It was both strange and annoying to have so many sisters: the pirate, Püf; the musical one, KitE; and now this seamstress named Ms. Poffin. Obviously, that wasn't her original last name, but rather her gamer tag and her downloaded identity. It was much like how Noobkitty, despite how silly the name sounded, was and would be "Noobkitty" from the very day she was activated.

  She knew she was lucky, that she had a good life. But seeing yet another Lyla duplicate one who actually looked like their prime self, well, it still stung a little. She knew she’d have to get over it, they were all being helpful, Ms. Poffin was currently planning to outfit a demon army in maid and butler attire. She had also promised to make Noobkitty and ExpertBunny custom dresses, which was a lovely gesture.

  Potentially, Noobkitty could learn to sew and probably even gain a few Crafter levels from it, but for now, she wanted to impress everyone with her best talent...

  Bitter Berry Banana Bites Lv29

  I told the cat if she made a vegan sweet using the odd-tasting bitter gourd, I'd give her a level up... she's now Lv. 29.

  These taste like a creamy, sweet tart that bites back. If two or more people eat them willingly, all who consume them will temporarily feel a sense of camaraderie with one another for having shared the experience.

  Enchantments: Mutual Respect buff for 6 hours.

  It was a long description for the AI, and Noobkitty suspected it was only that detailed because Coro?en had lost the bet. She offered the tray of cream-covered, berry-crowned discs first to ExpertBunny, then to her sisters, then to Morlax and Veloura, and finally to the other players. It was a surprisingly strong enchantment; suddenly, Noobkitty no longer felt jealousy toward her sisters. Instead, she felt impressed and happy for their achievements, grateful that she had such a large family.

  Morlax ate one and grinned. "You sly cat. It’s a good thing we did our business first; a 'Mutual Respect' buff may have made the bargaining a bit odd."

  Ms. Poffin hugged Noobkitty tightly. "I'm so happy to be here and to finally meet you!" She grinned, looking Noobkitty up and down with a professional eye. "It’s amazing, our youngest sister is engaged! I'm going to make you two something truly special once I help solve this demon staffing uniform issue."

  She hollered, and a demon woman approached looking confused and slightly mindless. Ms. Poffin looked to Morlax, who blushed slightly.

  "I'll make them smarter soon. They were originally meant to be mobs, not people who actually know which side of a pot the tea comes out of," Morlax admitted. As they shared a respectful conversation, it became strangely clear that Veloura was insistent on the female demon NPCs being dressed in French maid outfits. It was a bit of a fetish-look... very "succubus" of her.

  Noobkitty realized she also had an apology to make. She walked over to the Celf. "Um... HnyThsl, I'm sorry I've been rude to you. It was only because I was jealous that you get to talk with animals and I can't."

  HnyThsl’s eyes glittered with delight. "No, you’re... you’re amazing! You’re Noobkitty, the vegan who saved the world! You’re the reason I’m even here. When I found out leveling was no longer specifically about killing, I had to come. I harassed the AI for an hour just to get my class and race, and I'm still working on the class part."

  Noobkitty laughed and gestured for them to get drinks. She poured herself a Fallen Heroine, topped it with a glazed strawberry, and added a single shot of white rum. HnyThsl grabbed a Mojito and a few grilled pineapple wedges.

  "A few of these animals actually work at my shop," Noobkitty pointed out. "I worry sometimes that I’m exploiting them. Would you mind checking in?"

  "Um... I have to learn each species' language individually. Maybe we can start with one?" HnyThsl suggested. "So far, I only talk to bees, and they mostly communicate through dancing."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Noobkitty nodded and instantly knew who to ask. They walked over to a table of sweets where Nibs the Rat was fretting over how much frosting he wanted on a berry tart. It was a monumental decision. He wanted to eat the whole tart, but since it was half his size, it was a massive commitment. He didn't want to regret a lack of sweetness, but he didn't want the berry flavor washed out either.

  "Nibs," Noobkitty said, introducing her sous-chef. "My best cooking assistant. Nibs, this is HnyThsl. She is a Druid-in-training and is learning to talk with animals. Would you please try to talk with her?"

  Nibs put down the frosting spoon, happy for a distraction from his anxious endeavor. He squeaked and gave a polite wave with a tiny paw.

  "It’s a pleasure to meet you. Could you start by saying your name, please?" HnyThsl asked.

