An Arrival of a Rival. CH16

(Previous Chapter:https://touchfluffytail.org/story/an-arrival-of-a-rival-ch15/)

Chapter 16

Careers and their Woes.

“Thanks for coming with me, Faulkner! I thought I’d have to come here by myself.” Back at Magicia Mall, Faulkner accompanies Trisha to a Lingerie shop. Doing his best to avert his attention away from the displays and shelves filled with raunchy undergarments, the best he could do was scowl at Trisha as she was four months into her pregnancy.

“Of all the places you could’ve gone to buy bras, why did you go here?! And why me?!” Though the women around him were quiet, they all stared at him for different reasons. Some were watching in amusement, a few in annoyance. There were a few others who stared not in annoyance or amusement. They had the gaze of a predator waiting to pounce.

“Hey! I’m not skimping out on bras just because I got bigger! I mean, do you see these puppies?! I went from a D to an E in two months!” Cupping her breasts to emphasize her point, Trisha winced in discomfort after jiggling them around. “Oww…even doing that was enough to hurt a little…H-hey! Quit staring at the floor, you idiot.”

“It’s the only place I can look! I’m not going to stare at you bouncing your fucking chest!”

“For fucks sake. You’re acting like a virgin. As for the second reason, Markus is currently in college, Fae Fae is busy with her kids, Miss Butters is out doing volunteer work, and Eiko is at work. Do you want me to keep going?”

“No…I get the picture already.”

“Good. Anyway, what do you think of this bra? You think it’s a good match for my skin?” Showing off a summer yellow bra, the black criss-cross pattern and the white frills caught Trisha’s eye.

“Wh-why ask me?! Ask Markus!” Trisha had milked every reaction Faulkner had the whole time they were in the store. Though, sensing eyes around her, Trisha stops it there and picks up the last of what she needs.

“Alright. I got everything I wanted. Let’s get to the register.”

“Right…” As Faulkner tries to look away at the displays around him, he remembers the lingerie Karika and Reiza wore around him. It’s gotten especially prominent at their new home since they all share the same bed. Karika often walked around topless with either one of her panties or one of Faulkner’s boxer shorts. Reiza usually wears more clothing. But sometimes, she emulates Karika to incite a reaction from Faulkner.

“Hello, mam. Did you find everything alright?” Trisha had bought four bras and panties and a brand of lipstick to make her lips look extra vibrant. The March Hare cashier was surprisingly fluent despite what their species is usually known for.

“Yes, I’d say so. Sorry for all the noise my husband was making earlier. He gets embarrassed real easy when he’s around places like this.” Turning around so quickly that it almost caused him to trip and fall, Faulkner glared at Trisha as his cheeks were the reddest she’d ever seen.

“Hey! I’m not-” With a whimsical smile, Trisha held her right pointing finger close to her lips. It was subtle, but Faulkner read what she meant by her gesture and settled down.

“You can lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself. I know you’re eager to see me wearing these. I mean, the last time you saw me wear something sexy…” Making her point known by rubbing her bulging belly, the cashier’s eyes lit up in joy and jealousy.

“Oh my! Congratulations, you two!”

“Ehehe…thank you…” Playing along with Trisha, Faulkner scratches the back of his head as if proud of what he did.

As they leave the store, Faulkner can feel the women staring at him.

“So…mind telling me what that was about?” Carrying everything they had brought to the mall, Faulkner had no less than four shopping bags on each arm. He even has Trisha’s purse around his shoulder.

“Those girls were ready to pounce on you.”

“What? I thought they were getting annoyed at us.”

“Some of them, sure. You’d be surprised at how many women find men like you attractive. Most of them were as old if not older than me. Something about you screams a man in his twenties energy…”

“I’m in my thirties, thirty-one this upcoming May!”

“Yes, but you look like you’re in your twenties. It doesn’t help that the way you acted in the store excites them. Teasing someone who gets easily embarrassed is fun, after all.” Suddenly, Trisha held her stomach in pain. She silently curses at the cramps she’s been experiencing from pregnancy.

“Trisha, are you alright?”

“I wo-wouldn’t say I’m al-ah fuck! Look, can we sit down somewhere? My stomach’s cramps are killing me…”

“Yeah. Here, hold onto my shoulder.” With Faulkner’s help, they headed for the food court where they could rest. When they found a place to sit, Trisha instructed Faulkner to hand over her bag before pulling out a hot patch on her stomach to ease the pain.

“Ah…yeah…that’s much better.” Feeling the warmth of the patch soothe her pain, Trisha took a deep breath before groping her breasts. “Alright, give me my bag, Faulkner. I need something else now.”

“Sure, here you go. While we’re here, is there anything you want to eat?”

“Hmm…” Pausing to think, Trisha looked around the food court to see what she wanted. She wanted something greasy, so her eyes were glued to The Jungle Craze Pizza. “Get me three squares of Pinneaple Sicilian pizza. As for my drink, get me lemonade.”

“Eww…but sure.” After teasing Trisha, Faulkner leaves to get them their food. For convenience’s sake, he ordered from the same place and returned with their drinks first. “Alright, here’s your…” Stopping mid-sentence, Faulkner saw Trisha wearing a privacy cloak that covered her chest. “Trisha…are you…” Rather than finish the question he was about to ask her, Trisha points to a bottle half filled with what looked like milk.

“Look, my chest is sore, okay? I need to milk my boobs every once in a while to ease the pain.”

“Couldn’t you do that in the bathroom or something?”

“What’s the big deal?! I’m wearing a privacy coat, aren’t I?”

“I…never mind.” Handing Trisha her drink, she couldn’t help but chuckle when she noticed Faulkner doing his best not to look. Despite his best efforts, she caught him stealing glances at the bottle of breast milk on the table.

“…want to taste it?” Trisha had never seen Faulkner stand up as quickly as he did. Or tries to since he was sitting in a booth with her. All he managed to do was shake the table and smash his thighs under it, causing him to flinch in pain. Trisha laughed for a few seconds before her menstrual cramps stopped her short. “Oww…it hurts to laugh…”

“Sh-shut up, you idiot! Why would I want to drink that?!”

“First, it’s not ‘that’. It’s breast milk. And second, it’s nutritious.”

“Yeah, right! I bet there’s more alcohol in that milk than vodka!”

“Hey, you can make jokes all you want, but that’s taking it a bit far. You think I’d drink alcohol during pregnancy?” Hearing the sudden shift of tone in her voice, Faulkner winced before apologizing.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…” Trisha knew he meant nothing by it and got caught up in the moment. So she casually ignored his remark and smiled.

“Ehehe…it’s fine.” Hearing the Kakuen yell out their order, Faulkner left to grab their order before coming back with it.

“Here’s your pizzas.” With an audible pop, Trisha took a deep sigh of relief before setting the second filled bottle of breast milk on the table. Again, Faulkner awkwardly stares at the bottle while Trisha puts her bra and top back on.

“Okay, seriously, why do you keep staring at it?”

“Uh…okay. I know it’s stupid, but I thought the milk would come out slightly blueish…”

“Huh?! Like the color?! Geezus Faulkner. What are you, ten?!”

“Shut up. Let’s just eat…” Watching in a mix of awe and shock, Faulkner barely took a bite of his pepperoni stromboli as he watched Trisha devour the first square of Sicilian pizza in mere seconds.

“How have things been with Karika and Reiza?”

“Fine. Karika’s enjoying her job as a construction worker. Denise’s referral came in handy.”

“I figured as much. If I recall it, Karika wants to earn money to get a car?”

“Yup, though she first needs a driver’s permit. Karika barely passed the practice written exam for her driver’s permit.”

“I don’t envy you. That sounds like it’ll be hell…”

“Hah, you’re telling me.” By the time Faulkner finished his stromboli, Trisha had already finished her third square of Sicilian pizza.

“What about Reiza? Is she still job searching?”

“I thought she asked for your opinion already on that matter?”

“No, she hasn’t gotten around to asking me yet. She mentioned she didn’t want to be a big bother.”

“I see. I think Reiza should take it easy to get her bearings. So much has happened to her in the past few months.”

“I hate to admit it, but I can’t help but agree with you. It depends on what kind of job Reiza has in mind.” There were a few jobs Faulkner thought of that might fit Reiza’s set of skills, but he has yet to bring it up to her due to his concerns for her well-being.

“Right…I’ll bring it up to her later.”

“Good. I have a lot to worry about already. The last thing I need on my mind is worrying about you.”

“I don’t need babysitting…”

“Riiiight…” Rolling her eyes in jest, Trisha stretched her arms before putting her breast milk bottles into her bag. “Alright, tough guy, help me up here so you can drive me home.”

“Sure.” Helping her up, Faulkner and Trisha left Magicia Mall. “By the way, I heard that Tama Mitsuyuki’s staying at your home for the time being?”

“Yes, Lady Tama is staying with me.”

“Must’ve taken you by surprise when Tama appeared on your door without notice.”

