Volume 17 - Like Family, Chapter 131 - Drawing Inspiration

In Mara and Tsuen's room, with the door closed and locked, three women were discussing something very private. The lights were dim and the curtains drawn to block out the harsh sunlight.

"Now, I need you both to promise to keep this a secret from everyone," said a serious voice.

Mara nodded animatedly, her pink pig-tails swinging. "Of course. I understand how important this is to you." Then she turned to her right and said, "You understand too, right, Chione?"

Chione clasped her hands above her knees and bowed forward. "Yes, I understand, and I promise not to tell anyone." She was looking rather tired from being awake in the middle of the day, but at least the darkened room was kind on her eyes.

Haru smiled. "Thank you both so much. You've been a huge help. Now I've got some more work to do today, so I'll see you girls later." With that, the white-haired harpy rose to her feet and strode to the door. After a bit of minor trouble with the lock, she left in a hurry.

Haru's next stop was the Inn's front desk, but she didn't plan to stay there. Her conversation with Sya would need just as much privacy as the one with Mara and Chione.

"Oh, you're here. Wonderful," Haru called out as she approached the desk.

Sya swiveled her chair to look, then pushed her glasses up her nose and said, "Me?" She was surprised to be called upon by Haru of all people. Haru could be an intimidating person, and her intimate relationship with Sya's boss only added to Sya's unease.

Haru smiled warmly. "Yep, you're just the person I was looking for. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

Sya glanced down at the ledger on the desk, which held records of all the current and upcoming guests. She'd been reviewing it for any problematic overlaps or mistakes in the data, but that work wasn't urgent. She looked back at Haru and said, "Yeah, I can spare a few minutes. What's up?"

"Great!" Haru said as she swept one wing under Sya's arm and tugged her to her feet. "Let's go for a walk outside while we chat. I know I could use the fresh air."

Sya was practically dragged along behind the fluffy harpy, not really understanding what was going on. They left through the front door and walked north toward the picnic area. The fall weather was beautiful, so there were several families visiting the hot spring and Hakuto's shrine.

Haru continued past the shrine onto a hiking trail. Once they were out of earshot from both the house and the visitors, Haru revealed her secret plan to Sya and asked for her help. The mysterious request was well within Sya's means, so she quickly agreed. Then Haru made her swear to secrecy.

Sya nodded firmly. "I will keep it secret, even from Yuisu."

"Perfect. I knew I could count on you." Then Haru slapped Sya on the back with one wide wing and said, "Thanks again, Sya. You're the best."

As Haru flew away, Sya smiled to herself. It was nice to see how much Haru loved Yuisu.

The next two weeks were filled with beautiful weather and bustling inn business. The fall weather had people in the mood for hot springs and both pools got heavy use.

Across the valley, Ski Lodge Kobold was even more active in its preparations for the approaching ski season. The season didn't usually start until mid-December, but Korbin wanted everything ready in advance, just in case snow came early this year.

To get the Ski Lodge ready in time, Korbin borrowed several employees from the Sports Club Kobold gym. That left the remaining employees, including Tsuen, a bit overwhelmed and understaffed.

Tsuen took over another trainer's one-on-one sessions and a group exercise class too. The result was nearly 15 hours of overtime each week and it was taking a toll on Tsuen. She missed spending her spare time with Mara and Rem, and she was too exhausted to make good use of the little remaining time she did have.

Thankfully, Tsuen had two loving women in her life that were eager to help in any way they could. Mara and Rem worked together to smooth everything out for Tsuen's benefit, such as sending her to work with adorable boxed meals, and providing much needed massages when she got home.

Of course, Rem still had her duties as a maid, so a lot of the work fell to Mara. She learned how to make a variety of vegetarian dishes, and even went to town with Yuisu to shop for the ingredients.

After one such trip, Mara shuffled into the kitchen with two bags of vegetables in hand. She turned back to Yuisu and said, "I'm going to start preparing Tsuen's meals, alright?"

"Yeah, go for it," Yuisu called back. Unlike Mara, Yuisu had shoes to take off in the entryway. As she untied her rather plain and utilitarian boots, she heard an unfamiliar female voice coming from the living room. She could also hear Haru's voice, but she couldn't make out the words from that distance.

