I didn't realize FanFiction had monstergirl stories. I might as well start uploading mine here!
So anyways, this is simply a story of fluff, family, and fatherhood. If you'd like a feel-good story about a man raising monstergirl children, then this story might be for you! There isn't any serious plot development.
Enjoy reading!
Chapter 1-A: Chance Encounter
Stormy weather.
Heavy rain.
Thundering sounds.
It wasn't the brightest of days.
It wasn't his brightest of days either.
Failed… again.
His eyes scanned the email on the handheld screen, his thumb scrolling through the lines of text.
And here I thought third time's the charm.
A deep sigh escaped his wet lips, only to be captured within the mask covering his mouth.
I don't know what to do anymore.
He slid the phone into his windbreaker's pocket. His legs stopped moving forward and he raised his head high, letting a longer sigh escape his lips.
He looked to the side, observing the millions of raindrops crashing against the asphalt in an irregular manner, much like the state of his mind.
The weather's sure capturing my mood perfectly.
He turned his body to face the rain, basking in the calming moment. Despite the heavy rain, he found some appreciation in it. It made him want to relax, knock himself out, and forget everything for a while.
Better head home quick. See you later, rain.
He turned back to the sidewalk and pushed his legs forward once more, putting one foot in front of the other. The sound of his steps was overshadowed by the crashing rain.
After walking forward another few steps, he stopped in place. The shop he was standing next to, for whatever reason, caught his attention. He always passed by this place on the way home, but he had never paid any attention to it.
The animal shelter…
Looking through the glass wall, he saw two people, a man and a woman, standing behind the counter. They seemed to be discussing something with one another. Judging by their similar appearances, he guessed they were siblings. They look familiar. Since he was already here, his eyes scanned around the place.
Was it always this empty?
He saw dozens of cages, beds, and kennels… yet there were no signs of life breathing in them. He supposed that was a good thing. It meant these animals were getting adopted, finally finding their homes.
At the corner of his eye, he saw a little hand waving at him. Strangely, it wasn't the people behind the counter. His gaze shifted downwards and he saw… two animal ears. Cat ears, to be exact. His gaze moved down further, and he saw… a face? A face of a girl? A face with two bubbly eyes staring back at him. She had very pale purple hair, with blue eyes that seemed to be peering into his soul. Her presence didn't seem to be of this world if he had to describe it. Finding this a bit unsettling, he turned his head away quickly.
What did I just see…?
He slowly turned his head to look again. This time, she was rapidly waving her hand which suggested she wanted his attention. Well, seeing anyone wave their hand in this manner would certainly be eye-catching…
As if being dragged in by a mysterious force, he pushed through the glass door. Why did he come here? He wasn't sure why. Maybe his curiosity got the best of him, he thought.
The pair behind the counter didn't seem to notice he had come in. They looked like they were in the middle of a heated discussion, so he chose not to announce his presence. He wasn't the best at socializing with strangers, so maybe this was a good thing.
"Mister!"
He flinched in surprise, almost losing his balance. Where did that voice come from?! It certainly wasn't from the two other people in the room.
"Mister! Down here!"
He shifted his gaze to find the voice, resting on the same face he saw earlier. She was waving her hand… at him? He took a few steps closer and noticed she was on a thin mattress, with a fence that barely reached up to her head… probably to prevent her from wandering around. She seemed to be a child, her height reaching around his waist. What was a child doing in a place like this?
"Hi there!" she greeted him cheerfully.
"…" he looked to his left, then to his right. He then concluded she must be talking to him.
"… Hello there." He greeted back shyly.
"Are you… interested in adopting monstergirls?" she asked in a curious tone.
"… Eh?" Adoption? That sure escalated quickly. Then again, he was in an animal shelter, or so he thought… wait.
Monstergirl? He took a quick look at the little girl. Right, those cat ears, even that tail he just noticed, weren't part of his imagination.
So she's a monstergirl. This is a shelter for monstergirls.
Monstergirls–human and monster hybrids.
He was familiar with them, though he had never interacted with one before. It was a long time ago when monstergirls and humans began coexisting in one society. He'd seen them a few times, but he didn't care. Though to his surprise, they looked more human than he expected.
But I'm not here to adopt anyone…
He stood up and turned around, not even bothering to give a proper response to the monstergirl.
"W-Wait!" she cried out, trying to grab ahold of his jacket through the fence. "Don't go!"
Something in that voice stopped him from moving.
"I-If you look here, we're free!" Using her little hands, she pointed at the sign outside of the fence. "You can get free monstergirls!"
They're free, huh? He scanned the sign, looking over each letter. That sounds suspicious…
"L-Look!" she grabbed a ball of yarn and presented it to him. "I can do some cool tricks!"
Aiming to impress him, she tossed the ball into the air…
BONK!
… unfortunately, it came crashing down on her head.
