Chapter Text
Jahoda was sick and tired of watching her boss and Miss Lauma dancing around the nature of their relationship. Because what do you mean they were sleeping in the same bed and going out on dates and they weren’t officially together?!
Close friends? Ha! She’d eat her hat and Nod-Krai would become law abiding. Not to mention their “friendship” anniversary that Boss Nef had been somewhat oblivious to if she hadn’t gotten a big nudge from her.
It might have been against Lauma’s wishes to keep things secret but Nefer was clearly sniffing at their tracks and it was only a matter of time before they were found out. Not to mention, Boss Nef had been in such a good mood afterwards that she had raised her salary and given her a whopping ten percent bonus!
Just thinking about that day had her arms aching with the weight of all those crates and boxes. It was worth it though, they were so cute together though! Just don’t tell Boss Nef she said that.
She was her bosses number one wingwoman if you didn’t count Ashru. While the two of them had been cuddled up pretending to be patient and doctor for the hundredth time, she was perched behind a nearby sand dune choking on sand.
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*Pfft!* *Pfft!* *Pfft!* “Ugh, sand in my mouth!” She sputtered to Ashru who was observing the two lovebirds down below them. She really just wanted to leave them alone to do their couple stuff but she had a very important job from Boss Nef.
Fiddling with the fast lighting string connected to the many grounded floating lanterns she had spent the past hour discretely sticking in the sand before Lauma had showed up, she had accidentally tripwired herself when she had ducked behind the dune earlier.
Dusting sand off her face she straightened out the flame line to stay out of her way. Patting her many pockets she searched for a very specific item. Ohhhh no, Boss Nef was going to be mad…kicking the sand dune underneath her, her foot slid out from under her.
Crashing back into the sand, she started cursing only for Ashru to bite her arm and look at her expectantly. Glaring at him, she conceded that he was right. Covering her mouth to muffle herself, she proceeded to use every curse word she knew before flopping back down in the sand with a huff.
“Ugh…Boss Nef, when can I get a raise? I’m not getting paid enough for this.” She lamented. She had forgotten her lighter of all things! It would be so nice to have a pyro vision right now, her anemo one wasn’t going to do much in this situation.
Nefer wanted results not whining she reminded herself, so how was she going to fix this mess? Tapping her chin, the metal felt cold against her skin. Aha! That was it!
Hopefully her robotic hand could be sparked with something…digging around in the sand she found a rock that looked like it could produce a spark if hit just right. Twisting around, she tested it in the opposite direction of the flammable line.
It was going to have to be good enough. She was just going to have to hope for the best with what she had. Ashru didn’t have nearly as confident a face as she did, a narrowing of his eyes and flick of his tail betraying his skepticism.
Eyes darting back to the lanterns in the sand, Jahoda checked to make sure they were all accounted for. They hadn’t been her idea, she could only take credit for the picnic one.
When she had seen the price tag on Nefer's ledger for the lanterns, her eyes had nearly bugged out. The boss was not one to spend jaw dropping amounts of mora on others without some kind of massive favor in return.
She did have to admit though that the lantern idea was pretty good,, with everything she had set up it would go perfectly with the atmosphere she was creating.
Happy with preparations she gave Ashru a thumbs up, now she just had to wait for Boss Nef’s signal. Whatever that was. She never really got a heads up about these kinds of things but it was her job to anticipate her bosses needs.
Picking Ashru up, she settled him into her lap as she stroked his silky fur as he purred under her touch. This might take awhile, it wasn’t even dark out yet…which meant it was Ashru time~
Mid-burying her face in his fur, she overheard Lauma commenting on the food as she unpacked her surprise. “I brought all your favorites, the panipuri is from Speranze and I had Katya cut in the little triangles you adore. And I also convinced Ineffra to make us a batch of her lakkaberry krimkakes.”
“Heh, Katya can’t make panipuri properly. Mine are far superior, I didn’t spend all this time perfecting my recipe to be upstaged.” She heard Nefer scoff lightheartedly but nevertheless still reached down to pick up one of the puffs.
Boss Nef’s panipuri was actually really good, but what she wasn’t mentioning was that it was her only good dish. Nef’s cooking…was little to be desired. She wouldn’t be surprised if she learned by sticking meat on a stick and burning it over the fire.
