Making a mental note of the location of the traders, she happily guided her mate back towards the docks. She paused at the entrance, frowning slightly at the boat bobbing gently in the water. Oh dear, this again… she thought to herself as she watched the waves lap at its hull. She bit her lip, stepping carefully down the steps towards the ferry.

Settling into a seat next to Rhaq’a, she leaned her head over onto its spot on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. She wrapped an arm around his, hugging it lightly against her chest. She'd love to look up to see if he was blushing or uncomfortable with the public affection, but that would involve opening her eyes. She smiled, just assuming that he was flustered.

He was nearly always flustered. So her guess was accurate, at least this time. Holding her close, he spoke softly. Mostly hoping no one would hear. "How are you feeling?" Gently petting her hair, he did his best not to mess up her braid, then moving his fingers to her ears. He gently scratched behind them. "We don't have to make the reservation if you're not feeling well..." Biting his lip, he secretly hoped that perhaps she'd be more in the mood to sleep or cuddle than.... whatever it was she had planned for the evening.

A gentle groan met his question as she nuzzled the crook of his neck, enjoying the pets. ”Mmmmm… Only a little queasy…” She cooed once more, nuzzling deeper, trying to ignore the gentle swaying of the ferry. She gave his arm a squeeze, ”Oh no, we’ll make it… I promise, it’s very relaxing. Or, well, it can be~”

A small smile spread on her lips as she imagined their evening. She was definitely looking forward to it; it always made her feel better after a long day. And doubly so when she could drag Rhaq’a along into her fun times.

"Well.. a little is better than a lot I suppose." He smiled, half-heartedly. "R-Relaxing..." He tensed once more. "Can be...? W-What are you ..." He sulked. Well, he tried to get out of it. And failed, miserably. The only other choice was to try to get her to forget.

"If it'll make you happy, but... if you wouldn't mind..." He frowned, "...being conservative. I... it would be appreciated." Gently kissing her head, he scratched her ears some more before sighing.

Her smile spread, hearing his voice; she was getting to him. Excellent! ”Of course, dearest, whatever you like.” She yawned, giving his arm another squeeze, ”I do promise that even you will find it enjoyable and relaxing. I’m not cruel, after all.”

She gave a few groans as her long ears were scratched, enjoying the attention. Trying her best not to nod off, she snuggled comfortably into Rhaq’a, love oozing from her.

He wasn't sure about either comment--be it the enjoyment or the cruelty. She was not cruel, no, but their ideas of a good time differed significantly. He sulked ears flattening against his head. "N-No, I suppose you aren't."

Unlike her, he was actively trying to put her to sleep. Snuggling her close, he continued to do what he knew made her purr. The only thing he'd have to do now is talk about alchemical properties, and she would be out, for sure...

Rhaq’a might not even need to get as far as his latest tome on alchemics; Rhy was slowly losing her fight to stay awake. Between the gentle petting, water lapping sounds, and her own overall exhaustion, she was finding it harder… And harder…

She continued to snuggle her mate, although with her mouth slightly open now, occasional light snores coming from her. He’d gotten his wish. An occasional smile twitched at her lips, or she’d give his arm a squeeze as she dreamed.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed as his mate fell asleep, holding her as they made the journey back to Kugane...

Once there, he attempted to pick her up. Perhaps if he didn't rouse her, they'd accidentally miss their reservation.... he could only home.

For her part, Rhy was dozing happily, dreaming sweet dreams. Fortunately for her, Rhaq’a was quite gentle when it came to carrying her. Years fo practice had helped him know just where to hold her to not wake her up.

Unfortunately for him, her internal clock worked quite well and roused her anyway as they neared the inn they were staying at. As they drew near, she continued to pretend to be asleep, nuzzling into his shoulder as Rhaq’a princess carried her into their room.

Gently setting his love down upon the inn's bed, he began to take off his clothing, move to grab some more comfortable smallclothes. He hoped to simply sleep, and forget about whatever she had planned. It was sinister, and he knew it.

He was a bit peckish, but starving for an evening was still a preferable alternative. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he pulled the blankets back and over himself and Rhy...

…only to have Rhy roll over and wrap her arms around him. She had been eagerly watching as he stripped, a smile forming on her lips. She clamped her eyes back shut when he came closer, going back to ‘sleeping’. Once the blanket came over them, she sprang to life. She’d found it best to catch him unawares; it gave him less of a chance to escape or make up an excuse to leave.

As she held him in place, she kissed up his neck and head to his ear, whispering, ”Good thing I woke up. Wouldn’t want to miss our appointment.” Patting his leg, she continued, ”You’ll need your bathing suit, by the by. Don’t forget it. Or do. Either way works for me~” She blew gently on his ear for a moment, giving it a small peck before rolling out of the bed, rummaging through a drawer in the dresser for her own swimsuit.

