Volume 14 - Onward and Upward, Chapter 102 - Moving Out

Quess loved her job at the little flower shop in town, and she loved working for her boss, Mrs Kawahara. So, it was quite a shock when she learned that Mrs Kawahara planned to retire and move south, but that wasn't all. Mrs Kawahara had also offered to sell the shop and her home to Quess.

Needless to say, Quess was elated. It was an amazing opportunity for her to own a business and a home in the town she loved. She and Iormu just needed to get the money, and that meant seeking help from the Interspecies Exchange Program. More specifically, they enrolled in a new program that offered assistance to liminals looking to buy their first home in Japan.

Like most government organizations, the Interspecies Exchange Program was typically slow and lumbering. Getting anything from it usually required tedious paperwork, constant prodding, and a lot of patience. However, its new Housing Assistance program was a special exception to that. Since it was an experimental initiative, it was under a lot of scrutiny and pressure from politicians both for and against it, so it moved very fast by government standards.

On top of all that, Quess, Iormu, and little Pwess had a unique advantage: all three were Exchange Program homestays that would end up in a single house. The Housing Assistance program would get to mark down three successful home placements for the low, low price of a single small loan. At least it was small by Japanese real estate standards. Compared to Tokyo, property in Okayado was dirt cheap.

As a result, their little liminal family was fast-tracked through the system. Even Agent Will stepped up his game in order to get their home purchased quickly. He acted as their liaison to the bank and handled all of the paperwork himself. Well, almost all of it.

"Just sign this, this, and this one too, then you'll own the house, along with some new debt," Agent Will said as he pushed three stacks of papers across the table. He was sitting with Iormu and Quess in the cabin's little kitchenette. Pwess was playing with some toys under the table. He added, "Oh, and if it's alright with you, I put Quess as the owner, since she's currently employed."

As Quess carefully handled the first document, making sure to not get the paper all slimy, Iormu leaned forward and asked, "Couldn't we co-sign on it? After all, I'm putting up my savings toward it too." Her brow was furrowed in mild concern, but it was easy to mistake it for an angry look. Coming from a 40-foot serpent, it was more than a little terrifying.

Agent Will leaned back, away from Iormu's imposing form, then he ran his hand through his slicked-back hair. If not for his usual sunglasses, Iormu would have seen his eyes dart to the side nervously as he searched for the right phrasing. "Uh, banks are still one of the more old-fashioned institutions in Japan, and they don't really have systems in place for unmarried, uh, female couples. And when you add in the liminal factor…" He trailed off.

Then he sat up straight and cleared his throat. "So I decided to keep it simple, that's all. We can change it later, especially after the wedding."

"Ah, that makes sense," Iormu said. She'd never been all that worried in the first place. She just liked to understand. As her features relaxed, so did Agent Will.

Quess finished reading the hefty documents very quickly. Queen slimes were incredibly adaptable, including the ability to learn new languages to a level that could make native-speakers jealous. She signed on all the dotted lines, then pushed the pages back to Agent Will and said, "All done."

"Continuing on that thought…" Agent Will wore a huge grin as he asked, "When is that wedding? Picked a date yet?"

Iormu and Quess both blushed a bit and glanced at each other, both hoping the other would handle the tricky question. While the seconds ticked by, Agent Will leaned forward eagerly. Even Pwess peeked her head up over the edge of the table to see what had caused the intense silence.

Finally, Iormu waved a clawed hand, palm outward, and said, "Uh, we've got a date in mind, but we want to wait for things to settle down a bit before really planning it."

Quess nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we're gonna focus on one thing at a time. Finances first, wedding later."

Agent Will chuckled and said, "Alright. That makes sense. Just let me know when you have a final date, since I'll need to get some more paperwork together." He fidgeted with a pen, then bashfully added, "And if it's alright, I'd like to attend."

Quess stretched across the table and enveloped his hand, pen and all, in hers. "You'll absolutely be invited, Will. We'd love to have you there, especially after everything you've done for our family." She bowed her head and said, "Thank you so much."

Agent Will blinked a couple times in surprise. Quess really had come a long way from the haughty habitual liar that had snuck into Yuisu's hot spring.

Before he could reply, Iormu grabbed his other hand and said, "Yes, thank you, Agent Will."

Agent Will smiled a heartfelt smile. Iormu had also been a bit of a mess when she joined the Exchange Program, but she'd truly found herself in her new relationships and in motherhood. He looked at the two impressive and driven women and said, "You're very welcome. I'm happy I could help." After they let go of his hands, he took a deep breath and said, "There's one last thing I need you two to sign."

