Becoming monsters is the creation of AiLovesToGrow, setting used with permission
This idea comes from Amethyst Dragonfly. Amy and Dawn are her characters, as well. Neppy, Dandelion, and Vanilla are the creation of the inimitable kdlf, who does most of my character art. Rough Draft is the creation of David Silver, to whom I owe a more personal thanks as one of my inspirations to become an author.
--
Chapter 12: In The Neighborhood
Justin was once again glad he'd been actually taking care of himself the last two weeks. Ish. Okay, maybe not completely as his Stamina and Mana readouts indicated, but better than before. He could now, for example, walk briskly a quarter mile up the sandy beach without feeling like he wanted to die. This let him do so without embarrassing himself in front of the two women who were apparently his new neighbors. Thankfully, the Fox and the Unicorn were honest about their home being close. They hadn't been too far along their long walk on the beach before they ran into him.
It turns out he had been quite correct about the possible value of the stretch of land the Seaside manor had landed on. According to the ladies, small communities dotted the area. Occasional resorts and tourist villas, neighborhoods, public beaches, and... well, this. Justin figured it might count as a neighborhood. Certainly, a wildly eclectic bunch of people resided in this wildly eclectic bunch of small homes, going about their day with friendly smiles and an open attitude. On the other hand, his eye could quite clearly recognize that these small homes were not arranged normally.
It seemed like every one of them was attached to a workshop of some kind. Glass blowers. Painting. Metal workers. Writing desks. All set up to enjoy the open air when the weather was good. Seemingly, all occupied by people at their craft. Amy, the Fox walking him around, seemed a bit apologetic. "It's not normally this crazy around here," she said, waving at a Human who waved at her before going back to dipping extremely elaborate candles. "You might have noticed that we're situated close to the Guild Hall, though, and next month is Dungeon Expo West. There's a lot of tourism that comes with that, so if we miss the opportunity to make sales then the beans and rice don't taste all that good. Lots of accidents have had me running around, too."
"You're a healer?"
"Channeler. Not Delver certified and no intent to be, but I can fix up the various burns, scrapes, and assorted other mishaps that can happen around an artisan town. Dawn and I," she nodded at the Unicorn walking next to them, silently looking around," are kind of the town's keepers. Someone's gotta keep things up and running when the maintenance crews aren't here yet or the ambulance ride will eat your next month of profits."
Justin looked over at someone at an anvil, swinging a hammer at full force at something with a shape he could not quite make out. "Yeah, I could see that. Kind of a shock I hadn't heard noise from the town, you're not all that far away."
Dawn shook her head. "Combination of the sand and the trees dampens the reach of the sound. Plus most of us try to be courteous, I get hired for a lot of mystic soundproofing."
Justin looked over... and up... at her. "Mystic soundproofing? I thought you'd be a... more fighty Class?"
"A lot of people think that. Just fine by me, it keeps the idiots off my horseshoes if they think I can chuck them into the ocean from my workshop."
They were interrupted then by a chipper voice coming from the left. "Hey there! Someone new move in? Welcome to the neighborhood!" When Justin looked towards the source he saw a smiling woman, looking feline but quite striking. Her left side was a light golden color, her right pink, split directly down the middle from nose to tail. She was standing before a canvas set up on an easel, and behind her a much more normal-looking white cat played with a ball of yarn on the grass next to her.
Amy the Fox smiled right back. "Hey, Neppy! Projects going well?"
"Yep, this one's already sold. Dandelion's inside getting the digital gallery updated. And, you are?" She looked significantly at Justin, clearly trying her best to give him a deliberate opening.
Justin, for once, could take the hint. "I'm Justin, art student in Seattle. Just moved in a little ways down the beach with my girlfriend Abbey. Kind of accidentally, but it worked out."
"How do you move in to a beach house with someone 'accidentally'? You know what, don't answer yet, I'm sure it'll make a good story to tell when you can all visit. Oh, where are my manners, standing out here while paint dries. Come inside!"
A window opened at the front of the house, and out popped a rather cute woman's face... who happened to be a Red Squirrel. A skunk stripe ran down her back and a wicked look on her face as she practically yelled "that's what SHE said!"
"And this is Dandelion, Vanilla here is her companion," Neppy said with a sigh as the cat rolled around in a rather laughing manner. Despite this, Neppy walked over to the window and shared a deep, tender kiss with her... roommate... before the other ducked back in the window. "Have you told him yet?"
