❖ 16 ❖
"This is Rhodolite, my fianceé. She's a sweetheart, so be nice to her, OK everyone?" Iori, accompanied by Yuuki, gestured to the curvy helldrake, who bashfully turned away from us. She’d looked a little antsy from the moment she’d entered the manor, with the massive living room particularly catching her off guard, but her blush was far deeper now.
"Calling me your fianceé without any hesitation. You're amazing, Iori…"
"Well, it's true, isn't it? You're my bride-to-be. Your parents would hate it if I didn't take pride in that."
"Umm, I-I think they'd at least let us take things a little slow," she cutely squeaked, burying her face in the neck of her snuggly turtleneck sweater.
Lemme tell you, I was beginning to develop a serious helldrake fetish. Fuck me, she looked cute. Big, cuddly, and gentle-looking. Huggable, squeezable, and stupidly adorable while still being insanely sexy.
If I'm being real, she's the kind of woman the world MILF was made for.
In the couple of days since we'd started dating, Iori had told us all about what had been happening to her all vacation. Why she'd changed, why it couldn't be undone, and who she'd now be with. It had been a lot to take in, but Iori relayed it all calmly and happily, her usual resolve backed by a crazy amount of confidence.
So, we all supported her. She had a lot to figure out, but we'd help her through it all. She's my partner, after all. None of us would leave her to struggle with any of it. It was clear she wasn’t totally used to her body just yet, but everyone in the manor made sure to help her however they could.
Plus, they all showered her with compliments. I’ve never seen Iori’s ego swell so big, it’s adorable.
And she deserves it, really.
"It's a delight to meet you, Rhodolite," Haqua winked. "Do take care of Iori for us, won't you?"
"Indeed, it's reassuring to know she'll be in such capable hands," Adri nodded, as she sipped her tea.
"Put her on a leash if you've gotta, Iocchi can get crazy wild!'
"...you all understand that I'm not Rina, right?" Iori furrowed her brow, shooting me a flummoxed glance.
Hey, leashes are pretty rare for me!
Collars, though…
"Ufu~! I'll do my best!" Rhodolite nodded, giggling softly.
"She's soooooooo cute!" Mio smiled. "Can I give you a hug, Rhodolite? You look super soft!"
"Oh, gosh, you're such a sweetie! Mm! Hug me as much as you want! We'll- Ah! N-never mind, I know I'm too forward, so-"
"Don't hold back, Rhody," Iori shot her a reassuring smile. She looked so cool as a helldrake, an impression only aided by the tight, stylish clothes that hugged her body, seemingly made to highlight the confidence and pride her new body had granted her. "We're all friends here."
"Friends?!" Rhody gasped, her tail wiggling happily behind her. "Oh gosh, I-"
"Take this!" Mio cried, happily wrapping her arms around Rhody's waist and nuzzling her impressive chest. She seemed flustered at first, but quickly started gently petting Mio's hair. "Ehehe, when you're antsy, breaking the ice as fast as possible always does the trick," Mio winked up at her. "And wow~, you're even cuddlier than I thought!"
"Oh, high praise from Mio. My girl's got good taste, so you can wear that like a badge of honor."
"Ufu~! Duly noted," she smiled. "Ah, and you're Miss Rina, right? It's so good to meet you! Congratulations on your new relationship with Iori! I'm not sure what that makes us, but I've always wanted a pet! I'll be sure to give you tons of treats! Oh, and if you want scoldings, I'll do my best to get better at insults, you, umm, d-dummy!"
"Iori?"
I smiled up at Iori, my eyes brimming with tears at the adorable display I'd just been permitted to witness.
“I completely approve. She’s so friggin’ cute!”
“Such a needy girl, whatever will we do with you?” Haqua sighed, as she and Adri scritched my ears. "Mio and I will teach you all about how to tend to our mutt, Rhodolite. You'll be an expert at putting her in her place in no time."
"Ohhhh, I look forward to learning the ropes from the both of you!"
My knees grew weak at the mere thought of a leather-clad Rhody brandishing a whip and putting Haqua's teachings into practice. The contrast of sweet and fierce was setting my brain alight.
So I knew right then that we’d get on great.
“B-but, ummm, sorry if this is strange to ask, but…shouldn’t more of you be…y-yelling at me?” Rhody mumbled, awkwardly looking down at Mio as she rubbed her cheeks against her chest.
