Disclaimer: I do not own Daily Life with Monster Girls.
Chapter 11: Errands day: Part One
Jack woke with a start. His dreams, lately, weren't quite as terrifying like the nightmare from the first night, but they weren't exactly pleasant either. Strangely, this last one didn't include Tetra much, from what he could recall.
She was arguably the most monstrous looking of the three liminals he hosted (so far) but this last dream was about running from a giant bird and falling off a cliff into a colossal snake's maw.
Jack sat up in his bed and put his arms on his knees. His nerves weren't as tense like the first time, so he just breathed out and reached down for his phone on the floor. His wake-up alarm immediately started ringing as soon as he touched it. Jack blinked and swiped the alarm off.
"Convenient." He said to himself as he threw off his sheets.
He dressed casually and left his room quietly with a yawn. He consulted his recently updated to-do list on his phone and made his way to the largest bathroom on the first floor.
Although the whole household could use it, the large square bath was known as Sula's bath. And since this was a modern house designed for extra-species, all Jack had to do was press the button labeled 'lamia' on the control panel. The bath would fill itself with hot water to a point and automatically shut itself off.
Jack chuckled lightly as the central spout began pouring into the bath. Sula had placed a sticker of a cute green snake above 'her' button.
It probably won't stay there long. Not with all the moisture in this room.
He typed in a note about water-proof stickers on his app as he left. Letting the girls 'claim' certain things around the house helped make it seem more like a home. Helped him forget that this used to be his parent's home. His home.
On his way to the kitchen Jack could feel the house rumble slightly. "Right. Reggie's crew's last day working here."
He ducked into the pantry and retrieved two over sized boxes. He exited the kitchen into the garage and placed both of them on a plastic fold-up table he placed there the night before. Jack waved to the arriving trucks and vans as they parked in the massive garage.
The crewmen spilled out and headed toward the gym. Jack opened the boxes, revealing the four dozen chocolate and powdered donettes. They each thanked Jack as they took the pastries and went to work.
"Good morning and thank you Mr. Keysman." Reginald stopped near the table.
Jack nodded at the tall man as he plucked the last sugary pastry.
"You're welcome." He paused a moment while the foreman ate his snack. "Last day right?"
Reginald nodded and swallowed. "Yep. Should just be a half day too. We'll be out of your hair by noon. One o'clock at the latest."
Jack waved a hand. "That's alright. I plan on taking the girls out again today. So take your time."
The foreman grinned and nodded. "Appreciated, Mr Keysman."
Jack broke down the empty boxes and placed the table to the side and went back into the kitchen. He rummaged through the refrigerator to prepare breakfast.
"Damn. Almost out of bacon." He grumbled as he placed the last four strips on a frying pan. "Just enough for one of us each."
He arranged the rest of the ingredients and went back to the stove. He placed the cooked bacon on a saucer and headed to Sula's room. "Still, decent incentive to get up."
He gave the door a few sharp knocks then turned the handle. "Sula. It's errands day. We gotta get up." He shoved the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside. "I've got bacon and a warm bath for you."
The light blue blanket on her bed stirred and shifted. From the near end a clawed golden arm popped out and set on the carpet. It was followed by another arm and then her head.
Her eyelids cracked open a hair and stared at the saucer in his hand. Her tongue flicked out once. Jack picked up one slice and waved it slowly. He took a step back out to the hallway. Her torso and waist slid out over the edge of her bed followed by her tail. She moaned once and slithered toward the bacon.
She grasped the delectable meat from Jack's hand and took a bite. Her eyes flew up an instant then reset to a normal position. "Warmmm, thansjack..."
Her host smirked. "Your welcome Sula. And good morning." He turned toward the bathroom down the hall. "Now come on. I got a nice hot bath all ready for you."
The groggy lamia nodded, grabbed a set of clean clothes under one arm and followed him. She held the bacon slice in her mouth like a lollipop. Jack pushed open the bathroom door and let the steamy air billow out. When it touched Sula's scales her whole body perked up, like a sailboat catching a stiff breeze. She gave a satisfied sigh and proceeded inside while discarding her shirt. Jack swiftly closed the door most of the way.
He stood near the crack in the door and asked: "Know what you want for breakfast?"
"Eggs."
Jack closed the door the rest of the way and put down the saucer. He whipped out his paper notepad and wrote down her order.
"One up, two to go."
Jack proceeded to the back end of that same hallway and stopped short in front of a door with a red, yellow and green bow hanging from a nail. He knocked on this door a few times and turned the handle.
"Good morning, Syleris. It's time to get up. It's errands day."
He proceeded to shoulder the door open when it suddenly slammed shut. The impact shoved him back across the hallway and he nearly lost his footing.
"Whoa hey!" Jack glared toward the door.
"Don't come in Jack." The harpy's slightly muffled voice declared.
He blinked. "Okay, but I got some fresh bacon for you right here." He picked up a slice and waved it near the handle. The door cracked open a few inches and a feathery appendage snaked out and grabbed the bacon slice out of his hand. The door swiftly shut again.
Jack tilted his head. "Are you gonna come out?"
"I need, I need my clothes Jack." She answered.
"Oh crap, I'm sorry." He slapped his forehead with his palm. "I forgot to get those out of the dryer last night. My bad."
He considered how to resolve the issue for a few seconds. "Alright, I'm going to make sure Tetra's up then I'll get your clothes right after. Okay?"
"Okay Jack."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you really only have those clothes you brought with you?"
"Harpies aren't great making their own outfits Jack. Hand-me-downs made out of tough leather is really the best we got without assistance from other species."
"Huh." Jack tilted his eyes up while considering her statement. "Alright I'll be back soon."
He double checked that he had clothes shopping on his to-do list for today and then headed for the rearmost stairs of the house. This staircase lead to the third floor and Tetra's room.
She, of course, insisted on calling the whole tier, the Lair. To her credit it did take up most of the central area of the third floor like a single story penthouse, but the room over the garage was completely unfurnished and would probably be used for storage at some point in the future.
Actually that might be a good place for a party.
Jack approached the over sized door that had loose strands of webbing hanging off it. Jack rapped on it twice and put a hand on the handle.
"Tetra. You up?"
When he got no response he pulled down the handle and swung the door open a few inches.
"Tetra? I know you're not an early riser but I want us all out of the house and on the road as soon as possible." He thought he saw some movement inside. He squinted and tried to make out any details in the dark room.
"Tetra? That you?" He pushed the door a little farther and took one step inside.
"I've got baAAAAAHHHH!"
Something tight latched around his ankle. Jack panicked and tried to back pedal to the stairs but more threads entwined around his arms and dragged him deep into the darkness. He heard the door slam, as webbing wrapped around his torso and pivoted him laterally. He found himself spread-eagled and facing the ceiling. He struggled and pulled at his restraints until he heard a familiar giggling.
"My, my, my. What have we here? An intruder?"
Jack turned his head toward the source of the voice. "Seriously? You booby trapped your room?"
"One can't too careful." Jack could almost feel the smug dribbling out of her voice. "Lots of dangerous monsters in this neighborhood."
Jack rolled his eyes hard. "Oh my god..."
Something in the room shifted and then went still. Jack squinted his eyes and scanned around trying to find her.
"Tetra, you got me, again." He admitted. "You mind letting me down?"
"What will you give in compensation?" She responded from right above him. Jack darted his gaze upward and could just make out her dark gray legs against the ceiling.
"I did bring some bacon for you." He explained. "But it's probably inedible now after I dropped it."
"Oh." She stated. "That's unfortunate."
"Yeah it is." He commented derisively. "Some might even say that ruined bacon is a crime."
She didn't respond. Jack squinted harder and tried to find her face in the darkness.
"Jack? Are not scared?" She asked.
He blinked. "A little." He admitted. "I'm more annoyed than anything else right now. One of those bacon slices was supposed to be for me."
She paused a moment. "But isn't this like your dream?"
He furrowed his eyebrows. "How did..? I never told you the whole thing." He shut his eyes slowly. "You overheard me describe it to Smythe the other day." He concluded and reopened his eyes. Jack could almost see her head nod. He looked about the dark room and tested the webbing holding him in place.
"Yeah pretty much the same scenario." He looked back up at where he guessed Tetra was hanging off the ceiling. "You trying to give me PTSD or something?"
A pause. "PTSD?"
Jack sighed. "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." He explained the acronym. "It's a mental condition that humans can get when they experience extreme trauma. And when they encounter something even remotely like what they went through, it can stress them out."
He took a breath. "It happens a lot in veterans, but civilians can get it too."
"Veterans?" She asked. "As in military personnel?"
"Yeah." Jack confirmed.
"I see." She said. "Can a human get this... PTSD from a nightmare?"
Jack thought about her question for a few moments. "I don't think so. You'd have to ask a psychologist or a doctor for an answer on that one." He took a breath. "I know that nightmares are a symptom of PTSD, but a cause..?"
