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Chapter 3: First Friends
The alchemist's shop was in a more secluded part of the square that had less people for some reason. If Jules were to hazard a guess, it would be because business was not booming for the alchemist with whom he expected to be doing quite a bit of business in the future. Jules knew that he was assuming much, but if circumstances made it so that he was dominating the alchemist's time, then that bode well for his own aspirations of aviation.
After these thoughts, Jules inspected the building he was about to enter. Though it was a single building, it appeared to be partitioned down the middle with two doors to completely separate businesses. Something that Jules had noticed over the course of the day was that businesses designated themselves with symbols instead of words, likely owing to the relatively low literacy of the populace. Jules was so used to being able to read that the possibility of people living their lives while illiterate never really occurred to him. Regardless of his musings, the shop he knew was the alchemist's had a hanging wooden sign in the shape of an Erlenmeyer flask that was painted to look like it had a green liquid inside it. The other store had a symbol that was easy to identify, but hard to interpret. A bright red heart was painted above that store's front door. Rather than offer theories, Jules shrugged and decided that he would ask the alchemist what his neighbor's business was after speaking with them.
Jules pushed open the door to the alchemy shop that rang a bell as it opened. The store was arranged such that there was a small standing area in front of a large barroom table separating the front from the rest of the store. Behind the table was a floor-to-ceiling shelf filled with glass vials of bright, pastel colored liquids and shimmering rocks. Beside the shelf was a closed door that led further into the shop. It was immediately apparent that there was nobody else there and Jules furrowed his brow while mulling aloud, "I think I got the right shop."
In an attempt to find anyone, Jules paid special attention to his hearing to try picking up any movement. He did hear movement. To one side of the standing area through the wooden wall that separated this shop from its neighbor, Jules heard a thumping. It continued apace at steady intervals of perhaps two per second. Jules stepped closer to the wall, intent on placing his ear to it. His curiosity overrode any amount of propriety he may have had.
Suddenly, the door beside the shelf opened up and Jules' view snapped that direction towards whomever had just chased away Jules' curiosity.
The newcomer was thin and wiry, but very clearly a man whose age appeared to be close to Jules' own. The man's tan skinned face had several smears of something black and he had brazen goggles perched atop his forehead which ruffled his sandy-blonde hair. He wore a leather apron and was half-way through removing leather gloves.
Having been broken from his objective of trying to decipher the thumping sound, Jules couldn't help but feel like the child who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He probably looked like it too. He quickly stammered out, "H-hello. I'm Jules Langley and I'm looking for the alchemy shop. Is this the one?"
A broad smile came to the other man and he opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud, intense, and feminine moan that screeched of carnal pleasure coming from the wall that Jules was about to put his ear against. Jules recoiled, convinced that the red heart above the door to the neighboring shop meant that it must be a brothel or something like that.
A storm of stomps came from the goggled man as he approached the wall and slammed his fist on it several times. "Shut up!" he yelled, silencing the thumps Jules now knew was a couple who were busy having sex. Angrily, he continued, "I'm trying to help a customer!"
Then a man's voice yelled back, "No, you shut up! You're just jealous that I can get some ass but you can't!" Then without permitting a response, introductions proceeded. The same voice exclaimed, "And Jules! You're in the right spot! This fine alchemist's name is Gonzo! Everyone calls him that!"
Finally allowed to respond, Gonzo stepped back from the wall and heaved a great sigh of resignation. "Yeah. Just Gonzo is fine," he said. Then he rapped on the wall a few times with his knuckles and said, "And these two lovebirds are Horacio and his wife, Aerin. They make and sell bottled essence."
Jules had little clue what bottled essence was, but nodded regardless. Whatever it was he wasn't in the market for it. But after recovering from the shock of introductions, Jules finally replied, "It's nice to meet you Gonzo." Remembering that the wall was apparently quite thin, Jules added on, "And, uh, you two as well, Horacio and Aerin. Thanks for confirming I'm in the right place."
"No problem," said Horacio through the wall.
Aerin spoke up and extended an offer, "You two should come on over once you're done. We'll make up for disturbing business." Then to her husband, she playfully ordered, "Come on you. Let's go somewhere more private."
"Thank you," Gonzo exhaled dramatically.
Jules and Gonzo stood there in silence for a few seconds and waited to truly be alone. Finally, Gonzo cleared his throat and apologized, "Sorry about that. Anyway, what can I get for you?"
Gonzo's throat clearing helped center Jules as well, who got down to business. "I'm looking to place a special order for something that I heard of, but am not too sure about how to make."
Gonzo's eyebrows raised questioningly. But he voiced his interest with, "Go on."
"I'm looking for two things. The first is that I'd like to place an order for a liquid that burns."
"You mean kind of like refined petroleum?"
With growing excitement that Gonzo knew exactly what he was talking about, Jules found himself exclaiming, "Yeah! Like that!"
Gonzo's head cocked to the side a bit and he held his scruffy chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Well. I can get you a bit of refined petroleum, but quality varies a lot and it's pretty much impossible to get a lot of it. Nobody wants it and I'd have to order it from another part of Andalus."
"I had heard that petroleum was hard to get around Villa Hermosa, so I was hoping to figure out an alternative with you. I'm no alchemist, but I understand just enough chemistry to have understood the basics when I read something in a book a few months back."
"An alternative to refined petroleum? No idea why you'd want that in the first place, but asking why people want things can be bad for business, so I'm not even going to ask. But what do you remember from this process?"
