Rest (1)
I opened my eyes, and there was the familiar ceiling.
But goddamn, it had gotten huge.
"...What the fuck?"
It was the ceiling of my tiny apartment, but it didn't feel familiar at all. Especially with those talismans plastered all over the edges.
But whatever.
"Urgh..."
My whole body ached like hell, so I groaned and struggled to sit up. The bed I'd been lying on looked familiar yet unfamiliar too.
"Fucking massive."
My little bed had turned into a fucking enormous one.
The kind you'd expect for giants or some shit.
Or maybe I'd shrunk?
This bed, which used to be a squeeze even for me alone—and always ended up as Lilith's spot when we lived together—could now fit three more people besides me.
What the hell had happened?
As I was pondering that, the door opened and Hoaran stepped in.
She saw me and her face lit up.
"Ah, you're finally awake."
"Mommy?"
Hoaran, wearing an apron, puffed out her chest proudly at my words.
"Yes, I am your mommy, ni-ra."
Uh...
I'd called her mommy first, but her accepting it so readily made it kinda embarrassing.
Anyway...
"These... did you do them, Mommy Hoaran?"
I asked, eyeing the talismans stuck to the bed too. She nodded.
"Mm, it was too cramped for three of us here, wasn't it? So I expanded it a bit, ni-ra."
Her answer jogged my memory of what happened right before I passed out.
Three of us...
Remembering how Hoaran and Lilith had wrung me dry made my spine tingle.
I never wanted to go through that again... but part of me kinda did.
"Uh, but three of us?"
Sleeping?
In one bed?
"Well, there's only this one bed here, isn't there?"
Well, true, but...
Just because there's one bed doesn't mean we all cram into it, right?
The floor's bigger now too—we could just lay out some blankets.
Eh, whatever, we'd figure that out later.
"More importantly... how's your body feeling?"
At my question, she went, "Ah."
"Don't worry about that. Once your thing calmed down, my heat ended too."
That a relief?
Yeah, I guess. But seeing her blush, I decided to just call it good.
Non-heat Hoaran seemed pretty shy about this stuff anyway—not a great topic.
Honestly, I was a bit puzzled myself why I'd gone so wild back then.
Like my brain got hijacked by my dick—not my usual self.
I'm a total perv, sure, but not that much of a degenerate trash heap who'd shove my boner in Hoaran and Lilith's faces begging them to deal with it.
So why'd I do it?
Maybe...
My Gift didn't just copy racial abilities—it absorbed their core traits too.
Satyros are infamous for their insane sex drives, after all—the kind that gets you arrested for public fucking in broad daylight.
Or since the Gift manifested in my dick, maybe it amps my lust when it goes into overdrive.
Eh, didn't matter. It was all good.
My cock was behaving itself right now.
Probably sucked so much it's out of commission—usually it'd be morning wood staring me in the face, but now it was limp as fuck.
My back throbbed, body sore all over.
Point is, no way I could work today.
"By the way, Mother... no, I mean, Mommy Hoaran..."
I started to ask where Lilith was, then hesitated. Alone with Hoaran, should I call Lilith just "Mother," or something else?
They were both my moms now, so titles needed sorting.
In the Fox Forest, I'd temporarily called Lilith "Mother" and Hoaran "Mommy," but was that permanent?
Sensing my dilemma, Hoaran said,
"Call us however feels comfortable, ni-ra. I don't mind."
"Alright then. Where's Mother Lilith?"
"She went out this morning to handle her backlog."
"This early?"
That Lilith?
Wait a sec.
I glanced out the window at Hoaran's words—the sun was high noon.
"H-How long was I out?"
"You slept a full day after that night ended. No health issues, but you wouldn't wake, so I was worried, ni-ra."
Fucking deep sleep.
Explains it.
And my back's still killing me, dick still wrecked.
They really drained me dry.
"...Ah."
Something clicked, so I rummaged for my smartphone, plugged it into the home charger, and powered it on.
Bzzz...!
Vrrr...!
The second it booted, a week's worth of texts and missed calls flooded in.
Mostly check-ins since I vanished lately.
Not many contacts anyway—just clients and Lilith.
But ghosting them unintentionally meant figuring apologies. Then Hoaran's voice cut in.
"By the way, Hanjo."
"Yeah?"
"Lilith said if you woke while she was out, pass this on."
"Mother Lilith did?"
What?
I asked, puzzled. Hoaran blushed faintly.
"I-It's not my words, ni-ra. She told me to relay it."