Flushing, he felt his heart sink into his stomach as a distinct feeling of dread and existential crisis took hold. Curling into the fetal position he let out a groan, laying there, before leaving the bed. "...It would appear you win, this time." Sulking, he moved to find his swim suit. When she got like this, she wouldn't take no for an answer...

"Whatever it is you're planning, don't think I'll cooperate so easily." He sighed. He probably would. And that was the problem. With the bathing suit on, he pulled a small wrap around it, trying to at least conserve some small amount of dignity.

Tossing her top onto the bed and continuing to look for the bottoms, she clucked her tongue, “I often do, dearest.” Failing to find her bottoms, she sighed, standing and stripping. Putting on and adjusting her top, she frowned slightly. Turning to Rhaq’a, she cupped her chest, ”I suppose it’s about that time, but I may need to get a new top soon. This one’s awfully snug. See?” She teased him, bending over while smiling. ”Also, I can’t find my bottom. Bring me a towel, would you dearest? I suppose that will have to do.”

Towel firmly secured, she linked her arm with Rhaq’a’s, steering him towards the door, ”I’ve heard wonderful things about the hot springs here; I may have reserved a special romantic corner of the springs just for us~” Her flip flops flapped on the floorboards as they walked down the hall towards the springs, her face beaming.

Rhaq'a was really about to die. Just. Fall over. Dead. This whole thing was some sort of setup. She couldn't have possibly conveniently forgotten her bikini bottom, and the top that was too small? That was on purpose. Finding something that fit wasn't exactly difficult, she wasn't a unique size...

He groaned, allowing her to drag him along...

Rhy marched along, holding on to Rhaq’a, smiling to herself. Her bottom was safely tucked into the back of the drawer. She figured that one took them off in hot springs anyway, so where’s the harm? She was upset about her top though. She’d apparently filled out a little during her pregnancy. Ah well, someone surely sold swimsuits in Kugane.

They got to the springs, and she gave the gatekeeper a small bow, introducing herself. Getting her appointment confirmed, the two of them were shown in. She gently led Rhaq’a to a large area that was privacy-fenced off from the rest of the large open spring.

Stepping in, her face lit up drinking it all in. The open-air bath was right on the edge of Kugane, overlooking the bay. The night was clear as possible, the stars twinkling in the sky, glinting off the smooth water, the steam rising in gentle, puffy clouds. Her toothy smile betrayed her excitement. She grabbed onto Rhaq’a’s arm, ”See? I told you! Isn’t this gorgeous?” She gestured around, her excitement hopefully infectious.

It was difficult to be happy when his lover literally was not wearing pants. He was about as miserable as one could be, and this was even excessive for his normal brooding. He shook his head, "Why is it so difficult for you to be modest?" He finally spoke, bluntly.

Letting out a sigh, he trudged along, looking awkwardly around him, hoping things would somehow turn out better than they seemed to be. "Perhaps you should... I could buy you a pair of bottoms before... we... enter..."

Quite the contrary, Rhy found it incredibly simple to be happy to be happy when her lover was not wearing pants, however rare that was. She’d just have to do that for both of them. At his question, she squeezed his hand for a few moments to think. “Because this is more fun.” She smiled at Rhaq’a, “Because I love you. And I want everyone to know what an amazing man you are. And what better way than to show how comfortable I am around you?” She cocked her head slightly, still smiling.

She shrugged at his question, nuzzling against him as best as she could as they walked, “We’re heading to the couples bath. No need, dearest. Besides, this towel does a good enough job until we get there. It’s probably more ‘modest’ than most bottoms, honestly.” She chuckled, grinning at him, “I promise not to bend over until we get in, alright?”

"F-Fun...!?" He seemed... confused? Horribly confused? Even her explanation wasn't enough, as sweet as it was. "I... appreciate the sentiment, though it is misguided. There is... plenty of ways that... you can..." He choked.

"I-I....." He froze. "F-Fine. If you do, we are going back to the inn." Begrudgingly, he followed behind her, making sure to stay behind her at all times in the event the wind caught her, or something else...

She nodded, ”Fun!” Listening to him stammer and sputter, she shook her head, ”Yes, plenty of ways. But I enjoy this one more than the others. And fine, deal; I hadn’t planned on flashing myself to anyone but you anyway…” She pouted, seemingly genuine in that statement. ”This is our own private retreat that I got for us, anyway.”

As he followed behind her, she made sure to sway her hips a little more than necessary, her towel swaying on the edge of decency. As they got to the private area, she paused, smiling back at Rhaq’a. ”Well? What do you think?” She gestured around at the private baths.

He did his best to ignore her the whole way to the private area, finally letting out a relieved sigh. "C-Can we... not do that again. If you are so... eager to ... N-Nevermind." He knew his words would be lost on her.

Smiling some, he nodded, "It's lovely. Though you... really could have made this whole thing a lot less stresful." Wilting, he sighed, "Which is ours?"