Suddenly the threads holding his legs relaxed and he tilted forward rapidly. "Woah!"
Jack set his feet and steadied himself. He glared upward. "Little warning next time."
The threads on his arms and chest loosened and he brushed himself off. As soon as he got the majority of it he heard a soft thump and a slight whoosh of air near him.
"I apologize Jack." She said mere feet away from him. "I assumed I would be able to accustom you to my habits."
Jack stayed still for a few moments and breathed out heavily once. "Okay..um. What gave you that idea?"
"You're providing for each of our individual needs as well as our basic ones." She explained. "Syleris' running, Sula's aggressiveness. And I catch animals and people in my webs." She took a slow breath. "It's not that I need to use them to capture prey to eat obviously, but it's what arachne do."
"You can take the girl out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the girl." Jack ruminated.
"What's that?" She asked.
"A paraphrase of a quote." Jack cleared his throat. "It means that people stay who they are no matter where they are."
Tetra hummed but didn't comment.
"I think...gods I'm probably going to regret this." He put a hand to his face and shook it. "I think I...can get used to it."
He heard a scritch near his feet. He held up a finger. "I'm not agreeing to anything." He clarified.
"But if I'm going to be a good host, I have to find a way to let you catch things in your webs." He turned his head toward where he assumed she was standing. "To ask you not to use your webs would be tantamount to asking you to stop being an arachne. Am I right?"
"Absolutely."
He breathed out heavily again. "Alright, if I'm being honest it does scare me." He nodded a few times. "But then I remember it's you. The woman that protected me, saved me." Despite the darkness he reached out slowly toward her. She grasped his hand lightly and he placed his other hand over hers.
"You're a good person Tetra. You've more than earned my trust." He thought he heard a slight whimper.
"And it's not just cause of what you did for me." He explained. "You looked out for Sula, and you're giving Syleris a chance to prove herself. A lesser woman might have written her off and stayed antagonistic toward her, despite her apologies."
Jack took in a breath. "But if I do this, I need you to remember your promise."
Tetra sniffed and swallowed audibly. "My promise?"
Jack grinned. "That you'd go easy on the oblivious human."
She chuckled. "Of course Jack."
"Cool." He nodded and let go of her hand. "Now, can you turn the lights on?"
"Sure about that?" She asked slyly. "I'll remind you that you did wake me up."
Jack blinked a couple times then took a sharp breath at her implication. "Oh. Right. Um...can you just, open the door then? I need to get some more things done before we head out for the day. Breakfast and all that."
He could easily picture her smirk as she stepped over to the door. "As you wish."
For a second he flash backed a line from a movie.
No...it couldn't be.
"Something the matter Jack?" Her too innocent question interrupted his thoughts. He shook his head.
"No. No I'm fine." He shook his head. "Just thinking about... something."
Jack winced briefly as the door to her room opened. The light from the hallway stabbed at his eyes and he turned his head away sharply. When his vision adjusted, he noticed that all the window curtains were drawn and the space between the door and himself was just bare floor.
"Not a fan of furniture are you?" He commented while striding forward.
She snorted. "My body doesn't exactly fit well into human style chairs."
"True." He acknowledged. "But if you see something that you can use up here while we're out, let me know."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jack cleared the door and turned back toward her room. "So. See you downstairs for breakfast?"
"Of course Jack." She answered. "And good morning."
Jack started to turn away when Tetra called him back. "Please take this with you."
He turned around and found the saucer with the dirty bacon suspended from the door frame by a few strands. He took it and gave a yank which snapped the threads. "Right, forgot about that. Later Tetra."
He proceeded to the kitchen and dumped the plate in the sink. He also dropped the ruined bacon into the trash. I should have a dirge playing, or something. He allowed himself a moment of silence for the lost, uneaten bacon.
With that somber task completed he faced the kitchen counter. "There was something else right?" He asked himself. "Sula's in the bath, Tetra's up and Syleris.." He snapped his fingers. "She needs her clothes."
Jack walked through their ,so far, unused dining room and opened the basement door. He paused for a second after he flicked on the lights.
As a kid he hated basements, was almost terrified of being left alone in one, even his own family's. It really didn't help his childhood confidence when a friend of his older brother was visiting and scared the little daylights out of seven-year old Jack while down there. He shook his head at the old memory and descended the stairs.
Reggie and crew, having anticipated the large number of people who would reside here, had installed two washers and dryers each in their laundry room. There was even an empty space and water pipes available for a third set next to the others.
Jack idly wondered if Smythe would really limit the number of his homestays to just the six. He shook his head and discarded that mildly unpleasant thought. He gathered up Syleris' few clothes, including the shirt she borrowed from Sula and the shorts made by Tetra.
Any squeamishness he had about handling a woman's undergarments went away some time ago. Living with at least one female roommate over the years saw to that. Jack tried to keep the clothes folded and somewhat organized, but after being left there overnight the wrinkles stayed. He shrugged. They'd be getting more for her today anyways.
He gathered up the last of it and made his way back to her room. He gave a sharp knock after placing the basket near her door.
"Your clothes are ready." He announced.
The door opened slowly and he pushed the clothes in with his foot. The basket was snatched and the door closed again.
"I'm gonna start on breakfast." He said.
"Okay Jack." The harpy answered. "Thank you."
He had barely started cooking when the harpy joined him in the kitchen. He nodded at her entrance. Syleris squinted and walked toward him.
Jack tilted his head. "Uh..something wrong?"
She raised a wing-hand. "Don't move Jack." She plucked a few stray threads off his back and gathered it into a little ball. She smirked as she tossed the stray webbing into the trash. "So...how far did she get?"
Jack blinked and stared dumb-founded at the harpy. "What? What are you talking about?"
She raised an eyebrow and faced him. "How far did Tetra get?"
Jack raised a free hand in denial. "No, no she didn't. We didn't." He coughed. "She just set a trap for her door and I walked into it."
Syleris folded her wings. "A trap just for you, eh?"
Jack frowned. "It was at her door. Any one of us could have triggered it."
She shook her head. "Jack, you told us all that you were going to get us up early for today. You normally just let her be til she wakes on her own right?"
Jack lost his frown and nodded.
"So she set that just for you." Her eyelids dropped a bit as she repeated her question. "So how far did she get?"
Jack sighed. "She wasn't trying to make-out with me or anything like that. She was trying to get me used to her webs and traps." He shrugged. "Cause you know. Arachne."
Her eyes rolled up. "Oh Amana, you are thick."
Jack frowned again and was about to argue when the harpy interjected.
"You think a woman like her would put in that kind of effort if she didn't like you?"
Jack froze. His mouth stuck open mid protest.
Syleris continued. "If she's trying to get you used to her webbing and traps it means she's planning on sticking around. Probably for a long time."
Jack shut his mouth, not sure what to say.
"Besides." Syleris shrugged. "She already told me she likes you."
Jack blinked. "She did? When? What did she say?"
The harpy raised a wing-hand. "Okay, so Tetra didn't specifically say that." She faced him directly. "But when she was making those shorts for me, my first day here, I asked her why she would protect a human."
The harpy paused dramatically.
"She said you're worth it."
Jack set down his utensils on the counter. He reached out for a chair and practically fell backwards into it. "No."
Syleris cocked an eye at him. "No? You're not worth it?"
Jack grimaced. "No that's not, she's not..." He stared ahead and breathed out slowly. "She's not supposed to..." He halted himself, trying to find the right words.
"Supposed to what?" The harpy asked. "Not supposed to like you?"
"Yes! I mean no. I mean.." Jack clutched his head in his hands floundering. "I can't...I can't."
Syleris folded her wings and glared. "You can't what, Jack?"
He swallowed. "If that's what she really wants, I don't think I can give that to her."
Syleris frowned. "Why the hell not?"
"Cause it's illegal to have sex with liminals." He stood up and half-shouted at the harpy.
The two of them stared at each other silently for a few moments. Syleris unfolded her arms. "Jack, you're jumping way ahead of the game here."
He frowned. "There's not supposed to be a game." Syleris tilted her head quizzically. "I told her I didn't want to do anything that risked my position...oh shit." He sat back down and covered his face.
The harpy shook her head. Trying to figure out this human was harder than she anticipated. So she waited. Waited for him to calm down.
"I told her." Jack uttered. "I told her, I didn't want to do anything that would legally risk my position as a host. But this morning..." He breathed out. "This morning I all but agreed to be her... her..." He shook his head and got up. "I..I need to think." He walked toward the hallway.
Syleris raised a hand to stop him but he'd already rounded the exit...and nearly bumped into the arachne.
His eyes widened in surprise. "Tetra I..I."
She didn't move. She just kept a neutral expression. Her eyes bored into his. "There's nothing implicitly sexual about my traps Jack."
