Harem Hero

Connecting With the Major

"So, this is your new house?"

Motoko leans against the doorway to the master bedroom, wearing her white pants and leotard top. The way that this woman pulls off these cyberpunk outfits is something of a mystery. Though anything can look good when it's attached to a drop-dead gorgeous woman like her. She leans more into the cocky and confident Motoko from Stand Alone Complex than the ghostly, ephemeral look from the movies.

The bedroom is a sad sight indeed. A huge, plaster white chamber with overly large windows and a single double mattress thrown onto the floor. Most of the fittings in your old apartment belonged to the landlord – this is one of the few things that you purchased with your own money. Not that you want to bring some of that busted old furniture with you into your brand-new mansion.

"I know. It's not a pretty sight."

Motoko laughs under her breath, "It reminds me of my apartment when I first moved in. I wondered what the hell I was going to do with all of the space."

"No suggestions?"

"I still don't know what to do with it."

"Well, Rias and her Mother are going to get their fingers all over this place soon. We have a pack of contractors lined up to get it into shape, and make it less tacky."

"Tacky..."

"It's tacky," you reiterate, "They were going to put a gold-plated bathroom in here or something."

There's a moment of silence as you both investigate the bedroom further. Motoko is right, it's huge! You can't even begin to fathom what you're going to do with all of this space. Even the largest of harem sized beds couldn't hope to justify a bedchamber like this. You could fit three large sitting areas, multiple walk-in wardrobes, and a full entertainment centre easily – with room to spare. That's what you're going to have to do, these white distant walls make it feel like a hospital.

You laugh and flop back down onto your artistically placed bed, "How's work treating you?"

"Work?"

"Well, I assume you didn't come here just to look at this dull house. Even a lady like you needs rest and relaxation sometimes."

"I usually call up a few friends and..." Motoko stops herself before she lets slip anything too personal to you. You already have a good idea of what those friends of hers did when they visited her apartment, even if it was never explicitly shown in SAC. "Never mind," she says, "I can't say anything. It's classified."

"Yeah? I don't live in your world. How could I leak whatever you tell me?"

Motoko sits down next to you, "It's the principle. If I start talking about work with you, I might say something to someone else. The last thing I want to do is mix my professional and personal lives like that." Considering how much of a workaholic she is, that balance is already way out of whack. "I haven't visited in a while. That's all."

You think back to how much time you've spent with the others, particularly the ORC; "Jealous?"

Motoko turned her head to the ceiling defiantly, "I don't get jealous."

"I mean, I don't really get the complexities of having a polyamorous relationship myself. If you want me to spend more time with you – just come out and say it directly. I'm always open to killing a few hours with one of my girlfriends."

"Oh, I'm a girlfriend now?

That puts a chill through you, "We both know how this works by now. You wouldn't put up with me if you didn't like me."

Motoko has to relent, "Ugh. I don't like the word. Everything I've done with other people has been casual."

"It can be casual if you want – you can call this whatever you want it to be."