Disclaimer: I do not own Everyday Life with Monstergirls.
Jack kicked off his shoes and started to put away his wallet and keys when Tom called from the living room. "Be there in sec." Jack answered.
He had a smile the whole time. He could barely recall the drive home. All he could think about was his future with the Exchange.
With her. And her. And possibly her. Oh and maybe her.
Jack walked over to the living room.
"You were gone long." Tom commented. His eyes didn't leave focus from the 51" screen. His dark brown lumberjack beard waggled slightly.
Jack nodded. "Yeah they needed something more from me, and it's not all worked out yet, buuuut I might have just got my self another job."
That got their attention. Ronnie tilted his head away from his phone. His glasses reflected a colorful freemium app. "With the Exchange?"
Jack nodded affirmative.
"Doing what?" Tom asked.
Jack shrugged. "Being a host."
Tom furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "Here?"
Jack raised a hand. "No not here, someplace else."
"'Kay cause, I was gonna say 'we don't exactly have the room.'"
"That's what I told them." Jack replied. Ronnie blinked a couple of times. "So you're moving out?"
Jack nodded. "Looks that way."
"They got a place for you and the liminals your staying with?" He asked.
"The coordinator says he'll get something ready real soon." Jack said. "That's part of the not worked out yet issue."
"So they're gonna pay you to be a host. Don't you have to sign up for that first or something?" Tom asked.
Jack rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I didn't sign up, but he made me an offer. And I hate my job."
"Yeah." Ronnie nodded. "So how many are you gonna host?"
"Two for now." Jack answered. "I've already met with them. And they seem pretty cool so far."
"What are they?" Tom asked.
"A Lamia and an Arachne." Jack said while retrieving his smart phone. He wasn't allowed to keep the original files but he insisted on getting a selfie with each of them before he left. He tapped his phone a few times and brought up the recent gallery. He flipped it around so they could see.
"Sula is from Brazil, and Tetra is from..." Jack blinked a few times. "I don't think she actually told me where she's from."
"Damn dude." Tom exclaimed. "They're hot. And you're going to be living with them?" He raised an eyebrow. Jack smiled sheepishly. "Yeah I doubt they're all that attracted to me."
Ronnie got off the couch and took a look at the selfies. "I think he means that it's kinda risky for them to put two representatives of species that require a male human to procreate in a house with a male human."
"While there's a law against sexual relations with liminals." Jack acknowledged. "Yeah I know."
Ronnie and Tom glanced at each other. Ronnie took the smartphone and gave it back to Jack. "It's not that we think you'll do anything with them. You're the nicest, most generous friend we know." Jack blinked and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "It's more that...have you really thought about this?"
Tom nodded in assent. "Yeah, sounds to me that they just dropped this on you and those two haphazardly and are hoping for the best or something."
"I -it." Jack stammered trying to deny their concern. But the more the thought lingered the more it started to eat away at his confidence. Was he just running away from his job to get something different regardless of what it would actually cost him? Was he running away from his friends? Would he actually be able to handle two very dangerous liminals by himself with a strong possibility of more being added? Was he really qualified for this? Agent Smythe seemed to think so. But more importantly did he think he was qualified for this?
"Shit."
Ronnie and Tom nodded together.
"Shit I gotta think about this." Jack walked back to the door and slipped his shoes back on. He retrieved his keys from his desk and went out to his car. "Okay gotta think."
Normally he'd go to a small park and people watch to clear his head and let his mind work out whatever it needed without any major distractions. But he was also hungry. So local family pub it was.
Bonnie and Ben's had been a fixture on the main street strip since the seventies. Independently owned and operated, the B'n'B' had quietly endured nearly half a century of economic shifts, social unrest, and bore silent witness to several of its patrons being called to one war or another. Jack had utilized its sturdy indifference and Old World tavern fashion to set his mind at ease many times before.
Jack passed the 'Please seat yourself' sign and chose a small half booth in the corner. He might be here a while and didn't want to inconvenience someone else who'd need a regular booth for their family or friends. He whipped out a notepad and pen that he kept in his car and started writing thoughts madly while anticipating an interruption from the waitress.
