With how eventful his night had been, even after Karrah had given him a ride back to his sister's house, Ren didn't get the opportunity to tuck himself in for the night until eleven o'clock— Naomi's hour long phone call she had with him was mostly to blame, along with of course the tedious work of having to scribe each and every number and name from both of his arms onto several pages of a notebook he found in Vivine's office.
So when he jolted awake to the sound of loud knocking on his front door, the first thing Ren's tired and bloodshot eyes did when he sat up from beneath his covers was check the time on his digital alarm clock. '… Four in the morning?! Who the hell could that- Oh… Oh shit, I forgot about today.'
Smacking himself harder than he intended to on his forehead, Ren groaned in frustration and pain as he stumbled out of his unmade bed— accidentally tripping on his leather riding boots, before managing to catch himself on the nearby wall. Half-asleep still, Ren felt like a panicked zombie as he groggily rummaged through his drawers to put on an outfit that he wouldn't mind getting dirty.
Not wanting to disrespect Guido's hand-me-downs, the young man settled with throwing on his dirty clothes that he had on when he first arrived at Crescent Bay's train station. Putting on a plain black t-shirt with long sleeves, and a pair of denim jeans that paired well with his pair of scuffed-up black and white sneakers, Ren was stretching his arms above his head while letting out a tired yawn as he headed downstairs from his bedroom— too exhausted to feel embarrassed about his unkempt morning appearance, as he made his way to the front door to open it up.
Standing outside on his porch in her pair of black overalls that she had on over her white blouse, the large-chested red-head from the night greeted him with an excited smile— her well kept appearance and demeanor being a complete polar opposite to how the young man was, as he stood staring at her with a light bit drool still on his lower lip.
"Gooooooood MORNING, sleepy head! I see you're not exactly an 'early bird' now, ain't cha?" Bethany teased with an alert look in her pink eyes, while smiling brightly as she reached up to wipe away the leftover saliva off of Ren chin and bottom lip— having muttered quietly under her breath, "Got a little something there," as she invaded his personal space.
If Ren were more awake, he might have thought more of it; but with how dazed he was, he didn't really notice too much— even as Bethant wiped his drool from her thumb on her overalls. "… Mmmhmmm," was all the young man had it in him to say, as his eyelids grew heavier by the second.
Giggling at his groggy groan, Bethany continued to smile brightly at him as she enthusiastically said, "Come on, let's get you caffeinated! Ain't no point in trying to help you with your sister's lawn, if you're not even going to be awake to do it the right way!" And without waiting for a response, Bethany invited herself right in— gently grabbing Ren by his hand, before pulling him behind her as she brought him with her to the kitchen.
"Here, pop a squat!" Bethany instructed in a cheery voice, as she used one hand to pull up one of the tall bar stools that were tucked against the island counter that was in the middle of Vivine's kitchen.
Too tired to argue, Ren simply let out another deep and gravely groan in response to Bethany, before sitting down on top of its cushioned seat. Almost immediately, the young man crossed his arms on top of the black-marble countertop before laying his head down on it— trying to get a few more minutes of rest, or however long Bethany would allow him to nap.
Thankfully for Ren, Bethany had made an effort to make as little noise as possible while exploring the cabinets and drawers of the kitchen. Occasionally stirring awake whenever the red-headed woman would do something that was inevitably noisy— such as turning on the kitchen faucet, and grounding the coffee beans he had gotten from the food pantry— the young man had, for the most part, gotten the power nap that he needed to at least be coherent enough to finally speak full sentences.
What really got Ren to lift his head up from his forearms was the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee, as the mocha liquid dripped down from the nozzle of the coffee maker and into its glass pot. Rubbing whatever tiredness he could from his eyes, when Ren lowered his hands down from his face he found his wandering eyes making their way to Bethany's wide hips— specifically, her plump buttcheeks that were kept hidden from his intrigued gaze behind the black denim overalls she had on.
'It's too early to be having these sorts of thoughts,' Ren sarcastically scolded himself, while still eyeing the thick red-headed woman's bottom mounds out as she grabbed the glass pot of coffee by its wooden handle. Undressing her with his imagination, Ren's eyes immediately darted upward to greet her smiling face the moment she turned around with two ceramic mugs in both of her hands.
