Volume 15 - Back to Business, Chapter 111 - Metal Maidens
Once the large cabin room had been cleaned up and ready for her, Kriia settled in quickly. After all, she was traveling pretty lightly with just a few changes of clothes and some other basics. She set her luggage in her bedroom, smiled appreciatively upon seeing the gigantic bed, then returned to the cabin's shared kitchen.
Like the bedroom, the kitchen was spacious and comfortable even for a liminal of Kriia's size.
I'm dead tired from the trip, but I should eat before I crash, Kriia thought. Her stomach's ferocious rumbling confirmed the thought. She easily stepped around the table, heading for the pantry. Her mind was on the complimentary snacks that Yuisu had mentioned.
The free offerings were pretty basic: cans of juice and coffee, some bags of green and black tea, and a big container of plain rice. On the countertop, there was a rice cooker to go with the rice. However, a different cabinet contained fancier options that were available for purchase.
Kriia dug into that well-stocked cabinet and picked out a bag of beef jerky, expecting it to cost a fortune. Surprisingly, it was quite affordable. Beef was always more expensive in Japan than back in Australia, but it seemed Yuisu hadn't marked it up any further.
Now, do I write this down somewhere? Kriia wondered. She didn't want the cabin's other resident, whoever they were, to get the bill instead. Thankfully she spotted a clipboard hanging in the cabinet to record purchases on.
After Kriia jotted down her purchase, she made her way back to her bedroom with beef jerky in hand. She set it aside on the clothes dresser long enough to peel off her jacket, t-shirt, and loincloth-like underwear.
Now free of her confining clothes, with her J-cup breasts comfortably bare, she pulled out headphones and an MP3 player from her baggage, then climbed onto the bed. It creaked a little under her weight, but it seemed to be sturdily constructed.
Kriia put her headphones on, started an album, and cranked up the volume. She munched on beef jerky and zoned out until the shredding of guitars lulled her to sleep. Sprawled across the bed and face down on a pillow, the hulking arachne slept peacefully through the night.
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She met her 'roommate' the next morning. Kriia emerged from her room, wearing just underwear and a white t-shirt, to find a black-haired woman standing in the kitchen, already making breakfast.
The woman looked like a normal human at first, but she was nearly eight feet tall with pale skin and a gaunt figure. Additionally, her smooth black hair was nearly as long as she was tall. She wore a pure white sleeveless sundress which highlighted voluptuous breasts that looked out of place against the rest of her thin form. Someone very well versed on obscure Japanese liminals might recognize her as a Hasshaku-sama.
[https://i.imgur.com/5nQHfi4.png]
"Po, po, po," she laughed as she noticed Kriia. The woman had a warm smile, but her strange laugh felt slightly creepy just the same. "What a nice surprise. I wondered who my new roomie was, after that satyr couple switched out."
She offered one thin and pale hand and said, "I'm Paula. It's nice to meet you."
Kriia took the hand in her larger and much furrier one. "Uh, good to meet ya too, mate. I'm Kriia."
Paula smiled that kind smile again and said, "I'm making scrambled eggs, if you want some."
Kriia very much did. Due to her size, she needed to consume a lot of calories and protein, and eggs were just that. "That sounds great. Thanks," Kriia said quietly. She wasn't used to new people being friendly so quickly, but it made some sense that other large liminals would be an exception to that.
She flipped a kitchen chair around backwards, then threw her arms and breasts over the top and sat down as best as she could. Her pedipalps wrapped around the chair but her abdomen and other legs just stuck out into the room.
Kriia planned to wait quietly for her food, but Paula had other plans. "So, I can tell you're not local. What brings you to Japan, Kriia?" Paula asked. Her back was to Kriia as she focused on the stove, not letting her pan of eggs burn.
Even though Paula was being inquisitive like that tiny arachne the night before, her mature attitude made a world of difference. Kriia answered, "One part vacation, one part reconnaissance. I'm deciding where to apply for the Cultural Exchange Program."
"Po, po, po," Paula laughed. "That makes sense. I never did that myself, but it does look like fun."
Kriia's interest was piqued. "You didn't go through the Exchange Program?" she asked.
Paula cast a quick smile at Kriia, then returned her attention to breakfast. "Nope. I was grandmothered in, so to speak. I've lived in Japan a very long time, but being able go out and about freely these last few years has been interesting, if a bit overwhelming."