"What can I get for you hun?" A somewhat portly but kindly faced woman asked.
"The usual Denise." Jack replied but didn't look up from his note pad. He had to get the last bits of thought written before it was gone.
"Coming right up hun." Jack could just hear the smirk in the woman's voice as she started walking away.
"Oh and tell Mike to take his time." Jack looked away from his notes long enough to make his request. "I'll probably be here a while."
Denise nodded back. "You got it hun."
Jack looked back at his notes and reviewed them.
Pros:
New job, actually challenging. college courses probably actually useful.
Better income
New location (where?)
Cool roommates, Hot! (more to host later on)
Public service job.
Cons:
Roommates are monsters, could easily hurt or kill me. (they're people but still, claws, venom etc.)
Quit current job. (not much of a con but risky if this doesn't work out.)
Leaving my friends. (probably not that far. Can still visit.)
Unknowns:
Lots of details needed about responsibilities. What am I actually doing?
Medical care if injured? What happens to them after? What happens to me if they're taken away, deported.
What the actual exchange bill says. (need to research)
Why me?
He lingered on that last item. Why did Smythe choose him? Convenience? Because of the donation? His education or lack thereof? A combination of all that or something else?
Jack tapped his pen on the paper lightly trying to think of any more issues. He barely noticed when a plate with a steaming grilled chicken breast and kettle chips was set before him. He idly grabbed a chip and popped it in his mouth.
Damn that's good right now. His stomach grumbled in agreement. Despite the heavy subject of his future on his mind Jack gave in and chowed down on the meal.
I'm going to have to cook like this aren't I? Jack thought as he carved off another bite of chicken. He added that note onto the list. He optimistically put it under pros: reasoning that learning to cook better would be beneficial in the end anyway.
Splitting his attention between the notes and eating Jack completely missed when a large slice of chocolate cake just appeared at his table. He blinked and looked up. "I didn't- " he started and looked around for Denise. She was already taking an order from another customer on the other side of the pub.
Jack sat back down and stared at the cake. He really shouldn't.
He put a note about exercising and at least trying to maintain a healthier diet. He put it under unknown.
Not cause he didn't think it was good or bad, just that he didn't know if he could keep it up.
He'd never tried a diet before. And his job kept him fairly active for ten or more hours per weekday. So he never thought exercise would be really necessary. "But if I'm going to be teaching them about human society I ought to at least set a good example." He said to himself.
Jack stared at the cake, despairing the dilemma he was in. If he ate it he'd pretty much confirm himself as a fat slob in his current mindset. If he didn't he'd be spurning Denise's generosity. If he turned down the host position he was a selfish coward who got two wonderful liminal's hopes up for no reason. If he did take it he might fail miserably and make things worse. He'd have no job and no way to pay rent for long. He'd earn the ire of Smythe, Sula, and Tetra.
Jack sighed and raised his hand to get Denise's attention. He was about to call her to take the unearned cake away when he noticed the customers that Denise had just finished taking orders from. One had light green scales covering his arms and clawed hands. His elongated ears and the skin around them were also green. His dull yellow eyes resembled a dry desert with a long black oval slit through them.
Next to him sat a woman with similar features, except swap the green scales for bronze and add a small pair of antlers growing out of her forehead. Her eyes were almost solid emeralds with a similar black oval slit through them.
Across from them sat a human woman with long dirty blonde hair. Jack couldn't see her face from this angle, but he judged that she's was probably in her mid twenties at least.
Jack made a snap decision and gathered up his notebook and pen in one hand and the plate with the cake in his other. He strolled over to the round table the two liminals and presumably their host occupied. He stopped at what he thought was a respectful distance away and cleared his throat. "Excuse me."
The lizardman noticed him first, eyeing him up and down. He seemed to linger his gaze on the cake for a second then back up to Jack's face. The woman with antlers did the same but seemed to ignore the cake entirely. The blonde woman turned toward Jack. As he guessed she was at least in her mid twenties and had a pair of faint scars running down the side of her cheek. Other wise she was girl-next-door pretty. Cute elfin nose, glossy lips and large pale blue eyes.
