Velvet

>Good going, Anon
>You stare at your car, having driven off the road and into the snow
>Speaking of, the road was nowhere to be found, and the snowstorm that'd hit suddenly and pushed you off the road was cleared up
>The car is off and won't start
>Just great
>You get out of your car and step into the snow
>It was fresh, you sunk in to your ankles
>Again, fantastic
>Opening the hood, you don't see anything immediately wrong, but you're not a mechanic so you aren't qualified to work on it
>The starter doesn't even run, nor does the battery when you turn the key
>You check your phone, it's dead
>Same as the car
>After a moment of thought, the best course of action seemsbto be going back to the road to find some help and maybe get a ride
>There weren't tracks behind your car for more than a few feet, but you walk in that gemeral direction, it was better than staying out in the snow waiting for help
>Unfortunately, it was a long walk, much further than you'd expected for only having run off the road, and the nearest road was only a stone trail
>Maybe you got turned around out here, the trees all looked about the same
>Was that tree-ist? Probably arborist
>A stone trail was better than nothing, so you picked a direction and walked
>You were thankful to still have one of those warm company-issued freezer jackets
>You weren't supposed to keep it after leaving, but that's neither here nor there
>Quickly, you see something emerging from the flurries of snow
>It was a deer, maybe a stupid one since it hadn't run off yet
>Or maybe you were upwind
>As it gets closer, you notice it's wearing a scarf
>Who puts a scarf on a deer? That's ridiculous
>Eventually, it notices you, stopping to observe
>You just watch, wondering who put a scarf on a deer
>Suddenly it speaks, "Are you just going to stare all day? What's wrong with you?"
>You freeze up
"Holy shit a talking deer!"
>"What?! I'm no common doe! I'm a reindeer, there's a difference! A big one!" she shouts, offended
"Sorry, I've never seen a reindeer before."
>"Well, count yourself lucky, and... I've never seen a... whatever you are."
"Human. Can you point me back to town?" you shrug, figuring the talking reindeer could give you some directions
>"Reine city is the other way down the road, I'm headed that way."
"Reine city?"
>She looks at you like you're dumb, "Yes, Reine city, city of the reindeer."
"Am I still in Montana?"
>"What?" she shakes her head and wapks pasy you, "Okay, you're wasting my time, I need to get back to Reine city."
"Can I go with you? You swear this isn't Montana? You've never heard of it?"
>The reindeer stops walking, "If you want to, don't slow me down. And no, I've never heard of your village."
>You turn and follow after her
"I'm Anon, by the way. Nice to meet you."
>"Cashmere. And I'm sure it is."
>Cashmere walks at a brisk pace down the stone path, for something with such short legs, she really got moving
"So what's this Reine city like?"
>"You'll see it when we get there."
>Cashmere looks up at you curiously
>"What's that on your head?"
"A hat."
>"I know it's a hat." she huffs, "What kind of hat?"
"Ushanka, it looks kind of dumb but it keeps my ears warm."
>Cashmere looks for a few more seconds, "Can I try it?"
>You weren't sure, she might steal your hat
>What kind of story would that be? No one would believe a deer asked to try your hat and them stole it
>You pull it off of your head and pass it down
>Cashmere stops to hold it in her little hooves, "Interesting, soft floof, definitely warm. Room for my horns too." she comments before just putting your hat on
>"I'll buy it from you. You see, I run a hat shop and this is just what I'm looking to sell this winter."
>You can already feel the cold on your neck and head
"I really need that hat."
>Cashmere passed the hat back to you, "We can work something out in town." you noticed she'd warmed up a bit, "How did you get yourself lost anyways?"
"Snowstorm must've turned me around."
>"It wasn't much of a snowstorm, but if you got lost I won't judge. This time."
"It must've been lighter on the roads. I couldn't see a thing."
>The road rounds a curve, avoiding a large tree as a giant wall comes into view
>A few buildings past lay ahead of the wall, but you assume most of the city is within
"So this is Reine city?"