He blinked. "There isn't? But I thought..um.."
"It's true that we arachne like to use our threads to set the mood but," She opened a palm up at him. "Like I told you, sometimes we just have to catch something or someone."
She smirked and closed her hand gently. "I've quite enjoyed catching you."
"Oh." Jack stated. "Then I'm... just..." He ran one hand through his hair and breathed out. "I'm over reacting."
"I'll say." The harpy commented dryly.
Jack pivoted toward her and pointed a finger accusingly. "You said that...that..."
Syleris smirked and put a wing-hand to her chest. "I only asked you how far did she get. I could have meant anything by that." She pointed her wing-hand back at Jack. "You're the one who jumped to sex as the topic." She folded her wings and closed her eyes with a self-satisfied smile.
Jack grimaced and grumbled. "It is way too early in the morning for this."
"Shall I punish the trouble-maker?" There was a slight edge to Tetra's sultry voice. Jack looked back at the arachne who was licking her claws.
He shrugged and walked back into the kitchen. "Eh. Go ahead."
"HEY!" Syleris protested.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a grayish blur. He spun around in alarm. Syleris was partially suspended from the ceiling by several webs. She was flailing her wings and legs about trying to get free. And swearing up a storm in Spanish.
"Acch! No Tetra. I was kidding!" Jack rushed over to Syleris and pulled at the threads.
"I wasn't." The arachne commented while hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Jack gritted his teeth. "Tetra!"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, very well." She waved a claw a through some of her threads. Syleris immediately dropped onto Jack. The surprising extra weight in his arms knocked him on his butt.
He grunted as he hit. "Godz dammit."
Syleris rolled over him onto her knees. The drop only briefly interrupted her slew of profanities. Jack sat up and tried to assist her efforts in getting free.
"Slow down. You're just getting it more tangled." Jack pleaded with her. "I can't help you if you don't oof!"
His head reeled back as her wing-hand impacted on his chin.
"Jack!" Both girls exclaimed. Tetra scrambled over and dropped to the floor beside him.
"Oh no, Jack are you alright?" The harpy leaned over him with a worried expression.
He shook his head and sat back up. He put a hand on his mouth and rubbed it while he flexed his jaw.
"Ugh, ow." He looked over at the harpy. "You got a got mean right hook." He remarked.
"I'm so sorry Jack." She sputtered. "You were trying to help and I was freaking out. And I-"
Jack placed his other hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine." He got up on his feet with some effort. "I'll just get some ice on it."
He crossed to the freezer and opened it. "Even better." He commented as he picked out a flexible blue ice pack. He hissed for a moment as he placed it where he got hit.
He shook his head again and turned around. "Well that's one way to deliver a wake-up call."
Both girls had their heads down and were staring at the floor.
"So." He stated. "What did we learn?"
Tetra closed her eyes briefly and lifted her head up a few degrees. "To not use my webs so carelessly."
Jack nodded and looked over at the harpy.
"To not flap about when someone's trying to help me." Syleris stated pitifully.
"Good." Jack said. "I forgive you both." He looked directly at Syleris. "And I shouldn't have encouraged Tetra. I acted irresponsibly." He rubbed the ice pack. "And got some near instant Karma for it."
Syleris just looked up at him. Jack put his free hand on her shoulder. "If you don't want assistance, please remember to say so clearly. If you're in trouble, I'm going to help. It's my job and the right thing to do."
She nodded briefly. "I'll try Jack."
"Don't beat yourself up too much over this." He eyed Tetra a moment. "Being suddenly trapped and helpless is not a fun experience." The arachne flinched like she was the one who got punched.
"Now let's just sit down and I'll aahh-" Jack removed the ice pack for a brief moment and then replaced it when the pain flared up.
"Damn girl. You got me good." He looked back at Syleris then over to Tetra. "I know you warned me that harpies were strong but jeez."
He walked toward the hallway. "I gotta take a closer look at this."
Tetra raised a hand. "Jack wait." He turned around.
"I'm sorry Jack. I..I can make breakfast for everyone." She offered. "It's the least I can do."
"Thank you Tetra." He responded sincerely. Jack turned back and headed for the bathroom. He was about to turn the handle when he heard someone humming from the other side of the door.
Oh duh. Sula's in there.
He backed up a step and was going to try for the second floor bathroom when the door suddenly opened.
"Oh. Hey Jack. Did you need – " Sula's eyes widened as she noticed the ice pack. "Jack are you alright?"
He waved a hand. "I'll be fine, I just gotta look at this."
"Who did this to you?" She asked heatedly. "Was it Tetra? Syleris?"
"Both of them actually." Jack supplied. Her eyes hardened and she started to turn away but Jack reached out and caught her arm.
"It's alright." He said. "They apologized and I forgave them."
She frowned and looked like she was about to fly down there and rip her housemates a new one. Or worse. But Jack tilted his head forward and pleaded with his eyes. "I also kinda did it to myself."
She gave him a skeptical look then shook her head. "Fine." She huffed. "Let's take a look at it."
They both went to the sink and mirrored cabinet. Jack removed the ice pack and tried not to wince this time. He didn't quite succeed.
"Your bleeding." She said. "It's cut."
"Sheesh." Jack groaned. "She must have clipped me with her claw or talon or whatever."
Sula blinked. "Syleris...punched you?!"
"Accident." Jack said quickly. "I was trying to get her out of Tetra's webbing. But she was freaking out and thrashing around."
Sula's expression fell a bit. "You tried to help. And you got hurt."
The way she said that made Jack think that she felt responsible. He tried to downplay it.
"It's not that bad." He mollified. "And I did expect some rough-housing. But I certainly wouldn't want to get into a fist fight with her."
Sula chuckled and smirked. "That's me." She opened the cabinet and retrieved a disinfectant.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "That's you, what?"
She kept her smirk. "I'm the fighter, boxer."
Jack blinked a few times. "You...know how to box?"
"Mhhmm." She answered. "This is gonna sting."
Jack sucked in a breath and winced as she applied the disinfectant. He grunted as she pulled it away and capped it.
"Who taught you how to box?" He asked.
"My father. And few of my mothers." She answered. "Several of the lamias in my tribe learned to box."
Jack stared ahead at the tiled wall. "Really. What for?"
"To help teach us restraint." She answered as she replaced the disinfectant and grabbed a band-aid. "Proper technique on how to throw a punch. How to take one. How to roll with them. In case we have to subdue somebody without crushing them in our coils or envenoming them."
"Huh." Jack nodded once. "That, actually makes a lot of sense."
"I could teach you." She offered as she applied the band-aid to his chin.
Jack gave her a skeptical look. "To box? Who am I going to fight? You girls?"
She gave him a 'seriously' expression. "How to take a punch."
Jack backed away from her a couple inches in mild disgust. "That sounds like an even worse idea. What are you going to do? Pound on me til I can't feel it any more?"
She rolled her eyes. "We also teach our husbands how to defend themselves." She crossed her arms. "And you said you were expecting some rough housing. Did you actually prepare for it?"
Jack blinked and froze a second. "Not...really."
"Well then. I think it's settled." She uncrossed her arms and nodded. "When we get back, Reggie should be done setting up the rest of the gym. You meet me in the second room and I'll teach you how to take a punch."
Jack eyed her suspiciously. "How exactly does an echidna lamia teach a human how to take a punch?"
She flashed a toothy grin. "I pound on you til you can't feel it anymore."
Jack's expression dropped into that's-not-funny territory. He shook his head and turned away. Sula followed right by him. "Aww come on Jack. I'll only beat you within an inch of your life. Totally survivable."
His eyes widened and he hung his head as he made his way out of the bathroom.
"There are what? Two hundred and six bones in the adult human body." She postulated. "I'm only gonna break um, nineteen of them."
Jack gave her a look of horrified disbelief. "That is... very specific."
She nodded. "Yep. Less than ten percent. You can still cook and clean and do all those hostly things you do with ninety percent of your bones intact can't you?"
Jack hung his head again as he entered the hallway. "Tetra's webs are looking so much more comfortable right now."
Sula giggled evilly.
"And she's laughing about it." Jack stated in a dead tone. "Why the hell did I take this job?"
"Cause you really like liminals." Sula reminded him cheerfully.
Jack looked back up at her. She was still grinning. "I hate liminals."
"You really hated your old job." She pointed out.
"My old job wasn't nearly so hazardous." He countered in that same defeated tone. "I love my old job."
"You draw a higher salary and get to work from home."
"My home is a nightmare plagued by demons."
Sula gave him a mildly disappointed look. "They're called 'devils' Jack. And you are not hosting any currently."
"I'm not hosting a devil." He acknowledged. "I'm the luckiest man on earth."
"Nope." She corrected him. "You're the luckiest man on earth because you are hosting me."