"Can I help you?" The human woman asked. Jack nodded. "If I'm correct, then perhaps you can." He glanced between to two liminals at the table. "You are both Exchange students and this is your host right?"
The liminals glanced at the blonde woman briefly then back at Jack. "And if we are...?" The gravelly voiced lizardman asked. "My name is Jack. And I might become a host myself in the near future and was hoping I could ask you three some questions." Jack flashed his most friendly smile hoping they wouldn't turn him away.
The three of them all exchanged a glance between each other and Jack thought that the blonde woman was about to agree when the antlered woman spoke up.
"If you are going to be a host, then how about a small test." She said. Her voice was older than she looked. Not ancient, but middle-aged in a sense.
Jack blinked, "Okay what test?"
"What are our species?"
Jack considered the request for a few seconds. "Um I'm fairly certain you are a lizardman." He nodded at the green scaled male. He didn't react, but Jack was confident enough in his answer to study the other one. He took stock of every detail he could.
She looked young like the other two but something about her posture suggested a more mature countenance. She didn't carry herself like a young woman. Her scales had a slight sheen that reflected the ceiling lights but weren't gloriously metallic like Sula's were. Her antlers were light brown and grew out of her upper forehead just at the hairline like a pair of identical tree branches.
"Okay I'm gonna admit that the antlers are throwing me off." She blinked slowly and the lizard man snickered.
"Um, a poikilotherm, but not a lizard man, or woman I guess I would say." The lizardman dropped his snicker and Jack could just see their host looking up at him more intently. The antlered liminal kept staring, her stony expression betrayed nothing.
Jack raised a finger. "But your voice, you're actually older than you appear." She still didn't react but the lizardman seemed to regard Jack with a hint more respect. "So a long-lived poikilotherm with antlers that's not a lamia or a lizardwoman." Jack mused. "I'm going to go with...a species of dragonewt."
Jack pressed his lips together and hoped that he'd gotten close enough to pass her test. For a few silent seconds she didn't do anything. Then she nodded lightly. "I suppose that's accurate enough."
Jack let out a breath. The lizard man gave him a toothy grin. "Well done." The human host congratulated him.
Jack set down the plate and his note book and rested a hand on the nearest unoccupied chair. "May I?"
The dragonewt closed her eyes while nodding and the host helped him pull the chair out. He was about to sit down when the lizardman held up a hand. Jack stopped and blinked at him in confusion.
"That's for us?" He pointed a claw at the cake. The dragonewt rolled her eyes.
"Lucas..." The host chided.
"Um..yes." Jack smiled. "A gift for new friends."
Lucas grinned toothily again and lightly placed a claw on the plate. He dragged it across the table toward himself. His other hand picked up a fork and sliced off a piece. "To new friends." He announced before plopping it into his mouth. "mmmm."
Jack snorted as he took his seat. "I take it he's the opportunist."
"You have no idea." The dragonewt commented. "For the record, I am a ryujin."
"Ryujin..." Jack tried out the unfamiliar term. "Is that...Japanese?" The liminal nodded lightly again.
"Cool." Jack said. "Okay well, I'm Jack and you guys are?"
"I'm Kelly." The blonde woman said. "The one stuffing his face is Lucas." The lizardman gave Kelly a mock-hurt look but was too busy swallowing another bite of cake to offer a retort. "And Ms. Stoic over there is Maiko." Kelly pointed a finger at the ryujin across from her. Maiko smiled lightly at the jab.
Jack got the impression that she rarely acted out or made any sort of fuss, unlike her ravenous companion. "Pleased to meet you all."
"And we're pleased to meet you." Lucas grunted before scraping up the last crumbs of cake onto his fork.
"Well, I know what to bring to a party with lizardmen in attendance." Jack said dryly.
"Oh, that's just Lucas." Kelly commented. "He never stops eating."
"I do too stop." Lucas protested. "When there's nothing left to eat."
Jack shook his head. "So, if you don't mind." He turned toward Kelly and grasped his pen and notebook. "What's it like?"
Kelly took a few seconds to answer. "It's challenging but fun." She stated. "You have to be very open-minded," She inclined her head toward the dragonewt, "and sometimes very stern." She nodded toward the lizardman.
