Chapter 12: Skirts and a Dress
Oribella focused all her energy on cleaning and brushing cotton for weeks to come. The drop spindle design she settled on worked well enough in her tests! It looked quite similar to a crochet hook with a round block of wood on the bottom.
Once the cotton was clean Oribella sat in Ancient One's branches and spun yard for hours while Poppy rinsed the wool in the used water that ran out from the bathhouse. It wasn't hot enough that it could boil out all the oils, but it was still warm enough to get the most of them out after several vigorous rinses. As the majority of oils were removed the smell was removed too. At least the scent was removed well enough so that Poppy was allowed to boil out the remaining oils in the kitchen.
While waiting for the wool to be washed so she could brush it out Oribella kept working on spinning cotton yarn. She also worked on a new skirt for Poppy, as a surprise!
Starlight and River had heavily hinted that it was spouce's duty to make and gift clothing to one another. Oribella had voiced her displeasure about wearing animal fur clothes, so she promised Poppy she would teach him how to spin and knit clothes in the future for her.
Oribella worked on an animal skin skirt for Poppy. She found a piece of fur long enough to wrap around his hips. Instead of joining the pieces all the way around Oribella carefully cut holes through each edge of the animal skin with a small bone knife. That way she could lace up the side of the skirt with a knit rope and Poppy would have a unique look! Plus it was be easier for him to take it off whenever he took his Bear form.
It was so magical to her. Poppy had taken her out on adventures through the woods on sunnier days. Every time he transformed Oribella noticed his skirt would need to be taken off his body, otherwise it would rip. Human hips are a lot smaller than brown bear hips after all. And Poppy seemed to be considerably large even for a bear.
Oribella laced the skirt in a way that Poppy would have an easy time removing it when he needed to transform. It had taken a while to get used to working with hides, but Oribella was happy to be making clothes again!
She made Poppy two skirts in the same style. She had taken breaks between spinning and leather working to begin knitting with the yarn she had been spinning. She was far from spinning all the cotton but she had enough to begin making herself a tube dress!
The connected needles Poppy had crafted were made from thin crystals he had polished and smoothed down. The needles were not perfectly cylindrical but they were strong! Bound together with a strip of leather that held the weight of the yarn nicely.
When she was halfway into her dress Oribella realized she should have taken her measurements a third time! The dress would still fit her but it was going to be rather snug.
Oribella had timed her three projects perfectly. The two skirts had been made, all the cotton had been spun, and her dress was long enough she would be able to wear it in public! That night while poppy was taking their dinner platter back to the kitchen Oribella changed into her new dress. She didn't want to risk staining it after all that work! She then patiently waited to present Poppy with his new clothes!
When he came back to the room and Oribella stood up he was shocked at what he saw. Oribella had been wearing long flowing dresses since he met her. Now she stood before him in a skin-tight dress that covered nothing on her arms and legs!
Oribella didn't have to worry about the dress falling down at least, it certainly was clinging to her curves. But she hadn't thought that it might be a bit of a tease twords Poppy. Not that she didn't want to get him riled up...
"You look..." Poppy's mouth couldn't begin to properly represent the emotions in his heart and the thoughts in his mind.
Instead he aproached her and bent down to kiss her. Oribella returned the passionate kiss and pulled away for long enough to muster, "these are for you," and picked up the skirts from the floor.
Poppy's eyes lit up. "For me?" He asked excitedly.
"Yes!" Oribella handed one fo the skirts over to Poppy and he quicky put it on. He reached some trouble with the lacing though.
Oribella took the rope she'd knitted and laced up the side of Poppy's skirt.
She had failed to consider that she might be lacing Poppy into the skirt. Her fingers had to brush his hips and upper thigh while lacing the skirt closed.
Oribella's heart was racing and Poppy, although somewhat distracted by his new gift, was reacting to her hands being in such a sensitive area.
"There!" Oribella quickly pulled her hands away as soon as she'd tied the bow "it's uhm... not too stiff right?" Oribella and Poppy both went red.
"I MEAN THe animal hide! Not your... ummm... uhh..." Oribella felt so embarrassed but Poppy only saw his female getting flustered about... him.
Oribella put her hands on her face, to cover her redness and to cool her skin. Without looking at Popy she asked "does it fit you well? can you sit down and move around in it?"
Poppy turned his back to the wall and sat down. He wriggled a little but to test the skirt and finally beamed twords Oribella "it's really comfortable!"
Oribella sat next to Poppy and cuddled with him for a while. Her heart wouldn't calm down. She had been sleeping in this man's arms for nearly three months but now... Was it time?
Oribella's heart swelled and she looked up at Poppy's face. Poppy looked back at her, kissed her forehead. Oribella kissed his lips.
After several minutes of kissing the two caught their breath.
"I love you, Poppy."
"I love you, Oribella."
Oribella was happy here. She missed some of the conveniences of conpemorary life but that made her achievements all the more satisfying! Above that Oribella was in love. She hadn't realized when it happened, but true, mutual, unconditional, love isn't something that happens overnight. A bond like that takes time. Poppy made Oribella truly feel she was where she belonged.
"Poppy, I'm ready." Oribella melted into Poppy's arms, "let's mate."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone