The Monster Girl Heroines And The Hero Hub

***

Breakfast time--err--afternoon breakfast time--

"Oww..." I whined. I still had a pressure headache from whatever that former goddess's breast did to me.

Speaking of, that girl happily pranced into the house while I was sitting on the table, soothing my temples.

"Fainn! I brought breakfast!"

She, wearing her maid attire, happily sat down across from me and put the fruit platter on the table.

"Oh, from the <Mess Hall>. How much does the platter cost again? Sorry if I forgot."

She giggled. "No problem! It's just 10 Resource points." She popped the platter's lid off and handed me a plate.

"Thanks." We exchanged gazes for a moment before she hastily averted them. The smile she was wearing was goofy, and her cheeks were reddening quickly.

"Something got you embarrassed?" I asked.

"Maybe," she replied, sneaking a glance at me.

I rested my chin on my hand as I watched her. This was fun too. "Got any plans for today?" I asked.

The question made her light up, and she started talking, excited about what she wanted to do. First off, we would check on Elma, and then we would go back to planning out the Hero Hub. We would look for Heroes and worlds too. Occasionally, she would slip in little things like, "we can hold hands while we stroll through the forest," and "then we can stargaze when we're tired." I didn't think she noticed what she had said. It kind of felt like Narlivs was sneaking out of Svilran for those moments.

It was a nice breakfast, though we didn't really talk about our new relationship in the context of what was going on with Elma. I got the feeling that Svilran didn't want to touch that topic.

I would be a little sad if that were the case. From my perspective, it felt like it would be doable. I cared about both women and wanted happiness for both of them--me providing it, of course.

If I was committed to both of them, and never stopped devoting care to both, then it would be fine, right? Svilran and I were special beings here. Surely we didn't have to be bound by human limits, right?

Or maybe I was being greedy...

"What does it matter if everyone's happy and safe?"

"Fainn?" Svilran asked with her head cocked.

I realized my thoughts had slipped out and switched the subject. "Say, Svilran... Why did you pick me to save at the end of the world?"

She grinned at me. "Because you were good at simulation games!" she blurted out.

My mouth dropped open. "Huh?"

She scratched her cheek and nervously chuckled.

I went over the few memories I still had. "I'm pretty sure I only got into sims like one or two years before shit hit the fan."

"Ahh... Yeah," she said. "Well, it was kind of hectic, so I had just skimmed your file--"

"And I'm guessing that's how you missed that I had a power."

"And well... There was another thing..." Her face was as pink as cotton candy. She looked down at her fingers before continuing. "When I saw you, I thought you were hot..."

I heard it. Still, though.

"Pardon me?"

I had to hear it again.

"I thought you were attractive," she repeated. "I like guys with dark hair..."

I chuckled. Never did I think such a simple compliment would get me so tickled. "Could you say it again?"

"Geez!" she said, laughing. "Stop, it's embarrassing." She reached across the table and slapped me.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop."

"You're such a handful, Fainn!" She settled back into her chair and looked at me. "I guess... I just felt drawn to you..." She opened her eyes a little wider. "Oh... Maybe there was one more thing."

"Oh?"

"The selection process had actually been going on for many days. The thing that first caught my eye when I was scanning was a residual thought that was lingering around you."

I raised a brow. "Consider me surprised."

"Your mother--"

My chest tightened.

"--she was around you as you walked that ravaged land by yourself."

"My mother? That can't be right," I muttered.

"It was just an imprint--not enough to be called a ghost--but--to survive for so long--her feelings must have been strong."

A cold bead of sweat was going down my spine. I could feel the blood draining from my head.

"She kept whispering it, how much she loved you."

Oh no. That made me sink deeper.

Svilran smiled as she reminisced. "I wondered who could have such a mother, and then I took a look at you and saw the splendor of your soul. Such a brave soul that always looked toward the light, no matter how dark everything became. You became my light, Fainn. I just knew you were the one for me--err--I mean, you were the one who could help me."

I only half heard what Svilran said. I was trying to keep my nausea down.

"Fainn?"

"Huh--what?"

"Are you okay?"

I settled my trembling hands as I smiled at her. "Sorry, I was just surprised. My mother had... she must have died so long ago. I didn't think she... lingered like that."

Svilran's smile was as warm as the gentle sun's rays.

"Love can be amazing like that."

Her warmth was in stark contrast to the damp cold that was radiating from the depths of my person.

"Hey, Svilran, can I hug yo--"

Knocks at the door interrupted my ask.

"One moment! I'm coming!" Svilran said, jumping out of her seat.

I felt inexplicably cold, but then Svilran turned on her heels and quickly came back to me.

"Svilran?"

She bent down and kissed me on the cheek. I saw the awkward smile she wore as she stood up straight again.

"I loved having breakfast with you, Fainn. Let's..." she hid her face slightly. "Let's do this more often!"

A smile crept onto my face once more. I was sure of it again. I wanted her.

She ran off to the door and opened it.

"Oh my! Elma! Dorthaunzee!" she happily chirped. "Come in, come in!"

