Volume 12 - Grand Opening, Chapter 92 - Holding Down the Fort

Saya had learned that Haru was in a relationship with Yuisu, but that was just a minor setback. Now she was on a mission to find out just how open that relationship was, and whether there was still a chance for her to get with that sexy harpy.

She had decided to start her quest for information with Mara, and she happened to choose her source of information well. She ran into the pink arachne at breakfast and greeted her with a warm, "G'morning!"

Mara was wearing a pink fleece pajama set, custom modified for her pedipalps, along with an assortment of cute and colorful socks on her eight other legs. Saya was of course naked.

Mara looked up from her meal of microwaved hashbrowns and sausage. "Oh, hi, Saya. Good morning to you too, but it feels more like evening." She stifled a yawn, then said, "I went on a nocturnal schedule to match Chione's while we work on ComicMon stuff."

"Looking good, by the way," Mara added. She didn't bother to hide her gaze as it wandered over Saya's naked form.

Saya didn't mind the appreciative eyes. She smiled and replied, "Thank you, Mara. Your PJs are very cute." She sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal, then said, "I have a question for you, if that's alright."

Mara beamed, though her eyes looked tired and weary from all of her long days organizing the convention. "Go for it. What's up?"

Saya's normal confident demeanor weakened and she fidgeted with her tail. "Um, it's about Haru and Yuisu. What's their relationship like?"

"Oh, they're super in love," Mara said, holding her arms wide to indicate the scale of it. "They've been an item since around when I moved in, almost a year ago." She scratched her chin and added, "I bet they woulda popped the question by now if it weren't for the interspecies laws. Well, and Japan being behind the times on gay marriage." Mara scratched her chin and wondered aloud, "Maybe they could get married in the Harpy Nation?"

Saya wilted a little, her pointed ears drooping. "Ah, okay. I was hoping their relationship might be a little, uh, open?"

"Ohh? Now I see what this is about." Mara set down her fork with a bit of sausage still on it. "I thought I sensed a crush, with all your staring and all those questions you had for Haru, but none for the rest of us." She grinned and said, "Well, you're in luck, my lovely lady."

"Oh?" Saya's eyes went wide in nervous expectation.

Mara glanced side to side, then leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "You didn't hear this from me, but they've brought a third woman into their bed. At least twice."

Mara leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. With a mock-upset face, she said, "But they've never invited me to join them…"

"Hmm, thanks, Mara," Saya said, then resumed her breakfast, deep in thought. Alright. I think that's all the confirmation I need. They wouldn't have done it twice unless they liked it, so I definitely have a chance here.

Saya wanted to pleasure that sexy harpy, to take her to ecstatic new heights, to bring her sexual satisfaction like she'd never dreamed. Saya wanted it so bad it almost hurt. The need was like a tight thrumming string running through her entire body. This crush-like obsession with Haru wasn't unfamiliar to Saya. Men and women had gotten stuck in her head before, and Saya wasn't the type to give up if there was a chance.

Even though she was gunning for Haru, Saya would gladly go for a threesome with Yuisu. Her thoughts shifted to the green-eyed lady of the house. I guess Yuisu is quite sexy, though I hadn't noticed at first. She was so motherly and formal when I met her. But she's got a gleam in her eye that reminds me of Mara and myself. She's definitely a pervert at heart.

Saya wasn't sure how much time had passed when Mara grabbed her empty plate and hopped down from her chair.

Mara said, "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm heading to bed." She stood up on her colorful tip-toes to put her dishes on the counter by the sink.

Saya picked up her own empty bowl and stood as well. "Thanks for the info, Mara. I realize you're busy with your convention thing, but if you get a bit of spare time, I'd like to hang out with you again."

"Of course," Mara called back with a yawn as she shuffled sleepily down the hall, waving one carapace-covered hand.

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After breakfast, Saya returned to her room to relax and hope for another chance to woo Haru. She didn't have to wait long. Just as Saya was starting to doze, there was a loud thud not far from Saya's door. It sounded like it came from the back deck.

Saya peeked out of her bedroom and saw Haru on the deck. Her wings were propped on her knees and she was breathing hard. When Haru reached for the sliding door handle, Saya darted forward and opened it for her.

"Whoa, you look exhausted!" Saya said. She couldn't help but notice how wonderfully Haru's breasts heaved with her deep breaths.

Panting, Haru said, "The air was, really calm this morning, so I, decided to push, myself a little." She paused to catch her breath better, then added, "I'm trying to keep my skills up."

"Awesome," Saya said. The ability to fly at all was impressive, but Haru seemed to be a true expert. "I'm sure they're top notch."

