Chapter 10. Door, Ears and Tail

Tuot was lying on the bed, playing a game on the virtual screen, and heard the notification sound of an incoming message. In his free time from everyday affairs, the dinosaur worked. He went through dungeons in an network game, killed the monsters living there, extracted money from them and transferred it to his network account.

"Someone is writing to me at the wrong time," Tuot thought. "I can't be distracted when I'm busy with such an important matter."

The dinosaur did not click on the notification, but continued to play.

The next day, in the morning, Tuot remembered that he had forgotten to read the message that had arrived yesterday. The dinosaur logged into his messenger account and saw a message from an unknown user.

"I will come to you tomorrow in the middle of the day," the message said.

Tuot became worried. His limbs began to tremble erratically. The dinosaur could not stay on its feet and fell to the floor.

"This is Itinit," Tuot thought. "But why would he write from another account? And why come to my house? He never came to my house, but now he decided to come. Does he really want to check if I have posters with animal girls?"

Tuot replied to the message and then looked at the walls of his room. There was almost no empty space on them - virtual images of human females with ears, tails, horns and paws of animals of different species hung everywhere.

"I can't remove them," Tuot thought. "To do this, I need to log into the apartment's account, and only Halankuo has access to it, and she is not at home right now. Itinit wrote yesterday that it will happen tomorrow. Does this mean he will come...Today?"

Tuot went to the kitchen. Everything looked decent here - a stove, a small table and no strange creatures on the walls.

"I need to somehow get Itinit into the kitchen so that he doesn't enter my room," Tuot thought. "True, then I'll have to not let him out of the kitchen, because I don't have access to Halankuo's room."

The dinosaur soon realized that his plan would not work.

"I don't have to open the door," Tuot decided. "But Itinit can blow it up."

While the dinosaur was thinking, an alert heard from the front door.

"He has come," Tuot was frightened. "Should I open the door?"

Tuot brought up the virtual screen and saw a notification about an incoming message. The dinosaur clicked on it. The message was from Itinit's previous account:

"Sorry, we can't meet today. I'm playing."

Tuot felt terrified. He realized that it was not his friend who wrote to him yesterday. The dinosaur ran into the bathroom, summoned a blue energy door lock with several buttons, and used it to lock the door.

"There are no windows in the bathroom," Tuot thought. "That's why no one can get in through the windows. The bathroom is the most protected place in the apartment. It is located in the center of the apartment and is surrounded on all sides by internal walls."

A second an alert heard. Tuot sent a message to Itinit:

"Someone sets off the alarm. That's not you?"

Soon Tuot received a response from Itinit:

"No. It's definitely not me. Maybe is Halankuo? But it's unlikely that she returned so quickly."

The third alarm sounded.

"What should I do?" wrote Tuot.

Several alerts were heard in a row. After this, scratching sounds were heard, which were supplemented by blows.

"Hide somewhere. I will come to you. I'll save the game and come," a message came from Itinit.

The sounds of impacts became louder. Soon, cracks appeared along the wooden door.

The sounds of drilling were heard. The tip of the weapon, covered in an electrical aura, penetrated one of the cracks and cut a circular hole in the door.

The sounds of drilling stopped. A round fragment of a door with sawdust fell on the floor of the corridor. A small round ear covered with black fur peeked out of the hole in the door. Then the top of the head appeared, covered with black hair with a second ear.

This strange creature tried to crawl through the hole, but could not, and returned back. The sounds of drilling resumed. A ring fell onto the floor of the corridor: a fragment of a door, but of a larger diameter.

At this time, Itinit went up to the floor where Tuot's apartment was located and saw the butt of a human dressed in gray-purple shorts with a black tail hanging from there, and thick bare legs that floundered in the air.

"If Tuot had seen this, he would have thought that this creature had no head," Itinit thought. "But I know that the head is behind the door."

Itinit walked up to the creature that was stuck in the door and pulled its tail. There was a cry on the other side of the door that sounded like a dog barking.

"Now it's clear what kind of creature this is," Itinit guessed. "Tuot is very lucky. He'll finally see one of the girls he likes."

Tuot sat on the floor in the bathroom and read the correspondence with Itinit. His long tail reached to the sink. Drops of water from the faucet dripped from time to time onto the tip of the dinosaur's tail. But Tuot did not pay attention to this. He was too worried.

"I came. There's nothing to worry about here. Open the door," a message arrived from Itinit.

"Is there anyone there besides you?" Tuot sent a message.

"Yes. There is some strange creature stuck in the door. I don't know what this is. Go see for yourself."

The message from the friend did not look suspicious. Tuot summoned a virtual lock to unlock the bathroom door. The dinosaur was still afraid to leave his shelter, but he was wondering what kind of creature was stuck in the door.

... The door to the bathroom opened. Tuot left there and slowly walked towards the entrance. There he saw something strange: a large hole in the door, from which protruded the upper body of a girl with black hair and small ears with rounded tips on the top of her head. The girl was holding in her hand an icicle covered in an electric aura.

