Rick glanced at Monica, then at Dia, then back at Monica, and back once more. The two maidens were looking at each other and trying not to make it obvious. The feline had a clearly confused expression, the nurse a somewhat smug one. The larger of the two currently had the human stranded on her lap, fuzzy warm furry paws wrapped around his chest protectively and only ever shooting a glare when the nurse got too close.

“So about last night…” He coughed. “Why did you… call me ‘master’?”

“Isn’t it true? You own me, sir.” Dia’s eyes twinkled with mischief, the nurse giggling slightly. “I also thought it would be sexy.”

“I feel like the term has some connotations I’m not aware of.”

“Perhaps. Does Master wish to give me an order?”

“Let’s…” Rick shook his head. “If it’s something you’re into, I’m not going to stop it. Just don’t use it in public.”

“Certainly, sir, it wouldn’t do to make others believe you spend long sleepless nights making your maidens moan and breathlessly call out to you.” With a fit of giggling, Dia pulled her shirt on, adjusting it. “I think Monica does that well enough, her roars certainly weren’t quiet or humble. I expect ferals thirty kilometers away were quite thoroughly spooked.”

“Oh God.” Rick shrunk slightly. “Could you at least tell me what you did to get Monica so confused?”

The nurse giggled louder, pulling up her skirt and adjusting it. “I just apologized with actions, sir.”

“Have you… are you… ?” He frowned slightly. “Do you find girls attractive?”

“Hm? I wouldn’t bed one if given the choice.” She shrugged, leaning down to tighten her shoes. “But I heard from a Harpy that the men from your world seemed to have a particular penchant for… maiden on maiden action. So to speak.”

“There’s a lot to parse through in that sentence. You don’t have to do this.”

“I still choose to.” A little shrug, fingers brushing over her hair, palms glowing. Her pink hair smoothed and primed perfectly with just her touch. As if she’d spent the past hour brushing it. “If sir believes I am not property, then it’s my choice how I act. And if sir does consider me property, then I am doing my duties to the best of my ability.”

“I feel like you talked with Alice.”

“Do not underestimate a maiden’s courage, sir!” Dia winked, moving the glowing hands over her face, leaving her skin fresh and clean. “I will be going to gather some supplies.”

“Wait, before you go.” A deep sigh. “Last night I talked to a merchant, don’t remember the name, he offered some money to travel with us, thinking about having Monica as protection against ferals.”

“That’s great news, sir!” She nodded along. “I’ll make sure to share this with the others if I see them.”

The teacher took a second too long to get his words in order before she was out the door, humming some tune. It left him inside the shack, trapped by Monica’s hug as she refused to get out of the bed. A bed that had been reduced to tatters thanks to last night’s activities having involved her clawing them into ribbons.

Had Rick known she’d do that, he would’ve insisted keeping her on her back instead. Or on the normal ground. Resigned to try to spend another hour or so getting some extra sleep and shuteye before the day’s activities caught up with them, he snuggled into Monica’s arms and stroked her hip, urging her to relax in turn. It didn’t take much for her to follow along, and the human felt like he wanted to sigh more deeply than ever.

It was becoming clearer that his job was, primarily, handling Monica. Monica and her mood. Everything else was secondary to some degree or another. And a lot of it had to do with the limitations in her vocabulary. He’d have to focus harder on that, though he wasn’t too sure how many chunks of boar-jerky it’d cost them to get there.

The nap was short if pleasant, it was impossible to feel cold when Monica was basically one large heater with fur-covered attachments for arms and legs.

“Let’s move.”

“Noooooo.” The feline complained, squeezing him back into the sheets.

“Monica.” He pinched her ear, getting her to grumble in response.

With a loud growl, she let go. But she took all the mantles to wrap herself up into a warmer ball rather than leave the bedding. This left Rick with the chance to use a washcloth Dia had left prepared on himself.

Trying to use the washcloth on Monica proved fruitless… again, so he just focused on getting clothes and checking his things before stepping outside. The feline grumbled and groaned and complained, but once he was out, she soon followed, ducking under the door’s frame and standing next to him. It seemed her unwillingness to leave him alone greater than her love for a warm bed.

Fresh morning air, the sun was about an hour over the horizon, and the sky was clear.

Taking the chance to stretch his legs, he glanced at Monica stretching. His eyes trailed over her naked figure, enjoying the well fit tall woman and her generous assets, a part of him felt like leaning to touch her body. But that would get her started up and asking for more sex, and he definitely wasn’t with the energy for that right now.

After a night with drinking…

Wait.

“Last night you sneakily followed me while Dia was trapped in the shed.” He talked to the feline as she cocked her head at him. Obviously she didn’t understand most if not all he’d said, not that it was the purpose, he was venting. “And… Dia took my hangover away?” He definitely shouldn’t drink while having to keep an eye on the two. Monica was more dangerous than heavy machinery, he’d have to stay sharp around her.

Doing some stretches, he turned to leave towards where the foreman had pointed out was likeliest he’d find supply run requests. The chemistry teacher didn’t really need to consider whether Monica was following, even if he couldn’t hear her, he could practically feel her breathing down his neck.

Wait.

Whirling around, he faced Monica again. “God damn it.” Reaching for the backpack, he pulled out another of the large shirts he’d been given. “Monica, put this on.”

She looked down at the shirt, ears laying flat against her face. “No.” She crossed her arms and snorting loudly. “Food.”

“This is an extortion…” He put the shirt. “Kiss?”

“Bad kiss Rick, no.”

“If kissing’s not his strong-suit, wonder what he used to make the kitty roar?”

The voice came from slightly above them, he glanced at the rooftop of the nearby house, spotting one of the maidens with wings-for-arms. She was giggling as she looked down at them, ignoring the half-hearted glare Monica was sending her way.

“Morning to you too.” The human called out. “Got anything for this big pout to lug around?”

“Nothing today, she’s already dragged half a forest down here.” They spoke with no shortage of humor.

“Riiii~iiick.” Monica’s paw turned him around to look at her. “Yes food. Food. Food.” She snatched the shirt from his hands, and immediately began scowling at it as she tried to figure out how to put it on without tearing it.

“Come here, you.” Taking the clothes back, Rick ignored the giggling from up above and held the piece of clothing. She had to put the tips of her claws together to avoid puncturing the cloth, and even then it was a bit of an effort to squeeze those large paws through the holes.

She yowled and complained, but got through, head popping out and shaking her wild unkept white hair before looking down at herself and sighing deeply. “Food.” She now turned to him, poking his hip, the bag he’d hold for precisely her favorite meal.

“Hug?”

Monica arched a brow. “Food.”

“Hug and kiss?”

She stuck her tongue out and grimaced, and with one swoop of her arm, the bag was out of his belt.

“Hey!” With a complaint, Rick tried to take it back, but Monica used her other paw to stop him from being able to reach.

“Monica food.” Sticking her tongue out at him, she smirked and chuckled.

The Harpy watching things unfold howled with laughter, and Monica smirked all the wider.

It was going to be a long day ahead.