Volume 11 - Building Up, Chapter 78 - An Offer She Can't Refuse

Mara shuffled to and from her bedroom, carrying armfuls of sewing supplies through the chilly hallways. She shivered a little as she passed the empty bedroom that had been Mimi's. With Mimi gone to Tokyo, Chione asleep all day, and Tsuen at work every morning, the big house could get pretty lonely.

However, Mara didn't mind the peace and quiet, since she still had a lot of work to do. The kitchen table was covered in paper patterns, bits of cloth, and a sewing machine. She climbed up on the table, sat down in the center, and resumed work on Tsuen's dress. Thanks to her many limbs, she was making good progress, but there was still a fair amount to do before Christmas.

She was in the zone, working on the bust area of the dress, sized to fit Tsuen's perky chest, until… RING RING RING! The sound of the phone rang out through the house, from its spot near the entryway.

The sewing machine slowed to a stop and Mara looked around, distracted from her work. Isn't anyone going to answer that? she wondered.

RING RING RING!

"Ugh, fine. I'll get it," Mara mumbled as she hopped down from the table and skittered to the phone. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the phone in its cradle, then she held the cordless handset to her ear.

"Hello? Nakahara house. Whatcha want?" she said with as little snark as she could manage. Tsuen had asked Mara to be a little nicer to others, and Mara really was trying, with mixed results.

A vaguely familiar voice, rough and loud and confident, said, "May I speak with miss Yuisu Nakahara? Time is of the essence, so I'd greatly appreciate some urgency."

"Uh…" Mara responded, unsure what to make of the caller. He didn't sound like a telemarketer, and his speech was too formal to be a friend or family member. "Sure… one second."

With the cordless phone in hand, the little arachne sock-skated the short distance to Yuisu's bedroom.

"Hey, Yuisu!" she yelled as she knocked on the door, her efforts to be nicer forgotten. "Some guy wants to talk to you. Says it's urgent."

After a moment of shuffling sounds and low whispers, Yuisu flung open the door. Her straight black hair was all awry and she was wearing a baggy white t-shirt with a big pink heart on it. She tugged on the bottom edge, stretching it to try to cover more, since she didn't seem to be wearing anything under it. "Thanks, Mara," she said with more than a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Mara leaned to her right to peer around Yuisu and instantly understood why Yuisu was so annoyed: she'd been interrupted in the middle of something fun. Haru was sitting up on the bed with just a pillow and her white wings covering her naked body. Her white hair was a mess and there was a glazed, satisfied smile on her face.

"Ooh, looks like—"

Before Mara could finish her witty remark, Yuisu swiped the phone from Mara's outstretched hand and pushed the prying arachne back with a bare foot. Mara caught a glimpse of Yuisu's shapely booty as the annoyed lover turned away and closed the door.

"You're welcome!" Mara called through the door before pivoting and darting back into the kitchen, eager to make some more progress before Tsuen came home from work.

Yuisu sat down on the side of the bed, her bare bottom settling against the cool, silky sheets. She flipped her hair out of the way and put the phone to her ear. "This is Yuisu. May I ask who's calling?"

"Miss Nakahara! It's nice to hear your voice again. It's been months since you helped out at the soft opening of Sports Club Kobold."

"Korbin? It's nice to hear from you too." Yuisu asked, "What's the occasion for the call?"

The kobold cleared his throat, then replied, "Well, I was hoping to discuss something important with you, but I'm not one for conducting business over the phone. It just doesn't compare to a real face-to-face conversation."

Yuisu tucked her legs up under herself, away from the chilly air, then raised an eyebrow as she said, "Uh, can I at least get some context?"

Korbin's rough voice replied, "It's about your plans for an inn, but again, I'd rather not get into details on the phone. How about we talk over lunch today? There's an amazing steak place in town. You'll love it."

Yuisu swallowed hard. She was feeling a little unnerved by the whole conversation. How does he know about my plans? And just what is he going for?

Just then, Haru crawled up behind Yuisu and wrapped her in a fluffy, supportive hug. With her acute senses, Haru had heard the entire conversation and she had sensed Yuisu's unease.

Haru's comfort gave Yuisu an idea on how to gracefully bow out of the sudden and unusual lunch offer. Yuisu sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and said, "Ooh, sorry, but I don't think Haru would forgive me if I ate there without her. Maybe another time."

Korbin wasn't dissuaded in the least. "Bring her too! I'll buy the meal for the both of you," he cheerfully offered. "Whatever it takes to get you to hear me out."

Yuisu pondered that for a moment. Well, I'll be fine if Haru's there supporting me, and Korbin really does seem like a nice guy… "Alright. What time?"

Haru and Yuisu felt out of place as they stepped into the high-class restaurant. Yuisu was dressed appropriately, wearing a crisp green dress, but Haru opted for jeans and a leather jacket and she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the classy clientele.

Even the hostess cast a disapproving look at Haru's clothes as she lead the two women to Korbin's table.

Haru didn't know exactly how to feel about the snooty glances, but she didn't let it get to her. At least it's because of my clothes, and not because I'm a harpy.

As they approached Korbin's table, they spotted the fitness-obsessed kobold. He was wearing a very expensive-looking black suit that was tailored around his bulky muscles. Despite the fur overflowing from the cuffs and neckline, it actually managed to make him look regal. The very serious expression on his face helped that cause considerably.

