Entrepreneurial Spirit - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

“Okay, so... how microwaves work,” I hummed as we walked, organizing my thoughts.

“Hmh, hmh!” Maomao nodded, eyes sparkling with interest as much as she was obviously put out with the wait she'd had to endure for an explanation.

Yes, the wait... and nothing else.

Certainly no erotic teasing.

Definitely not.

“You know that feeling of the sunlight on your skin when you're standing on a summer's day? Like you're holding your hands against a campfire and feeling the heat coming off it?” I asked her contemplatively.

“Okay,” she nodded again, following my suggestion. “So it's something like that?”

“The reason your skin feels hot in either of those situations is because there is energy flowing from a source of power into you,” I explained, inwardly amused at how mystical electromagnetic radiation could sound to the uninitiated. “The energy given off by the sun or by a campfire isn't visible to the naked eye, but you can still feel the effects it has on your body. A burn from a campfire is more obvious, but... have you or someone you know had a sunburn?”

“Ah, I see...” Maomao muttered, humming to herself. “So the energy of the source being transmitted damages the skin, but different sources producing different kinds of energy damage it in different ways?”

She looked to me for confirmation.

“Very good,” I praised with a smile as she preened briefly. “There are indeed different types of energy being transferred. The visible light that we use to distinguish between colors is a good example to use here.”

The greenette's eyes widened and she stopped as the comparison obviously hit home.

“Visible light... red, blue, orange... they all have different, different...” Her lips twisted as she stumbled on the language needed to convey her point.

“Values,” I supplied, and she nodded rapidly.

“Energy values,” she finished, smacking the fist of one hand into the open palm of another. “That's what makes them look different to our eye, isn't it?”

“Indeed,” I chuckled and held up a hand to start counting them off. “Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet... from lowest to highest energy values, in that order.”

“And the heat from a campfire or the sun?” She pressed curiously.

“The campfire gives off what we call infrared,” I explained patiently. “It's just a slightly lower energy value than red light, but one that we can still feel if it's intense enough. Or if we're close enough to the source. Sunlight, on the other hand... is made up of ultraviolet light. Again, it's just a little too high-energy for humans to see unaided, but enough exposure to it will still 'burn' you, just in a different way than a campfire.”

“And these... microwaves?” Maomao asked haltingly, tasting the word. “Where are they in relation to what we've been discussing?”

“They're a step below infrared,” I told her, lowering a hand down a step as if I were physically denominating the space of the wavelengths. “You're exposed to some naturally-occurring ones everyday, but they're not normally concentrated enough to do much damage. Remember it's not just the strength of the energy value we're talking about, but the closeness to the source. A campfire might be much weaker than the sun-”

“-but you're much closer to it, and thus the burn can actually be more severe,” Maomao interjected, leaping to the conclusion. “Which means the source of the 'microwaves' is within the oven itself, but the closed door shields you while it's operating, correct?”

“Correct,” I nodded. “And as for your question about how the microwave oven itself works... the concentrated microwaves being shot at whatever you place inside the box push and pull at very tiny pieces within the material, heating it up slowly. If you've ever bent a piece of metal back and forth rapidly?”

“The same principle, different application?” Maomao guessed, looking fascinated.

“Precisely,” I grinned, then blinked. “Ahh... just never put metal in the microwave, please. Any type of ceramic is fine, so are all the plastic dishes you'll find in the cupboard. Wood and glass are okay as well, just... not metal.”

“Not metal?” Maomao asked curiously, thinking the instruction over and considering it. “May I ask why?”

I looked towards the door we were about to head into, then back at Maomao. “Tell you what, why don't you think that over and come up with a theory or two. Then, when we're done here, you tell me what you've come up with and we'll see how close you are.”

Maomao sharpened at that, her eyes gleaming as she nodded and brought her thumb up to her mouth to nibble on the nail, already deep in thought.

While she did that, I turned and opened the door we'd approached, inviting Maomao into the cavernous space beyond. The moment she crossed the threshold, I could see all thoughts of the little puzzle I'd put to her flee as her eyes locked onto the central entity and shrank to pinpricks. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Looking at the creature she had set her gaze upon, I could tell she was both completely terrified of it, but also completely lacking in understanding as to why.

The Titan of the Boiling Isles was just as I'd left him, albeit with the addition of his son King sitting affectionately on his shoulder and clinging to one of the older being's horns. Off to the side were Amity, Luz, and Eda... the last of the three looking on at King with a mixture of bittersweet happiness and anxiety.

