Becoming Monsters 1: Ch. 14

"Heya, Pad!" Quinn said excitedly, presenting the pair of women. "Got two prospective tenants here lookin' to rent and they might be bringin' more with 'em."

"Oh?" The snake woman's forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air before she smiled and moved forward, extending one of her arms. "I thought you brought some friends over after your last boyfriend dumped you." Honoka took the offered arm and shook hands, surprised at the heat she felt under the scales. "After all, I've heard once you go succ, all you'll want to do is..."

"Leave that stupid Jeff out of this! These here might be payin' renters, I know you've been thinkin' 'bout it," Quinn blushed while she protested (it was visible on the skin around her nose), but she gave Honoka a sly side-eye while her green aura stoked a little higher. Honoka couldn't help noticing the otter girl's lack of bra as her tight red shirt began to tent from stiffening nipples.

The forked tongue flicked out again, causing the large snake woman to give a meaningful glance at Honoka's skirt. The telltale glisten of female fluids on her dark thighs was visually no different than the sweat covering her body, but the chocolate succubus suspected that tongue tasted something in the air and she felt herself heat up from more than jungle atmosphere.

The snake woman laughed, retreating back onto herself and folded one set of arms. "Of course. My name is Padmava Nair. If you like, I can show you around my home and see if the accommodations would be suitable for you." With her unfolded set of arms, the woman motioned to the building behind her, the second one from the end on the left. Now that Honoka calmed down, she heard an Indian accent behind the hissing quality of Padmava's voice. Honoka and Diane followed Quinn while the otter woman talked again like a Texan auctioneer but they stopped paying attention when they walked into the building and felt a blessed cool breeze.

"What's a She Hey You On?" Diane whispered to Honoka while they followed the rambling otter.

"Chinese traditional house design with buildings surrounding an open area in the center. Shows up in anime a lot because Japanese style imitates the Chinese." Honoka's whispered reply came off distracted as she studied the walls and ceilings. "Nālukettu is a similar concept, but it comes from India. I actually know a lot about both styles, it was the reason I became an architect."

"An' this is the Big Bath!" Quinn really got into it when they entered a massive tiled room, but there was a good reason. Done in grand roman style, a steaming swimming pool waited in the center of the room with six separate showers lining three walls and multiple sinks and vanities along the other. It was heavenly, and after walking around the muggy heat everyone felt a bath would be perfect. Quinn continued on as if she retained everyone's attention. "I say Big Bath 'cause there are three other bath rooms, but they're all smaller sized. Rooms for people ta live in are grouped by threes, an' they all have a small washroom with toilets, but nothin' beats a bath like this!"

"How many rooms are there, total?" Honoka asked.

"Um..." The otter girl floundered, looking at Padmava.

"There are sixty rental rooms, grouped in threes like Quinn said with a private restroom attached to each room and a common area with a small kitchen," the snake woman replied, slithering into the Big Bath with them. "As she said, there are also four large mineral baths but they're communal. There are two hosting rooms with larger kitchen areas for parties. The building on the outer wall facing the street is designed as a storefront that can be converted easily for businesses and shops. Finally, underground four very large spaces are dug out for storage and can be used however tenants would like."

"What Pad said," Quinn put in, smiling timidly as they walked out and found one of the communal rooms.

"I don't see any carpet anywhere," Diane commented, looking at the various details. "Or wood. Everything seems made out of stone."

"My husband was a Geomancer," the woman said, her eyes growing distant. "The entire place was built by him in a couple of days, all the stone has a higher tensile strength than reinforced concrete. Installing the furnishings, doors, electrical, plumbing and little details took years and millions of dollars."

"It really sounds perfect," Honoka said, taking everything in and trying think practically. "So why isn't this place rocking with people fighting in the streets to live here?"

Quinn froze in place when Padmava sighed, her tongue flicking out as she did. "Politics. When the Change happened, my husband and son stayed human while myself and my youngest daughter turned into nagas. I looked more monstrous than typical Races and my husband wanted me to feel like a person, so he used his fortune to build a place down in the dungeon where Races could remember how to feel human again. It was all still fresh, but there was plenty of room for things to work.

"Then, the guilds started to gain power. Lots of power. In dungeons, guilds possess the final say in everything, and there aren't enough controlling guilds with Race influence to do anything. My husband, a level thirty-two geomancer, tried fighting the oncoming mob rule and while I can't prove anything, I think he died because of it. A year later, anyone who tries to live here gets blacklisted by the guilds."

Padmava finished, her monotone story layered in the resignation of knowing she just lost two more customers. Diane glanced over to Honoka, a question in her eyes, but Honoka already made up her mind.

"When can we move in?" the dark succubus asked, smiling at the surprised snake and otter looking back at her.