Leu'Ranni adjusted her legs and pincers before settling her weight into the hammock behind the service counter. The massive scorpion that was her lower body glistened in the lights from the lamp sconces in the wall whenever she moved, letting the visitors to Second Eden know immediately that they were dealing with a non-human. She chose to keep her tail in the shadows so as not to scare the majority of the customers, though. It was no good for a receptionist to be losing business unnecessarily, though one or two wary ne'er-do-wells fleeing in terror never hurt.
As one of the three receptionist girls on the resort island, she took her job quite seriously. She was a bridge between the humans of Earth and the many diverse folk of Yvenli, her own world. Ever since the rifts had opened on the two planets, allowing for humans and the various non-human races to interact, tensions had been high.
At first, humanity has seen the rifts as some form of purposeful invasion by the people of Yvenli, launching military vessels and attacking confused folk who had wandered through without understanding the danger. Then, when it was found out that the rifts had not been purposely opened by any known entity on either side of the exchange, disputes over land rights and legality of entry has begun. Governments had fought and debated for years, at one another's throats each trying to overpower the other.
One nation even threatened war, claiming they would launch a massively destructive missile through a rift to show dominance. That was when Lady Olvyn had stepped in with a display of mystic might that had assured any such attempt would be met with mutual destruction.
Lady Olvyn was the young Emperor of Yvenli, ruler by right of might and common adoration. While the entire world was not directly under her thumb, and many separate nations had their own governing bodies, every man, woman, duonin, and child knew the face and name of the Emperor. Her power and kindness were adored and respected in equal measure.
So when she stepped forward, the people of Yvenli were behind her. With the power of her people no longer in question, proper negotiation had begun, which led to the current day and Leu'Ranni sitting at one of the hubs of human to non-human interaction on the planet. Second Eden was a plot of land large enough to be a small city set in the Pacific tropics. The land of the Island had been ripped from Yvenli itself and plopped into the ocean some several thousand miles southeast of a popular human nation known as "Japan"
The "Japanese People" had become very popular among the people of Yvenli, as they helped with the establishment of the Second Eden resort, supplying resources, technology, trade, and even name suggestions. They were a people that anyone from Yvenli could call friend.
Leu'Ranni herself had considered courting a Japanese man, though few of them found women with such an intimidating lower body as hers attractive. She simply liked the thought. Mingling with one of the small, fragile human men, learning about their home and their culture from a first hand account. She found herself daydreaming of a date, a fun, starlit dinner on one of the beaches, her prospective male settled between her pincers, leaning back on her abs as the pair of them talk and enjoyed strips of fire roasted boar.
Ranni was brought out of her reverie when the hiss of the front automatic doors signaled the entry of the next visitor group. She was in for it today. Tapping the keyboard to turn on her personal computer interface, she prepared to welcome over 100 lucky humans to Second Eden.
--
"And you are Mr. Anthony J. Roderickson from the United States, yes?" Leu'Ranni asked one of the 7 special package resort guests. He was a tall man with sandy brown hair and dark chocolate eyes, a rough beard, and a "husky" build. Humans had such colorful words for one another.
"Yeah... I uh... was hoping to try out the... L Package..." the man said, coughing as though to cover his intentions. Ranni simply smiled, maintaining her pleasant demeanor. The L, or "Lover's" package was for visitors who, having gone through rigorous screening, had come to the resort with the intentions of meeting, cavorting with, and possibly going home with one of the Yvenli people. This was one of the few instances where Yvenli folk would be allowed back onto human soil, as they were there as a spouse. Some other cases included abroad study for the sake of interspecial relations, abroad internships, or political visits. There was also, a special island off of the coast of Japan for non-humans to live and trade from.
"I see. Your paperwork seems in order for you to indulge in your package for the duration of your stay. Are you intending on taking someone to visit your home upon departure?" the scorpyne woman asked, looking over his digital sheet, under which his desired outcome had been left blank. This wasn't uncommon. Humans were notoriously fickle creatures and getting them to commit do a decision of this magnitude might take his entire 4 week stay.
"I... I think I'd like to take someone to visit... I just uh... I wanted to leave my options open," the man said sheepishly. The woman who was supposed to be checked in after him tapped her heels impatiently, something that seemed to be making the man nervous.
Calmly shifting her weight from the hammock, Leu'Ranni stood, her pincers rising clearly into view as she rose several feet in height on her legs. She looked down imperiously on the little blond human woman who seemed to balk at her body when she towered a good 3 feet over even the tall male at the head of her line.
"Ma'am. I'd like to ask you to cease that noise immediately. While I understand that you are eager to taste the fruits of Second Eden, proper processing is necessary for everyone's safety. If you cannot control yourself, I will have to ask you to leave," she said, keeping her voice calm, her tone even, and her tail tip just slightly in view. It was a threat display, though she had no intention of stinging this tiny woman. It just felt empowering to show the guests a hint of danger whenever she was threatening to throw them out of the resort.