Justin's eyes narrowed. "Told me... what, exactly?"
"Ah, they didn't. Take a look around, Justin. You told me you're an artist, too. This is no ordinary craftsman's retreat."
It took Justin a few more moments to realize what else was different here. All of the people at their crafts were doing so with their hands and skill alone. Justin could not see a single magic spell being cast, nor a single Class Ability, not a Racial Trait that he could determine. "It's... all by hand?"
"Pre-Change art, yes. Can't really say it's all 'by hand' when we have an author who types on a hoof-pad."
A tenor man's voice came from the street behind him. "Hay, I heard that!"
Justin whirled around to find the speaker. It took his eyes a second to register that there was exactly one entity who could have even remotely been in the place his ears insisted. A horse. One whose coat was in inky browns and grays, whose mane, fetlocks, tail, and hindquarters were in inky black, and who had a brand on his flank depicting a pen and scroll. "I'd say hay is for horses, but it seems that's the point. I'm Justin."
The horse whinnied out a laugh. "Rough Draft. I must say that I enjoy people with unbridled senses of humor."
In spite of the groans behind him, Justin grinned. "I just can't seem to rein it in."
"At least you have the bit in your teeth!"
"Can't stall it."
"That would be putting the cart before the horse, yes." Rough Draft... the name was odd, sure, but no worse than Dandelion... grinned broadly. In a horse's mouth, that looked oddly unpleasant, but it was friendly at heart. "And before you ask, I'm an Equuleus. The body can be inconvenient, but at least my transit times are quick. Gimme a hoof before I have to hoof it, this was entertaining but I'm late." He offered one forehoof forward, which Justin awkwardly fist-bumped before Rough Draft trotted away.
"Is he... always like that?"
The Unicorn lady behind him snorted and shook her head, another oddly animalistic gesture. "Only if he likes you. Which, given that he likes pretty much everybody... yep, he's always like that. He'll make puns until he's hoarse."
Even Justin had to groan at that one. "Looks like it's getting late. I'd best get back, but I look forward to coming by again. Um, most of my art is digital painting, but I'm a Shaper. Been experimenting with that as a material medium recently. Do you all mind that?"
Neppy smiled. "We don't discriminate, just don't try to claim it's from Neptune Row if you do. Heck, bring it by and we can give you some feedback. Nothing like a bunch of creators to make sure you're up to scratch!"
There was a
bonk
sound. Vanilla the cat had managed to find a paper towel tube somewhere and tapped the multicolored feline lady upside the head with it in retaliation for that last pun. With a chorus of laughs, Justin got moving... then checked his phone. There was an alert there that he'd missed, about fifteen minutes prior. There was only one person (other than his boss) who would be texting him at this time of the evening. Abbey.
"Do you mind if I bring a few guests to the house through the Door?"
Guests? Really? Bit soon for that, but he figured that Abbey wouldn't even ask that unless she had an extremely good reason for it. He rapidly typed back "sure, I'll be back there through the beach door in about ten minutes."
"We'll talk at the house." Ominous.
Justin picked up his pace. Significantly. He was again thankful that the distance really wasn't all that far, it would be nice to bring Abbey by and introduce her. The next time circumstances permitted... which might be tomorrow and might be thirty years from now. Really no telling what was going to happen these days. It was like life itself was just getting crazier day by day. As he got in the front door, there was no noise or motion. Just the light of the setting sun streaming from behind him.
Good, enough time to take a quick shower to get the sand and sweat off.
A quick text to Abbey to make sure he'd have at least five minutes, and he hopped in.
He likely should have waited for a response.
Justin emerged from the shower and toweled off his hair. As he took off the towel, he realized something quickly. Standing in front of him, looking slightly apologetic, was a woman. A woman with deeply tanned skin, wide hips, a tight core, frankly enormous boobs, a devastatingly pretty face... oh, and horns, wings, a tail, and clawed feet. And not one singular shred of clothing. His yelp was legendary, and he extremely rapidly wrapped the towel around his waist... and Shaped the seam closed to improvise a sort of white, fluffy kilt.
"Oh! Sorry about that. Kind of used to not waiting for the showers to empty, you don't mind, do you?" Her voice, like literally everything else about her, was designed to directly bypass his brain and go directly south. He found himself tenting his kilt dramatically.