Agent Will reached into his briefcase and pulled out two square pieces of sturdy parchment-like paper. Each was covered in ornate text and genuine gold leaf, and they were already signed by Agent Will and a few significantly higher ranking government officials. He passed one to Iormu and one to Quess, along with a pen for each.

Once they had signed, he said, "Congratulations, ladies. You have officially completed your homestay and graduated from the Exchange Program. Pwess is also fully released from the program and into your care."

His voice started to waver and his eyes went watery behind his sunglasses, so he paused and cleared his throat before he continued. "You won't be able to file for expense reimbursements anymore, but I'm still here to offer a variety of other services, so please keep in touch."

"Of course!" Quess and Iormu said in unison.

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The house was ready to move into just a few days later. Iormu had thought it would need some remodeling before she could comfortably fit, but that wasn't necessary after all. A year prior, Mrs Kawahara had the bathroom remodeled to be wheelchair accessible, just in case her health declined.

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"But I'm feeling better than I have in years," the old woman proclaimed as she stood outside her former home. "I think retirement really agrees with me. Or maybe these old bones just didn't like waking up so darn early to open the shop." Mrs Kawahara wore a colorful floral-print t-shirt, khaki shorts, and white tennis shoes. She had her grey hair tucked under a plain blue baseball cap. She looked like a tourist heading out on vacation to the tropics. In a way, that's actually what she was.

Iormu bent down to be face to face with the much shorter woman. "Are you sure you don't want help getting to the train?"

"I'm sure. Those wonderful boys, Brutus and Kyle, they already loaded all my belongings onto that moving truck yesterday, so it's just me and this suitcase today. I'll just take the bus to the train station and be on my way to Fukuoka." She turned to Quess and shook a finger at her. "Now, you better take good care of my, err, your flower shop. I don't want to be hearin' in a few months that you up and went out of business."

Quess smiled and nodded respectfully. "I will."

Iormu added on, "And we'll take good care of the house too."

Mrs Kawahara let out a single short laugh. "Oh, you can try, but you've got a young'un, and a feisty one at that. I raised three children, so I know what that house is gonna go through." Then she waved a hand and shuffled off down the street toward the bus station, pulling a small rolling suitcase behind. Before she got far, she called back, "Keep in touch, girls!"

"Will do!" Quess replied. Then she turned to Iormu and held up a hand, dangling a set of keys. A huge grin spread across her face and she practically yelled, "We own a house!"

Iormu scooped Quess up in her arms and hugged her tight. "We own a house!" she echoed, with a matching smile. They spun around in a happy embrace for a moment, then Iormu said, "Now let's get back to the inn and start moving stuff into our new home."

Quess nodded, then started for the moving truck they'd rented. She climbed in the front while Iormu got in the back. She settled into the seat, loving the feeling of freedom that came with having a driver's license, even if she didn't own a car of her own. She'd originally got her license so she could borrow Yuisu's little truck to drive to work, but now she was going to be living within walking distance.

"You all settled in?" she yelled.

"Yes!" came a muffled reply from Iormu.

Quess started the engine and drove toward the Mountain Lily Inn, where their friends were waiting. Tsuen had offered to watch Pwess for the day, and Yuisu, Haru, and Mara were going to help them move.

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"Surprise!" a chorus of voices cheered as Iormu and Quess opened the inn's front door. The other residents of the house were all packed into the entryway, waiting for them. Even Chione was there, smiling weakly and looking like she'd just awoken. Above their heads was a cloth banner that proclaimed, "We'll miss you!"

Quess shrank a little in surprise, but Iormu just smiled knowingly. Always the detective, she'd seen the signs and had been expecting the girls to throw a party of some sort.

Mara darted forward and bounced up and down like a spring-loaded toy. "You didn't think we'd let you leave without a goodbye party, did you?" she said. Then she pivoted on the spot and beckoned for Iormu and Quess to follow. "Let's eat some lunch! I got pizza and beer, since that's traditional."

That was something Iormu had not been expecting. She raised an eyebrow. "Traditional? How's that traditional?"

Mara glanced back at Iormu and laid down some snark. "What, you never helped anyone move when you were in America? It's a rule that you gotta buy pizza and beer for the people that help you move. Though in this case, we bought it, since it's going-away party too."

"If you say so," Iormu said with a shrug. She had indeed never helped anyone move during her brief time in America. She mostly just stayed at home all day, jealously waiting for Erin to come back from work. In hindsight, she could see how unhealthy that had been, and she was beyond thankful for her new life in Japan.