“Huh, why?” I asked, cocking my head.
“Y-you should be angry with me, right?”
“...No?”
I really didn’t want to sound rude, but I genuinely didn’t get it. Rhody’s cute, I wouldn’t be mean to a cutie.
“If you enjoy that sort of thing, I and many of my partners would be delighted to indulge, but as it stands, I can’t imagine why any of us would feel any sense of anger towards you, dear,” Adri smiled softly.
Rhody gently pulled herself away from Mio’s hug, took Iori and Yuuki by the hand, and headed with them into a distant corner. Mio, meanwhile, compensated for a lack of soft dragon to cuddle by walking over to my side and gently petting my hair.
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything, but I couldn’t help but make out flustered squeaks, Yuuki giggling sweetly, followed by Iori letting out a soft “Mm, I’ve told all of them.”
Ah, I get it.
And not a moment later, Rhody came back, shyly twiddling her thumbs.
“...You’re not mad that Iori changed because of me?”
Mm, thought so.
“Come now, dear, has Iori told you about Rina and Mio?" Haqua asked.
Rhody shook her head.
"I have, not by name, though," Iori smiled. "I told you I knew two people who'd lost their humanity before me, right?"
Rhody gasped, her eyes darting back and forth between Mio and I so quickly that I thought she might pass out.
"Really?! But there's so much mana floating off of both- well, off of Mio!"
I let out a deeply happy sigh, and Mio giggled as she hugged me tight.
"I'm just kinda strong, that's all! Rina's strong too, though! No matter how hard you push her, she neeee~ver breaks! So if you ever need to blow off steam…"
A huge hand suddenly firmly slapped my ass.
"Wan waHN!"
"Then I hear Rina's yer gal!" Wakaba cackled, pounding back her sake as a few stray drops tantalizingly rolled down her exposed cleavage. "I'm gonna have to test that out sometime, Pup! I've just gotta show you how an oni cuts loose!"
"Fuck, please, we can go right now. I'll be your chew toy if you want, so-"
"Settle down, mutt. Eager as you are to stick your hand down your panties right in front of us, I'm feeling generous. Hold out for now, and I'll reward you very handsomely.
"U-understood!" I barked, standing at attention like my life depended on it, my mind spinning with all the wonderful things Haqua might do to me.
Uehehehe, I might not even be able to walk straight when she's done with me!
"But these two are former humans, no doubt about that," Wakaba continued. "Talk to 'em about Hell for two minutes an' it'll be clear as day that they ain't locals."
"Though I'm gonna be real, I kinda don't get how Rinarin made it in human society, lolol. Thank Iocchi, I guess."
Mm, gyaru teasing is good too…
This world is so beautiful…
Iori stuck out her tongue at Yuuki, and Haqua cut through with a haughty chuckle.
"I'm the one who stripped them of humanity, you know? Bound them to my side forevermore. In fact, I changed Rina the very night I met her, so really dear, you're just a kindred spirit."
Rhody just nodded, clearly too shaky to take it as a compliment.
"But, ummm…Rina, you really should…"
"Because Iori likes me?"
"Mm, she's been trying to tell you for ages, and- ahhhh! Sorry, I wasn't meant to say thaaaat!" she cried, clamping her claws over her mouth and forcing herself to shut up, before Iori and I both started cackling.
"Shit, she's adorable, Iori! A real good girl, through and through."
"Absolutely," she nodded sagely. "Yuuki and I knew you'd all like her."
"Mhmm! You'd swear our Rhody was an overlord. Crazy kind and super sweet!" Yuuki grinned, darting toward Rhody and hugging her tight.
"No freaking out, 'K? Iocchi and Rinarin are an item now."
Rhody froze, eyes widening for a moment.
"Wait, you are? But just the other day, you were saying-"
"Some things happened, and I took a big step forward. You wanted proof that becoming a helldrake hasn't been bad for me, and this is it. I owe a lot of my confidence to you, Rhody."
"She owes you for getting really good at sex, too! Ohhh, the things she did with her tail, and that tongue, ehehe~!"
Rhody turned bright red at Mio's peppy, yet deeply thirsty words. It was good to know that someone around us still got shy about sex. I found it adorable, honestly.
