20: A Big House

Goblins were not designed to sit still. Their bodies wanted to move around and touch things and burn off a crazy amount of energy. Honestly, now that Honoka understood firsthand, Eve must possess the self-control of a saint if she was only a little irritating at times. The allocated goblin woman wandered around the Harmony Room, smelling and poking and moving every little knick-knack that wasn’t nailed down. She even pulled out a few things that were. Her boobs had returned to flatter than a crepe; without extra Strength, there was no hope of moving around with them, no matter how much Honoka lusted for giant knockers.

“Wow, am I usually like that?” Eve asked, working a rabbit dildo gently inside her pussy. The former goblin felt pain again and was unpleasantly surprised to find she hated the ordeal. The tall black woman lay on the bed and struggled to reach close enough to climax when Honoka grew bored and ambled off to the utter shock of the human African American woman. “I am literally spread open, working it like a ghetto cam ho and you want to see what’s behind tapestries?”

“Sorry,” Honoka apologized, hoisting her small body back onto the bed and walking across to sit between the dark chocolate legs. “Do you want me to try licking your clit again?”

“Nope! I am decidedly a delicate human girl. There is nothing delicate about a goblin.” Her breathing came quicker and the dildo foamed with white juices at this point. “Didn’t think I’d develop…performance issues after munching your gob parts off. I think I suffer from Post Traumatic Human Disorder.”

Cumming as a goblin was what Honoka expected, the ecstasy of her snatch couldn’t happen without an equal amount of pain transforming into pleasure. Not wanting her to drink too many health potions and alchemically poison Honoka’s body, Eve effectively slapped Honoka’s rear until she climaxed with a high pitched scream that sounded like a broken siren. Right now, Eve’s harmonization was at 97%, so they figured finishing the human woman off or Honoka staying a goblin for another hour would be enough.

Honoka carefully put her hands over the top of the dildo and tried assisting in moving it in and out, her face worried she would do something wrong. The current goblin girl shouldn’t have worried because Eve’s legs tensed and spasmed lightly as she slowed down and breathed slower. A blue box showed up and Honoka smiled, holding a hand up for a weary high five before the black human woman sank back into the bed and nearly dozed.

“Look, I know you’re weird, and this has totally been awesome,” Eve said, pulling the dildo out and turning it off, her arms flopping down as they appeared to lack any kind of strength. “But people aren’t designed to orgasm this much. I’m going to need, like, at least a day to recover.” She tried to stand, couldn’t, then gingerly massaged her crotch. “Or two. And maybe a couple bags of ice for my poor, abused bits.”

“I think I know how to change your tune,” Diane announced, striding into the room while typing into her phone. “Hono-chan, I need you to focus: allocate back but keep your Status up. Let’s see what Harmony can do for Eve.”

When Honoka moved the allocation bar back, she screamed, all the little scrapes and scratches she gave herself and only partially healed coming alive at the same instant. It lasted for only a moment, her body naturally adapting and coming to terms that the sores were superficial and healing, but the initial shock was like jumping into a pool of ice water. Diane looked concerned though Honoka waved her off, a few shaky breaths enough to get herself under control. On the other hand, Eve appeared to make a much more energetic recovery when she sighed in contentment and propped herself into a sitting position, seeming like a child waiting for a story. Honoka laughed then pulled up the Harmony menu.

“It would take a while, but we could just pour points into your height until you tower over everyone as the largest goblin alive,” Diane commented, furiously typing while Honoka read off the long list.

“That sounds like the coolest,” Eve replied, skooching to look over Diane’s shoulder, brushing an errant wing aside, “but these points are probably too precious to use up on a few inches. When teeth that can cut through steel or actual regeneration is on the table, it looks like I should pay more attention.”

“That regen does seem pretty awesome, but its thirty points. Something to work towards,” Honoka put in her two cents as Diane tapped her thigh for her to continue.

