The Life With Monster Girls

by Soleneus

Saul Dewitt is an average man living in Japan, having moved there from America, buying a house from a nice family with a kid. While he's there, the existence of Liminals, people with animal features is revealed, along with a bill and a program to exchange cultures, and he is chosen to host one. And, well, life changes. A lot. A Self-Insert, for the most part.

12. A Departure and a Date

The occupants of the Dewitt household, sans the EON group with the exception of Tio, stood in silence, watching the world outside of a large window. They were waiting in anxious quiet for the car carrying Papi's parents to arrive and spirit the young Harpy away from them. Normally, this would've been a somber affair, but the hopeful look on Papi's face made the atmosphere less sad and more accepting.

Saul had his arm around Papi as she leaned against his chest, her wings wrapped around him. He would periodically kiss her cobalt hair and give her a small squeeze, and she would hum happily and snuggle against him. One would expect there to be tension between them, but there wasn't; it was all due to a talk they had earlier that morning.

Tio, standing behind the group, gasped and pointed as large black car with darkly tinted windows rolled into the driveway. "They're here!" She bit her lip anxiously, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

Saul stared at the car containing Papi's parents as it entered his parking spot, the sunlight reflecting off of the windshield and directly into his eyes, making him close them uncomfortably.

…

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Rachnee's sleeping face. I would like to say that, but the truth is, the first thing I saw is the first thing I've seen since Rachnee started sleeping with me: that is, the ceiling, framed on one side by her lavender hair. My hands were resting on her back, just above her rear, and her face was resting in the crook my neck. I could feel her breath tickling the skin of my collar, feel her breasts pressed against my chest. Since the law was repealed for us, we been sleeping together in less clothing; that is to say, I'm wearing my pajama pants, she's not wearing anything, not that I mind in the slightest.

That's another thing Rachnee's been doing since we started sleeping together. She doesn't just sleep with me; she sleeps on me, like she's trying to take the place of my blanket by covering my body with her own. Again, I don't mind at all. I love it, in fact, because I can feel her warmth and her skin touching mine, and feel her heartbeat pulse through her body in time with my own.

It does make it a little hard to breathe sometimes, when her lower legs hug me around the waist a little too tightly, but it's one small thing.

I gently stroked her back, my hands sliding down over her taut, lovely rear end to just below, feeling where soft, smooth skin became chitinous and slick before becoming her legs. I wonder why they call them 'half-woman, half-spider', since Rachnee has a human torso, ignoring her teeth, eyes and hands, down to her groin, ending just below where her thighs would be. Even then, that part is represented by her forelegs.

Really, she looks more like a tall, curvaceous woman sat down on the head of a huge spider and they melded together at that point. Now that I think about it, Rachnee has two torsos. One human, one spider. It's less 'half and half' and more two separate things coming together to form one combined version; like Voltron. Except organic spiders instead of robotic lions, and Rachnee is way sexier than Voltron.

That aside, I brought my hands back up to rest on the base of her spine, gently digging my fingertips into the muscle, making her groan softly. It's dimly lit outside, which means it's early morning, and I had a very good night's sleep, and I want to get up. But I also don't want to just slip out of Rachnee's arms; not when I could wake her up for some 'us time'.

My hands move slowly up her spine, digging and releasing slowly while I scooted under her a bit more so that I could access her neck and shoulder with my lips without also pulling my neck. Rachnee moaned sleepily as I kissed and suckled gently on the junction of her throat, one hand maintaining the half-massage on her back while the other lowered to softly grope and knead her cheeks.

Her back arched and she almost sat up, exposing more of her neck to my mouth, her eyes fluttering open and fixing on me. She blinked the glaze of sleep away, her lips curling into a warm, satisfied smile. "Morning, Rachnee," I greeted casually.

She tilted her head down and kissed me softly, her silken lips melding with my own, her hands sliding through my hair. Rachnee pulled back, her eyes half-lidded. "Good morning, Honey," she whispered lovingly.

Her tone made my heart race and I leaned up to return the kiss with all the passion I could muster, feeling heat blossoming underneath her skin. "You know, I never got the bath I wanted last night," I remarked, breaking away.

"Why, Mr. Dewitt, are you propositioning me?" she asked teasingly, planting a hand on my chest and sitting up.

"Yup," I answered without shame, "Just imagine, you and me in the bath, all alone with nothing but warm water and suds to keep us apart."

Rachnee traced a simple pattern on my chest, biting her lip in thought. That look just made me want to kiss her again. "I like the sound of that," she murmured, rising off of me.

"I'll go get the bath started while you make sure everyone is still asleep?" I offered, pulling on my robe.

"Deal," she replied quickly, scuttling out of the room with myself close behind. I took the hallway at a quick stride, quickly peeking in on Cerea to see that she was still asleep. I threw open the bathroom door and rushed inside, quickly turning the taps, allowing water to gush forth. I made sure to keep it warm bordering on hot, since Rachnee doesn't like hot water. And I added a good splash of bubble-bath, because why the hell not?

As the water level rose, I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them aside…and then realized that I had forgotten to grab clean clothes to change into. Whoops.

At that moment, Rachnee entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her while balancing an armful of clothes. She smiled at me, setting the stack aside and disrobed, leaving her fully naked before my eyes. "Everyone's still asleep," she said happily.

"Good, the water's just about done," I said, turning the taps. "Come on in."

Rachnee stepped into the bath with a sigh, sinking down to her waist with her skull-printed abdomen bobbing behind her. Luckily, my bath is fucking huge, so she's not constrained. Everyone in my house could take a bath right now and there would still be some comfortable space, it's that big.

I shut off the water and sunk down under the surface, the bath being deep enough that I could lay down and have an inch of water a few inches above me. I pushed myself along the bottom, heading towards Rachnee, emerging from the water right in front of her. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, our lips meeting again as we embraced in the warm, bubbly water.