Shaking her head, Lauma chuckled as she reprimanded her boss. “It may not be as good as yours but don’t think I don’t see you scarfing it down whenever we go out for dinner. Look at you now, already have your claws three puffs in.”
Ignoring Lauma’s quip, Nefer popped back another panipuri before clearing her throat. “I’m surprised you managed to pry those krimkakes from Ainu’s little hands. She does love her sweets dearly.”
“Aino’s still young, it’s only right that she has a love for sweets. She’s not unlike Jahoda. She seems to have inherited your sweet tooth for the sugar sculptures that Hunanatta makes.” The deer woman grinned as she took her own bite from the panipuri before swapping back to the fruits and bread she had brought.
How did Lauma know she liked those sugar sculptures! It had to be Hunanatta, she was a part of the frostmoon scions so she must be relaying info back to Lauma. Or one of the many birds that perched on the power lines around Nasha Town.
Thinking about it, Lauma must have eyes and furry little ears all over Hiisi Island and beyond. No wonder treasure hunters don't go “looking for treasure” in her territory, you’d be walking straight into a trap…
Drat, Nefer wasn’t going to be happy to know she was leaving behind loose ends. Speaking of Boss Nef, her eyes flashed with dendro, before she plastered on a beatific smile that spoke volumes of how much trouble she was going to be in.
“Is that so, Jahoda still has time to grow as well. As the Curatorium’s most important and only employee she’s bound to pick up some influences.” Picking at her claws, Nefer continued. “Now if only she could wake up earlier, that child would sleep past noon if she didn’t have work.”
Hey! She wasn’t that bad…she needed to take full advantage of her down time. What was the point of sleep if she didn’t get to reap the full benefits.
“You should do something nice for her, I heard from a little birdie you’ve had her working since the beginning of the dawn today.” Lauma suggested as she tucked her legs underneath her.
Nefer tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give her a little raise. She’s been putting in good work lately.”
Did the sun just set in the east? Was the Moonchanter actually putting in a good word for her?! And Boss Nef was actually humoring her??
Shuddering, she vowed to not upset Lauma. No wonder she was such a big deal and powerful, she had managed to tame Boss Nef without losing an eye to her claws.
Not to mention, this wasn’t the first time she had seen Nefer cave into Lauma’s suggestions before but to see it so bliantly out on display was jarring.
The most memorable times she had seen Nefer give Lauma preferential treatment had to be back when she had temporarily lost her sight. She had never seen her Boss let someone touch her as easily as the Moonchanter did.
They weren’t exactly the most discreet when Lauma would give her healing light by holding Boss Nef’s face. She might not know the moonchanter all that well but even she knew that the deer woman didn’t need to touch a patient to use her visions healing abilities.
A soft paw suddenly settled on her arm, the barest of pinpricks digging in as if to warn her. Glancing down, Ashru flicked his tail in the direction of the couple. Nefer had given the signal somewhere between the last sentence she overheard and spacing out.
Striking the rock against her metal arm, she cursed more under her breath as she worked to get a spark. After the fourth or fifth try, she was sure she had sweat running down her back as she finally got the line to light.
With a soft fizz, the fire line zipped away towards the lanterns and swiftly ignited each of them one by one. Phew, at least that part of the job was going without a hitch.
*Thud*
Head snapping towards the sound, Jahoda took in the sight of the left over lighting fluid barrel she had soaked the flame line in, toppled over. With a very present pool of spilled oil on the ground that was quickly pouring towards the end of the fire line.
She just had to jinx it! Leaping to her feet, Jahoda dove for the fire line in a last ditch attempt to snuff the flames before it could reach the wet sand.
Just as she landed on the sand, the flame lit the puddle into a blaze around her. Holy moon goddess, seagulls snatched your lunch, archons help her. Frantically stamping the ground, she managed to snuff out the oil on the ground but now the flames had climbed her stockings.
Scrambling, she dropped to the ground and immediately began rolling in a feeble attempt to save herself. She didn’t stop until she felt the spray of something wet on her back.
Pausing momentarily, her brain finally kicked in. The ocean! Quickly rolling into the water and letting the waves crash over her, she didn’t come up for a breath until her lungs screamed at her.
