What Side Didn’t Know – Vol 3: Parental Misunderstandings, Prologue: ‘Girl Talk’

Tristain is always good to me.  When I get to relax in the giant, heated bath, I almost forget that I barely ever sleep these days.

It’s enough.  I can’t complain.  I really am happy.

“He’s such an oaf!”  Why can I hear Mika?

“Hahaha, we think so too.  He’s clumsy, but he definitely has a soft spot for you.”  Wha… Gah.  No, no, no.  This is supposed to be my time in the bath!  Shoo! Both of you!

“B-but, he’s a bearfolk…”  GAH!  Three of them?!  Ceres too… Why are they here?

They must have pawned off the children on the men.  Rest in pe… Erm, Good luck Husband and Otsu!

I don’t really want them in here with me though… “Dubhe!  What are you guys doing here?!”  I yell through the wall. The bath is wide enough for about twenty people… Or maybe just two bearfolk males.  It has a small, flimsy room attached to the  entrance that  Husband calls the “Changing room.”

It doesn’t make much sense to me since neither Dubhe nor I wear clothes.  Although, Husband has been getting quite persistent about having me put on some fairly skimpy pants.  Why would they make me look more appealing?  Hmmmm, I don’t know.  They feel itchy.  Scratchy?  Er.  Which is the right way to say that?

“Melsy, you can’t always take a bath alone!  We’re coming in!  To talk!”  Mika interjects.  Usually, I can talk Dubhe down, but Mika does whatever she wants.

They planned this conversation.  I can’t get them to back down now.

Won’t stop me from whining though.  “I like my baths alone though!”

“R-rejected.”  Ceres… When did she get so bold?  She used to be such a submissive, helpful slave girl.  She’s still very timid,, but now she’s also asserting herself at the oddest times.  It’s impossible to refute her when she does.  She asks for so little. No one can reject what meger requests she has.

They totally planned this.

“Hnnnnggggggg.”

“Stop your bellyaching.  We’re all girls here, nothing to hide.”  So you say.

They enter.  Dubhe is no different from usual, but Mika has put on some weight since first coming here.  I wouldn’t call her fat, but she puts more effort into chasing kids than hunting or building.  I’m a bit appreciative and envious of her bust though.  It isn’t small. Ceres, on the other hand, definitely doesn’t eat enough.  I’d like to call her out for being just skin and bones, but she has some quite toned muscles.  You wouldn’t know she wasn’t a void by the way she manhandles the growing male bearfolk children.  None of the children mess with her when she’s serious unless they want retribution.  From her.

“We really didn’t like this at first, it makes our fur all fluffy.  But a bearfolk could get used to this.”

“Hm.”

“Oh, come on, why you looking away.  We mean, uh.”  Dubhe stops. “Do you li-”

Mika interrupts, talking louder than she needs to, “I think what Dubhe means is, you’re a great mother to all the children.  When are you going to have one of your own?  I mean, everyone knows ‘activities’ happen,” she pauses, then gets an impish grin on her face,  “faaaar too often to be ignored.  Do dragonfolk have some way to prevent it?”

“Uh, something like that.”  This is why I didn’t want to be in the bath with you three.  You are cornering me in the tub, both physically and mentally.  You’ve been at this for months now.

“We would have expected something by now.  Share your secret!  We want to know. Having children time and again can be troublesome.  We love our children, of course.  But they are a handful.”  Tell me how you really feel, Dubhe.

“Share.  Please?” Arg, no one can deny that timid girl when she asks so nicely.  Even Husband flushes red when she asks for something.

This is so embarrassing though.  For a number of reasons.  “I can’t have any.”  

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Author’s Note:

Thanks for the support!  I am in your care!  This begins volume 3. Still catching up and editing vol 1. Eventually.

Editor: DungeonPalmz