We stood -knelt, actually- in the bath, holding one another and grabbing handfuls of soap to wash the other with. It was intimate and relaxing, as well as arousing to rub suds into her skin and wash them away, every action interspersed with kisses and gentle touches.

When we were clean but not done relaxing, I sat on the underwater bench and Rachnee sat in my lap. We could only be closer if we were having sex, and we were one quick adjustment away from that. But, I made no move to do as much, simply content to hold and kiss the woman in my arms, even if my body was ready.

"Where are you planning on taking Yukio for your date?" She asked quietly after we broke apart for air.

I got my breath back before answering. "Well, it's supposed to be pretty hot today. I was thinking of hitting up the water park, since school is still in session and it'll be less crowded." I pecked her lips. "And then we'll get lunch and be home before dinner."

Rachnee hummed agreeably, leaning her head on my shoulder. "So, are you going to kiss her at the end?" She asked teasingly.

I arched an eyebrow at her. "No. I'm with you, Rachnee." My reply seemed to confuse her.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Uh, I'm not going to cheat on you, Rachnee. I definitely like Yukio, but I'm not going to lead her on or kiss her while I'm in a relationship with you." I replied, feeling as if I was missing something.

She frowned, looking at me with questioning red eyes. "Is this a human thing, where you only have one partner?" At my nod, Rachnee huffed. "Well that's stupid."

I shrugged, nonplussed by the conversation. "That's just how it is. A couple is just that, two people in a relationship. Going outside of that is taboo for most humans."

"That may be true for humans, Honey," Rachnee leaned in and whispered into my ear. " but none of the ladies in your household are humans. You signed up for cultural exchange, remember?"

That made some sort of sense. "Okay, but that's still not fair to the others in a relationship like that. I mean, wouldn't jealousy and infighting make that kind of implode before too long?" I ask, noting that the bath is getting colder.

"It would if the others don't know the pecking order." She answers easily, with a shrug and smirk that makes my groin pulse appreciatively. "And since they all know I'm at the top, it's no problem." She definitely felt my body react to that, and her lips descended on my neck.

"Wait, what do you mean? 'They all know.' Who knows?" Have the girls been discussing this when I'm not around?

Rachnee pulls back. "I mean Yukio came to me yesterday and asked if I would allow her to date you. I said the same thing I would if any other girl asked: yes, but if they interrupt my time with you, I'll tie them to a wall and have sex with you in front of them." She licked her lips. "Speaking of sex…"

My mind went a little hazy after she kissed me and slipped her tongue in my mouth, grabbing my hand and bringing it up to her breast before reaching down and grasping my arousal gently. "Wait," I managed, pulling away, "You're fine with me dating another girl? As in, 'possibly kissing and having sex' dating?"

She sighed in annoyance. "Yes, that's what I meant. For someone who wears glasses, you can be kinda slow on the uptake, you know?" Her eyes softened at my incredulous look. "Look, Honey, there are a lot of Arachne in the world, and out of all them, there are only three males. Male Arachne or so rare, there's never been any record of there being more than five at a time. If Arachne didn't birth so many children at a time, we would've gone extinct long ago. And not all men are like you, you sweet weirdo. They don't find human/spider mixes attractive."

Rachnee pointed out the door. "All the different species sleeping out there? Only the Undead and the Centaur are from a race that have an equal amount of males to females. Harpies, Lamia and Yuki-Onna are all predominantly female; they expect and are expected to share a male, like their mothers before them. To be blunt, you're the one acting weird, here."

I settle back on the bench with a sigh. "Alright, you've made your point, Rachnee. It's just a little…odd, ok? I've only been in one relationship before, with a human. I guess I just need to adjust to the idea of you being fine with it." Though, I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with the idea of basically creating a harem. The whole idea seems like a sort of silly fantasy, since every man I know wouldn't be able to handle two women at once, let alone a ridiculous number like twenty. Not to say that a woman would be able to handle a similar number of men at once. Not without being part dragon or something, and even that is debatable.

Rachnee leaned in, her teeth gently biting into the skin of my shoulder, the brief pain being soothed as she licked the miniscule wound. "Don't worry Honey, I'll help you adjust. But, since we're talking about different species, did you know that I have two sets of lungs?" I didn't, actually. "One human set, and one spider set in my abdomen. As long as I keep it above water, I can stay submerged indefinitely." The grin she gave me could only be described as salacious. "Let me show you."

She kissed down my chest, from the hollow of my throat down to my stomach, slipped her head under the water…and proved that she wasn't lying.

Though, I kept getting the feeling that I was being watched, even though I knew there weren't any bugs and no one else was awake. I didn't notice for long, since it's hard to pay attention after going cross-eyed.

…

After our…stimulating bath, I stepped into the living room to find the EON ladies still asleep; though, judging by the way they were shifting, it seemed they would wake up soon. Zombina was still sprawled out on the beanbag, except that now, she had her hand down her pants and had pulled her tanktop up enough that I could see the bottom of her ample breasts.

Kuroko looked as peaceful as ever, curled up in my favorite black leather recliner. The loli that was Doppel had rolled over in her sleep, using the Lovecraft book she had been reading as a pillow, and I really hope she's not drooling on that, it was a gift from my sister. Tio was stretched out on the couch, her lips parted as she snored quietly; and much like everything else about her, it was really cute.

I couldn't resist reaching out patting her cheek as I walked past the couch; though, in retrospect, I should have. Her arm whipped out and snagged me around the waist, dragging me down on top of her, my head landing directly in her chest.