Coming up for air, she sputtered as she dragged herself onto shore before a set of furry paws. It wasn’t until the sensation of a rough tongue lapping at her forehead and hair did she recognize enough of her surroundings to see Ashru.
She definitely deserved a raise now. But there was no way she could tell Boss Nef that she had been so negligent about the lighting fluid. Was there even a thing as workers compensation if they got hurt on the job? She should ask Nefer later.
Laying on the shore with Ashru giving her a bath in a counterproductive way to dry her off, Jahoda took in the sight of all the now floating lanterns in the sky. Was this what the Lantern rite looked like in Liyue? A vacation sounded really nice…
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“Jahoda!” A faint voice called her name as she dozed in and out of consciousness. “Jahoda! What happened?! Are you alright?!”
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“Jahoda!!” Huh?! The lanterns! Scrambling up into a sitting position, she blinked sand out of her eyes only to yelp and scooch again when she found Lauma’s concerned face far too close to her own for her liking.
Not far behind her, Nefer appeared over the sand dune with a first aid kit tucked under one arm. “Awake now I see…” she stated with a raised brow but still settled down next to her.
Rummaging through the first aid kit, Boss Nef frowned when she saw the state of her still wet clothes. “Didn’t I tell you that you can’t compromise yourself on missions, you're useless if you're injured.”
Wincing, Jahoda did recall Nefer going over the hazards and cautions that came with the trade when she was first starting out. A small hiss brought her attention to Lauma of all people pinching her boss while admonishing her.
Gaping, her jaw could have hit the ground before she quickly snapped it back closed before she got caught staring. Her normally scary boss was actually letting the Moonchanter scold her.
Terrifying.
“Are you alright Jahoda?” Lauma asked as she absently soothed the place she had just pinched on Nefer's thigh. Opting to ignore the two of them being touchy, she did a once over on herself.
She was for the most part in one piece, her clothes were a little charred and had some extra holes but her actual skin and health was fine if not for her bruised ego. The glint in Nefer’s appraising eyes already told her that she couldn’t fake an injury to get a day off.
Shaking her head, she mumbled out a dejected “right as rain…” which earned her a pleased smile from the moonchanter and a set of narrowed eyes Boss Nef.
Sweating under Nefer's appraising gaze, she silently prayed to the moon goddess, hoping that Columbina would bless her with an escape. She was just following directions! What more did she want?
“Just tripped and fell into the water!” She added as she scrambled up and dusted off her clothes. “Ooo those are some pretty lanterns! I’m going to go check them out!”
Making a mad dash for it, she disappeared behind another dune and just kept going. Before she knew it, her feet had carried her all the way to Aino’s workshop.
If Boss Nef wasn’t mad before, she was definitely going to be mad now that she wasn’t around to clean up. She should go back before she gets into more trouble.
Taking a step to return to work, the door to the workshop slid open with a soft hiss. In the doorway was Ineffra, mechanical eyes boring holes into her skull.
Slowly turning around, Jahoda’s eyes lit up when she saw the plate of sweets in the robot’s mechanical hands. “Hello Jahoda. You're just in time for Krumkake.” She greeted before gesturing to follow her inside, “Aino’s waiting.”
Krumkakes! Ineffra always made the best deserts, it couldn’t hurt to sit down for a little bit right? After that sand explosion she deserved a little sweet treat.
Following the robot into Aino’s workshop, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Nefer wasn’t somehow watching her and let the door close behind her.
Boss Nef had unfortunately sent her out to clean up the next day with reduced pay as punishment for running off, but she seemed to be in a good mood despite her words.
Carrying the last of the various items from the picnic back to the Curatorium of Secrets, she spotted Flins and Varka chatting in the square. She was a little surprised to see the Grandmaster back in Nod-Krai, shouldn’t he be back in Mondstad running his government?
Heading over to say hi, she started to hear clips of the two men’s conversation. It wasn’t just chatting, they were full on arguing about something.
“Hi guys! Let’s just calm down!” She started, hands up placatingly. Only to freeze when she overheard what Varka said.
Crossing his arms, Varka declared. “Nefer is clearly topping Lauma. Have you ever seen her giving up control that easily?”
