Visitations from Sequoia had stopped completely. Either she was still mad and too prideful to apologize, or finally moved on and found herself a new masseur. Nick sometimes hated the human ability to give a damn about something they really shouldn't, but as far as the human man is concerned he won't go and grovel for something that wasn't his fault.

"Do you really know my name, sir?" that Biograft also became a frequent client at the "In Human Hands" parlor. She took some after their first meeting but recently began using Nick's services pretty often.

"Yes, lady Franka von Stain." the human masseur said softly while dealing with a tricky area on her waist. "The rising star of the Olympus Tournament. Five consequent victories with four gold medals and one platinum. For a Chimera that young, you are already way ahead even among your own kin."

Her face went red from blushing, as she looked the other way. Nick smirked quietly and continued his work.

"But it comes at a cost." she finally whispered, but not before moaning in pleasure, when Nick dealt with an especially big knot.

"Not a big fan of admirers?"

"It is not that!" she grunted, pouting her cheeks. "I just don't like how annoying they can be from time to time. I have my personal life, but I can't walk through the street without getting hounded with requests for autographs or taking pictures. I have to be careful even in my home and keep the windows shut. Imagine what would happen if someone saw me without the hoodie!"

Regular life problems of the celebrity figure, Nick thought. A type of life he would never want for himself. Too much bother.

"I see your problem there. Can't relate, but emotionally I understand."

"Do you always cause your clients to recall their life problems?" she asked curiously. "This is the first time I actually spoke about this to someone else."

"Yeah, it's kind of a recurring thing lately." the human masseur heartily laughed. "One client even paid me to massage them in a style of their weird fetish. And another thought that her implants can't feel touch again, so I proved her wrong."

"Must be fun. Do you need an additional payment for this?"

"Nah, talking here is free, as long as it doesn't interfere with my work." reassuring pat on the shoulder somehow was very calming. "Besides, I am not some weirdo that would use your secret as blackmail material."

"Wait, that happens?" she sounded genuinely surprised. Had she never experienced something similar?

Nick even looked at Biograft to make sure she is serious. She was.

"What, you never heard of the creepy stories about someone exploiting someone to indulge in their fantasies at their expense? Serious stuff."

"I mean, I know it is possible, but something like that just never happened to me," confessed Franka, genuinely interested. Then her eyes became suspicious. "Did you do this to someone?"

"No, it is very bad for business." Nick kept calm, almost done with the last segment of her constructed body. "My species believes in something called "Karma". It is basically a force of vengeance, which comes to you no matter what you do to avoid it. Like the universe is punishing the crimes of those confident they'll avoid the consequences."

"Does it... really work?" she looked fascinated.

"More often than one would expect. Our history is full of them." Nick responded, dusting off his hands after the end. "I am done. How are you feeling?"

"Perfect, as always." Franka sat down, taking a long deep breath of contentment. "Are you into sports, Mr. Bourbon?"

"Just to keep myself fit and get some stress out. No a big fan of actual sports events."

"Then how..."

"... I know that you are a famous sportslady?" Nick pointed at his PC with a crooked smile. "Mass media. It is difficult to miss someone who is almost everywhere in the news."

"Oh. I see." Chimera hesitated for a moment, before innocently asking the next: "Would you like to... exercise together?"

"I don't mind, but what place do you have in mind?" he inquired, rubbing his chin. "I already figured that public ones are off-limit for someone like you."

"There is a private gym nearby. Only celebrities know about it and access there is restricted. I will get you a pass as my personal masseur if you agree."

"Why not? Just give me details."

"Hooray~"

 

"Uta, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what up?" when the working day was over, Nick returned to his room to chill out. While he liked privacy, he found that having someone familiar there too felt pretty nice. The eldritch goddess was there each time, having fun. Since she now had a stable, even if not very legal job, she could pay her rent and buy things for herself.

"Is living with me okay?" her priorities were food and entertainment. So seeing Uta munching on a burger, sipping Coke, and stuffing her face with sweets became a routine. While her human hands were busy with the keyboard of their PC, a lot of her tentacles carried food, and occasionally brought it closer to her mouth to take a bite or sip. It was also difficult to see her doing something else, except having fun on the Uninet. She really liked social media and WeTube, plus video games. "Not kicking you out, I am just curious."

"Well, I have a pocket dimension to return to," she answered, taking another frag. She was just as big of a player as Voltana was, so having another mate to hang out with was great fun for Nick. "But it is empty! Until I met you since I had to survive somehow without money and followers. So my powers aside from knowledge were greatly diminished. But now I can start building it!"

"Good to know." the human man lightly nudged her, pointing at the obvious trap the enemy had set ahead. "But I don't think it is the whole answer."

"I like you!" her smile was so wide and honest that Nick almost got sniped. "And you are my first follower!"