“It certainly did. I can’t believe Reiss went to Zipangu and told Lady Tama about my pregnancy. I wanted to do that myself.”

“It’s more convenient that it turned out this way, right? It’s not good to strain yourself, Trisha. Especially since you’re pregnant.”

“I know dammit. The look on Doyle and Emely’s faces was hilarious when they met Lady Tama in her semi-dragon form. As for Markus, she was all over him when she first met him.”

“Uh-oh. Does that mean Markus will end up like me and have two wives?” Trisha waited until Faulkner got to a red stop light before flicking him on the forehead with her right hand. “Ow!”

“Lady Tama’s not interested in polygamy, and neither am I.”

“I figured as much. I was just teasing you.” As they get closer to Trisha’s home, Faulkner wonders when he’ll get married. “Hey…do you think it’d be too soon for ME to get married?”

“You? I don’t think so. You’re not much younger than me, Faulkner. Originally, I wanted to hold off on marriage until after I gave birth, but Lady Tama insisted on planning and paying for my wedding…”

“Right. Tama didn’t give you much of a choice, did she??”

“I can’t exactly say no to her. And I’m not confident wearing a wedding dress while pregnant.” Rubbing her belly as she says that, Faulkner chuckles as they reach the front entrance of Trisha’s home.

“Trisha, you look fine, trust me. And I know Markus thinks you’re beautiful that way.” Setting his car to park, Faulkner got out of his car to help Trisha out from the front passenger side.

“Uh-huh. Thanks for coming with me, Faulkner. I mean it.”

“Don’t sweat it. And sorry for complaining earlier…”

“It’s fine. I know you get embarrassed easily going to places like that. But you went in anyway, so that was sweet of you.” Coming out the front door of her house, Tama came out to greet them in her human form. Aside from the dragon fins and horns on her head, Tama looked human. Her human-like visage hardly mattered when she came out of Trisha’s house wearing nothing but a nightgown, something Faulkner took note of and immediately looked away from.

“Thanks for accompanying Trisha, Faulkner.”

“You’re back. I thought you were busy with your meetings with Ms. Reiss?”

“I was. We finished up roughly an hour ago. All those interviewers being nosey about my sudden appearance here got annoying. Wish I could’ve scared them off in my dragon form…” Laughing nervously, Faulkner still wasn’t used to Tama’s mannerisms.

“Alright, I’ll be going now…” Before Faulkner could leave, Tama ran toward him and hugged him from behind. “WAH!”

“Hey, don’t go leaving so abruptly, Faulkner! Take care of yourself, alright? And next time, bring Karika and Reiza with you. I’d love to meet your two lovers…”

“Yeah. Will do.” After waving them goodbye, Faulkner gets in his car and heads back home. Though he didn’t say it aloud, he was jealous of how easily Trisha accepted the situation she found herself in. With his birth parents in mind, he wonders if he should get closure by telling them about his relationship with Karika and Reiza or avoid them entirely.

____________________

“Karika, can you bring that steel beam over here?”

“Sure, boss. You got it!” Those watching Karika were in awe even a month after she got hired at the construction site Karika was assigned. Even when working amongst fellow strong-armed Monster girls, Karika managed to haul not one but two steel beams. Carrying one under each arm, Karika brings them to where her boss needs them.

“Gotta say, I was wondering what Denise was thinking when she recommended I hire a High Orc rather than another Giant Ant worker. But you can certainly hold your own with the best of them.” Karika’s boss, a bearded forty-some fellow with a beer gut, smiles while giving her a pat on the shoulder.

“Thank you, sir! I’ll work hard to earn my keep!”

“That’s the spirit! There are many more sites to go after this one.” The site Karika’s working on will eventually become a two-story beauty parlor for monster girls. So the building itself isn’t going to be too big.

“There anything else you need me for, boss?”

“Hmm? Nope, you’re good to clock out, Karika.” With the sun standing high at three in the afternoon, the winter chill was long gone, much to Karika’s relief.

“Alright, boss. See you tomorrow.” Wearing a bright yellow safety vest over her dark blue raglan shirt, Karika didn’t have to wait long before Faulkner came by a parking lot she was waiting on.

“Hey, Karika. How was work?” Karika puts her vest and lunchbox on the back passenger seat before sitting on the front passenger side. Pulling down on the collar of her shirt, she leans toward one of the fan vents to cool her chest.

“Aahh…much better. Work was fine as usual. A lot of heavy crap to lift, cement to get mixed and poured, the usual.”

“That’s good. Gotta put those muscles of yours to good use. You don’t seem too exhausted either.”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty in me to leave you limping out of bed when we get back home…” Letting out a sigh, knowing what was to come, Karika flashed a shit-eating grin when she saw the look of dread on Faulkner’s face.

“G-go easy on me…” Leaving the parking lot, Karika looks out the window to take in the scenery. Driving through a business strip along the street, she occasionally spots a family walking together hand in hand. Seeing them walking together with smiles made Karika smile a little.

“So, something interesting happened today while I was with Trisha earlier. Some single women were eyeing me at the Lingerie store in Magicia Mall. Trisha saved my ass by pretending to be my wife.”

“Is that right? Glad to hear she’s keeping her promise to keep other women away from you.” Noticing the slight change of tone in her voice, Faulkner briefly looks and sees Karika staring out her window.

“What’s wrong, Karika?”

“Oh…nothing. I was just looking at how things have changed over the years here. It’s only been two years, but this side of town has many businesses catering to monster girls. Makes the place feel more lively when you see families walking about.”

“Right. This part of town barely had foot traffic before. It’s great to see this place thriving, but I gotta tell ya, the traffic that came with it is a bit of a pain to drive through.” The two joked and bantered the rest of the way home. Karika hadn’t even gotten to the front door when something that smelled good came from the house.

“Ah! I hope food’s ready!”

“Relax, Karika. At least wait for me to open the front door.” While Faulkner doesn’t have Karika’s sensitive nose, he does smell fried pork in the air. “Must be the pork we bought a few days ago.” Once they got inside, they saw Reiza in the kitchen with a salad bowl in her hands.

“Hey, welcome home, Karika, Faulkner.”

“Sup, sis!” Aside from the salad bow, which Reiza puts on the kitchen counter, there was also the pork roast Karika and Faulkner smelled earlier. Fried to crispy perfection, Reiza grabbed a kitchen knife and dragged the blade across the skin to wet Karika’s appetite. “Oh, sweet mother in heaven! Listen to that crisp!” Though Faulkner and Karika didn’t know it yet, Reiza prepared rice for them. Opening the rice cooker to let the steam out, Reiza stares at Karika before pointing at the salad bowl.

“Hehe! Try to eat your fair share of veggies, big sis.”

“Fat chance of that happening…” Patting Rieza on the shoulder, Faulkner gave her a firm squeeze. “Good job. The food smells great.”

“It’ll taste even better than how it smells.” Wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, Reiza pulled Faulkner down before kissing him on his lips. With Karika too preoccupied with sampling the pork to see, the flames on Reiza’s horns and tail flickered with excitement as Reiza hummed happily during her kiss with Faulkner.

After their kiss, Faulkner had just now noticed what Reiza was wearing. All she had on was an apron with black hot pants. At least, that’s all Faulkner could see from the angle he was looking at.

“What’s up? Like what you see?” Pulling on the collar of her apron, Reiza was indeed wearing a white tank top over her apron. “Don’t worry, I’m not pulling a naked apron angle on you. No point when you’re not around for most of the cooking.”

“That’s because I pull off the naked apron look better than you.” Boasting in front of Reiza, Karika puts on Faulkner’s apron in the kitchen.

“Yeah, that would be great. Except your cooking is fucking atrocious! I guess eye candy’s the only thing you’re good for when wearing an apron.” Hurling insults at one another, it didn’t take long before Karika and Reiza butted heads.

“Come on, you two. Knock it off. Let’s eat dinner before it gets cold.” Seemingly ignored, Faulkner watched their tails swinging around in agitation before an idea hatched in his head. “I said…” Grabbing onto Karika’s tail with his left hand and Reiza’s with his right, he gave the tips of them a firm squeeze. “Let’s eat!”

“KYAH!!!” Letting out a squeal together, Faulkner lets go of their tails and waits for them to look at him before smiling.

“Now that I have your attention. Let’s eat.”

“Right…” With Karika helping Reiza set the table, Faulkner plated their portions for them. Karika had more meat due to her exhausting job as a construction worker.

“Reiza, I heard from Trisha that you hadn’t talked to her yet about what kind of job you want?” Stopping her fork, Karika sensed this conversation was going to take an awkward turn.

“I…uh…about that, Faulkner. After giving it some thought. I want your opinion first before asking Trisha for help…”

“Okay, I don’t mind at all. What opinion are you looking for exactly?”

“Uh… psychiatrist…” While Karika’s eyes widened in surprise, Faulkner didn’t seem surprised.