Huh? Just what were they talking about? (0-0)
Flins shook his head, “I will have to disagree, the Moonchanter is clearly the dominant partner over Nefer. The Curatorium owner has never turned down a request from her.”
Frowning, “This is true but the two of them are always bickering like a married couple, Nefer always has a superior comeback to whatever they decide to argue about.” the Grandmaster shook his head.
Should two fully grown men be gossiping so loudly in a public space? Oh moon goddess what if this got back to Nefer herself! Shuddering, she jerked back when she found none other than the goddess herself gliding past.
Had she been listening to her thoughts! Did Columbina have that power? She needed a new saying for the craziness in her life…but what was the moon goddess doing in Nasha town? From what she understood, she preferred to stay out of the public eye.
Tilting her head, Columbina paused her glide to listen to the two men’s conversation. Stepping into their space, Varka and Flins grew quiet as the moon goddess greeted them.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense for there to be a switch up at the time of day?” Jahoda heard the ethereal woman question, “Nefer leads in the day and Lauma at night. She is a moonchanter.”
Columbina was joining in too!? Did they even realize they were talking about her boss? It was weird to hear all the speculation between Boss Nef and Lauma aired out right in front of her.
*clomp*
*clomp*
Leather shoes hit the ground as a large shadow fell over her, looking up, Pulonia loomed over her. Letting out a small squeak she stepped out of the way as Sandrone was set down with a haughty huff. “What nonsense are you guys spouting to be dilly dallying in the middle of the square?”
Before anyone could say anything she put her hands on her hips, “Clearly if things matter by time, Lauma would be in charge during the day and then be submissive at night.”
(O^O)
Sandrone was joining the conversation too!? Just what in the world was going on today? Nefer was definitely not going to be happy when word reached her ears.
“Guys let’s not talk about Boss Nef’s love life with Lauma…” Jahoda heard herself say before her thoughts caught up with her words. Oop.
Finally hearing her, four sets of eyes bored holes into her as they registered who was standing next to them. “Ah Jahoda!” Varka started, as Flins nodded sagely behind him. Sandrone wasn’t as courteous, “When did you get here?!” She could have sworn Columbina smirked from behind the harbinger despite her natural graceful smile.
Staring blankly back at them, she finally mustered up a reply. “I’ve been standing here since the beginning.” She admitted, arms hanging limply at her sides as she hunched slightly to avoid the attention.
The group fell into an awkward silence as the truth settled in. Before Varka rested a hand on her shoulder from behind, its weight pressing down on her. “Nefer can’t know.” He said gravely, making sure to hold eye contact as his face fell into total seriousness.
Shivering, Jahoda tried not to think about how big Varka was. She was starting to wonder if he knew just how intimidating he was by size alone. His shadow was practically engulfing her if she ignored his paw of a hand resting on her shoulder.
Nodding meekly she decided to make a dash for it, slipping away from the group she faintly heard Sandrone making a soft hmph of satisfaction at Varka's intimidation tact.
She wasn’t planning on informing Nefer about the group gossiping but after that hmph and Varka bullying her…she was just doing her job right? Boss Nef might even give her a bonus for bringing the information to her directly rather than through her other sources!
That sounded like a good plan, now then…those last crates…ugh…one more trip to do. Though if she had an opinion on the whole argument, Lauma was by far the more assertive flirt than Nefer was.
She had even convinced Boss Nef to go on a vacation with her! Talk about two weeks of unwanted stress and work for such little increase in pay during her absence. At least Lauma told her some good stories of their time at the summer resort in Natlan.
What was its official name? Oh right, the Easy Breezy Holiday Resort. Apparently there were little guys called Asha all over the place. Asha almost sounded like Ashru, maybe they were just as cute as he was.
She had been passing by with the latest commission information when she spotted her. Lauma had been resting in her usual spot by the window sill, tea in hand and a collection of what looked like photos laid out before her.
“Lauma! I didn’t know you guys were back already, Nefer mentioned that you got delayed.” She greeted the reading woman, eyes darting to the photos.
A giant floating balloon, a slide in the shape of a shark thing, Nefer and Lauma seated in a two seater paddle boat…hold on, were those photos from the trip?
Blinking, Lauma instinctively smiled politely but let it relax when she noticed who it was. “Hello, Jahoda. How are you?
