jamminrabbit
patreon
The Caretaker of Tenants From Another World - Chapter 127
🕑 Added 2022-08-27 23:22:36 +0000 UTCAlt link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KARa2y95b8MKVfSmXRKUvx0jqAJ8wp895btQcygmOkk/edit?usp=sharing
Chapter 127
"We're finally here," I groaned, slamming the car door shut.
Driving here took five hours, two hours longer than projected because we hit traffic. Who would have thought thousands of other families had the same idea to go to the beach today? My ass and fingers were numb beyond comprehension, and I dreaded the inevitable drive back at night.
However, it was suffering worth dealing with as my tenants poured out of the van. Their eyes were drawn to the shimmering seas and sands, squealing at the beautiful scenery before them. Gentle blue waves foamed up white as they crashed against the shores. A salty seabreeze tickled mine and the more smell-sensitive tenants' noses.
With the sun beaming a warm glow down on us, a single thought crossed my mind— worth it.
"Wow! I haven't seen so much water in… ever!" Tamara exclaimed, dewy-eyed and mouth agape by the glittering seas.
"They estimate that the Earth is 70% ocean. Don't drink it though. It's salt water, and you're just going to give yourself a stomach ache," I warned.
"Let's go!" Cresta shouted at the top of her lungs. She picked up Tamara and Remmy, consequently including Saralash, and made a mad dash towards the beach.
"Unhand me, you brutish thing! Salt water will cause us to lose shape!" Saralash protested.
"Baaah!" Rakka chased after them on foot.
"All this sunlight is making me drowsy… I think I'm going to lay down," Irapesha said, yawning as she followed after them with a giant beach towel slung over her shoulder.
Ivory and Isla emerged next, with the alraune girl clinging to the living mimic from behind. Her leaves and petals were stretched taut to maximize the surface area for sunlight. A very content smile creased on her face.
"Huuu! This is a beach, huh? Come on, Isla. Let's catch up to the others!" Ivory exclaimed.
"Beach? Lots of water! Food!" Isla beamed at the sea.
"Don't let her soak that water, Ivory!" I shouted.
Someone tackled me hard from behind and threw their arms on me. Or more like she let herself become deadweight on me.
"Akira, I'm so happy I could cry… All that blood, sweat, and tears shedded over college, and it's finally over… Is this beach my reward? Tell me it's my reward!" Ines cried, choking me out as her arms clenched tighter.
"And I'm happy for you." I tapped out by patting her arm. "Just let me go so I can survive, and we can enjoy this together."
The overdramatic college student finished her first year of graduate school. Ines was on track to earning her masters on time, just one more year out from finishing. Currently, she was on an expedited program that allowed her to simultaneously enroll to obtain an occupational therapist license in California, a significantly shorter process that would ideally enable her to take an internship at the start of next year.
"Ugh… It's so hot, I could just die…" Val groaned.
We turned to the miserable-looking dark elf, dressed in a sun visor and light shawl to cover herself.
"Aw, cheer up! We're at the beach now. For us humans, this is the best place to be!" Ines grabbed Val's hand and pulled her along to join the others.
Then finally…
Ange exited from the passenger seat. She was dressed in a sunhat, beach shorts, and loose, light blue shirt laced at the abdomen. It was all that stood between her bikini and my sanity.
"Shall we?" Ange smiled, extending a hand to me.
We headed into the beach, fingers interlocked and shoulders brushing up against each other. As per usual, our group was the center of attention. Since we came to a public beach, hundreds of people who had only seen netherfolks on television and news gawked at my tenants. Fortunately, they didn't seem to care, too engrossed with being at the beach and playing together to notice.
A long row of palm trees separated the parking lot and the sandy beach. As soon as we walked onto the sands, Ange stumbled on the immediate change in terrain. I caught her before she fell. A slight blush on her face told me she was embarrassed by it, but it was cute to see her flustered.
Ines had set up at a spacious spot. Two beach umbrellas staked into the ground provided shade for Val who was not feeling it at all. She sat on her beach towel and clutched her knees.
"Val, buddy. For all the time you spend gardening under the sun, you're surprisingly weak to it at the beach," I teased.
"Quiet, you. Maybe it was the car ride here. Going from air conditioned comfort to sweltering death does not feel very good…"
Well, at least everyone else was having a good time.
Adjacent to Valwas Irapesha, outside of the shade and snoozing face down. The dragonewt decided against wearing any kind of swimsuit, citing their suffocating tightness. Instead, she wore a loose shirt and swimming trunks with a hole cut out for her tail.
"I'm impressed. I wonder what else this world has to offer," Ange said, letting her stuff drop to begin laying out a beach towel.
"Don't get me started on camping. I'm sure Weyera had beaches like this, right?" I asked.