"But yeah, Rhody, I'm grateful to you. I know this is a shock, but…it's good to see how carefree Iori's smile looks now, y'know?"
"And I've been rooting for these two for quite some time. I'm delighted you helped give them a push, even if indirectly," Haqua chuckled.
"Thanks, Rhody, really. Even if your engagement was a shock, it's done a lot of good for Iori, and…selfishly, I'm glad I finally get to be with her, ahaha."
She looked at me for a moment, like she was trying to process what I said, before a big, beaming smile spread across her face, and she eagerly wrapped Iori and I both up in a hug that was so soft I nearly lapsed into puppy mode.
Ohhhh, you’re so cuddly. Mio was so right…
It should’ve been swelteringly hot, but the pair of them pressed up against me was endlessly warm and comfy. Maybe that’s how you can tell how a helldrake feels. If they make you burn up, they want to kill you, if they make you sweat, they’re about to really show you who’s boss, that sorta thing.
Shit, I might have to test that. I’m not gonna deliberately piss off Iori, but if I ever catch her in a bad mood…
“Uehehehehe…”
“O-oh, is she OK?”
“...She’s full of thoughts, but yes, there’s no better sign that she’s doing great.”
“Ufu~! In that case, I’m so happy for the both of you! Gosh gosh gosh~! When Iori told me about her unrequited love, I was rooting so hard for her! It’s like a romance novel! Ohhhh wowowowowow~!” she giggled, oohed, and ahhed as she held us tight, and I could tell she was working extremely hard to not just start jumping up and down on the spot. Couple all that with the way her tail kept wapping against my back, and I wasn’t sure I’d get out of this hug alive.
And y’know what? I’m fine with that, no better way to die than against someone this comfy…
Ohhh, she’s so cushy…
“Ahaha, well thanks, Rhody. You’re the sweetest, and it’s good to see you back to your usual self,” she winked. “You looked so nervous for a bit there.”
“Ehehe, nothing like watching romance blossom to perk a girl up,” she giggled, cupping a hand to her cheek as she gently blushed.
AND WAY TOO FRIGGIN’ CUTE.
“So if you’re engaged to Iori, we’ll be seeing a lo~t more of each other from now on, huh?” Mio mused. “That’ll be nice! We’ll do what we can to make sure you’re comfy with us, Rhody!”
“Ufufu~! Well thank you, everyone! I have a bad habit of being too forward, but I hope we get on great!”
“Oh, if you saw how we got after Iocchi finished changing, you deeeef wouldn’t feel like that. Her tongue is soooo good, Rhody…”
Rhody blushed, and shyly nodded, though with the way her tail wagged behind her, it was obvious that it wasn’t just embarrassment hitting her right now. Hell, she looked like me if I was significantly less pathetic, an almost puppyish enthusiasm shining through her shyness.
“Sorry, I’ll ask them to stop if talking about things like this is tough on you,” Iori said, gently taking Rhody’s hand in her own. Big as they were, Rhody’s hands slotted into Iori’s perfectly, like the two were made to hold each other close.
Shit, with the way Iori changed, that might not even be far off the mark.
“Oh, no, not at all,” she shook her head a little too vigorously. “I’d rather everyone be open, ufu~!”
“See Iocchi? We’re just vibing~!” Yuuki grinned, flashing Iori a V sign.
Iori smiled and nodded.
“If it’s alright with everyone, can I talk to Rina and Rhody in private for a few? I’m…new to a lot right now and I feel like we could use a moment to unpack things.”
“Take care of my mutt, dear,” Haqua smiled, giving her a small nod as the group all gave their permission.
“She’s my treasure, too, don’t forget that,” Iori assured her, before walking the two of us through to her bedroom.
“Ohhh, your room’s so nice! It looks like a princess lives here~!” Rhody gasped, spinning around as she surveyed her surroundings.
“They all look like that,” I pointed out. “Well, all the guest rooms, anyway. I went to Wakaba’s room the other day and it looked like a gambling hall, and Inumi’s is so covered in plushies that you can barely walk around…”
“You should see Yuuki’s. It’s mostly the kind of room you’d see a peppy high schooler have, but then you’ll get hit by some bizarre photo or sculpture and before you know it you’re knee-deep in hearing about all the urban mysteries that Hell has to offer.”