Before adding, “We were delayed earlier but we ran into the oddest duo who gave us a ride to the border. Who knew the motorcycle the pyro archon is always toting around was made by such a talented craftsman.”
A talented craftsman? The pyro archon herself? Just what kind of situation had Boss Nef and Lauma found themselves in to meet the pyro archon?
“Nef should be around here somewhere…I believe she went to take a nap in her room.” Lauma commented as she took a moment to take a sip from her tea.
Nef?? Nickname status?! Did their relationship deepen over the trip? She was the only one who was close enough to Nefer to warrant one and hers came with Boss before it.
A soft bell-like laugh escaped the moonchanters lips, “Yes, Nef. She’s finally letting me indulge in the nickname after we got chased by a pod of Kaholasaurus. You should have seen the look on her face when one doused her in water.”
That did sound Boss Nef…she was a lot like Ashru when it came to water. Hated getting wet but never took it lightly as a source of nourishment. She would pay good money to see her get doused in water though.
“You're not filling my dear employees ears with nonsense are you عيني?” Nefer’s voice filtered through the slightly ajar door to her room.
Another nickname…but in a language she hadn’t heard before? Was that her boss's language from when she was still living in the Sumeru desert? Since when did sound travel so well in the Curatorium?
Scratching her head, Jahoda tried wrapping her head around all the things being dropped on her. This was a lot of questions in a short amount of time.
“Nothing that you don’t already know .روحي, Lauma cooed back at the Curatorium owner. “You did make quite a silly sight dripping wet.”
A scoff from the other room had her twisting her hands together waiting for Nefer to yell at Lauma but it never came. Just darkly muttered, “You're one to talk…”
(0o0)
Archons, she did not want to be hearing this right now. Maybe she could slip away while they got absorbed in themselves.
“Don’t traumatize the girl, look at her.” Lauma scolded as she motioned in Jahoda’s direction.
Nefer glanced her way and frowned, her expression saying all that needed to be said. If word of this ever gets out, your heads on the chopping block.
How was she supposed to avoid that?! Everyone from the Rerir fight was already speculating, they weren’t blind or deaf to the affections the two of them had. The only ones not talking might be the traveler and Paimon, and that only because they left the nation.
Actually scratch that, Paimon was a bit of a blabbermouth but it’s not like it was being thrown around on the headlines. Right?
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Jahoda’s jaw dropped.
Curatorium Owner Nefer and Moonchanter Lauma Seen Honeymooning at Exclusive Beach Resort?
The tabloid screamed at her from the front page with a grainy picture of yet still quite distinct forms of the lovebirds walking hand in hand through a crowd.
Both of them were dressed in beach wear, and shockingly little clothing for a bathing suit. At least they were rocking the look if Boss Nef’s floppy hat and Lauma’s sunglasses said anything.
Flipping to the article on the two, she quickly skimmed through the contents. Spotted multiple locations…blah blah blah…holding hands…hotel log books show damage fees in their room…blah blah…what a scandal…!
Jeebers! Just what did her boss and the moonchanter do to warrant damage fees? Maybe she should sneak a look at Nefer’s accounts and see if it’s true…no she didn’t have a death wish.
“Jahoda. I have a task for you.” The woman herself spoke from just behind her, creeped up on silent feet despite her heels.
Flinching, she tried to hide the tabloid behind her back before her boss saw it, only for it to be snatched out of her hands. Skimming through it, Nefer’s lips settled into a deeper and deeper frown as her brows furrowed at the news.
Ripping the front page off, she sneered as she balled it up and threw it into a nearby trash can. “Change of plans, this distasteful company…a new one to the territory it would seem…needs to be taught a lesson.”
Striding over to her desk, she sat down and began to pen a letter. Taking in her bosses scheming, Jahoda felt every hair on the back of her neck stand up. Nothing good was about to come for that news company, certainly not after Nefer was done with it.
There were a few ways Boss Nef could go about it. Maybe blackmail but she hadn’t scouted too much into them yet. Good old fashioned threats and blacklisting would work, can’t do business if no one will buy or some hired thugs come for them. Chances are, all of the above would occur.
She almost pitied the fools. Almost.
Coming out of her musings, Nefer handed her a piece of paper and a letter before walking away humming to herself. The now audible sound of her heels cheerfully clicking menacingly.
