Volume 16 - The Mountain, Chapter 120 - On the Town, part 1
Yuisu and Aluru were out in the summer heat, working on the hot spring extension project. The current task was attaching wall panels to the framed structure of the new changing room.
Haru would have been helping but she was at her work at the butcher's shop. Thankfully, the job was well suited for two people and Aluru was proving quite helpful. Her dozens of strong vines were excellent at handling everything from tools to heavy materials.
Aluru's latest hookup had ended amicably when the kraken Kura's vacation visit ended, but their escapades were still fresh in her mind. In fact, she happily recounted them to Yuisu while they worked.
"Girl, you'd think I would have known this already, given my vines, but let me tell you… tentacles are awesome. Kura's got two wide ones for grabbing you tight, and smaller ones for slipping insi—"
"Um, Aluru?" Yuisu interrupted. She was getting a little hot and bothered by the lewd descriptions of Aluru's fling with her frisky friend. "Can we talk about something else? It's just a bit distracting."
Aluru blinked, then grinned knowingly. She found Yuisu's constant battle with her Yuri-su side adorable. The alraune had fully embraced her own perverted side long ago. "Oh, sure thing," she said, then she brushed some drywall dust from her petals while she thought of something else to talk about.
After a moment, Aluru said, "Oh, Kura and I are staying in touch, and she said that she really liked her stay here. Let me show you her text." Then she pulled out a cell phone from a nook in her entwined vines.
She held it up to Yuisu, showing a message that said 'That hotspring place u live in is super kickin. Best soak I've had all vacation, best lay too.'
Below that message was a sexy selfie that was definitely meant for Aluru's eyes only. It showed a very busty Kura on a bed, still dripping wet from a bath. Most importantly, she was totally naked, with just a tentacle barely hiding her nipples.
[http://i.imgur.com/hgvUP0L.jpg]
Yuisu quickly read the text, then saw the photo. Her jaw dropped and her face flushed red at the sight of such a gorgeous and intriguing woman. She mumbled, "Uh, that's not helping my distraction problem…"
"Huh?" Aluru said, then whipped the phone around to look. "Oops, forgot she sent that. My bad, Yuisu." She tucked the phone away again and the two women went back to work in silence.
A couple minutes later, Aluru said with uncharacteristic caution, "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to say…"
"Go for it." Yuisu said, really hoping it wouldn't be another sexy distraction.
"I'm tired of being cooped up here at the inn. I thought of taking a cab to visit Okayado, but I don't know the town at all…"
That hit a tender spot for Yuisu. She put down her tools and took off her heavy work gloves. Then she bowed deeply and said, "I'm seeing now that I've been a terrible host for you. I worked so hard to help my other homestays feel comfortable and learn the town, but I realize now that I pushed you aside. I'm so sorry, Aluru."
When Yuisu finally raised her head, she saw a surprised smile on Aluru's face. She looked more amused than offended, which wasn't what Yuisu had been expecting at all.
Aluru said, "No worries, Yuisu. You were busy, and I was causing trouble. I can see why you'd prioritize other things."
Yuisu shook her head. "No. I have a responsibility as a host to devote some time to each of my homestays, especially the troublesome ones. So I'd like to make it up to you. I was thinking that after we finish this and get cleaned up, we can head into town for the evening." Yuisu paused for a second, then added, "Do you like nightclubs?"
Aluru's petals and vines fully unfurled and her small smile blossomed into a beaming grin. "I love them! And it's been so long since I've been to one."
"Great, we can hit Okayado's liminal nightclub tonight. It's called the Wild Life and it's pretty great. Chione actually works there as a bouncer, but I don't know if she's working tonight," Yuisu said. Then she thought, Should I invite Haru? No, that would make it feel like a date, and I'd neglect Aluru again…
But then she had an idea. We could bring all the girls. It's been a long time since we all went anywhere together. Since Quess and Iormu's wedding, I think.