Jack scratched a couple notes on his pad. "And don't assume you'll know everything eventually." Jack stopped and looked up at Kelly quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"
She nodded her head side to side while considering her response. "When you live with someone else you get to know them pretty well right?" Jack nodded. "But even after years and years together even the most connected and loving couples can discover something new about their partner or even themselves." She tapped her fingers on the table in a syncopated rhythm. Lucas smirked and Maiko smiled. Jack looked between the liminals and their host, trying to decipher the byplay but didn't interrupt to ask.
"When you live with liminals you learn a lot of things about them, their cultures, their history and how they see themselves and humans. You'll be learning so many things that at times it can be overwhelming. And you might think that there must be an end to what you can learn if just for your mind's sake." She paused to allow Jack time to scribble some more notes. "But there isn't an end to what can be known."
Jack wrote her last words verbatim and circled them, and then flipped the paper to a fresh page. "Alright. Would you guys mind sharing something you've learned about each other."
Kelly looked at her two homestays then back to Jack. "Actually, how about you tell us why you want to be a host."
He thought about the request for a second then put his pen and paper down. "That's fair."
He glanced down at the table and reordered his thoughts. "I didn't exactly sign up for the homestay program." He looked back up at his new friends. Lucas and Kelly shared a concerned questioning look. Maiko just waited. "I made a donation to the Exchange a little over a month ago and Agent Smythe contacted me about it only yesterday."
Kelly and Lucas each rolled their eyes when he mentioned the agent's name. Maiko raised an eyebrow briefly. "I take it you are acquainted with him." Jack commented.
"He's the senior Exchange coordinator for the city and most of the smaller suburbs. Not an extra-species comes here without passing through his office at some point." Kelly explained. She stared at him for a few seconds obviously trying to figure something out. "Contacted you." She said finally.
Not this again.
"I'm sorry." He pretended not to hear the question in her voice. "He contacted you." She repeated. "To be a host."
Jack grimaced. "Not precisely. But I suppose that was what he had in mind." Jack sighed. I've really got to get over this. "My donation told him how I feel about the Exchange."
Lucas' eyes narrowed. "And how do you feel about the Exchange?"
Jack's eyes lit up. His heart beat a little faster. He could have leapt out his chair and kissed the lizard on the lips. "Ecstatic." He almost shouted.
Lucas recoiled from Jack's outburst like he'd been slapped. Kelly seemed somewhere between afraid and delighted. Maiko held a small smile and blinked slowly.
"I mean are you kidding me?" Jack continued excitedly. "Monsters are real?" He grabbed a fistful of his own hair in each hand like he was about to tear it out. "And they're not 'monster' monsters, they're people. Very very different people with very different bodies and minds and personalities and whatever else." He sat back down and let his hair go. "But they're people."
"They also tip pretty good too." Denise chimed in.
The middle aged waitress had arrived with a large tray in the midst of Jack's tirade. She began laying out the entrees to the proper customers.
"Hey Denise." Jack said apologetically. "Sorry about that."
She placed the last side dish and replaced the last drink with a refill. "As long as you don't scare them off hun." She winked at him.
Lucas scoffed. "Can't scare me away from steaks like this." He took up an over sized fork and a steak knife and carved off a chunk of seasoned meat. He took a large bite out of it somehow making the act a challenge.
Denise smiled. "Glad you like it hun. Anyone need anything else?" The other patrons shook their heads and Denise left.
Jack let his new friends eat in silence while he reviewed his notes. He didn't touch his con list but he added one thing to the pros: learning new things.
Jack looked back up and noticed that Lucas, despite his gregarious demeanor, was actually fairly civil with his eating manners. He didn't want to make assumptions but Jack wondered if that was part of the 'being stern' aspect of hosting Kelly alluded too.
Maiko, on the other hand, took to eating a ravioli dish like an art. She used one hand to delicately hold the fork while her other held back the extra wide sleeve of her kimono. He initially thought that such attire was rather cumbersome but Maiko seemed to have no trouble. In fact her rather slow eating etiquette almost forced her to enjoy every morsel. Maybe the fact that she can keep such an ornate dress clean while eating a fairly messy meal was a statement of refinement in itself.