>"It's wonderful isn't it?"
"The giant wall is pretty neat, I guess."
>"Most of the city is walled in to keep the weather out, I'll take you past the front gate and you'll see for yourself."
>The few buildings outside the wall were done in ornate wood, colorfully painted in a winter pallete, the eaves on each aide of the building curved upwards and each beam of wood had an artistic curvature to it that seemed impossible to do with wood
>Forward, the wall seems to stretch up high into the sky, much higher than any simple barrier, it was a monument by itself
>Then, a giant wooden gate sat open on the ground that Cashmere led you towards
>Beyond the gate was a short tunnel lit by lanterns that opened up to the rest of the city
>Cashmere stops and takes a deep breath, "Here it is, Anon. Undeniably, the best place in all of Foenum."
"Well, it's really beautiful."
>"I know." Cashmere replies, leaving you little time to enjoy the view as she walked off
>You were treated to another view of Cashmere as she walked ahead
>Anon, don't eyebang the deer, what's wrong with you?
>She can talk, that makes it different, right?
>You caught up to Cashmere, walking beside her to prevent any further conflicting feelings
>A few turns through the city showed you the residents
>One or two gawked at you, another one moved to the other side of the street but most didn't even notice you
>They seemed preoccupied with themselves
>Finally, by a lake that'd frozen over, you see Cashmere's store
>It's more like a small house or shed that had been turned into a storefront
>She stops walking and points a hoof at the only building in the area
>"Here it is! My pride and joy." she gleams
"Lakefront property? Nice."
>"It's better during the summer when the ice melts."
>Cashmere leads you inside the warm shop
>"Now. Your hat?"
>You pull it off and give it to Cashmere, she sets it on a desk in the back of the room
>"Cap must be out right now, I'll introduce you when he gets back." she says, focused on your hat
>Looks like she was making a replica pattern
"Do you make all these hats yourself?" you ask, looking around the room to see all the headwear adorning the walls
>"Why yes, yes I do. They're the best hats in all of Foenum. I have customers from all over." Cashmere says pridefully
"I like the witch hat, and I like the checkers top hat." you note, looking over the hats more carefully
>"You are... quite interesting." Cashmere finally looks up from her desk, "I've never once seen or heard of your kind."
"I've never met a deer who could ta-"
>"Reindeer!"
"Reindeer who could talk."
>"Reine city's kind of a big deal, you must've been under a rock, Anon."
"Interesting, you say?"
>Cashmere keeps pretty calm, "Somewhat, you clearly don't have fur, what are you doing in the snow?"
"I think I live around here, and it's winter. Do you know where I could get my hands on a map?"
>"The tourist center probably has some for sale." Cashmere says, "But I'd ask one of the cow traders outside of town, they probably won't charge you any salt."
"Salt?"
>Cashmere stops working and stares at you, "Yes. Salt."
"They would charge me... salt?"
>The reindeer nods, talking slowly, "Yes. Salt. It's what you buy things with."
"And you pay with salt?"
>"Yes, it's a fair currency because everyone loves it but no one wants to go mine it."
"So you use it to pay for things, but you also eat it?"
>"Why are you so interested in economics?" Cashmere snaps, clacking her hooves on the desk, "If you're so smart, what do you use instead of salt?"
>You think for a moment
"It used to be gold, but now we just trade pieces of paper that are supposed to represent gold but no one actually has any gold."
>Cashmere rolls her eyes
"And no one really uses pieces of paper anymore, the bank just tells us how much we have and we write little letters or checks to pay for things." you tried to simplify electronic banking since she probably doesn't have a credit card
>"That's... So stupid." Cashmere shakes her head and looks back to the hat
>The door opens briefly and you turn to check who it was, nothing
>When you look back to Cashmere, there's some little christmas elf thing floating in front of you
>He speaks in squeaky gibberish, getting Cashmere's attention
>They're having a conversation, you get half of it
>"That's Anon."
>"No, he's lending me his hat."