Jules was about to describe the various processes that he knew of to produce a liquid fuel from coal, but he stopped himself. He weighed the options and decided that he wouldn't be able to keep airplanes a secret forever anyway, so he might as well describe the two problems that he'll need Gonzo's help to overcome.
"Tell you what," began Jules. "I'll tell you exactly what I'm planning on using the two things for and then I'll share what I remember of what I read about the process of making them."
"Let's hear it then."
"I'm looking into inventing a mechanical device that can turn lateral motion into a spinning motion. When I can get it to work, I'm planning on using this device to power things such as horseless carriages, ships that won't need sails, and far, far more. There are two main problems with the basic ideas that I have in my head. I need something that can produce lateral motion. I once heard a story of some poor guy who bought a bad wick for his lantern that was burning some of that refined petroleum and the lantern blew up on him. It's just a hunch, but I think that when the lantern got hot, the pressure built up beyond what it could take. I'm thinking that if I can harness this pressure and heat in a controlled way, I can 'explode' a liquid fuel, thus pushing a piston that's attached to a spinning wheel, giving it power. As the wheel spins, it pushes the piston back to where it began, increasing pressure and heat, ready for the cycle to begin all over again. The other problem is that this device will have to be made of metal parts that are getting hot and are sliding against each other. So, the second thing I need after a fuel, is a way to 'oil' this device so that it has lubrication and can cool it down. Are you with me so far?"
Gonzo stayed silent for a few seconds as he pondered this description in his head. He said, "I'm not a tinkerer, but I know enough about things like hand-drawn water pumps that I think I understand what you're talking about. Only instead of the pump's piston moving the water, it's this device's fuel that's moving the piston."
"Yeah that's right," affirmed Jules.
"If you can get this device to work, I think you could become a rich man."
A slow but wide smile spread across Jules' face. He leaned forward slightly over the counter that separated them for added emphasis and said, "That is just scratching the surface. My mind dances with possibilities, but alas, I'm not an alchemist nor a chemist. I need someone who can help me with developing a liquid fuel for when petroleum isn't easy to come by and for developing a way to lubricate and cool the whole device. And when my ideas come to fruition, I'll most likely need someone to figure out how to refine petroleum with more consistent quality and develop better metals to build with." He leaned back and concluded, "And if things go as well as I hope, then me buying a continuous supply of these things from you would make you a rich man too."
Silence returned to the shop while Gonzo again mulled over this information. He stroked his chin several times and asked, "So, are you looking for a business partner out of me?"
Jules shrugged and said, "Maybe in the future when I have something to show for all my thinking and planning. For now, I'm just looking for liquid fuel and lubricant. I may or may not be asking a big thing from you for creating these two things, so if this goes nowhere, I don't want you to get too wrapped up in something that might fail."
The alchemist nodded slowly and deliberately. He spoke, "I like to think of myself as a practical man. Get rich quick schemes are usually too good to be true and it's illegal for me to make gold, but I can tell the sound of a good idea when it walks in. If you pay my price, I'll get you what you want. And while you're working out the kinks of your design, I'll be working out the kinks of my formula. Now, what did you read about making this fuel and lubricant?"
A part of Jules felt that having Gonzo agree to help him was something worth celebrating or at least shaking hands over, but Gonzo still had his mind on business. Jules humored his request and recalled all that he knew of coal liquefaction, which admittedly wasn't much. Gonzo listened along intently and after getting all the descriptions Just could give him, he asked a few follow up questions about the specific properties that Jules was looking for in both liquids, which Jules also gave.
The conversation around science was fairly quick, but eventually things did have to turn to the exchange of money. Gonzo's condition was fairly simple. A relatively modest sum would be paid in advance with the agreement that the price of the final products would be negotiable. As a gesture of good faith, Jules also said that if development does become too difficult, he'd be available to negotiate for a few payments before receiving the end products.
When that concluded, it was Gonzo who finally announced any amount of celebration. "With that out of the way, I have a tradition that I like to do with new customers and at the beginning of new projects."
"What do you got?"
Gonzo went into a bit of backstory as he turned around and got onto his hands and knees behind the counter. Jules leaned over the counter to see that Gonzo had opened a cupboard. Gonzo explained, "This shop used to be twice the size back when it was the town's bar until the last owner got forced out of business by a pub across the square. Me and Horacio bought up this place and divided the building between us. But as a gift for closing the deal with the last owner, he gave us a couple bottles of some good stuff."
He returned to his feet with a bottle of brown liquid and a couple glasses which all clinked onto what really once was a barroom table. Gonzo stated, "Tequila and business has got to be the greatest idea since… well… ever. No offense to your idea, of course."
"None taken."
"Well then," said Gonzo, who popped off the cork to the bottle and poured into the two cups. Gonzo picked up his cup and Jules picked up his. "To science!" declared Gonzo.
"To opportunity!" answered Jules.
They clinked their glasses and downed their respective drinks, sealing their deal and their working relationship for the foreseeable future.
"Aaaaahhh," went Gonzo with satisfaction, who followed up with, "You know, Horacio and I go way back. We've been best friends since we were just kids and even when he was monsterized, I've still trusted him with my life. His wife, Aerin, invited us both over to make up for their disruption earlier. You don't have to go over there and be a guest of theirs, but if you're as new to town as I think you are, then friends would do you well."