Now, I don't mind having my face shoved in a nice soft bosom, I'm not gay. I don't exactly like it when oxygen becomes a problem, as frequently as that happens with Rachnee and Cerea, since even though I'm above-average height, they're still tall enough that they can just hug me and I end getting a faceful of cleavage. But, I especially don't mind when Tio does it, since her chest is so large (along with the rest of her) that it bypasses the whole 'suffocation' aspect and I can breathe just fine. And just hugging the cute oni makes me want to melt into it like butter on waffle…if that waffle was cute, and nearly seven-and-a-half feet tall.

I still had breakfast to make, though, so that was a problem, essentially since I was caught in the tight grasp of Snuggle'thulhu, and no one was coming to save me. Even my ninja wilyness wouldn't help me all that much. I did have one secret weapon, I just needed to implement it.

It wasn't easy, crawling my way up out of Tio's chest, but I eventually did, enough that I could whisper into her ear. "Hey, Tio," I started, and she groaned in response. "If you let me go, I'll make a sweet, delicious breakfast for you. How does that sound? Pancakes, coated in maple syrup?"

She moaned, and I knew I had my in. Or out, as the situation was.

"What about waffles? Each little divot brimming with melted butter and syrup?" I whispered, feeling her shift on the couch. "How about fresh French Toast, still hot out of the pan, covered in maple syrup and powdered sugar with freshly-cut strawberries and just-made vanilla whipped cream?"

Tio gave off a sound that could only be classified as sexual in nature, her eyes fluttering open. "Mmm…" She sniffed and squeezed me softly, looking up and noticing that I was in her arms. "Oh, hey Sweetie. Mornin'."

I couldn't help but smile as she yawned. "Morning, Tio. Get a good night's sleep?"

She sat up stiffly, rubbing her neck with a small grimace. "Not too bad, though I am a little sore. And really hungry for some reason. I could use a backrub." Tio smiled at me, hugging me tightly. "You want to help me with that, Sweetie?"

I really do, but I have stuff to make. "I would, Tio, but I need to make breakfast. I'm thinking French toast, with whipped cream and strawberries."

I smiled again when she drooled. "Ooh, that's sounds good," She moaned, before her hand went back to her neck. "My neck does hurt, but I also want that, too. Decisions…" Tio brightened as an idea occurred to her. "I know! Why don't you take a bath with me, and then make breakfast?"

She looked so proud of her idea that I almost didn't want to tell her that I'd already washed up. "I already took a bath, Tio, but you can use my stupidly huge bathtub and stretch out. By the time you finish, breakfast will be ready."

The adorable oni perked up at the thought. "Okay! You're so smart, Sweetie!" Then, she laid a big kiss on my cheek and set me down before skittering off to bathe, allowing me to stand up and stretch.

I turned around and pointed at Doppel, who was looking at me with amused yellow eyes. "You were awake the whole time and you didn't help." I heard her trying not to laugh when I got pulled into Tio's embrace.

"Pffft, of course I didn't help. It wouldn't have been so fun to see." She replied with a smirk, crossing her legs. "It's funny watching you struggle."

I, in my typically mature fashion, stuck my tongue out at her and left the living room, heading for the kitchen, but I paused upon looking into the dining room. Papi was slumped in my chair, her chin resting on the table and looking miserable. It made my heart hurt, since I was part of the cause for that look on her face.

Sighing, I entered the dining room and stopped next to her. "Hey, Papi."

"Papi doesn't want to go," she whispered sadly, looking down at her reflection in the wood.

Heaving another sigh, I ran my hand through my hair before reaching down and picking the Harpy up and taking seat, sitting her in my lap. Her wings wrapped around my chest as she nestled her head in the crook of my neck. "Papi, do you know why I didn't fight the relocation?"

"Because Hubby doesn't like Papi?" Papi offered quietly.

"No Papi, that's not why. And don't think like that, because I do like you." I replied kissing the top of her head. "No, the reason I didn't fight it is because when I was a kid, just barely three, my parents divorced and I lived with both of them over the years. While they provided for me, growing up without both of my parents changed me." It always does. "But you, Papi, you have the chance to experience what I never did: a full, loving family and you're young enough to benefit from it. I want you to have those memories."

Papi looked up at me with a small frown. "Okay, hubby. I'll go with them, even though she doesn't want to." She sighed, leaning against me. "Papi's gonna miss her hubby."

I pressed a soft kiss on her soft cobalt curls. "And I'll miss you, Papi. But this isn't goodbye; you can come visit me whenever you like, and if your parents ever make you feel like you're unwanted, come right back here. You'll always have a spot in my house, Papi."

She perked slightly at that. "Okay, hubby!"

I hugged her gently, feeling her hum and snuggle into me. "Now, I'm going to make breakfast, do you want to help?" I asked.

"Sure, hubby!" she chirped, flapping away, "What is hubby making?"

"Well, it's a type of food called 'French toast…'"

…

The rest of the household had woken up in the time it took for the scent of breakfast to permeate the building, and they all sat down for a breakfast of the promised French toast, sausage and plenty of coffee. While the atmosphere was enjoyable, there was an underlying current of tension, as everyone knew what would be happening soon.

Smith, Doppel, Manako and Zombina had begged off to head to work while Tio decided to stay behind and lend her support, if only emotionally. The tension reached a breaking point as the car containing Papi's parents pulled up.

Saul blinked as he got his first look of the people that had created Papi. Papi's mother was a harpy, with a similar build to her daughter, and that was the only feature shared. Where Papi had short cobalt curls, eyes and wings with fair skin, her mother was golden blonde with hair down to her waist and darkly tanned, with thick white mascara around her sharp yellow eyes. The man of the pair had Saul wondering if he had actually suffocated in Tio's chest.

That was because, walking up the steps, arm-in-wing with Papi's mother, was the Chief of Police, looking very different without a dour expression and a suit. Saul opened the door before they could knock, pointing at the chief in surprise. "You're Papi's father?" He asked suddenly.

The Chief arched an eyebrow at him, wondering who the rude man was, before his eyes went wide. "The guy from the doujin shop," he recalled in shock, "You're Papi's host?"