Why make it ominous...
Ah.
No...
I patted my back pocket—nope, gone.
That.
The talisman that saved my ass from the white-haired chick, Lilith's panties I'd used for all sorts of good times.
Fuck, shit.
Hoaran cleared her throat. "Ahem."
"'You panty-thief bastard, buy the exact same ones or die,' she said. Relay that, ni-ra."
Uh...
"Just buy the same and leave 'em?"
"I'm just passing her exact words, ni-ra. Oh, and that... brand? Brandy?"
"Brand?"
"Yes, the... brand name... Arachnetic or something, ni-ra."
Hearing the brand Hoaran relayed, my face went ghost-white.
Arachnetic—famous brand made by Arachne folk, just like the name.
I searched it quick on my phone.
Luxury women's lingerie—top results galore, all with elf and succubus models' pics. Eye candy, but my hands shook harder.
Elves and succubi—gorgeous races, dominating modeling, celebs, idols.
Using only them? Ultra high-end.
Trembling fingers scrolled till I found the match to Lilith's panties. My eyes bugged out.
"No fucking way... what the hell's this panty price..."
No wonder it felt so goddamn soft.
Arachne silk fabric—pricier than gold by weight.
That explained the luxury feel.
Dizzy from the tag, Hoaran asked,
"Something wrong?"
"N-No..."
A full day's earnings for one panty to atone? Dizzying, but considering I stole 'em and jerked off with 'em—not bad punishment.
Just heartburn.
Week off plus extra crash day—no fines, but cash outflow sucks.
"...Wait. You said I slept a whole day?"
"Yes, ni-ra. Why?"
Slept all day, but body feels too fine.
No hunger, thirst, nothing physiological.
Bluntly—no urge to piss at all.
"No way."
"Something up?"
"Nah, nothing."
Can't be that. Then my eyes caught a suspicious item.
Water bottle...?
Or something like it.
Did we have that...?
Even if we did, why leave an empty one in the bedroom...?
Hoaran followed my gaze, spotted it too.
"Ah, that? Don't worry—I always clean it thoroughly after use, ni-ra."
"A... ah... yeah..."
No way I could ask what it was used for.
After, I ate the meal Hoaran made and spaced out.
(She ditched the suspicious bottle—said it wasn't needed anymore.)
What the fuck was that thing anyway?
Didn't wanna know. Ignorance is bliss for my sanity.
"Nah, not the time for this."
Mental wobble aside, couldn't just zone out.
I checked my phone texts again.
Skimmed Eileya's texts, decided to reply.
"What to say."
Eh... caught a bug, rested up, back tomorrow. Safe reply sent.
Checked others.
"Sati, what now?"
"What's with her?"
Talking like I'm a wanted criminal—hiding out, she'll run with me? Told her no worries, replied.
Handled reservations and misc texts—now idle again.
"No work means fuck-all to do."
No hobbies anyway.
What now?
"I brewed tea, ni-ra."
Hoaran entered with that.
"Nah, I could've done it."
"I wanted to, ni-ra."
She handed me a cup gracefully.
"Here."
"Ah, thanks..."
She poured—sweet, subtle aroma.
Wait, familiar scent.
"Ariadd's sap was around, so I made tea. Great fragrance, ni-ra."
"Oh, that?"
Fridge-stashed Ariadd sap—I drank it straight like juice, didn't know tea made it smell like this.
News to me.
Anyway...
"...Why stare?"
Sipping, she tilted her head at my gaze.
The meal earlier, this tea—her skills were no joke.
7+ years solo since orphanage, and she outclassed me hard.
Any dishwashing slob would pale in comparison.
Mommy wars on cooking? Hoaran stomps.
"Something on my face?"
"Nah."
She blushed under my stare. "Nothing," I said, chugging tea.
As we drank, Hoaran piped up like she'd remembered.
"Oh, fridge was sparse. Just Ariadd sap and tons of milk."
Ah, yeah.
Piles from Ariadd and milked from minotaurs.
I sipped 'em, but Lilith hates both—my fault it's all that's stocked.
"That so? Want me to hit the market?"
Perfect timing, nothing else to do. She eyed me.
"If you insist, thanks—but you sure?"
"Just around the corner. What to get?"
"Mm... how about we go together?"
Shopping with Hoaran...?
One of the 22 heroes at the local mart? Chaos.
"...That'd cause a riot. List what you need, I'll grab it."
"Fair point. Please do."
She listed—more than expected, needed notes app.