Jack closed his eyes a moment and fake sobbed. It wasn't too hard.
"There, there." She patted him on the back.
Jack shook his head. "Kill me."
Sula drew close and whispered in his ear. "Later."
Jack entered the kitchen with an ambiance of hopeless oblivion. Sula followed him with an aura of hellish fiery brilliance.
Syleris noticed him first. "Oh Jack, you're back." She stopped and studied his defeated demeanor. "Are you alright?"
He sat at the table and put his hands on his face. "Sula offered to torture me."
The arachne and harpy just blinked. Jack put his head down on the table. "And I'm seriously considering taking her up on it."
Both girls looked at the echidna in mute horror.
She waved a clawed hand. "He's being over-dramatic." The other two continued to stare. "I offered to train him in boxing so he'd be better prepared for us."
Syleris recovered first and looked down. "For when we hurt him."
Sula raised a finger. "If we hurt him."
"Very big if." Tetra doubted. "You're just going to pummel him til he can't feel it anymore aren't you?"
Sula choked. "No I'm not!"
"Yes she is." Jack affirmed. "Said so herself."
Sula gripped her hands into fists. "I was joking, Jack." She growled. She whirled on the other two and pointed a claw. "At any rate, you two are the ones that hurt him today." They both dipped their heads. "You even drew blood."
Jack breathed out and raised his head. "That's enough Sula." She drew back her arm in surprise.
"Let's just, have some breakfast and get on with our day. Okay?"
"Hmmph." The lamia nodded and joined him at the table.
Midway though the meal Syleris looked over at Jack. "Are you really okay?"
He closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah I'll be fine. I've survived worse than this." He took a bite of a waffle and swallowed. "And I'm not going to report this to Smythe. He told me that liminals ,like humans, learn from their mistakes." He breathed out and raised his head. "But if you're punished and taken away for every mistake you'll ever make then we'll have learned very little or nothing at all."
"This was an accident." He stated. "One that we'll all be careful in the future to not repeat."
No one really said anything of importance after breakfast until all four were ready to leave.
"Alright" Jack announced. "I'm going to let Reggie know we're taking off." He pointed at Sula and Tetra. "You two remember what you need to do?"
Both monster girls nodded and proceeded to the garage. "I call shotgun." Syleris announced with an impish grin. Jack and the other two just rolled their eyes.
He lightly jogged back to the gym and waved at Reginald. The big man set down the box he was carrying and walked up to Jack. "Oh, Mr. Keysman." He tilted his head at the sight of the band aid. "Are you okay?" He lifted a finger toward Jack's face.
Jack blinked. "Oh. Yeah." He put a hand over the injury. "Just some rough-housing between the girls. Nothing to worry about."
Reggie tilted his head skeptically. "You certain Mr. Keysman?"
Jack paused and nodded seriously. "I'll be fine Reggie. Anyways, I'm just letting you know we're taking off now. Everything's locked up and the alarms are on."
The big man held out his arm."It's been a pleasure and privilege working with you Mr. Keysman." Jack's face reddened a bit as he grasped Reggie's hand. The big man leaned back slightly and turned a few degrees. "Isn't that right boys! We all appreciate Mr. Keysman for his dedication and service to the Exchange."
The crew all stopped what they were doing and gave a cheer, with a few fist pumps in the air.
"Get more monster girls!" A guy in the back yelled. "We need the work!" The rest of them laughed.
Jack closed his eyes and shook his head. When the cheering died down Jack looked back up at Reggie. "You'll be here for the other three girls when Smythe deigns to assign them to me right?"
Reggie nodded and let go of Jack's hand. "Most likely. I am looking forward to discovering the proper insulation to keep the yuki-onna's cold aura away from your lamia guest."
Jack looked up in thought briefly. "And Tetra. I don't think arachne deal with cold all that well either."
Reggie tilted his head a bit. "She's up on the top floor right?" Jack nodded affirmatively. "Good, cause if the yuki-onna's aura can reach that far you've got a major problem."
Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "That far?"
Reggie nodded. "A colleague of mine in Japan suggested using the earth around a basement bedroom as a natural insulator. That way, we'd only have to install insulation on the basement ceiling and a few walls."
Jack thought about the idea for a moment. "Could work." He looked at Reggie's face. "What about all the water pipes in the basement?"
The big man nodded grimly. "That's going to be the real trick." He sighed then waved a hand. "Don't you worry about any of that though. We'll figure it out."
"Alright." Jack said and waved. "Until then Reggie." He turned and made his way to the garage. As he hoped the girls had already situated themselves inside the heavily modified box van.
The driver and front passenger and secondary passenger seats weren't changed much but the rear two thirds had been hollowed out. A sectioned bench had been installed down the middle of the van up to the back of the passenger seats. Each section could be raised or lowered into the van floor. The top of each bench could also extend laterally almost to the walls of the van on either side.
Jack went around and hopped up on the back end of the vehicle. Sula gave a playful salute. "All ready Jack."
He ran a critical eye over the harnesses she and Tetra had secured themselves with. Each one had straps that linked to a rail on the outermost edge of the van's ceiling. The rail had holes along it where steel pins on the end of each strap could fit in and keep the harnessed person from flying in the event of a crash. Jack pulled on both girls' straps to see if they held.
"You know that we did that ourselves earlier." Tetra remarked.
Jack smiled wryly. "I know. But it makes me feel all hostly and responsible if I do it myself."
Sula giggled. Tetra closed her eyes and shook her head a little. Satisfied that they were safely buckled in, Jack exited and closed up the van.
He hopped into the driver seat, started up the engine and then adjusted his mirrors.
"Can we listen to some tunes?" Syleris asked next to him.
"Yeah sure." He whipped out his smartphone and placed it on the dash for her.
"Remember how to use Spotify?"
The harpy hummed positively and tapped a few times on his screen. Satisfied with her choice she leaned back and started swaying in time with some latest pop song playlist. As a rule, Jack never deliberately listened to top 40 pop. Had to maintain his edgy counter-culture attitude from high school after all. But even he couldn't help harmonizing softly with Syleris.
She had a beautiful voice. The kind that made you want to sing with her even if you couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. The strength of her voice made you forget your own paltry talent. I wonder if she'd be interested in going to a karaoke place sometime?
He shook his head and concentrated on driving safely. He had plenty of other things to deal with without adding another outing on top of the others.
Opened in 1975, the Wulfield Center had gone through a whirlwind of shops in its history but the three anchors of Macy's JCPenny, and Nordstrom continued to endure. For now.
Younger demographics preferred online shopping and delivery as opposed to physically going to a store for their desired products. Jack had done plenty of that but there was nothing quite like walking through a bustling mall and the feeling of decadence it portrayed. Plus, Syleris really needed more clothes sooner rather than later.
After parking and disembarking, Jack let them take in the sight. The mall was easily the most massive structure in the region outside the downtown office towers.
"Wow. It's even bigger than our place." Syleris commented.
"There's so many people." Sula observed.
"That there is." Jack affirmed. "And hey, look there." He pointed to a huge banner above the entrance that read 'EXTRA-SPECIES WELCOME'.
Tetra stepped up and narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that." She drawled quietly.
Before they'd even started approaching, a dozen customers had already entered and exited the nearest entrance. Jack tried to see if any of the people were liminals but he was too far away to tell.
"Alright." He brought up his notepad app. "First things first: clothes for Syleris. Let's go."
He lead the trio of monster girls to the entrance and held the door open, like a true gentleman. Several bystanders stopped and stared at the odd grouping. A few even took pictures with their phones. Jack expected this and ignored it.
"Ooh it's a bit chilly in here." Sula noted after they passed the atrium.
Jack blinked. "Crap, I forgot they blast the A/C in here." He gave the lamia an apologetic look then scanned around for a solution.
"Ahh there. Right by the directory." He pointed at an area where the skylights let the mid-morning sun in. He glanced back at Sula. "That should work right?
She nodded and hummed. All four proceeded to the intersection and stopped in front of the directory.
"Alright, women's clothing stores are all under this category." Jack pointed at a list on the side of the glass. "Which one should we look at first Syleris?"
The harpy leaned forward and examined the choices. She pointed at one with her wing. "This sounds interesting. Forever two-two?"
"Twenty-two." Jack corrected and cross referenced the location with the map and determined the best path. "Oh." He pointed at the 'You Are Here' arrow. "It's..." He turned around and located the physical store almost right behind them. "...right there."
He walked a few steps before Jack noticed they were leaving someone behind. He looked back and observed Sula soaking up sunrays with a serenely content expression. "Hey Sula you coming?"
The lamia's eyes fluttered a second while she refocused. "Oh, sorry Jack. Be right there."
As they approached Syleris and Sula's eyes got wider as they ogled all the fashions and apparel on display.