>"Maybe, if he can carry things."
>"You know you're not able to, Cap."
>Cashmere turns to you along with the elf
>"Anon, this is Cap. My winter sprite, mostly business partner."
"Hello, Cap."
>He squeaks
>"I have a proposition for you, if you'd like to hear it."
"Go for it."
>"I do a lot of business outside of Reine city. If you decide to stay around, I could pay you to help me move my wares around, Cap just isn't able to."
"I'll... think about it. I just need to get my bearings around here first."
>"Outside the gates, the milk traders are probably friendly enough to help you. You won't find that within the city if I'm being honest."
>Cashmere points you towards the gate, letting you head off with a nice "I'll be seeing you."
>The deer in Reine paid little attention to you walking by
>You sidestep to ask one of them something
"Hey, do you know where I can find a map or some directions?"
>The deer smiles, "Why yes I do!" and then he kept walking
>Maybe the milk trader would be more helpful...
>You walk out through the gate and spot a caravan parked across from the restaurant
>A cow stands by it, looking a little annoyed, like she was waiting for something
>Cows don't normally have that much expression
>This isn't Montana...
>"Well howdy." the cow says, waving a hoof at you
"Hey."
>Not even Idaho was this weird
"Can I ask you something?"
>"Go on ahead."
"Do you know where Montana is? I'm trying to just get home."
>The cow thinks for a second, giving you a bit of hope, "Montana? She's with Nebraska, Dakota, and Arizona back on the prairie. How do ya know her?"
"N-nevermind. I think we're talking about different things. Do you have a map I could look at?"
>"I don't, but Pa and Ma do, they're eatin' whiles I watch the caravan."
>You turn to look back at the restaurant, fancy wooden architecture like it was drawn to life instead of built
>"Don'tbe shy, they don't bite. Jus' tell 'em Georgia sent ya."
"You're Georgia?"
>"Eeyup!"
"Thanks."
>"Have a good one, ya hear!"
>Well at least she was friendly, Cashmere wasn't lying
>You head across the stone path to the small diner
>Beautiful wooden interior, rafters and support beams all artfully engraved
>It was mostly empty inside though
>Ma and Pa were at a table by the fireplace eating
"Scuse me." you interrupt their conversation about... doohickies and kajiggers
>"Yer excused." the bull grins, guess dad jokes never changed
>"Yes?"
"Georgia told me you two had a map I might be able to look at. I've been lost all day."
>"Son, you're outside Reine city." the wife speaks up
"So I've heard, I still don't know the way home."
>"Ohh, that happened to me one time, hopped on a raft one day cos I wanted to see the world and ended up halfway across the middle of nowhere before she done pulled me ashore and brought me back. There weren't nothin' down the river."
"Do you think I could take a look at that map? Maybe find a way back home?"
>"Help yourself." the bull passes you a scroll
>You unroll it and look over it carefully
>There's not much writing, mostly pictures
>A small drawing of a walled-in city with a deer clued you in on where you might be, and the continent looked nothing like your home
>Down south there was a few other drawn in settlements dotting the map, but it wasn't helpful
>You roll it up and return it
"Thanks anyways."
>"Weren't no trouble."
>You leave the nice cows and head back to Cashmere's shop
>Before you can speak up, she talks
>"I knew you'd be back! How helpful was the map?"
"Not very. Turns out I'm further from home than I thought."
>"So I take it you considered my offer?"
"I guess, there doesn't seem to be much else for me right now."
>"Don't get too excited, Anon." Cashmere says
"Sorry. I'm just wondering how I got here in the first place."
>"I wouldn't look into it too much, snowstorms cause strange things to happen quite a bit."
"What do you mean by that?" you finally take a seat on one of the weirdly low stools
>"There's always some magical interference with ice, especially near Reine city. Our magic is mostly ice-based."
"What's that mean for me?"
>Cashmere gives a dismissive shrug, "I don't know, maybe you got caught up in a spell by accident."