“Right now, I believe the most important aspect we need to look at is fixing our problems before we get too far ahead of ourselves.” Diane kept at it before pausing, swiping to another chart. “Being a goblin comes with a lot of pluses to Attributes, but negative eight points is bad, not to mentions your Luck is the actual lowest I’ve ever heard of.”

“There are documented cases of three Luck!” Eve folded her arms and looked like she was pouting now. The other two laughed, and she stuck her tongue out at them.

The documenting went on for another hour with some other notable entries: Devour Gormor And Become Gormor, three thousand points. Change Race To Hobgoblin (type), twenty points. Cure ADGD, fifteen points. Increase Perception Of Time By 50%, thirty-five points. Gain Acid Fluids, five points. Initiate An AAAAGH!!, one hundred points. In the end, although Eve really wanted acid fluids, she got her Charisma and Intelligence upped by four and six each.

When Honoka confirmed the choices, the changes happening to Eve were both subtle as well as deeply profound. Her eyes stopped moving as much, as if she gained the ability to bring her focus onto something and keep it there instead of losing interest in everything. They gave the impression they grew sharper, brighter as well. Her face also shifted in tiny ways, softening the hard lines a little while her skin all over her body took on a slightly more vibrant green, some of the hard lines turning more into curves. Because Honoka watched for it, she noticed Eve’s breasts plump up a little and take on a rounder shape. Not quite a full cup size, but Honoka wouldn’t be surprised if the goblin was a small B now.

When it finished, Eve paused as she furrowed her brow and looked down at the bed. Suddenly, she started crying and wouldn’t stop. Not sure what to do, the two other women huddled around and hugged her, causing her to weep louder.

“Thank you…thank you…” she said, grabbing a wife in each arm and holding them tightly. “I used to be a 4.0 student, I was going to become an economist. I…” Eve wiped her eyes, but the tears kept coming. “When the Change happened, I lost the ability to concentrate, couldn’t do math or even remember too many things…I gave up, I found a job at a mechanics shop, I haven’t thought about it in years, I was so defeated. Earlier, when I became human again, it felt like a dream, not really real.” Gazing into Honoka’s eyes with her own shining ones, Eve boasted the mien of a woman finding hope again. “I can think again. Maybe I can even go to college!”

They stayed that way, now all of them crying while they shared this intimate moment. Eve ended it and said she needed some alone time, going off to her room. Honoka felt worn out from everything, flopping onto the bed, not caring the vinyl cover was coated in cooling fluids. Checking her phone on the nightstand, she was amazed to find it past five in the morning. It was challenging to keep track of time in a realm without sun and sky.

“Almost, Sleeping Beauty,” Diane said as she flicked her tail in Honoka’s face. “First, pull up my Harmony points, need to actually document everything for me, then spend one point in Perception to close the menu. After that, I found a delivery service to bring you food down here - I canceled your normal service, they don’t do dungeons - and you should eat while I top off my hunger and discover if I can actually fit all your spunk inside me instead of all over me. Also, put your bonus Attributes into Wisdom. Then you sleep while I figure out what to do about your apartment.”

And what happened then? Well, in Harvardtown they say Grinch-Honoka’s headache grew three sizes that day.

********************

Hours later, desperate for sleep but her cranial throbbing reaching migraine levels at this point, someone knocked at Honoka’s bedroom door. She was alone in her bed, yet for the first time in her mostly single life, she felt lonely. Banda was away, Diane busy and Eve wanting to be by herself, which left Honoka alone, trying to sleep when the knocking arrived. Honoka ignored them, hoping they’d get the message. Another, louder set of knocks came instead. Grumbling to the point of murder, Honoka shuffled out of bed and flung the door open.

“O-oh, I’m sorry, did I wake ya?” Quinn asked politely, a startled look on her otter face.Honoka didn’t bother answering, leaning against the door and glaring daggers at the other woman. Honoka wore a long, oversized purple shirt with her favorite alicorn princess on it front and center, her hair not correctly dried after a morning blowjob and shower. Now, her straight locks splayed all around her head in chaos. Because it only was an hour since her last orgasm, she remained blessedly flaccid. At least there was one thing in Honoka’s favor. Or not.

