Nameday

The sun peeked in on Quill and she rolled over to the khajiit that lay next to her. Despite the more rural hours that she normally kept while staying in the tower, last night they had stayed up quite late together. The sun's intrusion wasn't terribly welcomed, but she snuggled up to the warm white fur next to her and let the groggy khajiit wrap her arm around her like a blanket. It was, all things considered, quite nice to share her bed.

The night hadn't been all taken up with lovemaking. In fact they'd talked long into the night, about life in the caravans, Quill's childhood, various adventures they'd had, and more personal adventures. Not that Quill felt she really knew her maid all that well even now, but she was beginning to, and that was good. She had had her heart broken not so long ago, and she knew that her feelings towards the albino khajiit might carry some bit of rebound effect. But at least she'd told her all about that. Of course, the maid had the advantage of having read a lot of her private stories, which surely gave her insight into what her past relations might have been like.

A knock came at the door.

"Ma'am?" came the voice from behind the door. "It's Mooky. I can't find the maid anywhere!"

"Oh," Quill-Weave said, sitting up. "Um... it's okay. She's here with me."

"Are you getting ready for the festival?"

She looked down at her maid who was smiling mischievously at her.

"Yes! Yes, she's helping me get ready for the festival. That's it!"

"Oh. Do you need anything from me today? The missus needs me to help out if not."

"Go on, Mooky. We'll see you later at the festival."

"Alright! Don't be too late though. It's really an all-day event. Not to mention the feast at sunset. Don't eat anything - you'll be stuffed by the end of the day there! The missus says to wear your outfit though. It's pretty much expected by everybody."

"Wouldn't miss the chance, Mooky."

They listened to the fading footsteps of her henchman down the steps.

"Well, you're... kind of helping me get ready! In a way." Quill-Weave protested at the khajiit's look as she got up out of bed and put her robe on.

"Quill, I can see no way on earth that what we've been doing in this room could possibly be construed as 'helping you get ready for the festival'!"

"Ah, you have too little faith in my abilities as an author! Why, it wouldn't do for me to show up all pent up and stressed out. You've been helping me to relax. Now come on. We really do have to get ready. I don't suppose we have time for a bath?"

"Quill..."

She turned back.

"I should never really ask such a thing... of my mistress. But, maybe..."

"What? Oh, don't be silly. We really need to get beyond this whole maid/mistress thing. Please let me do something for you for a change."

"Well, okay. Do you think you could brush me?"

"Of course I can! But I don't have a brush. I don't really have anything TO brush you know."

"Hold on I'll be right back!"

Quill smiled at the quickness of her maid as she threw open the door and ran downstairs. Soon she was back with a stool and her own brush.

"It might be a little bit messy," she apologized when she'd returned. "But, if we're going to be lovers, I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it eventually anyway."

"Of course. Don't even think about it again. Now sit down there. I haven't really got a lot of experience in such things though."

"Well, my fur is pretty short so it doesn't get matted easily, but there still is some excess fluff that builds up. I think it's best we do this by the window. Just, every once in a while drop the fluff out of the window."

Quill took the brush and sat her friend down by the window. She started on her head, adjusting the pressure as guided by the khajiit.

"You know, in our culture this is the height of intimacy," she said, not attempting to stifle the catlike rumble that came from deep in her throat and closing her eyes as Quill stroked the brush through the fur around her neck.

"I can believe it," Quill said, shaking another tuft of fur from her fingers and letting it drift out into the sky beyond. "We shed our skin pretty often, though it's a very private affair that only the most intimate argonians would ever allow to be seen by another."



"Did you ever..." the khajiit began, letting the words trail off.

"What, with Casta? Hell no! I think humans would find it pretty disturbing. I wouldn't have dared to let her see me like that."

"Would you let me?"

"Maybe. eventually," Quill responded hesitantly.

"Do you know any Ta'agra?"

The change in subject was a little surprising, but Quill didn't mind. In fact she was relieved. Fortunately the maid seemed to flit from subject to subject often.

"Oh, just the very basics to be honest. Until fairly recently I never had a lot of dealings with khajiits. And in the city you all speak common anyway," Quill-Weave answered as she began brushing the albino's back and arms. She was frankly surprised at the amount of loose fur she was picking up. "Is this normal?" she said, presenting a handful that she'd tugged out of the brush.