Haru shrugged grumpily and continued inside, heading for the bathing room. She stretched her wings behind her and muttered, "Well, if it wasn't for the knot in my back…"

Saya overheard that and saw her chance. She skipped along behind Haru and said, "I can probably help you with that."

Haru gave just the slightest shrug. "Maybe, but I'm starting to think you have other motivations."

Saya quickly looked up from Haru's exercise shorts, where she'd been staring. Haru wasn't wrong about Saya's motivations, but Saya really did want to help her. She said, "I am a masseuse for a living. Soothing muscles is my specialty, and if my skills can help you, then I want to try."

"Hmm, maybe," Haru said noncommittally. She was very reluctant to accept any offers from the seductive salamander, as if she was worried she wouldn't be able to keep control of the situation.

When Saya kept following her, Haru said, "I'm going to wash up."

"I could use a bath too. Do you mind if I tag along?" Saya asked.

"Go for it," Haru answered. She continued into the laundry room and started to strip off her sweat-soaked clothes. It was a little awkward to get undressed with Saya standing there already naked, but it wasn't showing Saya anything she hadn't already seen at the hot spring the night before.

Haru stepped through the fogged glass door of the bathing room. She sat on a stool, turned on a faucet and rinsed off in silence.

Saya sat a couple stools away. While she rinsed herself, she cast a few glances in Haru's direction.

"The offer still stands, Haru. I can fix that knot in your back for you." She watched Haru's wings closely as the harpy poured a bucket of water over her head, then said, "Judging by how you move, it's just beneath your right shoulder, isn't it?" Saya nodded her head knowingly and added, "I bet it affected your flying today too."

With a sigh, Haru said, "Yes, it did. I was hoping to work out the knot by flying, but that only made it worse."

Suddenly, Haru tossed her empty bucket aside and it landed on the tile floor with a clatter. Her brow scrunched in pain as she finally let it show how much her back was bothering her. "Fine, just a massage. Nothing more."

Now that Saya saw how much the knotted muscle was bothering Haru, she pushed her own desire aside. With a serious expression on her face, she said, "I promise."

Saya darted out to the laundry room, grabbed a few fluffy towels, and returned. On a dry section of the tile floor, she laid them out, layered three-deep to make a decent cushion. "Lay down on this, arms to the side."

Still totally naked and a bit self-conscious, Haru did so. She turned her head to the right, pushed her wet hair out of her face, and asked "Now what?"

"Just relax," Saya answered as she kneeled next to Haru and started the massage. First, she slid her long tail along Haru's back, leaving a slick trail of warm slime from neck to tailbone. Then she placed her hands to each side of Haru's spine and pressed outward, simultaneously spreading the slick slime and feeling the muscles underneath.

Saya worked her way from the shoulders down. Within seconds, she found the knot, near where she'd guessed it would be. The instant Saya's firm pressure touched the tight muscle, Haru twitched in pain.

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Saya said, "Wow, that's a nasty one. Bear with me a moment while I work that out."

"Alright," Haru said through gritted teeth.

Saya spread a little extra slime on the spot, then started massaging little circles around the knot, not quite touching it. "You've got a lot of tension held here. Your shoulders are tight too. That area seems to be where you hold all your stress."

Haru let out a deep breath, then said, "Yeah. And I've been pretty stressed lately."

As Saya gently massaged the area, she said, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Yuisu's just so busy with the inn, but as much as I want to help, I'm not much use." She lifted her wings a bit and let them flop down. "No hands."

Saya nodded, but countered, "She seems to be doing fine, like she had everything under control. Is there something else bothering you?"

Haru tensed up for a moment, her muscles tightening under Saya's hands. Then Haru relaxed again and said, "Well, it's actually me being selfish. I want Yuisu to have more free time for, uh, you know…"

Saya changed position to massage another area. She put one leg across Haru's body and straddled her butt. She placed both hands on Haru's lower back and pressed upward in one smooth, soothing motion.

"Hmm? What's that?" Her sweet voice was welcoming and comforting. When combined with the massage, it lured Haru into really opening up emotionally. Saya was like two kinds of therapist at the same time.

Haru's face turned red. "I'm in one of my mating seasons, so I'm, uh, wound up."

Saya smiled knowingly. "Oh, that's the issue. Is that why you were wearing those skimpy clothes yesterday? Trying to catch your lover's eye and get some time with her?" She leaned far forward, until she was practically laying on Haru's back. Saya's breasts pressed softly against Haru's shoulders, providing a different sort of massage.

Haru was so focused on the conversation she didn't notice the new sensation. She covered her blushing face with one wing. "Yeah… It's also why I didn't want to get too… too close to you. I don't know if I could…"

"Hold back?" Saya finished in a sultry whisper. Her lips were mere inches from Haru's ear. Warm breath tickled Haru's sensitive skin. Then Saya said, "About that… I have an offer for you and Yuisu."