“I can come back later, I’ll come back later, I’m sorry…” Quinn rambled, but she also wasn’t turning to leave. She stood there wearing a short white bathrobe that barely covered her hips and something else underneath that Honoka was unable fully to make out. The otter woman’s head stayed down and the skin around her nose blushed beet red, her hands gripping the folds of the robe tightly as if afraid it would fly open. It was very erotic: Honoka felt her supply of blood pumping southward.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Honoka silently moved aside and opened her door a little wider, gesturing for Quinn to come into her dark room. The beastkin quickly did so. Soon, both sat on the bed, only the dim desk lamp on the nightstand their source of illumination, hiding them in soft shadows.

“The mother of all Status headaches is eating my brain, I haven’t slept yet and frankly, you are turning me on,” Honoka brought her feet up Indian style under her shirt and put her head down as she closed her eyes. “I am too tired to care if you catch my morning wood, I think my life kinda threw my sense of embarrassment out the window at this point. So please, what can I do for you?”

“I…will you marry me!” Quinn’s voice cracked at the end, breaking like the teenage voice box it was. It also didn’t sound like a question, more as if she demanded it.

“Huh?” The pain of her headache was pushed aside for a moment, but lack of sleep made it difficult for the young black woman to process even simple English. Her response wasn’t the romantic one Quinn deserved.

“Please, I need ta help Dolls!” Quinn pleaded as if holding this all in while reaching out with her webbed and clawed hands, the fur soft and warm against Honoka’s arms. “There isn’t anyone else. Pad even agreed, she’s waitin’ for us ta finish an’ then you can marry her an’ we’ll—”

“No.”

Quinn froze, unable to even breathe as Honoka reached up and slowly pulled the otter girl’s hands off her arms.

“No,” Honoka repeated, gently moving the unresisting hands of Quinn into the otter girl’s lap and holding them there. “My spouses and I agreed to help you. I think it is worth doing, but if the only reason you’ve come to me and want to join my family is an obligation, then I can’t accept your proposal.”

“But…” Quinn sobbed, tears glistening in her dark fur while she pleaded for the chance to save her friend. “Without yer whatcha…harmonization, I…we might not be strong enough! I need you!”

Honoka felt for the girl, and maybe Honoka was harsh, but this was her life. Honoka wasn’t going to become some Harmony points dispenser to everyone who came to her with a problem. Because she would try to help everyone if she could, and in the end she would cease being a person.

“Quinn, I want to ask you some things, and I need you to be honest.” Quinn looked up, her whole world collapsing around her. Honoka met those eyes and leaned forward. “Do you want to marry me? Do you think you might love me?”

“I…” Quinn lost her words, but she did think about the questions. “I don’t know.”

They sat in silence like that for a long time, Honoka unsure for how long. Both questions were essential. It appeared Quinn didn’t know the answers, and that was why she needed to deal with them. Finally, drying her eyes and fur, Quinn stood and turned to face Honoka, removing her robe and letting it fall to the floor. Underneath was a diaphanous, pink babydoll that went down to just above her hips. Below, a strappy pink lace brazilian style panty cupped snuggly around fuzzy pelvis. Nothing remained hidden, her pink nipples and areola jutting out in front of two generous and furry melons, probably somewhere in the range of an F cup in size, while her pink labia minora and clitoris outlined against the dark fur through the thin fabric. The promise her body teased before while clothed became revealed. The oddities - such as dark fur, elongated abdomen, thick tail and short legs - made her look far more exotic than alien, the woman clearly beautiful.

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, I freely admit I’ve other motives.” Quinn’s stance was stiff but determined as she spoke. “However, ya barely know me or Pad an’ yet ya wanna help us, even if it means y’all died. Greater love hath no man - or woman, or women - than this. Yes, I could love you and I want the chance to try. Today, right now, I want to marry you. Tomorrow, I don’t know what will happen, but I promise you I will try each and every day to be a person you might love.”