"Got any creamer, Ren?" Bethany asked cheerfully— seemingly unaware of the way Ren's cheeks were growing faintly pink, after he had managed to get a sneak peak of her cleavage, after she had bent over to reach across the island counter to place his mug down in front of him.
'Why ask for mine, when you've got two beautiful milk jugs right- Oh my god, I just made myself cringe so hard just now. Where the hell did that even come from?' Ren's intrusive thoughts exclaimed, as he continued to stare wide-eyed at her cantaloupe-sized breasts, before finally realizing what he was doing and snapping out of his trance. "I… I-I have half-and-half in the fridge; there should be a bottle of it in the bottom door-shelf— or whatever you call it," Ren said in a raspy-tired voice, before averting his eyes away from the knowing grin on Bethany's blushing face, as he raised a hand up to point at one of the ceramic jars he had on the counter beside the refrigerator. "Sugar's right over there; please, help yourself to whatever."
"Oh, hehe! I was planning on doing that anyway," Bethany quipped teasingly with a tone of voice that Ren had a hard time deciphering whether or not it was meant to be flirtatious. Through willpower alone, Ren managed to keep his morning arousal in check by making a conscious effort in staring down into his cup of coffee instead of checking Bethany's curvy butt out again— letting out an uncomfortable sigh while doing so, while doing his best to not dwell on the impure thoughts that his hormones were trying to pump into his mind.
"S-So… Did you take the entire day off from your uncle's farm, or do you have to head back to work later?" Ren asked, while basking in the warmth of the rising steam coming from within his ceramic cup— using it to relax himself and to ease his nerves.
"Oh, I took the whole day off!! I pretty much have all day to hang out with you," Bethany replied enthusiastically, as she tucked the bottle of coffee creamer beneath her armpit, before beginning to rummage through the rest of the fridge. "Speaking of which… You don't mind if I tag along with you when Karrah picks you up, do you? I was hoping to hang out with you today— that way, you and I get to know each other a bit better!"
Now that he was more awake and in a better head space to actually process what Bethany was asking of him, Ren put some thought into what his response would be, before finally replying to her, "I personally can't see Karrah having an issue with you coming along, but even so… That decision would be up to her to decide on."
Nodding her head as she walked back to the island counter to set down the bottle of coffee creamer, along with the four eggs and packet of bacon she had pulled out from Vivine's fridge, Bethany gave an understanding smile to Ren before opening a nearby drawer to pull out a pair of scissors. "Oh, absolutely— I one hundred-percent agree with you! But honestly, I don't see her saying no to that… But hey, even if she says no, that'll be fine with me!" The red-headed girl said assuringly, while cutting the plastic end of the bacon packet before saying, "If she does say though, would you still be cool with me hanging out with you all day— regardless of whether or not I hitch a ride with you two?"
Nodding his head as he watched her grab a handful of raw bacon strips from the opened package, Ren begrudgingly got up off of the high stool. "Yeah, that's fine… Although, I feel obligated to warn you that today's not really going to be all that exciting," Ren explained with a stoic voice, as he began making his way around the island counter while further elaborating with, "I've got to stop by the 'General Goods Store' later to get some toiletries, but first I've got to open up a checking account at the bank this morning before Ms. Yoriko takes her lunch," as he took out a measuring spoon, before making his way over to the ceramic jar of sugar.
Taking notice of how the young man jumped in to help her in the kitchen without being asked to, the red-headed woman had an approving look in her pink-colored eyes as she watched him take the jar of sugar back to the island counter. "More the reason why I should join up with you then!" Bethany declared, as she took out two separate frying pans from underneath the counter that was closest to the stove— lathering them up in cooking oil, before putting them on the range to begin heating them up. "Hopefully I can make those pesky chores a little more bearable for you with me being at your side!"
Finding Bethany's enthusiasm to be infectious, Ren began smirking to himself as he added creamer and sugar to both their mugs. "Mmhmm~…! Yeah, that certainly sounds appealing," Ren said agreeingly, while stirring a the measuring spoon into each of their own cups of coffee, before moving making his way past Bethany to slid some bagels from the breadbox into Vivine's toaster, while the red-headed woman began to crack open the eggshells on the side of the warm pan. "Although, I'm not too sure you'll be allowed to be there when I talk to Ms. Yoriko— I think there's confidentiality laws preventing that."