>Cashmere sets the ushanka back on your head, "I've learned all I could without tearing it apart." she says, "I assume you don't have anywhere to stay, I have a couch provided you can run errands for me."
"Yes, unless there's a way home, which I'm thinking might take another snowstorm. What kind of errands?"
>"Coffee runs, pick up mail... Maybe get groceries. Things that my assistant here might be too busy to do while helps me work."
"That doesn't sound too bad."
>"Plus, you get to work for me, which is a gift itself." Cashmere says, her the pillow of fluff on her chest puffing itself out pridefully
>The reindeer adjusts her glasses, "And speaking of errands, could you pick up some food for this evening?"
>Before you can answer, Cashmere gives you a note
>In elegant cursive it tells you what to get and where
>She turns around after giving you a small pouch filled with what felt like marbles
"What's-"
>"Salt, and there's enough for you to get something too."
"I'll go pick it up then." you say, looking over the note once more
>What the hell is svele?
>Cashmere goes back to working on something in the other room, you step outside into the snow and look for this Tenderhorn Cafe
>Unfortunately, there wasn't directions in the note and most of these reindeer would probably not be that helpful
>You turn back around and talk to Cashmere
"Cashmere' where's the place I'm supposed to go?"
>She looks back at you, "North up the street, turn right, it'll be on the left."
"Thank yoouu." you turn back out and follow the simple instructions
>North, turn right, walk headfirst into a deer who was busy reading- hold on a second...
>You've dropped back flat on your ass, having knocked into a deer who was similarly caught off-guard
>"My- vat?" the deer just stares at you in confusion
>You pick up the book and hold it out for her, "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."
>"Oh..." she seems more taken aback than upset, "Zhank you."
"I'm Anon. Nice to meet you, uh, sorry again about your book."
>She looks you over curiously, her mouth agape, "Velvet."
>Her accent, you couldn't tell what it was
>German, french, something
>She shakes her head, walking around you, "It vas... Interesting, to say ze least."
>You make it almost all the way to the Tenderhorn Cafe, almost, before you hear a shout from down the street
>"You! Ze tall one! I must know!" she shouts
>Velvet bounds gracefully through the air, a forceful thump of her hooves on the cobblestone shows off her frustration
>With the way she seemed to hang in the air through each jump, you wondered if gravity just ignored her
>Suddenly she's jumped into you, pushing you through the doors into the cafe
>There's only a few reindeer in the little cafe, and they seemed to be the deer equivalent of quirky hipsters
>Well, not everyone with glasses and a scarf was a hipster, they could just have bad eyes and be cold
>The buck behind the counter shouts across the room once he sees Velvet
>"Hey! What did I tell you about fighting in my restaurant, Velvet?! Get out!"
>Velvet hugs you, burying your face into a soft pillow of silky fluff, muting any reply you might have put out
>"Ve're not fighting!" she calls back, standing up off of you and redjusting the excessive tuft on her chest
"I just have one question."
>"Vat are you, I hev to know!"
>The host buck asks the same question
"Is it really important? I had to explain it already once today, it just feels cumbersome to be asked that so much. Also! I'm picking up something for Cashmere!" you hold up the note for the buck
>Taking the note from you, the buck reads it over briefly before passing it back to you, "So you're working for her?"
>Velvet rolls her eyes, "Cashmere..." she grumbles
>You weren't sure what to say, but you brushed that away and passed the salt to the deer, "And can I get something too?"
>The deer nods, "Sure." he says as Velvet speaks up again
>"It's alvays ze hats with her. All she talks about is ze hats."
"I like hats, they're not all that bad. Plus she makes some pretty cool looking ones herself."
>Velvet doesn't seem too enthralled to hear about Cashmere
>Before she can get a word in, the buck interrupts, "It'll be about 20 minutes for Cashmere's order, what did you want?"
>You take a moment to think, "I... Hm, can I have whatever Cashmere got?"
>"Yeah, sure."