Aluru was very skilled at reading women's subtle moods, but Yuisu wore this dilemma on her face as plain as day. She asked, "What're you thinking about?"
"I was debating whether to invite the other girls. What would you prefer?" Yuisu answered.
"Hmm. I'm really social, so I'm sure I'll find new people to talk to. If it's just you and I, that could leave you alone and bored."
While Yuisu was appreciating Aluru's surprising thoughtfulness, Aluru added, "And I might want to leave early with a girl. If that's alright with the exchange program, that is."
Yuisu thought, Ah, that's the Aluru I know, then she said, "If the girl is a liminal who has graduated the program, that's fine. But you can only leave with a homestay if you get both hosts' permission, and you definitely can't leave with a human."
Aluru grinned and teased, "No human-liminal relationships, huh, 'miss totally-banging-a-liminal'?"
"We got special approval from Agent Will. I doubt he'd give approval for some one night stand," Yuisu retorted.
Aluru giggled and smiled, enjoying the banter. She was very pretty when she smiled. Between that and her extreme confidence, Yuisu could see how she had successfully seduced so many women.
Then Aluru said, "Yeah, yeah. I'm not even that into human women."
Yuisu gave her a suspicious look and said, "What about your last host's girlfriend?"
"Well, human women can be sexy as hell, but they're not worth the trouble. I learned my lesson on that. Getting in her skirt wasn't worth being uprooted and sent away."
Yuisu nodded, then shifted the subject back to their evening plans. "So I guess I'll invite all the other girls, and we can take a big cab down. If our driver's Flare, please don't make her uncomfortable by hitting on her again."
"I promise," Aluru responded, almost too quickly. Only later did Yuisu realize that Aluru had been planning to direct her flirtatious attention elsewhere instead.
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Yuisu invited all the inn's permanent residents, right after Sya went home for the night. Yuisu would have invited her too, but the young tiger wasn't old enough to get into the nightclub. Hakuto was certainly old enough, but she was nowhere to be found and Yuisu was pretty sure she couldn't leave the mountain anyway.
It was Chione's night off, but she was excited to visit the bar as a customer for a change. Mara and Haru were also eager to go, while Tsuen passed because she had work early the next morning. Rem also stayed behind to be on call for any customer issues. Understandably, she wasn't into dark and crowded places where she could get stepped on.
For once, the group of women was able to fit in a single large taxi. The driver was a man they hadn't met, and he winced when they climbed and the van's suspension sunk noticeably. Chione was the main contributor, since she was much heavier than she looked.
As she sat down and buckled in, Chione spoke up, "I hope it's okay that I invited Actia to meet us there."
"Of course," Yuisu answered. "Other than showing Aluru a bit of the town and the nightclub, the evening's wide open. Whatever you girls want to do is fine."
As the taxi rumbled down the dirt road, Aluru grinned and swept her gaze over the sexy outfits the other girls had chosen for their night of clubbing. "You all look good. I'll warn you now: after some drinks, I might get a little handsy."
Then to illustrate her point, she trailed a soft fingertip down Chione's bare shoulder and arm. "Mmm, you look especially nice, Chione."
Chione let out a squeak and pulled her arms close over her chest, covering her cleavage-baring blue top. Below that, she was wearing a short silver skirt. The whole ensemble was quite revealing and mature looking for her. It seemed she wanted to look nice for either her coworkers or Actia.
Then Aluru solemnly added, "But if it bothers you, just tell me and I'll stop right away. I'm trying to be better with boundaries, thanks to Fere's lectures."
Blushing brightly, Chione said, "It's alright. It's nice being appreciated. Just, uh, don't do that around Actia, my girlfriend. I don't want her getting the wrong idea."
Aluru put on an obviously fake pout. "Aww, not open to the wonder of threesomes?" Then she turned to the other members of her captive audience. "Not to make things uncomfortable, but the offer is out there for all of you."
