12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Yana
“Look at him…giving such good scritchy scritches between that kitty’s ears,” Nyrah said. She was perched on a kitchen chair she had dragged over to the apartment’s front window. She’d been sitting there all morning, waiting for Cody to appear for his daily walk up and down Main Street.
Yana looked over from where she was watching the magic box, just as Nyrah reached up to her head.
The nekofae’s head was now devoid of cat ears.
She did a cute little pout as her hand wandered over the top of her head and then moved down to explore her new human ears on the side of her head.
Her fairy wings were gone, but her tail remained, swishing back and forth as if she was agitated.
Yana clicked off the magic box with the magic stick and joined her friend at the window. Cody was outside on the sidewalk across the street, diligently petting a cat on the head.
“Isn’t it amazing that my Heartmate is a cat person?” Nyrah turned to Yana, smiling. “Do you think he’ll give me scritches and brush my tail once we’re married?”
“He will see you as a human,” Yana reminded her.
“Not if I take this stupid gem off!” Nyrah gripped the pink gemstone she wore on a silver chain around her neck. “I want to be my true self around Cody Hampshire!”
The gemstone necklaces were a ‘gift’ from Temica to help them transform. But it was taking forever. It had already been two whole weeks. Maybe more…Yana was losing track of time.
The witch-lady had promised that once the main transformation had taken hold they’d be able to switch between appearances by simply removing the necklace and putting it back on. But until things had settled, they had to leave the necklaces on.
Temica had also gifted them an entire wardrobe of interesting Earth-clothes.
There were little shorts that barely covered the bottom half of their ass cheeks, tight shirts that clung to their bodies, and some tiny bits of stretchy fabric that Temica said were called bikinis and could be worn if they went to the beach and wanted to go swimming.
Yana preferred the full-length pants made of a thick blue material, and she was able to find a few shirts that weren’t so tight. Nyrah, however, really enjoyed the ass-cheek-shorts and tiny tops that barely contained her ample chest.
There were also lacy undergarments called bras that were used instead of breast bands. They were pretty, but they had wires in them that were uncomfortable, so both Nyrah and Yana chose to ignore them.
“Stupid goddess-bitch can bring us to another realm but transforming takes forever!” Nyrah complained.
“This isn’t fair! She promised us fun ‘retail’ jobs, and we haven’t even started yet.
I love you Yana, in a platonic way, but I’m starting to go stir crazy in this little apartment with you every single day.
All you do is watch that stupid magic box. ”
Yana frowned. “I am excited to begin our new jobs, but the magic box has many interesting ‘shows’. I like learning about ‘foreign sicks’.”
“Whatever. I find those shows boring. Everything is stupid and nothing is fair! And my Heartmate is out there, petting cats and talking to that stupid ginger bitch, instead of falling in love with me!”
Yana sighed. Nyrah clearly did not like being cooped up for so long, especially when they were so close to Cody.
The apartment was spacious compared to the tiny room they’d once shared at the Rose Temple.
There was a couch facing the magic box, which hung on the wall, two small beds, and a kitchenette that was all squashed together in the same room, and a separate bathroom.
Yana was enjoying the Earth bathroom quite a bit.
Bathrooms, new and tasty foods, magic boxes…
there were many things to enjoy on Earth.
She was eager to go out into the world and see more of it.
It wouldn’t be long, since her transformation was almost complete.
Yana’s minty green skin was now tawny and her hair had lost its lustrous silver sheen and was now white blonde.
All that was left was for her ears to lose their elven points and become more round like a human.
They were also waiting for Nyrah's fluffy tail to disappear and then they could start their glorious careers as retail associates and explore the town of Cornerstone.
And talk to Cody. Yana was a little nervous about it, but she knew Nyrah was dying to speak to him.
“He’s leaving!” Nyrah cried.
Yana looked out the window to see Cody heading to the end of Main Street, where it would eventually turn into road that went…
she wasn’t really sure. To Cody’s home, presumably.
Yana couldn’t deny that Cody felt at home here, and he was a human, after all.
Everyone was a human here. She was curious to unravel that part of his story and find out why he had been in Velasarin in the first place.
“We’ll be out in the world soon.” Yana tried to sound positive and encouraging. “And we’ll talk to Cody soon.”
“Yes. I suppose.” Nyrah walked over to the couch and flopped onto it. “Are you excited, Yana? To go work in the pretty pink shop?”
Yana sat next to her on the couch and tucked her legs underneath her. “Yes, I am. But I think if I were to choose a career path on Earth, I’d much rather do this ‘foreign sicks’ thing. It’s so fascinating.”
Nyrah wrinkled her little nose. “It’s boring. But you know what’s not boring? Shoving that ginger bitch in a ditch so she’ll stop talking to our Cody.”
“Please don’t hurt that woman,” Yana said earnestly. “I’ve learned from the magic box that inflicting violence on someone is a very serious crime here, and we could be thrown in prison.”
“But it’s wrong!” Nyrah pounded her fists on the couch. “He’s meant to be mine! Ours, I mean. Yana, I wish you would take this more seriously. He is your future husband, too.”
Yana sighed. It was true. Where Nyrah went, she went.
Plus, harems were popular in nekofae culture, due to the lack of nekofae males.
Not only was it normal for nekofae to marry another species, it was also normal for several nekofae women to marry and have children with the same man.
Yana liked the idea of staying with her friend, but she still felt unsure about Cody Hampshire.