Together, Ren and Bethany made a complete breakfast for the two of them to fill up on. Once they were seated down at the dining table that was in the pink-painted walls of the next room over, Bethany half-jokingly scolded Ren about the importance of saying grace before beginning to pray aloud to Earth Mother— thanking her for the harvest that brought the food to the table, along with the several other blessings that she was thankful for.
Having rarely seen a woman scarf down an entire plate as quickly as Bethany had, Ren couldn't help but to feel appreciative of the blatant fact she felt extremely comfortable with him enough to show him the real her. Thankfully for the sake of pacing, the red-headed woman took her time sipping on her coffee, and would do most of the talking as they spoke about each other's lives.
Telling her a bit about his early childhood, Ren told Bethany about how his father was a priest and how his mother was a doctor— and felt nostalgic telling her all about how he and Vivine used to live comfortably in the upper scale part of Arcadia, and how much many good memories he had at the private school he and his older sister were enrolled into.
Although she could relate to Ren's previous lavish lifestyle— as she and her younger sister were both taken of exceptionally well by their wealthy uncle, who owned several-hundred different farms around the entirety of the surrounding county— Bethany told the young man about how much she preferred going to the public school in Crescent Bay, over going to a private school in New Marina that her uncle had enrolled into. According to her, the teachers and students who were local to the area were far more accepting and supportive to her than any of the ones she met in New Marina— which was why her fifteen year-old sister was attending 'Moonlight High School', just like how she did when she was younger.
When asked about what happened to his parents, Bethany prefaced her question by telling Ren about what became of her own father and mother; explaining to him with a slightly sad look in her eye about the night they had gotten into a car accident when she was sixteen, and her little sister was just two-years old. Giving his condolences to her for her own loss, Ren found it easier than he thought it would have been to go into detail about what had happened to his parents, when it came time for him to answer her harmless inquiry.
"… It happened when I was eight-years-old… Vivi and I were at home when two officers came to the door," Ren retold his trauma to Bethany, who showed him nothing but patience and understanding as she gave him all the time he needed to speak. "They… They came with a social worker… They… Did their jobs exceptionally well. They… T-They mostly spoke with Vivine, since she was obviously older than I was," Ren said with a cynical smirk flashing across his lips momentarily; finding some humor in how he said that, before continuing on with his account of what happened.
"I… I still remember overhearing what they told her… I still remember seeing how devastated she was when… When one of the officers notified her of what happened," Ren said with a deep churning feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach; letting out an elongated breath as he vividly recalled seeing his sixteen year-old sister laying on the floor, hyperventilating and sobbing uncontrollably. "My parents were, as the officer said to Vivi, 'at the wrong place, at the wrong time'… That's essentially what it came down to; but you already know how it goes."
"Y… Yeah… Yeah, it really does suck being told that," Bethany agreed with a somber look in her eyes, as she furrowed her brows at Ren. "And, umm… If you don't mind me asking… How are you still holding up?"
"I'm doing alright, I think— all things considered," Ren replied with a soft sigh, before giving the red-headed woman a reassuring smile as he added, "That was twenty years ago… Time can't heal all wounds, but it certainly mended that one. Besides, I was eight when that happened— I don't really remember my parents that much. If anything, their deaths affected Vivi more than it did me."
Though she had her doubts about his response, Bethany refrained from pushing the matter any further, and merely nodded her head at Ren before telling him, "Well… If there are any unresolved issues you have about that moment in life, you can always call me or anyone else at the church; we'll be here for you, I promise!"
"That's… Very kind of you to say, Bethany; I'll keep that in mind," Ren replied, all while casting aside his own feelings cynical skepticism, as he couldn't help but to doubt that promise— even though he knew fully well it was irrational to do so, especially after having seen just how friendly and caring everyone was to him. 'They're being kind to you because you were Vivi's little brother… But if I was a stranger, would they have still shown me this same level of hospitality and support?' Ren wondered, while segueing away from the topic of his parents' murder by beginning to ask landscaping and gardening tips from Bethany, as they continued to chat over their cups of coffee.
If nothing else, the three hours Bethany used to instruct Ren on which tool from his shed did what, how to properly maintain them and the gorgeous yard that the residents of Crescent Bay had been up keeping themselves for a decade now, ended up becoming an opportunity for Ren to exercise his toned muscles; allowing him to work through his stresses, and achieve the endorphins he needed.