Honoka smiled, her lips together as she nodded, got up, and embraced the beastkin. “Then yes, I will marry you.” Looking up, their lips met and Honoka giggled when the whiskers tickled her face. They broke apart, looked at each other, then laughed as they hugged each other all the fiercer. But a touching moment doesn’t stop headaches, forcing Honoka to step back and rub at her temples.

“Go talk to Diane and wait over in the room next door that we set up for all this. Unless you have work soon, then we’ll think of something. I’m going to take an aspirin the size of a highway pylon and talk to Padmava.” Honoka pulled her shirt off, naked and erect beneath. She wasn’t thinking about modesty too clearly, though, as she walked towards the closet and the few clothes she brought down to the dungeon.

“I asked the day off, so whenever.” Blushing, Quinn awkwardly put the robe back on and fled, letting Honoka don her usual uniform. On went a navy spaghetti tank and light blue skirt before the suffering yet happy woman headed towards the main house and naga landlady. First, though, Honoka stopped in the shared kitchen and swallowed an entire bottle of Beyer (her Racial constitution thought pain medication weaksauce and didn’t do much in smaller doses) because potions don’t heal Status headaches, aspirin does.

Honoka took her time walking the hallways, not only because she wanted to give the aspirin a chance to take effect, but because the architecture was detailed and gorgeous to look at. Tiered lines, layered upward in gentle curves, little mosaics of people in the traditional Hindu style, every detail of the home was carved with skilled precision. It reminded her of a melding of clean Eastern flow with the upward patterns of Kandariya Mahadeva. Yes, a powerful geomancer created this place, but he could have thrown up four walls and a roof instead of building a work of art. While the exterior took a beating from the climate of the dungeon, the interior architecture remained mostly intact.

Padmava and her two children were in a large living room, a large, open space, allowing the two nagas to spread out and do whatever. Both kids appeared homeschooled while they worked on laptops and streamed separate classes while Padmava hovered between the two and made sure they paid attention. Padmava was dressed in a loose sari that drifted between gray and yellow with intricate gold edging, the daughter in a pink t-shirt with princesses on it and a long white skirt, the son wearing jeans and a white tank top as he sat at a low table in the corner. Dark purple with yellow chevrons and leafy-green scaled tails blocked the way in, so Honoka stood and watched the family for a bit before knocking on the wall.

“Ah, done already?” Padmava quickly slithered her tail out of the way, poking her daughter to do the same before bringing her hands together and bowing her snake head slightly. “Namaskar.” The little green naga also quickly brought her hands together but the son scowled and looked back at his screen.

Unsure of Indian etiquette, her mother’s lessons told Honoka to bow slightly. “Ojamashimasu.”

“Oh! I hadn’t realized,” Padmava said, gesturing with a smile for Honoka to come in, her tongue flicking out to taste the air. “Snake eyes aren’t too good, easy to miss little details. I guess I can see it now. If it is polite, may I ask, are you Asian?”

“Half Japanese, from my mother.” Honoka didn’t wear any shoes, so she walked in and took a seat on one of the cushions, getting surrounded by a curious young girl’s tail, though the girl in question hid behind her computer at the moment. “I also did some research to remind myself, but I’m an architect and you mentioned this compound was a nālukettu. Does that mean you and your husband are from Kerala?”

“Karnataka, though Arun’s family originally came from Palghat. Color me impressed.” Lifting herself up and gliding across the room, Padmava opened a small refrigerator and rummaged around. “I’m sorry if we are out of milk right now. I have some fruit juice or I can make some aam panna if you’d like. If you haven’t tried it, it's a little sour. I usually add some honey—”

“Will you stop?!” The teenage boy, his face furious, slammed his hands on the table and glared pure hatred at Honoka. The three women all turned to him, Honoka and the little girl flinching. Padmava whirled on her son with equal ferocity.

