"Do you like wine?"

Akari froze with one hand halfway into the washing machine and still clutching a dirty shirt. It wasn't the question that alarmed her, so much as the implications. Why would Inara ask that, unless…

"Um, I'm not really sure," Akari answered, glancing up at the goddess in the hallway. She wore a dark purple kimono today, with her shoulders almost completely bare and her cleavage off the charts. "I've had a little sake once or twice, but I've never even tasted other kinds of wine."

"Oh no, that will not do at all," Inara said with exaggerated concern. "Would you like to join me for a private tasting tonight after our meeting? I've got several lovely wines, and I'm sure one of them will suit your palate."

"Hmm," Akari said calmly, as if she was carefully thinking it over.

In reality, she was freaking out and her thoughts were running a mile a minute in ten different directions. Would that be considered our first date? Will it lead to something more? I don't really want my first intimate experience to be skewed by alcohol, but could I even go through with it without? Am I reading too much into this? And it probably won't get sexual at all. Oh, but I kinda want it to get sexual. Wait, I do? Am I a pervert? For wanting to get intimate with my new and official lover? Hardly. That's how things are supposed to go…

Akari could imagine it clearly: Inara held her gently with one arm and plucked the near-empty wine glass from her hands with the other. Inara set the glass aside and returned to grasp Akari's chin, her touch warmer even than Akari's heated cheeks. Akari's chin was lifted and she saw Inara's lips approach, so soft and beautiful. She could feel hot breath on her lips and she smelled the sweet scent of red wine on Inara's breath as they came together and—

"Yes. Yes. I would like to taste wine with you, Inara!" Akari blurted. Then she quickly hid her burning face behind another t-shirt.

"Excellent! Feel free to dress up nice for your commission-progress presentation, then. I find that the right atmosphere can make a world of difference on the flavor of wine." Then she added, "But not too formal. It will only be us in there, after all."

Akari was pretty sure Inara left after that, but she didn't dare look back up for nearly a minute. She was clutching that shirt so tight she thought the poor thing might rip, and she felt like her face must have turned purple from not breathing.

Then she thought, Oh! My presentation. It isn't done yet!

That got Akari moving again. She rushed through the rest of her laundry and flew down the hallway to her bedroom. It would be her second weekly presentation on the progress of Inara's commissions, and she wanted to do it properly. And she also needed to decide what to wear…

----------------------------------------

Even after Akari finished assembling a simple slideshow, using her phone since the laptop Hebi ordered had yet to arrive, and after she picked out a cute-yet-classy blouse and skirt combo to wear, she still had to make it through one final obstacle before her meeting: dinner with the rest of the household.

"Would you pass me some more rice, Akari?"

"Of course, Inara." she answered. "Here you go."

Usagi noticed it first, of course. She'd overheard snippets of their conversations over the last week, but this was the most blatant yet. Akari and Inara were on a first-name basis now, with no honorifics or formality whatsoever.

But it was Hebi who commented on it. "You two seem closer," she said with a subtle little smile that belied the bottomless stomach behind it. The smile was also short lived, since she soon resumed eating with gusto.

"We do? How wonderful!" Inara replied. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: I want all of us to be a close, happy, warm, and welcoming family!"

"Even me?" Neko said with a scoff. She was underdressed for dinner, in just an oversized black t-shirt with some band's logo on it. Her neon pink panties were slightly visible below the hem when she was standing, and on full display as she sat cross-legged at the low table.

"Even you," Inara answered with a wide smile.

"So what changed?" Usagi asked. Her face and her voice told very different stories about her mood: her smile was quite convincing, but her tone was that of simmering jealousy about to boil over.

Akari refused to be passive in a conversation about her love life. She spoke up, "We're uh, dating, I suppose."

Inu put a restraining hand on Usagi's practically vibrating shoulder and said, "Congrats." Then she looked Usagi in the eye and quietly said, "You agreed to this lifestyle long ago. Don't make a scene now."

Inara didn't give her a chance anyway. The goddess hopped to her feet and proclaimed, "On that note, I need to get my room prepared. Akari has another presentation for me on the progress of those commissions! I think Kasumi has the final poses now. I'm so excited!"

With eight tails and her silk kimono swishing, Inara pranced out of the room, leaving everyone else a little stunned and slow to resume conversation.

"'On that note'?" Neko echoed, looking at Akari with one eyebrow raised. "Your dates are just presentations? That's not dating, that's work."

"After the presentation, we're doing a wine tasting." Then Akari fidgeted with her chopsticks. "I assume I'm not the only one she's shared her wine passion with?"

Inu shrugged. "I don't drink."

"I don't either," Hebi added. Then she clarified, "Well, only for special occasions, because it affects me strongly."

Everyone looked to Usagi, but when she didn't respond, Neko answered instead. "She hasn't invited me yet, but that does sound like fun. Drinking together is the best foreplay, right behind music."