Rhody and I both chuckled, while Yuuki gestured for us to sit. Rhody took a nearby sofa, so I went for an unoccupied chair, not wanting to freak her out by getting too close.
Though I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when a scaled hand came to rest on my thigh, and I saw Rhody looking back up at me.
“Can we sit together, sweetie? I feel a little nervous all by myself…”
Ahaha, ‘sweetie’, huh? Cute…
I smiled and nodded. I’d meant to sit next to her, but before I could even plant my butt on the sofa, I was scooped up onto Rhody’s stupidly comfy lap. Ohhhhhhh, I could fall asleep right then and there, lemme tell you… And her chest’s such a great pillow, so full and soft, haaaah…
B-but I didn’t! Because this was important! I didn’t think about falling asleep or sucking her boobs at all while we were talking! Really, you’ve gotta believe me! I know you won’t, but try!
…please?
O-oh! Iori was pacing back and forth! Don't think about me! Think about how antsy she looked! That's more important here!
"I'll just cut to the chase," Iori said, still pacing. "I don't know a thing about being polyamorous, but I know that no part of me is against it, and I want to give it everything I have."
"Poor thing, you've had to adjust to so much lately…" Rhody sighed, hugging me a little tighter.
"Buuuut you'll do great," I nodded, hoping it'd reassure both of them. "And you know that we want to support you all the way."
I figured speaking for Rhody there wasn't a bad idea, and she seemed to approve, at least.
“Mhmm, mhmm! My parents would never want to interfere with any other relationships you’d have, and I won’t either! If anything, there’s no greater proof of your dedication than that ring still being intact even after all this,” Rhody said with a pleasant smile, though I imagine the shocked gasp Iori let out wasn’t the reaction she was hoping for.
“It still could’ve shattered?!”
“I had enough faith in you that I was sure it wouldn’t, but if it sensed that you were starting a relationship to get away from me, then it’s certainly possible, ehehe…”
“That’s…a remarkable amount of faith in me, then,” Iori bashfully rubbed the back of her neck. “Thanks, Rhody.”
Things fell silent, and the two shyly looked away from each other, though the smiles they both wore made it clear to me that there was definitely something blossoming between the two of them, even if this was a relationship born out of circumstance.
Plus, I could feel Rhody’s heart start to pound like crazy. Damn, what a cutie.
“A-anyway, beyond that, our vacation is coming to an end soon. It’s obvious that as a helldrake, I should technically remain in Hell indefinitely. I can’t hide my appearance quite as easily as a succubus, after all. But I can’t just give up on my company. I have a duty to every one of my employees, and I don’t intend to avoid it.”
“So you’ll be going back to the human realm then?”
Iori nodded.
“I will. I have to settle things with my family. And…selfishly, I’d like to at least try to live for myself a little more over there first. I’ve never been able to, and now that I’m a helldrake, well…the idea of holding back any longer really pisses me off.”
“That’s the stuff,” I grinned. “It’s like we’re back in high school! You used to get fiery like that with me whenever I teased you, remember?”
“Oh?” she smirked, sauntering over to me and lifting my chin with a clawed finger, making me gaze directly into her crimson eyes. “And who’s doing the teasing now, hmm?”
Before I could answer, a hand was clamped over my eyes.
“Geez, don’t bully little Rina, darling!”
“...I’ve told you she’s into that, right?”
“O-oh, right, ehehe…”
“No, no,” I blissfully sighed. “Treating me like this isn’t too bad either, uehehehe…”
More bullying, more mommying. No matter what I was angling for, I’d get it here!
“For the record, though,” I spoke, biting back my lust, “Haqua’s got her covered on glamours, Rhody. Soon as she learned what had happened, she got to work on an earcuff Iori can wear that’ll make her look human.”
“And as annoying as hiding any part of myself is, and as weird as it is to be annoyed that people will see me the same way they always have,” Iori sighed, more than a little exasperated by all of it, “it means I can stay there for the foreseeable future. Whether that means I keep it my permanent home, or if I just stay there until I can give the company to a successor I can trust, well-”
“You need to do what’s right for you,” Rhody smiled. “Don’t worry about me, OK? You’re already doing so much for me, so don’t upend your whole life just because of our engagement.”
