Chapter 28: The Massage
Julius had woken up to a tingling sensation on his back. He angled his body to find Yumiko bent over him. The Nekari’s eyes were half closed as her fingers caressed his back.
She was so into the motion that she hadn’t noticed he had woken up and when he questioned her she jumped back in shock.
The system popped up a message.
[Foundation Compiled Successfully.]
He willed the screen to disappear and returned his attention to the Nekari whose words were now a stutter. He didn’t know what was going through her head until she offered a massage out of the blue.
He considered her motives but drew a blank. His body was still exhausted and the offer was tempting so he accepted. He noted her surprised expression.
"Uhm...could...you turn...lie down." Her yellow eyes failed to meet his.
His brows elevated, assessing the situation for a moment before he obliged. He reached into the draft for the wardstone in case this turned out to be something else.
A few moments later her footsteps were close and ended by his side.
Julius had never received massages but he knew it took skilled hands to do it. Which is why it surprised him when he felt her breasts on his back.
Eh?
He tried to turn around but her arms came around him. She was strong but not so much that he couldn’t overpower her if he tried. He was definitely going to take the foundation skill seriously.
"Please don’t move and don’t look, " Her voice was softer now.
Julius tried his best to relax which proved difficult as her breasts were pressed against his back.
They were soft even through the material that covered them. He could feel her breathe and her hair which draped around him.
Her torso was visible as her upper body pressed against him, knees on the floor beside the bed.
After a few moments of silence left Julius wondering if this was a tease and that’s when it hit him, vibrations.
They started low and increased slowly in a pattern. They resonated through the area where her chest connected with his back.
Is she...purring?
Julius had never heard of such a massage. Her breasts heaved against his back with the rhythm. Her breathing grew unsteady.
"Hah..." a whisper of a moan escaped from her.
"Uh Yumiko. You alright?"
"...Yes." Her voice was almost a whisper now.
A moment of silence followed. Julius thought it would be awkward if it stretched further so he asked a question to break the ice.
"Hey Yumiko. Want to talk?"
"...hmm."
"What’s your favourite colour?" The question made him cringe but he hoped in this alternate world the standards were different.
The nekari went silent for some moments as she considered the question. Her body weight increased slightly as she relaxed herself.
"White, only white." There was a pause as she took a moment to reflect. "...Yours?"
Julius didn’t have a particular colour but he was certain he despised the colour red, so he settled for two familiar ones.
"Blue and black," he replied.
"Like Tyhull?"
"What’s a Tyhull?"
"Three eyes, horns, black blue and tasty meat," Yumiko answered. Her breathing had steadied now and her firm hold on him had released.
Julius took in the information. He briefly recalled the skull at the tuskers gym and allowed the thought to fade.
"Who are the veshari?"
Yumiko responded. "Human looking, skin defect, anti magic, weak."
"Why are you following me?"
"To help find my sister." Her embrace grew a bit stronger.
"And in exchange?"
There was a silence as Yumiko considered what Julius meant. She had expected this.
"Will join party and help you but won’t kill," She replied.
Julius let that sink in for a moment. "Very well, I can’t promise you as I have my own problems to deal with but will help how I can and in exchange you help me with your skills. Sounds good?"
There was no reply for a moment. Her arms tightened around Julius before she spoke again.
"Yes, sounds good."
Now it was her turn to ask a question.
"Your scars. were you a slave on your world."
The question caught Julius by surprise, causing him to let out a chuckle. "No, I wasn’t."
"Why many scars?"
Julius pondered for a moment. The scars were from different times in his life. His abusive uncle, the gangs and some other incidents. But he didn’t want to tell her that.
"Another time."
She asked no other questions. The purring continued, filling up the rest of the silence.
After a few minutes Yumiko stopped and got off. He sat up and turned to look at her but she was facing away from him. Wearing her jacket and her pendant.
The massage hadn’t done as much as he expected but the lingering pain from the cramps had eased.
"Thanks,"
"Welcome." Her face was turned away from him but her ears twitched
He wanted to say something else but she was already flustered as it is. So he lay on his bed for a moment.
He looked at the ceiling, replaying what just happened for a moment before a screen appeared in front of him.
[You are taking steps to initiate the Bond Protocol]
’Steps? She offered a massage.’
[Is that what kids are calling it these days?]
"Kids? How old are you?"
[...]
Silence. He willed the screen to disappear. Mudgob brought food and they both ate in silence.
Yumiko went to the other bed to rest and Julius went downstairs to meet the goblin. He gave Mudgob part of his advance payment, for his stay, with food included.
The goblin mentioned the collectors incident and how he had staked their lives on the receipt.
"You’re a crazy goblin," Julius said after Mudgob finished narrating the incident.
The goblin cackled as he poured a cup of Mudmilk for Julius. "You should have seen his face when I gave him the receipt."
Julius joined in the laughter. His arrival so far had been filled with tension but the goblin’s sense of humor had helped relieve it a bit but he had other problems.
Aside from the Inn payment he needed a weapon if he was to take jobs from the adventurer’s guild, the rusted dagger would not do and he couldn’t hold on to Daren’s dagger forever.
There was also the matter of food. The goblin could not cook. He had a partnership with the bakery and so his diet so far has been bread and Mudmilk. Yumiko hadn’t complained but he needed other nutrients, especially if he wanted foundation to work efficiently.
Julius knew he was going to leverage every means to get money if he was to survive what was to come.
He definitely didn’t want to be broke in this alternate world. The bills were already racking up. He bid Mudgob goodnight and went to his room. Yumiko was still asleep
The silvery beams of the moon illuminated the night. They reminded him of the Lycan’s eyes he had met earlier at the gym.
Julius didn’t care why she behaved that way but he definitely didn’t want to encounter her again.
A sigh escaped from him as he considered his current problems. Mudgob’s contact was either going to solve some of his problems or add a new one.
Another problem for future me. He thought as he closed his eyes.
