The Farm -CH3- (Patreon)

Holding tight to the watering-can, Steve stormed off into his field. He needed to water all his plants.

Grabbing the shovel and hoe as he walked by his supplies, Steve was determined to not return back to the cabin till Misty left.

He was reconsidering the way he’d acted to the Nereid. Nikki scolding him has resonated in his head for some reason. It made him anxious.

Anxious and mad at himself.

She’s a damn fish.

I could have eaten her.

But then again, Nikki is a goat. Could I eat her?

Actually, the way she talked previously, is that a thing?

Hm.

Way to go Past Steve, really fucked me over with wiping out all my memories. I’m totally going to leave Future Steve more memories than you did me.

Asshole.

Dropping his shovel and hoe next to the green field directly next to his farm field, Steve started watering his plants.

He took his time, often taking time out in the middle of watering the plants to drink from the can directly.

He’d gotten over the funky earthen taste and now it just felt like it had “minerals added for flavor”.

Just like the Das… Das… the whatever the fuck that was.

Steve grunted and put down the watering can and picked up his shovel. His anger at having no memories available once again was making him angry.

Looking over his shoulder, he found Misty and Nikki sitting in front of the half built cabin. They’d been sitting there chatting endlessly.

How the shit can they keep talking like that. It’s been like… hours, hasn’t it?

I can’t even figure out what to say to keep a conversation going longer than ten minutes.

Holding tight to his shovel, he stabbed down into the grass angrily.

A massive expanse of grass literally exploded out from around him in a semi-circle of twenty feet.

Shocked and not really sure what he’d done that made that happen, Steve stood there.

The dirt revealed beneath the grass looked exactly like the field from the other day.

Good to know. Ok… uh…

Hefting his shovel, Steve went to the next patch of grass and in a much more subdued manner, dug the bit into the grass.

Grass for ten feet in front of himself peeled away from the ground and flopped to the side.

Ok, so, if I do it hard and fast, it does more, but explosively.

Frowning, Steve began digging out a field next to his existing one. Thankfully he didn’t even have to move the dug up grass. It just kept peeling further and further back as he went.

When he reached the ending point that he wanted it to stop at, the grass piled up into mounds all on its own.

Nodding his head, Steve decided to finish the field. Which meant taking the hot to it, planing everything his bags, and then watering it all.

Except wheat. Let’s… let’s only plant one-fourth of the wheat. We’ll keep the rest for Nikki.

For whatever reason, he couldn’t bring himself from wanting to make sure Nikki was taken care of. 

She seemed like someone he would do well to keep around. If only to balance out his apparent bad manners.

***

Dragging his forearm across his brow and down his face, Steve wished he had a hat not for the first time.

He’d ditched his windbreaker a long time ago, and was starting to wonder about clothes. He couldn’t just keep wearing the same thing every day. Lifting his arm up he took a tentative whiff of himself.

And immediately recoiled.

He smelled like terrible body-odor, sweat, and dirt. It wasn’t a very appealing combination to his sense of smell.

The sun was still an hour or two above the horizon line he guessed.

“I could probably go behind the cabin and rig up the watering-can to make a shower. Couldn’t I?” Steve asked no one. Reaching up he ran a hand across his face. “Be pretty cold. But clean and cold might be better than warm and nasty smelling.”

Sighing, Steve gathered up the empty seed sacks, and his tools. Carrying them all with relative ease, he wandered back toward the cabin.

Misty had finally left after apparently getting her fill of socialization from Nikki.

She’d come and checked on him once, made sure he was alright, then went off to go to work on something she said.

Though she didn’t specify what and he hadn’t asked. He figured whatever she was doing was hopefully to benefit the both of them. Especially so since they didn’t have much other than each other and their tools.

Dropping the empty sacks in front of the cabin, Steve put away his tools as well on the inside. Keeping a hold of the watering-can, he walked around to the back side of the cabin.

Glancing toward the lake, he briefly considered bathing in it instead.

Then dismissed the idea immediately. He didn’t want to run afoul of Misty right now. Her emotions had felt mercurial to him.