“A psychiatrist, huh? You know how long it’ll take to be one, right?”

“Yeah. That’s part of why I wanted your opinion first.”

“Look, I don’t know much about psychiatrists. All they do is sit down and talk to people all day, right? Why are you interested in it?” Faulkner had a general idea of why Reiza chose psychiatry, but Karika was out of the loop. Hence, her reason for asking.

“Well, when I think back to all the crap I’ve gone through, I start wondering about the other people who went through similar circumstances but weren’t so lucky. I want to help them, just like how you, Faulkner, Kilala, Nala, Mala, and the others helped me.”

“I see. I think you’d make a great psychiatrist, Reiza. But the degree needed for it is a painstaking process. Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

“Well, I’ll have to ask Miss Trisha what she thinks. Think she’ll answer her phone around this time?”

“I don’t see why she wouldn’t.”

“Alright. I’ll call Trisha and see if I can’t set a date then. Speaking of Trisha, how’s she doing, Faulkner?”

“Trisha’s doing alright. Just complaining about how her bust had gotten big and sore four months into her pregnancy.” As he regales Reiza and Karika, his mind wanders back to when he saw the bottles of breast milk Trisha produced. Then, without giving it much thought, if any, Faulkner stares at Reiza’s cleavage.

“Um…you know I can see you staring, right Faulkner?”

“Ah, S-sorry!” Growing irritated, Karika slams her hands on the table before pointing her fork at Reiza.

“Dammit, I’m not going to lose to you here!” Karika unzips her safety vest and rips her top, revealing her chocolatey breasts. “Reiza’s tits aren’t the only pair you can ogle at, you know?!”

“Wh-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! We’re in the middle of eating dinner, you idiot!”

“I-Oh don’t you fucking dare chastise me, Faulkner! Staring hungrily at Reiza’s Tiny D cup titties, don’t think I didn’t notice!”

“Hey! What did you say about my tits?!” Jumping into the fray, Reiza cups her chest in front of Karika before the two yet again butt heads. They all argued for five minutes until Karika proposed an idea to test whose chest would make Faulkner cum first.

Naturally, Faulkner had no say in this and found himself waiting in their bedroom.

“Hey, handsome! Sorry to keep you waiting!” The first to step into their bedroom was Karika. Without Faulkner knowing, Illina gave Karika one of her nightgowns. It was light red rather than black, but the design was similar enough that Faulkner recognized it. Semi-transparent from the chest area and waist, three belts lined horizontally from the bottom of her chest down to her abs were the only thing keeping her gown from falling off.

“Wah?! Wh-where did you…”

“Hehe, my mom gave it to me when we went shopping. She said you’d like it…” Karika’s nightgown was just light enough of a color for her dark skin to pierce through. Like a dark chocolate cake frosted with red whipped cream, Faulkner couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

“I…uh…It does look good on you.” Staring hard at her breasts, Faulkner could barely make out her pink nipples. His gawking didn’t go unnoticed as Karika placed her hands on her breasts before slowly running them down to her abs.

“Thanks, glad you’re drinking this all in…”

“Ha! You know what, that’s not a bad look on you at all, Porky!” Gently pushing Karika out of her way, it was Reiza’s turn to show off. Wearing a yellow cross-back push-up bra and pink cheeky panties, Reiza did a little twirl to show off her ass with her wings slightly spread out. She made her tail swing side to side before crossing her arms under her chest.

“Oh wow. It’s a bit simple, but I like it. It fits you.” Compared to how taken aback Faulkner was at Karika’s sexy allure, Faulkner’s smile has a sense of warmth and gentle love that made Reiza blush in ways only he could make her do. Apparent by the soft flicker of the flames on her horns and tail, Reiza giggled gleefully.

“Thanks, Faulkner…” Feeling left out after Reiza and Faulkner’s affectionate display, Karika marched over to Faulkner and pressed her chest against his face.

“Oi? You two can save that sappy crap for when you guys are having hand-holding sex. Don’t forget we’re having a competition here, Reiza.”

“Right, my bad…” Pushing himself away from Karika, Faulkner took a deep breath before Reiza tossed her bra at his face. “Whoever makes Faulkner cum first wins, right?” Right after Faulkner pulls the bra out of his face, Faulkner sees Reiza’s light brown titties on full display. Getting on her knees, Reiza planted her boobs on Faulkner’s right leg. “Nice and warm, aren’t they?” As soft as her breasts were, the warmth oozing from them made Faulkner moan reflexively.

“Make sure you don’t turn up the heat too much, Reiza. Otherwise, you might make him infertile…” Unhooking the belts on her nightgown, Karika kept her nightgown on as her perky pink nipples were threatening to slide out from their cover. Compared to Reiza, Karika dropped her breasts hard onto his lap before pushing them aggressively against the left side of his dick. “Unlike small tits over there, I can bury your whole dick beneath my titties…”

“Tch! Talking smack already, bitch?” In retaliation, Reiza pushes back agast Karika, using her erect nipples to rub the neck of Faulkner’s dick.

“Ah…you two can’t stop fighting…can’t you?”

“Well, this is a competition, after all, Faulkner. It’s no fun if you play nice all the TIME!” Pushing back even harder against Reiza, Faulkner’s dick got tossed, stroked, and squished between their tits. Karika’s bigger size meant they covered his dick more, but Reiza’s techniques and the heat radiating from hers gave her a slight edge. They could tell who Faulkner was reacting more to based on how hard he was squinting his eyes.

“What’s the matter, porky? Your bigger size not cutting it?”

“What did you say?!” Kicking Karika while she’s down, Reiza kicks it up a notch by sticking her tongue out before giving the tip of his dick a lick. “Ah, HEY! We’re supposed to use our tits only!”

“You never said anything about NOT using your tongue!” Ignoring Karika, Reiza alternates between stroking his dick and licking his dick. With her saliva acting as lube, Faulkner’s breathing became more erratic as he tried to keep himself from cumming too early.

“Fucking smartass. Fine! Two can play at that game!” With her fighting spirit invigorated even more than it already was, Karika starts to lick and kiss Faulkner’s dick. Since Karika has a bigger chest than Reiza, she had to switch between using her boobs and mouth more often than Reiza did. In their frenzy to make Faulkner cum, Reiza and Karika would occasionally kiss one another.

There was also one thing the two of them were forgetting as well. As Reiza’s lust rises, so too do the flames fueling her. These flames then spread to Karika, making her sweatier as her body odor started to fill the room. Karika’s scent would then send Reiza into a lust-induced frenzy.

Losing themselves to their rising lust, Karika, and Reiza start to lick and kiss each other, working together to kiss and lick the tip of Faulkner’s dick in the process.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but with Faulkner sandwiched between Karika and Reiza, he felt the brunt of their effects at the same time, causing his rational to melt away before grabbing their heads and pushing their lips harder against his dick before erupting. Catching the cum shooting out from the tip with their tongues, Karika and Reiza scramble to lick his dick clean. Watching Reiza and Karika lick his cum off each other’s faces, Faulkner’s breathing becomes more erratic before he picks Reiza up from under her arms.

“Wah?! Fa-Faulkner?!” Dropping her in the middle of the bed, Faulkner ignored the fabric layer that is her panties and started licking her pussy. “Hyaah! So sudden!” Lapping up the juices soaking her panties, Faulkner skillfully uses his tongue to pull her panties to the side. Then, flicking her clit with his tongue, he pushed his tongue deep inside her. “AaahhaAaah!”

Staying silent the whole time, Karika was fingering herself and groping her tits while watching Reiza drool from Faulkner’s tongue assault.

“Aahh…ah…” Wiping his lips clean with his right arm, Faulkner crawls on Reiza. “Your hands, give’em to me…”

“Ah…gee…when you ask for it like that…” Doing as she’s told, Reiza gladly held Faulkner’s hands before he pushed his dick inside her pussy. As he went all out right from the start, Reiza’s eyes rolled up with a wide grin on her face as Faulkner started to thrust in and out of her.

Mesmerized by her bouncing breasts, Faulkner grabs Reiza’s left tit and pinches her nipple while sucking on the other tit.

“Oh? Now’s my chance.” Crawling on the bed, Karika grabs Reiza’s cheeks and smiles. “Instead of moaning like a bitch in heat, why don’t you put your mouth to good use?”

“Is that why you came to me with that hungry look in your eyes?” The two still found time to bicker despite the circumstances they were in.

“Just shut up and stick your tongue out already…” Kissing one another, Faulkner finishes up by moving his hips faster. Catching Reiza off-guard, the vicious pounding from below and the gentle kisses from above brought her to orgasm before Faulkner reached his own, blowing his load inside her.

As Reiza went limp after her orgasm, Karika pulled her lips away from Reiza’s before she turned her attention to Faulkner.

