Arcanine Wants Me To Be His Shrine Maiden? [Ch.1]
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Skyscrapers reached high into the afternoon sky as vehicles crawled along roads and bridges. Traffic lights switched and a crowd of people, some trailed by Pokemon, poured across the crosswalk. Digital billboards flashed, overflown by a flock of Pidgeys. Themselves overshadowed by a helicopter swooping toward the towering cluster of concrete and glass at the heart of Solspire City.
Reflected vaguely against the urban sprawl outside was an attractive young woman in black business attire. A snug skirt and leggings hugged a slender but shapely rear and long legs. Firm, round mounds buttoned up snugly in a blouse adorned by an ID badge. It bore a blue strip, marking her as head researcher of her department. The photo alongside it could have been taken that same day. Dark red hair collected into a bun with bangs flanking her face- the central feature here being a pair of bright amber eyes behind the glasses she wore.
Maia had a great view of the city from the facility's upper floors. Just not much time to do the viewing. Lips touched the paper cup and were met with a bitter tar like substance. It made her cringe, but that was workplace coffee for you. The stuff was just a necessary medication as far as she saw it. She knocked back as much as she could tolerate then dumped the last bit into a potted plant, only to give a rude awakening to somebody's Ivysaur that had been napping by the breakroom window. Pouring something into the plant seemed to have the same effect as liquid up the nose if the Pokemon's expression could be believed.
"Woops! So sorry!" She offered it as she quickly slipped away.
Phones rang and the hum of conversation bounced up and down interior hallways. Maia squeezed past somebody in a hazmat suit wielding a pair of tongs as he fought to dislodge a Joltik from an open power box. Running the gauntlet of hustle and bustle, she found her way back to the glass-partitioned cubicle central to the laboratory. Without delay she was back to work.
Over the next couple hours the lab outside emptied as her coworkers headed out into the late friday. Soon only a few cliques lingered in odd corners of the parking lot enjoying post work cigarettes and discussing plans for the weekend. Finally even the stragglers were gone while Maia remained dutifully at her computer.
There was light at the end of the tunnel in the form of her desktop background. A vacation photo of a temple tucked in a cherry blossom grove, peeking from behind all the reports, requests and collected data. She chipped away until there was nothing in front of her but that shot of the Solspire Mountain shrine grounds.
Leaning back in her chair, she breathed a sigh of relief and removed her glasses. But doing so she detected a light, sweet, floral scent hovering in the air. No question what the scent was- she was looking at it.
Once her computer shut down, she could see the glow in the corner of the black screen. Orange and subtly wavering light lingering just over her shoulder where somebody had left a small scented candle burning on their desk. Tisk, tisk, that wasn't wise. She blew it out and then left the thin trail of smoke to disperse and haunt the lab with an aroma of a faraway place.
The drive home took her past many parks and fenced off groves filling the spaces between the modern architecture. Old shrines and statues of various Pokemon stood in the dark, peeking from behind leaves and underbrush. The neon glow of downtown backlit paper walls, shined off polished red shrine gates. Wavered in the waters of Goldeen ponds, or spilled over silent zen gardens raked smooth. The old traditional roots were firmly in place here still.
Most of the neighborhood was already asleep by the time Maia pulled into her driveway. Dueling with the doorknob a moment she got the key inserted. Only for the knob to turn on its own accord, followed by the door swinging inward. She stepped back, giving a sharp gasp of surprise.
Burglars? Wrong house somehow? It was hard to say which she would prefer once the porch light clicked on to reveal the person in the doorway.
Shiny black hair gathered and pierced with a couple long needles. Her curvaceous frame was wrapped in a kimono of red, orange and gold. Fringed with tan fluff, all the outfit needed was a tail and some ears and the older woman would pass for a shortstack Growlithe. Shrine Keeper Kuni. A difficult trainer found in the heights of the Solspire Mountain shrine. But Maia knew her as-
"Mom?! Y-you nearly scared me to death! What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to get home," the woman said, "I thought you were going to take all night!"
Incense lingered in the air as Maia followed her mother into the living room. A couple cushions had been placed before the coffee table, where a kettle and couple of teacups were set out.
"I didn't even know you were coming. What, you just broke into my house?"
Her mother shook her head as she poured tea for the both of them.
"Of course not, you think I'm crazy? I took your key and copied it as soon as you moved in here,"
Maia accepted the cup but remained standing while she sipped from it and scanned the house for any other rearranging that had been done. More of her mom's grievances drew her away from the task.