Yuisu set her groceries on the kitchen table to deal with later, then doubled back toward the living room to check out the new visitor. She heard the unfamiliar voice say, "Species aside, my personality is far more like Mizune than Kaneko."

Yuisu smiled as she entered the room, thinking, Ooh, another fan of Cat and Mouse Game! Maybe I can geek out with them a bit before I get back to work. Then she turned and looked at the owner of the voice.

Her jaw dropped. The person was none other than Katrina-chan, the author and artist of the Cat and Mouse Game manga. Yuisu recognized her from when they briefly met at ComicMon that spring. The calico werecat was snuggled up on the couch, wearing a baggy hoodie and a simple blue skirt, and she was smiling up at Yuisu.

Yuisu couldn't even think straight. Her favorite author was there in front of her, on her couch. Her mouth opened and she started to speak and she couldn't stop. "Oh my god, Katrina-chan is here in my house, no, in my inn! The Katrina-chan is staying at my inn for some reason and I didn't even know that she'd booked a stay so I must have messed something up. Did I mess something up on the ledger? Or maybe she isn't staying and she's just visiting for some reason and—"

Haru interrupted Yuisu's rant by wrapping her in a feathery hug from behind and pressing a feather to her lips. "Shh… Calm down, Yuisu. Remember when you told Katrina-chan about the inn back at ComicMon, and she said she was interested in visiting? Well, she's here now, so you two should talk. I'll be out for a flight around the mountain."

With that, Haru let go of Yuisu and started for the back door. Yuisu stood in dumb silence until Katrina sat upright and patted the seat next to her with one furry paw.

"Sit down, Yuisu. Let's chat!" Katrina said cheerfully. "And just Katrina is fine. 'Katrina-chan' is my pen name."

After that, it didn't take long for Yuisu to learn that Haru had organized the whole thing. Haru invited Katrina to an all-expenses-paid trip and Katrina was happy for the free vacation and the chance to learn about such an interesting houseful of women. Mara and Chione had helped Haru get in contact with Katrina, and Sya hid the booking under a fake name so Yuisu would be surprised.

The conversation soon landed on what it was like to write and draw a manga series. Katrina mentioned that it was tiring to keep up her twice-a-month publishing schedule. Then she said, "I've thought about slowing down to monthly for a break, and so I can start another series. But I'm worried about the fan response."

Yuisu pondered that for a bit, then she said, "It would definitely be a little disappointing for the series to slow down, and some readers may think you were losing interest, but I'd keep reading for sure. And I'm super interested in any new series you make."

Katrina smiled. "That's good to hear. And don't worry about Cat and Mouse ending any time soon. I've got lots of plans for it."

Yuisu fidgeted with the bottom of her sweater. "Um, are any of those plans to make it more, uh, explicit?"

Katrina shook her head and said, "No, I like it where it's at." The she winked and added, "And that's what Cat and Mouse Game doujinshi are for."

Yuisu sighed, but she agreed with Katrina's reasoning. She said, "That's fair. I think I've read every Cat and Mouse fan comic, lewd or not. I can't make it to doujin conventions, so I've spent more money than I'd like to admit buying them aftermarket."

Katrina casually leaned back on the couch and crossed her legs. Her catlike toes flexed playfully. "Oh, so you must have the one that I made under a different pen name."

"What? You made a doujinshi?! Which one is it?!" Yuisu leaned close, her eyes wide and full of passion. She could think of a couple comics with art styles close to that of the official series, but no single one stood out.

With a teasing grin, Katrina just said, "Sorry, can't tell you."

Yuisu was happy to learn that Katrina was a fan of other yuri manga as well and they talked for a while about their shared passion. Yuisu was planning to offer to lend Katrina any manga she wanted, but Katrina asked for a different favor instead.

"Um, do you think I could interview the girls that live here, to get inspiration for my writing?"

Yuisu was caught off guard by the unusual request, but she answered, "Yeah, that should be fine."

Katrina added, "I could really use exposure to more real world lesbians, so that my characters aren't just recycled tropes. I'm such a private person that I only have myself and Suki to pull from."

"Suki? Why does that name sound familiar?" Yuisu started.

Katrina's big triangular ears fluffed up and her eyes went wide. "Forget I said anything!" she stammered.