“It’s my turn now, Faulkner.” Catching Faulkner off-guard, Karika pins Faulkner’s face under her boobs. “This guy here needs to get nice and hard before I plow you.” Stroking Faulkner’s dick, his muffled moans tickled Karika slightly before she felt him nibbling at her left nipple. “Ah…that’s it…get to work on my tits too while you’re at it.” Between gently massaging his scrotum and firmly stroking his shaft, it didn’t take long for Faulkner’s dick to get rigid. Giggling in excitement, Karika sits up and positions the tip of his dick under her dripping-wet pussy. Dropping her hips slowly, she stops briefly around his glands before swinging her hips in a circular motion.

“Ah…y-you sure like to tease, don’t you?”

“What? You like it when I play with the tip, right?” To make her point, Karika pumps her hips just enough to tease the tip, making Faulkner moan aloud. “See? It’d be really embarrassing if you were to cum from this.” The delight on Karika’s face was all too apparent. Watching Faulkner’s face scrunch up as he tries to endure her targeted assault lit Karika’s arousal more than ever. Despite losing to him when she challenged him to a battle, Karika never lost her desire to see Faulkner writhing in pleasure beneath her. Letting her ravenous appetite take over, she neglected to notice Reiza sneaking from behind before she felt something pinch her right ear. “Kyah!”

“Ah…you let your guard down, porky.”

“H-hey! Don’t go spoiling my fu-AAAH!!!” Tickling Karika by rubbing her fingers on her sides, Karika lost focus and dropped her hips, swallowing Faulkner’s cock whole. “You bitch…”

“What? You know you love it.” Moving her right hand down to Karika’s crotch, Reiza plays with Karika’s clit, making Karika moan as her pussy tightens in response.

“Agh! T-tight!” Faulkner, who remained silent due to enjoying the show in front of him, clenches his teeth from the sudden tightness choking his dick.

“See? He’s loving it too. So stop being stubborn and let lil sis give you a hand…” With her left hand, Reiza gropes Karika’s breasts. Pinching Karika’s nipples, Reiza gently sucks on Karika’s neck. “Mlah…don’t just sit there. Move your hips!” With a light pinch of her clit, Karika jolts in surprise.

“Ah! Damn you!” Despite cursing Reiza, Karika does what she’s told and starts pumping Faulkner’s dick. She was moving slowly at first if only to delay her nearing orgasm from Reiza’s assault.

“Aahhh…Karika…” As good as it felt, Faulkner was getting impatient and bounced his hips in sync with Karika’s. He thrusts his hips upwards when she drops her hips and pulls away as she rises.

“F-Faulkner?! Stop it! I’m supposed to make you cum first, dammit!”

“Nope, I can’t let you do that.” Using two fingers, Reiza rubbed Karika’s clit more vigorously and squeezed her tits with more force.

“AAaahh!!!” Karika stood little chance against Reiza and Faulkner’s combined assault, cumming first as her body stiffened and spasmed in ecstasy. Following close behind was Faulkner, grabbing Karika’s thighs and pulling her waist down before cumming deep inside her.

____________________

“Hey, Mr. Faulkner!” The following day, Faulkner’s passionate night with Reiza and Karika left him weak below the waist. Leaning against the wall for support, he got spotted by one of his new students before she approached him with a smile.

“Ah…hello Cheryl…” With curly hair and golden yellow tips, Cheryl’s a cheerful Barometz who moved to America with her family from Switzerland as a foreign exchange student. Controlling the jelly-like base Barometz is known for and making it smaller, Cheryl’s choices for pants were limited since she could only shrink it so much. Thankfully, the viscosity of the fruit’s inner juices was too thick for anyone to see through. And the outer layer was much firmer than it looked.

“Are you alright? Did something happen to your hips?” With a nervous chuckle, Faulkner waves his right hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about me. I just…didn’t stretch properly before an intense workout…” Though he tried to be subtle, the red blush on Faulkner’s cheeks made it obvious what had happened, something Cheryl found amusing.

“You should be careful next time.”

“Heh, I will. Come on, get to class already. I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes, teach.” Waving goodbye to Faulkner, Cheryl was only one of the twenty-seven students in his English class. As for his Societal Norms class, he has twenty new students to teach.

____________________

“Thanks for having me over, Reiza! Job hunting’s been a real pain in the ass…” Back in Faulkner’s residence, Reiza invites Kilala over to her house after hearing Kilala’s woes.

“Was it that bad?” Handing Kilala green tea to relax, she took it graciously and gently blew on it to cool it down before sipping it slowly.

“Puwah. You have no fucking idea. Seriously, those employers have no sense of propriety! They laughed at my face, MY FACE! They said, ‘Oh, those kids would never listen and take you seriously!’” Before coming to Reiza’s home, Kilala went to three places to apply for a job. One was a daycare center, which she was initially mistaken for as a child. Then, there’s the nursing home, where she got turned down. Finally, for shits and giggles, she tried applying as a banker. But was rejected due to her being ‘too eager.’

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kilala. Why don’t you call Nakoto and see if she can set up a job for you?”

“Reiza, I don’t like relying on other people. Makes me feel like I owe them, you know?”

“I understand how you feel. But…I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t relied on others. Kind of like with you.” Knowing what to say to her, Kilala winced in defeat before taking another sip of her tea.

“If that’s the case. Then why don’t you go with me for moral support?”

“You want me? Someone who has no job experience aside from sucking dick around?”

“Come off, idiot. I’m serious here.”

“So am I. Why would those people take a reference from me seriously? I don’t have a legitimate job under my resume. Why don’t you ask the other girls for help? Say…Zedrada?”

“Zedrada? Hmm…” Mulling it over carefully, the last time the girls heard from Zedrada was when they were all texting Reiza for moral support. Focusing all her efforts on law school, she was too busy studying for her entrance exams. “I would, but she’s busy with her studies…”

“Right. Zedrada did mention she’d be out of contact for a while.” The two sat quietly in thought for a moment before Reiza’s phone started ringing. Picking her phone up, the person calling her was Trisha. “Hello, Miss Trisha?” Putting the phone in speaker mode after answering, Reiza signaled Kilala to stay quiet.

“Ah! Hey Reiza. You’re still on for our meetup today, right?”

“Yeah. About that, Miss Trisha. Kilala’s here with me at the moment.”

“Oh? Well, hello there, Kilala. I’m going to assume you can hear me?”

“I can hear you, Miss Trisha.”

“Can Kilala come along with me, Miss Trisha? She needs career advice like I do.” They could hear Trisha feigning doubt over the phone before she started giggling.

“Heh. Sure! The more the merrier, right? It’s like a follow-up to the final test you girls took for Faulkner’s class.”

“Ha! It kind of is, isn’t it?”

“Sure is. So, we’re meeting at Gritty Kitty Cafe, right?”

“Yup. Do you girls need a ride?” Kilala had no problems getting anywhere that wasn’t too far because she could fly. Instead, she looked over at Reiza to hear what she’d say.

“Nah. We’re good.” Giving Kilala a thumbs up, Reiza points at the wings on her hips while smiling.

“Alright, I’ll see you two at two in the afternoon.” Hanging up, Reiza got up to stretch her arms and wings out.

“I never asked because I thought it was a personal preference kind of deal, but have you used your wings here on Earth?”

“ERK! Wrong. I never used them, period. At least until a few weeks ago.”

“What?!” Flying over to Reiza, Kilala pinches Reiza by her right cheek. “How dare you do something that important without me! I could’ve coached you on how to fly, dammit!”

“Oww! Don’t pull on my cheek!” Letting go of Reiza’s right cheek, it turned a bright shade of red as she rubbed the swelling cheek with her right hand. “I had Karika with me at the local park when I started practicing. She’d follow me around and occasionally catch me when I fucked up. It took a few days, but I did manage to get a hang of it as long as it isn’t too windy or too high up.” Recalling the days she trained, the scowl Reiza had on her face was all Kilala needed to know.

“I see. I don’t know why you didn’t call me for help. I have plenty of experience flying.”

“True, but you told me you were job searching, so I didn’t want to bother you.” Bring up a fair point, Kilala simply nods.

“F-fine! But seriously. Next time you want to practice. Let me know.” Putting her hands on her wrist, Kilala leans toward Reiza with a scowl.

“Okay! I don’t know why you’re so angry. You’ll have the perfect chance to coach me now. Won’t you?”

“Ah…right. Come on, let’s go.” After Kilala finishes her tea and Reiza locks the house, the two stretch their bodies before spreading their wings. “I’ll take the lead. Make sure you don’t fall behind.” With a gentle hop, Kilala starts to flutter her wings before she starts to hover two feet from the ground.

“If you know I’m new at this, you should let me ease into it.” Sticking her tongue out, Reiza took a deep breath before flapping her wings. At first, all she was doing was blowing wind beneath her.

“You’re gonna have to flap faster than that to take flight. And that’s assuming those tiny wings can carry your fat ass.” Choosing to ignore her, Reiza took a few deep breaths. It seemed like she was doing nothing at first. But her body started giving off a faint purple glow.