Ah... just realizing how much your son means to you, aren't you Owl Lady?

I doubted the Titan would take King away from her, though. If anything, this whole endeavor would likely end up with Eda suffering through another house guest. By the standards of the Boiling Isles of today, Eda was arguably the best possible choice for surrogate parents there was and King was already settled in pretty tightly. If space became an issue, I was pretty sure I could sell some to Hooty.

Granted, even I wasn't entirely sure what Hooty was, exactly, but...

I'd made stranger deals.

“I assume everything's worked out?” I asked, placing a hand around Maomao reassuringly, though the simple contact made her jump and snap her head towards me.

I gave her a teasing sink.

She sniffed and visibly gathered herself.

“Oh, Nova's back!” Luz cried, racing over as Amity followed. “We were just about to, oooooh~ you've got some shopkeeper magic thing that lets you be right on time, don't you?”

I chuckled and smiled at the hispanic girl. “A little of column A, a little of column B. In this case, the second category is just a few decades of rather mundane experience estimating how long things take.”

Luz nodded knowingly before turning to Maomao and going awkward. “Uhh... Hi! I don't know if Nova introduced us before, but I'm Luz Noceda! I'm a human from Earth – another Earth different than yours – and this is my girlfriend, Amity. She's from the Boiling Isles in the Demon Realm.”

Maomao's eyes widened significantly as she turned to blatantly stare at the purple-haired girl before fixing on the pointed ears.

Amity blushed under the attention, but smiled with a slightly awkward wave herself. “I'm sorry about Luz, but – yes – my name is Amity Blight, it's nice to meet you.”

“Maomao,” the greenette replied automatically, dipping her head in a brief bow. “Ah... forgive me if I am being rude, but when you said 'girlfriend,' does that mean...”

Amity blushed, but Luz simply blinked and nodded. “Right, right... medieval China analogue... so, um... yeah. Amity and I are in a romantic relationship with the ultimate intent to see if we want to, um... that is...”

“They're courting,” I interjected with a chuckle as Luz pointed double finger-guns at me with a blush of her own to match Amity's. “You understood correctly, Maomao. I'm guessing such things aren't exactly advertised in your world?”

The Asian teen shook her head as she appeared thoughtful for a moment. “No, they don't... there are a few girls at the Verdigris House who find comfort with other women, but it's not discussed openly.”

I nodded, having guessed such.

Women, even historically, tended to be a lot more open to experimentation than a lot of sources would admit. Moreover, though, a lot of civilizations didn't actually consider female-female couplings to be a legitimate form of intercourse. Mainly because a significant number of societies were male dominated in principle, if not in fact, and 'sex' was seen as an act that had to involve at least one penis to count.

“It's, ah-” Amity cleared her throat harshly and looked away, “a bit strange to discuss such things openly even in the Boiling Isles, social propriety being what it is.”

“Social propriety?” Eda asked, walking over with a grin. “What's that? Can I eat it? Is it delicious? Actually, scratch that last one, it'd probably give me indigestion.”

Luz snorted while Amity and Maomao tried to hide smiles with varying degrees of success, even as the latter of the two girls took in the newcomer to our discussion with a critical eye. Given Eda's unnaturally-pale shade of almost paper-white skin, golden eyes, and even more pronounced pointed ears, it was pretty obvious that Eda wasn't human. Much more so than Amity, in fact.

“I-if it wouldn't be rude...” Maomao began, attention shifting to her as she looked between Eda and Amity, then towards the father and son now sitting on the floor within the summoning glyph. “May I ask...”

“Ah, you wanna know what we are,” Eda nodded knowingly, reaching over with the hand that wasn't on her staff to pat Luz on the head. “Luz was the same way... ah, seems like just yesterday she stumbled through the portal door and started screaming at random things that tried to eat her.”

Luz chuckled a little awkwardly. “It's probably weird that something trying to eat me is waaa~aaay less stressful a thought than going back to high school.”

“Ah, that's my student,” Eda grinned, showing off her fangs. “But, yeah... the purple-top and I are witches. Both in that we do magic and as a separate species. King and his father over there are what are called Titans. They're kind of like our gods.”

Maomao jerked, turning to look at me for confirmation, to which I merely nodded. The teenager took a bracing breath, her spine straightening to a stiff vertical column.