Then again, we assumed she was a fish. Didn’t Nikki say she was more like a spirit? Or was one?

I can’t remember.

Steve looked at the back of the cabin. Looking for somewhere to wedge the can so it poured over him endlessly.

Letting his eyes move to the corner he realized he could set it there, in the current wedge cut into the log.

Setting down the can, Steve checked his surroundings. He heard a faint sound coming from the forest. Assuming that’s where Nikki was working, Steve figured this was as good a time as any.

Running back to the supply area he grabbed several lengths of vines. Working as quickly as he could, he strung them from one overhang in the corner to the other, making an impromptu clothes line.

Stripping off his clothes he made a pile of them underneath where he was going to set the watering-can.

“This is gonna suck,” Steve grumbled. “Fuck you Past Steve.”

Wedging the can into the cut, Steve stepped to one side as water began pouring down endlessly.

“Ugh.” Steve picked up his clothes, then began washing them under the water. Working the dirt and soil loose as best as he could. Finishing them one by one, he went and hung them up.

Blessedly, the water didn’t seem as cold as he feared it would be. But it was still a miserable temperature and nowhere near hot.

Need to figure out how to turn this watering-can into something else. Like… a plumbing system.

Could I make a water tower and wedge that at the top of it? To endlessly distribute water?

Then it would just be a question of flow rate and reservoir, right?

It sounds stupidly complex as a thought, but after a few seconds, he’d already figured out a simple way to cut multiple logs into pipes and have them shunt water around. Mostly through simple spillways that would dip when full unless pegged to remain full.

It was strange to have memories of such things, but not know their names, where he learned about them, or if he was the origination of it or not.

Shaking his head clear of the thoughts, Steve finally stepped under the water.

“Brreaaaagggh!” Steve said intellectually. “Frraaugghhaa coooooold!”

Shivering from head to toe, he scrubbed at himself. His goal was entirely focused on getting himself clean. Clean and not smelling like the underside of a cow’s bed. With his entire body underneath the water, he worked intently.

Leaning his head back he did his best to scrub out his hair though he felt like he was missing something. Missing something and feeling like he should know it.

Another gap. Fuck you Past Steve.

Opening his mouth, Steve began drinking once again from the can. Getting his full, and no longer being able to stand the water, Steve danced away from the make-shift shower.

“Brooooahahuuh,” Steve said, giving himself a shake. “I should have thought of a towel beforehand, I guess.”

Scraping at the water with his hands he tried to get as much of it off as he could.

Going to have to air dry.

“That looks interesting. I don’t think I’ve seen the like,” came Nikki’s curious voice.

Standing up straight, and not really wanting to confirm it, Steve turned his head around. Nikki was standing there, watching him and his makeshift shower.

“Uh… it’s called a shower. It… helps get you clean. Let’s the water and the dirt run off, rather than sitting in it,” Steve said. “Like a tub.”

He didn’t want to turn around. There was no way his clothes would be dry yet either.

“So I gathered from watching you. I think I’ll try it.

“Though can you help me, Steve?” Nikki said, pulling her tunic up over her head.

“Not really something I can help with. You can clean youreself, you’re an adult,” Steve muttered, turning to leave.

“It’s my hair, actually. It’s tangled in my horns and I think it has things in it. Take a look for me, Steve?” Nikki asked.

Steve’s face screwed up in a scowl. Then he hung his head, unable to say no to such a simple thing.

“Fine. Just sit down and face forward. And did you want to wash your clothes first?” he asked. “We can hang them with mine.”

“You washed and hung your clothes, too? Then yes, that’d be great,” Nikki said, stepping out of her pants. “Is it just like washing in the river?”

“Yeah, for the most part,” Steve came over and gestured in the water. “Just… hold it in and wash like normal.”

Nikki did exactly that and looked as if she’d washed far more clothes than he had. She’d knocked every problem in her clothes, but the holes themselves in minutes.

He had a feeling though she might be able to fix even that if he got her a needle and thread.

Now that he thought about it, he felt like he might be able to do the same as well. Though he had no memory of ever working with cloth.