Haru and Yuisu were in a daze as they sat down, marveling at the excessive silverware and the crystal glasses already filled with ice water. Korbin wasted no time and flagged a waitress over immediately. She arrived before they had a chance to look at the menu, but Korbin ordered for them, "We'll each be having the Kobe steak, rare for myself."

The black-haired waitress, who was dressed almost as finely as Korbin, looked questioningly at Haru and Yuisu. "And how shall yours be prepared?" she asked, her voice dripping snootiness.

Haru sat straight upright, trying to look prim and proper, then said, "Very rare."

Yuisu wriggled in her seat, feeling a little out of place with the two carnivorous liminals. "Uh, medium rare, please."

The waitress pivoted and walked stiffly away, and Korbin got straight to the point. "I assume you've heard that I'm building a ski resort here in town."

The girls both nodded. Tsuen had mentioned it and had been involved in the groundbreaking ceremony, and Haru had seen the construction site from the air. It was hard to miss since it covered a mile-long band of hillside on the far side of town.

Korbin smiled proudly. "What you probably haven't heard is that I'll also be building a large-scale hotel, with liminal accessibility."

Yuisu visibly wilted at that, slouching in her chair. So much for my inn being the go-to for liminals visiting town. My little inn would be nothing compared to a full hotel being run like a real business.

Korbin continued, "I happened to hear that you were interested in making an inn out of your property up there on the mountain. As a businessman, I must admit I am not thrilled at the idea of competition. Things would be simpler, not to mention more profitable, if I had the market to myself…"

Yuisu's mind started churning, processing the implications, and her falling mood showed on her face. I guess he'll just run me out of business as soon as I open. Maybe this is the end of my dream, which never really had a chance.

For the second time that day, Haru sensed Yuisu's distress. She wrapped a wing around Yuisu's shoulders and fixed a fierce glare on Korbin, ready to act if needed.

After a second that felt like an eternity, Korbin resumed, "But a good businessman knows that simpler isn't always better, and that short-term profits are just a tempting trap." He looked down at his furry paws and fidgeted, suddenly shy. "And above all of that, I love this town. Okayado is my home and I will do right by it."

Haru and Yuisu tilted their heads in unison, leaning towards each other so their hair nearly touched. The pair of women blinked at the kobold in confusion and Yuisu asked, "So, what exactly are you going to do?"

Korbin's eyes lit up with excitement as he explained, "People want choices, they want alternatives to big hotels when they visit Okayado. And hotels, like any business, need competition to drive them to higher quality. Therefore, I want your inn to succeed."

Haru let go of Yuisu's shoulders and leaned back in her chair, no longer feeling threatened. But she was still confused by the strange kobold and his unusual way of negotiating.

Yuisu smiled a wavering half-smile. "That's nice, I guess. But I don't fully understand. What is your actual offer? The one you wanted me to hear you out on?"

Korbin's ears perked straight up and he said, "The offer is this: if you can draft up a solid plan for your inn, I'll provide a loan to cover all the funding for the construction. At no interest, of course, since I'm no loan shark." He chuckled at that, showing his sharp but admittedly not shark-like teeth. "Think of me as an 'angel investor', spotting you the money to get your plan in motion and to ensure our mutual success."

Yuisu's eyes went wide. His offer was nothing like what she'd expected. In fact, it was better than anything she'd imagined. Her dream to run an inn changed from a fading lost cause to a nearly guaranteed success so fast that she was suffering from emotional whiplash.

"Uh, well, I uh, yes, that sounds, uh, amazing," Yuisu floundered, her mouth still lagging behind her brain which in turn was playing catch up to her racing heart.

After Yuisu finished her bumbling reply, Korbin casually added, "Oh, and if you can get me that plan sooner rather than later, that'd be great. I'll have tons of specialists and contractors of all species coming into town to help with the resort construction, and they'll need a place to stay during their visits."

"Oh, okay. I'll certainly try!" Yuisu replied, trying not to think too much about the amount of work needed. I'll need to decide the scope and make a business plan and hire an architect and…

The waitress arrived with their food and a bottle of wine, giving Yuisu a welcome distraction. Korbin and Haru were certainly distracted as well: they were practically drooling on the plates before the waitress could even let go.

Haru was eager to dig into her steak, but Korbin raised a paw and said, "Let's toast to our business venture." He carefully poured three glasses of alarmingly expensive red wine and handed one each to Haru and Yuisu.

Yuisu and Korbin raised their glasses, but Haru lagged behind. She awkwardly clasped hers with her feathery wing-thumb and lifted it unsteadily, straining to not spill it and stain her feathers.

"To Okayado, and to our success!" the kobold cheered, attracting annoyed glances from other patrons. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Yuisu and Haru grinned as they clinked their wine glasses against his.

After that little bit of ceremony, Haru and Korbin tore into their steaks with only a hint of restraint, but Yuisu took her time. She savored the rich, aromatic wine and the excellent Kobe beef steak while thoughts of the future danced through her head.

With a wide smile on her face, Yuisu leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms contentedly, and thought, It's really coming true, Uncle Ichiro… my dream to run my very own inn. Then she tilted her head and wondered, Wait, what should I name it?