Tuot didn't believe what he saw. First, he summoned a virtual screen, pressed a few buttons, and made sure that he was not currently in the game. After that, the dinosaur approached the door in one leap, touched the ears on the top of the girl's head and suddenly realized something.

"This is... An arctic fox girl," Tuot thought. "I dreamed of a similar creature, but she looked a little different."

The girl closed her eyes and whined. Her body relaxed, the icicle in her hand disappeared, and her legs and tail began to hang behind the door, as if paralyzed.

"They're real, and so cute," Tuot thought. "I wonder if she also has human ears." 

Tuot touched the hair on the side of his head and felt something fleshy with his claws. Then he parted the hair in this place and saw a small human ear that fit snugly to the head.

"There is one human ear," the dinosaur thought. "And if there is one, then there is a second. Does she really have four ears?"

Soon, Tuot discovered a second human ear. With his second hand he continued to touch the animal's ears one by one. The girl continued to whine with her eyes closed.

At this time, Itinit stood on the other side of the door and looked at the tail, which wagged from side to side.

"Open the door and get her out of here," Itinit said.

But Tuot was too busy with the animal girl's ears. His friend was tired of waiting. He grabbed the tail with his hand and pulled it down, then let it go.

The girl opened her eyes and screamed. But after Itinit let go of her tail, she closed her eyes and mouth and continued to whine.

"What are you doing over there?" Itinit shouted.

"I'm trying to stop touching her ears, but I can't," Tuot thought. "My hands don't obey me."

Itinit paid attention to the bare legs that were adjacent to the tail, and understood what needed to be done. His hands touched her feet and began to tickle them. But the girl still continued to whine, as if she didn't feel anything. Then Itinit pulled her by the tail, but this time he did not let go.

There was a loud groan. Itinit realized that he should not stop there and began to twist her tail like a rope.

The groan intensified. Tuot could not withstand such a strong sound, so he let go of the animal ears and ran into the room.

Itinit heard the dinosaur's stomp and realized that his actions had brought results. He let go of the girl's tail, summoned a virtual screen and sent a message to Tuot:

"Open the door! Otherwise I'll beat her out along with this creature!"

Tuot left the room and walked to the front door. The girl with ears on top of her head looked at him.

"I'm looking for a being named Tuot," the girl said.

"Why do you need him?" the dinosaur was scared.

"He is my network gaming friend. I came here from the Southern Continent. Where is Tuot?"

"He's standing in front of you."

The little animal girl opened her mouth and widened her eyes in surprise.

"I'm Etinnei," the girl introduced herself. "If you are that Tuot, then tell me your nickname in the game."

"You're Etinnei? Are you the same little fox girl who has a mushroom weapon?"

"Yup. There was no arctic fox in the game, so I chose a fox. If you remember my character, then you are a real Tuot."

"So you wrote to me that you'll come today?"

"I wrote from another account because I couldn't log into mine."

"Why did you break the door?"

"I decided to surprise you. We haven't met in real life yet, so I wanted to meet you in a special way."

"We really met in a special way," Tuot agreed. "Nobody has ever come to me before."

Tuot summoned the door lock, unlocked the door, and wrote a message to Itinit. The door opened, and Etinnei was forced to hit her head against the wall.

The door no longer interfered with Itinit, but a new obstacle appeared - the legs of the animal girl, which blocked the passage. Itinit bent them and went into the apartment.

"Help me," Etinnei asked in a plaintive voice.

"You climbed through the door yourself," Itinit replied. "So get out yourself."

"I thought I'd get through."

Tuot's gaze settled on the legs of the arctic fox girl. One of them touched the opposite wall of the corridor, and the second remained bent at the knee.

"She not only has cute ears, but also legs," Tuot thought. "And they look tasty. I don't even know what to do with them: look at them or eat them."

"Tuot is staring at her," Itinit noted. "He said that he doesn't like girls like that. Now I definitely know his secret."

Tuot noticed the tail that was sticking out of the hole in her shorts. The dinosaur's mouth involuntarily opened.

"Her tail is like a toy's," Tuot thought. "She's the cutest animal girl I've ever seen. I think I can forgive her for the broken door. As long as she is in this position, I am happy."

Tuot summoned a virtual screen and took several pictures.

"I'll put these photos on the ceiling above my bed," the dinosaur thought. "When I wake up, the first thing I will see is her."

But Etinnei's growl made Tuot distracted. The dinosaur closed the virtual screen and realized that it was necessary to free his friend from the door captivity.

Tuot grabbed Etinnei by the legs and began to pull her back. The animal girl made a sound that sounded like something between the cry of a cat and a bear.

Soon, Etinnei's upper body fell out of the hole in the door. Tuot was thrown back several steps. The dinosaur fell to the floor and pulled his girl along with him...

... Tuot lay on his back and held Etinnei's legs in his hands. The arctic fox girl was lying face down on the floor, and her tail was on the dinosaur's head. Tuot tried to remove her tail from his face, but due to poor coordination of movements, the tail ended up in his mouth.