"Yeah," Saul muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Small world." He remembered the harpy at the Chief's side and nodded to her, unsure of how to take her radically different appearance from her child. "Hey."

"Human, where is my daughter?" She asked bluntly. "Have you mated with her?"

Both men looked disturbed at the hearing that, her father for being her father and Saul because her father was standing right in front of him. And he also happened to be the Chief of Police. Fortunately, the author was saved from answering as Papi pushed past him to lunge at her mother with a squeal. "Mommy!"

"Daughter!" The blonde harpy replied just as happily, wrapping her wings around her daughter. "Are you well?"

Papi nodded enthusiastically. "Papi's just fine, Mommy!" She turned to the Chief, her smile fading slightly. "Who's the Mustache Guy?"

The Chief winced slightly at being referred to as such. "Hello, Papi, I…am your father." He said awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you."

The cobalt Harpy titled her head and smiled. "You too, Mustache Guy!" she replied cheerfully, before standing back and leaning against Saul. "This is my hubby!"

Both of Papi's parents stared at him, one in fatherly concern and the other with narrowed eyes. "He's your mate?" Papi's mother asked.

Papi blinked and tilted her head. "Mate? No, hubby is hubby!" She hugged Saul's side tightly.

Saul waved. "Hey. My name is Saul Dewitt, I'm Papi's host." He introduced, before waving at the other girls. "These are my homestays. Rachnera, Miia, Yukio, Cerea and Tio, who is not actually living here, she's just visiting."

The other girls waved at them, the Chief glancing between Saul and his ladies with wide eyes, before blinking and shaking his head. Papi's mother waved a wing at them. "Tori is Papi's mother, Tori is." She greeted, before wrapping a wing around the Chief's waist. "And this is Husband."

"Takahashi Keigo," The Chief corrected, nodding. "Nice to meet you all."

The girls nodded in reply, before Miia spoke up. "Why are you taking Papi?" She asked with an upset tone.

Keigo rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Well, Tori and I met before the Exchange began, and decided to live together as a family. We didn't actually intend for Papi to sign up because it would make things complicated, but…" He trailed off, glancing away.

Tori thumbed her chest proudly. "I'm a bird brain. I completely forgot to tell her." She announced with no shame. "And Papi flew off before Tori could."

"Oh," Miia muttered, somewhat mollified.

"Honey," Saul couldn't stop himself from looking at Keigo as he addressed his wife, "Why don't you, Papi and her friends catch up while I go pack the car? Mr. Dewitt, will you help me?"

"Sure," Saul nodded, leading the man through the house as the ladies stayed behind to chat. He was certain he heard Tori ask who his mate was, with Rachnee cheerfully replying.

The Chief cleared his throat. "So, I assume you have questions. Ask." He offered.

"Alright," the author cleared his throat before asking, "Why did you want to be a family with Papi and her mother now? As childish as she can be, Papi is seventeen, and has been living on her own for a few years now."

Keigo sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair. "As you said, my daughter is seventeen, but also recall that Extraspecies have only been introduced to the world at large in the past six months. I love Tori, but a stable relationship has never been viable until now. Beyond a few times a year that she visited me, when she remembered, I've never spent more than a few days with my wife." His face was long, his mustache seeming to droop.

"Huh." Saul muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "That sounds like shit." His mind fell back to the Arachne in the foyer behind them, and how he would feel if, after falling in love with her, she had to leave because her existence was a secret, only able to visit once in awhile.

It would never be enough.

"It was," The Chief replied quietly. "A few months ago, when the bill was being debated, I found a gray hair on my head, and it made me realize that, for as young as I am, I am getting old. And in the seventeen years Papi has been alive, I have never held my daughter in my arms. Back there? That's the second time I've seen her outside of the pictures Tori sent me. I wasn't there for birth, or her first word or her first flight. I may not be a beat cop or a detective anymore, but my line of work is still dangerous." He coughed and straightened his spine. "But with the law in place, I can live openly with Tori without fear of her disappearing into a laboratory or being chased away. And Papi is still young enough that I can have some sort of effect on her life, if only a minor one. It's an opportunity I am not passing up, young man."

Saul blinked at him. "I understand what you're saying, Mr. Takahashi. Frankly, I had hoped the situation was like that. If you were simply trying to bring Papi into your family for the ability to say you had an Extraspecies daughter or for some sort of prestige, I would've fought this with every resource I have, parent or not." He shook his head, pushing open Papi's door. "But since that isn't necessary, I'll just say I'm glad that Papi's going somewhere with people who love her. Also, I'm twenty-three."

Keigo looked at him incredulously as they gathered Papi's bags and packed what she left behind for whatever reason. "You're rather young to be living in a mansion, aren't you?"

"Geh," the author sighed, "This place wasn't a mansion when I bought it. The Program modified it into this awhile back for some reason. To make me do things for them? Maybe to justify sending more Extraspecies here? Or to have a place to dump problem cases? Or, possibly, someone high up just wants to mess with me for a laugh, I don't really know." He explained, irritated.

"Oh," The Chief muttered, gathering up the last bag. After they finished, the two men exited the room and made their way back to the front of the house. "You know, Papi will be able to visit when she wants to."

Saul nodded. "That's good." They arrived in the foyer, where all the ladies were chatting. They stopped upon seeing them carrying the evidence of Papi's impending absence. Solemnly, they parted and followed the two men outside and watched as they packed the trunk. Tori joined her husband as Papi went to say her goodbyes.

She hugged Miia first, the crimson-haired Lamia embracing her friend tightly with teary eyes. They made promises to keep in contact, see about getting the Harpy a Wii with an internet connection so that they could play together.