Jack got Denise' attention and ordered a water just so he didn't feel left out. After a few sips he gave up and just waited patiently, trying not to stare. Kelly put down her glass of lemonade and cleared her throat. "So, got anymore questions for us?"
"Yeah. How long have you been hosting Lucas and Maiko?"
Kelly put a finger on her chin and hummed in thought. "I wanna say four months for Maiko. " She looked over at the dragonewt for confirmation. Maiko merely nodded. Kelly glanced over at the lizardman. "And almost a year for Lucas."
The lizardman just stuffed another spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth in response. Kelly smiled. "We should do something special for your anniversary."
Lucas didn't miss a beat. "Paintball."
Kelly blinked. Maiko glanced over at Lucas with an odd expression. Jack smirked.
Lucas put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Paintball." He repeated. "If we are going to do something special for my year long stay...then I want to go to a paintball facility."
"Um I'm not sure paintball is open to liminals yet." Kelly doubted. Lucas frowned.
"Yeah they are." Jack stated matter-of-factly. Kelly and Maiko looked back at him in surprise. Lucas did the same. He had a hopeful almost-twinkle in his eyes. "There's a paintball place about an hour's drive south of here called extreme sports explosion or something like that." Jack waved his hand in what he hoped was a southerly direction. "They are open to liminals."
"How, do you know that?" Kelly asked disbelievingly.
Jack shrugged. "I was there for my older brother's birthday party. I got a bruise on my leg that didn't heal for months. Taught me not to wear shorts to one of those things."
Lucas beamed. "And they have liminals there? You saw them?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah I saw a few. I never played with them. They mostly stuck with themselves and their hosts. But they were there."
Lucas locked his gaze onto Kelly. "We have to go." Kelly just stared back, trying to say something. Jack felt kinda guilty putting her in this position, but he didn't see the harm in informing them about it.
"Alright." Kelly's shoulders sagged a bit as she relented. "I'll talk to Smythe about arranging something."
Lucas practically burst out of his chair and hugged Kelly fiercely. "Thank you thank you thank you!"
Jack bristled for sec a but didn't move. For the briefest moment he feared that the lizardman was crushing her. Then Kelly leaned into the hug and returned it.
"Oh you lizardmen." Kelly laughed. "You're so emotional."
Jack relaxed back in his chair and looked down at the table. He noticed Maiko staring at him. He glanced her direction and nodded once.
"You have to come too."
Jack blinked and looked back up at the lizardman. He was pointing a claw his direction and displayed an expectant expression. "Bring your homestay." He continued with a grin.
"I—I don't even.."
"Lucas, give the man a break." Kelly chided. "He doesn't even have a homestay yet."
"Hmmph." Lucas grunted. "Well you better get one so you can bring one." Kelly sighed, and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucas can be infuriatingly stubborn about things."
Jack nodded. "Actually I'm not sure I should be a host."
Everyone else stopped and stared at Jack. Even Maiko for some reason. Jack lifted a hand toward Kelly.
"That, right there." Kelly's eyes darted side to side trying to catch what he was referring to. "He hugged you and I...I thought he was going to hurt you."
Kelly and Lucas traded a look. Maiko tilted her head curiously. Jack got up and retrieved his notebook and pen. "Thank you for your time." He turned toward the cash register and prepared to pay his bill.
On his way there something touched his shoulder. Jack turned back and found Maiko right behind him. He hadn't heard her approach. Jack stepped back involuntarily and regarded her warily.
"You are not a bigot." She stated. Jack frowned. "I just admitted it."
She shook her head. "You admitted that you were concerned for her safety." Jack was going to protest further when she waved a clawed hand in his face. "Monsters are dangerous. Some more so then others. Assuming that a liminal like a lizardman could easily hurt a human is not bigotry. It's prudent."
Jack raised his hand to counter her argument. But he recalled his interview with Tetra and her explanation of why he'd been in mortal danger when they first met. Sula had brought that point to his attention as well.
Jack lowered his hand and his gaze. "I suppose I was a little naive." He snapped his head back up at her. "But assuming that liminals will hurt humans is terrible."
