Chat and dress (part 2)

A few minutes later, Nicole is resting her head on the table while I'm doing the dishes, as usual.

"You asked them to be friends with you? Are you five years old!?"

I don't appreciate her smug expression, but my tail gives a happy little wag anyway. I'm happy to have made new friends, so I don't care.

"I said it without thinking! What was I supposed to do? How do you normally make friends?"

"You meet someone, you get along, and that's it."

"... That doesn't tell me anything."

"It means you don't overthink it, social butterfly," Nicole smirks, resting her chin on her palm. "What did you do next? Offer to share your juice box with them?"

"N-no. I was polite," I huff, puffing out my chest just a little. "And it worked, didn't it? They said yes. So clearly my charm is doing just fine."

"... Right, I believe you," she simply says, as if keeping something to herself, stretching lazily until her joints pop. "Anyway, it's getting late... I'll meet them later."

"Oh, their cooking is truly good. Let's go together for a bite when you have time."

"Sure... Speaking of work, just stay close to Ilona and you'll be fine. That place is full of weirdos, so don't talk too much with—uh, right. I guess you'll be fine."

I won't even pretend to be offended. She's right.

Even if I were super outgoing, I don't plan on talking more than necessary to those shady guys... I don't know or care about the political details, but basically, power in this kingdom is divided between the nobility and the royal family, as is typical. However, the Dark Brotherhood acts as a sort of caretaker for both. Their members are loyal to the kingdom; not to the royalty or the nobility, but to the people. So, if a noble starts doing shady things, the Brotherhood takes it upon themselves to suppress them.

Except for retired kings. I'm not sure why. Do you get a free pass if you rule for a long time without dying? Or did they retire precisely because they were excellent kings?

That would imply that the Brotherhood gets rid of the useless ones, so I'd rather not think about that. But I might be overthinking it, since Nicole said once that it's been ages since they've had to deal with someone really important.

Anyway, they're sort of a security measure put in place by the founding houses so that their descendants can be trusted. I have no idea how their members are chosen. The idea sounds good, and apparently it has worked, but the members tend to be even more manipulative and cold-blooded than most nobles.

'Oh well, not that it has anything to do with me. If it wasn't for Nicole, I wouldn't even know they exist.'

I decide to go out and meet Sarisa and Lenna after breakfast. As I head for the door, Nicole stops me.

"You're going out dressed like that? Hehe, I knew you had it in you. Even I wouldn't do something that brave."

She lowers her gaze to look me up and down, so I do too...

"Oh."

Right, I'm still in my underwear. My ears fold flat against my head in a delayed wave of embarrassment. But it's just Nicole here. I'm fine, I'm fine... Oh, while I'm at it, should I make a real effort to dress up? I think so.

I might make a better impression!

"Nicole!"

"Mm?"

"Please help me get dressed."

"Mm, I think I still have time. Sure."

"Thanks!"

...

The next two hours are spent going through clothes. Or, rather, Nicole pulling out a bunch of different combinations and forcing me to try them on.

She starts pulling out all sorts of options, from modest frilly blouses to revealing crop tops that leave my entire stomach exposed, and so on. Some show just a little skin and cleavage, some fit nicely, others show a lot, and a concerning number show far too much. I mean, I do have plenty of plain, comfortable clothes, but seeing everything side by side makes me realize I definitely lean toward showing a bit of skin.

I usually throw a sweater or a scarf over them anyway, so I've never really noticed my pattern until now.

Then comes the bottom half, which takes even longer. She drags out pleated skirts, flowy shorts, tight jeans, and the list just keeps going. There are loose ones that barely outline my shape, ones that accentuate my body a little, ones that highlight my butt, ones that highlight it a lot, and others that make it completely impossible to look anywhere else.

"Hehe~"

Then there are all the other kinds of clothes, like dresses, overalls, pants, those long shirts that look like dresses that I don't even know the name of, and... Well, in short, we completely empty my closet and drawers. I guess buying something cute that catches my eye from time to time made me accumulate a little... well, a lot.

My closet is huge! It completely covers an entire wall. Still, how did I manage to hoard all this? My room is crammed with clothes, and we're not even close to being done. We haven't even gone through the coats, accessories, swimsuits, underwear, shoes... Even though I love buying clothes, I'm already getting lazy just thinking about having to put all this away later...

Smack!

"AH!" My ears shoot straight up in shock.

"That looks great on you! You should wear leggings more often!" Nicole says after slapping my butt. She's having way too much fun... even though I am, too.

"Y-You think? It leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination..." I reply, looking at my behind in a full-length mirror.

I agree it looks great, but the shape of my butt is completely exposed! I think they're even tighter than my underwear, whose outline is also clearly visible. I guess it's because I rarely wear leggings and these aren't my size anymore, but they're still incredibly comfortable.

"That's the best part! I'll buy you a bunch when I get back from work."

"Well, uh, if you want. But I won't wear ones this tight to go out... m-maybe."

"Huh? Oh, right, we were looking for something for you to wear to meet your new friends. I forgot."

"..."

"You don't have to make that face! I already found something nice for you, look."

I turn to look at her, and she holds up a nice, short green dress. When did I get that...? As Nicole tosses it onto my bed, I remember. Mom gave it to me a while ago. I didn't really think much of it and just shoved it in the back of the closet. Uh... sorry, Mom.

"Go on, go on, try it on!"

She doesn't let me answer before she starts undressing me again. Oh well, it looks nice. Simple enough to look casual, but still featuring embellishments and a design that shows how well-made it is.