“Shh! Shut up…I need to concentrate!” Concentrating harder, the color of the flames on her horns and tail begin to take a purplish shade. Rising up as if possessed, the tips of her hair began to rise before her body followed suit until she was six feet above the ground.

“Whoa, look at you.”

“It takes some time to set up, but with the right spell, I can take flight.” Flying up to match Reiza’s height, Kilala ran her fingers through Reiza’s hair.

“I get it. That’s a gravity manipulation spell. Succubi often use this spell on their partners so they can fly with them. It’s a fairly advanced spell that uses a moderate amount of magic. Are you sure you have enough?”

“I have plenty from last night with Faulkner’s…‘help.’ Come on, let’s go.”

‘Faulkner, you poor bastard…’ Having to manage both Karika and Reiza, Kilala couldn’t help but feel pity for him before she took the lead. Watching Reiza closely behind her, she was surprised to see Reiza keep up effortlessly. “I see you can go a decent twenty miles per hour.” The two were flying just short of eighteen feet into the air.

“I can go up to thirty-five, but then it becomes difficult to put myself at a complete stop.”

“True. It’s not like we’re in a terrible hurry, so we don’t have to go fast. Besides, it’s a straight shot to the place since we’re flying.”

“Yup.” Skillfully maneuvering over tall buildings and the occasional electric pole, Reiza and Kilala soon made it to Gritty Kitty Cafe. Making landfall, Reiza and Kilala saw what looked to be a crowd of servers surrounding a booth through the front entrance window door. Kilala got closer to the door to take a closer look, blocking off Reiza’s view.

“Huh? There’s something big going on inside. And…I can hear some of the girls squealing in there.”

“Then let’s go in there and find out.” The electronic bell sensor on the door would get most of the server’s attention before they greet their customers. Whatever has them preoccupied must’ve been a sight to see.

“Ah! Are you done rubbing yet? I’m expecting friends, and I can’t see them with all of you crowding around me.”

“That voice, it’s Trisha.” Recognizing Trisha’s voice, it sounded like she was in a bind as Reiza squirmed around the servers. Kilala, on the other hand, had a much easier time seeing what was going on since she simply shrunk herself and flew above the crowd.

“Oh…pfft…you okay there, Miss Trisha?” With her belly covered by a swarm of eager paws just waiting to rub it, Trisha’s plea for mercy fell on deaf cat ears.

“Ah?! Kilala! If you’re here, that means…” Pushing through the last line of servers, Reiza reacted exactly like Kilala when she saw Trisha.

“Damn, you’re popular, Miss Trisha.”

“Very funny. Now, can you two help me talk sense into these ladies?!” Before Kilala and Reiza could do anything, the servers instinctively turned as their skins went pale and their tails stiffened in fear.

“Ahem! I know we’re not busy this time of the day, but I thought I gave each of you a task to work on. I doubt all of you finished your prospective tasks ten minutes after I gave them…”

“Ah! s-sorry boss mam! We’ll get to them right away!” Scattering like the very prey they’re associated with to hunt, Porshka watches her employees closely until they are all back in their stations. “I swear. They’re all hard workers when they have people to tend to. But when it’s slow like this, they get distracted so easily…” Talking to herself, Porshka took a deep sigh before she turned to look at Trisha. “You alright, Trisha?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. The servers meant well, but my stomach was getting raw from all that rubbing they were doing. Oh, Reiza, Kilala. Don’t just stand there and sit down across from me.” Staring at each other, Kilala returned to her human-size form before they sat across the table from Trisha.

“I’m sorry about that. Do you need an ice pack or something?”

“Nah. Though, I would like to get a drink.” Slipping her right paw into her maid apron’s right pocket, Porshka pulls out a notepad and pen.

“Gotcha. What’cha havin’?”

“I’ll start with the lemon-infused black tea and a Banyana choco nut parfait.”

“Okay…” Writing down Trisha’s order, Porshka turns her attention to Kilala and Reiza, whom she admits she almost forgot about. “And you two?”

“Hmm…I’ll have the peach and orange sunrise with blueberry scones.” A fruity beverage topped with whipped cream and an orange slice, Reiza’s eyes were drawn to the pretty colors of whitish pink and orange of the drink she ordered.

“I’ll have black coffee with chocolate biscotti.” Reiza was perplexed by Kilala’s choice and gave her a side-eyed look afterward. “What? Sometimes, I just want something that’s not overly sweet.”

“I understand the sentiment well, missy. Sweets are nice, but nothing beats good ole meat! I know it’s a bit late to say this, but I’ll be your server today. I’ll be back with your orders in a bit, ladies.” Leaving them to grab their orders, Trisha rubs her belly and whines in discomfort.

“Boy, your belly’s a shade redder than the rest of your body.”

“After I got seated, I figured I’d let my belly out while I waited for you two. Then, one of the servers asked if I was pregnant and wanted to feel my belly afterward. I didn’t think anything of it until the other servers started asking and doing the same thing.”

“That sounds rough. Carrying a developing baby inside your belly is already a hassle…”

“It’s alright, Kilala. Putting their rubbing aside, they were gentle. Besides, I have…” Emphasizing a point Trisha was about to point out, she lifted her swollen breasts to the table and dropped them. “I have a bigger problem to deal with.”

“My god. They look a little bigger the last I saw them.” Staring intently at Trisha’s chest, Reiza felt envious of their size.

“Uh…Reiza. Eyes up here, honey.” Snapping her fingers, Trisha waited for Reiza to look her in the eyes. “Fuck…don’t tell me you’re going to stare too, Kilala?”

“Huh? No. Why would I be envious of big tits like those? I don’t want to imagine the back problems that come with those.” Hearing someone finally agreeing with her, Trisha nods before Porshka’s arrival of their orders and snaps Reiza out of her trance.

“Alright, I have your orders right here.” Porshka hands Kilala and Reiza their orders before grinning at Trisha. “Trisha. You want me to slip your banyana choco parfait between your tits since you have them on the table like that?” Seemingly unamused by Porshka’s remark, Trisha frowns before tilting her glasses with her right hand.

“I see you’re desperate to have your establishment shut down, Porshka. I could easily report you for sexual harassment.” A chill ran down Porshka’s spine at Trisha’s threat. The sense of humor they shared mutually was now gone due to Trisha’s mood swings from her pregnancy. Trisha’s mood swings meant ignoring her warning would’ve been ill-advised.

“Ah…s-sorry about that. Forget I said anything. If you need anything, just give me a holler.” Leaving them alone, Kilala whistles in astonishment.

“Damn. You’re Ice-cold, Miss Trisha.”

“Look, my stomach is sore from those grubby paws, and my tits are sore from not being milked. I need to let out some aggression.” With the first bite of her parfait, Trisha squealed in delight as she felt her stress melt away. “Ah…sweet, banana goodness. So Reiza. You said you wanted some advice on a job you’ve been eyeing?”

“Yeah. I want your honest opinion. Do you think I could make a good psychiatrist?” Taken slightly by surprise, Trisha stops eating her parfait. Bringing her hands together, she rests her chin on top of them.

“You want my honest opinion, Reiza?” Determined to see it through despite what Trisha’s gaze suggests otherwise, Reiza nods without hesitation. “The way you are now, you should hold off on becoming a psychiatrist.”

“B-but why?! I know how tough the courses are! I may not look it, but I’m plenty smart!”

“You don’t think I don’t know that? I know that when you put your mind to something, you see it through and succeed. But the driving force behind your career choice is the problem.” Listening closely to Trisha, Kilala knew what she was saying to some extent.

“My driving force? What’s wrong with wanting a job that lets me help others cope with the toughest times of their lives? My life hasn’t been rays of sunshine and rainbows. God knows I’m lucky to have Faulkner, Karika, and the rest of you by my side. I want to help those who aren’t as lucky as me.”

“An honorable reason. And an even higher one to pursue a job that helps those less fortunate than yourself. Still, I can’t recommend it.” Staring deep into Reiza’s eyes, Trisha could see intensity within them that matched the flames roaring from Reiza’s horns and tail. Determined to make her point, Trisha took a deep breath before staring back at Reiza. “Let me ask you this, Reiza. If Meredith were here right now, would you be able to tell her you forgive her for what she did to you?”

“Wha-” Striking a nerve she thought Trisha would never try to, Reiza momentarily loses her cool as her sunrise drink starts to boil. “How could I? Me, forgive that manipulative witch?! Never…” Rather than defend herself, Trisha chose to remain quiet. Hoping Reiza would understand what had just happened.

“Man, you’re really something, Miss Trisha.” As Reiza’s best friend, Kilala didn’t have the patience to wait for Reiza to figure out what Trisha was trying to tell her on her own. “Reiza, what makes you think you’re qualified to be a psychiatrist if you have issues you need to resolve?”

“I…” Trisha was hoping Reiza would realize it on her own. Failing to do so only further proves the point she was making. “How could you expect me to forgive her?!”