She didn’t share the same Heartmate connection that Nyrah did. She barely knew him.
Before Yana could reply, the door to their apartment swung open and the witch-goddess-shop owner herself, Temica, entered. She was wearing a flowing pink dress and her freaky pink-eyed chicken was perched on her shoulder, as always.
“Ladies,” Temica said. “I can hear your squabbling from down in the shop. You need to quiet down.”
Nyrah sat up on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. “But we’re so bored.”
Temica’s brown eyes swept over each young woman. “Your transformations are not complete.”
“I look human enough,” Yana said. “Should I begin my career in retail now? Perhaps I could wear a hat to cover my ears?”
“And me!” Nyrah said. “I look human enough! I can tuck my tail under a long skirt or something! Please! I want to work in retail so badly! Mostly I want to see Cody, but I also want to work in retail! You made it sound so lovely!”
“Hmmm.” Temica tapped her chin, looking like she was thinking over the matter.
“Well, I guess you have transformed enough. What do you say, Henry?” She pet her chicken’s head and he squawked like no chicken Yana had ever heard in her life.
Yana recoiled, even more disturbed by the chicken.
“Henry says it’s a good idea. It’s the weekend and I could really use some help.
These daily inventory deliveries are killing me. ”
Nyrah jumped to her feet and clapped her hands. “Yes! Let me find a long skirt to change into!”
Five Hours Later: Nyrah
“Are you sure you don’t have another one in my size in the back?
” the blonde woman asked. Both Yana and Temica had already told her there were no more white sundresses available.
The shop was bustling; cute dresses, purses, and pretty pink Cornerstone souvenir magnets were flying off the shelves of Goddess Gifts & Souvenirs.
Temica had done a very quick training session with the new girls, presented them with pink name tags, and sent them off to work.
Nyrah glared at the stupid customer. “What exactly don’t you understand about ‘no’?”
“Excuse me?” the woman asked.
“Both my boss lady and my co-worker already told you we didn’t have any more.”
“Yes, but did you even check the back?”
“I don’t have to.” Nyrah’s tail swished in annoyance under her skirt.
“I was the one who unpacked these dresses earlier this afternoon. We only received three white sundresses and the other two already sold. I cashed both of them out using the money machine all by myself because my boss lady spent a whole five minutes training me how to use it and now I am expected to do it on my own.”
“But you could, you know, check the back,” the woman insisted. “Or do I need to ask to speak to your manager?”
“You already did speak to my manager, because that’s just a fancy word for ‘boss lady’, and you already talked to her. She’s the pink-haired lady with the pet chicken, and she already told you: we don’t have any more!”
The woman gasped. “How dare you speak to me like that!”
“You have been nothing but rude to me, but you expect me to not retaliate?” Nyrah asked. “What is the meaning of this?”
This had been happening all day long and Nyrah was finally snapping.
Temica told her she needed to be nice and sweet and kind to every single customer, even if they were the dumbest humans alive, which was ludicrous.
Nyrah was beginning to think she didn’t like this ‘working in retail’ thing.
Nyrah was also beginning to think Temica was a lying bitch.
Nyrah also didn’t like that she couldn’t use her Heartseer gift to read the color of Temica’s heart.
Nyrah had brushed up against her on purpose a few times, touching skin to skin in order to attempt a reading, but was never successful.
Nyrah figured not being able to clearly see Temica’s heart color couldn’t mean anything good.
Temica was such a bitch she probably had a heart as black as night.
Nyrah wasn’t sure what color heart this customer had, and she didn’t feel like touching her to find out.
“What is the meaning of this?” the woman said, repeating Nyrah’s question. “You, little miss, work in retail. You work to serve me, the customer, and the customer is always right.”
“That’s not true at all! I’ve only been working in retail for five hours and I’ve already lost track of how many idiots I’ve spoken to. Honestly, working in retail is making me question my faith in all of humanity. I don’t understand you people.”
“You people?” the woman asked. “Who are you calling ‘you people’?”
“You, clearly.”
“Nyrah, darling, why don’t you go take your fifteen-minute break.” Temica gracefully walked over, cutting into the conversation.
“But earlier you said if it’s too busy, then we don’t get to take breaks,” Nyrah said. “And so far, it’s always too busy, including right now.”
And then the ginger grocery store bitch walked into the store, and she smelled like him. Nyrah’s little hands curled into fists at her sides and a growl rumbled in her throat.
Temica grabbed the nekofae’s shoulders and tried to direct her to the back office: “Nyrah. Break. Now.”
“Fucking bitch,” Nyrah snarled.
“Excuse me?” the blonde lady asked, and her hand went to her throat to clutch her pearls.
“She’s…unwell. Please, excuse us,” Temica said quickly.
Nyrah simply growled. She tried to fight Temica’s grip, but the witch-bitch was using some sort of magic strength to steer her back into the office. Temica shoved Nyrah into the desk chair. “Sit! Stay!”
“I want her to die!” Nyrah hissed.
“We do not kill customers!” Henry agreed with an extra loud squawk that made Nyrah flinch. “That was a very specific part of your training this morning!”
“Not the customer, the grocery store bitch.” Nyrah crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. “But I think I would also enjoy murdering that customer.”
“Absolutely not. I will be docking your pay for bad behavior.”
“But–”
“Enough! Take a break. Cool down. You’re back out on the sales floor in five minutes. Understand?”
“Fine.” But she was only going to put up with this because being in Cornerstone meant she was close to Cody, her one true love and future husband.