Just then, the bathing room door opened and blue-furred leg stepped in. It was Froze, holding a towel against her bare chest. She immediately started, "My roommate is using my shower so I—"

Froze took one look at Saya and Haru, laying on each other on the floor, and she stopped dead. Her fuzzy ears folded back and her eyes went wide.

"What the hell is going on here?" she asked accusingly, her voice a terrifying growl. After generations of living in tight-knit packs, Fenrir valued loyalty very highly. Froze was no exception, and it seemed she had no tolerance for infidelity.

Haru, still face-down on the floor, squawked in surprise and blurted, "It's just a massage! My back was sore and Saya offered to help."

Saya slinked off of Haru and opened her mouth to start her own explanation, but Froze had already pivoted back out of the room. A clatter of paws and claws on the floor was all that remained behind as Froze sprinted down the hall, presumably heading for Yuisu.

"Froze, wait!" Haru scrambled to her feet, then ran out as well, her back still glistening with slime from her incomplete massage.

Saya shrugged, then chased after. Well, this sure went crazy awfully quick, she thought as she skipped along behind the two naked women.

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Yuisu was sitting at the inn's front desk, reviewing the bookings for the next couple months. She was more than a little worried about what to do when ComicMon arrived, since she had to be there with all her homestays. Should I just shut down the inn for the week? And what do I do about the two people that already booked rooms in advance, back before the ComicMon dates were set?

She heard a ruckus and looked up from her ledger. Then she spun her chair to look down the hallway. Did I zone out and fall asleep? she thought, I must be dreaming.

Froze, Haru, and Saya, all totally nude, had rounded the corner by the living room and they came sliding to a stop next to the desk. A grin crept across Yuisu's face as she appreciated the sight of three naked beauties.

Yuisu realized it wasn't a dream when Froze started barking something about unfaithfulness. She was so flustered and out of breath that Yuisu could barely understand half the words. Japanese being her second language certainly wasn't helping either.

"Huh?" Yuisu said as her eyes flicked around, not sure where to stare. There was just so much bare skin to take in.

Haru cut in, "Saya was just giving me a massage!" The normally regal harpy was now flustered and frantically trying to do damage control.

Froze scoffed. "Likely story! How could you do that to Yuisu? I couldn't imagine cheating on my Kehp!" she shouted, baring her sharp canines.

"I wasn't cheating on Yuisu!"

"It certainly looked like it, and if it looks like cheating, it's probably cheating!"

Saya meekly raised a hand. "It really was just a massage."

Haru nodded. "See, I told you! You need to calm down, Froze."

Froze narrowed her eyes and glared at Saya, not sure how much to trust her. They'd never been introduced, so for all Froze knew, Saya was some mysterious harlot that Haru had invited into the house. Or, she was a guest of the inn, like herself, and nothing shady had been happening at all…

Just as Froze seemed to be coming to her senses, Saya leaned close to Haru and whispered, "Unless you'd like something more…"

Saya had underestimated Froze's hearing. The blue-furred wolfgirl was immediately up in arms again. "Aha! She totally is a homewrecker!" she barked.

"Damn it, Saya, you're not helping," Haru said with an exasperated sigh.

As amusing as the naked argument was, Yuisu decided it needed to stop before it got out of hand, and before another guest of the inn stumbled onto it. She jumped to her feet and waved her hands. "Stop!" she shouted, much louder than Froze's yelling had been.

Her shout was almost too effective. The two keen-eared predators winced at the volume, but all three women did indeed stop arguing.

"Alright," Yuisu started, "I don't fully understand, but I do know that this is now between me, Haru, and Saya." She turned to Froze and smiled kindly. "Thanks, Froze, for bringing this to my attention. You can go finish your bath now." A few minutes prior, Yuisu had told Froze she could use the main house's bath, though she'd had no idea what had been going on inside.

Froze's ears perked up, happy that her protective attitude was appreciated. She nodded wordlessly and padded back toward the bathing room, her fluffy blue tail swishing.

Yuisu turned back to Saya and Haru. "Let me get this straight. Saya was giving Haru a massage when Froze walked in and assumed the worst?"

Haru nodded vigorously. "Exactly."

"And the massage wasn't anything sexual at all?" Yuisu asked.

Haru nodded again, but Saya's eyes wandered around, looking everywhere except at Yuisu.

Yuisu could tell something was up. "Saya… What aren't you saying?"

Saya smiled in an awkward but disarming way. Her tail flicked around behind her as she said, "There was a knot in Haru's back that I was helping with. That part's true." She paused and scrunched up her face, then admitted, "But I may have had ulterior motives."