“I guess I should reiterate then. You don’t have to forgive Meredith. But you must move on. Right now, it’s far too soon for that. I suppose the time it’d take you to earn the degree to become one is long enough for you to do so, but that is up to you.” Mulling over what Trisha told her in her head, Reiza accepts that she’s right.

“Right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that.” As she calms down, Reiza finally notices her drink is boiling. “Ah! Shit, my drink.”

“I’ll get you another one, Reiza. It’s my fault for agitating you in the first place anyway.” As she watched their table like a hawk, Porshka’s hairs were on end when she saw Reiza’s temper evaporating her drink. She wasn’t scared but rather anxious at the risk of a fire. Thankfully, nothing came of it before Porshka saw Trisha wave to her.

“You had me worried for a second there, Reiza. Please learn how to manage your anger…or at least your flames…”

“Right. I’m sorry, Miss Porshka. Won’t happen again.” Putting her hands together in apology, Porshka forgives Reiza and replaces her drink.

“I’ll go get you another one then. Make sure you don’t boil it.”

“I won’t.” Changing subjects after Porshka left to get Reiza another Peach and Orange Sunrise, Trisha turned to Kilala next.

“So, you’re having career problems too, Kilala?”

“Yeah. My problem is getting those people to take me seriously. I tried applying to every place I could think of, and none would look me in the eye!”

“I see…” Taking a sip of her tea, Trisha digs through her sling purse before pulling out a breast pump. Showing no hesitation since it was all girls this time around, she presses the pump on her right nipple and turns the pump on. “I know the answer already, but did you bother asking Nakoto?”

“I want to apply for jobs on my own. I don’t want to rely on Nakoto’s help. Besides, if I take her help, she’ll probably ask for something in return.”

“That’s what you’re worried about? Kilala, you realize the benefits you’ll get from Nakoto’s aid severely outweigh the cons, right?” After a sigh of relief, Trisha sets the first bottle of breast milk she fills up before moving on to her other nipple. “Having Nakoto’s backing is essentially the same as having Reiss’s. With their names behind your back, you’ll have no problem finding a job.” Reluctant as she was, Kilala had no choice but to concede to Trisha’s advice. Kilala’s pride wouldn’t amount to much if she became homeless.

“Fine, I’ll give Nakoto a call later.”

“Good. And speaking of, what kind of jobs were you applying for?”

“I applied for a daycare center, a nursing home, and just for shits and giggles, a bank teller.” Applying for the daycare center was something Trisha could see. As for the other two…

“I’d say no to the nursing home gig. I know you have patience, but that only applies to kiddos since you have an affinity for their child-like mannerisms. People in nursing homes tend to talk back. Not to mention your youthful appearance will make them not take you seriously purely out of looks.” Pulling the breast pump off her other tit, Trisha grabs a napkin to wipe the lingering milk around her boobs before she slips her bra back on.

“You have a point. I have less patience with adults since they’re supposed to know how to act and treat each other. Even if it paid more, the stress would probably kill me.”

“Right. As for the bank teller job you tried to apply for. I can see you doing well in it.” Taken by surprise, Kilala nearly drops her biscotti on the table after dipping it in her coffee.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ve helped Faulkner make and grade some assignments you girls in class. He sucks when it comes to financial subjects, so I ended up writing them down.”

“Huh? I never expected Faulkner to be bad with money. Is he an impulsive buyer?” Cutting in between their conversation, Reiza was surprised to know how little Faulkner cared about said subject.

“He’s gotten better now. And no, he’s not an impulsive buyer. When I said he’s bad with finances, I didn’t mean he couldn’t keep his bank account and secure his credit score. He just has trouble grasping how banks operate or how stocks work. I’ll tell you more about it later, Reiza.” Though she wanted to know more, Reiza dropped the subject so Trisha could talk to Kilala.

“I’d do more research on the topic, but I think you’d make a great bank teller, Kilala. Once you become one, take the chance to move up to higher positions like a financial analyst.”

“You really think I could do it?”

“Sure you can. You’ll do great at whichever of the two you pick, but you’d make more money as a financial analyst. But, if you want a more comfortable job, work at a daycare.” Taking both considerations to heart, Kilala turns to Reiza for her opinion.

“Reiza, what do you think? Think I could pull off being a financial analyst?” Coming back with Reiza’s Peach and Orange Sunrise, Porshka sets it down in front of her before taking Trisha’s empty drink and parfait cups.

“I don’t see why not. You’re pretty smart for a pixie. It’d be a waste of your talents if you didn’t use them.”

“I guess it is. Well…” While Reiza and Kilala are talking, Trisha takes the opportunity to order another drink and dessert item while Porshka is still around.

“So…a pineapple strawberry slush…and…four more parfaits and omurice?” Cocking her right eyebrow in uncertainty, Trisha nods without hesitation.

“Yup. I’m still hungry…”

“I’ll get those out for you soon.”

“Reiza, Kilala, do you two want anything to eat?” Pausing their current conversation to look at the menu, Reiza orders Chicken Karage while Kilala orders Curry rice.

“Alright. I’ll have those out for you girls as soon as they’re ready.” Taking her leave once more, she heads back to the kitchen to relay the orders to the chefs. While waiting on the food, Porshka beckons one of the Nekomata maids to come to her.

“Yes, boss?”

“Hey, Maltie. I need a favor…”

____________________

Sifting through the piles of ungraded papers, Faulkner stayed behind in TMRC an hour after classes ended to grade them.

“Hey, don’t you have to pick Karika up by now, Faulkner?” Peeking into his classroom after finding the door was left slightly open, Fae Fae came in with two cups of coffee she got from the break room earlier.

“Ah, Fae Fae. Karika’s having early dinner with her coworkers, so she won’t need me to pick her up. They’ll drop her off at our house later.”

“What about Reiza?” Offering him one of the coffee cups in her hands, Faulkner graciously accepts and takes a hearty sip of the hot brew.

“Reiza’s with Kilala and Trisha. The last text message I got from Reiza mentions that they’re ordering cafe food, so they’ll be there for a bit longer.”

“Wow, good for them. We’re stuck here grading papers, and they’re having a good time.” Chuckling at her complaint, Fae Fae leaned against a wall.

“Well, Trisha didn’t have much to do today, so she left work early and met up with Reiza and Kilala. You and I aren’t so lucky since the slew of new students means extra paperwork like reading through their personal records.”

“Ugh! Tell me about it! I have a slew of new students. After word of TMRC’s success spread through the news, the seats in my class filled up in only three days. Miss Reiss’s contacts sure work fast.” With her classroom quota filled, at least ten of Fae Fae’s new students were Leanan Sidhe. While she enjoyed their enthusiasm, it was hard to get them to coordinate due to their whimsical nature. “What about your class? Any standouts?”

“Not in particular. Most are there just to get classes done. Least for the societal norms class. One girl in my English class stood out, though.”

“Oh?”

“Her name’s Cheryl. A foreign exchange student from Switzerland. She’s surprisingly friendly despite being here a few weeks ago with her parents.”

“Why’d they move here?” Looking around for a trashcan, Fae Fae used magic to make the empty cup she had in her hand float before tossing it to a trash can near Faulkner.

“I didn’t ask her, and I’m not nosey enough to.”

“Oh yeah? The fact that you felt the need to mention her means something, right? Who knows, she might become your third girlfriend before long?” Thankfully, Faulkner still had his cup over his mouth after spitting it out in surprise.

*Cough!*

“W-what are you saying?! Don’t say stupid things like that, Fae Fae!”

“Ehehe…I was just joking. You already have your hands full with those two.”

“Enough about them. What about you and your family? I heard from Trisha that you and Melv are considering having another kid?” As if to confirm what Faulkner heard from Trisha, Fae Fae’s cheeks turned red before she turned her face away.

“T-Trisha! You said you wouldn’t tell any strangers about that!”

“Heh. You should’ve phrased it differently then. I’m no stranger to Trisha, so she’ll use that excuse to tell me.” Shortly after raising her right finger in protest, Fae Fae quickly realizes Trisha would take advantage of that loophole.

“Egh…a-anyways. Arleth is an emotional child. She gets lonely when either me or Melv aren’t around for her. We’re trying to get her to attend kindergarten school since we failed to get her to a preschool the year before. But now, she wants it where Melv and I are with her.”

“The problem is, you guys are working in shifts that contradict that, right?”

“Yup. Arleth should be in kindergarten by now, but she wants to spend time together more often.” Though Faulkner had no experience with kids, he was analytical. It didn’t take long for him to come up with a solution.

“You know, I can see two things you two could do to make her attend.”

“Really? How?!” Getting off the wall, Fae Fae leans in front of Faulkner’s desk, eager to learn.

“Uh…first thing is…what is Melv’s occupation? Is it more flexible than yours?”

“Hmm…he works as a Bouncer for a nightclub.”