But it was too late and Yuisu's mind kept going. She hummed in thought, then said, "Wait, isn't your editor's name Suki Genjotana? So she's a lesbian? That's not a big deal, especially for the editor of a bunch of girls-love series."

Katrina chuckled nervously, her emerald eyes flicking side to side. "Oh yeah, not a big deal. Yep."

Then it finally clicked for Yuisu, what Katrina was trying to hide. She turned slowly and looked at Katrina, then said, "Wait, are you and Suki… intimate?"

Katrina dropped to her knees next to the couch. She bowed until her nose touched the shag carpet. "Please, please, don't tell anyone we're dating!" she begged. "It would be terrible for both of our careers if that got out, not to mention the trouble with the law, since she's human…"

Yuisu nodded firmly. "I understand. I swear I'll never tell a soul." Since Yuisu was in a very similar situation herself, she fully understood the stakes involved.

She offered a hand to help Katrina back to her feet and said, "Now, let's get those interviews started."

An afternoon of interviews later, the introverted Katrina wanted some fresh air and some alone time, so she went for a hike around the property. While she was out, Yuisu and the other girls gathered for dinner.

The kitchen counters were still a little messy from Mara's meal preparation earlier, but Rem wordlessly cleaned it up. Mara and Tsuen seemed a little quiet as well, leading Aluru to ask a question.

"What's up with everyone today? You're all so quiet."

Yuisu and Haru glanced at each other and Haru started to say something about how they were fine, but Mara spoke up.

"I'm guessing you're talking about me and Rem and Tsuen?"

Aluru nodded, sending her flower-filled hair swaying. "Yeah, normally all three of you are peppy and talkative, but now you're quiet and dragging your feet. Is something wrong?"

Yuisu was marveling at the fact that Aluru was paying attention to others for once, but her thoughts were interrupted when Mara spoke again.

"Nothing's wrong. We've actually got something exciting to share, and I guess we're all a little unsure how to start." Mara was sitting uncharacteristically still and her voice was slow and mellow.

Rem jumped to her feet, standing next to her bowl of ramen, and said, "I'm just gonna get this over with, since we already told Katrina-chan." She clenched a child-size chopstick in one hand and lifted it in the air. Since it was nearly half her height, it looked a bit like a broadsword.

She had the undivided attention of Haru, Yuisu, Chione, Hakuto, and Aluru, while Mara and Tsuen fidgeted and waited. Then Rem quickly blurted, "Mara and Tsuen and I are all dating."

There was a moment of silence, then people started talking all at once.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, so that's what was going on."

"Wait, like a poly thing?"

"Ooh, kinky! Especially for you three."

Yuisu stood up and waved her arms. "Calm down, everyone. One at a time," she said, even though she had been one of the ones talking. Only Chione had been quiet, and that was just because she was still waking up and slow to react.

In the resulting opening, Aluru spoke first. "Seriously though, as kinky as a three-way relationship sounds, I'm really rooting for you guys. Do whatever, or whoever, makes you happy."

With the news out there, Mara was feeling herself again. She grinned happily and said, "Thanks, Aluru. As a grass type, your 'rooting' is super-effective." Then she looked into the distance and mumbled to herself, "Though same-type-attack-bonus is a more accurate description. But a morale boost wouldn't be a damage dealing move…"

Everyone was used to tuning out Mara's gaming-lingo mumbling and they directed their questions to Rem and Tsuen until Mara came back to reality. As dinner resumed, the trio answered a few questions about their relationship, but refused to go into any intimate details.

Yuisu was particularly thankful for that, since her perverted mind would have wandered off and gotten lost down a very lewd path. Intriguing intimacy aside, Yuisu was excited for the three women, and very happy that Rem had found love. She was a little worried about potential complications arising from her homestays dating her employee, but it was nothing to be concerned about right then.

Katrina's visit was for just two nights, so she was packing up before Yuisu knew it.

Yuisu helped Katrina carry her luggage from her cabin to the driveway where her cab was waiting. As they walked down the south path, Yuisu said, "Thanks so much for coming to visit. It was wonderful to spend time with you, and you truly are my favorite author."

Katrina shook her head. "Don't thank me. I was just enjoying a nice vacation and gathering some inspiration. The person you should thank is Haru. She bent over backwards to make this happen."