"I can't for the life of me remember anymore. It's been so many years. Feeling these tiny, warm grains between my toes do stir some memories." She gazed at the sands.
Earth wasn't meant to replace the home they lost. Nothing could ever replace that. If it could serve as a second home that they can look just as fondly on. To do that, they needed happy memories to look back on.
By the tenants splashing so carefree at the waters, it was going to be just fine.
"Love, would you be so kind as to put sunscreen on me?" Ange asked.
I almost choked on my own spit. Finally, the time had come. My gift for all the work until now. The succubus shedded her shorts and top, revealing a black string bikini that pinched into her voluptuous form. Black was a good color. It suited the succubus perfectly, especially against the pinkish tint of her skin.
"Well, you don't have to ask twice," I said.
Ange laid face down on the beach towel, resting her chin on both arms. I began by squeezing the waterproof sunscreen on her back and hesitated. Somehow, this was a lot hotter than our intimate escapades. It had to be because of the bikini. Powerful indeed.
As I smoothed out the sunscreen across her body, I felt the stares of dozens of jealous gazes burning into me.
"Mmm… Your hands feel so good, Akira~" Ange cooed.
"Please… not now, I beg of you," I said, blushing up from her teasing.
It took every ounce of willpower not to pop an erection, and my very resolve was tested again when Ange asked me to do the front. While I kneaded the sunscreen into her, the tail suddenly snatched my hand.
"Uh… Ange?"
"You're forgetting the most important place." Ange dragged my hand up to the soft mounds of her breasts, and I was forced to fight against her netherfolk strength.
"For all that's good and holy, spare me!" I pleaded.
Ange giggled and released my hand, thanking me as I let out an exhausted sigh. She sat up and kissed me on the cheek.
"Thank you, love."
"Hey, me next!" Ines hollered, lying down and beckoning for me. Although not as erotic as Ange, she also wore a bikini, but white in color and with frills.
"Man, I'm a caretaker! Not some personal sunscreen dispenser— Wait… Guys, get back here and put on sunscreen! You're going to get sunburnt otherwise!" I shouted to my tenants.
They ran back to us, already out of breath from playing so much.
"Sunscreen? What's that?" Cresta asked.
"To save you from a miserable future of medical bills. Seriously though, you'll want sunscreen or your skin will be crying for help later," I explained.
"Bah! You're just overreacting." She shrugged and returned to the waters.
Half of me wanted karma to bite her on the ass, and the other half dreaded the pain she's going to feel later. She wore a bikini, too, but with only one strap over her shoulder. That was a lot of exposed skin at the mercy of the sun. Oh, well. Better learn their lesson at some point.
However…
Ivory settled on a simple one-piece. Remmy made her swimsuit out of slime that mimicked Ivory's one-piece. Then there was Isla whose petals formed something like natural clothing anyway.
"Ivory, Remmy, and Isla… I don't think the three of you need sunscreen, right?" I asked them.
They traded glances and shook their heads.
"Nah. What's the point? My skin ain't real. Isla needs the sun, and Remmy and Saralash are made of slime," Ivory said.
"Which leaves you, dear. Come here," Ange urged Tamara, who trotted up to me.
The sheep girl wore a one-piece, yellow and white swimsuit with prints of fluffy sheep on them. I applied sunscreen to her chubby cheeks first, shaping them in my hands like balls of gel.
"Uugh… Is this how you're supposed to put on sunscreen?" Tamara asked, eyes squeezed shut as I smothered her cheeks.
"No, I just like messing with you because you're my favorite." I grinned, then proceeded to apply the rest to her exposed arms and legs. "Alright, you're good to go. Don't go too crazy in the water, okay?"
"Okay!" She trotted back to the others.
Plenty of sand had gotten trapped in her bed of woolen hair already. Each step she took shook loose a handful. That was going to be a hard time cleaning up later.
"I'm going to go watch over them. You coming with?" I asked Ange.
"I think I will tan a little first. Besides, I hear bikini tans can make a man go wild." Ange winked.
I gulped hard, imagining the contrasting tones that a tan would leave behind on her.
"Bringing you to the beach has been one critical hit after another…"
As I got up, Tamara came running back.
"Mom, can we buy ice cream?" Tamara asked, then choked on her spit upon realizing what she called Ange. "I-I mean Ange! Sorry… it just came out…"
"Oh, Tamara… You can call me mom if you like. Of course, we can buy some ice cream for everyone, too." Ange stood up and offered Tamara a hand.
In fact, it probably made Ange beyond happy to be called that by her.
"Please, buy me a tub of ice!" Val pleaded to them.
