The Early Bunny
A quest I was supposed to take on got canceled, leaving my schedule unexpectedly wide open.
Thinking it might be my first real day off in a while, I decided to sleep in at the quarters, when...
Human Captain! Are you in here?!
Scarlet burst in, throwing the door wide open.
Hm? The sun's already out and you're still asleep?!
Captain, you're really... What was the word again...?
Ah! Lazy like a turtle!
Scarlet had apparently been very taken with a storybook she recently borrowed from some children...
Wait, what's with that outfit...?
Oh! You noticed right away!
It's just like in the storybook, isn't it?
The early bunny eats the turtle.
Which is why I've made a decision!
To finish my Journey, I'll spend each day fighting as hard as a bunny!
And this outfit is the first step.
I whipped it up early this morning! Impressive, isn't it?
I see...
Sunlight streamed through the window, tracing the graceful curves of her corset.
The reasoning in her words was questionable... but if it fueled her motivation for the Journey, maybe that was enough.
Hahaha! Even you can't take your eyes off my masterpiece!
Since I rarely get to show off my skills, I used deep-sea monster hide for the fabric.
The texture and fit are nothing like ordinary clothes.
Go on, touch it!
Scarlet proudly pushed her hips forward.
The material and finish really were luxurious, more than enough to brag about.
Wow...
You really put your skills to work.
Hah! The corset isn't the end of it.
See this tail? It's made from real wendigo fur!
Super soft and super fluffy!
The bunny tail attached behind her swayed with her hips.
Just looking at it made my fingers itch to feel how soft it was.
As I reached out in admiration...
Hngh?!
My fingers brushed the swaying tail by mistake, and Scarlet's back snapped straight.
D-did I scare you?
I guess it's more sensitive than I thought.
Ahem! S-scared, you say?!
O-only hatchlings make a fuss just because someone touches their tail!
I'm a fully grown Dragon... so that doesn't bother me at all!
...Really?
...?!
I lightly tugged the ribbon tied to the tip of her tail, and Scarlet's shoulders twitched.
Ha... hahahaha...!
See, Captain?! I'm not bothered in the slightest!
You've admired my outfit enough, haven't you?
Watching her play it off so calmly made me want to tease her... just a little.
As the tail tried to curl away from my hand, I grabbed it firmly—
Haagh?!
H-h-hey...! That's mean! Human Captain!
Even a mature Dragon can't take it if you squeeze that hard!
Sorry. I didn't mean any harm.
Are you okay?
Ngh...
Our eyes met, and Scarlet hugged her tail tightly to her chest.
I-I'm not weak. I was just a little startled.
When you grab it like that... it makes my whole body lose strength...
Yeah. It's a strange feeling... one I've never felt before...
The room fell silent.
With noon approaching, the silent room carried the sound of Scarlet's breathing.
The tip of her tail swayed before me, and somehow...
S-so, the thing is...
If you touched it again... I wonder what it'd feel like...
Huh...?
N-no! I mean...!
Right! T-training! It's training!
A mighty Dragon like me can't look weak just because someone grabs my tail!
I guess that makes sense...
If her tail really was her weakness, I couldn't just ignore it.
But still...
R-right! If I don't get used to this strange sensation, it could become a problem!
So Captain, this time...
Could you... grab it a little harder...?
If you insist that much...
Are you ready, Scarlet?
M-mm! O-of course...!
Don't hold back and squeeze it as much as you want...!
Her eyes, usually bright and lively, now held a faint warmth as she braced for the training ahead...
Whew...
That was some intense training...
So? Getting used to it?
W-well... I think I might understand it a little... maybe...
But I still... don't really get it...
If you don't mind...
Could you help me again next time?
You mean the training, right?
Y-yes, of course!
There's no way a bunny is losing to a turtle.
But I don't want anyone except you touching my tail...
So! I'll be counting on you for our next training!
Leaving those words behind, Scarlet fled the room in embarrassment.
Thanks to her, I was wide awake, so I decided to air out the room a bit.