“They're both very relaxed, though. Well, King'd dad is. King... will probably ask you to be his minion and worship him, though. You don't actually have to,” Luz explained in an undertone.

“Remember, you're my minion,” I smirked at the greenette. “Especially after we have that betrothal contract drawn up.”

Eda blinked while Amity's eyes widened and Luz...

...made a noise that caused my fox ears to slide flat and no one else appeared to be able to hear.

“You're getting married?!” Luz asked excitedly, then stopped and frowned. “But, wait... I thought you just met? And, um... doesn't Nova – Mr. Sterling – kind of... own you?”

Luz, Amity, and Eda all turned to me with varying degrees of suspicion in their gaze.

I just shrugged and looked to Maomao. “They'll treat anything I say as suspect. Do you want to explain?”

Maomao sighed and looked a bit put out. “I suppose, since you brought it up.”

I bounced in place a bit. “I'm absolutely not sorry! I'm very excited by your tentative acceptance of my courtship bid. But I will apologize with a foot massage later tonight.”

Maomao blinked, looked down at her feet, then nodded slowly as she brought a hand up to rub her chin. “That... hmm, yes, that will be acceptable.”

“So the guy's not forcing you, then?” Eda asked, flicking her gaze towards me. “Not that I'd take him for the take, but I've been wrong about guys before.”

She shivered dramatically.

“The simple truth is that Merchant Ster-”

I cleared my throat pointedly.

Maomao sighed and her face twisted slightly. “Nova is the best possible match I could hope for under any circumstance. He's offered what is – effectively – a dowry of education in medicine as well as guarantees of financial security should he lose interest and take another woman. In addition to general access to the facilities within the store, which are substantially better than those of my home, I've tentatively accepted a bid for a bride price.”

Eda and Luz looked like they'd tasted something sour, but Amity nodded slowly. “I suppose under those circumstances, Nova would be an excellent prospect. You're prioritizing security over a l-love match, then?”

She blushed slightly, her eyes flicking towards Luz as she spoke.

Maomao shrugged, visibly apathetic over the suggestion. “I grew up in a high-end brothel. Even if my father trained me in the arts of an apothecary and I worked in the back end, it was always expected that a customer could become attracted to me and make a bid to take me as a wife.”

Luz looked horrified at the explanation, Eda was angry, and Amity seemed... upset, but understanding.

And more than a bit rueful.

“Well, that puts my childhood, as awful as my parents made it, to shame,” she muttered with a sigh, before nodding. “But, yeah... it also explains what you're looking for in a potential match.”

“Y-you don't want to, like... go on dates?” Luz asked, her face falling, sending an apologetic look my way. “Not that Nova's not awesome, but are you sure...?”

“Dates?” Maomao asked, frowning and ultimately landing on me to explain things with a silent question.

“From what I understand of the Verdigris House,” I began carefully, “think of it as a period of time a girl and a prospective husband would spend together, but mostly or wholly-unsupervised and out pursuing an activity together instead of being confined within the property.”

Maomao jerked in surprise, turning back to Luz, “but... if you conducted yourself in such a manner, any man would be able to make a claim that they'd deflowered you! That would damage your own reputation and that of your family as well! You should at least be chaperoned!”

I cleared my throat as Luz's face colored. “While there remains a certain implicit social expectation that a woman remain virginal in some communities, Maomao, the one Luz is from has largely done away with such. Meaning that a woman can be bedded by several men or women – should she so wish it – before taking marriage vows. And, before you ask, her society has advanced significantly in contraceptives and preventative measures for diseases. So, no. The risk for any kind of consequences is... not non-existent, but low enough to be considered an acceptable trade-off for women to have bodily autonomy and choose their own matches.”

Maomao blinked rapidly as she computed all of that data, her mouth opening a few times before she spoke again. Thankfully, by that time it seemed as if Amity had folded her hand into Luz's and calmed her a bit from Maomao's outburst.

Finally, the greenette turned back to Luz and bowed a touch more deeply than before. “My apologies, I shouldn't have reacted as I did. I was simply shocked at the differences between our cultures.”

“It's, ahh... alright,” Luz replied awkwardly. “B-but, yeah... we, um... mainly just date until we find someone we're compatible with. Amity called it a, um... l-love match?”