The whole group made their way to the kitchen, where the table was covered in pizza boxes and paper plates. The pizzas had a huge variety of toppings to try to cater to all the liminal and human tastes. There was even a desert-style pizza with honey, sugary frosting, and sakura petals. Pwess loved that one and gobbled down several slices before Quess noticed and cut her off.

"That's enough of that, Pwess. Let's go get your toys all boxed up, okay?" Quess said, tugging on Pwess's arm.

The little slime didn't budge. "But when can I play with my toys again?"

"After we get moved into our new house. Isn't that exciting!"

Pwess firmly planted herself and suctioned down onto the polished wooden floor. "I don't wanna move away. I don't wanna leave my aunties!" She looked around at the other women in the kitchen, wielding her strongest puppydog eyes. Her pouty face and shimmering magenta eyes were truly heart-wrenching.

Tsuen was the first to fall to Pwess's adorable assault. She knelt down and pulled Pwess into a gentle hug. "It's okay, princess, we'll come visit you." Tsuen swept her gaze over the rest of the girls. "Won't we?"

"Yep!" Mara cheered.

"Whenever you want," Haru said. "I can visit on my way to or from work."

"Absolutely," said Yuisu. "And you can come visit the inn, too!"

That was enough to pacify Pwess. Within seconds, she wasn't sad anymore, and was excited about the move instead. She looked up into Tsuen's eyes and said, "Guess what? Momma said that after we move, I get to go to kids-and-gardens! I love flower gardens, and I wanna meet other kids. Isn't it awesome?"

Tsuen let out a whinny-like giggle, then explained, "Actually, it's called 'kindergarten', and it is a school where you'll learn alongside other kids."

Pwess's eyes went wide. "Ooooh, that sounds even better! I like to learn!"

Tsuen turned toward Iormu and asked, "There's a liminal kindergarten in town? I haven't heard of one, but some of my clients with kids mentioned they were looking for one. They said the school district wasn't set up to handle liminal kids that young."

Iormu twirled a lock of long purple hair around her finger. "Uh, about that… The Okayado School District just launched a liminal kindergarten." She smiled proudly and added, "And I was hired as the teacher. They needed someone with liminal child experience, so they asked Agent Will for recommendations, and he mentioned me"

A few gasps rang out in the room, followed by Yuisu cheering, "Congratulations! I think you're perfect for a job like that."

Iormu's cheeks flushed a little from the praise. After a moment, she said, "Normally, the school district prefers to integrate liminals into the normal classes, but young liminals were a more than the current teachers could handle. They come with all the challenges of little kids, plus extra trouble thanks to their liminal abilities."

As Iormu was talking, Pwess got bored and tried to envelop one of the cardboard moving boxes. A strange squelching noise caught everyone's attention and the women all turned to see the strange sight of a gelatinous cube with cute magenta eyes and wavy purple hair.

Then Iormu said, "Point proven." She waved a beckoning had at Pwess and said, "Come on, let's get the last of the stuff packed up. I'd like to be all moved in before it gets dark."

"Okay, Momma!" Pwess said. There was a strange deepness to her voice, due to the box she'd swallowed. Then she peeled away from the box, reformed to her little girl form, and followed her mothers to the cabin.

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"That's the last of it," Iormu said as she flopped to the living room floor of their new house. Sealed cardboard boxes were scattered around the room, but at least the furniture was all set up. The other women had been a tremendous help with loading the truck, unloading it, and getting the bed and other furniture reassembled. Mara even used some of her sticky webbing to put up a couple shelves in the bedrooms.

"Finally," Quess said. She looked just as exhausted as Iormu. "I'll go with Yuisu to return the moving truck and pick up Pwess. Thank the gods that Tsuen offered to watch her. I love that goober to death, but her antics would have made the unloading a nightmare."

Iormu nodded in agreement. She was also smiling slightly at Quess's use of the phrase 'thank the gods', which she'd picked up from Iormu. She thought, Being a couple really does mean sharing your life, every part of it. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Quess opened the front door, then turned back. "While I'm out, can you get Pwess's room set up?"

"Sure. I'm sure she'll love having a room all to herself."

Quess smiled. "I think I'll love it even more, if you know what I mean…"

Iormu returned the smile. "Oh, I know exactly what you mean." Then she thought, Thank the gods that Pwess's room is on the opposite side of the house from ours. Tonight's gonna be good…