Holding my hand as we walked back to the others, they were all relieved to see I was alright. Telling that she would be coming with us, I quickly added that she would staying in the wheelhouse till she became accustomed to humans. Understanding the situation, Hayato inquired why she looked so happy.
"Because I have a home now!!", she giggled with happiness, "I never had a home before!!"
Hearing her response, the group started sniffling. Realizing they were being to hard on her, they understood she was a product of the environment she was born into and lived in. Rubbing her face against my arm, Ilulu was over the moon about the whole situation. Having seen several books in her collections about what homes were, she understood they were safe, cozy places.
"Listen up Umbrella Staff", I said in a dark tone as I glared at them, "Ilulu and I will be watching you closely. Step out of line or try to harm anyone on the ship, and-"
Punching a hole in the building with her invisible arms, Ilulu glared at the Umbrella employees who shrank in fear. Feeling an overwhelming sense of fear as they felt our glares pierce them, they said we wouldn't have any problems from them in any way. Taking supplies they had from onsite, we hauled what we needed back to the ship. Once everything was loaded up and sorted I sat down to go over pathing to our next destination. Taking a seat on my lap again, because she found it comfortable, Ilulu was amazed by how large the world was. At first she thought the map was a 1 to 1 scale of the world which made me laugh. Explaining the finer details to her she got a better understanding of just how large our world was.
"So where are we going?", she asked with curiosity, "There are a lot of places we could go."
"Haha that is true, but there are a lot of monsters we have to watch out for. Umbrella caused a lot of damage to humanity, and they are going extinct very quickly. The monsters are still running around so we have to be careful as not everyone on the ship can defend themselves like you can.", I stated patting her head, "A few of us though are more than strong enough to protect ourselves if we need too."
"Hehe, that's because I have fought lots of stuff!", she boasted proudly, "Where do you want go?"
"I want us to be in safe, isolated place where we can have places to go if we get attacked.", I told her pointing to the chain of islands off of Alaska, "I am thinking these Alaskan Islands over here would be nice. Right now I am narrowing down the island we should aim for."
The current situation on mainland Alaska wasn't all that good. Having thought of the same thing I did lots of Americans had headed to Alaska with the Undead and Demons hot on their trail. Many people were trapped up in the mountains where the undead were having trouble reaching them. Due to the massive amount of snow, steep slopes, and frequent landslides the enemy was unable to to get to them without incurring large losses. The flipside was that those people couldn't live up there forever, eventually they would need to come down for supplies and when that happened they would be killed.
"How about this one?", she said pointing to Unimak Island, "This one would be big enough, right?"
'That isn't a bad choice, it's attached to the neighboring peninsula by a bridge meaning there is only one way the Undead and Demons could approach.', I thought, "I think that is an excellent place to make a permanent home."
"Hehe, I get to have a home!", she giggled with a smile as she held up one of her favorite books, "What's a real home like? Is it like in these books?"
"It's a place where you are surrounded by people that care about you..", I told her with a smile, "You and me both have never had a permanent home."
"I see, so it's not a place?", she questioned.
"No, you can make a home anywhere.", I chuckled, "I want our home to be set in stone, someplace where we don't have to keep moving around to avoid a fight. When we make our home I will fight to protect against our enemies, and provide for my mates and offspring."
Smiling at those words, she appeared to be happy to have someone want to provide for her. Up till now she had to eat whatever she could find and shiver alone at night when she couldn't make a fire. She was still coming to terms with the fact she wasn't alone anymore, and that I would protect her.
"Well don't you both look cute!", Shizuka laughed, "I brought you something to drink."
Setting two cups of hot tea next to us, Shizuka warned Ilulu that it was really hot. Taking a sip of the tea, her eyes lit up as she chugged the tea in a hurry. Asking for me with a grin, Ilulu really liked the green tea Shizuka brought. Before Shizuka could grab the cup, Astrid appeared with a kettle of tea.
"Why are you in those funny clothes?", Ilulu asked.
"I am a maid.", Astrid told her.
"You smell like a human though...", Ilulu replied with confusion.
"Haha, no a maid is a job not a race.", Astrid informed her.
"Oh!!", she giggled, "I see! Could I be a maid?"
"You would have to learn how to be one, but yes you could.", Astrid said.
"What do you do?", Ilulu questioned.
Telling her all the various things she did, from cleaning to washing clothes, Ilulu was amazed by how much work she did. Asking why she did all that stuff, Astrid said that she enjoyed doing it because I liked maids. Turning to me for confirmation, I told them that I appreciated her hard work but loved her for who she was.