Jules assumed "monsterizing" to mean "getting turned into a monster or incubus." Well, if the neighbors were such a couple, then that explains the sounds of sex that Jules heard. Taking what Gonzo had just said plus what Carlos had told him that first day he was in this new world, Jules found his curiosity overriding any amount of discomfort or apprehension he might have had. And besides, when Jules considered his own morals, refusing someone's company based on what they are is pretty racist, which is something that Jules is not. So, he answered, "I think I'll take you up on that. I can't spend all day because I have to get back to my job, but I'm able to take some time and meet them. I've also never met a monster or an incubus before, so I'm curious."
"You won't regret it. Come on. Just let me put up my closed sign and we'll head on over."
XXXXXXXX
Only a few seconds passed before Gonzo and Jules were standing in front of the front door to Horacio's and Aerin's business. Gonzo looked Jules' way as if to give him one last opportunity to back out of having to be the guest of an incubus and a monster. Without thinking, Jules gave him a thumbs up gesture which he hurriedly retracted because he didn't know if a thumbs up was even a gesture in Andalus. He needn't have worried however, because in short order Gonzo returned the thumbs up which he reinforced with a nod and then turned to pull open the door to the shop.
A bell like from Gonzo's shop rang to signal their entrance.
"Horacio, they're here!" came from Aerin the moment she could see Gonzo's smiling face.
Jules closed the door behind him as he followed Gonzo in and curious to see what a monster would look like, he carefully observed Aerin as she crossed the distance from the shop's barroom counter with her arms outstretched to take Gonzo in for a friendly hug.
From a distance, Aerin would have looked nearly human if not for a few marked differences. When the woman outstretched her hands for a hug from Gonzo, Jules saw that she did not have mittens or gloves or anything like his initial observations told him. She had honest to God fur and paws. Fur and paws! His eyes widened slightly but he reigned himself in quickly. From Carlos' explanation of only a few weeks previously, Jules felt like he had a reasonably solid guess for what a monster girl would look like, with a basic humanoid stature and mostly human features, but with some decidedly non-human additions.
Her arms were coated in fur from her elbows down and paws instead of hands and she had a similar situation with her knees down to her pawed feet which padded silently the last few steps to throw her arms around Gonzo. Most of her fur was made of gray and black splotches but with the exception of all four of her paws, which were white.
"I'm so glad to see you!" she said in greeting.
Jules didn't hear Gonzo's reply because he noticed the cat's ears that perched atop Aerin's head which proudly announced the fact that she was not human. Her wavy shoulder-length hair was the same gray as her fur, but with black streaks in them. Her eyes were closed as she embraced Gonzo, but when it broke they opened and she stepped away from Gonzo to regard Jules. When Jules met her gaze for the typical Andalusian eye contact, he saw that her slit pupils bathed in green irises regarded him curiously.
That was definitely something that Carlos had failed to emphasize when describing monsters. He said that they were "pretty women" but Aerin standing before Jules proved that Carlos hadn't done them justice. Putting aside her cat-like additions, Jules pronounced Aerin as most-excellent among women. She had perfect skin that was a lighter hue, atypical of those native Andalusians that he'd met so far. Her perfect facial features emphasized her cuteness. A perfect mix of suppleness and strength in her feminine figure was displayed proudly with tiny shorts and a crop top. Though she clearly had curves, they weren't greatly exaggerated. All in all, Jules understood in this single glance why any given man would be tempted to become husband to someone like this.
Trying to play it cool, Jules strained out, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Jules Langley." Internally, he congratulated himself. His delivery of those words actually sounded half natural. He steeled his resolve to treat this woman the same as he would anyone else he's ever met.
Aerin took the two steps to get within an arm's reach of Jules, finally revealing how physically small she was compared to him, being perhaps two heads shorter, and said, "I'm pleased to meet you too," with measured cordiality, her earlier vigor with Gonzo forgotten. "Aerin Carmona" she introduced herself, stretching out her right paw as if to request a handshake from Jules.
Jules did not hesitate in stretching out his hand to meet hers. It was surprisingly easy but still unusual when they grasped hands. Jules' digits sank into some fur but found flesh and bone for a quick squeeze and a shake. The unusual bone structure and the feeling of the pads on her paw were equally bizarre. However, he was unsurprised when her paw wasn't able to wrap around his hand entirely like for a normal handshake.
She smiled and Jules noticed that her canine teeth were long enough to be considered predatory. In that moment, he had a flash of awareness that almost overwhelmed his propriety. He was behind a closed door in a private location with a being that could possibly overpower him and was grasping an assumedly clawed paw. He became hyper aware that he stood in easy pouncing distance for a bite to the neck that would kill him like a lion hunting a gazelle. He had been very eager to listen to Gonzo when he said that Jules had nothing to fear but perhaps he had been too trusting of the alchemist.
Aerin's smile faded and she asked, "What's wrong?"
He hadn't been schooling his expression very well and tipped her off to his alarm, so Jules did something he wasn't proud of and lied. Or rather, half-lied. "I've only ever seen a monster from a distance before. You're the first one I've been this close to. I just didn't know what I was expecting." He quickly added on, "I'm sorry if I just came off as rude. I didn't mean to offend or anything. That is, if I did offend you."