Before Kriia could think of a response, Paula whipped around and proclaimed, "Breakfast is ready!" She held a very large pan in one hand and two dinner plates in the other. She placed one in front of Kriia and one on the opposite side of the table. Then she used a spatula to scoop what must have been at least ten eggs worth of steaming golden fluff onto Kriia's plate.
Paula served herself next and sat down. As they ate the perfectly seasoned and delightfully fluffy eggs, Kriia and Paula chatted casually. Paula seemed to sense that Kriia didn't want to talk about her past, so she steered the conversation to lighter topics. On top of that, Paula had a very motherly air about her that made Kriia feel safe and strangely young.
By the end of breakfast, Kriia was quite comfortable with Paula's presence, so she was a little bit sad when Paula said she had to leave for the day.
"I've got something I have to take care of, but I'll be back tonight. I'm staying for the whole next week, after all," Paula announced. "You should go for a walk on the mountain trails this morning. The weather's great, but who knows if it'll stay. The mountains can be so fickle in spring."
"That's a good idea. Have a nice one, Paula," Kriia replied. She wondered what Paula would be doing, but she didn't like to pry.
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Kriia took Paula's advice and went for a walk, but not before deliberating over whether to bring her MP3 player. In the end, she decided to leave it in the room and give the sounds of nature a chance. She figured that, like the metal music she used to vent or the ambient music she listened to when she needed to calm her nerves, the sound of wind and wildlife would be worth a listen.
She remembered that there was a trailhead near the main building, so she started in that direction. When she got close, she noticed someone sitting on the back porch, reclining on a deck chair. The person was bobbing their head along with music that Kriia couldn't quite make out, coming from ear-buds placed inside their big fluffy ears.
On closer inspection, it was some sort of canine girl, and the music seemed to be some pretty intense heavy metal with a familiar style. Is that… Loudness? Kriia thought. Loudness was one of the longest-running metal bands in the world, but they had only made a minor splash outside of Japan. Within Japan, however, they were still popular over 35 years after their debut, so it made sense that someone would be listening to them.
Kriia was curious about the likeminded liminal, so she approached while waving one hand. "G'day, mate," she said, though the girl likely couldn't hear it over her loud music.
The gray-furred werewolf carefully plucked her oversized earbuds from her ears and peered up at Kriia with deep red eyes. "Huh, what was that?" she asked.
[https://i.imgur.com/Hs54fM1.jpg]
Kriia found herself blushing slightly, both at the awkward start to the conversation and at the amazing body on display. Either the wolf girl was doing some sunbathing or she just liked to wear very skimpy clothes; her tiny jean shorts didn't even fully cover her green and black underwear, and her shirt had less coverage than a typical bra.
Not that Kriia minded the beautiful vision one bit…
"Uh, I was just saying hello. I thought I heard Loudness…"
The wolf girl smiled broadly, showing a maw of sharp teeth. "That's right! Listening to the classics always gets me in a creative mood. Are you a fan of them too?"
Kriia answered, "A bit, but I haven't really followed their recent stuff."
"Oh, it's really good. But I think I like their 2000's era stuff a bit more, when the original line-up got back together." She tucked her headphones into her cleavage, paused her MP3 player, and sat upright to converse better. "Oh, I'm Lyca, by the way. What's your name?"
"Kriia. If I'm interrupting anything, I can go…"
Lyca shook her head energetically. "Not at all! I'd love to chat, since I'm just killing time while my boyfriend sleeps off his hangover. So, what bands are you following, then?"
A rare smile appeared on Kriia's face and her dark purple eyes lit up. She pulled her legs in and sat down on the sun-warmed wood of the deck; she'd decided that her hike could wait.
She rattled off, "Oh, there's a bunch. 3 Inches of Blood, though they broke up, Scar Symmetry, Trivium, Semblant, In Flames, but I'm not big on their latest stuff, Soilwork, did I mention Iron Maiden?"
Lyca smiled back. "Ooh, those are great. But have you heard of…"
Kriia never did get around to resuming her hike. She and Lyca talked about music, including Lyca's recent foray into lyric-writing, until a blanket of clouds moved in. They quickly covered the sun and the temperature started to drop.