Elma came in, helped by Dorth.

"Hope we're not interrupting," Elma said. "Zee saw Svilran running from the <Mess Hall>."

"Of course not!" Svilran replied. "Please, sit." Svilran gestured to the side of the table opposite me.

"Thank you, Madam Goddess."

"It's no problem. We still have fruit too, so help yourselves!"

With that, Svilran turned on her heels and happily sat next to me, where she then bobbed back and forth. It was incredibly endearing how happy she looked.

Elma studied Svilran for a few moments before shifting her gaze to me and cracking a smile. "I'm so happy to see that our gods are getting along so well."

"Oh, hush, you," I said, flicking a grape across the table at her.

She chuckled. "Bet you're regretting waking me up, aren't y--"

"Never," I quickly--and a little playfully--replied. I was never going to joke around like that.

Elma was taken aback but smiled as she looked down and then back at me bashfully.

"Noted," she said, her voice higher and quieter.

Dorthaunzee immediately patted her on the shoulder, herself bobbing in time with Svilran.

"So, what's up? Did Elma pull herself out of bed for fun?" I asked. "Dorth, spread out your spores. Makes it easier to speak with you."

"Actually, sort of," Elma said. "I was tired of being in bed. I came down here to tell you that Zee and I would resume taking on missions tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, Elma, you've actually been given extra recovery days," Svilran followed.

Elma shook her head. "No, I'd rather work. I'm sure I'll be well tomorrow. Can my rest days accumulate, however?"

Svilran nodded. "They can."

"Then I would rather work as much as I can and then take a nice vacation." She winked at me. "Please build some recreation facilities for us to enjoy."

"Heh, alright. I'll do my best," I told her.

"Aww, look at our Heroes, Fainn! I so believe in you!"

"Now we've just got to get more missions... At least we have the ones we found the first time."

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Svilran shot up from her seat. "We should take a picture!"

I recoiled and looked at her, skeptical. "Do we have a camera?"

"Yeah! The house comes equipped with it!" Svilran ran to one of the storage closets and inexplicably pulled out a camera on a tripod and two of those lamps photographers use for lighting.

"Is this a house or a studio?" I quipped.

Svilran ignored me and just continued setting up the camera on the other side of the table. She looked through the lens and then poked her head out.

"Elma, Dorthaunzee, please sit next to Fainn."

The two, happy to be part of whatever this was, went and sat on either side of me.

"So, how does this work? It's a picture? Is that device going to draw a portrait of us?" Elma asked.

Dorthaunzee's thoughts came in quickly. "Yeah! It'll be a really good picture!"

Svilran ran around the table and stood behind me. She rested her chin on my head, and I could feel her breasts on my back.

"Be careful there, Svilran," I said, fighting the tingles.

"Okay, okay, everyone! It's about to take a bunch of shots! Smile!"

Dorthaunzee hugged my arm and smiled with her eyes. Elma rested a hand in mine as she smiled. Svilran ended up wrapping her arms around my neck. I could practically feel the warmth radiating from her.

Finally, I smiled. I didn't feel cold anymore. Had it even happened? No, it was a far gone memory...

I smiled wider. This was the happiest moment of my life so far.

There went the flash of the camera. It happened a few more times. Each time, Elma sneezed right after.

"Oh come on, Elma!" Svilran said, jubilant.

"I can't help it!" Elma sniped back, laughing.

Dorthaunzee rubbed her cheek into my arm, and I just kept smiling like a lovestruck fool.

Svilran ran to the camera and took the photos it had magically printed.

"Aww! These are cute! Hey, look, everyone!"

These three girls and whoever else would arrive... I was feeling more protective of them as I looked at their smiling faces.

"Wow, the quality is unbelievable," Elma remarked. "Ugh, I look so stupid when I'm sneezing!"

"You're the cutest, Elma!" Dorthaunzee seemed to feel.

"Aww, Fainn, you have such an adorable expression... Huh? It's the same expression in all the photos!" Svilran said.

"That makes it even cuter," Elma said.

Yup, this was paradise... I wanted to keep building it up. Yeah...

"Hey, everyone," I said. "We're going to make this Hero Hub a dream come true."

The girls cheered, with Svilran hugging me from behind.

"And let's keep taking these pictures. I want to fill my room with them--these precious memories..." I said.

"Oh, yes! Let's!" Svilran said. "I want to put them in my room too!"

"Can we make copies?" Elma asked. "I want one for my room."

"Me too!" Dorth conveyed.

My heart felt incredibly full... With these girls around, the nightmare that was my past life would get buried by all this happiness.

"I love you, my sacred child," said the profane whisper I thought I had forgotten... I hated that the fragmented memory had been riled up...

I closed my eyes and shouted it into the furthest reaches of my mind.

I'll be happy, in spite of whatever it was that you did. I'll be... I'll be the right one in my own way. A better way.

I hoped this would be the last time I would have to speak to myself like that. I opened my eyes and looked at the photo in my hands. I let it fill me up with happiness and scare away the nightmares.

Nightmares aren't real. Not when there are Heroes around.