>Sitting down next to you, Velvet speaks up now that the other deer was gone
>"Vell, it might not be important, I'm just curious about you." she muses
"I'm called a human, it's like a gorilla but with no hair. To put it simply."
>Velvet raises an eyebrow slightly, still trying to get a bead on you
>"So you're vorking for zhis Cashmere?" Velvet asks, again being cautious with her wording
"She said she'd hire me to help move supplies, pretty good gig if you ask me."
>"And... you're staying vith her too?"
"Yeah, it's kind of my first day away from home, I was really lucky to run into her."
>"Yes..." Velvet trails off, "I suppose I should introduce myself. Velvet." she extends a cloven hoof
>You reach out to shake it, but it appears they do hoofbumps here, because she yanked back when your fingers wrapped around her hoof
>Just a little thrown off, she gives you another look over
>"Vhat is, uh. Zhis?" she motions to your hands
"My hands, they're for picking things up."
>"You don't have magic?"
"No, I didn't think I needed it."
>Velvet's hooves jut out and touch your hand, looking at it closely as she flips it over to inspect your palms
>"Zhey're unique, I'll give you zat." she says, prodding at your palm
>"Here you go." The buck says, returning from the kitchen with two boxes, setting them on the countertop
>You took a moment to appreciate them, instead of styrofoam, it was elaborately folded waxed cardstock of some kind
>You weren't sure why you expected styrofoam in the first place, they seemed really in tune with nature or magic or whatever
"I probably shouldn't keep Cashmere waiting." you say, beginning to stand up
>"Icicles." Velvet says quickly, her hoof taps on your hand, freezing it to the counter in a small chunk of ice
>"Uh..." she thinks for a moment, "If you see me around town, say hi?"
"Yeah, you're pretty cool. Aside from this." you point at your hand, the magic ice finally fading away
>"I know I'm ze coolest." Velvet grins, turning to the side to showcase that huge tuft of fluff in a profile view
>As you grab the boxes and begin to head out, Velvet says something again
>"I vill see you anuzzer time, yes?"
"Yeah."
>You leave
>Still sitting at the counter, Velvet rests her face in her hooves as the buck comes back a third time
>"Velvet... Dang, you really spilled your oats with that thing."
>"I know... I usually alvays have some witty zhing to say but I don't know vhy I vas like zat."
>"He makes you a little sick feeling? Like you got something in your stomach?"
>"I hate zhis feeling, but I really hope I run into him again." Velvet groans
>"You want a drink?"
>"Yeah... Can I have ze strawberry milk?"
-----
>Meanwhile, you head back down the road to Cashmere's shop
>You were speed walking since this food was hot and you didn't want the cold winter air to ruin it
>As soon as you open the door, Cashmere cranes her neck to look at you from her work bench
>"Anon! You got back fast, look!" she chirps happily, holding up a rough recreation of your ushanka
>She puts it on her own head with a smile, "It's almost done, I just need to find some filler material to add thickness."
>You look over her creation
"Man, Cashmere, this is really good. That was fast."
>"Thank you." She smiles, a warm feeling filling the room
>Cashmere pulls it off of her head and sets it down on the bench, "How about we eat?" she says, "You must be hungry, I don't think you've had anything all day."
"That would be correct, I asked the cook to make me whatever you got."
>"Good choice." she says, taking one of the folded boxes from you and setting it on a small table, "You know, I'm not just an excellent hatter, I also happen to have great taste in food." she adds, a smug tone in her voice to rival any anime girl
>You actually get around to opening the takeout boxes, and discover you've got an order of what looks like pancakes
>Much denser, and there's some kind of cream cheese over the top of it
>"They say you shouldn't have breakfast so late in the evening, but if it's bad why is it so good?"
>You notice you don't have a fork or anything, yet somehow Cashmere is eating wiithout a fork and her face is remaining clean
>She notices you staring, "Just pick it up."