"So much for my sunbathing," Lyca said, crossing her furry forearms across her chilly stomach. She didn't seem all that sad, however, since she smiled up at Kriia and said, "I don't think Akahito will be awake for a while yet. Wanna go down into town for some lunch?"
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"Hmm." Kriia was hungry, but a cramped cab ride didn't sound great.
Lyca understood Kriia's thoughts perfectly. She said, "Don't worry. We can take Akahito's van. If it can carry a whole band and their equipment, you'll fit just fine."
Kriia nodded and said, "Awesome. Let's do this. And if you've got any of your band's music, I'd love to listen while we drive."
"Well, all their recordings are from before I joined, but we can do that." Her wide grin suggested that she was enjoying the blossoming friendship just as much as Kriia was.
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Lunch was amazing. Several restaurants in Okayado had expanded their menus to accommodate the large number of liminals coming to town for Korbin's gym and ski lodge projects. There was even one deli that had partnered with the butcher shop, and it specialized in carnivore offerings. That was where Lyca and Kriia ended up.
After they each finished off a comically tall all-meat sandwich, they returned to the elaborately-painted van and Lyca drove them straight back to the inn. She didn't want to stay away from her boyfriend for too long. The trip was supposed to be their romantic getaway, after all.
Kriia and Lyca could probably continue their ongoing conversation about music forever, but Lyca stopped at a split in the trail.
"I'm gonna go and check on Akahito. Even if he's still feeling under the weather, I'm gonna force him to get up and do something." Lyca shook her head and muttered, "I told him not to drink so much last night…"
"No worries," Kriia said. "It was great hanging out today. Seeya around?"
Lyca grinned widely. "For sure!" With that, the perky werewolf waved a paw and padded off up the trail to her cabin.
Kriia pondered what to do with herself, and after a moment she settled on another dip in the hot spring. The sign on the gate said it was female-only bathing for the next 40 minutes, which was perfect. Well, maybe not perfect, since Kriia did like to see the male form on occasion. Variety is the spice of life, she thought with a faint smile.
She stripped in the changing room, then emerged to find the hot spring occupied by an unfamiliar face. It was pretty and green-skinned and attached to an equally green body. The seemingly-alive flowers in her hair further confirmed the occupant's plant-like nature.
"G'day. Mind if I join you?" Kriia asked. Her mood was still high after her pleasant morning, so she was acting a little more outgoing than normal.
The plant woman looked Kriia up and down, spending a little extra time appreciating her substantial bosom. Then she stood up in the spring and said, "Not at all! Please, come on in!"
Kriia found her eyes admiring the woman's body in turn. She had wonderfully wide hips, perfectly perky breasts, and the face of a model with a delightful little smirk on it. Kriia was a die-hard carnivore, but for that sexy flower, she thought she could make an exception…
They each noticed the other's appreciation. Brief, intense eye contact confirmed that the attraction was definitely mutual. It wasn't love at first sight, not quite. 'Lust at first sight' was far more accurate.
"The name's Aluru, so you know," the plant woman said as Kriia climbed down into the hot water, one massive furry leg at a time.
"I'm Kriia. Nice to—" Kriia started, but before she could finish, Aluru had slipped right up in front of Kriia, tucking herself between Kriia's large front legs. Kriia trailed off, wondering what the other girl was up to.
They stood chest to chest, which clearly highlighted their size difference. Aluru had a large lower body, thanks to her hefty stem and roots, but from the thighs up she was the size of the average Japanese woman, if a bit bustier. Compared to Kriia, in both height and breast size, Aluru was rather small.
"I'm getting a good vibe from you, and I like what I see," Aluru boldly said, locking eyes with the imposing arachne. "What're the odds that such a lovely lady might appreciate a lonely alraune like myself in return?"
Kriia responded well to flattery, as long as it wasn't totally fake. She could recognize the genuine desire behind Aluru's words, and she liked it. It was the first time in a long while that someone had hit on her so directly, and it struck a perfect chord.
In a sultry and deep tone, Kriia responded, "Pretty damn high, I'd say."
"Oh, really?" Aluru whispered breathlessly. She leaned closer and said, "Do you want to chat and get to know each other? Or let our bodies do the talking?"
The corners of Kriia's mouth crept up into a grin and she answered, "I'm a woman of few words."