A smile returned to her face and she dismissed his worries with, "Well, I hope I don't disappoint you. And you haven't done anything to offend me. Trust me, I'd tell you if you were." She relaxed her grip and released Jules. "So, stop worrying so much. Everyone is welcome at mine and my husband's shop!" She turned away from Jules and speaking to herself said, "And speaking of which, where is he?" Then louder to be heard further in, she exclaimed, "Horacio! Gonzo and Jules are here!"
"Bring them into the back!" answered Horacio in equal volume. "The coffee's just about done!"
Aerin looked back at Jules and Gonzo. The latter said, "We'll follow you."
She nodded and gave a quick, happy hum and started for a door beside the counter that led further into the building. Jules followed behind Aerin with Gonzo behind him and for a few seconds, Jules was able to inspect the shelves behind the counter. Jules felt a blush hit him when he noticed a host of sex toys, some of which he recognized and many of which he didn't. Finally, there were a few sets of vials filled with a glowing red liquid that sat inside a locked glass case. If he were to hazard a guess, this was the "bottled essence" that Gonzo mentioned earlier.
He would have asked about it right there, but Jules had far more on his mind than curiosity. What was that that happened to him while shaking Aerin's hand? Fear? Distrust? Was he really just a victim of his ignorance and defaulted to discrimination when put into an uncomfortable situation with someone unlike any he'd met before? And especially immediately following a resolution to not be like that?
It turned into a watershed moment for Jules. If he was going to explore the world looking for those men who went down in the KC-46 with him and then find a way home, all the while building a successful business, then he had to be prepared to work with and serve anyone in this world, human or otherwise. Jules vowed that this would be the last time he defaulted to such a terrible thing as racism for the rest of his life. He knew that he was better than such savage sentiments. He might be surprised and even shocked by what kinds of monsters he meets. After all, legends and myths tell of many different varieties and Jules was willing to wager that cat girls weren't even scratching the surface. He might be frightened by a monster's intentions, but never again would he be bothered by what she was.
The trio went through the door into the backroom that was stocked with more sex toys, but far, far more vials of the glowing red liquid. They continued to march through the backroom to another door. This time, the door was already open and Jules caught whiffs of freshly brewing coffee.
They passed through the door into what was clearly a part of Horacio's and Aerin's home. A few things stood out in this room. Most apparent were a brick and clay oven along one wall, a wash basin, a few cabinets that were open to reveal dishes, and a dining room table that appeared out of place. Only the oven and the wash basin looked to have been constructed alongside the rest of the brick walls. Quickly and automatically, Jules surmised that this room had originally been the kitchen of the previous owner and it had been modified to double as a dining room.
There was a man leaning over a pot on the stove. He was clearly Andalusian based on the color of his skin and hair, but from there his description differed to the other Andalusian men Jules had met. He was the same height as Gonzo but probably weighed twice as much, all of it muscle. Jules felt an unexpected but welcome wave of nostalgia wash over him. This man, Horacio presumably, reminded Jules of a coworker from Earth. Jules was friendly with that coworker, and had accepted help from him many times as a brand new engineer. It seemed that Horacio was as at home in a gym lifting weights as Jules' former coworker was.
"Horacio" Aerin started while walking towards him. Horacio looked towards his wife and plastered a dumb grin on his face to see her. In just a moment, she greeted him with a deep but still speedy kiss upon his lips. "Didn't you hear us at the front?"
"I did, sweetheart. But you know how it is. I had to make sure everything was ready for guests."
"So you say," she replied airily. "But now you can meet Jules." After saying that, she stood to the side and outstretched her paw, gesturing to the newcomer in introduction.
Jules took that as his cue to step forward as he extended his hand to shake Horacio's. "Jules Langley," he said plainly. "Thanks for inviting me over."
"Horacio Carmona," introduced Horacio back with equal plainness but still with a cordial tone. He looked at Gonzo and gave a quick upwards nod of greeting before returning his attention to Jules. "Sorry for interrupting business for you two. But you gotta understand. Aerin can get quite feisty sometimes and what's a man in love to do other than please his wife?"
"How about getting a room first?" offered Gonzo. "As in, literally any other room in your house?"
Horacio shot a smile dripping with charisma towards his friend while his wife sidled right up against him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders with him wrapping his arm around her waist. Rapidly, his hand slid downwards along the swell of Aerin's hip to grasp her rear for emphasis to his next words. "Now now, Gonzo. If you too want to get some ass some day, you must learn the importance of timing and opportunity."
Aerin cooed and purred lowly under her husband's touch while nuzzling him with her cheek.
"Happily single, thank you very much," stated Gonzo, shutting down any further lecturing from his friend on the art of getting a woman. "And besides, have you already forgotten that you have a guest?"
Eyes turned to Jules. He felt awkward as a spectator in these proceedings. That was another thing that Carlos appeared to be right about. The Carmonas were a small sample size in a big wide world, but they sure looked to be as hot and bothered as Carlos told him monsters and incubi are.
Horacio gave his wife's posterior a squeeze, clearly revelling in the quick squeak of surprised pleasure that came from her lips. He released her and offered a look of apology to their guest. "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable, Jules."
"It's cool. I guess," he said meekly.
"Cool?" Aerin asked.
Jules realized he just got caught using a slang word from Earth. He explained, "Sorry. 'Cool' is a slang word me and my friends used growing up. It can really mean just about anything positive or to give approval of something."
"Well, that's good," weighed in Aerin. "Say Jules, you're human, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"Really?" asked Aerin incredulously.