>The svele, more dense than what you expected, held it's shape pretty solidly, allowing you to hold it up and eat it like a cookie
>It was like a sweet disc of dense bread
>Between bites, Cashmere speaks, "I should show you around town tomorrow. We have a museum I think you may be interested in."
"Like, art and all that?"
>Cashmere deadpans at you, "What else would be in a museum?"
"Maybe like... A history exhibit?"
>"I think it has that too." Cashmere's eyes dart away from you, "And I figured we could do some talking that wasn't business. If you're going to be around here from now on, I'd like to know you a little better."
>You do your best cheeky grin
"So, what? Like a date?"
>You get another deadpan from Cashmere, "No. But we should probably get your bedding situation sorted out, I have a few blankets and a couch you can use." she notes
"Again, thank you for letting me stay. If you ever need anything, just ask and I'll do what I can."
>"No problem, thanks for agreeing to help out."
>Once dinner was over, Cashmere didn't do much talking
>She helped you set up on her couch
>The little blue piece of furniture was just long enough to accomodate you if you bent your legs a bit
>Cashmere offered you a thick blanket, a fleece of some kind, painted up in geometric patterns on a pale gray background
>"I'm going to be staying up to work on finishing that hat," she says, gathering up some of her things from the work bench, "I really want it done and ready for sale tomorrow, the rest of the night is yours. If you want to sleep of anything, don't worry about me, I've stayed up like this before."
"I'd say not to wear yourself out, but it looks like you've got it. I'll be going to bed soon here anyways."
>"Goodnight, Anon." Cashmere says as she leaves you on the couch
>It was already well into the night outside, starlight filtering in through the curtains
>If you sat up a bit, you could see the crescent moon hanging in the sky through the clouds
>You'd never even been in a home built like this
>The wooden supports all had artistic finishings and molds
>So far removed from the right angles and simple drywall you'd always seen
>With every slight shift of your weight, the couch squeaked until you found a comfortable position to lay in
>Sleep overtook you quickly, especially after the crazy day you had
>You slept well, until the dreams began
>Everyone back home, friends and family who were probably worried sick about you
>If your car was here in this world, there probably wasn't even any evidence of you going off the road
>You stare up at the ceiling in the dark, wishing you had a way to let them know you were okay...
>Sleep didn't come easily
-----
>The weighing worries on your chest continually pulled you back into the waking realm
>Slowly but surely, the night pressed on without you, your mind left awake while you wished it would just quiet down
>You needed to get back home, not stay here in this strange fever dream of a city
>Tomorrow, tomorrow you'll see if you can find a way back, there had to be a way
>With your mind consumed by your thoughts, you hardly noticed when the first tips of sunlight began to lighten the night sky
>No, it couldn't already be morning, could it?
>How could the time pass you by so readily?
>You close your eyes and roll into the back of the couch, hoping to shield yourself in with the final traces of darkness before the sun's beams found their way in through the window
>How it was possible to lay still all night and somehow still be exhausted was lost on you
>Once the sun was high enough to begin illuminating the shop, you heard a stirring in one of the rooms nearby
>The creak of a bedframe and the light tap of hooves on the wood flooring
>Cashmere was awake and coming out
>With an audible yawn and a stretch, the sounds of hooves rounded the corner and she looked at you, still groggy
>"Morning." she was clearly not a morning deer, "You want some tea?"
"Water's fine." you say, swinging your legs out and standing up
>Somehow after the night's rest, your body felt stiff as ever
>"Suit yourself, I make a mean cup of ceylon." Cashmere says, heading across the room and starting up a small rustic stove
>There didn't look to be wood in it, but the fire started up instantly, most likely magic of some kind
>With an artistic pot set on the stovetop, Cashmere prepared a cup
>When the pot began whistling, you noticed it rung in harmony with itself, having two vents for steam
>Cashmere came by and sat down on the couch next to you
>She had her tea, and you received a mug of warm water
>Which, cold as it was outside, was unexpectedly good
>Something you noticed about the mug, there was no handle
>Of course there wouldn't be a handle, that wouldn't make sense
>Cashmere sat quietly, the occasional sound of her drinking broke the silence
>The warm water had a cloak of steam wafting up from it, the mug slowly heating up in your hands
"You mentioned something about a museum yesterday evening." you break the quiet
>Cashmere nods slightly with another yawn, "Yeah, we're going south at the end of the week. So until then I'll show you around Reine city, maybe show you a bit about our history."