Completely covered in a thick layer of sweat, Ren's black shirt was tied around his waist as he pushed on the handle of Vivine's lawnmower; beads of sweat dripping down his rock-hard abdomen, his sculpted chest and muscular arms, as the light of the morning sun cascaded down on him, and through the morning clouds of fog that hung over the sky like a thin sheet. Feeling really relaxed and still mildly tired from his lack of sleep, even with the caffeine in his system Ren still found himself raising his arms above his shoulders while stretching— yawning quietly to himself, as he lowered his arms back down to kill the motor of the lawnmower.
"I'm gonna go dump this in the compost bin; I'll be right back, Bethany," Ren announced, as he knelt down on one knee to detached the black bag full of lawn shreddings from the mower, before standing back up to begin walking it over to the three metal disposal bins that were alongside the outdoor tool shed— just beside where the driveway to Vivine's garage door resided.
Having just spent the better half of an hour gawking at the shirtless young man from the comfort of the rocking chair that was on Vivine's porch, the red-faced woman said nothing as her eyes followed every movement Ren made while doing what he considered to be a mundane task. 'Dear God, he's gorgeous! My nipples are so hard and sensitive right now…! God, I'm so wet— I just wish he would walk over here already and bend me over this chair,' Bethany's perverted mind thought lustfully, as her wandering hand that had been resting on top of her large thigh began to slowly inched its way down toward her denim-covered crotch.
There was something special about Ren that had caught Bethany's attention, ever since she first laid eyes on him when he first arrived at the 'Monday Night Potluck' event. She never felt so strongly over a man before, and before ever having the chance to meet Ren, Bethany once wondered whether or not she was asexual from the way she never felt attracted to anyone else up until that point.
'So brooding… So mysterious, and dark— yet is kind, soft spoken, and has a deep voice… Red eyes, thick gray lockets of hair… And he's hot as hell to top it all off,' Bethany thought to herself, as she bit down lightly on her lower lip while watching the sweat glistening on his atheltic body as Ren brought the lawnmower bag to the edge of the green bin— dumping its contents into it, while being unaware of the fact that he was being eye-fucked from the sanctity of his sister's shaded porch. 'And he's only a year younger than me! Him being here after all this time HAS to be some sort of divine miracle, woven by the delicate hands of Earth Mother Herself!'
With such a powerful attraction towards the young man, Bethany was seconds away from slipping her hand between her thick thighs when all of a sudden she and Ren both stopped what they were doing to turn their attention towards the dirt road. Hearing the distant sounds of rolling tires coming closer to the front of the property, Ren couldn't help but to silently cuss to himself as he realized who was fastly approaching to pick him up. 'How is it seven o'clock already?! Damnit, that's what I get for not wearing a watch!'
Standing up from the rocking chair while watching from the corner of her eye as Ren sprinted back to the where he had left lawnmower on the yard, Bethany quickly walked down the wooden steps of the porch to begin power walking down the cobblestone path that led to the dirt road where Karrah's pale-yellow hatchback was pulling up to park. Through the passenger-side window, Bethany could tell almost immediately by Karrah's widened stare and crimson face that she had taken notice of Ren's shirtless body as well.
Making her way over to the passenger-side window, Bethany lightly knocked her closed fist against the door of the car, so as to get the madly blushing woman to look away from Ren as he pushed the lawnmower back toward the side of the house, where the garage and tool shed were. Instead of leaning over the middle console to roll the passenger-side window down, the smittened cashier smiled anxiously at the large chested-red hand as she told her from the confines of her vehicle, "Oh, Bethany? Y-You can open the door if you'd like."
Obliging without needing to be told twice, Bethany popped open the car door before hopping inside— resting her back up against the cushion of the seat, and closing the door behind her, so as to keep the warm air blowing from the air vents inside the vehicle. "Mornin' Karrah! I came here to show Ren how to take care of Vivi's yard, and was wondering if you would be cool if I left my pickup parked in his driveway, so I could hitch a ride back to town with you?" Bethany asked with a friendly demeanor, while wanting to get what she thought was the most important thing to talk about of the way.
Just as she expected, Karrah smiled back at her with the usual uneasy expression she had on her still blushing face as she replied back to Bethany, "O-Of course! I'm fine with that!"