“To be perfectly fair,” Amity spoke up, coughing into her fist as she blushed. “If I hadn't disappointed my mother to the point where she gave up on controlling every aspect of my life... I'd likely have a significant other picked out by her at some point in the near future. Someone with whom matching would improve the prospects of Blight Industries, in all likelihood.”

Luz was quiet for a moment. “Amity... I'm going to knock a few of your mom's teeth out the next time I see her.”

Amity's eyes widened and her face turned a deep read as Eda cackled openly.

“So the alternative to a marriage contract would be wandering everyday life on the lookout for an acceptable hus-spouse whom I would have to entice to, ah... 'purchase my wares' myself,” Maomao made a disgruntled face, her nose bunching up cutely. “If it's all the same... I think I personally prefer our system. For all of it's flaws, and I'm not blind to those, leaving it up to your way of things seems... chaotic and overwhelming.”

“Ah, that's the dating scene in a nutshell,” Eda sighed, the noise both fond and exasperated. “But as long as you're happy 'matching' with the fox here, that's all that matters.”

Luz nodded, the motion containing haphazard jerks of her head. “I didn't mean to say otherwise. I was just worried that... well, as long as it's all... what was it? Safe, Sane, Consensual? That, yeah.”

“I'll have to be careful, since the power dynamics between myself and Maomao are a bit imbalanced at the moment,” I admitted thoughtfully. “Especially since Maomao is the type who likes to be tied up-”

“Ah-hem!” Maomao coughed harshly, her face red as she jammed her heel onto my foot.

“Oh, like shibari?” Luz asked, leaning forward with interest. “I actually know about that. I picked up a basic guide at a used bookstore in town once, and did more research online besides. Though, Mami did have to cut me out that one time I tried one of the more advanced sets myself...”

Amity looked between us, frowning slightly in confusion. “Ropes?”

“There are several different cultures which use restraints in the bedroom between willing participants,” I explained, Amity's face going as red as Maomao's when she connected the dots.

“There are a lot of different names for it, but it's some of the naughty bedroom stuff couples can get up to behind closed doors,” Luz explained, only wearing the faintest hint of a blush now that she'd apparently found her stride. “Tying your partner up is a good way to, hmm... 'amplify' the sensation they're experiencing mid-coitus. It can also be pleasing for the person doing the tying, offering a psychological reward that translates to-”

“Okay, hold on there Luz,” Eda called out, holding up a hand and using the other one to massage her face as her staff leaned against her shoulder. “I'm torn between being utterly appalled and bizarrely proud of how deep the depths of your knowledge on this subject are. But I have to ask... how do you know all this stuff?”

Luz blinked and stared at Eda for a moment, as if the question was almost too stupid to answer. "Oh, I'm an American teenager in the twenty-first century with an internet connection. It comes with the territory."

“This 'internet' of yours might be more terrifying than the forbidden section of Hexside's library,” Amity stated with trepidation.

“Luz,” I spoke up, drawing her attention and offering my fist.

“Huh?” She asked, frowning.

“Woman of culture,” I nodded firmly, seriously.

The Dominican-American girl's eyes widened and a brief flash of teeth spoke of a repressed smile before she brought her own fist up to meet mine with a similar nod, replying in the same tone I'd used. “Man of culture.”

“It's mildly unsettling that I was able to understand every single word on it's own terms, but utterly failed to grasp the meaning of the interaction as a whole,” Maomao chimed in, rubbing at her chin.

“I've found humans can be like that,” Eda smirked.

“So then... you're... interested in all of this stuff with ropes, Luz?” Amity asked, nibbling on her bottom lip in a mix of concern and something else. Likely the same cocktail of emotions that caused her the blush on her cheeks.

"I'd be more interested in tying someone up than the other way around, but sure! It could be a lot of fun, why? Wanna try?" Luz asked her girlfriend with a cheery smile.

I cleared my throat pointedly. "I have a few beginner, intermediate, and advanced books with full-color graphics and some lengths of silk rope if you want to experiment."

As Luz and I discussed the particulars of that transaction, I noticed Amity and Maomao lock eyes with the same tableau of trepidation and surprised intrigue on both of their faces. It was a look that I'd seen many times in many circumstances.

The young witch and my potential romantic partner very much understood...

...they were in danger.

At least it was the fun kind, though.

…

“Even if you don't need her permission, I'll still need to talk to Mami about this,” Luz stated, rubbing one of her arms awkwardly.