Maiko smiled. "It is, but you weren't assuming that at all. Otherwise you wouldn't have approached us in the first place. You wouldn't be considering to become a host for one of us."
"Yeah man." Lucas spoke up as he and Kelly approached. "I'm not offended. You don't know me."
"Trust takes time." Kelly added. "Lucas bursting out of his chair like that can be...alarming." She folded her arms and gave the lizardman a side glance. He dipped his head apologetically. "But I've gotten used to things like that." She shrugged "Lucas can be himself around me 'cause I trust that he won't hurt me."
"He knows how to restrain his strength around us squishy humans." She waved a hand at Jack. "But you didn't necessarily know that. How could you?"
Jack looked at all their faces intently. There was no condemnation, just understanding.
"So. Do you think I'd be a good host?" He asked.
Maiko stepped back and smirked. "Oh, I don't know about a good host." She snaked an arm over Kelly's shoulders and drew her in. "Like this one here." The woman blushed and looked away. "But you are leagues beyond many humans I've met." Jack blinked and wondered just how old Maiko really was.
Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah man. I think you're the first guy that's bothered to ask a liminal if they think he would be a good host." He raised a hand palm up at Jack. "That tells me more than enough whether you'd be a good at it or not." He walked over to Kelly's other side and embraced her, completing the liminal encirclement of the poor human.
"If I didn't have little Kay Kay here looking out for me..." He raised the backside of his hand and stroked her cheek right above the scar. "I'd definitely ask to be hosted by you."
"I.."Jack stammered. "Thank you."
Lucas grinned at Jack suddenly and pointed the claw that was just caressing Kelly's cheek right at him. "Still gonna kick your ass at paintball though."
Kelly and Maiko sighed in exasperation. Jack closed his eyes and snorted. "Fine. I'll come." He opened his eyes again. "And I'll bring a home-stay." Or two or three to kick your scaly ass.
Jack looked up in thought for a few seconds. "Um, I suppose I should give you my number." He looked back down toward Kelly awkwardly. Kelly giggled. "I'll take it. I'll arrange something with Smythe and get you on the list."
Lucas tilted his head at Jack's awkward tone. "What's wrong with him giving you his phone number?"
"I'll tell you later." Kelly promised.
"Hmmph. Whatever. Weird humans." Lucas disengaged from Kelly and headed back to their table. Maiko did the same. Jack held up his phone and sent a one word text to the number Kelly provided. She acknowledged receiving the text and updated her contacts.
"Alright well." Jack said, "I should pay my bill and get going."
"Oh, allow me." Kelly walked back to her purse hanging off her chair and rifled a hand through it. Jack held up a hand and gave her a distraught glance. "I ...you really don't have to do that."
"It's fine." She called back. "It's on the Exchange's dime anyways." Jack blinked as Kelly retrieved a green plastic card with a black stripe and a chip on one end.
She strolled over and handed it to the cashier. After a short conversation about consolidating his meal into theirs, the cashier handed the card back to Kelly. And that was that.
Kelly pocketed the card and faced Jack. "Well now it's official. The Cultural Exchange has expended part of it's funds on you. So welcome to the Homestay program." Jack couldn't decide if the grin she wore previously belonged to a dragon or a shark. Maybe both.
He blinked. "Thanks I think. Are you...related to Smythe in some way?"
"No." She answered without breaking expression. "I just picked up a few of his tricks over the years."
Jack reevaluated the young woman in front of him. "Years? I thought that Lucas..."
Kelly lost her grin and her eyes glanced at the floor briefly. "He's not my first." Her right arm reflexively reached up toward her face. Or her scar. She caught herself halfway through the motion and lowered it back to her side. "It's a long story."
Jack couldn't help staring at the disfigurement. His mind played out a dozen horrible scenarios with a dozen dozen dangerous liminals she could have encountered.. He shook his head and stopped himself. He didn't know what happened, and he wasn't going to pry into a stranger's life any more than he already had.
"Well thank you again. And see you around."
Kelly smiled. "It was good to meet you Jack. Until next time."
A/N
Thanks again for reading.
As always, please comment and review.