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Yuisu and Haru shared an imperceptibly brief glance, but they decided not to risk the complication of another threesome. Mara looked lost in thought for a moment, then shook her head, thinking, Tsuen would definitely get too jealous. Though maybe if it was with someone she really cared for?
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The taxi rolled through town and Aluru was glued to the window with a grin on her face, taking in the sights. The sun was setting but the weather was nice, so the streets were bustling with pedestrians, both human and liminal. Some of them were dressed for exercise, likely heading to or from the Sports Club Kobold gym.
As the taxi entered the downtown area, Yuisu pointed out a little flower shop, already closed for the day. "Our friend Quess owns that shop with her wife Iormu. They used to be homestays with us."
Mara added, "You'd probably like Quess, Aluru. And since she's a pink slime who feeds on flowers and sex, she'd probably love you." Mara was trying to say they'd be good friends, not realizing how much it sounded like matchmaking.
Aluru nodded slowly and glanced around at the other women's faces. No one else seemed to know that she'd known Quess years longer than they had. "I've heard of pink slimes, but I've never met one," she lied.
It had been years since she rolled with Quess back in the hidden forest, and months since their accidental run-in at the Mountain Lily Inn. Aluru was smart enough to know that Quess hadn't been happy to see her that time.
Aluru wanted to get the conversation off the topic. She forced a smile and boasted, "Though if she's married, maybe I'd better not."
"She's got a kid too. That's what sped up the marriage," Mara said, still oblivious.
Aluru thought to herself, Yeah, in hindsight, I probably made Quess really uncomfortable back then, when I hit on her at the Inn. Best to stay away from that little bramble patch for a while.
Even without full context, Haru sensed the awkward direction the conversation was going, so she gestured to the north with a wing and said, "I work at Sam's Butcher Shop, just a few blocks that way."
Aluru nodded. She ate meat sometimes, but didn't care enough to seek out high quality cuts, and she had never been to a butcher shop before. Before she could think of something to say on the topic, the cab pulled over in front of a brick building. It had a bright red neon sign, featuring a furry hand holding a beer bottle.
As the van stopped, the cab driver called out, "Here you are, ladies. I'm the only van on duty tonight, so I'll likely be seein' you again in a few hours."
Yuisu thanked and paid the man, then stepped out into the warm evening. The others followed and soon the five lovely ladies had made their way to the nightclub's doorway. A buff, tan, and friendly-looking man was working the door, and he practically tripped over himself when he saw who was in the group.
"Chione? Is that really you? You look amazing!" Then the man looked at the other women, respectfully glancing at their bodies only long enough to take in their outfits. He said, "You all look amazing, actually."
With her standard bashful smile, Chione said, "Thanks, Brutus. Is Actia here yet?"
"Yeah, she's been here a few minutes, but I think she's already entranced by the dance floor lights. You should go rescue her." Brutus waved Chione inside, but he stopped the other women to check their IDs. "Sorry ladies. Gotta do my job, especially with how youthful you look," he said with a charming smile.
Mara rolled her eyes. She didn't consider 'youthful looking' to be a compliment. "Yeah, yeah," she said as she presented her ID.
Brutus reacted with predictable surprise when he saw that Mara was actually 21 years old. She looked more like a middle school kid, younger even than the local high schoolers that occasionally tried to sneak into the happening nightclub.
After that, the other girls flashed their IDs and filed inside. Yuisu went to look for an open booth that could fit the group and everyone else made their way to the bar.
Aluru immediately noticed a strikingly red woman at one end of the bar, nursing a large beer bottle. The alraune sidled up next to her, then said, "You look like you know your way around here. Mind if I join you?"
As she spoke, Aluru tugged on the bottom of her tight v-neck shirt, adjusting her cleavage to peak levels.
The red-skinned woman looked up from her beer and said, "I don't mind at all. Welcome to the Wild Life, my favorite hangout. Though it hasn't been treating me great lately," she said with a weary smile. She brushed her platinum hair from her face, tucking it behind one of her distinctive oni horns.