"She's invited me before," Usagi said, quietly.

"And? Give us the deets," Neko prodded.

"I declined."

The same puzzled look appeared on everyone's face at the same time, silently pushing Usagi to explain.

"It was a long time ago. I… didn't think it was right for me to be that informal around her. And I didn't want to see her in a weakened, altered state." Usagi slumped to the table, using her dense braid of golden-brown hair as a pillow. "And she's never asked me again."

Inu spoke firmly, "She stopped asking me, too. I bet she thinks you don't drink. You gotta communicate, Usagi."

"I… I know, but—"

Usagi was cut off by a loud chime, coming from Akari's side of the table.

"Sorry, that's my alarm. Gotta get dressed for the meeting." Akari jumped up, set her dishes by the sink and dashed to the door. Before leaving, she turned back and said, "You can do it, Usagi."

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Usagi blinked in confusion, having expected jealousy in return. Then she remembered their conversation in the bath the other day, and remembered how Akari admitted she couldn't handle Inara on her own. They were on the same team now, and it was time Usagi acted like it.

She took a deep breath, then said, "I'll talk to Mistre— uh, Inara tomorrow."

"There you go, girl!" Neko said with a grin. "Get that vixen!"

The look of confusion returned to Usagi's face. "Uh, I can understand Akari rooting for me, but why are you, Neko?"

"Because sex is awesome. And no offense, Buns, but you need a lay."

As Usagi blushed and gave Neko the cold shoulder, Inu giggled and said, "'Buns'? Isn't that a bit of a boring nickname for a rabbit?"

Neko shook her head. "Have you seen that ass? It's legit!"

Hebi nodded sagely. "I must admit, that ass is legit."

Neko's tails played seductively along her lips and throat while she looked at Hebi and Usagi with a grin. "Sweet, we're on the same page. Now if you two got some room in your little dom-sub gig, I'm always open to jam. I prefer to power-bottom, but I'm a decent switch if needed."

Usagi sat up bolt-straight and glared fiercely at Neko, not saying a word.

"That's one mean cover of Silent Jealousy. Point taken," Neko responded. She started to gather everyone's empty dishes from the table. As she placed them by the sink, she couldn't help but wiggle her butt and add, "The offer stands, though."

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"Thank you for that wonderful presentation, Akari. Your hard work really shows."

"Uh, thanks, but the artists are the ones doing all the work. I still can't believe how much progress Tetsuhiro made."

"Don't underestimate yourself, dear. And don't overestimate their progress. From what I've seen of artistry, from the outside of course, when the work looks 90% done, more than half of it remains in the forms of adjustments and polish."

"I can see that," Akari responded, but her thoughts were already elsewhere, on the upcoming wine and whatever came with it. There was a hungry feeling deep in her chest, even though she'd just eaten. And it wasn't sexual desire, at least not entirely. It was a longing, a need for companionship that she'd been subconsciously suppressing for who knew how long. And now she was going to fulfill it, and that thought was enough to get her heart hammering.

Akari smoothed her pale pink blouse, noting how the lacy texture and darker color of her bra showed through the thin material when under pressure. Then she said, "Shall we have some wine? After you talked it up, I'm really curious." But her temporary confidence vanished and she quickly added, "But don't let me drink too much, in case I'm a lightweight."

"Of course, of course," Inara said, already waving Akari along toward a stout black box in the corner of the room, mostly hidden behind a kimono stand with a deep red kimono displayed on it. As Akari got closer, she realized the box was humming gently and had a small blue LED on the front, glowing brightly.

"A mini-fridge?" It seemed so out of place among all the classical art that Akari couldn't help but comment.

"Close. This is a wine cooler, a technological marvel designed to keep up to thirty bottles at their ideal temperatures. And it's not nearly as dirty or bothersome as maintaining a wine cellar."

Inara opened the cooler, which hissed quietly as the air-tight seal broke, and started confidently pulling out bottles. "A good host would offer their guest the choice of wine, but I'm sure you'd prefer I make the calls in this case?"

"Yes, please."

"Well, based on your taste in sweets, I'm sure you'll like this white wine, and you can never go wrong with a good merlot." Inara looked closely at a short, squat bottle for a moment, then returned it. "Let's save the sake for another time, perhaps in the bath."

The mental image of Inara in the bath leapt into Akari's mind, and it wasn't wholly unwelcome. She'd seen that sight so many times, yet it took her breath away every time. And now that the picture was in her head, Akari found herself staring freely. Uh oh, am I becoming a lewd woman? Or is this natural?

"—or crackers, or both?"

Akari had missed the first half of the question. "Huh? I zoned out, sorry."

"I asked if you liked cheese, crackers, or both. I've got some here to snack on while we chat." Then Inara leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "They aren't anything special though. I have Hebi buy simple ones so they don't distract from the taste of the wine."