Papi shared a light hug with Cerea, since they hadn't known each for very long and had opposing personalities. She moved onto Yukio and shared a short embrace with her, since the Yuki-Onna was cold. She then hugged Tio around the thighs and had to struggle to get away when the oni began to bawl and snuggle with her.

Rachnee merely wrapped her arms around the Harpy before patting her head, leaving Saul for last. The author and his now-former homestay stood in awkward silence before Papi darted forward and hugged him tightly, with him returning the gesture fiercely. Despite how different they were, Saul liked Papi very much, and the excitable harpy had quickly built a special place for her in his heart.

"Remember, you can visit whenever you want, Papi." He whispered softly, "You'll always have a place here."

"Okay, hubby," She murmured, drawing back and kissing his cheek gently. "Papi's gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Saul replied, kissing her forehead.

They separated slowly, both with wet eyes. Saul felt Rachnee put an arm around his shoulder as Papi slipped into the car, her father closing the door behind her. He nodded to them and entered the driver's seat, starting the car up with a rumble. As they pulled away, a window rolled down and Papi's top half emerged from the interior.

"Bye everyone!" She called, waving her wings. "Bye Hubby! By Racky! Bye Miia! By Cereal! Bye Yuko! Bye Giant Lady!"

They waved back until the car pulled around a corner and out of sight. Saul sighed and leaned against Rachnee comfortingly as she hugged him gently, the weight of what had happened settling on his shoulders like a leaden mantle.

The somber mood was inadvertently broken by Tio as she dramatically fell to her knees, clutching her chest and crying. Worried, Saul hurried over and laid a hand on her shoulder, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong; when the breath was driven from his lungs as the oni turned and clutched him to her tightly.

"She called me 'Giant Lady'!" Tio wailed, "She didn't even remember my name! Just my size!"

Breathing heavily, Saul carefully patted the oni on the head, avoiding her horn. "She's not the best with names, Tio, it's fine, don't worry about it." He gasped.

"Verily." Cerea huffed indignantly, crossing her arms. "That Harpy believed me to be named Cereal! As if my mother would name me such!"

Rachnee shrugged with deliberate force, making her breasts jiggle. "I thought her calling me 'Racky' was actually pretty appropriate, though maybe you would've preferred to be called that, Cereal?" She asked teasingly, poking Cerea's chest.

"Gah! Remove thy hands at once!" The centaur cried, trying to cover her massive mammaries protectively.

As they squabbled, Yukio reached over and tugged on Tio's sleeve as Miia tried and failed to pull Saul out of her arms. "Excuse me, Tio, but I need Beloved conscious if we are to go on our date today." She said calmly.

At that, Tio stopped her over dramatic sobbing and set Saul down, glancing between the author and the Yuki-Onna with curiosity in her dull red eyes. "You guys are going on a date?" She asked with ill-concealed jealousy in her voice.

Rachnee smirked knowingly, patting Saul on the back. "Yup. I mean, he already took me and Miia on a date, he's taking Yukio out today, and then he's trotting off with Cerea tomorrow." Her smirk turned into a full-blown grin at the envious fire blazing in Tio's eyes. "Though, I'm sure if you asked nicely, Honey wouldn't mind taking you out as well."

The author regained his breath just in time to hear the last part of Rachnee's offer. "Wait, what?" He stepped back as Tio was suddenly in his face, an expression of intensity on her cute face. "Uh…yes, Tio?"

"Would you really go on a date with me?" She asked seriously, as if his potential answer meant that life as they knew it would change.

"Uh…sure." He replied with a nod. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

Tio's expression lit up, and it was as if the sun had come out. "Yay! I get a date with Sweetie!" She cheered, doing a little happy dance before tapping her chin in thought. "But when? I have work next week…I know!" Tio snapped her fingers, pointing in the air triumphantly. "Next weekend!"

Saul blinked, trading confused looks with Rachnee. "You mean sometime next weekend? Like Saturday or Sunday?"

Tio favored him with a beatific smile. "No, silly Sweetie, I mean all of next weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday." She said completely innocently.

"Hey, now wait a minute!" Rachnee cut in, a frown replacing her grin in an instant. "You can't just decide to take Honey for an entire weekend, that's not fair!"

"Well, not the entire weekend," Tio shrugged. "We can meet up on Friday and come back Sunday evening."

The Arachne crossed her arms. "No." She declared firmly, fixing the oni with a serious look.

Suddenly, she was assaulted by horrifying, gut-wrenching sight: Tio with her head tilted downward, her red eyes wide and soulful, hands clasped pleadingly in front of her, her lower lip trembling as if she was on the verge of bursting into depressed tears. "...Please?" The oni asked in small, heart-broken voice.

"Hrk." Rachne gasped, clutching her chest at the heartrendingly cute and sad expression on the oni's face, being barely aware of Saul leaning heavily on her in the same position. Even Miia, Cerea and Yukio were affected just by being in a close proximity to her. "Alright, Tio, just…stop doing that…please."

As if a switch had been flipped, Tio lost the expression and skipped over to Saul and Rachnee, giving the latter a tight hug and the former a happy kiss on the cheek. "Okay! I have to go plan! Bye!" Having successfully manipulated the fuck out of them, the oni left with a happy twirl of her dress.

"Jesus…" Saul muttered, patting his chest as if it would stop his heart from pounding. "I thought I was immune to looks like that, but good god…it was like my heart was being squeezed."

"Quite the dangerous technique," Cerea added, her countenance thoughtful. "I will have to build my defenses against it, for my Noble Master!"

Rachnee panted, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I…did not know Tio could do that," She huffed, shaking herself before grabbing Saul in a tight hug. "Well, seems like you won't be here next weekend."

"If she uses that to get her way again, we're going to have to stop being friends with her." The author replied, separating from Rachnee and looking up at the sky. "Well, it's getting closer to noon. We should get ready to go, Yukio."

The Yuki-Onna nodded. "What should I wear?"