"Uh, yeah. If I wasn't, I'd have a monster wife hanging around." Jules was taken aback with the strangeness of this. Why would she doubt him? Regardless, he didn't know enough about why she might doubt him so he didn't press the issue further.
Aerin hesitated before nodding, accepting that logic. But with the fact that Jules was in fact a human settled, approving looks came from all present. Horacio admitted, "It's not always a guarantee for humans to be willing guests of a mamono and an incubus," He glanced at his wife and Gonzo who shared nods of approval before looking back at Jules and saying, "That's very cool of you."
In one fell swoop, Jules felt welcome and he couldn't stop a smile coming to his own face.
"The coffee's almost done, so take a seat around the table," said Horacio.
In short order, all four of them were sitting around the Carmona's dining table each with a cup of steaming hot coffee in hand. It finally struck Jules that for all the oddities of this new world, there was a surprising amount of things that were familiar. Gonzo's tequila, Horacio's build, and a steaming cup of coffee were just the latest things that came to his mind.
Horacio began, "I gotta say, Jules, you really lucked out coming to Gonzo for whatever it is you need. The guy's a total mystery to me with how utterly uninterested in women he is, but he knows his way around an alchemist's bench like no other. Whatever business you did with him will be done and done quick. I guarantee that."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jules saw the alchemist smiling smugly, satisfied with his intelligence.
"Gonzo says you two go way back and have been friends since you were kids. From what I've seen, it's pretty rare to keep friends for that long. People's interests change and they grow up."
"You'd think," said Horacio. "But we both like to keep it real, and even though Gonzo's sciency-magic talk is beyond me and my love life is beyond him, we've always kept talking."
"And playing cards, betting, messing around, and more," added Gonzo while counting on his fingers.
Aerin finally butted in with a dramatic, "Ugh. Seriously Jules, you wouldn't believe the mischief these two would get into if I wasn't watching them."
Gonzo and Horacio didn't respond to Aerin, but grinned smugly at each other, again affirming their shared friendship.
Both Aerin and Jules noticed the moment between two bros but while Aerin rolled her eyes trying to conceal a small smile, Jules nodded approvingly. Loyalty to one's friends is something that is very cool in Jules' eyes.
After letting the moment linger for a few more seconds, Aerin switched the subject. She looked to Jules and asked, "So, what was that business that you're doing with Gonzo? Or is it secret and you can't tell us?"
Jules shrugged. "So, I'm an engineer. One who solves problems with ingenuity. And there's a couple big problems that I'm looking to solve. One is that I'm working a a device that can burn a liquid fuel to spin an axle. I need Gonzo's help to develop the fuel and lubrication for this device, which I'm calling an 'engine.' This engine would be able to do things like replace horses for pulling carriages, replace sails for ships, and most ambitiously, I'm looking to create a flying machine, which I've already decided on calling an 'airplane.'"
Jules didn't know why he admitted so freely to designing an airplane to these people. He'd hesitated every other time he's admitted to it, so why not now? Perhaps he really did feel that comfortable and welcome in the Carmona's home.
Gonzo and Horacio looked at each other, allowing Aerin to speak first. "I'm sorry Jules. You seem very nice, but I don't think those things are possible. I know that magic can do a lot of amazing things, but machines like that just aren't possible. Not even the gods have things like that."
Gonzo spoke up, "From what Jules explained to me, these 'engines' sound possible," but then looking at Jules he said, "But you didn't mention a flying machine. Just how would this machine work?"
For just a moment, Jules pondered explaining to them exactly what he had told Countess Wilhelmina the day before, but decided against it. If nothing else, Gonzo defending his idea of an engine was a good sign. It allowed him some leeway to be a bit more secretive about finer details. But instead of simply cutting off the conversation, Jules decided to give them something to work with. He explained, "When you wave your hand through the air, you feel it, right?"
Horacio and Gonzo nodded along. Aerin hesitated before following suit and nodding.
"I've investigated ways to harness how the air interacts with things going through it. And I'm convinced that with experimentation, I'll be able to create an airplane that can carry many people or heavy cargo long distances at high speed. In order to even prove the validity of this, I need a powerful engine. I'm working on the engine, but I need an alchemist to work on the fuel." He sighed and entreated them by saying, "I know that this sounds far-fetched. I don't need you to take my words at face value right this instant, but could you please at least give me the chance to prove myself right or to prove myself wrong?"
"I know how you feel, Jules," said Gonzo. "Lots of people doubted me and said I'd never amount to anything. I might not have done anything worthy of getting a statue in my honor, but becoming an alchemist sure isn't nothing."
Aerin looked to Horacio, who looked back to her. They seemed to have a silent conversation before coming to a conclusion. Aerin spoke for them both. "Alright Jules. We don't like it when people judge us and won't give us a chance because of what we are. We'll give you a chance because it's the right thing to do."
"Thank you," Jules offered sincerely. "I'm a very lucky man to have met the three of you."
Collectively, they took sips of their coffee. It was really good and reminded Jules of home. He tried not to dwell on that latter fact. To help himself with this, he spoke to Horacio and Aerin. "So, moving on from that, I have a couple questions for the two of you." Their expressions communicated some confusion, so he explained, "I've never met a monster or an incubus before, so I hope that you're alright with me trying to buck my ignorance."
The Carmonas both perked up at that. "Ask away," invited Horacio.
"Yeah. Nothing is off the table or taboo to speak about," added Aerin.