"I'm good for it." you take a sip of the water, it was still a bit hot to just drink, but the warmth felt great
>The silence begins again, Cashmere just drinking her tea as the visible drowsiness fades away slowly
>"I was wondering, what's this Montana place like?"
"Not all that bad. A lot of mountains."
>"No, I mean..." Cashmere cuts herself off, thinking, "The culture."
"Oh, uh. Well, personal liberty was pretty important."
>Cashmere nods, "I probably shouldn't be asking such a generalized question, I was just curious."
"It's fine, I wasn't sure how to answer. But I do want to check out that museum later."
>Cashmere's lips curl upward into a gentle smile, "Are you sure you don't want any tea?" she asks, getting up to pour a second mug
"You know what? Sure." you follow and pour yourself a mug of the tea as soon as your water was gone
>Cashmere's ceylon tea had a plain taste, if not bitter, you were never much a fan of tea in the first place
>But it did wake you up without giving you horrible teacher breath, and that proved its value over coffee at the very least
>"I'll be ready to go soon, I just need to do some brushing." Cashmere says, heading back to her workbench and shifting her hat to the side so she could look at the mirror
>You noticed now that the pillow of fluff on her chest that stretched up and around, was incredibly unkempt after sleeping
>She ran a wide brush with black bristles through it
>A few strokes was all it took to smooth out the billows of her chest
>"You were out for a bit yesterday, what do you think of Reine so far?" she asks, more focused on her reflection as she tried to work a cowlick from her neck
"Seems like a big city. Bigger than I'm used to, that's for sure."
>"I think you'll like it, if you decide to stay. It seems only natural you'd try and find a way back home, but if you had to be stranded anywhere, this isn't a bad place to be stuck."
"I..." you think for a second, "Wait, how did you know?"
>"I have a knack for that kind of thing. Something seemed off."
"Yeah, I do kind of miss home."
>Cashmere stayed quiet for a moment, "I wish I knew how to help you, but it's way beyond me. Why don't you and I go by the museum and then I'll give you a tour of the city?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." You really felt the energy drain from the room when you mentioned home, Cashmere was a nice host, she really didn't need to be putting up with your issues, so you cheered up as best as you could
>Cashmere makes her way to the door, looking back at you curiously, "Aren't you coming?"
>Oh, she meant she was leaving now
>You get up and put your coat on, following Cashmere out into the snow
>Like yesterday, it was cold and the new snow crunched loudly under your shoes
>The air burned your nose to breathe, leaving an icy sensation with every inhale
>"It's a shame I didn't get a chance to properly introduce you to Reine yesterday, but... Work kind of came first." Cashmere mentions as she turns and heads up the street
>The whole city looked to be built on an incline, as you were following Cashmere up the gentle slope
>In the hours of mid-morning, not too many others were out, they must've been sleeping in or at work
>Which brought some things to question, did they have NEETs and what was their word for a Chad?