Yuisu blushed and nodded. She had already been working on her plans to thank Haru. And bending over was sure to be involved…

Katrina continued, "The interviews were super useful, by the way. Particularly Hakuto and the trio, since they had perspectives I'd never seen before. I've got tons of notes to help me flesh out my characters now."

"That's wonderful to hear," Yuisu said as she placed a suitcase in the trunk of the waiting taxi.

Then Katrina winked at Yuisu and said, "You've got a really lucky thing going here, all these lovely ladies around you all the time."

Yuisu fidgeted with the sleeve of her green sweater. "It isn't all great. It can be hard to, uh, control my desires. That causes trouble sometimes."

Katrina giggled at that, then said, "In any case, I'm feeling really inspired after this visit. And it helped me decide on the direction for my next series."

"Oh really?" Yuisu's embarrassment instantly vanished before the prospect of learning about Katrina-chan's next project.

"Yep. It's gonna be a yuri harem!"

Katrina left on October 14th, just two days before Haru's birthday. It would be her second since moving into Yuisu's home, but there was no surprise party planned this time. A different surprise was in store instead.

Haru and Yuisu had worked through all their relationship issues and then Katrina's visit boosted Yuisu's mood sky-high. Yuisu directed that positivity into planning a very special night for Haru. After a small birthday dinner with the other girls, Yuisu stole Haru away to their bedroom.

"Haru, I have something to say," Yuisu said quietly. She was sitting on the bed with her legs tucked under herself, and her hands were resting on her bare knees. The weather for wearing shorts outside was over, and soon even the indoors would be too chilly to wear them around the house.

Haru blinked and tilted her head. She hadn't been expecting the serious tone. In fact, she'd been expecting Yuisu to launch directly into naked fun times. "Okay. Go for it."

Yuisu took a deep breath, then said, "Thank you again for Katrina's visit."

Haru smiled. Seeing how much Yuisu liked the visit made it all worthwhile. "You're welc—"

Yuisu interrupted, "And I'm sorry for blowing up about the printer paper. I let all the stress get the better of me, and it wasn't fair to you, with how awesome you've been to me."

"Don't worry about it!" Haru said as she sat down on the bed. "I was out of line too, and now we've moved past that and grown as a result. All's well that ends we—"

This time Yuisu interrupted her with a kiss. It started as a cautious, needy thing, then quickly grew into an open-mouthed wet and gasping tussle.

Yuisu had been pretending that the special night she'd planned was all for Haru, but a big part of it was for Yuisu's own benefit. In particular, Yuisu had a lot of pent up love and desire that she wanted to express physically.

For the next few hours, Yuisu was very expressive. Only after both of their bodies were exhausted, Yuisu started a conversation. She had one more thing to express.

"Um, Haru…" Yuisu said to the naked harpy that was sprawled across the bed.

"Yeah?" Haru said, not even bothering to sit up to look at Yuisu. She was content to lie there and savor the aftershocks.

"I don't care what the laws say."

"Huh?"

"I wasn't done talking," Yuisu said with a smile. "I don't care about the laws, or when they'll finally change. I'm tired of waiting."

Haru still wasn't following. Rather than interrupt again, she nodded and flicked one wing as if to say 'Go on'.

"I'm going to ask you now, and we'll just have to hold off on the date for a while."

Now Haru was even more confused. She had no idea what Yuisu was talking about. She sat upright, planning to ask Yuisu what she meant. But then Haru couldn't even open her mouth to speak.

Kneeling on the floor next to the bed, as naked as the day she was born, was Yuisu. And she was holding a small object up toward Haru.

Yuisu opened the little black box, revealing a sparkling blue gemstone set in a white platinum necklace. She sheepishly said, "I hope it's okay that I went with a necklace instead of a ring, because… you know." Then she looked directly into Haru's golden eyes and said, "Haru, will you marry me?"

Haru was speechless. She scrambled forward to hug Yuisu, but her talons caught on a blanket and she toppled forward instead. The lightweight woman accidentally tackled Yuisu to the floor. They were a tangle of limbs and feathers and long white hair.

As tears of joy gathered in the corners of Haru's eyes, Yuisu giggled and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Haru nodded eagerly. Then she planted a passionate kiss on Yuisu's lips. When she finally pulled back, she stared deep into Yuisu's eyes and said, "Yes, I would love to marry you."