Volume 11 - Building Up, Chapter 79 - Hot and Cold

For several days after the meeting with Korbin, Yuisu barely slept. She took time off from her job at the convenience store and worked non-stop on the business plan for her inn. She even forgot to eat unless Haru reminded her. Yuisu was so focused, trying to account for every crucial detail of the inn construction, that even her normally insatiable sex drive had dwindled away, leaving Haru lonely and unsatisfied.

"Come to bed, Yuisu," Haru begged, her voice sultry and sweet. She was lying on her stomach with her head propped up on her wings, fluttering her eyelashes. The seductive harpy was wearing a royal purple bra and panty set, the same one she'd surprised and thrilled Yuisu with nearly nine months before. The bra pushed Haru's already substantial breasts up higher, until they were almost spilling out the top, and the lacy panties perfectly hugged her perky butt, which wiggled in the air impatiently.

Yuisu was sitting at her desk, wearing plain grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, hunched over blueprints and contracts and other papers. Without looking up, she mumbled back, "In a bit. I need to get this ready to hand off to the contracting company, and then I need to call Korbin to correct a mistake in the form I sent him yesterday, and then I need—"

Haru cut her off, pleading, "What you need is sleep, Yuisu." Haru was in an aroused mood and she fiercely missed Yuisu's intimacy, but she'd settle for convincing Yuisu to get some actual rest. "Korbin's probably asleep at this hour, and if you don't get some real rest, you'll make even more mistakes."

At first Yuisu didn't react, still focused on the form she was filling in, but then she broke into an irresistible yawn, followed by a wide stretch, leaning back in her chair. "I guess I am really tired," she admitted, then she turned around for the first time in hours. Her jaw dropped as she witnessed Haru's prominent cleavage, cheeky panties, and mischievous grin.

A flush of heat and the tingling, electric sensation of pure arousal ran through Yuisu's body. She wanted Haru on a primal, animal level. As weeks of ignored sex drive broke free and took control, Yuri-su jumped up from her chair and purposefully strode straight toward the bed.

Haru smiled wider, recognizing the driven, erotic expression that had formed on Yuisu's face. Finally! I've missed this more than I'd ever expected to, she thought as her aroused lover stormed in like a cool spring downpour after a desperate drought.

Yuisu got one step further before it hit her: a powerful lightheaded feeling. The world spun, her vision narrowed to a tiny point of light, highlighting Haru's increasingly worried face. Yuisu mumbled, "Whoa, I'm all loopy alluva sudden…"

Her lack of sleep and suddenly jumping upright after sitting still for so long caused a near blackout state. Before Haru could react, Yuisu's legs gave out and she stumbled forward and belly-flopped onto Haru in a definitively unsexy way.

"Whoa! Are you alright, Yuisu?" Haru called out as she scrambled out from under the limp woman. She grabbed Yuisu by the shoulders and tried to sit her upright. "Talk to me!"

Yuisu blinked a few times as the world settled again and the lightheadedness passed, then she answered, "I'm fine. Just got dizzy for a second. Happens sometimes when I stand up too fast, since I've always had low blood pressure." Her voice was calm and mellow, totally unaware of how much the fainting spell had worried Haru.

"That's it. Cancel the fun times, you're going straight to sleep, Yuisu," Haru ordered. Her sexy mood was replaced with concern and motherly care as she laid Yuisu down and tucked her into bed.

"Aww, but I want fun times…" Yuisu mumbled back, already running out of gas. She put up a feeble fight for a moment, pawing at Haru's lacy bra, but exhaustion quickly overcame her arousal and she finally flopped back on the bed.

Haru leaned down and planted a kiss on Yuisu's lips, and another on her forehead. "If you feel better in the morning, we can have fun, sexy times then, okay?"