“You’re incredibly muscular,” Nikki said, breaking Steve from his thoughts as she took her clothes and rang them out between her hands.

“Huh? Uh, oh,” Steve said, glancing down at himself. Now that he looked down, he did seem incredibly well built There was no fat on him, and he looked like all toned muscle. “I guess so. This is day two for me so… I dunno.”

Once again he had no memory if this was normal for him.

“I’ll go hang all these up,” she said, holding her clothes over her chest. “Don’t go anywhere, Steve, I still need help with my hair.”

She says my name a lot. Seems deliberate.

A minute later and she was back, walking naked and without hiding herself.

“See, this is why I bounce,” she said as she walked over to him, pointing to her very human looking hip as it moved. “The joint is a bit different, and my knee is kinda obvious, isn’t it?”

Steve followed her fingers as she pointed at herself. Now that he was looking, her hips did seem a bit wider than he was expecting.

Not quite human.

“Oh. I just thought you had a really great figure. That makes more sense, actually,” Steve said. “What’s your fur like? Can I touch it?”

“I… ok,” Nikki said, her tone quiet.

Reaching down he ran his fingers over the fur on her knee, down to her ankle.

Her entire body tensed at his touch, but she didn’t pull away. And after the initial point of contact, she seemed fine.

“It’s really soft. Do you have a different coat for winter and stuff?” he asked, running his fingers through the short fur.

“Yes. The winter fur is a bit thicker,” Nikki said.

“Alright, thanks. Sorry, I was curious. Your hair now?”

“Yes, please. I’ll just sit near the water while you work at it. The water should help I think so just… ease me over when you need it. Is that ok?” Nikki asked.

“I mean, it’s not warm water, but sure,” Steve said.

Nikki sat down on the grass under the water, shivering as it splashed down around her. She had her back to him, and then leaned her head back into the water. She scrubbed at herself with her hands, working her fingers through her privates and all over her body.

She kept her back to him, but he still got quite a view from where he was standing. Though he did feel rather awkward standing there, but he didn’t turn away either. She hadn’t told him not to watch.

Then she moved to the side, and sat down next to the falling water. She leaned to one side, and dunked her head into the water, then went back to her seated position.

“Come help me, Steve,” she said, wriggling her fingers at him.

“Fine, fine, Nikki,” he said, deliberately saying her name.

Getting behind her, and doing his best to stay out of the water, Steve leaned down over her head to peer into her hair.

“You can touch them,” Nikki said suddenly.

“Touch… what?” Steve asked, inadvertently getting a really good view of her substantial bust.

As if sensing his eyes on her, she leaned her head to one side out of the water., looking up at him. Thankfully he’d managed to meet her eyes in time. Those slotted orbs looked at him with a curious feeling to them. As well as a touch of insecurity.

“My horns, you said you wanted to touch them earlier.”

“Oh? Thanks, I do,” Steve said, immediately wrapping his hands around her horns. They were solid as stone, and warm. They felt almost segmented in his hands.

Though he could also see how her hair was indeed tangled in and amongst the bases of them. It looked rather snarled.

Extremely so.

“Nikki,” Steve asked suddenly. “How do you feel about cutting your hair?”

“Is it that bad?” she asked sadly.

“I kinda think so. I’m willing to try but… should probably ask now,” Steve said.

Nikki sighed expressively, one of her hands coming up to touch her brow.

“Let me try first. We’ll go from there,” Steve said, leaning in very close to her hair. As delicately as he could, he started to pick at her hair.

***

“Steve,” Nikki said, her voice bubbling up through his thoughts.

“Huh?” he asked, gently unwinding a thick lock of hair from around her left horn.

“Do you think you’ll be done soon?” she asked.

“Mm? Oh, uh. Maybe another hour. I think.”

“Maybe we should stop then, Steve. The sun just passed the horizon. You’ve been working at me for a while,” she said. “It’s getting cold. And dark.”

Steve stood up and stretched his back. He’d been so lost in the work he’d lost track of time. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Sorry. Though I thik I can save it all.”

