Because This World is Loved

Chapter 1: Get Up, Get Out There

Noel grumbled and stretched as the smell of bacon wafted into her room, her tail twitching as she woke up. She heard her mother calling from downstairs about breakfast being ready soon, and so she pulled herself out of bed, threw on some casual clothes, and commenced morning grooming. Having a Caprimet's tail and the accompanying tuft at the end set her apart from pure humans, as did the goat-like ears and the small horns; it also set her morning grooming apart from others. Her human hair and her Caprimet fur were similar reddish-brown shades, with her hair being a darker color. Her hair, her fur, and her deep blue eyes were all traits from her Caprimet mother; her tanned skin was from a human father who had long been left behind.

When she made her way down the stairs, she was immediately ambushed by her younger sister Drea. Unlike Noel, Drea was a full-blooded Caprimet, a being that could be described as a bipedal goat person. Her fur was primarily a grey color, though she had reddish-brown parts along the bottom of her muzzle and going down her neck. The ruffles on her sundress seemed to bounce with her when she moved. Her head-hair was black, something from her father, but her eyes matched Noel's. "Morning, Ellie!" she chirped in her childish voice. "Mom made breakfast."

"I see that," Noel said, patting Drea on the head before adding, "Let's go say good morning to everyone."

Noel and Drea went into the kitchen, where Noel's stepfather Kelves and younger brother Alves were sitting at the table. "Morning, Noel," Kelves rumbled in his deep baritone. He was a large, heavyset Caprimet, grey and white and black, with horns that curved behind his head. He always dressed comfortably; clearly, he had no intention of going anywhere special today, since he was still wearing a tank top and pajama pants.

"Morning," Alves said, waving. He was a shy young boy, primarily red like his mother, but with white parts along his throat and body from Kelves. He was still wearing his pajamas as well; Noel found herself wondering why neither of the menfolk had gotten dressed while all the ladies had.

"Morning, Kel and Al," Noel said, waving back to them.

"No 'Kelvie' today?" Kelves said with a soft chuckle.

"Maybe later," Noel replied.

The click of the stove being turned off drew Noel's attention to Alea, her mother. She was a red-furred Caprimet, with patches of lighter and darker red here and there. She dressed simply, a dark blue dress with short, light blue sleeves; somehow it managed to flatter her full figure without clinging anywhere in particular. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Alea cooed as she brought plates to the table: pancakes, eggs, bacon. "How do you feel today?"

"Still sleepy." Noel sat next to Alves at the table, and Drea sat next to her. "I think I need coffee."

"I'll set it up for you while I'm up. These little coffee machines with the cups are such wonderful inventions," Alea mused aloud as she set about readying Noel's coffee.

"We didn't have those in the Sealed World, or even in Lemanta," Kelves said, already digging into his eggs. "We've really come a long way. We started in Lemanta, got sent to the Sealed World, and now we're here in Medlia."

"Not many people can say they've lived in three worlds," Alea said, pouring cream into Noel's coffee and then setting it it by her. "You can mix it yourself, right?"

"Mom!" Noel made her indignation clear. "Yes, Mom, I can mix my own coffee, cut my own pancakes, and even eat my own bacon." Nonetheless, her indignation had a teasing edge to it, and Alea simply laughed her off.

"Well, that's a pity. I'd be happy to eat your bacon for you," Kelves said.

"Yeah, sure is a pity," Noel said with a giggle.