Akari was distracted alright, by the lovely expanse of skin spilling out the top of Inara's kimono. She was suddenly very conscious of her own bra, and even more aware of Inara's lack thereof. "Um, whatever is fine," she managed, barely.

"Cheese it is," Inara proclaimed. She gathered something from the bottom shelf of the wine cooler, presumably cheese, along with some utensils stored nearby. Then she led the slightly overwhelmed Akari to a corner of the room filled with pillows and small cushions.

It reminded Akari of those stereotypical 'Arabian' harem rooms, with hanging silks and beautiful women in transparent veils, and she supposed that wasn't far from the truth. There were certainly enough cushions here for every woman in the house, if they could ever agree to share Inara to such an open degree.

Inara flopped onto a cushion, then started pouring wine into glasses with practiced ease. "So, Akari…" she started. "How are you? Not your work or your relationships with the others. How are you doing?"

Akari hummed in thought, barely even noticing when Inara handed her a glass with a small amount of white wine in it. "I'm good, I think."

Inara took a slow sip of her own drink. "You think?"

"Yeah. I'm happy here. I didn't have many friends before this. Or family. And now I have both. Everything's really different, of course. This is hardly a normal life, but it's a good one."

"That's wonderful to hear, Akari."

Akari finally took a sip of her wine, then blurted, "Ooh, that's really good. Sweet, tangy. A little bitter, I guess from the alcohol." She took another larger sip. "Is this expensive?"

"Not particularly. I limit my spending to half the interest our account generates," Inara said, mostly truthfully. That white wine was cheaper than most of the wines in her collection, but it was still 10,000 yen a bottle.

"And what about you, Inara? How are you?"

Inara chuckled. "So quick to move on from yourself! But, if you insist, I'm quite good." She passed Akari a small plate with a few slices of cheese on it. "Especially with you here."

"Why's that?" Akari asked. She nibbled some of the cheese, which was dry and dense, with a mild smoky flavor. She drank more wine and smiled at how well they went together.

"Because I love you, of course. And being with those you love is the greatest thing on Earth, in my opinion. For all I want to embody self-improvement, there can be no self-love without the love of others to show you how it's done."

Akari was blushing, but she didn't want the praise to stop. "And why do you love me?"

Inara scooted her cushion closer under the guise of refilling Akari's glass with another helping of white wine. The portion was just as small as the last pouring, but the night was young. Then she answered, "Because you're adorable and earnest, appreciative and excitable. Because you're a lovely person who completes my weaknesses, and most of all, because you love me. It's a bit of a, what do you call it when something shouldn't be possible because it needs its result to happen first?"

"A paradox?" Akari guessed.

"Yes! A paradox. Love does not happen in one direction, at least not entirely. You have to meet your partner halfway, so to speak." Inara scooted a little closer, and Akari found herself doing the same until they were side by side, thighs touching. Then Inara wrapped one arm around Akari's shoulders. Inara held her gently with one arm and plucked the empty wine glass from her hands with the other.

Starting at the crown of Akari's head, a shiver rippled from her scalp to her toes. This was almost exactly like the scene she imagined earlier when she agreed to taste wine with Inara. Unnervingly alike.

But when Akari expected her to set it aside, to return and grasp Akari's chin, Inara turned away instead. She filled the glass with red wine, and returned it.

"This one's my personal favorite. Hard to find, but absolutely worth it." She smiled and added, "But drink it slowly. It's stronger."

Akari blinked away the strange deja vu, the imperfect vision she had experienced, and smiled back. "Thanks for the warning. I'm already feeling the other wine a little. It's nice. Like a hot spring for my belly and my mind."

Giggling, Inara said, "That's not a way I've heard it described before, but it's quite accurate."

As Inara sipped her red wine with a look of contented bliss on her face, Akari's thoughts drifted unwillingly. An image came to mind of Inara's dark purple kimono strewn on the floor, with an embroidered pattern on the inside, the silhouette of a fox. It was strange, because Akari had never seen the inside of that kimono before. And what fun was there in a mental picture of clothes on the floor? Akari wanted another scene of romance, or of Inara naked. Then the picture vanished.

Akari reached out and pinched Inara's kimono sleeve with a finger and thumb. It was soft, yet dense. Substantial. Real, at least she thought so. She looked up at Inara's golden eyes and rosy cheeks. "This kimono is real, isn't it? Not one of your projections?"

"It's real. Like I said, clothing and atmosphere affect the enjoyment of wine, and I might as well get some use out of these vintage kimonos." Inara gave Akari's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You look lovely, Akari, in case I didn't say it already."

"Oh, thank you."

Then Inara tilted her head questioningly. "But how'd you guess? I've spent many years making my projected clothing flawless."

"Just a feeling," Akari said, and it was mostly true. It wasn't until later that night, long after Inara's kimono had been shed in a moment of passion, that Akari would glimpse the silhouette of a fox embroidered inside, exactly like in her vision. And in that blissful moment, she wouldn't fully comprehend the meaning.