I pulled up to the curb as dozens of students walked past the van from the sidewalk. Ange and Cresta had come to see Tamara off on her first day of school. To say the new student herself was nervous would be utterly wrong. She was raring to go, fidgeting in her seat, unable to contain the smile.

If all went well, she would come home all smiles, too.

"Do you want us to walk you up to the campus?" Cresta asked Tamara who had her face pressed to the window.

Tamara shook her head. "I'll be fine! I just—"

The backpack she was holding in her lap rustled.

"Rakka is in there, isn't she?" I asked Tamara.

"Of course not! I said goodbye to Rakka on the way out this morning," she answered, eyes drifting away from mine. As a result of letting her guard down, Cresta seized the opportunity to unzip the backpack. "Ahh!"

"Baa!" Rakka bleated as she popped her head out.

"This was almost an episode of how to speed run any percent getting suspended from school. I know you love Rakka like family, but you can't bring pets to school," I warned her.

"Okaaaaayy." Tamara let Rakka out of her backpack and gave her a tight squeeze.

"Me and Ange will be back here at this exact spot at 3:00 PM to pick you up. Have fun and stay safe at school!"

Tamara hopped out of the car and landed gingerly on her feet to the stares of hundreds of other students. This much was expected since netherfolks were still a new thing after all. The first thing she did was wave at her fellow students, beaming with a big smile. Then she turned to us and waved goodbye.

We watched as she skipped up to the campus building where Instructor Elaine waited at the top of the steps. It eased my mind the most that my tenant was in good hands.

"Mmm. That woman is looking rather delectable in that white blouse," Ange said, licking her lips.

"Quit looking at Tamara's teacher in such a lewd way." I put a hand to my face and groaned.

As soon as they went inside, it was Cresta's turn to be dropped off. She was also excited. More likely at the thought of being surrounded by her favorite fast food than actually working there.

"Alright, Cresta. Make sure to behave at work, and don't overdo things the way you normally do at home!" I said sternly.

From the rearview mirror, I saw her crossing her arms and pouting in the seat. "Isn't this the part where you tell me 'have fun!' like you did when sending Tamara off to school?"

There is no fun in work, was what I wanted to tell her.

I thought better of it. The worst thing to do was drill into her head that work was no place for fun. Sure, for a lot of jobs it wasn't. But Cresta specifically sought out working in the fast food service industry because it was what excited her. Those weren't my dreams to crush. At best she would love it, and at worst she would find something else to pursue.

"Now, now. Akira didn't mean for you not to have fun. He only wishes to remind you of the responsibility of work, and to take it as seriously as your assassin role in the past," Ange said, coming to my rescue.

"Okay." The catassassin sucked in a breath through her nose, ears and tail perking up. "I don't want to mess this up. I want to be able to make burgers like Rocket Burger to share with everyone in the dorm now and in the future."

"I admire your enthusiasm! Let's just leave all the artery-clogging bits out of your future recipes," I suggested.

Ange and I bid Cresta goodbye as she leapt out of the car towards her new job. That last line she said struck a chord with me. Now and in the future. She was undoubtedly holding onto hope that Irapesha was alive. I certainly hoped so.

"We have the rest of the day to ourselves. Anything you want to do while we're out?" I asked my girlfriend.

Simply thinking the word made me all warm and tingly. Love sure was a powerful drug.

"Hmmm. I was thinking of visiting the local strip club downtown," she said, looking through a broschure of the city.

"Aaaaaaannnd I'm no longer feeling warm and tingly. You want to go to a strip club of all things?" I stared at her with my mouth hanging open.

"Well, one goes to pay attractive women to shed their clothing and dance erotically on poles. It sounds rather enjoyable."

It dawned on me that hoping for a wholesome relationship with a succubus was nigh impossible. Wholesome being the keyword here. On the other hand, having a succubus girlfriend was probably the only way for me to get away with going to a strip club. This wouldn't fly with a normal person.

Silver linings I suppose. Curse my curiosity for getting the better of me.

"If you want to give one a try, then we could check one out together. Those places only open at night though, so maybe another day." I glance over to the backseat where Rakka sat in place of Tamara. "We also gotta get this sheep home."

"Meeeeeh!" Rakka bleated in agreement.

With most of the morning freed up, Ange and I spent time in the city since we were already here. We watched a movie, went shopping, and topped it off with buying some groceries for the dorm. Once we got home and put everything away, Ange went upstairs to start moving some of her things into my room.

"Wait, wait, wait. Aren't we progressing a little too fast into that part of the relationship?" I asked as she carried an armful of clothes into my closet.

"Akira, have you forgotten we live under the same roof already?" she reminded me.

"Oh. Right." I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment.

Although I suspected this had more to do with me leaving the dorm for Weyera in another week and half. It was cute seeing Ange wanting to spend more time with me.

By 2:30 PM, I had finished all the chores around the dorm. Our communal bathroom was sparkling clean, the front yard cleared of snow a second time, and preparations for dinner ready in the fridge. Tamara got off school by 3, but Cresta was off work by 4 in her eight hour work day. The timing was awkward, but Cresta had assured me ahead of time that I didn't need to pick her up, and would sprint home as part of her exercise instead. I look forward to the news of a speeding blur racing through the city every afternoon on weekdays.

Remmy was busy climbing the competitive ladders in her games, and Ines fell back into the grind of her coursework. It was just me and Ange again driving back into the city.

We arrived just as several buses were loading up on students to ferry home. I pulled up to the same curb, in front of a waist-high stone fence upon which students sat with friends, and waited eagerly for Tamara to emerge.

The wildest thing was that some of them, more specifically the seniors and juniors, were so close in age to me. They were only a year or two apart, yet here I was in a car, working for the government as an ambassador and caretaker to races from another world. My duty wasn't unknown to me. One day, these schools would be filled with just as many netherfolks as there were humans.

But I had to work hard for that.

"There she is." Ange alerted me to a student and teacher pair exiting the school.

However, I wasn't prepared to see what followed. Two security officers flanked them close by. Students steered clear of the entourage. Tamara herself had her head down and frowning, not looking like she had a good day at all.

Ange exited the van as they got close.

"Hey! You'll draw attention to us!" I shouted to her and exited the vehicle from my side.

"Dude a succubus!"

"Why didn't we get her for a new student instead?"

"Damn, she's so hot!"

"What happened?" Ange asked Tamara.

She pursed her lips and refused to answer, silently walking past both of us and into the car. Ange and I looked to Elaine for answers instead.

"I am so terribly sorry," the instructor began. "Tamara was very vibrant today, but I think that very same personality clashed with some… unsavory students, which led to some unfortunate altercations."

"Who hurt her?" Ange demanded, fists clenched and eyes glowing.

The three of them straightened their backs, eyes taking the same color.

"Three students from her class: Monica, Rochelle, and Patricia bullied her during break and lunch period," Elaine swallowed hard and answered.

My greatest fear was confirmed and realized. I had hoped, by the school faculty's assurance, that they would make accommodations and keep a close eye so this wouldn't happen. As much as I worried for Tamara, another problem was brewing right now. I grabbed Ange by her arm and tried to shake her to her senses.

"Ange, control yourself. We didn't bring Rakka, so why don't you be in there for Tamara's sake? Let me talk to them, and you go sit down next to her. Sound good?"

The succubus released her hold on them. The instructor and two security gasped for air as if invisible hands unclenched from their throat. I waited until Ange entered the car and shut the door.

"I expect a thorough explanation," I said, folding my arms.