Yuisu was already fading into sleep, lulled by the comfy embrace of the pillow nest that was their bed. She rolled onto her side and mumbled back, "Alright, I'll hold you to that. Sexy morning, here… we… come…"

As Yuisu fell into a deep sleep, Haru unclasped her underwire bra, which would be quite uncomfortable to sleep in, and set it aside. Then she laid down alongside Yuisu and snuggled her bare chest up against Yuisu's warm back.

Haru wrapped a wing around Yuisu, nestled down into the pillows, and thought, This isn't sex, but it's nice, and Yuisu really needed the rest. At least her work on this business plan is almost done, and things will go back to normal soon…

Things remained hectic around the house for several more weeks. As soon as Yuisu finished the business plan, she had to deal with the work crews that poured into the property to start construction. Surveyors, utilities installers, and builders of all sorts of species arrived by the dozens, laying the groundwork for five standalone cabins.

The new cabins would each have two bedrooms and a shared kitchenette, similar to the existing one where Iormu, Quess, and Pwess were staying, albeit smaller and without a hot spring heating system. Work crews carved wide, smooth paths into the hillside leading to each cabin site, and then broke ground to lay the concrete foundations. The workers were very careful to preserve as many wild trees as possible, holding to Yuisu's vision of cozy cabins nestled snugly amongst the pines.

Of course, every project of this scale was bound to run into some complications, and in this case, it was the weather. Since it was the middle of winter, snow was to be expected, but no one had predicted a storm like the one that moved into Okayado and refused to leave.

At first, the light flurry was minor enough that the work crews were able to tough it out and get some work done, but the snowfall continued all night and soon the fluffy white accumulation had buried the jobsites entirely. Work was put on hold, giving the Nakahara household a nice, quiet break from the endless stream of construction crews and vehicles.

One morning, Yuisu stepped out of the house bundled up in a green turtleneck, a purple winter coat, and fuzzy green earmuffs. She was wielding a snow shovel and prepared to do battle against the huge mound of snow that had buried her little red pickup truck. Once she got it uncovered, she planned to wrap some chains on its tires, put it into four-wheel-drive mode, and make the arduous journey down to town for groceries.

Shovel by shovel, she tossed away snow, chiseling her cute red truck out from its prison of snow, until she heard a noise in the distance. Yuisu paused and rested her snow shovel on her boot, then listened with a puzzled expression on her face.

The sound of engines grew louder and louder until a massive plow truck rumbled into the gravel lot, pushing a wall of snow before it. Municipal plows don't even touch the dirt road, let alone my driveway. What's going on? she wondered as the plow made a few back-and-forth passes. It cleared the entire lot, except the corner where Yuisu's truck sat, still axle-deep in snow.

Just after the lot was clear and the plow had returned down the hill, a parade of other vehicles flooded up the driveway. There were some familiar work trucks, a concrete mixer, and not one but two taxis. Korbin himself hopped out of one of the taxis and sprinted up to Yuisu.

"Yuisu! Perfect timing!" the kobold called out, waving his muscular, furry arm. He was wearing a tank-top despite the cold weather, but apparently his fur kept him warm enough.

"Huh?" was all Yuisu managed in reply. The number of baffling things happening back to back was a bit much for her.

Korbin grinned and slapped Yuisu on the back, hard enough to make her thankful for her puffy coat. "Great news! Your inn's first paying guests are here, and we're resuming construction."

Yuisu raised an eyebrow, tilted her head, and even shrugged for good measure. "What? And how?"

"It'll be faster to just introduce you." Korbin pushed Yuisu in the direction of the first taxi, which had already pulled up right next to the front porch for unloading.

Yuisu walked across the freshly plowed lot, gravel and snow crunching underfoot. When she got to the porch, she laid eyes on the most vibrantly colorful liminal she'd ever seen.

In a circle of rapidly melting snow stood a short girl with blue eyes and long strawberry-blonde hair, pulled into twin ponytails. Her arms were wings covered in big feathers that faded from red to orange to yellow and finally to green. Three long feathers ending in flame-like shapes trailed from her back like a tail. Ripples of heat poured off of her constantly and just being near her felt like standing too close to an open oven.