"Awesome. I really appreciate that," said Jules. "From what I've heard about monsters and incubi, the questions that I have wouldn't be welcome among the overly prude."
"Guess that leaves you out, Gonzo," joked Horacio.
"Shut up," ordered Gonzo flatly, getting Horacio to grin with delight.
Jules began, "Actually, the first question is relatively innocent. I've heard the terms, 'monster' and 'mamono' being used to refer to the same thing. Is there a preference for one term or the other?"
Aerin answered the question, being the most qualified to do so. "Both words work. But me, my sisters, and every other mamono I've ever met prefer 'mamono.' We've always referred to what we once were as 'monsters' as a way to show that we've been reborn as something new. Although the word 'monster' can still work for when someone is acting monstrously. Mamono are plenty capable of acting monstrously, but some will wear that as a badge of honor. And I haven't tested it myself, but I hear that calling someone a monster is perceived as a grave insult in the Order."
"Easy enough for me," remarked Jules. Now to Horacio he asked, "Is there any other term for 'incubus' that I should be using?"
Horacio gave a flat, "No," but then added on, "But I'm still a man. And my masculinity hasn't changed one bit since meeting Aerin."
"I could have told him that," purred Aerin, making her husband smile at her.
This was one thing that Jules had noticed between the couple, despite not being human, they sure loved each other just as much as human lovers might. There was something deeply humanizing to that fact that endeared them to Jules a lot more. It's just their love had a lot more sex involved.
"Thank you sweetheart," gave Horacio.
"I have something to add onto that to expand it a bit further," spoke Gonzo. He continued, "It's not just a question of gaining or losing masculinity or in Aerin's case, femininity. It's a question of personhood. Mamono and incubi are people too and have the dignity of people. Admittedly, there is the shock of something like a loud moan coming through the wall from time-to-time, but there's a big difference between neighbors that can be impolite at times and hating someone just because of what they are. These two are my friends and they always will be. That's how my experiences with mamono and incubi have been."
Horacio lauded his friend with a pat on the back, "Well said."
Jules mulled over this information for a few seconds. Shock value indeed. But by virtue of being alive and being people, mamono and incubi deserved respect too. That was definitely something that Jules could accommodate.
"One more innocent question. Well, relatively speaking. I noticed the sex toys in the shop and backroom, but then there were the vials full of glowing liquid. I assume that's the 'bottled essence' which Gonzo mentioned to me in his own shop. What is it?"
Aerin said, "To explain that, there's a few big ideas that you have to know about how mamono couples work. To mamono, sex is everything, and that's because the Demon Lord who made us is a succubus. But you probably already knew this. But just to make sure, you know how mana and essence works, right?"
Jules grimaced. He did not. So, he fell back on that lie that he told Carlos. "I had a bit of an accident a few weeks back before coming to Villa Hermosa. I hit my head in a fall and a lot of details are hazy from before then. Could you please remind me?"
All three at the table besides Jules looked at him with concern on their faces. "You gotta be careful with head injuries," said Gonzo. "A fellow student at my alchemy academy got hit in the head with a piece of a table that had become shrapnel from an explosion. He was never the same after that. They had to kick him out because he forgot everything and couldn't learn anything more. It looks like you got off lucky with just some things being lost but most of your mind seems to still be good."
"That's really sad," offered Jules. He wagered that Erde didn't have much accommodation for the disabled. He continued, "I didn't realize I was that lucky. But still, could you please remind me how mana and essence work?"
"Absolutely. After all, essence is primarily what me and my wife deal in," picked up Horacio. He explained, "Most of the time, the two names are interchangeable. Whichever word is more appropriate is a question of what form this magical energy has at any given moment. I could give you an exhaustive list, but that would take some time to get everything. Do you want me to list it?"
"You can skip listing it. It's good enough to know that they're pretty much the same thing," answered Jules.
Horacio said, "Everything has an essence, be that the land, the air, the water, or what have you. But by far the strongest source of essence is life. Living things ooze essence into their surroundings. The second strongest source is non-monsterized men, no matter if he's human, an elf, or a dwarf. But by far the strongest sources are incubi, no matter what race he was before."
Aerin stopped her husband's explanation with a raised paw. She looked solemnly at Jules and said, "That's why I doubted you when you said you were a human. A mamono with a husband will only ever love her husband's essence, so I'm fine around you. But you have by far the most essence I've ever sensed in anything ever. And not just that, it's the most potent I've ever seen. We mamono can sense ambient essence from men. It helps us hunt, so to speak. But with the absolute flood of essence that you're releasing, you're ringing the dinner bell to every mamono without a husband who lays eyes on you or is even around you. So, I'll repeat myself. Are you sure you're human?"
Very few times in his life had Jules been more sure of himself than with his next words. He insisted, "I'm certain that I'm not an incubus. You're the very first mamono that I've ever met and spoken to."
"No offense, but that kind of makes you a freak of nature," asserted Aerin.
Jules wasn't offended by that. In fact, he had a very obvious explanation. He was from Earth—a whole other planet. He was still human albeit a different kind it seemed. But he decided that these three people didn't need to know that.
Horacio spoke again, "Well, let's make sure. To do that, I have a few follow up questions."
"Go on ahead," Jules invited.
"It's possible for magically talented mamono to disguise themselves as human and they can even keep the disguise during sex. Please don't be embarrassed if this is the case, but are you a virgin?"