In a way, she was both right and wrong. Nick provided her with home and work, while she paid him for expenses and companionship (kind of). He wasn't praying to her, however, nor was he making sacrifices and that superficial stuff. No creepy rituals, high goals, or summoned demons. Just the human masseur and his little Cthulhu roommate.

"I thought you were kind enough, but treating that Grem'No girl was so sweet I almost ate the tentacle I held my ice cream in! I knew by choosing you I made the right choice!!!"

That last phrase was such a blatant lie you could use it as a club. She didn't choose him - she fell into his parlor by accident. But the eldritch goddess said it with such joy and pride, that the human masseur found it too cute to deny.

"So heeeeeeeey~~~" she suddenly leaned to him, with a flirtatious look in her red eyes. Three of her tentacles instantly coiled around his hand and waist. "Can I have the same kindness, pleeeeease?"

"Nope."

"Why not?! I asked politely!!!"

"No."

"Hey, I am your goddess, remember?! Your patron presents herself for mutually beneficial fornication!!!"

"Get one more follower - then we'll talk."

"You can do it raw with me!!!"

"And catch some multidimensional STDs?"

"Goddesses don't have STDs!!!!!!!"

"How do you know that exactly?"

"I am the goddess of knowledge, you arse!!!"

"I am not in the mood today. Ask me tomorrow."

"You do know I can topple you right now?! What should make me reconsider indulging myself?!?!?!" she looked pretty full of herself.

"My trust." was accompanied by a very special gaze.

These two words had a hard-hitting effect. Uta suddenly deflated, unable to say anything. She returned to her place and grabbed the controller again. A small pout looked very cute on her face.

"...I will ask you tomorrow," she mumbled, logging into the game again.

"Good girl." smiling Nick gently patted her on the head. This time her tentacles were even more inviting to his touch, unwilling to let the fingers to go free.

 

 

 

The loud and prolonged staccato of the laser cannon immediately attracted Nick's attention. He was waiting for the next client in the afternoon, but then a weird wheezing noise came from somewhere far away outside, which was immediately followed by gunfire and panicked screams. Deep-seated instincts had immediately kicked in, as he flew right into the bedroom.

"Nick, we are being attacked!!!" bellowed the distraught Uta, as he slammed the door panel, forcing the complete shutdown.

"I can see it!!!" the human man ran to the table and quickly opened the lowest section. Right next to the first aid medkit kept there for emergencies, there was a pulse pistol and several magazines for it. Nick grabbed the gun and trapped both medkit and ammunition to his belt. "Get back into your dimension!!!"

"What?! But what about you?!?!" his hands were shaking, but the human masseur has managed to check the installed bullet clip and removed the safety. It was so long since he went through the mandatory arms training the man was glad he still remembered how it worked.

The sound of the doors into the parlor being forcibly opened only made Nick more nervous.

"I will manage!!! Go, now!!!!!!" he screamed, leaning against the wall, a few feet away from the room door. The human heart was beating like crazy.

When Uta quickly disappeared into the portal, Nick kicked himself for not asking her who attacked them and why. But then he remembered something: the eldritch goddess said that when she was nervous or distressed, her memory became very unstable, preventing her from correctly giving the knowledge she had. So to get the truth out of her Nick must first survive the ordeal and get somewhere safe.

Then he heard the outer door completely open and heavy steps coming through. Still leaning against the wall, Nick raised his gun, trying to fight off the feverish trembling in his hands.

Plunk-plunk-plunk!

As soon as the hulking figure in armor opened the second door and stumbled into the doorway, Nick shot the aggressor three times. Due to the lack of proper training, two bullets dug into the shoulder pad and jaw of the helmet, ricocheting or making deep burrows. But the third one went right into the exposed neck, tearing it apart and painting the opposite wall in a splatter of orange blood.

"GURGH!!!" the alien assailant dropped heavy laser cannon, desperately trying to stop the gruesome bleeding from the lethal wound. Life liquid quickly began running down its grey armor plates. He/she stumbled a bit, before giving a shocked human in the room a long, painful look. Nick felt it even though the helmet had a tanned visor. "Bluuuughhhh..."

A few seconds later, the alien slumped under the wall and stopped moving. Nick felt his head spinning and his insides twisting. He just killed someone. The blood behind the corpse only increased his anxiety. Panicked breathing began leaving his throat, as the human masseur tried his best not to throw up. Good thing there was a wall to lean on, otherwise young man would've fallen to his knees.

"Salvation Squad, call-over! Report if you find the item!" low sound of a transmission helped Nick to get out of the stupor.

He scrambled closer on the jelly legs and listened to it.

"Salvation 4, you are the last one. What is your situation?" looks like the callsign belonged to this dead attacker. "Salvation 4, respond! Damn it!!! Every member nearby - check his location!!! Pinpointing the appropriate beacon! Weapons free!!!"

These words sobered the human man immediately. He had to get out of here!