"Thanks, Karrah! I figured you'd be," Bethany said with an appreciative smile on her face, before suddenly giving the other woman a sly look as she gestured toward her shoulder. "So, uh… Woman-to-woman: what do you think about Ren~? He's hella got it going on, doesn't he~?" Bethany mused promiscuously with her cheeks beginning to turn a shade of pink once again.
Beginning to fidget in her seat while small beads of nervous sweat began to form on her red-hot cheeks, Karrah smiled back uncomfortably at Bethany, as she fought hard to muster up the courage to speak her mind. "Y… Y-Yeah… Yeah, I, uh… I-I think he's really attractive, if I'm b-being honest…!" Karrah admitted with the corners of her lips curling upward, as she let out a flustered sigh while feeling Bethany's hand beginning to reassuringly pat her on the shoulder. "I… I kind of, uh… Like him, Bethany; like, I think I really, really like him. My dad really likes him, and he's such a good guy… B-But if you already have feelings for him, then I-I guess I could, uh… Y-You know? Not get in the way of that…"
Being twenty-nine years old, the same as the anxious woman beside her was, Bethany had gone to high school with Karrah, since she and her little sister moved to Crescent Bay. Even though something definitely did click for her when she got to first speak to Ren, Bethany's loyalties to her friends came first. "N-No way I would never let you do that to yourself, Karrah! If you really like him, then I'm not going to get in the way of that either! No sire— nope, naw-ah!" Bethany protested, as she crossed her arms over her breasts while shaking her head.
Smiling back nervously with a timid expression on her sweaty red-face, Karrah let out a small sigh while lowering her head down slightly. "I… I appreciate hearing that, Bethany, but… B-But I'm kind of getting the feeling here that you also like him in the same way I do, sooooo… I-I don't know, maybe he'd be, you know…? B-Better off with you rather than plain ol' me," Karrah said with little confidence in her voice, as she gingerly gestured at Bethany's busty chest before pointing back at herself. "You're more of a catch than I'll ever be… R-Ren's had a hard life, Bethany— he deserves to have someone like you, instead of… Instead of settling with someone like m-Ummmpfh?!?"
Clamping her palm down on the bewildered woman's lips, Bethany shot Karrah a look for her to act normal, before letting go as she turned around to roll down the side-window— greeting Ren with a slightly embarrassed smile, as the young man stood outside with an curious look in his dusty-rose colored eyes. "Hey Ren! Karrah ended up giving me the green light to hitch a ride with you two! Just like how I said she would!"
Having just had his question answered before he even spoke it aloud, Ren's pale lips curled gently into a soft smile. "That's good to hear," he said, before looking over Bethany's shoulder to smile and lock eyes with the still blushing Cerulean woman on the driver's side. "Thank you for letting her come along, Karrah, and thank you for your help."
"O-Oh, ummm…! Y-You're welcome, Ren…! I'm, uh… I'm g-glad to see you again, by the way," Karrah replied back with her heart pounding inside of her chest, before suddenly tensing up anxiously. 'Oh no…! She's going to say something weird, isn't she?!' Karrah thought worryingly to herself, after recognizing the contemplating look on the red-headed woman's beautiful face.
Noticing Karrah's change in demeanor, but unsure as to why she had gotten clammed up, Ren knitted his brows slightly and replied back with, "Likewise," as he switched his attention back-and-forth from her face to Bethany's face— wondering to himself, 'What's going on now? Is there something that I'm missing?'
And just like that, Bethany's neon-pink eyes lit up with excitement, as an idea that seemed brilliant to her popped into her head. "Hey Karrah, I just had a super-cool idea! You should totally come hang out with us, instead of playing chauffeur!" Bethany invited with a wide toothy smile across her pink lips, as she turned her back toward Ren to look back at the shocked expression on the anxious woman's crimson face.
"C-Come along with you…?! I-I don't know, uh…? I-Isn't R-Ren going to be busy all day today with that list of his…?! I don't… I don't see how me being there for that benefits him in any way," Karrah pointed out with a nervous smile on her face— her attempts at trying to excuse herself lead her nowhere though, as Bethany was immediately able to recognize what she was trying to do.