Both of them walked hand in hand like a real mother and daughter pair to the ice cream truck at the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Ivory and Cresta were trying to coax Remmy to join them in the waters. They were only ankle-deep, letting the waters brush against their feet. The slime girl, however, shuddered and backed away everytime the waves got close.
"Will the salt water really hurt you?" I asked Remmy and Saralash.
"It won't hurt us, but it would make it difficult for us to move around or change shape," Saralash explained.
"I want to… join everyone, but I'm… scared of touching the water," Remmy stammered.
They were fine in the baths at home. Maybe it was the properties in salt water.
"Don't we have like a floatie or something?" Ivory asked.
"Oh, yeah. Ines did bring one. Lemme go ask," I said.
Ines was more than happy to lend the floatie to Remmy. When we blew the inflatable up, it became a turtle with the shell acting as a seat.
"Don't worry, Remmy. I won't let go of you." Cresta plopped the shaking, blob form Remmy onto the seat and slowly treaded them into the waters.
I swam out with them to make sure they would be okay. This far out, the water was up to our waist and could easily sweep us along the currents. Thankfully, there were handles for us to cling to the sides of the floatie to stick together.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Saralash assured the slime girl. "I may not be a fan of your friends, but they care enough to look after your safety. You're in safe hands."
After floating listlessly for a few minutes and listening to Saralash's words of encouragement, Remmy did settle down.
"Ahh… I can just fall asleep like this." Cresta purred blissfully.
"Save that for when you're on solid land!" I chuckled.
The rumble of a motorboat drew our eyes to it as it sped past. They cut through the waters and created wakes that splashed us.
"Watch where you're going, you punks!" Ivory shook a fist at them. "Lemme turn into a harpoon to spear 'em."
"Is it just me, or did we drift pretty far from the beach?" I asked, gazing over my shoulder to find a lot more water between us and the beach. "We should probably swim back—"
The boat made a u-turn back to us. This time, they came so close that the waves knocked three of us away from Remmy and Saralash. We lost hold of the handles, and they began to drift farther away.
"Remmy!" Cresta shouted, swimming vainly to catch them.
"What the… Those guys— stop!" I waved my hands as they made another turn.
When I squinted, I made out a couple of college-aged guys with beer in their hands who were doubled over in laughter. They were clearly drunk and screwing with us.
"H-Help! I'm not buoyant enough! Er… hold on…" Ivory transformed into a donut floatie, already filled with air to stay afloat.
"Cresta, grab onto Ivory and let's kick towards Remmy!" I shouted.
We put our backs into it, but the motorboat was faster. They were on a collision course with Remmy and Saralash. At this rate—
A giant and unnatural wave that shouldn't be possible steered the boat away, jostling the men within. Another wave, smaller and more gentle pushed Remmy and Saralash's floatie against the current, bringing them back to us, and then carrying us to shore. We crashed into the sandy beach, and I hurried to check on my slime tenants.
"Are you two okay?" I asked worriedly.
"Remmy is a little shaken, but I think she will be fine," Saralash said.
The blue slime blob was shivering so much, likely scared out of her wits. While I was grateful for the miracle, our true savior showed itself.
Water swirled upwards like a tornado. Someone, a netherfolk, emerged from the top and loomed over us. She was blue, like Remmy. However, the churning waters that made up her body and hair were anything but slime. The netherfolk, who had a whistle up to her lips, tooted loudly.
"Sorry, dudes and dudettes. No floaties on the beach! Got too many accidents of drifting out to sea with them. Don't worry about those jerks. I'm sending them straight to the coast guard to be cited for endangerment." She thumbed to the ocean where a rogue wave carried them to a larger boat with the anchors insignia.
"A water spirit!" Cresta exclaimed, pointing to the netherfolk before us.
"Wait a minute," I said. "Are you working for—"
"That's right," Reggie said, coming up from behind us. He was dressed in swimming trunks, too, and with Grace in tow who was in a green two-piece with a waist sarong.
"Her name is Aquaria, an undine from Weyera." Grace took the liberties of introducing her. "She works as a lifeguard on this beach and is a tenant of the Santa Barbara branch dormitory under Caretaker Rebecca Stiltson."
"Yo, Akira. Heard a lot about you. What's good?" A tall caucasian woman, skin tanned bronze from the sun, dressed in a black bandeau swimsuit and eyes obscured by designer sunglasses, and with blonde hair tied to a ponytail, stuck a hand out to shake mine.
"It's nice to meet another caretaker, but… what are you two doing out here? Don't tell me you were following me?" I asked our handlers.
"That's exactly what we were doing." Reggie grinned.
"We suggested Santa Barbara on purpose because Becca's here. This was a good chance for two dorms to meet up and see how it turns out," Grace explained, gesturing behind them to a group of three netherfolks trotting onto the beach to catch up.