“For starters, try to find a job he can take where both of you are available. If he has a more flexible schedule, try to have him work during the day like you do. You guys don’t have to share the exact same time frame, but that way, one of you could take Arleth to kindergarten school during the day when you’re both at work. If they allow it, they could keep her there until one of you could pick her up. That way, she can attend kindergarten like you two want. She can spend the rest of her day with you two around. If you tell her that, I bet it’d convince her enough to go to kindergarten.

“Hmm…that could work. But being a bouncer, most of Melvs jobs are night shifts.”

“Does he have formal security guard training?”

“Yeah…”

“Then the answer’s simple. Melv could switch from being a bouncer to a security guard. There are plenty of places that need security guards.”

“That’s true. With any luck, we could make it work. But changing positions like that isn’t going to be easy. Melv’s been a bouncer for quite a while.”

“You could ask for Nakoto’s help, you know? I bet she has plenty of positions open.”

“But those spots are reserved for monster girl clients, right?” Shaking his head, Faulkner casually tosses his empty cup to the trashcan.

“Fae Fae, the businesses Miss Reiss owns, is all monster girl operated. But that doesn’t mean the people she hires are exclusively for them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have hired me.” Feeling more grateful than dumb for not realizing that Fae Fae grabs Faulkner’s head and pulls him toward her chest for a hug.

“Oh, thank you, Faulkner! No wonder Karika and Reiza fell for you!”

“Ack! L-let go of me! Th-they’re touching me!” Letting go after he taps her on the back three times, Faulkner rolls away on his chair three feet away from her while gasping for air. Though, he was breathing heavily out of embarrassment more than he was from lack of oxygen.

“Oops. Sorry about that. Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah…I’m fine…” While his reddening cheeks said otherwise, Fae Fae chose to stay quiet to spare Faulkner further embarrassment.

____________________

“Alright, here’s your meals, ladies.” Using a rolling cart to bring them their meals, Porshka came back wearing a maid outfit. A stark contrast to the business suit she usually wears, Trisha couldn’t help but chuckle while Kilala and Reiza looked shocked.

“Um…what gives, Porshka? Why’re you wearing that?”

“Tsk! Look! I’m the owner of this cafe, right?! Well, it just dawned on me that while I own the business, I don’t play an active role in it other than supervising staff! What if I run into a staff shortage? I have to step up and help the girls on the front lines! I need to practice this whole… cutesy maid angle while I have the chance!”

“I-I see…”

“Okay, so…for example…” Looking around for Reiza’s drink, Porshka holds Reiza’s drink on her right paw while using her left to gesture at the drink as if presenting it to them. With a forced, wriggling smile and a bend of her hips, Porshka raises the pitch of her voice a notch. “H-here’s your Pineapple strawberry slush, master!” Taking Trisha by surprise, Porshka nailed the posture and the cutesy voice one would expect from a cafe maid.

“Wow! That was great!” Reiza and Kilala couldn’t help but clap in applause for Porshka’s performance. Though, as Trisha suspected, Porshka’s act would quickly crumble as her cheeks turned red.

“Argh! This shit’s too embarrassing!” Letting her emotions take control, Porshka had forgotten about the pineapple strawberry slush she was holding and threw her arms up.

“Whoa!” Using float magic, Kilala’s quick reflexes saved Porshka from cleaning up a potential mess. Bringing the drink toward Reiza’s waiting hands, she grabs it before Kilala disarms her spell.

“Ah…s-sorry. Thanks for the save, Kilala.”

“Don’t mention it. You were doing well for the first five seconds.”

“Still, that reaction of yours was rather cute! If spilling Reiza’s drink wasn’t a problem, you would’ve gotten bonus points for playing the embarrassed tsundere trope.”

“Wh-whatever!” Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, Porshka puts down Kilala’s Curry dish and Reiza’s Chicken Karage before setting Trisha’s four parfaits into a square-shaped pattern. She left just enough space inside the square for Trisha’s Omurice. “Alright, would you like any ketchup with your Omurice?” Judging from the anxious look on Porshka’s face, Trisha knew what she wanted and played along.

“Sure. I’d love some ‘Gritty Kitty’ magic on my Omurice.” Since it was Kilala and Reiza’s first time here, they didn’t know what Trisha was saying.

“Ah, the ‘Gritty Kitty’ spell!” Clearing her throat, Porshka makes a second attempt at sounding youthful and cheerful.

*Ahem*

“Y-you got it, mam!” Presenting a bottle of ketchup in front of the group with glee, Porshka carefully squirts a paw-shaped pattern on the Omurice. “With my magical muscles and finely sculpted abs, I draw a pawprint out of grit and love!” While Trisha managed to hold her laughter in, the same couldn’t be said for Reiza and Kilala. Porshka tried to ignore them, but the exaggerated way they wrapped their arms onto their stomachs caused her to snap.

“Ack! What the?!” Covering everyone nearby in a layer of ketchup, Porshka accidentally brought her claws out, digging into the ketchup bottle while she was squeezing it and splattered Kilala, Reiza, Trisha, and herself.

“Shit! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!” Desperate to remedy her mistake, Porshka frantically digs through the pockets of her outfit for a rag. With Trisha four months into her pregnancy, Porshka wasn’t sure how Trisha would react.

Admittedly confused, Trisha was mulling over what she should do. Looking across the table, Reiza was already wiping ketchup off her hair with the napkins nearby. Kilala seemed to have had the same idea, but after licking ketchup off her fingers, she felt giddy before she started chuckling.

“Hmm…ehe…ehehehe…” It started as a soft chuckling. But soon, Kilala found herself holding her stomach in pain as she let her laughter out for everyone to hear. “PFFFTAAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Wh-what’s so funny?!” Understandably confused, Porshka backed away confused.

“Ahaha…ah…s-sorry…it’s just…” The moment Kilala managed to calm herself down enough to talk didn’t last long when she saw Porshka’s reddening cheeks. Combined with her ears standing straight up and the fur of her tail standing on ends, this prompted Kilala to further ridicule Porshka by pointing while laughing. “Pfft…AHAHAHA!” Staring back and forth between Kilala and each other, Reiza was the first to crack as she started to laugh.

“E-ehehe…it was pretty funny and cute to see your reaction, Miss Porshka…” Though she wasn’t laughing as hard as Kilala, Reiza would chuckle between words.

“D-don’t laugh at me! I’m trying my best here!” Getting embarrassed to the point of being driven straight to anger, Porshka unintentionally makes a bigger mess for her to clean up after forgetting to wipe the ketchup off her claws while swinging her arms down to pout, causing the ketchup to fling downward to the ground below. “…I…” Struggling to find an excuse for what she did, Trisha couldn’t hold back and laughed with Kilala and Reiza.

Porshka should’ve been furious at this point. She wouldn’t let someone laugh at her for this long, even if they were her customers.

However, she found their laughter to be contagious. Even if the ketchup had gotten into two of Trisha’s parfaits, she couldn’t get angry at Porshka. Joining Kilala and Reiza, Trisha thought it’d be best to laugh the incident off rather than get angry.

Seeing the three of them laugh, Porshka felt the anger rising in her melt away. Having calmed down, Porshka’s lack of control ultimately led to her embarrassing accident. She couldn’t blame them for how she reacted earlier, even if they laughed at her. She took a deep breath and chuckled to amuse herself.

“S…sorry for making a mess…”

“Ah…ahaha…d-don’t worry about it. It’s our fault for laughing in the first place. I’m really sorry, Miss Porshka. I wasn’t laughing because of the mistake you made. I was laughing because I found how you acted ironically.”

“I-Ironic?!” Porshka failed to see what Kilala was pointing out, but Reiza and Trisha knew where she was going with it.

“Yeah. You’re trying so hard to be cute when you thought you were doing a bad job. The truth is, the effort you’re putting into it is cute on its own.” Porshka’s blushing face further proved Kilala’s point. Even the employees couldn’t help but smile. “See? Just be yourself. You don’t have to try so hard with the cutesy angle. Though, it might not be a bad idea to do that to catch people off guard every once in a while.”

“I…th-thank you.”

“That said, your reaction to being embarrassed is cute too! Try to incorporate that into your act. I guarantee you’ll have guys flocking to your cafe that way.”

“I…I don’t think I could fake an act like that.”

“Eh, you’ll manage…” Dismissing Porshka’s answer with a shrug, curiosity compelled her to try one of the Bananya Choco parfaits she had that had ketchup on them. To her surprise, she found it to be refreshing. “Oh, hey…this isn’t bad at all!” Watching in a mix of horror and disgust, Kilala, Reiza, and Porshka mentally cringed at how quickly Trisha devoured her ketchup-tainted parfait. “Hey, by the way, Porshka. Can you give us wet towels to wipe the ketchup off our bodies?”

“Ah, right! I’ll bring some over right now.” Briefly leaving them, Porshka ran toward the kitchen area to grab wet towels for them.

“Good thing I wasn’t wearing anything expensive…” While somewhat relieved that most of the ketchup on Reiza wasn’t on her clothes, Kilala saw that most was on her hair.