Shivering at the sudden realization that he was indeed cold, he walked around the cabin to check his clothes.

They were still damp. And the idea of putting on wet clothes seemed like a worse one than being naked.

Nikki walked up beside him. “Still wet.”

Steve nodded glumly.

“Come on, then” Nikki said walking past him. “We can warm up a different way. If you’re interested.”

Curious, and feeling his heart race at the implication, he followed her around the front of the cabin.

She’d already vanished into the cabin’s gloomy interior.

He heard soft rustling, and the clatter of what sounded like two rocks striking. From the dark a single spark came to life and landed on the ground.

Then several more as the clicking continued.

Venturing inside, Steve waited quietly.

Like magic, a small ember came to life in the dark.

He could see Nikki, hunched over it. Her face framed in the orange glow as she blew into the ember.

It grew brighter, until uddenly the small bundle of kindling caught fire.

She stuffed the whole thing under a small tee-pee of sticks. With another breath, the whole thing went up into a small crackling fire. Reaching behind herself she slid several small sections of a tree atop the fire.

“There,” she said, standing upright.

She was still naked, and standing directly across from him. He watched the light of the small fire play across her fit form and smooth skin.

“Steve, you look at me like a man interested in a woman,” Nikki said. “I’ve noticed you watch me. I’m not your species. It’s illegal, and wrong.”

Steve felt his manhood standing at full attention and pointing straight at the Faun despite her words.

He wasn’t so sure about being illegal or wrong, but he couldn’t deny he was definitely interested in her physically.

“I don’t really get that, it means nothing to me,” Steve said with a shrug. “I think you’re beautiful, but that’s not what you were asking. You want to know if I’m willing to hop in a bed with you. No questions asked.”

Nikki grinned at him, then stepped to one side and patted what looked like a sack covered box.

“Exactly that, and I even have a bed ready. Though I’ll be the first to say it openly.

“I’m not in love with you, Steve. But I’m curious about being with a human. And… you’re a very attractive specimen of humanity,” she said. “So… would you care to join me for some simple fun?” Nikki asked, and then laid down atop what she’d called a bed.

Not needing anything further Steve came over and immediately got in next to her. He found it was raised off the ground, soft, and covered in one of the empty sacks.

“I filled it with boughs, and all that grass,” she said, her hands pressing to his chest and moving upwards, exploring him. “Are you sure about this? Can’t go backward. You’d be marked for death.”

“I think I should be asking you the same question. You barely know me, and I feel like I’ve been an asshole to you,” Steve said, one of his hands gliding down her side toward her hip, his other was propping up his head.

“You were rude to the Nereid, but you only threatened her life after she threatened mine. As to you being an asshole… that’s alright. I’ll turn you around and make you a better man. It’ll just take some time,” Nikki said with a smile. “After all, you’ve been listening to me so far. Now… how about we… just go with it.”

Then she kissed him, her tongue slipping past his lips and into his mouth. It was harder than he expected and much more muscular.

He immediately felt Nikki’s hesitation, after probably realizing his own tongue was so different than hers.

She started to pull away and Steve moved forward, following her.

Then he moved over the top of her, and kissed her. Pushing his tongue into her own mouth as his hands explored her body.

She wasn’t human, and the more he touched her, the more he found things that didn’t quite fit, or weren’t quite normal.

Even her teeth felt strange to his tongue.

Nikki unfortunately seemed to notice each time he found something. Eventually, she turned her head to one side, panting.

“Steve, really, I’m not human. Are you sure?” she asked, eying him sideways. “Completely sure? They’ll know if they ever check.”

Steve had no idea how someone would know if he slept with a woman, but he really didn’t care.

He wanted her desperately.

<<Redacted because censorship is harsh>>

“That was really great, Steve,” she said huskily, her voice catching on great with what almost sounded like a baah. “I thought the first time was supposed to hurt more.”

First ti- eh… whatever.

Steve didn’t care. She’d made her choice, just as he had his.

Kissing Nikki again, he rolled partially to one side and pulled her close against himself, holding her against his body.