"Ooh. I want that one and that one and maybe that one." Syleris pointed at various shirts and pants and whatever else caught her eye. Right next to her Sula was doing the same.
Jack smiled. It was oddly reassuring that even though they were dangerous and absurdly strong, his girls were still 'girls.' He took a couple steps inside. "Remember, if you need any help just ask the lady behind the counter." They barely took note of him as they darted around and examined Forever 22's wares.
Tetra entered next and paused. She looked around the store intently. Jack tilted his head up at her.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
She shook her head lightly. "No, nothing's wrong." She slowly spun her whole body around once with her arms out. "I didn't expect this."
Jack looked around, trying to figure out what had surprised her. "Umm, what do you mean?"
She glanced at him with a small smile. "I can move."
Jack blinked a couple times...then it dawned on him.
All the racks and shelves had plenty of space between them. More than enough for Tetra to examine a pair of jeans and for a human sized patron to pass behind her without tripping over her many legs.
"I honestly wasn't expecting a human store to be so accommodating."
Jack smiled and shrugged. "Extra-species welcome." He quoted.
"E-excuse me." A young adult female voice asked near Jack. He and Tetra turned and faced the young woman it belonged to.
She wore a light gray sweater and darker slacks. Her black hair was pulled back in a knot. She held her hands together nervously. Her name-tag read 'Sophie'
"Yes." Tetra asked lowly. "Is something the matter?"
"U-um I'm not entirely sure how to say this, but.." Sophie fidgeted with her fingers. "We were told that arachne would never come in here." She looked up at Tetra anxiously. "You are an arachne right?"
Jack and Tetra raised one eyebrow.
"Yes. I am an arachne." She said proudly and with a bit more volume that was necessary. She looked down at Sophie. "Now you can answer a question for me."
Jack stayed quiet. He was reasonably sure he knew what Tetra would ask. Something he wanted to know as well.
"Who is 'we'?" Tetra folded her arms. "And who told you that arachne would not enter here?"
"I, u-um I mean 'we' are the people that work here." Sophie swallowed. "And um M-miss Ladri told us arachne wouldn't um..."
"Who is this, miss Ladri?" Tetra asked severely. "Some human supervisor."
"N-no! She's not human." Sophie insisted heatedly. "She's a liminal like you." Jack and Tetra were both surprised at the sudden but brief fire in the woman's eyes.
"S-she told us that since arachne make their own clothes they'd never come to a clothes store." Sophie insisted.
Jack hummed and peered up at Tetra. "Not an entirely unreasonable assumption."
Tetra looked down at Jack. "But an assumption all that same." She focused back on Sophie. "Suppose I am curious about the new styles your company carries, and I want to study how they are made or perhaps I am here to advise my fellow non-arachne on their fashion choices." She waved at arm at Sula and Syleris. "Goddess knows they need it."
Jack snorted and glanced up at her. Really?
"U-um well.." The poor woman stammered.
"Suppose I don't feel like making my own clothes and want to wear something made by someone else?"
Sophie blinked and deflated a bit. "Oh...oh my." She put a hand on her cheek. "Oh no, you must think I'm.. but I was just... Oh no."
Jack stepped forward. "Alright Sophie. May I call you Sophie?"
She blinked and took a breathe. "Um yes."
"Call me Jack. " He said easily. "I think I know what's going on here."
"Y-you do?"
He nodded. "Yes, I too was given bad advice about liminals from another liminal." Sophie stared at him. "A former co-worker of mine, a werewolf, told me that all lamia tribes trick and kidnap men to keep in their village."
He waved a hand toward Sula, who was still browsing a wall of t-shirts. "However, her tribe invites men to live in their village. Recruits them from all over the world." He pointed at Syleris . "I assumed that all harpies had short term memory issues. But Syleris actually has a very good memory in some respects."
He looked back and up at Tetra. "There are plenty of unpleasant rumors about arachne floating around." He smiled. Tetra tilted her head appreciably.
Jack turned his head back to Sophie. He pressed his lips together and suppressed the totally hilarious but poorly timed joke he wanted to make. Instead he breathed out and said: "Don't believe them. Form your own opinion based on you're own experience."
Sophie glanced down a second. "I-I see." Her hands fiddled again. "It's just..." She looked back up at them. "We were trained on how to approach lots of different liminals but since we were told not to worry about arachne...we don't really know..."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "You treat her like any other customer that comes into your store."
She blinked at Jack once. And then dropped her hands. "That... actually makes a lot more sense." She stared ahead a few moments then looked back up at Tetra.
"I am so sorry ma'am." She bowed her head. "If there's anything I can do for you please let me know."
Tetra regarded the store employee for a moment. Then she placed a claw on her chin. "Hmm. I would like to see anything you have that's tough like jean material or leather."
Sophie's face brightened up. "Can do ma'am." She made a half turn and scanned the store. "If you'll come with me, I'll take you right to them."
Tetra held up a claw. "How about you gather a few items for me at the counter. I'll be along in a few minutes."
Sophie gave Tetra an unsure look. Then she nodded and walked away. "Can do, ma'am."
Jack watched her for a moment then turned and faced Tetra. "What's up?"
The arachne shivered and jerked her head to the side. Jack took a half-step back. She took a slow breath and composed herself.
"Tetra?" Jack looked at her askance. "Are you alright?"
She swallowed and breathed out again. "I can't stand people like that."
"Helpful store employees?" Jack offered after a moment.
"People who think I'm going to eat them the moment they offend me. As if I'm some sort of vengeful goddess prepared to smite the non-believers for the slightest failure in paying me deference."
Jack gave her an odd look. "She was definitely uncomfortable and didn't know how to approach you." He acknowledged. "But I didn't get the sense that she was afraid for her life."
"I could smell it." The arachne insisted. "You can't mistake the stench of fear for anything else."
Jack considered her words for a few moments. "Could have been fear of being fired. Or plain old fear of the unknown."
She raised an eyebrow. "The unknown?"
"Pretty sure you're the first arachne she's met." He explained. "If she's been told that certain species need to be approached differently...which, when I think about it, has some merit." He scratched his chin. "Then seeing somebody waltz through your front door that you're not prepared for..."
Tetra didn't comment.
"All I'm saying is, don't judge her too harshly."
The arachne took a long breath and let it out. "Very well." She looked up toward the counter. "She's more confident now, so it won't be as irritating as before."
Jack smiled. "See, all species welcome."
Tetra rolled her eyes. Sophie called over to them from the counter, but Tetra held up another claw in her direction, asking for her patience.
"One last thing." She locked all six eyes on Jack. He held her gaze for a moment.
"You hesitated." She said. "You hesitated when you mentioned the rumors about my species."
Jack tried to repress a smirk. Tetra's eyes narrowed. "What were you really going to say?"
He pressed his lips together and breathed in and out through his nose. "I was going to say..." He blinked a couple times. "That all the rumors she's heard about arachne are completely true and she should probably run like hell."
Tetra narrowed her eyes further, Jack tried his hardest not to smile or laugh.
She closed her eyes briefly and grinned with a few fangs showing. "Funny guy." Tetra backed off but didn't break her gaze. She slowly wiggled a claw in a 'no no no' gesture then skittered toward the counter. Jack let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Hey Jack! Come over here." Sula was waving at him from across the shop. He dipped his head and swallowed. "Alright I'll be right there."
Sula held a light brown almost tan t-shirt up to her torso. It had some kind of knot at the bottom front that gave the illusion it was pulling the whole shirt tight. It would definitely reveal her belly button and a good amount of skin above it.
Jack nodded appreciably. "Cute."
Sula tilted her head and looked at Jack concernedly. He gave her an odd look back. "What?"
She pointed a claw at him. "You're pretty calm for a guy in a women's clothing shop." She said. "Don't most guys get all..." She wiggled her arm like she was trying to shoo off a bug.
"Oh no." Jack chuckled. "I got over that years ago."
Sula tilted her head the other way. Jack held up a hand. "I used to shop at this mall with my good friend Alice a few times." He held that hand out toward the shirt Sula carried. "She'd ask me if I thought her fiance would like the stuff she picked out."
Sula blinked a couple times. "What..like her gay friend?"
Jack laughed easily and waved the implication of his orientation away. "No no. We were all good friends that rented the same house at the time. We all had crazy schedules back then and every once in a while Alice and I would have a day off and some spare cash. So we'd go to the mall and spend it all away like we were rich girls in some teen movie."
He smiled at the memories with his friend. "We'd make a little game of it too. Like..." He stepped over to a laced up tube top and held a corner of it on his arm. Jack struck a pose and raised the pitch of his voice. "Do you think this goes well with my complexion?"
Sula pursed her lips and looked at him oddly.
"Or some thing like.." Jack took a too small denim skirt off the rack and held it in front of his waist. "Think this will make my butt look fat?"
Sula pressed her lips harder and held a knuckle up to them. Her eyes squinted a bit.