As I put it on, I notice more details. It's mostly cotton, with some light cotton voile accents. Oh? If I look closely, the yarn patterns are nice and slightly different in various places. Did Mom make it by hand? Now I feel terrible for leaving the dress in my closet for so long.

I'm finally dressed. I won't even consider other options; this is perfect! Comfortable, too. Plus, it's getting late for Nicole. I twirl a few times in front of the mirror. Oh, the dress is fitted around the waist just below the bust, so if I twirl fast enough, it flares up and exposes my underwear. I guess a strong breeze will do the same thing. Great—ahem... S-something to watch out for, yeah.

My mom is pretty easy-going and open-minded, but at heart she's also a bit... let's say traditional. At least when it comes to what she thinks a woman should know how to do, which is mostly housewife stuff. She never imposed anything on me or my sisters, but she still managed to teach us how to cook, clean every corner of the house, garden, sew, knit, wash clothes...

I remember my sister Eruca complaining about it, insisting she didn't want to be a housewife. While I understood what she meant, I also thought it was just teenage rebellion. It's incredibly useful to learn those skills, even if you plan to do something else with your life. Then again, maybe my opinion is a bit biased. I actually love the idea of being a good housewife one day, hehe.

Taking care of my wife's needs, cooking for her, comforting her, completely loving her... building a warm home. Just the thought of it makes my tail sway gently behind me.

The point is, Mom doesn't object to the way I dress, but for her to make me a dress that shows off my legs, collarbone, and a bit of cleavage makes me realize that maybe I'm more open with my desires than I'd like to admit. Or maybe she just reads me well. Even if we're not as close as I'd like, she's still my mother... it's probably a bit of both.

Nicole shows me a pair of brown, wide-strapped sandals. Okay, even though I've forgotten a lot of what we're finding in here, I'm sure those aren't mine.

"I don't remember having any sandals," I tell her. I just haven't had the chance to wear them in recent years.

"They're mine. You don't have to be so strict about sandal sizes; you can just adjust these."

"Mmm... yeah, I think they'll look good. But aren't sandals too casual?"

"No? They'll contrast nicely with the dress. You don't want to look too dressed up either, do you?"

"Yeah, I guess. Let me see."

I put them on and adjust the straps to my bare feet.

"Eh... they're more comfortable than I remember."

"Oh. Is that why you were reluctant to wear them? I guess you've only ever worn stiff leather sandals like my grandfather used to wear?"

"Yes! I remember they were comfortable for a while, right until the leather made your feet sweat and they became incredibly uncomfortable."

"I'm not sure what young you expected. I only remember my grandfather and other old men wearing those."

"Don't say that. There must be a style where they look perfect."

"Like what?"

"... Anyway, I'll borrow them."

"Sure, but we're not done yet. You need different underwear," she says, pointing directly at my chest where my bra is clearly sticking out through the dress.

"Uh, right. Not that I'm going to let that happen, but, um, just potentially, of course, the wind could lift my skirt and someone could accidentally see my underwear. So, what do you suggest I wear?"

"A G-string."

"... Did you hear what I just said?"

"Of course."

"Then why are you suggesting I wear something so revealing?"

I notice that even though her expression is usually stuck in lazy mode, her eyes are somehow very expressive. Right now, she manages to look at me in a completely amused and teasing way.

"Hehe, do you really want me to answer that?"

"B-better not. It doesn't matter... Wait, I don't even know if I have any of those."

"Oh? I thought you liked collecting lingerie?"

"Yeah, but I don't really like those. Look, just talking about the erotic side of it, imagine there are two extremes. Basically, normal underwear and no underwear at all. I feel like G-strings couldn't decide which end to go toward, so they ended up doing it all wrong."

"I don't get your point."

"Uh... imagine it like this. Being naked makes you rely completely on your natural charm. There are endless ways to do that and use it to your advantage. On the other hand, wearing good panties can accentuate, hide, or balance your body. Basically, it works in conjunction with what's underneath, you know?"

"No—I mean, yes. I think I understand."

"G-strings, on the other hand, don't allow you to show off the natural allure of being naked, nor do they act as underwear at all. It's just a boring string that's there to get in the way. Speaking of the back, of course."

"Okay, okay, calm down a bit. I get it, you don't like them."

"W-well, uh, I guess they can be refreshing too, if you have a nice body. Plus, a fine butt can make anything look good, and you could potentially show off your body without losing your modesty since you're technically clothed..."

"So do you like them or not?"

"I-I haven't had the pleasure of exploring them thoroughly, so I don't think so. For now." My tail wraps nervously around my leg.

"Haa..."

Oh, she's starting to look a little exasperated again. I better drop the subject, even though it was her fault for suggesting them in the first place.

"Well then..." she begins. "I'm sure I can make you like them. I'll look for something good while I buy your leggings. For now, I'm going to check your underwear drawer, and you'll wear whatever I pick out. Is that okay?"

"I-I don't trust myself. I bought a lot of weird underwear."

"I didn't ask you~"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Just do me a favor and pack some food to go for me, please. Leave this to me!"

"Fine..."

A little worried, I leave her alone in my room. I like to have a lot of variety when it comes to my underwear, so I have plenty of pieces I bought even though I knew I'd never be brave enough to wear them out... They just looked and felt great.

Oh well. If she chooses something weird, I'll just have to try harder not to let the wind lift my dress, and that's it.

Why do I worry so much about such stupid things? Maybe I would have more peace of mind if all that effort was put into my actual life choices or something. Whatever.

Let's change the subject... time to cook! Something better this time!