"Comfortable and casual, with a swimsuit underneath." He said, "And some comfortable shoes. We'll be walking for a bit."

Yukio nodded in agreement, a small smile quirking her lips.

…

After preparing for the day, the pair left for the nearby water park, walking a good distance from their house to catch a bus. As he expected, Saul and Yukio were stared at, the latter more so, naturally. It wasn't as bad as it was when Rachnee or Miia went out, since Yukio looked just like a human woman, albeit an extremely beautiful one with pale skin and white hair.

And also since about three of the people on the half-full bus were Extraspecies themselves. Two were cat-girls, while the other was a kobold. All waved at them cheerfully and moved to sit around them, chattering with Yukio about her experiences in the world of humans and how great it was to see another Extraspecies woman out and about. They squealed when it was revealed that Saul and Yukio were on a date and asked to let them know how it went, stuffing a piece of paper with their numbers on it in Yukio's hand.

They waved to their new acquaintances as the bus pulled away, trading bemused looks as the sudden storm of talking and excitement had passed. "Well, that was weird." Saul stated blandly as they walked into the park, the sun shining down high overhead.

An older gentleman manned the ticket booth, smiling and accepting money in exchange for a pair of tickets and dolphin stamps on the back of their hands. The interior of the park was at a pleasant level of occupancy, most of the visitors being older people with younger children, likely grandparents taking grandchildren out for the day. Most of the kiddie pools and slides were in use, which was just fine with Saul. He hadn't intended for them to ride those.

They entered separated locker rooms to change into their swimsuits and store their items away, meeting back outside and taking a second to admire the other. Saul wore a pair of simple dark blue trunks with an orange stripe going up one leg, leaving his chest bare with the exception of an obsidian raven in flight, hanging from a silver chain. With that, he had simple flip-flops and a pair of yellow sunglasses.

Yukio wore a navy blue one-piece swimsuit that had a reasonable neckline and covered most of her front, showing the sides of her toned stomach and her back. Along with that, she had a wide-brimmed tan straw hat and a pair of round black sunglasses. She gave a small smile as Saul held out his arm, taking it easily.

"Where to first, Yukio?" He asked, waving at the park. "There're plenty of rides."

She tapped her chin in thought, her blank blue eyes settling a tall, swirling slide; more importantly, she saw that all of those in line to ride were paired up, holding pool floats built for two. "Let's do that one." Yukio replied, her voice tinged with excitement.

Saul grinned as she took the lead, almost pulling him along towards the ride. He snagged a float as she set her hat and their sunglasses aside, and they stood in the thankfully short line. As they stood, Yukio glanced down and noticed something she hadn't before. Saul had a tattoo of the sun on his left shoulder. If she hadn't seen the faded black lines, she wouldn't have noticed as the light yellow coloration blended with his skin very well.

Yukio resolved to ask him about it later as they stepped to the front and took their seats on the float, her in front and him in back. The Yuki-Onna leaned back against her host as he pushed off and they rocketed down the slide, a cheer slipping through her lips as they picked up speed and raced towards the bottom. They hit the water at high speeds, flinging them through the air shortly before landing in the pool with a pair of mighty splashes.

Saul emerged from the water first, brushing his hair out of his eyes and spitting up water with a smile. Yukio popped up next to him, a wide grin on her face was she flipped her long white hair over her shoulder. He was struck by the way her smile seemed to light up the world around her, and how attractive she looked soaking wet. Of course, calling Yukio just 'attractive' was much like saying swimming in liquid nitrogen would be 'a bit chilly'. That is, a massive understatement.

She turned to Saul, pausing as she noticed the somewhat stunned look on his face. "...Beloved?" The Yuki-Onna asked hesitantly.

The author shook himself briefly, smiling back at her. "Nothing, I just like it when you smile." He said honestly, "You look even more beautiful when you do."

Yukio stiffened, her cheeks darkening as the water around her flash-froze with a crackle. "I-uh, I…thank you, beloved," She murmured, looking away shyly.

He chuckled, taking her hand and leading her from the pool. "No need to thank me for telling the truth, Yukio." Saul set the float aside and quickly brushed the droplets of frozen water off of her shoulders. "Come on, there are plenty of rides left."

The Yuki-Onna smiled softly and took his hand, before pointing out another slide. "Let's go on that one."

…

There were dozens of rides for them to go on, and they spent hours trying out each one that struck their fancy. A few turned out to be more fun than expected, like one slide that had wide turns that spun their float around like a top, making them scream and cheer, or another that flew by at a breakneck pace, launching them from one tube to another.

A few were less fun, like one ride that was rather straightforward. They went at about the same time in the twin tubes, sliding forward a bit before suddenly plummeting downwards, shooting out the end and sending the water at the bottom splashing high into the air. Saul had a blast on that one, and nearly fell over laughing as he heard Yukio shriek in fright, her pale form zipping out of the slide and hitting the water, sending the waves up where they froze solid.

He stumbled over to her slide and pulled a shaking Yukio out of the ice. She frowned at him and cracked a piece of ice off of her inadvertent sculpture, pulling the waistband of his shorts away and dropping it inside.

To her dismay, Saul only jumped a little and shook his leg out. "That wasn't very nice, Saul." She muttered, turning away from him and crossing her arms. "You didn't tell me about the drop."

Saul guffawed, leaning on the rim of the slide. "The first time I went to a place like this, my sister did the exact same thing, with the exact same results. I was just continuing the tradition." He explained, before breaking out in laughter. "That scream, though!"

Yukio found it hard to keeping frowning at the sound of his mirth, feeling her lips pulling up at the corners, before she froze. His sister did that to him, and he did it to me…does he see me like a sister? She wondered with a dawning sense of unease. She jumped as Saul suddenly hugged her, his warmth sinking through her skin and seemingly into her soul.