'Playing coy, now are we? I don't think so,' Bethany thought sassily in her head, before strategically arguing with, "Teeeeechnically, the only time he'll really be all that busy is when he has his bank appointment. Which is why it'll be important for you to come with us!"
Furrowing her brows slightly, Karrah frowned as she shot back, "I don't get it… Why is me being there at the bank while he's busy talking to Ms. Yoriko all that important?"
"Because silly head, who's gonna keep ME company while I'm waiting for him?!" Bethany questioned with a persuasive grin on her face; leaning toward the uncertain woman, while propping herself up with her elbow against the top of the cushioned middle-compartment. "Come on, Karrah! You can't expect me to entertain myself for an hour, while I sit around in a lobby, listening to the same overplayed songs from the past decade over, and over again, can you?!"
"I mean…? I guess not, no… You shouldn't let Ms. Yoriko hear you talk that way about her music— she's really defensive about it," Karrah replied with a thoughtful look in her brown eyes, all while her face began to return slowly to its usual slightly tannish complexion. "But uh, I mean… I'd have to stop by the tavern to ask my dad if he'd even be fine with me being off for the rest of the day," Karrah said, which was an actual reason that Bethany saw as a potential obstacle to her sporadic plans.
Rubbing the bottom of her chin, while Ren continued to stand outside trying to lean his face into the warm air that was escaping out from the passenger-side open-window, Bethany's pink cheeks grew a darker shade as she came up with another prompt-to plan. "Don't even worry about that, Karrah! Just tell your dad that you and I are going on an all-day date with Ren today! He'll definitely be cool with letting you play hooky if THAT'S the case!"
And just like that. Karrah's entire face went back to being bright-red as her eyes shot open wide and her jaw dropped. "W-WHAT?!? D-DATE?!? WE'RE DATING NOW?!?" Karrah stammered out in a flustered and anxious voice, as she averted her gaze away from the two other adults— quietly trying to calm herself down in her native tongue, while Bethany quickly gathered her composure as she turned around to face Ren.
'That… Totally backfired on me; that wasn't at all what I was trying to imply, Karrah— just wanted you to tell a little white lie to your dad, that was all,' Bethany thought annoyingly to herself, as she began to analyze every inch of Ren's face to dictate how she could save the three-way conversation. 'Well… He seems a bit shocked about the idea himself… Yet, I can see some intrigument behind those eyes… I think I can make this work.'
"What do you say, Ren~? Feel like being the lucky man who gets to take two beautiful women out for a little bit of romancing~?" Bethany asked flirtatiously, while making a conscious effort to lean forward a bit to give the bewildered young man a peak at her plump cleavage, through the top of her white blouse. 'Please, for the love of God, don't let this be the moment that I bite off more than I can chew! If he says no to this, then poor Karrah's self confidence is gonna tank more than it all already has!'
Huffing out a breath of nervous air, Ren nervously began tapping his foot against the ground as he placed his hands on his hips— lowering his head down, while contemplating on what to do. 'This is an issue… Now I can't tell whether or not that whole 'tell your dad you're on a threeway date' schtick was meant to be a suggestion to her, or if she actually meant it… On one hand, I see what Bethany was trying to do; honestly, it's my own fault for things coming to this: if I just had the foresight to ask Karrah to come along in the first place instead of just dropping me off, then I wouldn't be in this predicament…'
'… But on the other hand, Bethany might possibly have asked that sincerely,' Ren thought to himself, while nodding his head to himself as he began to consider the idea. 'I've never dated two women at once, and this polyamory thing seems to be pretty popular with the locals here… Who knows? It could be fun, or at the very least it would be an interesting experience to have under my belt… The most important thing here is that neither of them get hurt from this, and I go only at their respective paces,' Ren mentally concluded, while trying for a moment to recall some of the tips that May had given him.
"Truthfully speaking, I… I find both of you absolutely stunning, and… And if you wouldn't mind this outing turning into something more, then, well… I would be all for it," Ren complimented with an endearing smile on his face, as he looked up from the ground to get an eyeful of both women staring back at him with varying degrees of excitement and anxiousness on their blushing faces. "So… Yes, I would be honored to have both of you to both by my side as I… You know? Do some errands today… Maybe after I'm done though then we can all… Go out for coffee afterwards, maybe?" Ren suggested, as he immediately thought back to the cafe that May had him take her to, after she had smoked with her eldest daughter.