"Oww!" the girl held her head where it was hit. She began rubbing it slowly. Soon, tears began welling up in her eyes. "Ough…"
"…" There was something about her face, something about her eyes that tugged at his frozen heart. As if driven by instinct, he reached out his hand and placed it on her hair.
"… Huh?" she looked up at him with upturned eyes.
Crouching down, He patted her head, gently caressing her fluffy hair. He was surprised her hair was so soft. It was nice to touch, like a sheep's fluffy wool.
"Mhmm…" she leaned in closer to his hand. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of it, feeling safe.
He slowly pulled his hand away, but it was immediately grabbed by two little hands.
"No!" she pulled his hand back onto her head. "Please continue."
"… Heh." Behind his mask, he didn't realize his lips curved into a smile. Cute…
"Why… are you in this shelter?" Eryn asked, curious.
"… No one wants to adopt us." The monstergirl whispered in a sad tone. "We've always been transferred from shelter to shelter."
"I see…" Eryn hummed. That's sad to hear.
"I've never seen her this friendly with a human." An unfamiliar voice said with awe.
"You must be special. You're the first one that's ever talked to her." Another voice added.
He turned around and saw the pair from earlier. Must be the owners of this place.
"Hello there!" The man bowed down politely. "It's been a while!"
"Wait, you two know each other?" The woman asked.
I'm wondering the same thing. He looked at the man, trying to see if it jogged his memory.
"Oh, I suppose you might have forgotten." He rubbed the back of his head, placing one hand on his hip. "This place wasn't a monstergirl shelter in the past. You came here with your sister often when you were younger."
Ah… I faintly remember something like that. It was years ago…
"You're… Aiden and Amber, aren't you?" He asked, feeling a rush of memories flash through his mind. They were indeed siblings.
"Oh!" Aiden's eyes widened in surprise. "You do remember us!"
"It seems little Eryn is all grown up now!" Amber said.
"It seems you remember me as well." Eryn smiled. It's been a while since he connected with other people, and it was nice. "You two… work in a monstergirl shelter now?"
"Yeah!" She replied. "We've been trying to find homes for all these monstergirls, and it's been going quite well!"
"Well, except…" Aiden motioned to the girl Eryn was still patting.
"I see." Eryn nodded in understanding. I forgot I was still patting her. "I've noticed that…"
"They're free." Aiden finished. "I'm sure it looks odd, doesn't it?"
"Why's that?" Eryn was curious. He's known Aiden and Amber since his childhood, though he only remembered that just now. They were people with honest and good hearts, so he knew there must be a good reason.
"Well, it might not seem obvious to you…" Aiden folded his arms. "But she's an adult monstergirl."
"… What?" Eryn raised an eyebrow. She's an adult?!
"Most people who come here don't exactly… want to adopt an adult monstergirl." He adjusted his eyeglass. Actually, all of them. "Too much to handle, hard to raise, that kind of stuff."
"Is it a big problem if they're already adults?" Eryn asked. He wasn't too familiar with the way monstergirls were taken care of.
"I wouldn't say it's a big issue…" Aiden answered. "People seem to prefer raising a monstergirl while they're still a baby. It makes it easier to assimilate into a family."
"It's also easier to establish a bond with a developing monstergirl than a matured one." Amber continued.
"A bond…?" Eryn pondered that word. I remember hearing something about bonds…
"Right. A critical need of a monstergirl is, well, their need to bond with humans."
I see… wasn't that one of the key factors in creating a human-monstergirl society? Eryn hummed that thought to himself.
"And well… bonding with an adult monstergirl, especially if you're new to this… it comes with serious risks."
"… I see." Eryn nodded. He was aware of the risks. "What happens if… she doesn't get adopted?" he asked, a bit afraid to hear the answer.
"Well…" Aiden rubbed his forearm. "We'll keep taking care of them until they reach a certain age. In which case, we'll have to transfer them to a… different shelter."
There were certain… centers for monstergirls who were unable to find owners.
"It's hard to find owners for them." Amber stroked her chin thoughtfully, organizing the words in her mind. "It's a big responsibility to bear. You see… we only let people adopt them if they've proven they're a capable owner. And I don't want to admit it, but I understand why no one would want to adopt them."
"… I see." Eryn turned to the monstergirl, still stroking her head. He lifted his hand, much to her disappointment.
"Mister, please don't go away…" her cat ears and tail slumped downward, sadness growing on her face. She gripped his jacket, not wanting to let go.
"… She really has taken a liking to you, huh?" Aiden said with a smile.
He wasn't sure what led him to this decision. He wasn't sure why he was standing right here. He wasn't sure how he found it in himself to take action. He lived a life of loneliness, devoid of social communication. It was something he had grown used to. It was something he didn't want to change.
And yet, the words easily slipped through his lips.
"… Could I adopt her?"