She was wearing only the tiniest of jean shorts and a ruffled yellow tube-top so small it could hardly be called a shirt. Given her seemingly supernatural heat, the summery clothes actually made some sense.

"This is Phoebe, and she's a phoenix," Korbin said, waving a paw at the harpy-like girl. "I hired her to help with this construction project." Then he turned and gestured at Yuisu and introduced her, "This is Yuisu, the owner of this soon-to-be inn. She's also an interspecies exchange host, and she's got space in her house for you to stay."

Phoebe darted forward, her talons slicing through the snow like, well, hot talons through snow. She slipped a little on the wet wood of the deck and started to stumble, but thankfully stabilized herself and stood upright. "Hiya, Yuisu! It's great to meet you!" the girl cheered loudly. She had the petite figure of a young girl, but something about how she handled herself and the fact that she was out here without a host suggested that she was older than she looked. "I'll be melting the snow that gets into the construction sites so they can keep building. Thanks for having me, at least until this awful snow stops."

Yuisu was already sweating in her warm clothes, so she knew the girl really could keep the jobsites warm. She opened her mouth to reply, but a different voice cut in, cold and quiet, yet unyielding, "This snow is not awful. It is an embodiment of tranquility and grace. Unlike you."

Yuisu, Korbin, and Phoebe turned toward the voice and saw a woman with purple eyes, impossibly pale skin, and ivory hair that faded to a deep blue. She had just stepped out of her own taxi, which had unusual amounts of frost caked onto all the windows. Yuisu immediately recognized her as a yuki-onna, a frost-woman from Japanese legend.

The air around her was hazy with clouds of freezing mist and freshly formed snowflakes, but she didn't seem to mind the cold at all. She wore a kimono with a short skirt and long sleeves, showing off her bare shoulders, deep plunging cleavage, and shapely legs. The silk kimono, or a 'furisode' when the sleeves were so long, was white with royal blue lining and it had been painted with elaborate and elegant snowflake designs.

The new arrival and Phoebe glared at each other and the temperature in the area started to fluctuate wildly. Korbin tried to cut off the hostilities between the two women by stepping between them and saying, "This is Yuki! She'll also be helping to keep the construction sites clear of snow. Yuki, this is Yuisu, your temporary host." He gave Yuki a stern look and added, "Since you're still an exchange student and you're under eighteen, I had to pull some strings to arrange this, and you'll need to mind what Yuisu says."

Yuki nodded serenely in reply but Phoebe wore a mocking grin and teased, "So Yuki's a youngster, huh? No partying or drinking for you." The feisty phoenix giggled and danced around the slick porch until she slipped and nearly fell again.

Yuki scoffed lightly and whispered, "I wouldn't want to do those awful things anyway."

This time Yuisu stepped between them and said, "That's enough of that, ladies. Let's get your stuff moved into the house. I've already got rooms in mind for each of you."

Yuisu assigned Yuki to the corner bedroom in the main house, where Mimi had stayed. The snow-maiden naturally reduced the temperature wherever she was, but the only bedroom that room shared a wall with was Chione's, and the gargoyle didn't mind cold at all. Yuisu put Phoebe far away from Yuki, where the firebird's excess heat might be appreciated: in the 'Cabin', next door to Iormu, Quess, and Pwess.

After they dropped off their belongings, the two new guests went straight to work. Yuki sat demurely on a rock outcropping and used her snow-controlling ability to guide most of the incoming snow away from the construction. Whenever the wind wasn't too strong, she was even able to read a novel while she worked.

Meanwhile, Phoebe was down in the worksite with the construction workers, passively keeping the area warm and free of any stray snow and looking adorable in a yellow hardhat. She chatted up a storm and became fast friends with the working men. When they inevitably fell for her upbeat attitude and cheery cuteness, she cheerfully rejected their romantic advances. She simply admitted that she only had eyes for ladies, to the men's grumbling acceptance.