Sensing she was getting the point, Jack replaced the skirt and went one step further. He picked up a floral print dress and held it to his chest. "You know I've always liked flowers." He batted his eyes at her.
Sula couldn't stand it. She doubled over and laughed, almost dropping the shirt in her hands.
Jack smiled brightly and replaced the dress. "Yep. Good times."
She held one hand over her mouth and the other on her belly. Her whole body, tail included, trembled with her barely contained laughter.
Jack chuckled himself.
"So.." She managed after taking a few deep breathes to calm herself. "you... pretended to be her gay friend?"
Jack shrugged. "Yeah I guess. You should have seen us when we brought along our actually gay friend Casey." He smirked "We were a riot."
Sula shook her head and cleared her throat. "I can't imagine." She breathed out slowly once more and wiped away a few tears with her thumb. "So..did you like her?"
Jack blinked. "Who, Alice? Of course I like her. She's my friend."
She shook her head. "No, I meant..."
Jack leaned his head back. "Ooohhh. You meant 'like her' like her." She nodded affirmatively.
He closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah I got up the nerve to attempt to ask her out once. The week before I planned to do it, she and Alec," He glanced at Sula. "Her boyfriend at the time, were having issues. I didn't know any details then, but it legitimately looked like they might be breaking up." Jack sighed. "So I decided the next time I saw her I'd take her aside and ask her out."
He paused and smirked.
"Well what happened?" Sula asked with the barest hint of impatience.
Jack smiled ruefully. "That was the week Alice and Alec announced their engagement."
"Oh." Sula dipped her head and looked downward.
He chuckled. "Yep. I never had a chance." He took a slow breath. "So did you want to show me anything else?"
Her eyes stayed staring at the floor. "It's just..so sad."
Jack looked at her askance. "Why? They're happy together. They even got a kid. A nice house. Full time jobs." He snorted. "Insurance."
Sula shook her head. "It's just...if you were a man in my tribe you could be with the woman you wanted."
Jack stayed still.
"You'd have to share of course." Sula shrugged. "But we know that our men have their preferences just as much as we do." She smirked a bit then shook her head. "This whole 'one person exclusively paired with one other' is so...backwards to me."
Jack blinked and pondered on how differently relationships are formed in her culture as opposed to his own. And considering his single status he found himself a bit jealous of where she came from. Snippets of old girlfriends and crushes throughout his life flashed rapidly in his mind. A slight burning in his chest awoke.
He shook his head and cleared those thoughts away. Now was not the time for that. Today they're here to shop.
"So, was there anything else you wanted to show me?" He asked again.
She brought her head up to meet his. "Oh, uh not really." She didn't seem as chipper as when they first entered the shop.
Jack pointed at the shirt she still carried. "Did you want to get that?"
She raised the item in her hand with a slight look of shock. Like she'd forgotten she was even carrying it. "Oh. Yes." She smiled and a bit of that girly joy came back to her voice. "If you wouldn't mind."
Jack nodded. "Of course. How about we go see what Syleris has picked out and we'll get the whole lot at once, okay?"
"Mmm." She nodded. Her tongue flicked out a second and her eyes tracked toward a corner of the shop. "She's over there." Sula pointed in a direction behind Jack.
He stood there for second and just admired how different and capable liminals are. She gave him an odd look. "What?"
Jack held up a hand. "Sorry. That's the first time I've seen you do that."
She blinked. "Do what?"
"You just." He flicked his own tongue out a second. "And you just knew where she was."
Sula snorted. "Any decent lamia can do that Jack. It's not that special."
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "It is to me." He turned and walked in the direction she had pointed.
Syleris had actually followed Jack's earlier advice and enlisted a store employee's aid. She was dressed similar to Sophie but sported a slightly taller and stockier build. Her name-tag read 'Rebecca.'
"So, found everything you needed?" Jack asked as he approached.
Syleris waved a wing behind her. "Nope, need more."
Jack looked over at Rebecca. She had a basket in her arms and an assortment of pants and shirts inside. "How many outfits are in there?" He asked.
"At least five." Rebecca answered professionally.
Jack closed his eyes and anticipated the coming headache he would suffer when Smythe would chew him out for going over the limit for the Exchange expenses card.
Actually, do I even have a limit? Does the Exchange have a budget for my homestays?
Jack took out his phone and added another note to ask Smythe about. He looked at all the items that Sula and Syleris were getting. He mentally added in whatever clothes Tetra wanted to get as well. It would definitely be a steep bill.
I suppose we'll find out.
"C'mon Syleris. We can always come back for more if you really need." Jack said to her. She turned around and pouted at him. He gave her an admonishing look. "Have you even tried them on in the dressing room yet?"
The harpy stared ahead blankly. "What's a dressing room?"
Jack didn't dare laugh or smirk or react in anyway. Sula's eyelids lowered in disappointment. Rebecca cleared her throat. "I'll take her."
She stepped to the harpy's side and pointed toward the back. "If you'll come with me, miss." Syleris followed the shop employee, a genuinely curious expression on her face.
When she was out of sight, Jack let out a sigh.
"She's never heard of-" Sula started. Jack whirled and held up a hand.
"Let's not go there." He stated with a degree of finality.
The lamia gave him a look. "Whatever."
"Let's see what Tetra's up to." He suggested. She nodded and joined him as he approached the counter. Tetra was examining a denim miniskirt critically.
"So. Like what you see?" Jack asked her.
"Indeed." She answered without looking away. "I require these samples." She idly tapped a claw in sequence on a row of clothes on the counter.
Jack lowered his eyebrows and cocked his head a bit, not entirely sure he heard the term she used.
"I'm sorry, did you say samples?" He asked.
Tetra nodded and put down the miniskirt with one hand. With her other she picked up a jacket and started looking at the seam and stitch-work.
He walked up and perused the items she had 'approved.' He wasn't an expert but he was reasonably sure that some of them would not fit on her comfortably.
"Um...you're not actually going to wear these, are you?" He asked.
She smirked and nodded. "Correct."
Jack blinked a couple times and looked over at Sophie. She gave him a 'I don't know either.' shrug.
"Then may I ask what are they for?"
She nodded once. "You may."
It took Jack a moment to realize she had given him a non-answer. A moment more to figure out that she wasn't going to explain why she was interested in those pieces.
"Fine whatever." He looked over at Sula, who also seemed annoyed with their arachne roommate. "Are you sure that one is all you want?" He pointed at the shirt she still carried.
"Yes, I just want this one to replace the shirt I gave Syleris."
Jack tilted his head. "You know you could probably ask for that back after this."
She waved a hand. "She can keep it. It wasn't my favorite and she needed it."
"That's cool." He said. "Would you like to go someplace in particular after this?"
The lamia shrugged "What else is there?"
Jack brought up his browser app and navigated to the mall's website. He handed over his phone with the list of stores displayed. Sula asked about several of them and Jack explained what he could.
Soon enough Syleris and Rebecca joined them at the counter. Tetra seemed satisfied with her choices as well. Mentally crossing his fingers he handed over the Exchange expense card. Sophie stuck the chip in the reader and then handed it back without comment. Jack let out a small sigh.
"Something wrong?" She asked. Jack smiled a bit. "No, nothing wrong." He answered as he slipped the card back into his wallet.
"Well, thanks for shopping at Forever Twenty-Two. We hope to see you again soon." She waved at them.
Jack waved back and hefted the bags off the counter. "Yeesh this is a lot." He looked around and spotted one of those thin mall carts certain shops keep around. He slid the bags in and proceeded outside with his homestays in tow.
"So. Where to next?" He asked them after they cleared the store.
"I want to go to BAB." Sula exclaimed.
"Bab?" Syleris' face contorted in confusion.
"Books-A-Billion." Jack explained. He nodded at the lamia. "Good choice."
"Oh! Do they have medicine books there?" Syleris asked excitedly.
Jack hummed. "I'm not sure. But they probably have issues of medical journals."
Syleris nodded. "Good enough."
"I could make use of some reading material as well." Tetra mused. "I agree."
"Alrighty then." Jack stated and walked back to the directory. He ran a finger over the choices and cross-referenced the location. "Right above us, Second floor." He announced.
At the entrance to the store Jack helped his girls locate the sections they wanted. Classic literature for Sula, medical texts for Syleris, and home econ for Tetra. As with the clothes store, the shelves were spaced widely apart to account for the larger bodied species.
Jack made his way to the fantasy and sci-fi shelves. Sparing a moment to reflect on the irony of looking for works of fiction while being a host to fantastic creatures, Jack searched for anything new from his favorite authors.
"God dammit Jim." He said to himself. "Still no Peace Talks?"
"I know right?"
Jack turned to the side and observed a BAB employee as he finished up shelving books.
"You waiting on him too?" Jack asked.