"I see...well it sounds like you have a lot of work. I will help you with what I know how to do, but I don't know a lot of stuff.", Ilulu assured her, "What I do know, I know very well!! Like I know many poisonous plants because they give me stomach aches!"
"Haha, don't worry I will teach you whatever you want to know.", Astrid stated.
"Can I go with her?", Ilulu asked me.
"Of course.", I said letting her get off my lap, "If you have any problems let me know."
"Okay!", she said following Astrid to the bedroom to straighten up the clothing nightmare.
Plotting out a safe route for our journey, I got the ship going and away from the island. A short while later Saori and Yuriko came over to see me. Having had the opportunity to speak with Ilulu, they were a bit concerned with how quickly things escalated between her and I. It was one thing if she had the right mental state for her age, but she was mentally no better than a ten year old child in many aspects.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to add her to your harem?", Yuriko questioned.
"I do, she is going to need someone to walk beside her till she heals. If I didn't accept her, she would never find happiness in this world. She absolutely hates humans after everything she endured, she tolerates all of you because you are my lovers. If we weren't lovers she would treat you like a threat to her safety.", I told them, "Before Sayo and I met her, no one showed her an ounce of kindness. Sayo treats her like a sister because they are both very similar. No one else is better suited to be her partner in this world than me."
"I understand, but couldn't you just accept her as a child?", Saori asked, "We are just concerned she doesn't understand what it means to be your mate and what love is."
"No, she understands what the concept of love is. She has never had anyone show her what love is directly, she has only seen others experience it. I get that she doesn't understand everything a woman her age should, but she does understand quite a lot.", I said with a serious look, "What she wants is assurance that she won't be abandoned. Tell me what other relationship aside from lovers would give her that assurance?"
"You are absolutely sure she understands?", Yuriko pressed me.
"I can attest that she does.", Sayo interjected, "She is drawn to Victor like I am, something about him appeals to us on a primal level. If he made her his daughter she would eventually have conflicting feelings about things. Ilulu and I are very similar, it's just her urges are far more powerful than mine. Her Killer Instincts are far more vicious than mine as well, if Victor wasn't there she would have slaughtered everyone in front of me. I can say with absolute certainty that I lose to her in terms of combat power."
"Primal level, are you saying that you are instinctually drawn to Victor?", Yuriko questioned, "Is there something that we aren't noticing going on here? I always thought you were just teasing him when you said that, I didn't realize it was true."
"I feel safe around Victor, like no matter what comes for me that I don't have to worry.", Sayo stated, "If I were to put it into words, I feel like I found my place in the world. Prior to meeting him I was very antsy, temperamental, and-"
"You still are.", Oriha snickered with a smug smile.
Spinning around, Sayo dropped a fist squarely down on her head making her yelp in pain.
"I wasn't asking for your opinion.", Sayo snapped with an annoyed look.
"I didn't ask for your fist either!", Oriha shouted rubbing her head in pain, "Why is it that only you get to harass me, but I get hit when I harass you!!"
"Maybe if you bulked up you could hit me back!", Sayo teased.
"Oh fuck you!", Oriha complained continuing to rub her head.
Going on to explain further, Sayo went to open her mouth when Ilulu started calling out for help in the bedroom. Rushing over to the bedroom, I found Ilulu tangled up in the sheets. Looking at me teary eyed she told me that the sheets were attacking her. Helping her out of the tangle of sheets, I made sure she was okay before asking what happened.
"I was helping making this thing called a bed.", Ilulu said pointing at the mattress, "The sheets leapt up from the far side, and charged me!!"
"Haha, Ilulu the mattress sheet has elastic that helps keep it on the bed.", I showed her, "If you don't wrap it completely over the edge, it will spring up on it's own."
"So it wasn't attacking me?", she questioned with a relieved look.
"Of course not, it's not alive.", I assured her.
"Okay!!", she said making a second attempt to make the bed.
Staying in the room to make sure she could do it, this time she did it without any issues. Moving on to laundry folding, I knew there wasn't anything that would jump out at her this time. As I went to leave the room, Ilulu picked up one of Shizuka's bras and looked at it funny.
"What is this?", she asked.
"That is a bra.", Shizuka giggled walking into the room.
"What does it do?", Ilulu questioned putting it on her horns.
"You use it to hold up your breasts.", Yuko told her, "See?"
Showing her the bras they were wearing, I shifted my view to sneak a quick peek. Asking how to use it Shizuka, Yuko, Yoko, and Rika gave her a crash course in bras and panties. As the women with largest busts in the group, they understood the importance of a good fitting bra. Unfortunately for Ilulu though the bras we had here weren't big enough to comfortably fit her...something that shocked the four of them.