Aluru ran a smooth hand along Kriia's left pedipalp, lightly grazing the sensitive skin where the fur stopped and her thigh began. "Then I'll be sure to listen carefully."
The lascivious flower kept exploring Kriia's exotic body with hand and tendril, paying close attention to every twitch and shiver elicited by her touch. After a few minutes of whispered flattery and lewd suggestions, both women were raring to take it further.
Kriia lifted a hand and raised one sharp claw. "A quick warning: I tend to be rough and… dominant in bed."
Aluru's eyes glistened like a child's on Christmas morning. Rather than being intimidated by the warning, she found it exciting as hell. Straining to contain her excitement, she winked and said, "Plant liminals heal very quickly."
While Aluru was a bit of an exhibitionist and didn't mind public sex one bit, Kriia preferred to keep the real action behind closed doors. She grabbed Aluru's hand, engulfing it entirely, and forcefully said, "My room, now."
As Kriia pulled the eager alraune along toward the changing room, she added, "My roommate is out, so we can be loud."
Aluru would have been loud regardless, with how excited she was. As the initiator in most of her flings, she didn't get to be the submissive one very often, even though she actually preferred that. It was part of why her relationship with Quess had lasted so long; Quess had played the queen to Aluru's willing servant, and Aluru got off on that particular power dynamic.
After the briefest of stops in the changing room to dry off and throw on some clothes, Kriia literally carried Aluru up the hill to her cabin. Once inside, she tossed Aluru onto the massive bed as one leg closed the door firmly behind her.
Clothes were thrown aside in a hurry and eight furry gunmetal-grey legs crept over the bed. Kriia loomed menacingly over the smaller Aluru. If it weren't for the sexual atmosphere, the scene would look like a predator about to devour her prey. Perhaps that was exactly what it was.
"How do you feel about bondage?" Kriia asked with a tooth-bearing grin. There was a force behind her words that implied that there was a correct answer to the question. Like many arachne, Kriia liked to put her webbing to use in the bedroom.
Aluru quivered beneath her. In an ecstasy of anticipation, she answered, "I love it."
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Hours passed, the sun set, and Paula returned to the cabin before Kriia and Aluru emerged from Kriia's room. In fact, they were busy late into the night, until they finally collapsed in physical and mental exhaustion.
Covered in sweat, torn webs, sticky sap, and sweet nectar, the two women slept solidly despite the ruined bedsheets. Kriia would have talk to Yuisu about replacements, which would be painfully embarrassing, but she hadn't been concerned at the time. Passion and the heat of the moment had blown away all thoughts of consequences.
The instant she awoke, Kriia's mind was on only two things: food and a shower. She wanted them both, and didn't care about the order. She carefully lifted her legs off the still sleeping and still sticky alraune and started for the bedroom door.
The movement was enough to wake Aluru, who groggily said, "Hey, Kriia, let's shower together."
Kriia stopped and brushed her light grey hair from her eyes. With how messed up her hair was, 'bedhead' would have been an understatement. A night of intense physical passion would do that.
After a moment of thought, Kriia said, "Sure."
Aluru stumbled upright, still reeling a little from the hard night. She hadn't been exaggerating when she said plant liminals healed quickly, but she was still a bit bruised and very stiff. Thick ropes of webbing still crisscrossed her bare chest but she didn't have the strength to remove them. She'd need several hours in the sun and a lot of food to recover her spent energy reserves.
Kriia exited the bedroom first and found two plates of food already prepared and served on the kitchen table. A handwritten note said, "For you and your plant friend. Sounds like you had a busy night so be sure to eat properly."
Kriia wasn't sure what to think. She was very grateful for the food, but the only way Paula could have known that Aluru was a plant was if she looked in the bedroom while they were asleep. She shrugged and decided not to worry about it. Seeing them asleep was nothing in comparison to what Paula must have heard through the walls.
The unexpected breakfast was covered in plastic wrap and would need to be reheated, so Kriia stuck to the plan to shower first.
Kriia and Aluru stepped into the spacious shower together, and Kriia helped remove the webs still wrapped around Aluru's body. When the hot water hit their tired bodies, they both felt revitalized. In Kriia's case, that didn't change her personality much, but for Aluru it was like a switch had flipped on her tongue.