I nodded with a smile. King was asleep in Eda's arms, having been emotionally tuckered-out by meeting his father and Izuku had been tasked with cleaning up the residual energy from the summoning. There was quite a lot, after all.

“I... think I'll pass on getting my parents permission,” Amity stated slowly, fingering the palisman curled around her neck for emotional support. “I'll probably tell the twins what's going on, but... you don't need their okay, right?”

“In a classical moral and ethical framework, you're still benefiting from your parents' social and financial position, so getting their approval is something that I would urge most of my clients to pursue,” I temporized. “Much like those who come to me for sex changes, cybernetic augments, or other elective body modifications, if you're old enough to understand what you're asking for and are possessed of enough material wealth or other kind of resource to barter for it... I won't say no. But I will remind you that, at the end of the day, you will likely still need to go home and confront your caregivers unless you've made other living arrangements.”

Amity frowned, but nodded. “I can always see if the twins will let me crash on their couch or something-”

“You'll do no such thing,” Eda scoffed, folding her arms. “Not when the Owl House has a perfectly good couch. As long as you don't mind Hooty, anyway.”

Eda paused, frowning.

“Actually, you know what? We'll cut out the middle man and you can bunk with Luz,” Eda shook her head. “With two girls it'll at least take a lot more intentional effort for witch-shaped accidents to happen.”

“Eep!” Amity uncharacteristically squeaked. “I, um... i-if that becomes necessary, Owl Lady, I'll... um, contact you.”

“And Luz,” I added, pointing at her and distracting her from a saucy smile she'd been floating towards. “If Camilla has any questions, feel free to point her my way. In fact, if you can make the time, I'd recommend coming in and chatting together just to clear the air about what's going on. Whatever else aside, you'll be receiving a significant portion of the Titan's power. In a very real way, you'll be casting off your humanity... and that's not a decision you can take back.”

I paused and met her eyes intently. “Take it from someone who's taken a similar deal as the one you're being offered.”

Luz's spine stiffened in realization and new appreciation for my situation as she looked me over, Maomao doing likewise in a more thoughtful and considering light.

“I... thanks for the advice, Nova,” Luz replied soberly with a sigh.

“Anytime,” I smiled, then cocked my head. “And I do mean that, Luz. You're more of a friend than a customer at this point. I'll be glad to lend a sympathetic ear should you ever need it. Depending on how this plays out, after all, we might be seeing a lot of each other for a very, very long time.”

“That's... a good point,” Luz nodded, smiling in a bittersweet way as she turned and walked back to the Boiling Isles.

Amity and Eda gave me similar nods, and then they were gone.

I rolled my neck and sighed explosively as the vertebrae popped and snapped like a breakfast cereal. “Ahh... and that's a day's work. Izuku, you're on break after you finish cleaning up. Maomao, I'm going to show you... would you rather use the employee bathing areas for now? Or I can offer my own private ones if you're comfortable with that.”

Maomao's lips pursed as she stared at me. “I'd have your word you wouldn't intrude?”

“Not unless you fell asleep in the bath, no,” I replied. “I promise not to attempt entry while you're using the facilities unless you fail to respond to numerous loud calls of your name. Fair?”

Maomao hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I'll accept your generous offer, then.”

“This way, please,” I smiled, pushing the door open and allowing her a brief pause as she came to terms with the fact that the way out was not the same as the way in to the room, despite both using the same singular door.

“How...” She frowned, looking around to see if she'd mistaken one exit for another.

“Navigating the shop is less about memorizing paths and doors and more about... letting it guide you to where you need to be,” I explained carefully. “Less of a science and more of an art, really.”

“Strict philosophy?” Maomao echoed, frowning at the phrase.

I blinked, then felt like smacking myself in the face. The term 'science' had a Latin root and probably hadn't migrated properly just yet in terms of true meaning. Natural philosophy was the tradition name for the collective concepts which had slowly turned into science over the course of several centuries. So translating 'science' as 'strict philosophy' was actually pretty on-point.

“I'll explain that more in depth later,” I promised. “It's a bit more complicated than the more practical questions you've asked before, but... it wouldn't be a stretch to call your father one who practices 'strict philosophy' in the name of discovering truth.”

“Ah!” Maomao nodded, and I huffed a silent laugh as she took it as a rather profound compliment, her shoulders rising with quiet pride.

“Here we go,” I informed her, opening up one of the large, frosted sliding glass doors and stepping into a more humid area.

I could hear Maomao's gasp behind me and smiled slightly.