“Aruna! You will show respect to our guest!”

“She is nothing but a whore! It is like you are trying to forget father ever loved us!” Before anyone reacted, he slammed his laptop closed and took it and himself out of the room in a storm. Padmava almost said something, but instead she stopped herself, tongue flicking in and out sharply. The little girl coiled in around herself, trembling a little while she glanced down the hallway her brother went.

Honoka, after recovering in the awkward silence, stood up to leave. “I can come back at another time.”

“No,” Padmava replied instantly, even moving some of her long body surreptitiously around the room to block the exits, still looking down the hall toward her son. “No, this is important.” Returning to the center of the room, she handed Honoka a bottle of apple juice while giving another to her daughter. Honoka accepted and sat back down, watching the mother and daughter share a hug then settle onto themselves as they both considered the young black woman.

“Both my parents and Arun’s parents immigrated to the United States when we were young,” Padmava began, her voice soft in the silent room. “We grew up together, we loved each other, to both of us there was no one else. We married while teenagers and Arun found a job working as an investment banker. We were very blessed and Arun was excellent at his job: he made millions. With two children and a bright future ahead of us, our happiness was endless. Then the Change happened.”

Padmava hugged her daughter tightly, sliding her tongue onto the girl’s forehead lovingly. “Jaya and I became what you see. Aruna, my son, was young and thought it some kind of curse, a disease that afflicted his family and needed to be cured. Yet Arun only wanted his family happy. Observing the entire world in shambles, Arun saw an opportunity and he took it. He was the first to successfully reach the bottom floor of this dungeon, still is the only geomancer to break past level thirty and was the head of the third largest and most influential guild in the area.

“Arun understood the dangers of the new world, knew he might one day never return. However, his driving motto was that peace never came without strength. He looked at our daughter and me and determined we would only know as much peace as he possessed strength. And he was correct until he died.”

“I miss daddy,” Jaya said into her mother’s arm, a simple statement with no more tears to give.

“So do I.” Padmava ran her four arms up and down her daughter’s body as if to gain strength from her presence. “Anyway, the point I’m reaching is Arun knew he might die one day. We talked about what I should do after if it came. He did not want me to spend the rest of my life alone. I am a level sixteen Bulwark, so I could delve if I really needed but I cannot leave my children here if I am gone. Our savings dwindled and I honestly did not known what to do. All I possess is Arun’s advice that more than anything, he wanted us happy and safe. I feel, with your family, my children would be safe and with you, I will be happy.”

“You hardly know me,” Honoka said very quietly, almost inaudible.

“A blind woman can see Diane worships you, a woman you hardly know. I heard from Diane about Banda, how you helped her, someone you hardly know. This morning I ran into Eve, who couldn’t stop talking about what you did for her, someone you hardly know. And before you arrived in this room, I received a text from Quinn, just a simple little note. She is willing to not just join with you but wants to become a better person for it, a person you hardly know.” Keeping hold of her daughter, both of them slid forward and gave Honoka a gentle hug, smiling down at her with her large, scaly mouth. “I only need to look as far as those that love you to see you are someone whom I can love.”

Misty eyed, Honoka looked at Jaya. “And what about you? Does a ten-year-old girl want five extra moms nagging her?”

“I’m seven, and more moms just means more bedtime stories and goodnight kisses.” Jaya giggled.

They all laughed, and Honoka promised she’d be back soon after talking to Quinn (Honoka tried to stay sensitive about the topic at hand around a little girl). The former architect felt really good while she made her way down the corridors of the complex. It was the long way around, a reasonable stroll. The shorter way was across the courtyard, but AC was godly down in the sweltering dungeon and if she didn’t need to step out, Honoka would prefer the winding passageways of the stone buildings. When she passed an intersection, she noticed a bunch of men in brown uniforms carting large boxes atop trolleys heading further in. Curious, Honoka changed course and followed.

