sewer was still 'new', as in it first appeared five years ago, but adoption took time and money. It was still mostly a luxury since mainly new constructions were given access. It was simply a lot cheaper to design new buildings with plumbing in mind, rather than convert the old ones.

Wealthier folk then moved out of their old homes and into the brand new plumbed ones, while the poorer citizens moved into the old homes. Their old homes were moved into by those who were even more destitute, or just new to the city. There were not enough homes in Syber to just start demolishing any of them.

So while everyone was benefiting from it in that way, not everyone was benefiting by gaining access to the sewer. This incited feelings of jealousy and anger in those who experienced all of the downsides of having a sewer but none of the perceived benefits.

Maple was tactful enough to not ask about his daughter, and just nodded while listening to the gossip. Sasha winked as she set set a very green, but thankfully not actually slimy, drink in front of Maple.

"Slime's Delight. What was that about pissing off a bathhouse owner, though? What'd you do, and to whom?"

"Thanks. And um..."

Maple inhaled as she recalled the events.

"I don't remember her name, but she had these really long ears and looked like a cat. They were longer than a cat's ears, though."

"Hmm...It wasn't Karla was it? At the Oasis?"

"Yeah, that was it! You know her?"

Both Sasha and Pops winced at that. Sasha breathed in through her teeth.

"That's not a good enemy to have, Maple. What'd you do?"

Maple recalled the events in their entirety, and Pops let out a loud laugh once she'd finished.

"Hah! I'da paid gold to see that. Litigious wretch got me good a few years back. Almost lost the house over it. She's a menace, if you ask me."

"Yeah! She kept saying I was going to owe her, and then as she left, she said 'I know your name.' all ominously. It was just an accident though, that rat was running right at me..."

Maple's eyes followed Sasha as leaned onto the counter—she was dressed skimpily as usual—and then she quickly looked away.

"Well, I'd be careful if I were you. She does have a reputation. I wonder why Emma didn't take that offer though."

Maple shrugged, and then the front door burst open. Speak of the devil. Emma waltzed in, still wearing her white cowgirl hat, and then grinned as she saw Maple. There was a bounce in her step as she went over and gave her Human a hug and kiss on the cheek, heedless of any stares.

"Emma! Haha, how was your day?"

Pops filled the room with his laugh again and Maple blushed a little from the attention.

"Bahaha! I told you I have a knack for guessing people's drinks."

Emma eyed the man defensively, but turned back to Maple as she spoke.

"I thought I saw you at The Grill, but you looked busy."

The Soap Slime looked surprised and maybe a little offended she hadn't greeted her anyway. She nodded proudly and held up a hand. Two silver coins appeared between her fingers.

"Wow, is that your pay for today? That's great."

She nodded and then sat down at the bar and deflated a little, revealing how exhausted she actually was.

"Tired? We can go to bed if you want."

Emma nodded and got a naughty look as she glanced at the Succubus.