Even if I couldn't leave the shop, that didn't mean I was without creature comforts. Oh, the facilities had started out a bit basic, but I'd been free to upgrade them as my profit margins increased and I made more friends in the supply chain for eldritch storefronts.

Suffice to say, my bathing room was very well appointed.

In fact, it was less of a 'bathing room' and more akin to a very fancy spa.

“That's the heated pool,” I pointed towards a small pond nearby, then at another nearby one, “and that's the unheated one. Both have cushioned seats in them and you're free to use either or both for as long as you choose after you wash off. Now, if you look over here, there's a faucet with controls...”

I managed to drag her attention away from the grand display of opulence that I'd allowed myself and explained the controls for the shower and the smaller tub area. “Do you need me to repeat anything?”

“No, I understood,” Maomao shook her head, then turned back towards the bathing area. “I... ah, do the trees serve any purpose?”

I felt my cheeks heat a bit and cleared my throat. “There was a, um... woman who wished for a significant amount of resources and had little in the way of coin to exchange for them. However, she came from a long line of master bonsai tree tenders and sold me some of her heirloom trees. Technically, that made them store property, but... I held them on layaway until I could afford to purchase them for myself.”

“I see,” Maomao breathed in, the air crisp and fresh in ways even a magical air circulation system couldn't replicate.

Because the trees were normal trees. My original world had giant bonsai trees, too. Perhaps not quite as many as the ones that particular world had, but... enough. The more important – and obvious – thing, though, was that the trees' leaves glowed in a variety of soft hues. In particular, dim tarnished sunset-gold shades faded through dim royal blue and noble purple lights in a slow dance of pattern-changes that entranced the eye and cleared the mind.

“Beautiful,” Maomao murmured softly.

“They are,” I chuckled softly. “She's an elf, her family goes back thousands and thousands of years, having perfected their craft through generations of exceptionally long-lived master gardeners and botanists who learned to mix magic with the trees they cultivated, turning nature itself into a work of art.”

“How old are these?” She asked softly, still in awe. I looked over the six trees that made up the landscape of the bathing area. “It varies, but... none of them are younger than two thousand years. I consider myself very lucky to have them.”

Maomao hummed in acknowledgment. “I can't imagine that even the emperor has wonders like these.”

The rest of the room was decorated in a plainer fashion, composed of worn rocks to serve as seats under flowing waterfalls and other organic features. I'd tried to avoid having hard, straight lines as much as possible to help keep things feeling natural and compliment the trees.

“I don't let anyone in here I don't trust,” I told her softly. “Even if I could extract significant payment were anyone to damage one of them – even unintentionally – masterpieces like these are difficult or impossible to repair.”

Maomao took a breath, met my eyes, and nodded.

Good, she recognized at least some of the layers to what I was saying.

“You may put your clothing here,” I told her, waving at a set of wooden cubby-holes next to folded towels and a number of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. “Feel free to use whatever products you like as well, everything is clearly labeled. Though, I will ask no bubble bath in the large bathing pools. The oils are a bit difficult to get out, even with my magic.”

“Understood,” Maomao stated, then looked down at herself. “When I finish, what should I...”

“I'll leave several options for night clothing outside the door on a small cart,” I nodded, understanding the question. “Use whichever pieces you like in whichever combination you're comfortable with. I'll be busy closing up the store for the night, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourself in here. Afterwards, I'll take you to my private sleeping quarters.”

The greenette shot me a quick look.

Not quite alarmed, but suddenly alert in a way she hadn't been before.

“Just to sleep,” I told her firmly. “I might want to hold you tonight, but I'll recognize and honor the lines you've drawn until we have a signed contract between us. Clothing will say on throughout the night, for both of us, you have my word.”

Blue eyes held my own for a long moment, then she nodded slowly. “That... I suppose I can accept that, yes.”

“Good,” I smiled, showing a bit of teeth. “I will need to let you return to your father in a day or two so he does not worry, but I don't know for sure that there aren't any foxes who might take an interest in you on your world. I want to make sure that anyone who comes sniffing around knows you're taken.”

Maomao snorted softly and smiled as she undid the clasp to her outer robe. “I'd like to begin bathing now, Nova.”

“As you wish,” I nodded and left without further ceremony.

Picking out Maomao's clothing options was a quick duty and, even with including a few rather risque garments she'd turn her nose up at, it was over in minutes. The store was being uncommonly helpful there, which told me all I needed to know about its opinions. But, after that, I made my way back to Izuku, finding him just finishing up.