Taking it in, Jahoda’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the list of objectives and tasks to do.
- Find everything you can on the company:
- Hierarchy/structure
- Financial documents
- Who took the photo
- Relations
- Physical evidence
- Subjective discretion
- Inform the vendors of blacklisting and alert the light keepers of an offense in defamation.
- Hire some people to persuade them to see the error of their ways.
- Deliver this letter to Lauma.
“I expect results by the end of the week. Regular rate with additional bonus based on timeliness and additional information found. And one purchase under a million mora on me for delivering the letter.”
Well hit her with a shoe and drain the ocean, the tabloid company was about to become a sinking ship and then buried six feet under. Besides that, what was with all these extra cash bonuses on top of it?
Boss Nef must be absolutely fuming if she’s planning such a swift rebuttal. Could also be paying better cause it’s a personal request, not that she’d ever admit to that. Why she didn’t deliver the letter herself was a mystery known only to her.
Getting geared up, she tucked the task list and letter into her bag and set out in search of Lauma. The first choice of location was obviously the frostmoon scions headquarters and its library but she could also be with Columbina.
Looking around she didn’t see any sight of the person she was looking for. Adjusting the straps on her bag she was flagged down by a woman dressed in leathers and scion garb.
“Are you looking for Lauma?” The woman asked, “I’m Varna by the way.”
“Yes I am. Have you seen her lately?” She agreed, information was always key in her trade.
Pointing towards Aino’s workshop Varna made a general direction motion, “She mentioned escorting a rimehorn deer to visit Aino and Ineffra, it seems that he got attached to them and wanted to visit.”
A deer got attached to Aino and Ineffra? That was a first. “Thanks for the tip.” She smiled, tossing the woman a small pouch of sweets she had. Always best to maintain information sources for later. “Have a good day!”
Hurrying off, Jahoda quickly made her way to Aino’s workshop. Just in time to see Lauma picking up the tabloid itself from the stack of mail Ineffra had set down when chasing one of Aino’s square bots.
“Wait! Lauma!!” She yelped as she tried to catch her breath from running all the way over. But could only watch in horror as the moonchanter finished the article.
Closing it, only the faintest twitch of her brow showed how ticked off she was. Drawing a deep breath, she turned to face Jahoda. “What a pleasant surprise to see you today, Jahoda.”
Pulling the letter from her bag, she tentatively passed it over. “Nefer found out earlier and asked me to deliver this to you.”
Taking the letter, the deer woman opened it up and began to read. Only for her to sigh, “She’s taking it a bit too far…there’s no reason to run them out of Nod-Krai if there’s a way to convert the press to our advantage.”
Did she just hear that right? It almost sounded like Lauma, sweet gentle Lauma had just said something even scarier than what Nefer was planning.
“Send .روحي, my words just now as my message. She’ll understand if she’s not already planning it.” The moonchanter smiled fondly.
Getting the heeby jeebies, Jahoda decided that those two were a match made in hell and Lauma might actually be crazier than Nefer. “Sounds good, anything else?”
Opening her mouth, the deer woman was interrupted by the squarebots tumbling into a collapsed heap in front of them as Ineffra launched the latest one into the pile. Waving hello, she flew off to chase another runaway bot being chased by Aino in the background.
“Do I want to ask?” She asked Lauma who shook her head. “There’s not much to say. A customer had a bot sent in for repair that was infected and it made the squarebots malfunction.”
Welp, good enough for her. Checking her list she set out for the tabloid news warehouse. All investigations had to start somewhere and a provided address was an easy way to begin.
It took six and a half days to collect everything she could on the dang company. An abysmally long time for such a small company that shouldn’t have had much more than a little gossip.
The company had actually been a cover up for one of the new thug groups trying to circulate a new drug called Vision. Was apparently supposed to make you feel like you had been blessed by the gods and bestowed a vision of your own. Kinda trippy if you ask her.
They had a few tabloids out from the past year but the thugs were too overconfident that no one would look into them. Apparently they thought themselves immune to threat cause they were an offshoot of a bigger gang in Inazuma.
How they hadn’t been sued yet was a mystery, especially with Inazuma being quite good at shutting down slander and regulating the media. The Yae publishing house wasn’t a company she would mess with, but their books were good.