Internally, Jules bemoaned his life. Engineering lifestyle goes "brrrrrr." Growing up introverted meant that he was never in the market for a woman in high school. When it came time to go to college, he went to a private engineering university where about eighty-percent of the students were men and every woman that Jules somehow built up the courage to approach, of which there were few, were taken. Things were no better after college given that he had a full time job and was still just as introverted as he was before. He would normally be embarrassed to admit this, but with the simple invitation to not feel that way, Jules was able to clearly admit that he was indeed a virgin.
"Gods be with you, if you want to stay that way," Aerin wished, sounding genuinely supportive. Jules was actually kind of shocked that he didn't feel belittled by that statement.
Horacio perked up as if those words introduced an idea to him. He pointed a finger to his wife and said, "We'll get back to that in a bit." He turned the pointed finger back to Jules and said, "But there's more ways than through sex that a man can become an incubus. The mana from the land inside the Demon Lord's realm can overpower some men's essence and replace it with monster mana, thus monsterizing him. In big groups like an army, men are able to protect each other from the monster mana simply by being close to each other. But with what Aerin said about your essence, I'd bet money that you could stay human even if you lived alone in that land permanently. But do you have an insane libido that doesn't ever really go away?"
Jules shook his head to indicate that his libido wasn't nearly like that. He surmised, "So, I assume that incubi—and mamono too for that matter—really are always raring to go at it with each other?"
"It ebbs and flows like the tides," said Horacio with Aerin nodding along to answer for her side. "Sometimes the desire is agonizingly strong and other times it's possible to ignore. But both of us are always ready to go the moment the other wants sex and we could do it all day every day. When we aren't having sex, we live a life that's a lot like anyone's. We tend to our business or I mess around with Gonzo. And Aerin has a couple friends of her own in town that she spends time with sometimes."
Jules said, "That's actually good to know. Thanks for sharing. But can we get back to how mana and essence works?"
"Sure thing. As I said, all living things have essence or mana. Men of all races produce a lot of it naturally. Non-monsterized women can also produce it naturally, but a lot slower and not nearly as much of it as men can." After saying that Horacio beckoned his wife to continue the explanation.
She picked up, "Women are also quite susceptible to absorbing mana from the environment around them. For example, a human woman in the Demon Lord's realm would monsterize eventually just by absorbing the monster mana from the land. But because of the Demon Lord's spell that turned monsters into mamono, mamono can forcefully implant monster mana into a woman to monsterize her. This can be done in two ways. First, she sends out a cloud of her own mana into the environment for the woman to absorb. This takes time and uses a lot of the mamono's mana. Far less taxing on the mamono's mana is to rape the woman. Because of how their essence is, women don't take much time or effort to monsterize, and they usually become the same kind of mamono that raped them, but with some exceptions."
"Jesus Christ," murmured Jules in shock. What a horrible thing to have happen. But he shouldn't have been shocked because he already knew that a mamono could do the same thing to a man by forcing him into being her husband. He swallowed hard to try and stall himself needing to form a more cohesive response.
"But me and my husband think that what the armies of the Demon Lord are doing is terrible. Monsterizing shouldn't be a moment of terror, but a moment of love. I feel lucky that I was born a mamono and didn't have to be turned after a battle."
"Yeah," Jules breathily agreed. Then he asserted, "Consent is non-negotiable."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Gonzo cleared his throat to get things moving again. He said, "Essence and mana are also used for magic and can be exhausted. This is true for everyone. But another few things worth noting about mamono is that they can only have daughters. So, in order for a mamono to find a husband, she has to either seduce or rape a non-monsterized man. Either way, pleasure and the melding of his essence with her mana makes them more and more compatible with each other as time goes on. Mamono also produce even less of own mana than a non-monsterized woman would. They can absorb small amounts in places rich in monster mana or replenish it from eating food or sleeping, but not nearly at an acceptable rate."
Aerin said, "Simply being alive for a mamono takes monster mana. And a lot of it too. Mamono are the only beings in the world that lose their mana simply by living. It has to be replenished somehow or she'll become lethargic and if she goes without for too long, she might starve. Ideally, monster mana is replenished with sex. A mamono takes the essence from her husband's semen or his saliva, and turns it into monster mana inside her body."
Horacio accepted the segue with, "But when sex isn't an option, that's where bottled essence comes in. Me and Aerin are able to use a simple magic spell to turn the excess monster mana that we make into an elixir that we sell to the local mamono. It keeps them from needing to force a man into being their husbands, which is punishable by death here in Andalus. The same punishment goes for any incubus that tries to force a woman to become his wife, but he won't need to buy bottled essence for obvious reasons."
Aerin emphasized, "That's right. It is harsh. And even though I understand that a mamono in Andalus raping a man is an act of desperation on her part, the mostly human-led government sees it as a bad example to their other mamono citizens and as a sign that the particular mamono hasn't shed off her 'monstrous origins' as they say. While me and Horacio agree that there should be some punishment, executing her is too far in our eyes."
Jules didn't sympathize with a rapist even if she was desperate. But he kept this detail to himself, thinking that it might offend his hosts.
"But back to what Horacio said about bottled essence," piped up Gonzo. "I myself produce the vials that they're stored in. Even though there's nothing stopping these two from storing their product in any old container, specially made vials do two things. They make it so that the bottled essence doesn't leak into the surroundings, thus risking monsterizing someone by accident. And as a byproduct of this safety, it keeps the essence from fading away like water evaporating."