>Probably Buck, that kind of made sense
>The few deer who were out on the street regarded you with apathy, which was better than panic by far
>Soon enough, Cashmere led you up to a pretty large building near the top of the slope
>It overlooked the town, you could see above the trees to the valley between the mountains
>You have to admit, it was a beautiful sight
>Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a wood door creaking open as Cashmere let herself into the museum
>You turned quickly, bidding the mountainrange goodbye, and catching the door just before it shut
>"Now, it has a pretty decent mix of histories, I like coming here to relax when I happen to be in town." Cashmere stops by the front desk
>It was warm inside the museum, though it did smell a little dusty
>Off to the left was a small giftshop that caught your eye with its colorful merchandise
>Over to the right was a short hallway that lead into a library
>You looked up at the ceiling and saw it was lined with crystals or ice that emitted a faint, warm glow
>This looked to be the expensive lighting, as Cashmere's shop was lit naturally through the windows and a warm fireplace
>"Come on, I'll give you the grand tour." Cashmere pulls you away from the giftshop and away from the fancy plush you just realized was of Velvet from yesterday
>Cashmere pulled you up the stairs, breaking your attention as she shows you the first exhibit
>"Pretty impressive, huh? You ever wonder what they were like?" she asks
>You look up at the partial dinosaur skeleton
>You had no idea what kind it was, but it walked on four legs and was not the long neck
>Thinking of it now, you only knew like three or four dinosaurs
"Yeah, are they all gone?"
>"Yeah, they think either a volcano or a meteor killed them all." Cashmere waves a hoof dismissively, "And before you ask, I don't think that'll ever happen again, so we're good."
"I was thinking that, but I wasn't sure I wanted to ask."
>You managed to get a laugh from Cashmere
>She heads past the dinosaur across the room
>"These here are old pots from thousands of years ago." she admires them through the glass
"They're... Where are they from?"
>"Ancient civilizations, bygone eras, historical times." Cashmere says, pointing at the leftmost one through the glass
>"That one is from the Alpake highlands, they used it to carry water up the mountains 600 years ago."
>Time moved along in the museum as you realized Cashmere had a thing for history
>As much as she gushed over the artifacts, you weren't all that good at Earth history and had no chance at remembering Foenum's history
>Then came the art gallery
>It was quieter here, and Cashmere preferred to look over the paintings in silence
>It was quiet, at least until you ran into a certain doe
>Your mind lit up with recognition as a familiar voice sounded off behind you once Cashmere had gotten to another aisle of paintings
>"Beautiful, are zhey not?" Velvet chimes behind you
>You turn back to see her, but Velvet circled around opposite to the way you'd turned your head
>"Zhe artwork, but not much here is of my interest." she says
>Once you turn back forward, Velvet is right there by you
>"I saw you and Cashmere go in and I zhought I'd come say hi."
"It's nice to see you again, Velvet."
>"I kno- you too." Velvet's smug aura faded for a moment as she returned the gesture
>"Oh, hey Velvet." Cashmere says, drawn in by the slight commotion, "I see you've met Anon. He's my new guy."
>Velvet smiled, "Oh, is zat so?"
>"Yeah, he can move things a lot easier than Cap."
>Suddenly the hostile demeanor from Velvet changed, "Oh, he just vorks for you?"
>"Yeah," You don't think Cashmere noticed it, "He even let me borrow his hat."
>"Do you mind if I come along?" Velvet asks, motioning to you, "And learn about our new friend?"
"Not at all." you answer
>You followed Cashmere through the galleries, Velvet tagged along behind you, asking the oddest questions
>What was your favorite berry
>How do you walk on two legs all the time
>Where did your fur go
>You answered as best as you could for her, but Velvet always wanted to know more
>As much as Cashmere kept the two of you going, she got annoyed by being the third wheel
>You could feel it in her tone as she turned back only to see you more interested in Velvet's story of how she fought someone named Vixen
>"Well, I'll be heading back home. Make sure you're back before it gets to be too late." Cashmere says, "We're headed out tomorrow bright and early and I need you rested."
>"Aw, vhere are you going?" Velvet was quick to ask, wondering why Cashmere was getting upset
>"I'm making a few sales in Baaah over the next few days."
>"Vell... Business is business." Velvet sighs,
>Once Cashmere leaves, Velvet grabs your hand
>"Ve have zhe day, ve must make it count!"
"How far is Bah?"
>"It's a long trip. You'll be gone for at least two veeks." Velvet gets up and tugs on your hand
>"Come! Ve can still have fun today before you leave!" she says, dragging you out of the museum and somewhere into the sprawling expanse of Reine city