“The same can’t be said for your hair, Reiza. You got a good bit of ketchup on both sides of your bangs.” With a napkin, Kilala cleans the ketchup off Reiza’s hair. As thanks, Reiza does the same for Kilala.

While they were helping each other, Trisha spotted a Nekomata approaching them. While the maid outfit she wore was no different from the others around her, there was an air of serenity to her. Her pigtail hairstyle matched her soft appearance with skin that looked as soft as marshmallows. In contrast to the other maids, who were much taller and had some muscle to them, she was short and looked too frail to have ever been hired here.

“I see Porshka made quite a mess here.”

“Ah, yeah. It’s partially our fault since we couldn’t hold our laughter.”

“You’re too kind. Still, thank you for humoring Porshka’s request. I was the one who told her to do those cutesy poses.” In proper maid fashion, she grabs the sides of her skirt and gently bows in gratitude. “The name’s Meltie, by the way. It’s such a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, mistress.” Meltie’s actions reminded Trisha of the times she was Tama’s bodyguard. Getting preferential treatment from her, the Shirohebi in Tama’s temple were often jealous of Trisha’s intimate relationship with their mistress. One day, the Shirohebi found Trisha’s weakness. By greeting her the way they do with Tama, Trisha would end up speechless at their mannerisms and stutter in embarrassment.

To this day, Trisha could never get used to being treated as a master.

“Oh…uh…th-thank you.” Followed by slowly blinking her eyes, Maltie couldn’t help but giggle at Trisha’s reaction as she turned her bright red face away from Maltie’s view.

“Ah, Maltie. Why’re you here?” Coming back with four wet towels, Porshka hands one to Kilala, Reiza, and Trisha while keeping the last one for herself.

“Just giving your customers a proper greeting, boss. They’re the only ones here since it’s dead.”

“It’s no surprise. It’s Tuesday… at five-thirty in the afternoon.” Taking out her annoyance from the lack of customers on the ketchup she was wiping away at Trisha’s table, Porshka’s mind wanders back to when she had Faulkner volunteer to work as a butler. Even on days that would be slow, she remembered customers would show up just to see him.

“Wait! What if I hire men to work here as butlers?!” The other employee’s ears suddenly pointed upward upon hearing their boss’s new plan. “If I could find studs like Faulkner to work as Gritty Kitty butlers, I bet single women, both monsters and humans, would come flocking here!” Upon seeing Porshka’s face, Maltie knew where this was going. “Whether they’re single, broken-hearted, or even widows! All will flock to the sight of polite, burly men wearing cute, kitty cat butler uniforms! Oh, I have to start making fliers right away!”

After cleaning themselves off, Kilala, Reiza, and Trisha look at each other and smile nervously at Porshka’s enthusiasm. They spent the rest of the time finishing their meal while Porshka sighed in relief after customers came in.

“Well, that was fun.” Walking out of the cafe with a full belly, Kilala pats her stomach in satisfaction.

“Bitch, please!” Walking in front of Kilala, Trisha gently rubs her bulging belly. She thought about giving it a hearty slap like Kilala, but for obvious reasons, she didn’t. “Who knew ketchup would pair so well with bananas?”

“Uh…they normally don’t, Miss Trisha.” Reiza was full herself. She was more concerned about getting home and thoroughly washing her hair from the ketchup incident earlier.

Porshka marked fifty percent off Trisha’s bill as compensation for the mess she made, which Trisha refused since she and the girls admitted it was partially their fault it happened in the first place.

“Ah, that might be the pregnancy cravings talking then. Anyways, make sure you two get back home safely.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Trisha. I’ll fly with Reiza till she gets back home.” Putting her hands on her hips, Reiza pouts at Trisha and Kilala.

“Sheesh. I know why you insist on escorting me, but I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t want to take any chances. The court case between you and your mother is still fresh in people’s minds. I’d rather be there to protect you just in case some nutjob out there gets any funny ideas.” Shrinking back to fairy size, Kilala sits on Reiza’s head. “I feel bloated after that meal, so I’d appreciate it if you could give me time to digest.”

“I don’t know how you’ll protect me when you’re literally sitting on my head like that, as small as you are, but whatever.” Stretching her wings outward while the flames on her horns and tail shrank, Reiza took a deep breath before casting the spell she used earlier to make her body lighter. With a light step, Reiza was floating in the air with minimal flapping from her wings.

Having seen this spell used before by higher-tiered demons/sorceresses, Trisha couldn’t help but whistle.

“A gravity manipulation spell? That’s pretty impressive considering the level of control needed to use it.”

“Nah, it’s no big deal. Are you going to be fine on your own, Miss Trisha?”

“Thanks for your concern, but I’ll be fine.” Waving each other their goodbyes, Reiza went ahead and left first. Watching Reiza until she was out of sight, Trisha smiled before heading toward her car to drive home.

Flying slowly, Reiza wanted to take her time gazing at the setting sun. Kilala grabbed Reiza’s horns to keep herself from falling off her head. They were about halfway to Reiza’s home before Kilala spoke up.

“…so…mind telling me what was that all about?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you were staring at Miss Trisha’s belly whenever you had a chance.”

“I…uh…” Struggling to find an excuse, Kilala chuckled before speaking up again.

“It’s a bit early to think about kids, don’t you think? I mean, how often do you and Faulkner have sex?”

“At least once a day…”

“If I recall, you fall under the demon class of monster girls, right? Since spiritual energy is a vital source of energy for demon-class monsters, don’t they have the lowest fertility rate out of all monster types?”

“Yes. It’s like a five-percent chance for Demon-class monsters to get pregnant. Some can increase their chances if they use a fertility mark spell or drink certain potions.” While her mind wandered, Reiza suddenly came to a realization. “Ah! W-wait!” Coming to a sudden stop, Kilala would’ve fallen off Reiza’s head if she hadn’t been holding onto her horns.

“Wah! Why’d you stop all of a sudden?!” Preoccupied with her thoughts, Reiza didn’t hear what Kilala was saying. Even when Kilala jumped off her head and flew right at her face, a core memory that Reiza had forgotten resurfaced.

“My mom…she did everything she could to prevent pregnancy. With how careful she was about not wanting a kid, how could I have possibly been born?”

“Maybe your mom wasn’t the heartless bitch she is now?”

“Possibly. But if that’s the case, my mom wouldn’t talk so badly about dad…” She didn’t want to come to ‘that’ conclusion. But now that the possibilities were in her mind, Reiza couldn’t help but wonder if what she suspected was true.

“Speaking of your dad, you never met him, right?”

“No. From what Meredith told me, father left her after she kept sleeping with other guys despite saying she was committed to him.” Worried for Reiza, Kilala pats her on her forehead.

“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on in that noggin of yours but don’t forget what that bitch did to you. You shouldn’t even be calling her ‘mom,’ okay?” Deep down, she knew Kilala was right. Even with that in mind, there must’ve been a time when Meredith cared for her, right? Maybe Reiza’s inner desire for a family sparked that possibility in her mind.

She has Faulkner, Karika, and even Illina and Bergeese to accept her as family, so why does she yearn for more? Was it selfish for Reiza to want more than what she already has? Before she could think about it some more, her phone started ringing.

“Ah…” Picking it up, she saw that it was Karika calling her. “Hey, sis. What’s up?”

“What’s up?! Do you know what I think is, ‘what’s up’? What about, ‘What’s up with Reiza? Where is she?’”

“Hey, I already sent you a text stating that I’d be with Miss Trisha, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, it’s past six! You should’ve gotten home before I did! Are you still there? I’ll run over there right now.”

“What?! No, I forgot to mention, but Kilala’s with me.” Reiza puts her phone on speaker before continuing. “She’s escorting me home, so just stay put.”

“Kilala? Listen, you! Make sure nothing happens to my little sister!” Flying close to Reiza’s phone, Kilala put her hands on her hips in irritation.

“Reiza’s not a ball-jointed doll, ‘Porky’! Besides, she’s fine while I’m here!”

“Hah…ahaha…Ahahaha! What can a little Pixie like you do to protect her?!”

“Tsk! Wanna find out muscle for brains?! Those muscles you’re so proud of won’t do jackshit if I shrink you down to my size!” Listening to Kilala and Karika’s banter, Reiza forgot what she was thinking about earlier. Hearing her best friend and older sister argue, she couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Bwahaha…okay. I get the picture. I’ll be home soon, okay?” While she did grumble, Karika soon relented.

“Fine…get home safe, okay? You too, Kilala…”

“Thanks…” After hanging up to avoid an awkward goodbye, Reiza’s smile puts Kilala at ease before she flies over Reiza’s head to sit on it again. “Come on, Reiza. You’d better fly faster. If Faulkner gets home before you do, you’ll get an earful from him.”

“You’d better hang on tight then. I won’t stop if you fall off.” Heeding Reiza’s advice, Kilala braced herself before Reiza went full throttle.

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