Yuisu raised one eyebrow and kept her gaze on Saya. "Oh?"

Saya thought deeply for a moment, then said, "Yeah, I'll admit I wanted to get with Haru, or with you both, but there's something more important." She put a hand on Haru's back and suddenly pushed the naked harpy forward into Yuisu's arms.

Haru squawked in surprise, then smiled as Yuisu hugged her warmly. They both looked at Saya with light confusion.

"You two need to talk. Haru's got needs and concerns you should address." With that, Saya turned and started away down the hall. As she left, her thick tail lifted high and revealed her butt, which wiggled seductively with her stride. "Oh, and just throwing this out there," she called back, "I'm totally up for a threesome!"

Haru and Yuisu watched her leave, then looked back at each other.

"So…" Yuisu started.

"Uh, yeah," Haru said, blushing. "My spring mating season started, but I didn't want to bother you while you're so busy."

Yuisu let out a small giggle. "You should have told me. I'd gladly make time to help you with that."

In a throaty whisper, Haru said, "Good, because now that I'm naked and holding you, I don't think I can hold back any more."

Before Yuisu could react, Haru crouched and knocked Yuisu's legs out from under her with one wing. She smoothly caught Yuisu with one wing under the shoulders and one under her knees.

"Ooh, I like it when you're forceful," Yuisu said with a grin as the strong harpy carried her down the hallway toward their bedroom.

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Later that evening, Yuisu shuffled down the hallway toward the front desk wearing a forest green sweater and black pants. "I'm on my way! Sorry for the delay," she called out to whoever had rung the service bell.

She was still waking up from her after-sex nap, but that wasn't the reason she was moving slowly. Yuisu ached from the waist down from the pounding Haru had given her. Where'd she even get that strap-on? I never knew she was into that. Yuisu grinned a very Yuri-su grin. Not that I'm complaining. Damn, that was fun!

Yuisu reached the front desk and her lewd grin vanished. An old woman was waiting there, and it was someone Yuisu recognized and respected.

"Sari?!" she blurted. The woman was none other than the operator of the Zoic Inn, where the girls had vacationed that summer.

Sari was a short woman with light grey hair pulled back into a neat bun. Warm, wise eyes peered out from her wrinkles and she wore a simple tan kimono. She smiled with her entire face and said, "Hello again, Yuisu. I'm so glad to see your dream has become reality."

Yuisu beamed, "Oh, thank you, Sari. You helped make this possible, you know."

"Oh ho ho, that's nice of you to say, but you did all the work," Sari said. "Now, do you have a room for a little old lady for a few days?"

"I do." Yuisu grabbed a room key from her drawer, then asked, "But what brought you all the way to Okayado?" She had a suspicion, but didn't want to assume.

"I'm consulting with Korbin," Sari answered. "He wanted advice on hiring service staff for the resort. It can be hard to hire fairly when humans and liminals have such different abilities."

"Ahh." Yuisu had thought a little about that topic, but the Mountain Lily Inn didn't absolutely need any staff just yet, so she tried not to worry about it. "That's awesome that he reached out to you. You've been employing and catering to liminals since they first appeared, after all."

Then Yuisu tilted her head. "Wait a minute. If you're here, who's holding down the fort at the Zoic Inn?"

Sari waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, all the maids and other staff have it under control. They've got years of experience under their belts, so they can manage without me for now. It's almost sad how little they need me these days."

Yuisu shuffled her feet and said, "I wish I had someone to do that. I need to go to Tokyo in about a month and I have no idea what to do with my inn while I'm gone…"

Sari took three tiny steps toward Yuisu and set a weathered hand on Yuisu's arm. In a grandmotherly tone, she said, "Maybe I could watch the Mountain Lily Inn while you're gone?"

"What? No, I could never ask that of you," Yuisu said, her green eyes wide. "You're a guest of the inn right now, and you've got an inn of your own to worry about!"

"I'm the one asking," Sari replied with a smile. "As I said, they barely need me, so I would quite enjoy helping out around here. It'll be just like when I first got into the industry, so many years ago."

Yuisu blinked. "You'd really do that for me?" She blinked again. "Really?!"

Sari closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Of course, darling."

Yuisu grabbed Sari's hand. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She took a deep breath to calm down, then said, "Thank you, Sari. That just took a load off my mind like you wouldn't believe! Now I can finally start planning for the trip. Getting myself and seven liminals to Tokyo is gonna be an adventure."

"Oh, the joys of youth," Sari said with a chuckle. "Now how about you show me to my room before you run off to plan your trip."

Yuisu's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, sorry." She grabbed Sari's luggage and started toward the back door. "Right this way, ma'am."