"I'm afraid so, Quill. It's been a long time since my back has been brushed. I have friends, of course. But none I'm close enough with to ask them to do this. I try and do it myself, but sometimes it's difficult, especially in some places."

"Well, as long as it's normal..." Quill said, resuming her work. "Maybe you should stand up?"

The khajiit did so, and she began brushing lower. "Tail too?"

"If you don't mind?"

"Oh, that's quite enough of that. Of course I don't mind. I just want to be sure I'm doing it right."

As she stroked across the khajiit's buttocks and turned to the tail, she felt her maid shudder.

"Are you okay?"

The albino laughed. "Okay? Yes, Quill. I'm extremely okay! Just try not to worry about me. You're doing wonderfully! It's just very... it's a very private area for us at the base of the tail."

Quill smiled and continued brushing her tail. "Now what's this about Ta'agra?"

"I wonder if you might know the Ta'agra word for 'colorless'?"

Quill continued, brushing the underside of the tail from base to end. The maid let out a little squeal, but she decided if she'd done anything wrong, her maid would have told her so. She thought about the little Ta'agra she knew, but she couldn't recall such a word.

"Afraid I don't. What is it?" Quill asked while completing the back of her maid's legs.

"Kejrozay," she said, but pronouncing it with the odd guttural accents of her native language.

Quill-Weave cleaned out the brush again and watched the white fur float away on the wind. The white, colorless fur. Finally she made the connection. She turned back to her maid, who was now standing, facing her.

"You are Kejrozay," she said, looking directly at her maid.

She nodded, turning her face down as if ashamed.

"I am missing something, Quill. I am missing color. This is something I am always aware of."

Quill stepped towards her and hugged her.

"You are missing nothing, Kejrozay," she said, lifting her chin up. "You are the most beautiful khajiit I have ever seen. I am deeply honored to be your lover."

"And I, yours," the khajiit responded - her eyes welling with tears.

Quill-Weave took her into her arms and hugged her. "Kejrozay. Can I then assume you shorten it in Common to..."

"Rosie," she replied, nodding under Quill-Weave's neck. "It's time you knew my name. If you are willing to brush me... yes, I think it's time."

"Well, I am glad to finally meet you officially, Rosie. Very glad. You know what you've done for me already. You know what a mess I was... after Casta."

"I do, Quill. But I will still be your maid," Rosie said, pulling back. "More than just your maid, but that I will continue to be too!"

"Thank you for that! I need a maid. And a lover. Now, let me do your front."

She began brushing her lover's chest, taking care to avoid those sensitive points. When she reached Rosie's belly, the task became significantly more difficult as it seemed that khajiits, just like humans and argonians, had some ticklish areas around there. When finished with that area, she attempted to continue farther down - but the brushing session ended at that point, finding them back in bed.

Eventually though, the two did manage to actually bathe and get dressed. This time Quill insisted Rosie wear the new outfit. It might well be her last time to be seen in public as Evil Quill-Weave and, though Mooky would surely be sporting his henchman-attire, she now felt that the Evil Maid was her true sidekick. It's what she was missing. Minions are requirements, of course, for any true Villian with a capital V, but a Villian without a Sidekick was really missing something vital.

So they stepped out of the tower at last, Evil Quill-Weave and her companion, the Evil Maid Rosie. They walked tail-in-tail through the wood path towards the village where the festivities were just getting underway. Any of the tailed races would understand that gesture immediately. It marked them as mates, just as surely as the metal rings that the humans found so important. They heard the toll of the village bell, declaring the festival officially begun just as they emerged out of the woods and into the open area behind the village.

"Are you ready for this?" Quill-Weave asked, breathing in deeply.

"You sure nothing's showing?" Rosie asked, presenting herself one last time.

"Nothing that's not supposed to be. And even if it is, you are the Evil Maid, and my sidekick. We don't care a bit about such things, do we?" she laughed.

"Those biddies are damn lucky we come dressed at all!"

"That's the spirit! Their men are our lapdogs if we but wish it! Now come on. Let's see if this backwater village has anything to see that a couple of Villains like us haven't seen before."