Itinit summoned a virtual screen, pointed it at the lying Tuot and Etinnei, and took several pictures.

"Thank you for saving me," the animal girl said quietly.

Tuot could not answer. His mouth was occupied by his tail.

***

Halankuo woke up in a room with walls made of logs, on a wide bed near a rectangular wooden window. The girl was without clothes, but covered with a blanket to the middle of her chest.

Halankuo tried to get up, but could not. Some force seemed to hold her on the bed. Then the girl summoned the wrench and pointed it at the door. But nothing happened.

"I have so little strength that a wrench cannot open the door," Halankuo guessed.

Soon heavy footsteps were heard behind the wall. Yueret and Kyotyoryon entered the room.

"You're alive again," Kyotyoryon smiled.

"I wasn't dead," Halankuo answered. "I was just sleeping. I don't have the strength to get out of bed. I can't even move things with the wrench."

"You lost a lot of blood," Yueret explained. "My little sister shot a healing arrow into the wound, but was unable to restore the blood. It cannot be restored using skills. Therefore, you will remain in this state until your blood is restored."

"If this is true, then thank you," Halankuo said. "Where I am?"

"In my house in the former Village of the Forest Fire," Yueret answered. 

"My village must be somewhere nearby," Halankuo thought. "When I feel better, I'll go there."

"Creator, I didn't want to take your blood," Kyotyoryon said.

"It's okay," Halankuo answered. "The blood will be restored."

Kyotyoryon went to the window and looked out of it.

"I think I saw this man in the forest," Halankuo thought. "His name was Yueret. Probably".

Yueret approached Halankuo and began to examine her. The girl didn't like it, but she couldn't do anything because of her weakness.

"Are you a real human girl?" Yueret asked.

"Yes," Halankuo answered. "Is this your first time seeing a human girl?"

"Yes. I live in an extinct village, so I only know one girl. This is my little sister. She doesn't let me talk to other girls when I'm in town. I only saw them at a great distance. I've never seen it this close."

Yueret touched Halankuo's hair with his hand and then stroked her head. The girl felt pleased and did not resist.

"My little sister is not like you," Yueret said. "She looks like me, but you don't. You look like one girl I was friends with as a child."

"Maybe this is the boy who taught squirrels to fly?" Halankuo thought. "Now it's clear why, when I met him in the forest, he seemed familiar to me."

At this time, Unana tried to open the door of her room, but could not. Kimchan ran near her and tried to get out.

"They closed us," Unana told the dog. "It's impossible to get out of here."

But the puppy did not understand the girl's words and began to scratch the door with its claws. Unana noticed this, but did not react. She was more worried about her older brother, whom she could not get to.

"Yueret locked me here on purpose so that I couldn't stop him from being with that girl," Unana thought. "He also closed Kimchan so that he wouldn't interfere either. We need to get out of here."

The archer looked at the small round wooden window. It overlooked the inner part of the courtyard, in which several coniferous and deciduous trees grew. Unana's room was on the second floor, but the archer did not want to jump out of the window with the dog.

Unana summoned a backpack from her inventory and placed the puppy in it. Kimchan tried to get out of there, but got entangled in the complex system of internal pockets. He was only able to get his head and neck out, while the rest of his body remained in the backpack.

Unana opened the window and put the backpack on her back. A purple aura appeared around the archer, after which she jumped out of the window.

When Unana's feet reached the ground, the aura disappeared. The archer took off her backpack and freed Kimchan. The puppy barked joyfully, began to wag its tail and run around the girl.

Unana walked around the house and stopped at the entrance. The door was locked. The archer ran her finger along the door, and a blue energy door lock with a password field appeared in front of her. Unana touched the field with her finger, entered the password, and then pulled the door handle.

The door opened. Unana and her pet entered a wide corridor with gray walls, from which there was an entrance to the kitchen and several other rooms. At the end of the corridor, a wooden staircase twisted in a spiral led to the second floor.

Unana walked slowly down the corridor. Someone's voices were heard from the room opposite the kitchen. They were so quiet that it was impossible to determine what they were talking about. Unana stopped in front of this door and tried to open it manually, but the door would not open. Then the girl summoned the door lock, unlocked the door and turned the handle. 

... At the end of the room, near the window, a girl with long black hair was lying on the bed. Yueret stood next to her and looked out the window.

"Yueret, why did you close me?" Unana shouted.

Yueret turned around and sat down on the floor in surprise.

"Unana, how did you get here?" Yueret asked.

"It doesn't matter," Unana answered. "I wanted to check what you were doing with this unfortunate girl."

"Nothing," Halankuo said. "Your brother told me that you saved me. Thank you."

Unana blushed and turned away.

"I didn't want to save you," Unana explained. "But Yueret forced me. Therefore, it was he who saved you, not me." 

Unana approached her brother and led him out of the room. Halankuo summoned the virtual screen to watch something and began to fall asleep...