"Yep." He answered. "It's been what, three, four years since the last novel?"
Jack pulled out a copy of Skin Game and checked the publication date. "Yeah. Two thousand fourteen." He shook his head. "I've almost given up."
The employee smirked. "Don't do that just yet." He finished his task and turned toward Jack. "In the meantime may I suggest a few alternatives?"
Jack nodded and replaced the book. "Suggest away."
After a lively discussion of the latest pulp fiction, Jack picked up a new Star Wars and Drizzt novel. He didn't know when ,exactly, he'd have time to sit down and read them but the prospect of a new adventure felt good in his hands. Reassuring in a piece of normalcy kind of way. To experience the exotic and absurd through the mode he traditionally relied on: his imagination guided by a talented writer.
He spared a glance at his homestays as they milled about the store. He reminisced on discussions with his old friends on the theoretical ,at the time, existence of such beings. They'd probably be as excited as I was. Come to think of it. They might have their own liminal homestays.
Jack smirked and imagined Alice hugging a fluffy Nekomimi. Alec giving a troll a fist bump. Jay would be annoying a minotaur with riddles off the internet.
"What's so funny?"
Jack blinked and refocused his thoughts. He looked up at Tetra. "Oh I'm just daydreaming a bit." He noticed she carried a few books herself. "Got what you wanted?"
The arachne nodded. "Yes. This should suffice for my little project."
Jack gave her a mild glare. "Should I bother to ask?"
She shrugged one shoulder. "Can't hurt if you do."
Jack breathed out once. "I think I'll let the bliss of ignorance be my guide on whatever you're up to."
She cocked her head sideways. "'Bliss of ignorance?'"
Jack nodded. "Yeah, ever heard the phrase, ignorance is bliss?"
Her face contorted in disgust as she shook her head. "No. I have not." Her tone matched her face.
Jack waved a hand. "It's the idea that if you don't know something you can't worry about it."
Her hands and arms curled inward like she was trying to protect her physical form from the very concept.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of that philosophy either," Jack stated. "but it's kind of my only option when your not being very forthcoming with your intentions."
After a moment her arms and face relaxed. Then she smirked and patted Jack on the head like he was a child. "I'm an arachne dear. I have a reputation to maintain."
"Reputation?" Jack echoed. "What are you talking about?"
She grinned with all her fangs. "'Dangerously mysterious' remember?"
Jack pointed at her with his free hand. "Being your host and friend doesn't give me a pass?"
She kept her grin. "Nope."
At least she didn't argue against me calling her a friend. Small victories I guess.
"Fine." He shook his head. "I'll gather the others. And meet you at the counter."
"Can't I just pay for these myself?" She put a fist near her hip.
Jack paused and thought about it a second. "Well the card is in my name..." He focused back at her. "You got a credit or debit card?" She shook her head. "Cash? Or checkbook?" She frowned and shook her head again.
Jack shrugged. "Guess you're SOL."
Confusion replaced her frown. "SOL?"
"Shit-Outta-Luck." He defined.
"Hmph." She pouted. "I want my own means of paying for products."
Jack nodded. "Okay, I'll look online and ask Smythe about part-time jobs for homestay students. I'm sure there's something arachne can do around the area for a paycheck."
"I...would appreciate that." She closed her eyes and nodded. "Thank you Jack."
He smiled back. "My pleasure."
Jack reentered the classic literature section and found Sula perusing a tome. She had her tail wrapped under her and looked very comfortable. He coughed once to get her attention.
"Oh Jack." She looked up from her book. "Come here."
Jack walked toward her and noted the title on the spine. "Hey, The Count of Monte Cristo." He identified. "I read that back in high school, saw a play about it too."
"Mmm." She nodded. "I haven't read an English translation of this yet. It's pretty good so far."
"Glad you found something." He said. "But if you could take that to the counter and wait while I get Syleris..."
Sula looked at him with a borderline Puppy Dog Eyes plea. He held up a hand. "Hey, you can keep reading til I get there. Just keep Tetra company while I collect Syleris."
She blinked and nodded. She closed the book with one finger held at her current place and slithered toward the front.
"Two down, one to go." Jack said to himself as he made his way to the health and nutrition section. The harpy was engrossed in a circulated medical journal. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She flipped a page and continued reading. Jack stepped closer and cleared his throat again.
Her face expressed irritation for a moment but her eyes focused on the passage she was reading. Jack shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Syleris."
Finally she looked at him. "Oh Jack." She glanced at a paragraph and pointed at it with her wing-hand. "You gotta hear this."
He raised an eyebrow.
"'Among patients with advanced cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma, cemiplimab induced a response in approximately half the patients and was associated with adverse events that usually occur with immune checkpoint inhibitors.'" She quoted.
Jack's eyes glazed a bit, and he shook his head. "I have no idea what you just said."
Syleris shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure myself. But damn, if it isn't interesting."
Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Looks like I'll be needing a subscription to-" He bent his knees and leaned to the side to see the title. "the New England Journal of Medicine."
He stood back up. "Now come on. We'll buy our books and decide where to go next."
"'Kay." She said cheerfully and followed Jack to the counter. The girls piled on their selections and Jack finally got a chance to see the titles of Tetra's books. "Sewing and basic fashion." He turned back to her with an inquisitive look. "I think you're kinda beyond that by now aren't you?"
"Oh, those are not for me to read." She stated.
"Then who...?" He closed his eyes and turned back to the counter."Nevermind. I give up." He paid for the books and slipped them in the cart.
"Don't forget your free crossword puzzle collection." The cashier said while sliding another item over the counter. Jack looked at him curiously. "You buy five or more books anytime this week and you get a free puzzle book."
"Uh thanks." Jack slipped the last book into cart and proceeded to the entrance of the store.
"Alright where to next?" He asked them all when they got out.
Sula tapped her fingers together. "I kinda wanted to keep reading my book." She smiled sheepishly.
"So do I." Syleris joined in.
Tetra shrugged. "I can solve that puzzle book in the meantime."
Jack put a knuckle near his chin. "Hmm. I don't want to spend all day here. I've got at least one more stop or two before we head home." He snapped his fingers. "It's a little early but how about we get lunch down in the food court and just find a quiet corner to eat and read?"
The girls nodded together and Jack lead them down to the sub-level. They still got odd looks and the occasional too-long stares from pedestrians and mini-shop sales folk. But no one bothered them outright.
Jack thought he might have seen other liminals on the way, but he wasn't really looking out for them. When they reached the sub level and looked around, Tetra pointed at one of the restaurants. "Well that's redundant."
The other two girls looked at where she pointed and nodded their heads in agreement. Jack studied it as well.
"Oh, Panera Bread." He scratched at one of his cheeks. "I wondered about that myself."
Sula folded her arms. "Breadbasket bread." She glanced at her fellow polyglottal fellows. "What else would you advertise to have in a breadbasket?"
Jack chuckled at the rhetorical question and waved a hand. "I can vouch that their food has more thought behind it than their name." He started walking toward the counter. "Try it."
"If you say so." Sula mused and followed Jack inside.
The girls each got two sandwiches and Jack was going to go with his own standby of a full turkey sandwich and chips, but he got a half and a veggie soup instead. 'Eat healthy' he told himself.
There wasn't a quiet spot inside the restaurant proper, but a few courtyard tables hadn't been claimed over by a utility entrance. He and the girls sat at the edge and ate in relative silence.
"I do like the ingredients." Sula commented as she polished off her first sandwich.
"Could use more flavoring." Tetra remarked. Syleris nodded and hummed in agreement.
Jack held up his spoon. "There might be packets of condiments in your bags."
The two girls rummaged through them but came up empty. Jack frowned and looked over the food court.
"Ah, perfect." He spotted a condiment station at the center of the courtyard and got up. "I'll be right back."
He strode over and observed a smattering of different packets available. He hadn't lived with the girls long enough to know their preferences so he took a double handful of all of them.
"Oooh chipotle mayo." Sula and Syleris said in unison as Jack placed the foodstuffs on the near end of the table. They each reached over and grabbed up all of them and lathered the mildly spicy goodness on their meal.
Jack smiled at their renewed enthusiasm. Tetra raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead she picked one lone envelope of ketchup and poked a hole in it with her claw. She licked it and paused a second. She shook her head lightly and placed the pierced packet in the designated 'trash' bag at the other end of the table.
She picked up another packet and poked it with a different claw. This one passed her initial taste test and she squeezed a dab of it on the end of her ham and cheese and took a bite. Her eyes closed as she nodded slowly in satisfaction. She repeated the process with each remaining variety of condiments.
Jack took out his phone and took note of each flavor and their brand that she considered worthy for her meal. And he typed in 'chipotle mayo' in all caps.
Now I got somewhere to start when I learn cooking with Rukh.