Upon hearing Ren's willingness to take her and Bethany out on an actual date, Karrah practically melted in her seat as a flurry of overwhelming emotions stirring within her caused her to let out an audible sigh of relief. "Santa merda…!" Karrah muttered out, before quietly chuckling from how nervous and excited she felt— the back of her short ponytail pressing up against her headrest, as she stared up into the ceiling of her hatchback.
Being naturally more louder than Karrah, Bethany was a lot less subtle when she let out a loud breath of air out of her o-shaped lips. "Whew! For a moment, I thought you were going to choke up on me and not say anything, Ren! Now that would have been uncomfortable for all parties involved, I think," Bethany quipped half-jokingly, before beginning to take matters into her own hand. "Okay, okay: since you've got to look presentable for your appointment anyway, how's about you go to take a shower and wash off all that dirt and grim, while Karrah and I go inside and hang out for a bit? A little bit of 'girl time', before we gotta hit the road."
With how worked up he had gotten from being influenced into agreeing to take two women out on a date at the same time, Ren had completely forgotten how unkempt and dirty he had gotten. Quietly apologizing for his current state of cleanliness— or lack there of— Ren agreed wholeheartedly with Bethany's plan, and made sure to go around the hood of Karrah's hatchback to open the door for her first. With there being a mutual attraction understood between them now, it certainly felt different for Ren when he helped Karrah out of her seat before fetching her cane from the backseat for her.
Being with approval from Bethany, Ren made the initiative to offer his hand out to Karrah, who nervously accepted his gesture by using her freehand to grab a hold of his hand— awkwardly apologizing for her sweaty palm, and being reassured by him that he didn't mind as he walked the cashier back around her car, so as to help Bethany out and give her his other hand to hold. With him in the middle of their trio, Ren felt his heart throbbing in his chest as he walked Karrah and Bethany up the cobblestone path leading to the steps of the porch— making sure to keep up a pace that would suit the both of them, while doing his best to push away all of the sexual thoughts that were beginning to pop into his head as he took them into Vivine's house.
Author's Note: This certainly wasn't planned to have this chapter be so long, but I really wanted to give the spotlight to Cow Girl/ Bethany, and circle back to include Karrah into the mix too (Who is based heavily off of Kobeni from Chainsaw Man). I'm not trying to force romance, but I definitely need to have some push involved, otherwise Goblin Slayer/ Ren won't end up getting laid until a lot later down the story, and we're already coming up on chapter nine.
My future plans are as follows: Have Ren getting involved with monster girls, more Priest and Priestess, possibly having sex with May Yoriko (Based off of Tsunade) and being one of her partners, meet High Elf Archer in the woods, have Sword Maiden be introduced as a Father Fareed's niece that comes to take over the church, after he retires to become an adventurer. Have 'Castle Millennium' erected from the bay, and have that be a hub for seperate pocket dimensions, to allow for endless possibilities of story telling when it comes to adventuring. Have Ren have a flexible party of adventures, but to include recurring ones when possible.
The reason why figured Cow Girl/ Bethany would make for a great starter waifu is simply because of how she's able to persuade Goblin Slayer/ Ren into doing things he normally wouldn't do. It's shown in the canon a lot, like how she refused to leave her farm when a goblin army was coming, because she knew if she didn't Goblin Slayer would not be pressured into asking for help, and would have otherwise died.
In this AU, Ren feels comfortable making decisions for himself, and does show interest in the idea of having multiple partners. Bethany was needed simply to speed things up. Plus, she would consider herself 'Ren's wife', and would be doing most of the screening for him, while Ren would go along with it out of a sense of duty, and to satiate his needs and feelings. It'll also help him break out of the mentality of feeling obligated to serve others out of guilt, and it'll help him begin to feel more comfortable accepting that the decisions he makes are out of his own desire and interests.
But that's long term. For short term, next chapter is going to have May giving poly advice to Ren, while ending their conversation by telling him that she's spoken with her partners, and since she knows he finds her attractive, she'll tell Ren that he's allowed to date her too, but first has to establish a solid foundation with the two women he's currently seeing. After that, I'm going to briefly summarize the shopping experience they have at the general hood store, before segueing that into going over their coffee date. After that… Well, I can't spoil the ending now, can I?