"What should I do?", Ilulu said with a panicked look.
"Chest bindings.", Shigure suggested as she came into the room.
"I think that is really the only option for her.", Yuriko agreed.
"Let me help you.", Shigure offered.
Giving her permission, Shigure proceeded to tie up Ilulu's chest for proper support. Noticing that she looked a little pained, I gave Ilulu a chiropractic adjustment to help her feel looser. After the adjustment she felt ten times better...though it appeared to make her bust go up a size or two. Seeing that, I felt several pairs of eyes fall on me from the younger women. The older ones were well aware of what my massages and adjustments could do, and they used it to their advantage in bed.
"Hehe, now they aren't getting in the way!!", she laughed causing the other women to laugh, "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just that sometimes we all agree with that sentiment.", Yoko cracked up, "Sometimes having a large chest isn't that nice."
"Do you like large busts?", Ilulu asked me, "One of the scientists used to say that men like women with larger breasts. It's cause they make more milk for the children."
Stopping my laughter I found myself on a tight rope as this could go south depending on my answer. Going one way or the other would land me in the doghouse for the evening, and I really enjoyed sleeping in bed with them.
"I do like big breasts, but I also like small ones too.", I stated, "What matters more is who they are attached too!"
"Kiss ass.", Midna snickered from my shadow, "You just don't want to admit you love big breasts over smaller ones!!"
Looking around briefly, like she was looking for Midna, Ilulu seemed to have heard what Midna said. Opting to test that theory out at a later time, I assumed Ilulu's psychic powers allowed her to hear Midna unconsciously. Putting that aside for now I left the women to do their thing as my specialty was the removal of said clothing items, not putting them on. Stepping back into the wheelhouse, I found the weather was getting worse.
"Attention crew, for everyone's safety please seal exterior doors and windows. Due to incoming severe weather personnel are not to be on the exterior decks.", I said over the PA system.
It wasn't like anyone was outside at this point, but I wanted to say it now before the weather got worse. Unfortunately for me system didn't have a weather detection aspect so I was flying blind into this storm. Turning on the deck and main lighting, I wanted people to be able to see what was going on better. Heading south along the Kamchatka Peninsula, soon the storm became almost impossible to safely traverse. Pulling into a sheltered area large enough for our ship to safely dock in. Dropping all our anchors to prevent us from drifting any direction, I turned off the deck lights and went down to the mess hall for dinner.
Bringing food back up for Ilulu, she wholeheartedly admitted that she loved the food here. Telling me how good the food was in several different ways, she was grateful to have such a nice meal. Wiping her face off with a napkin, I told her I would pass the message along for her.
---Later That Evening---
"Oh my goodness!!", Ilulu shrieked seeing the shower room for the first time, "What is this place!?"
"This is where we go every night to wash up.", I told her.
"Really?", she questioned, "Why do some of the people smell bad still?"
"Some people don't know how to wash themselves right.", Pucca snickered, "Many guys don't."
"Amen to that, some boys shower maybe every two to three days. Most of us ladies shower every day or every other day.", Nina stated.
"I see!", Ilulu replied.
Explaining how everything worked to her, I gave her a demonstration so she would know how to was herself properly. Giving her pointers on how often to wash her hair, Ilulu mentally noted down everything since she wanted to stay attractive to me. Once she was all clean, we all soaked in the hot bath together which made her very happy. Floating effortlessly in the bath, she really loved the way the hot water felt on her body.
"So we should be heading out in the morning, right?", Saya inquired.
"Depending on the severity of the storm tomorrow. This peninsula provides us a lot of shelter from the worst of the choppy seas. If the weather calms down we will head out, if it doesn't we will have to shelter here till it does.", I told her.
"That's the best call", Yoko agreed, "Since we are trying to stay out of deeper water, we would likely get broadsided by a surge and roll the ship."
"So we are in hunker mode then.", Miu said turning to me with a smile, "If we are staying in the same place tomorrow, we should enjoy ourselves as a family. We haven't had a real date in a while, why not watch a movie together?"
"Sounds like a plan to me.", I chuckled, "What sort of movie did you want to watch?"
"Terrible Kung Fu movies!!", everyone voiced in agreement.
"Of course you'd pick that.", I laughed, "Alright, we can do that."
"What's Kung Fu and what's a movie?", Ilulu questioned.
"You will have to find out tomorrow.", Sayo told her, "Believe me, you will be laughing a lot."
Smiling at them, she looked forward to seeing what it was. Hopping out of the bath a short time later, we got dressed and went to the bedroom.