  He said it in "Rat" a complex combination of squeaks and specific ear and tail movements.

  "Okay, and how are you doing?"

  He squeaked again, twitched his ears, and pantomimed with his paws toward his tart.

  "Oh, that could be frustrating," HnyThsl murmured. "I almost have it unlocked... um... wait."

  She looked around and saw a few bees nearby. They were determining who to share their honey and were busy collecting crumbs of frosting and agave. She asked the bees to help, and they began to "talk" with the rat. She observed the exchange as the bees proudly offered the rat some honey for his tart, provided he broke up one of the berries inside for them to take back to the hive.

  With the deal struck, a notification appeared. HnyThsl had officially unlocked [Speak with Rats].

  Congratulations! You can now talk with Rats!

  "Thank you! The frosting felt a bit too heavy on the stomach," Nibs said to the bees, pulling a berry out of his tart to complete the trade.

  Noobkitty scowled a little; she seemed annoyed for some reason.

  "I just unlocked Speak with Rats. Nibs is trading a berry for some honey," HnyThsl explained.

  "I noticed. It’s just... I don't feel right about the honey," said Noobkitty. "Bees work really hard for it, and there is a high potential for exploitation."

  HnyThsl tried not to laugh. "The bees made the offer themselves, and they are currently filling their hive with bits of the desserts you made. If anyone's being exploited, it's you—you're not getting paid! Besides, these are smart bees and they have pride; they want to use honey to say thanks or to trade fairly."

  Noobkitty shook her head. "It’s just... in the Prime world, honey bees are an invasive and exploited species. Their life is industrialized and.. "

  "This isn't the Prime world," HnyThsl clarified. "There are two hives in this forest, both are honey bees because the world decided all bees make honey. If they give you some, you say thank you and take it, or they will feel insulted and fly into those big ears of yours."

  Noobkitty crossed her arms. "Fine, but I’d still rather not. There are people watching the stream, and I don't want to indirectly cause Prime world bees harm by making people want a honey dessert."

  "You overthink things, but fine," said HnyThsl. Vegans did tend to fret, she noted. She looked down as Nibs took a bite of his honey-drizzled tart happily. "Nibs, Noobkitty is worried she exploits you and the other animals."

  Nibs laughed and wiped a crumb from his mouth. "And I keep telling her no! We are there for the sweets, and we don't take handouts... well, not many. Besides, if we are in the shop, it means we aren't in the forest with dangerous players. We have safety, food, and something to do."

  HnyThsl nodded and explained the rat’s stance to Noobkitty.

  "I think I'd be happier if the animals negotiated their own terms," Noobkitty said.

  "She forgets her fiancée is an Admin and can hear everything we say," Nibs said to the Celf, speaking like he’d gone over this a thousand times. "We get what we want; she just worries too much."

  "Maybe a union?" HnyThsl thought aloud. "Nibs, would you be the Union Rep?"

  "I have enough to do! That kitchen needs help. Noobkitty doesn't tell anyone, but she has ten mixing spoons and five measuring spoon sets because she keeps misplacing them as she works," Nibs chirped.

  HnyThsl laughed. "He won't be your Union Rep, but he knows he has an important job."

  "Now, if you two don't mind, this tart will not get into my tummy by itself." The rat turned back to his task, focusing on his epic quest of gluttony.

  "He says you worry too much; your employees are happy," HnyThsl translated.

  "Thank you. My anxiety might be getting to me. It just feels like my vegan morality is constantly being tested," Noobkitty sighed. "My fiancée rides a yak sometimes, my shop is staffed with forest creatures, and now I'm being told that refusing honey might insult the bees."

  "It can be hard. Just do what you find best in the moment. This isn't the Prime world," HnyThsl reminded the cat-woman again.

  Noobkitty nodded. "Well, I still can't do things like use milk or eggs. The farm is a nightmare."

  "Wait... there's a farm?"

  Noobkitty blinked. "Where do you think eggs come from? Or that ham Grizzlebeard brought for the picnic? I've visited it. It's not good."

  HnyThsl smiled. "How do you feel about ethical milk, from a sanctuary farm?"

  "Um... conflicted, but I like where your mind is going," said Noobkitty.

  HnyThsl wasn't sure if it was the cooperation enchantment from the desserts, but Noobkitty seemed to be much more agreeable to her suggestions now. The two of them continued to talk, planning a way to improve things without having to set a farm on fire.