Well, it was their loss. They should have learned the lesson of never getting complacent and that they shouldn’t make enemies in high places. That had to be Nod-Krai 101 at least, do some research guys honestly.
Tucking her notes and files from the job, she skipped back to the Curatorium, she was an entire day early! Stepping in through the sliding doors, she spotted Nefer and Lauma hunched over one of the tables. Said table was piled with various letters that looked like they were for official blacklisting notice.
Life would probably be a lot easier if they could send messages to multiple people by clicking a button. Scanning the table, Jahoda giggled to herself when she saw the blacklisting stamp resting on the far side. It might not be perfect but it sure was convenient to have a premade type set for such an odd task.
Heading for Nefer’s desk, she began pulling out file after file she had on the tabloid company and stacking them. When she finished, the sound of Nefer’s heels clicking heralded her arrival.
“A day earlier I see. Keep up the good work, the money is in the chest as usual.” Boss Nef acknowledged which made a little bubble of happiness shoot through her. Praise was always good when it came from the curatorium owner, especially if it didn’t include a double meaning.
Moving to go collect her money, the shadow of antlers fell over her. “Jahoda…” Lauma paused, “I wanted to talk to you for a moment.”
Talk to her? Whatever for? “Sure! What can I help you with?” She closed the lid to the chest and tucked her pay into her pocket.
Fidgeting with her nails, Lauma drew in a breath before saying,“I was wondering how you feel about Nefer and I, with all the rumors going around…I wanted to check in on you.”
Oh. Did she really have an opinion on the two? It’s not like the news was new, they weren’t exactly the most subtle around her. For goodness sake the two of them had come to her for various help around their dates. Why now, was Lauma asking her such a redundant question?
“I’ve supported you guys since day one, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.” Boss Nef also pays me to keep my mouth shut. She mentally added. “All of this will blow over soon and the townspeople will have something new to gossip about.”
Lauma hummed thoughtfully before nodding at her answer. “Thank you, Jahoda. I appreciate your thoughts. Now then, would you like some shaved ice? Nef imported some from Liyue, apparently it’s all the rage during the summer.”
Shaved ice? Wouldn’t that come from Snezhnaya being the land of snow and ice? Though if she was buried in snow she probably wouldn’t want to eat something cold.
“What flavor?” She asked as she followed the deer woman into the kitchen.
“Red bean.”
Red bean?
It was horrible. Scarring really.
As if that whole scandal with the tabloid had opened the flood gates, Nefer and Lauma were practically all over each other. Well, at least in the Curatorium they were. If they were out in public you would think they were rivals or always arguing over something.
Jahoda wanted to wash her eyes with bleach and maybe try and regenerate some new ones. It shouldn’t have been a problem but she just so happened to be a resident of the Curatorium alongside Ashru. One with a bedroom and far too thin walls.
She thought Nefer was a top but Lauma seemed to have the sex drive of a woman possessed and probably in heat considering her antlers. Unfortunately that also came with healing magic…regenerative and refreshing which meant they could go at it for much much longer.
The racket had her seeking out other places to sleep, even going to ask Ineffra for help. The robot didn’t quite know how to help her sleep but the effort was appreciated. It’s not like she had the guts to go up to her boss and ask her to have a quieter fun time.
But with the archons above, she couldn’t escape even during the daytime. She’d be eating her breakfast in the morning and the two of them would stumble in looking rumbled and disheveled. Nefer would have the most smug air about her and Lauma would just blush while she prepared them a helping of whatever was in the fridge.
Sometimes it would be the other way around, and she could usually tell when Lauma was the one who was topping. The moonchanter horns were always grown to full size and glowing as brightly as their owners' mood.
They'd separate for the day, kissing each other goodbye before Nefer would start barking orders at her if she was within eyeshot. Love had struck her boss and it was a serious problem.
She was going to have to find a different place to live if Boss Nef and Lauma were going to continue being in the honeymoon stage. Ugh, they weren’t even married!
Maybe she could move in with Aino and Ineffra…though there might not be room in that workshop for her. Aino had always been gracious for letting her sleep in her room when she stopped by.