[https://i.imgur.com/J0sVTBX.png]
"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that. It's probably just a run of bad luck, and I'd put money on it ending tonight," Aluru said confidently. "I'm Aluru, by the way."
"Rohe," the oni said. "What makes you so sure my bad luck is over? Are you psychic or something?" She gave Aluru's plant-like body a closer look, as if checking for signs of esper powers.
"Let's just call it a feeling," Aluru said with a warm smile. "In any case, I'd like to know more about this place. What do you like about it?" In reality, she wanted to know more about Rohe and the question was just a good way to get some candid info.
Rohe took a swig of her beer, then looked around the room as she said, "The beer, meeting other liminals, dancing, and the staff. Speaking of, here comes the bartender." She pointed down the bar to a pink haired woman who was rolling smoothly in their direction. She was standing in a stout wooden chest, but she was actually connected to it via her hair.
"Got a new friend, Rohe?" The bartender asked as she reached their end of the bar.
Aluru answered for her, "That was the hope, but we've only just met."
Rohe nodded along. "This is Mimi, one of the bartenders here, and she's one of the best listeners I know."
Before Rohe could introduce Aluru, Mimi chuckled and said, "Only because your stories are so good. I don't give a crap about most people's ramblings. They think that because I'm behind this bar I gotta be their therapist or somethin'."
Aluru's eyes widened and she said, "Stories, huh?" Then she gently set a hand on Rohe's arm. "I'd love to hear one."
Mimi watched with mild amusement, then she addressed Aluru and said, "No offense, but you're barking up the wrong tree. That girl's as straight as bamboo."
"Huh?" Rohe said. She was totally oblivious to Aluru's advances.
Mimi stifled a giggle. "No wonder you can't get a man, Rohe. You can't even tell when you're being hit on."
She blinked and turned back to Aluru. "You were hitting on me?" She still didn't believe it.
Aluru nodded. "At about forty percent flirting power. Maybe you'd have noticed when I ramped it up to eighty percent. That's when I press my chest to yours and grab your ass with both hands," Aluru boasted.
Rohe blushed and Mimi laughed out loud. Mimi said, "If that's eighty percent flirting, I'm curious about one hundred."
Aluru finally took her hand off Rohe's arm, having given up that fight. "One hundred isn't really appropriate for public places, or so Yuisu keeps telling me."
"Ahh," Mimi said, "I thought you might be Aluru, and that confirms it."
Aluru tilted her head questioningly, so Mimi explained, "Chione's my bestie. She's mentioned you a couple times, including a time that you came onto her. You sound like a blast, Aluru, if a bit of a horndog. Not that I can talk with my track record."
The three women shared a laugh at that, then Mimi finally offered to pour Aluru a drink. She started with a dark lager, but didn't stop there. The night was young and she'd lucked into some good conversation partners, one of whom needed some tips on how to flirt.
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It was a calm night at the Wild Life, so Haru and Yuisu were the only ones on the dance floor and they were enjoying the freedom. Mara had been dancing with them up until her second energy drink kicked in. The caffeine hit her harder than she'd expected, and soon her eight legs weren't coordinated enough to walk, let alone dance.
Chione, channeling her guardian instincts, swept in and guided the inebriated arachne off the floor. "Come over here, Mara. You can hang out with me and Actia."
"Hell yeah," Mara drunkenly cheered. "Actia's the best. Did I ever tell you about how we almost started dating?"
"I don't think so," Chione said, despite the fact that she had already heard the story from both perspectives.
"Well, we hit it off great, shared interests and all that, but we're too much alike! It woulda been like dating a mirror." Then Mara burst into laughter, as if that was the height of comedy.
After dating Actia for months, Chione didn't think that Actia and Mara were actually that alike. Sure, they were both petite liminals with an interest in video games, but their personalities and energy were on totally different levels.