"I won't do that again, I swear," He whispered, his hot breath blowing in her ear. "I'm sorry if that frightened you, but just think: you can do the exact same thing to someone else the next time we go here."

That soothed her worries a bit, but the unease remained.

Luckily, the attendants didn't raise to much of a fuss at the ice, as the sun would melt it in short order. After that event, they continued their day of fun.

There were a few more fun rides, but the one of note was a log ride: the sudden drops made Yukio clutch at Saul like he was a life-line, something they both enjoyed immensely.

They rode that one three times.

After riding most of the slides for hours, Saul and Yukio retired to the food court for lunch, even though noon had passed about two hours ago. They both ordered a serving of chicken teriyaki, very large servings on very large plates that came with fried rice.

As they dug in, Saul was slightly stunned to see the the slender Yukio scarfing down her lunch at a pace that would make several anime heroes jealous, except in a manner that was twice as elegant and refined as he would ever be on a good day. She glanced up at him in confusion, asking "What?" around a mouthful of chicken.

He simply smiled and shook his head, digging into his meal. "Nothing."

After lunch, they decided to top the day off with a relaxing ride down a lazy river that spanned almost all of the park, lounging on floats with freshly-made mango smoothies in hand. As their floats bumped together, Saul reached out and linked his hand with Yukio's, smiling softly as he relaxed. Yukio gently ran her thumb over his knuckles, enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something.

On Saul's left side, just below his ribcage, there was a thin, silvery scar, about an inch long that was wide near his back and narrowing to a point. She made a mental note to ask him about it later, along with his tattoo, and settled back in her float to enjoy the feeling of closeness.

As they waded from the bank of the artificial river, the author turned to the Yuki-Onna. "Are you sure you don't want to go on the roller coasters?" He asked again, gesturing to the high tracks and fast cars full of screaming passengers.

Smiling, Yukio squeezed his still-held hand softly. "Yes," She shook her head, "maybe another day. I am pretty tired, and the park is beginning to fill up."

As the afternoon had gone along, more and more people filtered into the park, ready to enjoy the adrenaline rush of the rides and cold water.

"I can understand that," Saul replied with a nod. "Let's get dressed and go home."

They returned to the locker rooms, showering and dressing in short order, exiting as the lines to enter grew. The bus pulled up as they arrived at the stop, disgorging a full load of passengers that left the interior pleasantly quiet on the ride back. As the bus bounced down the road, Yukio leaned on her Beloved's shoulder, her eyes closing as he rested his head on hers.

The two stayed that way until their stop came up, hitting the sidewalk with their hands intertwined, still leaning on one another. They walked back slowly, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and one another.

Reaching the front door of their home, Yukio slowed to a stop, turning to face her host. "Beloved…do you know why I call you that?" She asked quietly, taking both of his hands in hers.

"Well, everyone else seems to have some sort of nickname for me," Saul shrugged sheepishly with a small smile. "Thought you might've felt left out."

Yukio giggled quietly, shaking her head. "No, that's not why. I call you Beloved because I…I have feelings for you. The emotions I feel when I am with you are more intense than anything I've ever experienced before, Beloved." She dropped his left hand and pulled the collar of his shirt down, exposing part of his chest, which she laid her palm against. His heartbeat pounded under his skin, thrumming against her palm like the beat of a drum. "Even when I first descended from my home in the mountains and felt the burn of the sun, I have never felt this warmth that I experience now, when I touch you."

Her intensity was almost palpable, her eyes locked with Saul's to the point that all he could see was her, the rest of the world blurring out of focus. His throat was dry and tight, to the point that he could only whisper her name. "Yukio…"

"Don't…" She interrupted, licking her lips nervously. "I've never done this before, and if I don't say it now, I don't know if I'll ever build up the courage to say it again." Yukio breathed deeply, before reaching up and unbuttoning the top of her shirt, just the first few clasps. She took his right hand and placed it on her chest, just above her left breast. "Do you feel that, Beloved? Can you feel my heart as it beats?"

Beneath her cool skin, Saul could feel her heart; the beat slow, steady and assured. It was as if he had completed a circuit, electrifying tingles racing up his arms and his spine and settling in his heart before racing back out into Yukio. "Yeah…" he breathed, his pulse racing, "Yeah, I do."

Yukio's lips curved sweetly as she smiled, one of the warmest expression he had ever seen. "There is nothing and no one else who can make my heart beat this way, Beloved," She whispered, sliding her hand up from his chest to cup his face as he shivered at the sensation, "My heart beats only for you."

Having said her piece, Yukio closed the distance and gently pressed her lips to his. She held there for a few seconds, before pulling away and seeing that Saul was frozen in place. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. "Yukio, I…" He gulped quietly, "I don't know what to say…"

"Because of your feelings for Rachnee?" She asked knowingly, a small, sad smile on her face. "I understand, Beloved. I just wanted you to know how I feel." Yukio turned and tried to step away, only for Saul's hand grasp her wrist and pull her back as he embraced her and kissed her passionately.

Yukio stiffened in surprise, before melting into his arms and his lips with a muffled moan. Her fingers threaded through his hair as their lips melded together again and again, their hearts beating in time.

Saul broke away, breathing heavily. "Yukio, I don't know when I'll be able to return all of your feelings, but I will. I just need time to…I'm still getting used to the idea that someone wants to be with me, let alone more than one. Just…give me some time, okay?" He pleaded softly, willing her to understand through his eyes.

She smiled softly, her arms around his neck. "I am a Yuki-Onna, Beloved," She replied, pecking his lips. "I can wait forever, if need be. Don't make me wait that long, okay?" Yukio kissed him one more time, before tapping his nose emphasis and stepping away.

"I won't," He promised, taking her hand once more and stepping towards the door…only to slip and tumble to the ground.