The work crew, which included humans, minotaurs, and an ogre, soon worked up a sweat in Phoebe's heat. A couple of them stripped off their shirts and continued working.

From her overlook, Yuki watched and appreciated the rippling muscles and broad shoulders of the hardworking men. She found herself fantasizing about them and had to fan herself with her book to cool back down. As a yuki-onna, she overheated easily, even from her own steamy fantasies.

When night fell, the construction workers covered their progress with large tarps and went home for the night. Yuki retreated to her room, content to spend the evening alone, but Phoebe flitted around the common areas, meeting everyone in the house and talking basically non-stop.

Mara, Tsuen, Haru, Yuisu, Chione and Phoebe were all gathered around the fireplace in the living room when Phoebe leaned forward conspiratorially and said, "So I spied Yuki ogling the construction workers today. Any of you ladies got your eyes on those guys? Joey and Hiro are definitely single and looking…"

Chione giggled and said, "Actually, all of us here are, um, into girls…"

Phoebe scanned the room with an appraising eye, seeing the women there in a new light. "Wait a minute. You're all lesbians? That's awesome!" Phoebe cheered. She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I wish my homestay had been like that. Think of all the great group sex!"

Chione turned pure red and clasped her hands over her mouth, while Tsuen immediately started trying to explain, saying, "Whoa, don't get the wrong idea! We haven't done anything like that!"

Mara cast a knowing glance at Yuisu and Haru, who were snuggled up together on the couch, and said, "Maybe you haven't…" She was of course referring to the not-so-secret threesome they'd shared with Quess.

Phoebe followed Mara's gaze, then raised her eyebrows suggestively at the two blushing lovebirds. She'd been eyeing the lovely Haru for a while, but now that she might be available for some three-way action…

"Um, uh," Yuisu mumbled, red-faced. She cleared her throat and deflected the issue, "It's been a hectic day, so I'm heading to bed. Goodnight." With that, she stood up and walked stiffly away to her bedroom.

The other girls stayed up a while longer, socializing and enjoying Phoebe's lively and entertaining presence. She literally lit up the room, and kept it nice and toasty too. After a while, Phoebe claimed Yuisu's vacated spot on the couch and started up a conversation with Haru.

Phoebe pulled her long tail feathers out from under herself and fanned them through the air. "Hey, Haru. I noticed you don't have a tail. Does that affect your ability to fly?"

Haru shook her head. "Not really. I have enough control with my wings to get by. And besides, a tail would always get in the way of my fashion. It's hard enough finding clothes that fit my legs and wings…"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, it can be a pain, but with low-cut shorts and a backless shirt, it isn't a real problem."

Haru had definitely noticed Phoebe's low-cut shorts and bare back. The little phoenix cut a damn sexy figure and her skimpy clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. Haru forced her eyes away from Phoebe's midriff and said, "Aren't you cold, dressed like that in December?"

"Nope!" Phoebe replied. "I'm a firebird, so I've got heat to spare. Though, if you're cold, I could warm you up…"

"I'm fine right now, thanks," Haru said with a giggle. Phoebe was an unabashed flirt, but it was actually kind of nice to be appreciated like that.

Phoebe eyed Haru's shoulders and biceps, then said, "You look really strong, Haru. I bet you could just tuck me under your wing and carry me away."

"Uh, yeah. That would be easy," Haru said simply. Phoebe was much smaller and lighter than Haru, after all.

"Wanna prove it?"

Haru tilted her head in surprise. There was no doubt about it now: the flirty phoenix was hitting on her. Phoebe is dangerously cute, and I really enjoy talking with her, but I've got to stay faithful to Yuisu. Abruptly, Haru stood up and said, "Sorry, but I've got to get to sleep too. Seeya in the morning, Phoebe."

Phoebe's smile didn't waver for an instant and she replied, "No worries. Goodnight!" She watched as Haru walked away, hips swaying, and thought, Mmm, I'll be dreaming about dat ass tonight…