“Oh, Mr. Sterling!” He shouted, dusting his hands off on a rag after putting away the bucket of concealed ectoplasm. It was unlikely we'd find a use for it, but unless it started causing problems, I'd keep it around for a bit, just to make sure it was completely worthless. “Everything's done and I'm just about to clock off for the night.”

“Good, good,” I nodded, looking the summoning room over. “We're in for a busy few days, Izuku. You'll be on your own for food tonight, but make sure to eat well. You'll need the energy.”

“Ah, you'll be eating with Ms. Maomao, then?” He asked, a conflicted expression on his face.

“Just for tonight, to help her settle in,” I waved him off. “Communal meals will start again tomorrow. Though I expect we'll have to eat quickly. Luz will likely have that chat with her mother in the morning and, if Emperor Belos holds to his schedule, the Day of Unity will be the day after tomorrow. Which means we'll only have about twenty four hours to prepare for the transfusion of the Titan's power into Luz and Amity once all is said and done.”

Izuku took a deep breath, nibbling at his lip. “I-it is safe, sir? I-I didn't want to ask in front of them, but...”

“Oh, it's perfectly safe,” I rolled my eyes, and Izuku relaxed. “In the same way nuclear reactors are perfectly safe. As long as no one plays any stupid games, no one has to win any stupid prizes.”

“Ah.” Izuku took another calming breath. “Right.”

“Once Luz and Amity are settled, though, I'll be asking you to accompany Maomao back to her world to inform her father of her new circumstances,” I informed him bluntly. “Her world is rather primitive by our standards, and I'll go over what preparations you need to make in depth later, but I wanted to make you aware that you'll be taking your first 'mission' in a handful of days.”

The boy straightened and nodded firmly, steel in his spine. “Yes sir.”

“Excellent,” I nodded, stretching tiredly. “Now go... do something that isn't work. Have fun, eat, watch that saccharine All Might cartoon you insist on.”

“It's not-” He began, but I was already moving through the doorway.

…

“I can't believe you sleep in a cave.”

I chuckled as Maomao curled up against me tightly, refusing to poke her head out above the thick blankets covering us. “It's a very well-appointed cave, you must admit.”

“It's a literal cave,” the fussy little cat hissed, trying to snuggle closer to ward off the brief sensation of intense cold she'd suffered before crawling into bed.

“You'll find that most men without women would enjoy living in caves,” I told her sincerely.

She stilled against me and I barely heard her muttered reply. “That makes entirely too much sense.”

“Hmm... the bed is soft and warm though, isn't it?” I asked, slowly wrapping her in an embrace as we listened to the enchanted winds howl outside, pouring rain creating pleasant white noise just outside of the rocky opening to my bedroom.

Which, yes, was a literal cave.

Rock walls with shelves carved into them, rough-hewn wooden furniture, a basic music box set up in one corner, and a few cultivated mosses and lichens to clean the air. All of it was lit by a hot-burning fire beneath the stone slab upon which the space-age bedding that we laid on now rested.

“I'll want an actual bedroom as part of our contract,” Maomao warned me.

I whined a little bit, deep in my throat. “For your clothing and personal belongings, perhaps, but I think you'll find that there's no better sleep than that had under warm blankets during a cold and rainy, chilly night.”

Maomao huffed into my chest.

I slid an arm around her and waited for her to relax before continuing softly. “I spend so much of my time walking the halls of the store. It’s easy to forget what nature feels like, sometimes. Even if I know the storm outside isn’t real, it reminds me that there’s more to life than just serving the next customer.”

Maomao was quiet at that, but I could almost feel the weight of her thoughts as her breathing leveled out and she fell asleep curled up against me.

When we wrote up the first version of the contract the next day, she did still insist on having her own room to store belongings, but was suspiciously quiet on the topic of our sleeping arrangements.

I called that a win.

~~~

I'll make this quick since I'm heading to bed in a moment, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible for people to enjoy over the weekend.

Finishing up with the Maomao intro and getting back to the Owl House Squad. Next chapter of ES promises to focus exclusively on them and getting their biz done, which should be interesting.

In the meantime, though, I'll be working on a chapter of Marvel-Industrious to finish out the month and should have that done just in time to post before the next poll.

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and has a great weekend. Thank you again for all of your support.