"You picked a bad neighborhood! I have to park halfway to Kanto just to come visit you,"
On the wall outside the kitchen was a rack, holding a single broom but the rest of the pegs were empty.
"Looks like plenty of parking space to me," Maia said under her breath.
"What was that?! That sarcastic tongue wagging again?"
As her mother's eyebrows rose, Maia's resolve sunk. She was swiftly standing rigid, hands folded at her waist. Towering over her mother yet her lip trembled all the same, struggling to recall that she wasn't a little kid anymore. With a huff she excused herself toward her bedroom to shower and change. From the end of the hall the sound of banging around in the kitchen was already audible.
Arceus only knew what was in store for the weekend.
-
From the mouthwatering smell alone, Maia could hardly believe it was her own kitchen she was walking into. Though one other issue kept her annoyance going. She adjusted the robe that had been left in her bathroom, certainly not one of hers. In addition to being orange, striped black in the pattern of a Growlithe, the neckline plunged to show off plenty of cleavage.
"Where's my robe?"
"In the wash,"
Kuni gestured over a shoulder while tending the stove. A clump of rice and vegetables somersaulted in the pan, the stunt greeted by a louder bout of sizzling. She lowered the heat on the burner and turned to find her daughter looking grumpy about the wardrobe.
"Don't look so gloomy. Those twins of yours are nice, you should show them off!"
Maia crossed her arms, "That's my business and my body,"
Kuni pointed the spatula at her own chest, much larger and heavier.
"And it's my handy work. You're welcome,"
Scowl in place, Maia plopped down at the table giving a few final tugs to her robe. Meanwhile her mother finished cooking, lodging various complaints about the lack of spices on hand. Dinner was soon after clacked down on the table in rapid sequence.
"How's work been, dear?"
"Good," Maia said with a click of chopsticks before digging in to her plate, "They tossed in plenty of headaches with the promotion but I think I'm getting a grip on things,"
Kuni nodded approvingly as she started rapidly dunking a spoon into her miso soup. Maia poured another cup of tea for herself, then topped off the one her elder pushed forward.
"And how are things up on the mountain?" Maia asked.
Kuni gave a sideways glance at the kitchen window, where the shadow of a tree branch reached across the dark panes.
"Our guardian has been restless lately. And I don't think it's the shadow spirits bothering him. Something else is on his mind,"
Maia simply stared a moment as if expecting her mother to confess to a joke. Nope.
"Psh, a bunch of unruly ghost Pokemon would be my guess. I never saw any of these shadow spirits growing up,"
Kuni pointed her chopsticks at her daughter, "Of course you didn't. Not with Nojukubi on patrol,"
With dinner finished, she left the spirits and her mother to their own devices, excusing herself off to a moonlight splashed bed for the evening. She was out before she even felt the pillow on her cheek.
-
Maia stood in the woods, pitch black in the middle of the night. The moon's light seemed to ignore everything except for the stone walkway stretching ahead. A ghostly silver glow and the cold seeping from the stones. A shrine gate lay ahead and in the middle of it glowed a pair of orange glowing points. Flickering like the flames of a pair of candles.
As she stepped closer, she felt the fiery light on her skin. It touched, examined every contour of her body. Soaked in, the radiating energy itself seemed to be a living thing. Her hand moved down to the belt securing her robe. With a tug, the garment fell open. Her body was like kindling to the flames. They flared, just as Maia awoke with a gasp.
Snapping out of the dream hadn't brought her back to bed as expected. Instead she found herself standing in the living room, groggily blinking at unexpected surroundings.
The robe was untied, hanging open and draped halfway off her shoulders to reveal the delicate bra straps crossing her otherwise bare back. She glanced down, body flushed with heat, sensitive. As if she had been fondled enough to become aroused. Panties had become transparent as she stood soaked in anticipation.
For what? The living room was empty, aglow in the dim red light from a pair of pagoda shaped lanterns her mom had left on the coffee table. Maia pulled the robe up and retied it just in time as the lights clicked on.
"I thought somebody was having a good time in here," Her mother remarked with a smirk.
Still somewhat breathless, Maia brushed away a damp lock of hair clinging to her cheek.
"I-I guess I was sleepwalking or...something. I just-"
"Or something for sure," Kuni said with a nod, "For now get your rest, dear,"
Kuni didn't elaborate any further, only prodding Maia toward bed with a nudge at her back.