Jules considered these details for a few seconds and guessed, "Do you keep the essence under lock and key to keep it from being stolen?"
"Yes, but not for the reason you'd think," Aerin said. "We never have and never will turn away a desperate mamono. We'd rather sell things on credit and never get payment than risk seeing her executed. But surprisingly, some local adherents of The Order will try to break in and steal it as a way to forcefully monsterize each other. To them, monsterization is a fate worse than death because it's heretical in their eyes."
This was both interesting and concerning to Jules. He found himself looking at this as an outsider and was thus able to look at it with more detachment. On the one hand, he was fascinated. But when he thought of this from the standpoint of his own historical knowledge of Earth and his morals, he understood that one of the sad lessons of history is that religion can be easily distorted in such a way to justify evil. Monsterizing each other was probably one of the lesser evils some Order adherents were capable of. He wagered that aspirations of genocide against mamono was one of the greater evils. It was a real moral quandary in Jules' eyes. The Demon Lord was conquering the world and forcing its inhabitants to monsterize through mass rape. Meanwhile, Jules supposed that The Order was hell bent on killing every last mamono and incubi that they can get their hands on, laws of the land permitting. Jules wished that a middle ground could be reached as a way to stop the conflict. But he was just one man. Who was he before whole armies and religions?
Horacio got things back on track by explaining, "But the Sumo Principe of Andalus is a just man for the most part. Even if the Order is here in Andalus, the royal family doesn't allow outside influence to impact the country. It's illegal to persecute mamono and injuries and murders done towards a mamono or an incubus is treated the same as if it were a human being harmed."
"That's good," opined Jules. Then he asked, "But what purpose does essence serve other than casting magic or in the case of mamono, serving as a life force?"
Gonzo said, "The Chief God that the Order worships hasn't ever revealed why essence was created in the first place. In a more practical sense among humans, it's just used for magic. And for mamono and incubi, it's a life line in addition to being used for magic and for hunting. I guess its presence shows that you're alive."
That was interesting to Jules. So, this Order worships some "Chief God" and from the way that Gonzo spoke, it sounds like the Chief God not only definitively exists, he or she takes a somewhat active role in governing their religion. Jules wondered if the woman descending from heaven that was carved on the facade of the church he saw earlier was supposed to be the Chief God.
"Gonzo forgot something in that," said Aerin. "We mamono can also instinctively know from a man's essence that he's the one we want for our husband. We call these 'destined ones.' The moment I laid my eyes on Horacio, I knew he was my destined one. So, with your essence as it is, you'll attract the eyes of every mamono without a husband that gets near to you. Mind you that not all of them will think that you're their destined one. But that's still not going to stop any of them from at least looking your way and wondering if they should try their luck at seducing you or forcing the issue."
Jules leaned back into his chair feeling more than a little hopeless. How was he going to go out into the world with the eyes of every thirsty mamono looking his way? He asked exasperatedly, "Is it difficult for someone to monsterize?"
"It depends," replied Horacio. "If a man has a lot of essence, it takes longer. And if the man abstains from having sex with a mamono too often, he can recover his normal human essence. The more essence he has, the more he can get away with having sex with a mamono over a shorter period without monsterizing. Women only need once or twice to monsterize, and they take far longer to recover their normal human essence. Meeting a non-monsterized woman after a mamono actually tried to monsterize her is unheard of, but it's theoretically possible."
"You know, Jules," began Aerin. "Horacio and I are also the town's unofficial matchmakers for mamono. If you want some fun a few times and still keep your humanity, we can introduce a few of the local girls to you."
Understanding that this was supposed to be a compliment from Aerin's tone of voice, Jules could help but smile and chuckle a bit. He was also flattered that the service would even be extended to him. He declined saying, "Thanks. But I'd be looking more for some commitment and companionship instead of a string of one-night stands. And I've never even considered giving up my humanity, so I'd have to decide if I'm even willing to risk that."
"I respect that a lot. Monsterizing is a big life event that shouldn't be taken lightly," said Horacio. "Do you have any other questions you want to ask?"
"No," Jules said. "You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you."
Gonzo, Horacio, and Aerin all answered at more or less the same time to indicate that it was no problem and were happy to answer any questions.
Horacio took one last gulp of his coffee and said, "Actually Jules, there's something that Aerin said earlier that I want to run by you."
Jules raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Well, you said that you hit your head and forgot a lot of stuff and then Aerin said that you'd need gods with you to keep attention off your back. So, I have a question for you. Do you remember how to use a navaja? I see you have one in your sash."
"I actually don't," Jules admitted easily, reflecting Horacio's casual tone.
"I pride myself on how good I know how to use a blade. Do you want me to show you a thing or two on how to use it? It'll probably help you if you're flying from place to place in an airplane."
Jules was stunned into silence. This was the perfect opportunity to learn a skill he expected would be needed in the future. And he was astonished with Horacio's kindness to even offer.
Horacio continued, "Mind you, it will cost some money. Time is precious after all and I have loans to repay."
"Not a problem. That's perfectly understandable," dismissed Jules. "I actually need to learn how to use a navaja as part of my job. I'll ask my boss to see if it's cool for me to learn from you."
"That's great to hear. I hope you're ready for me to school you big time." Horacio's tone of voice and the smirk on his face posed an unspoken challenge; one of man against man as equals.
Jules rose to the challenge. "Lucky me that I like to learn."