It didn’t take long, they were all marching down a broad staircase that went under the building. The stairway was double wide and open with a metal railing that journeyed straight down into a brightly lit cavernous room. About three stories deep and roughly the size of a football field, the floor was empty except around a dozen men unloading box after box in one corner. Coordinating it all was Diane, her green wings unmistakable even from a distance.

“Hey, Diane!” Honoka yelled, her voice echoing in the chamber back up to where she was at the top of the stairs.

The succubus put her hand up to pause the conversation with the young delivery man who stood very, very close to her and glanced upward, waving.

“What’s all this?!” Honoka asked, smiling a bit because it looked like a few of these hard-working men were about to get lucky today.

“Training equipment, mostly, and a few other things!” Diane replied, running her hand down along the cheek of the guy who was all-but-drooling at this point. “Wasn’t expecting the shipment to arrive until tomorrow. Someone must want a big tip!”

Honoka snorted, waving as she went back up the stairs. “Details later, please!”

“I plan on recording it for your Material folder! Speaking of, have you seen my ProGo?!”

“I think it is in the van!” Honoka rolled her eyes, quickly making it back to her set of rooms.

The common area smelled divine, eggs and sausage odors filling the space. In the kitchen, Quinn wore her white robe and finished a southern breakfast of sunny side ups, biscuits and gravy from scratch, grits with butter melting on top and a pitcher of fresh orange juice next to the empty peels and juicer. The amount of food was staggering like she planned on feeding the Brady Bunch.

“Hiya!” Quinn hollered when Honoka came into the room resembling a cartoon, her nose leading the way followed by a blissful smile.

Honoka wasn't much of a cook, and her mother made some Japanese dishes, but her father was a real Southern chef. Every Sunday, the family would eat breakfast before Morning Services and it would look and smell just like this.

“I wasn't sure if’n y’all ate yet, so made plenty for the whole gang.” The otter woman washed her hands while Honoka grabbed a plate and piled it high. “Prob’ly gonna need ta go shoppin’ soon if this will be regular, though, so let me…ya know, I might’ve ta talk with y’all about what yer dietary needs are if I'm gonna do much cookin’.”

“You're hired, none of us can cook.” Honoka already ate her breakfast hours ago. That was fuel, this was enjoyment. Not even moving to the table, digging in directly from the counter, Honoka poked the yokes in her eggs, getting the right amount of runny as she tore into them. The moment those fluffy whites covered in gooey yolk hit her mouth, perfectly seasoned and mixed with the grease of the sausage, Honoka groaned in pure bliss.

“Ya like it?” Quinn asked, as if she couldn't already tell.

“I might not leave any for the other girls,” Honoka replied while she stuffed her face with biscuits and gravy.

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty,” Quinn said teasingly while she made herself a more moderate plate and scooched next to Honoka at the counter.

The black Ymirian paused, swallowing her mouthful and licking her lips of some stray gravy. “I'm not human, and I consumed enough breakfast a few hours ago to equal your bodyweight about five times. I honestly don't think I have an upward limit, I could probably eat everything in this town and keep going. But because I eat so much, I forgot how to enjoy a meal. This,” Honoka pointed down at her plate and shoved a whole biscuit in her mouth, chewing and swallowing, “is something I genuinely missed. Thank you.”

“Aw, that's so sweet!” Quinn said, hugging her fiancé and kissing Honoka’s forehead. “An’ terrifyin’.”

It didn't take long for the two to finish. Rinsing their plates, Honoka texted the other available women in the house that their new cook made breakfast and it was first come first serve. Before anyone replied, Honoka put away her phone and gestured to the Harmony room with a flourish and a bow.

“Would madame care to receive the appreciation of her lady caller?”

“I would be delighted, my fine woman!” Quinn laughed when she came around the counter, doffing her robe and letting it fall to the floor, her babydoll billowing lightly around her. Taking Honoka’s proffered hand, the two went inside and closed the door.