Or she could give up some of her future spending and invest in an apartment around Nasha Town. Though Piramida was quite nice too…the only downside would be getting a permit from the ligbtkeepers…Flins and Illuga might help her out.
A thud from Nefer’s room had her groaning, never mind eventually moving out, she needed to get out of here stat. Pulling some paper from her desk, she began to draft her letters to each respective person.
Once done, she carefully sealed them and moved to put them in the mail bin for the currier to pick up. Hopefully a response would be swift, she didn’t know how much more she could take of this racket.
“So from what I’m hearing…you need to find a new place to live because Nefer and Lauma are causing noise complaints?” Illuga stared Jahoda down, before groaning as he slumped into his chair.
Beside him Flins hid a small laugh of his own, extending a hand out to his young master. “Master Iluga, I believe you owe me a thousand mora now.”
Cursing, the captain pulled out his wallet. “I really did think it would take them longer…you know how scions are! Dryer than the driest dry spouts over there, I’m surprised they don’t hatch their children from eggs.” He grumbled as he counted out the coins and handed them over to the fae man.
(0-0)
Flins and Illuga were betting on her boss's love life too?! Just how many people were going to be speculating this…first Varka and Flins…wait a minute! Flins had been discussing this earlier, he had to be the one stirring the pot.
Next time that man was in lantern form, she just might stick him in a box the next time she shipped him gemstones.
“We’d be more than happy to grant you permission to live in Piramida but does Nefer know that you're trying to move out? She’d probably be more than willing to help you find a place without pulling all these favors.” Illuga mused, sliding her a small plate of krumkakes.
Sighing she shook her head. She hadn’t wanted to get Boss Nef involved in her moving plans because that meant she had to explain why she wanted to move out. That was not a conversation she wanted with her boss or Nefer in general, she’d die of embarrassment.
“You’d do well to cover your tracks better if you didn’t want to be found out.” Nefer's voice scolded her from the now open door. Leaning against the frame, the Curatorium owner stared at her unblinking.
Eek! She’s been found out! But how? She had actually worked to hide her tracks, no one should know except Ashru and he couldn’t talk!
Couldn’t talk…to anyone but Lauma! That little sneak! He had ratted her out to the moonchanter and by default Nefer. When she saw that cat next, he wasn’t going to get any pets or head scratches.
Folding her arms, Boss Nef glared at Illuga and Flins who were trying to make themselves smaller and disappear from the conversation. “One, best this conversation between employer and employee be private. Two, Jahoda, stop cursing Ashru in your head.”
Nowhere was safe…she was so screwed.
Taking the hint, the two lightkeepers took the offered out and quickly made themselves scarce after shooting her apologetic looks. Traitors the lot of them.
“Now then, I believe I owe you an apology.” Nefer spoke plainly as she took a seat across from her. “My time with Lauma has been quite present and I neglected to give you proper courtesy around that.”
She died, she must have died and was sent to hell where Nefer was actually apologizing to her about the noise. What kind of alternative world had she stumbled into? She didn’t like this.
Pulling out a folder, the Curatorium owner revealed a selection of apartments in both Pyramida and Nasha Town. “I’ve taken the liberty to find some locations that I thought you might find suitable. But I also have an alternative option if you want to see it.”
An alternative option?
“Yes, an alternative option.” Nefer agreed to her thought as if she knew, “The Curatorium is equally your home as it is mine…I already have builders sound proofing the building and its rooms. It’s also being expanded into separate wings, so that you have more space.”
Separate wings…did the building even have that kind of space? Focus Jahoda! Boss New was right about the Curatorium being her home, she didn’t really want to leave it behind. But was it going to be enough to go back?
Tapping her claws, the Curatorium owner continued, “There’s already new shelves for the limited edition novels you wanted but thought too expensive sitting in your new wing.”
She was sold. Call her easy, but the latest releases from the Yae publishing house was no joking matter. The limited editions were practically priceless!!
“Happy to be back boss!” She saluted happily.
Smiling back, albeit much more reserved, Nefer stood up and left without looking back. Leaving Lauma who had been lurking just outside to finally step in.”
“I’m glad you want to come back.” The moonchanter smiled gently, presenting her with a key. “This is the key to your wing, take care not to lose it.”
Security and new quarters, what else was she going to get spoiled with today?