Case in point… Chione thought as she approached the booth where Actia was waiting. While Mara had overdone it on drinks and beelined for the dancefloor, Actia was happy to sip her beverage slowly and watch from the sidelines.
"Hello, Mara. Having fun?" Actia asked.
Mara clumsily hopped up on the bench seat and shuffled sideways into the booth, looking like a crippled crab. "You better believe it! It's a bummer that Tsuen couldn't come, but I'm the strong and independent type who can make her own fun."
Chione folded in her wings and sat down next to Actia, then cheered internally when Actia's eyes lingered on her cleavage. After celebrating that little victory, she turned back to Mara and said, "Just don't go too far with the drinks, Mara. I don't want you getting sick, even if I wouldn't be the one cleaning it up tonight."
Mara grinned widely, but her top set of eyes wouldn't stay fully open. "No worries. Caffeine for me may be similar to alcohol for you, but it doesn't make me puke. Usually."
Before Actia or Chione could respond, Mara pivoted to a new subject. "So whattaya think about the new girls 'round the house? Rem and Sya and whatsherface, the bunny?"
Chione rolled her eyes and said, "Her name's Hakuto." Then she shrugged and said, "Not sure really. I've only met Hakuto once, and our opposite schedules mean I barely ever see Sya. Rem's pretty great, but you already knew that."
"Yeah! We get along so well it's crazy. She might be the only thing I've ever seen that's cuter than me. Well, other than my little sisters, but they're total brats, so it cancels out."
Actia blinked her big red eyes and asked, "Uh, who are you talking about?"
Mara quickly said, "My sisters Haddy and Latty and Murina. And Missulena, she's the cutest."
Actia shook her head. "No, I mean the girls at your house. Th-that's a lot of new homestays all the sudden."
"Ohhh, yeah, they aren't homestays," Mara clarified. "At least not yet. Or not ours."
Actia didn't understand that at all. Mara could be hard to follow even when sober, and the drinks in both girls' systems were not doing Actia any favors.
Chione was pretty sober, so she took over and explained, "Sya and Rem are maids that work at the inn now. Sya is an Exchange Program homestay, but with a different host here in town."
Mara helpfully piped in, "She's a white tiger. Russian, and from a noble family, I think."
Chione resumed, "Rem already graduated from the program, like you. She moved in, but she's a tiny gremlin, so she doesn't need much space." When she said 'tiny', Chione held her hands one above the other, about 15 inches apart.
"Rem has cat ears, and gremlin magic!" Mara added.
Actia nodded in understanding, so Chione continued, "Hakuto has been living on the mountain longer than Yuisu, and is considering joining the program. She's apparently a mountain spirit or something."
Mara stood up on her seat and proclaimed, "She's a mountain god! And she can turn into a normal rabbit, and she's like a thousand years old!"
"Uh huh…" Actia said slowly. She wouldn't have believed a word of the outlandish story if Chione hadn't been one of the people telling it. "I'll have to meet those girls some time. They sound interesting."
"Yeah!" Mara drunkenly cheered. "I think you'll like Rem. She's the best and I love her, but not in that way." Mara scratched at her chin with one leg, then quietly added, "Well maybe a little."
Chione raised an eyebrow at that, while Actia just flatly said, "Alright. I'll come visit the Inn. I guess during the day so I can meet Sya." The way she said the word 'day' carried a surprising amount of distaste. As a nocturnal liminal with high light sensitivity, she'd developed a bit of a complex regarding daylight. Her relationship with Chione wasn't helping, since the gargoyle hated the sun just as much.
Suddenly, Mara tried to climb over the back of the booth and escape, but she was too drunk to succeed. "I wanna see what the other girls are up to!"
Chione grabbed Mara by the back of the shirt and sat her back down, thinking, This is like babysitting… Then she said, "Actually, let's stay here and talk, Mara." She slid a glass of water toward the small troublemaker. "Drink this and tell us about your favorite new game."