"So, Kriia, what brings you to Japan? Here to sample the local cuisine?" Before Kriia could even respond to the heavy innuendo, Aluru continued, "That's part of what brought me here to the inn. I wanted a homestay where I could get some variety in my diet, if you know what I mean."
Then she added, "Oh, I didn't mean that I'm bisexual, not that there's anything wrong with that. Including you, several of my girlfriends have been bi." Aluru winked and clutched Kriia's arm between her breasts.
Girlfriend? Kriia blinked slowly. She'd gotten the impression that their sexual escapades would be a one-time fling, but now Aluru was acting very different. Very clingy.
She chose to ignore that warning sign and answered Aluru's original question. "I'm mostly just on vacation. Getting away from Australia for a while." Then Kriia pulled her arm free from Aluru's grip so she could properly wash her body. Tending to that much fur was a lot of work, especially when a certain plant had covered it with sticky 'nectar'.
"Only mostly vacation? Looking for love, too?" Aluru asked sweetly.
Kriia just shrugged and went back to showering.
Aluru snuggled her body close against Kriia's and whispered, "Last night was amazing. It scratched an itch I've had for years, and I'd love to experience it again." Then she ran her hand down Kriia's lathered and toned belly until it slid between her pedipalps. "Right now, and every night from now on."
Kriia had enjoyed it too, especially how much she'd been able to let loose. She couldn't normally afford to be so aggressive in bed. However…
"I'm still traveling for several more weeks. I'm only here one more night."
Aluru's face fell into a pitiful pout. "Really? But you'll come back to me afterwards. Just join the exchange program and live here with me! That agent was a total pushover, so I'm sure he'd approve it. Yuisu too. That dumb girl just goes along with anything he suggests."
Kriia sighed. The alraune's pushiness was getting irritating, and her real personality was surprisingly unpleasant. "I'll think about it. I don't even know what country I want to do my Exchange Program in, let alone which host."
"You're thinking too much. After last night, the choice should be obvious." A cruel smirk crept onto Aluru's face and she continued, "And besides, where else are you going to find a submissive girl that can take what you give? One who also likes your looks? No offense, but you aren't the typical ideal."
Kriia was big, but she was not dumb. She knew exactly what Aluru was up to with her negative comments. It was called 'negging' and it was one of many techniques that womanizers used to manipulate others. Now that Kriia thought about it, many of the other things Aluru had said and done were for the same purpose.
Kriia peered down at the smaller woman. "Getting together last night was a mutual decision, but everything you've been saying this morning has been the opposite. You're trying to call all the shots, trying to control me."
Aluru snapped back, "After all I did for you, all I let you do to me… You owe me, Kriia."
Kriia pushed Aluru away with one arm. "I don't owe you anything." Her voice dropped into an intense growl and she said, "Nobody owns me anymore. Get out of my cabin."
Aluru's face flushed red and her lips curled into a scowl. "Well, nobody turns me down, you bitch!" Then she raised an arm, planning to slap Kriia across the face.
With surprising speed, Kriia grabbed Aluru's arm. "You do not want to do that," she growled. The firm pressure on her wrist perfectly conveyed the fact that Kriia could snap Aluru like a twig if pushed any farther.
For the first time in the argument, Aluru felt afraid. She couldn't find any words to say, or any idea of what to do next.
Kriia took the initiative instead. She grabbed Aluru around the base and effortlessly lifted her from the floor, then she used one of her legs to slide the shower door open. She tossed Aluru over her shoulder like a bundle of lumber and stomped through the bathroom and kitchen, still naked and dripping wet.
Then she flung the cabin door open and unceremoniously dumped Aluru onto the doormat. "I'll get your clothes," she muttered before turning away and leaving Aluru stunned and sputtering in anger.
Aluru pushed herself upright and smoothed her ruffled flower petals, but she didn't even bother covering her nakedness. She couldn't believe that someone had not only turned her down, but thrown her aside like garbage. Aluru would be giving her a piece of her mind, likely at the top of her lungs, if she wasn't still spooked from Kriia's threat.
A few seconds later, a skimpy bikini and a wispy multi-color skirt flew out of the door and hit her in the face.
Right before the door slammed, Kriia said, "Rack off, Aluru. And improve your attitude, if you know what's good for you. The next liminal capable of killing you might not hold themselves back."