Iori nodded, giving Rhody a grateful smile. “But as nice as that thought is, I’m not about to ask either of you to upend your lives for me, either. Rina’s happy in the human realm, and you seem happy here, so I can’t ask either of you to change that. Whatever form things take, I’ll be darting between both realms as often as I can. I just want to make sure that neither of you ever feel neglected. If it ever comes to that, you tell me, OK?”
“Being neglected doesn’t sound so bad, actually.”
“Yeah, of course not,” Iori sighed, flicking my ear, making it sting just enough to feel good. “What about you, Rhody?”
“...” Rhody let out a slight groan, but stayed quiet.
“Rhody? Can you hear me?”
The lovely helldrake jolted so suddenly that she nearly sent me flying.
“Wha?! S-sorry! I have a bad habit of zoning out sometimes, ufufu~! Just thinking about my favorite romance novel. Umm, your arrangement sounds good! No problems here!” she replied sweetly, once she was back with us.
“Well thanks for being so accommodating, both of you. I know it’s not ideal, but I’ll do my best for you, I promise. It’s my duty.”
“Just make sure you don’t burn yourself out. Being a dragon should be freeing, don’t turn your relationships into a job now,” I cautioned. “So basically, cut the duty shit out,” I grinned.
“You’re right, you’re right,” she chuckled. “Yell at me if I do that again. That includes you, Rhody.”
“Hm? Oh, r-right! Of course! I’ll practice shouting for you.”
“You OK, Rhody? You seem kinda unfocused,” I looked up at her, furrowing my brow.
“Right as rain, ufufu~!” she chuckled, pressing a hand to her cheek. “I’m just a bit hungry, that’s all.”
“Ahaha, right, me too!” Iori chuckled, her stomach letting out a loud growl. “I’ve been ravenous lately. I kinda pushed it to the side because of all this, but Wakaba was about to start cooking, so let’s get back to the others, huh?”
I smiled at Rhody as I hopped out of her lap, giving her and Iori space to walk by each other’s sides. Honestly, it seemed to me like something was on Rhody’s mind, but I wanted Iori to figure that out for herself, at least for now. If she hadn’t caught on before the end of our vacation, I’d smack some sense into her, and have her smack back way harder.
Still, I was glad to see Iori look a little more relaxed. I’m sure she knew that we’d be fine with things, but hearing it for herself had to be a relief, all the same.
As we made our way back to the others, I heard what sounded like Mio letting out a loud, excited shout.
“Oh, sounds like we’re missing something fun,” Iori grinned, and I quickened my pace.
I headed through to the living room, popped my head through the door, and grinned at the group.
“Yo! You girls having fun in…here?”
I saw Inumi wearing a suit and glasses, holding a stack of papers that looked to be Mio’s manuscript, while Mio herself hugged Haqua tightly, wearing a deeply satisfied smile.
“Rina!” Mio cried, throwing her arms around me the moment she saw me. “Guess what?! Guess what?!”
“Oh, what’s got my girl all giddy, huh?” I asked, holding her close and petting her head.
“I-I, I can’t say it!” she squealed, burying her reddening face against my shoulder. “You tell her, Resta!”
Inumi, apparently possessed by Resta, straightened her glasses and smiled at me, though the way her tail wagged behind her cut through her attempt at formality.
“Mio’s manuscript has been accepted. If she agrees to work with us, she’ll officially be a published author.”
“Well shit, congrats, Mio!” I grinned, nudging her head off my shoulder so that I could give her a kiss. “That’s amazing! We all knew you could do it!”
“I still can’t believe it!” she squealed. “Gosh gosh gosh gosh gosh!!”
This was the giddiest I’d ever seen her. I couldn’t imagine how good this had to feel, having her dream suddenly come to fruition.
“We’re endlessly proud of you, dear,” Haqua smiled, joining our hug and kissing the top of Mio’s head.
I felt great. Haqua was right, I was more proud of her than I knew how to express.
But if I’m being honest, I couldn’t help but think back to how she’d been the other day. When she’d been so nervous about what it might mean if she was accepted. I wasn’t worried, I knew that no matter what, things would work out great.
But between this, and the talk with Iori, it was clear that things were changing so very, very fast.
Though shit, I guess I should’ve expected that from a trip down to capital H Hell.