The outpouring of feelings and emotions had affected Yukio's power, making a thin sheet of ice develop on the ground; which Saul had then slipped on like a dumbass.

"Beloved!"

"Ow…I'm fine, Yukio. Though, I may need an ice pack…"

"It is lucky I am here then, Beloved."

…

…

…

A/N: Another chapter down. And hey, look! Saul actually had a good reason for wanting Papi to go, and not because he sees her as a non-sexual object! Wow, it's almost like that was planned from the very beginning, oh my god!

That's not to say that everyone disliked that move, oh no, it's just that those who did were vocal about it. Which I actually like, to be honest. If I get that kind of reaction from my work, it just means people are invested in both the story and the character, which makes me happy that my skills are at that level.

But yeah, there was saying goodbye to Papi, where I even left a way for her to come back if I wanted, imagine that! I also gave her parents names. Since Papi was named after how Harpy sounds, I decided to name her mother after her most blatant feature, her bird wings. Tori means 'bird' in Japanese. And her father just has the most generic Japanese name I could think of.

And then a bit with Tio (who is still cute, by the way) and yes, she has weaponized her irresistibility, but don't expect her to get away with it all the time.

And the big thing: The date with Yukio. I don't actually know what water parks are like in Japan, so I pulled on my experience of going to Wild Waves.

And it ended with a confession, which I enjoyed writing, since the beginning of the relationship with Rachnee was basically her pushing Saul down, kissing him and saying 'we both know how we feel, let's stop wasting time', and I wanted to do a romantic confession.

But, also, I wanted to twist things a little bit. Usually, and this is something I've done, in a harem story, the man is all for it and has to convince the ladies that a relationship like that is worth it. Instead, the girls are the ones for the harem, but the guy is the one unsure about it, and for good reason. Since the girls were raised with very little men, they expected to be part of harem, which is natural for their species. But, since Saul is human and has only been in a human relationship, he doesn't know how to handle it. Much like a real person would.

Anyway, now that the chapter's done, you know what it's time for!

That's right, another Omake starring Neseg and Saul!

Omake:

"Ah, shit," sighed Neseg, hunched over his controller, "I died again."

Saul guffawed, leaning back on the couch. "Yeah, maybe starting out on Hard mode was a bit overzealous," he admitted between chuckles. "Don't worry about it, let's just do a few Strikes and matches to get your skills up. Oryx isn't going anywhere…not until we kill him, anyway."

"Works for me," the Devil agreed easily, "I did say I'd never played before…"

"True, but it was fun to see you driving the struggle-bus," The author replied with a laugh, setting them up for a Strike and changing his load-out. "This way, you know what we're up against and can practice the tactics against easier enemies - oh god dammit, not the Mind Flayers again. With freaking Void Burn, too? Ugh..."

Neseg grunted, taking aim. "Fucking hell, it's like every damn Taken in the room wants to swarm me. Why the hell are they smart enough to gang up on the sniper?!"

"Because half of them are the stupid Fallen-Taken snipers, the ones who throw up the shields if a fly farts at them." Saul grumbled, the sound a click followed by an explosion making him grin. "Doesn't matter if I get inside your shield and stick you, does it?! Whoop, I'm dying, poppin' a shield."

His fellow player obliged by headshotting a Cabal Legionnaire that had tried to get the drop on him. "Got it. Starting to run low on ammo. Might have fucked up by not taking a weapon with a larger pool."

"Yeah, they got that modifier as well, the one that makes it so ammo only drops for the weapons you're not using. Side note, I'm completely full on heavy and my sword is ready to go. You want to Shadowshot them so I can clean 'em up?" Saul asked, pulling out his Exotic Sword.

Neseg nodded. "Alright. Tell me where to fire."

Saul had his Titan chuck a grenade at a wall. "Right there."

The devil quickly homed in on the object and used his ability, leaping up into the air with a bow of lavender energy. He fired a glowing projectile at that spot, creating an orb where it landed. Tendrils of dark energy lashed out in all directions, entangling the mobs and slowing them.

Saul's Titan dived into the action, eviscerating the tethered enemies with a wide spin attack. "You know, I don't really understand why people like the Bolt-Caster so much," he remarked casually, despite the violence on-screen. "I mean, it's lightning attack is pretty good, but I didn't go through all that work just to get a sword that can shoot things. I have guns for that. That's why I go with the Dark-Drinker, since it makes killing things up close even easier, like a good sword should."

"Well, what's not to like about lightning?" Neseg murmured, keeping half an ear on the conversation, "It's fuckin' lightning. It's fun." He paused to consider. "Well, so long as it's not pointed at you. My Peerage's Queen uses it a lot. Almost blinded me the first time I saw it."

Saul paused after punching a Taken Flayer into a shield. "Is she a sadist?" he asked carefully.

"Mm. That she is."

"Is she hot?"

"But of course." Neseg flushed slightly. "She was the first person I saw when I got turned into a Devil, too." His character died. "Ah."

"Nothing like a hot girl to make someone not mind being a Devil." Saul replied with a shrug. "Rezzing."

"Alright."

"Oh man, can I wish for a less shitty teammate? This damn Warlock keeps blinking in like a dumbass."

The Devil frowned. "Oh yeah, I see him. You're not Tracer, dumbass! You can only use that one at a time!"

"Some people, you know?" The author muttered, throwing up another shield. "Glad I went Defender."

…

Big thanks to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7 for doing all that editing and shit. Why not give them a look-see while you're here?

And yes, Suu will show up, but eventually! I'm taking my time introducing new characters! Patience, young one! Your waifu will come.

Stay Awesome.

~Soleneus

P.S.: If you've read my other stories, which one is your favorite? If you haven't read the others, then...go do that, then answer the question. And maybe also review those as well.

It's a shameless plug, yes, but then again, I have no shame.

Stay Awesome Some More.

~still Soleneus