Cathryn hummed to herself as she tidied up her den. The last thing she wanted was to give a bad impression to her new houseguest – of herself, of her home, of perhaps even humanity. But would her new visitor prefer a less-ordered home? She just didn’t know.
Nor did she really know why she’d signed up for this program. The extra money for sponsoring a new arrival? She wasn’t exactly rich, but she was far from poor. The company? Cathryn was barely able to make small talk with regular humans, let alone whoever was coming. Curiosity? Just maybe. After all, hearing that monster girls were real, that they were being integrated into human society, had been amazing news. She almost wanted to learn about wherever her new housemate came from just as much as they would learn about human customs from living with her.
As she brushed off the TV, the doorbell rang. Cathryn hurried to the door, opening it wide, curious of who would be standing there.
Standing a distance back near the street was a woman from the government agency. And before Cathryn was her new houseguest, one she hadn’t expected to be wearing a white tank top, black leather jacket, and denim short-skirt.
Smiling, Cathryn said, “Welcome, Lia! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
The lamia nodded, slithering past Cathryn as she stepped inside. “You’ve got a nice place, don’t you?” the brown-scaled serpent-woman said. While her lower body was that of a snake, her upper body was humanoid, bearing patches of scales here and there but looking mostly human.
“Thank you!” Cathryn replied, leaning Lia towards the couch. “Go ahead, make yourself comfortable. I’d love to hear all about you!”
Lia smiled in turn, then slithered onto the couch – not going around as a regular person would, but sliding up the back of the couch and spreading herself out upon
the length of the sofa. The display brought a smile to Cathryn’s face as she took the armchair opposite the couch.
That smile shrank as Lia reached into her leather purse, pulling out something which the lamia placed in her lips. Just as Lia brought a lighter close, she glanced to Cathryn and said, “Hmm?”
“Um,” Cathryn said, shifting in her seat, “you…smoke?”
“Uh-huh.” Lia flicked the flame to life, prompting a puff from her cigarette. The lamia took a long drag, then blew the smoke towards the ceiling, quickly filling the living room with its odor.
Cathryn glanced away, trying to wave away the smoke. “I…I didn’t expect you would be a smoker…” It was odd to think of a non-human indulging in such a vice.
“Didn’t you check off the ‘smoking OK’ box on the application?”
Had Cathryn done so? She might have ticked the wrong one. “Well…I mean…I don’t mind smokers, but could you smoke outside, at least?”
Lia glanced over to her. “I suppose, but once it starts getting cold, I’ll probably be unable to go out regularly.”
Cathryn fretted with her thumbs. The last thing she wanted was for a houseguest to start stinking up her home, but she didn’t want to be impolite, especially if it was her own mistake. “Um, okay. Well, how about you try to keep it in your own room? With a window open?”
“Sure, that sounds fine to me.” Lia took another long drag, followed by a billowing stream of smoke leaving her lips. “If you want, I’ll take my smoke there now.”
Cathryn shrugged; would one cigarette in the den really hurt? “Well, it’s fine for now, I guess. But I’d love to learn more about you!”
Lia stretched herself out, dangling the tip of her tail off of the couch. “I forget what you humans call it, but my people come from a jungle on another continent. We’re quite a docile and calm people, and enjoy peaceful lives.”
“Interesting,” Cathryn said, nodding. “I’ve been working in a law office, and I’ll probably be handling a few cases involving non-human residents of the city soon. I’ll make sure I stand up for the rights of everyone!”
The lamia chuckled, taking a short puff of her cigarette. “Cute. I’ve known lamia like you, optimistic, thinking they’ll change the world by meeting humans. I’m just here to sample the delights, if you will. Your delicacies, your entertainment, your vices.” As if to highlight what she meant by that last one, she drew from her cigarette again, the smoke swirling in the light from the nearby window.
“I…I didn’t think monster girls would be smokers,” Cathryn asked. “Do you get addicted to nicotine?”
Lia stared at Cathryn in an odd manner, as if she didn’t get what Cathryn meant. “I smoke because I enjoy it, and because I find it relaxing.” Another drag, another exhale filling the room. Cathryn should have opened the window more… “Look, I get that it’s bothering you. I’ll go to my room, let you have fresh air.”
Standing up, Cathryn said, “Thanks. Sorry…I’m not usually around smokers. Your room’s upstairs. I was told lamia could climb stairs fine.”
“Sure we can,” Lia replied. The smell of smoke followed Cathryn upstairs, and Lia taking another puff didn’t help matters.
Cathryn opened the door, revealing a simple bedroom with a single bed, a dresser, and a desk with a small TV on top. “Here’s your room!” she said cheerfully, stepping in to let Lia have a look. “If you need anything, I can have it brought in by the agency. Is everything fine?”
Lia nodded, then approached Cathryn. “It looks perfect! Well, maybe not yet, but it will soon.” The lamia smiled, rising herself up so she stood a bit taller than Lia. Her ruby eyes gazed down to Cathryn, as she gave such a cute and dreamy smile. “Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality.”
“You’re welcome…” Cathryn felt her cheeks getting quite warm. Lia was very cute…and quite shapely, even ignoring the snake-parts…
Lia brought her cigarette towards her lips, pausing as smoke trailed up from the tip. “I’m sorry about my little habit,” she said, her voice turning low. “But I’m sure you don’t mind that, right?”
Cathryn nodded, not breaking away from Lia’s stare. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it.” “Have you ever tried smoking, Cathryn? You seem like the sort who doesn’t try
‘wrong’ things…naughty things.”
There was something to the way the lamia spoke…as well as how her pretty eyes
were fixated upon Cathryn’s. “No, never.”
Lia took a drag, exhaling not quite towards Cathryn, but close enough that the smoke washed over her. It didn’t seem as harsh and unpleasant as it had downstairs…maybe the bedroom was better ventilated…?
Giggling, Lia said, “You can’t really judge it until you’ve tried it, right?”
Lia kinda had a point, didn’t she? “I guess not,” Cathryn replied.
The lamia’s eyes sparkled, and the snake-woman before Cathryn became even more beautiful. “Why don’t you try just a little puff? Just to see if you like the flavor?”
Though her stomach twisted in anxiety, Cathryn said, “Sure, why not?”
Lia took another quick puff, exhaling through her nostrils as she turned the cigarette towards Cathryn. “Just take a little puff,” she said, “to see if you like it.”
Cathryn’s lips parted, and when the cigarette’s filter slid between them, she pulled on it.
A foul taste flooded her mouth, and Cathryn promptly started coughing. She doubled over, wishing for a fresh breath without a hint of that disgusting flavor. It tasted just like the scent of an ashtray! Why would anyone…
As she looked back up to the lamia’s eyes, Lia said, “See, it wasn’t that bad, now was it?”
Thinking about the aftertaste lingering in her mouth, Cathryn replied, “I guess not.”
“Maybe later you can try more, if you want to. But if you don’t like smoking, I’ll understand.”
Cathryn nodded, then said, “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
She kind of wanted to stay with Lia, to enjoy her company. She found herself…almost fond of the scent of tobacco now, oddly enough. Apparently she was already quite used to it already.
As Cathryn turned and left the bedroom, she could have sworn she heard Lia say, “This is going to be fun…”