As he suggested, the girls finished their sandwiches and took out their respective books. Jack gathered their wrappers and empty cups and deposited it in the nearest trash bin. When he returned he noticed the lamia and harpy were more than content but Tetra seemed frustrated, almost angry. Her claws were partially stabbing through the cover and her jaw seemed clenched.
He approached her with a bit of caution. "Tetra? Something bothering you?"
She threw the book down in disgust. The other two liminals looked up from their books in concern.
"This puzzle's solution requires arcane and exhaustive knowledge of the culture that produced it." She sneered.
Jack tilted his head and blinked a couple times. "I'm not following."
She stabbed a claw at one of the clues. "This one. " She spat. "Three letter word for 'blank' Howard of "Happy Days."
She waved a hand upward in a jerky motion. "How in creation should I know whatever the hell 'happy days' are and some human associated with it?" She folded her arms and glared at the book like it was her mortal enemy.
Jack pressed his lips together and suppressed a laugh. He swallowed. "I believe the answer is 'Ron Howard of 'Happy Days."
The arachne blinked and her face relaxed a bit. She picked up the pen she borrowed from Jack and wrote in the answer. "That works." She gazed at him like he was some oracle. "How did you know that?"
He shrugged. "Well, I'd forgotten that Ron Howard was an actor on the TV show "Happy Days" but he's the only Howard I know of that's associated with Hollywood."
Her eyebrows lowered a bit. "Hollywood?"
"Oh, right." He closed his eyes and shook his head apologetically. "Hollywood is a neighborhood in Los Angeles where lots of American movies and TV shows are produced." He opened his eyes. "So I deduced that was the Howard the clue was talking about."
She put down the pen with a little more force than necessary. "Well that just illustrates my point."
Jack chuckled a bit. "How about I help you with my 'arcane' knowledge of American culture?"
She stared at him a second then smirked. "Oh would you, wise human, help the poor ignorant liminal?"
Jack lost his amusement. "Hey, hey, hey." He lifted a hand toward her. "There's no need to accuse me of condescension. I'm sure if you gave me a puzzle that required knowledge of arachne and other liminal cultures I'd fail miserably."
He waved a hand at her book. "Besides, you already solved some of the clues without me."
The arachne glanced at the partially completed puzzle and nodded her head lightly.
He pulled his chair around and sat beside her. "And I'd never think of you as ignorant Tetra." He lifted his head and looked intently at the other two. "Nor would I ever think that of either of you."
"I've learned more about the world in the few days I've been around you three than my last semester at college." He looked back up at Tetra. "So if I can, I will gladly return the favor."
Tetra lowered her eyelids a bit. "I was joking Jack."
He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "I know. I just...I've been on the receiving end of that crap nearly all my life. I should be the last one to condescend to any of you."
Syleris shifted her head a bit. "All your life?"
He frowned for a second. "My dad."
The monster girls glanced at each other then back at Jack.
He sighed and stared at the table. "Look, don't get me wrong. I love my parents. When I lost them..." He blinked and paused for a moment. "When I lost them, it hurt. It still hurts. But my dad.." He shook his head and grimaced. "My dad could be such an arrogant ass." The girls noticed some heat in his voice.
"He'd talked down to you almost every chance he got." He lifted his head up. "He'd even do it to mom. Thirty years married and he'd still talk to her like she was an idiot." He put his hands on the table and clenched them. "So what, if she didn't go to college like you did. So what, if she had already had a kid before she met you. She's still the woman you married, the mother of your sons, the-"
Tetra quickly placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, pushing him a little. "Jack stop."
He blinked rapidly and focused at his homestays. Each of their eyes were wide with concern. Sula's tail had curled around part of herself.
"I..I." He stammered and lifted his hands. Rage and shame roiled in his chest.
"Jack." Tetra continued. "We don't need to know this." She kept her hand on his shoulder.
He breathed out slowly and placed a hand on hers. He gripped it, letting her calm strength steady him. He shook his head after a few moments and lightly pried it off his shoulder.
"No." He stated confidently. "No, if you're going to be living with me, you should know this."
He took in a breath and exhaled it. "My dad is obviously a sore subject for me. He wasn't the worst dad in the world. He wouldn't beat or cuss at us or anything like that." He waved a hand. "But he'd condescend like no one I've ever met in my life."
Jack chuckled sourly. "It actually kinda helped at times." Sula tilted her head questioningly. "I used to have managers and bosses that would talk down to their employees. It would hurt some of my co-workers but I could stare right back at them like nothing they could do could move me."
He smirked. "My co-workers would ask me how I could take such abuse like I was made of brick. I told them that I get it worse at home. Facing down a petty-minded manager was a walk in the park."
"But when my dad would treat my mom like that." He stopped himself before he could get emotional again. He'd gotten angry in front of Sula and Tetra before. And now he'd done it again and roped in Syleris just to be complete.
"So I never want to be like that. I never want to talk down to anyone I care about. Let alone anyone I respect and have made a commitment too." He looked them each in the eyes. "I hope you understand that."
Sula reached out and grasped his hand. "Of course Jack." She looked at her fellow homestays and then back to him. "If we didn't want to be around you as our host, for whatever reason, we wouldn't stay."
"Yeah." Syleris exclaimed. "You're pretty humble for a human."
"And when you have offended us, you apologized, Jack." Sula stated. "You really try to understand."
He blinked back a few tears and smiled a bit.
"No one is perfect Jack." Tetra added. "I happen to know an arachne who's nearly." She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her chest. The other three dropped their shoulders and gave her unamused glares.
"But," She raised a claw. "I think I know exactly how you feel." She opened her eyes. "I too see things in me that I also saw in my mother, that I do not care for." She placed her hand back on Jack's shoulder.
She looked into him. "You want to hate him. But he raised you, fed you. Provided shelter and protected you." She paused a moment. "Things he did infuriated you. Things he's said made you want to tear apart something that he treasured."
Jack nodded. "I took a hammer to his coin collection. Bent them up pretty good."
Sula giggled nervously and covered her mouth with one hand. "I threw Matriach Paula's brooch into the ocean."
Syleris raised a wing. "Stole my aunt's head band. I still wear it." Jack and Sula giggled.
Tetra sighed. "I buried the ring my father gave her. Somewhere she'll never find it."
The other three's eyes widened in shock.
"R-ring?" Sula asked. "It wasn't a-"
Tetra gave her a hard glance. The lamia shut her mouth. After a second she faced Jack directly.
"So do not hate yourself so much when you act like your parents Jack. Of course you'd behave like them, they raised you." Jack shut his eyes a moment and nodded. "But when you see a fault in yourself that is like what your parents did, confront it, correct it as best you can. But always remember," She pointed a claw right at his chest. "You. Are not. Your father."
Jack pressed his eyelids harder in a vain attempt to hold back more tears. "I will. Thank you Tetra."
She withdrew her hand and smiled. "You're quite welcome, Jack."
He laughed and picked up a napkin to dry his face.
Tetra picked up the pen and slid the puzzle book to herself. "So, may I have your assistance, Jack?"
He laughed again and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute." He dabbed a fresh napkin to his face.
"Take your time Jack." She said softly.
"Hey I wanna help too." Syleris declared.
"I'd like too as well." Sula said positively.
Tetra gave them a skeptical look. "We can't all crowd around one page."
"No we can't." Jack affirmed. "But, we can do this." He took the puzzle book and tore out two pages. Each of the girls gasped.
"It's alright see." He ran his fingers along the evenly punctured edge near the spine. "They're designed to be torn out." He took the pen and wrote each girl's name on one each. "I'll help all three of you as your solve your own puzzle."
"But we only have your pen." Sula pointed out.
Jack shrugged. " Pfft. Easy fix. Be right back."
He crossed the food court and darted into a dollar store. He returned to the girls and tore open a package containing four presharpened pencils with erasers.
He took back his pen and threw the spare pencil in the cart.
"You girls good?" They all nodded at him.
"Great." He nodded. "So, who needs help first?"
All three raised their hand. "I do."
His eye twitched. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."
Hello readers.
Apologies for the long absence. Busy, hectic summer, lots of distractions.
First off, in case you missed it, I commissioned the talented LindaRoze for a picture of Sula.
lindaroze/art/Commission-Sula-755147167
Please visit her deviantart and patreo n. I'm sure she'll appreciate it.
Also I do have a source for Syleris' quote from the NEJM.
doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1805131
Just so I'm covering all my bases.
Now to answer a common question from the reviews:
I do plan on having my cast run into Kimihito and co. sometime in the distant future. Got to at least get the rest of the girls moved in and see how their personalities interact before throwing that sort of monkey wrench into the works.
But I am almost giddy for my girls to run into Lala and freak out. Seriously, Lala sneaks up on Rachnera without even trying and that arachne can DODGE. BULLETS. FIRED BY A MONOEYE!
Anyways, Thanks again for reading.
