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Astraptera

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  1. Part 66: In her kitchen, May took the festival freeze out of the fridge. It wasn't quite frozen anymore, but she didn't mind. The clock above the kitchen sink showed half past three in the afternoon. "Well, I don't have anything else to do today," May said to herself. She took a drink and grimaced. It was a bit stronger than normal, and more floral-tasting than she was ready for. May found a pitcher in one of her cupboards and poured the cup in, diluting it with ice and water. The result was weak, but May didn't drink dagger root infusion often, so it was strong enough for her. She filled the cup and took it with her to her room while she changed out of her coveralls, taking a long drink as she ascended the stairs. It took May ten minutes to decide that instead of changing into anything, she'd have a bath. The day was only getting hotter, and the ride to and from Crystal Cove had been stifling. Something made May put on her bathrobe before going downstairs for a bath. When she passed the front door, she thought she could hear voices outside but went in to start running her bath anyway, drink in hand. She'd just gotten it started and tossed in some aromatherapy bath tablets when someone knocked at her door. "Hi, Miss May." It was Pia, and she had the young gull-winged andyne man from the night before with her, still dressed in his festival sweater. He waved at her nervously, his face bright red. May realized she was holding her drink cup smiley face side out and sipped it to keep herself from smirking about it. "It's nice to see you, Pia," said May. "And you too, I guess, Yarrow." "Would-...I mean..." Yarrow stopped and blinked. "You got my name right. Thank you." "Are you here for anything specific? I'm running a bath." May punctuated her sentence by taking another sip of her drink. "She um..." Yarrow floundered. "Pia told me you...um...need help with your paperwork." "Did you still want to hire someone?" asked Pia. "You were talking about it a couple of months ago." May glanced in the direction of the bathroom. The tub would take about ten minutes to fill up, so she had a few minutes. "Eh..." May sighed. "Follow me upstairs." She motioned for Pia and Yarrow to follow her inside. "Are you looking for a permanent job, Yarrow?" May asked, climbing the stairs to the second floor. Yarrow made a vague noise that could've been "yeah," which May normally might've considered rude. He hadn't seen the state of her office yet, though. The airship had two bedrooms on the second floor, and the office was located in one of them. The other was the spare bedroom, where Pia had stayed while she fixed up her airship. There was even a small half-bathroom next to it, and May passed it to the door marked "office." She opened the door and stepped aside for Yarrow to view the horror that was her office. Boxes, neatly labeled though they were, were stacked from floor to ceiling in the corners, meticulously labeled in Pia's tiny handwriting. Near the front corner, Pia had a small cleared area around a desk, where she organized the papers. "Do you still want to work here?" May asked, not unkindly. "Pia and I keep on top of finances and accounting, and this is the rest." Yarrow looked around. "Is this it?" he asked. "There's more in the shop, but this is the worst of it," said May. "What's the pay?" asked Yarrow, pulling his wings in as he read labels on the boxes. "Standard rate and benefits. We can discuss that tomorrow," May said and ushered Yarrow out into the hall. "If you want the job, come here no earlier than eight-thirty tomorrow morning. Do you mind doing some cleaning?" "Not at all," Yarrow seemed excited. May took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Pia. "Pia hasn't taken any time off since she started, and you would be taking over her some of her duties if she's out." Five minutes later, May watched Pia and Yarrow walking away through the peephole in her door. She would need to talk to Pia about her vacation soon. The thought made her take another drink. The bathtub still wasn't quite full yet, so May went upstairs to make a quick call. "What does she pay you? Are you allowed to talk about that?" asked Yarrow while Pia shut the door to the shop. Yarrow hadn't found the haphazard stacks of paper there offputting, and he seemed cautiously giddy. Part of it was probably the dagger root drink: he'd only had a few sips, but it didn't take much for the stuff to start having an effect. In training for catering, Pia had learned that a lot of dagger root drinks were frozen to slow down the person drinking them. May and Yarrow's drinks had gotten somewhat melted on the way up and would be that much stronger for it. "There's a standard worker pay rate here," said Pia. "She also lets me dock here for free, including power and utilities...are you sure you don't need to use the bathroom?" "I'm okay," said Yarrow. "Does um..." Pia locked the door. She needed to pee again, but it wasn't urgent. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of saving it for some alone time with Saoirse. "Does what?" asked Pia. "Does Cyan work here too?" Yarrow gulped. "How much has he told you?" Pia said slowly. "They," Yarrow corrected, "It's they, not he." Pia blinked. "Really? Huh. How much have they told you?" "Not much. They've been out of hydrostasis for a month, and before that, they don't know anything." "That's about all we know right now," said Pia, nodding. "But he-...they don't work here, no. Azri might need to clear them for it. Do you mind if I stop by my place on the way back? I want to move some things before the rain." Yarrow followed Pia down the stairs behind her airship. The watering can was where she'd expected it to be, and she turned it over and moved her gardening tools under the airship. "Pia?" said Yarrow. He sounded nervous. "You need to pee?" "Yes. How can you tell?" Yarrow tried and failed to suppress a moan. Pia snorted, "I've served a lot of Andyne business functions. You can use my bathroom if you think you can make it." She looked over her shoulder at Yarrow, who was already fidgeting and pressing his legs together. "I can't," Yarrow said miserably. He shuffled over to Cyan's tomato plant and squatted, pulling his beautiful gull wings around himself. Not wanting to just stand and watch him, Pia strode over to her tomato plant and started looking for stray garden tools, carefully keeping her back to Yarrow. From Yarrow's direction came a splash and a grunt of relief, followed by the rushing stream Pia had learned to expect from those who'd consumed dagger root. The noise intensified her need to pee, and she tried not to listen. "Pia?" Yarrow panted. "Yes?" Pia asked, checking for buds on her plants. "Can I ask you something?" Part of Pia wanted to give him a snarky response, but Yarrow was from the Andyne homeworld. Pia had always found it best not to be sarcastic, tell jokes, or otherwise show any sense of humor with homeworld Andynes. "What is it?" "Why did Cyan tell me this tomato plant is a secret?" Yarrow sighed. "Miss Nucifera knows about it, it's huge, and it's not exactly hidden." Pia shrugged. "It's...I'm not sure." Pia decided to keep talking over the noise behind her. "Cyan doesn't have much that's h-...theirs. I think they like having something that's theirs, so I haven't mentioned it to them." Yarrow was still going and Pia was tempted to lift her skirt and give her tomatoes a pre-rain "watering." Luckily for her, she heard her front door open. Footsteps rounded the boardwalk and descended the stairs, and a moment later Saoirse came around the corner, stretching. Behind Pia, Yarrow tried to hide himself more behind his spread wings. "How was the nap, Sersh?" asked Pia. Saoirse stopped next to Pia at the planter, kissed her on the cheek, and stood back, rocking on her heels like she needed to pee too. "I couldn't sleep," Saoirse yawned and unbuttoned her pants, but didn't go any further. "Hi, Yarrow. Your feathers are looking much better today." "Hi, Saoirse," Yarrow replied. He finished and stood up hurriedly. "I'll um...walk back by myself. Thanks for showing me around, Pia." "Yarrow," Pia said over her shoulder. Yarrow froze in the middle of zipping up his pants. "It might help to dilute the festival freeze with ice water," Pia said. He mumbled something and hurried away, blushing. Pia gathered up her skirt. ________________________ I'm about 90% sure that the image is not a spoiler, but I'm 100% sure I'm overusing the word "stylish" in these silly airship/rv ads. The deck cover is not a spoiler; it's retractable and makes the thing look more like a horseshoe crab. It's also based off the ohms from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the Calatrava opera house in Spain, and a vintage rv ad so pink that my retinas are still a little seared. I did not have the guts to make my ad that pink. The limulus might get a mention.
  2. I'm afab nonbinary, but normally present as feminine irl because of some of the perks you mentioned. The more colorful clothes are definitely a perk, and I like that I can get more creative with what i wear - I think it's silly that clothes are so gendered too, because anyone should be able to dress how they want regardless of gender or gender expression. I also like wearing makeup; blue and purple lipsticks are my favorite, because I'm a super pale ginger and it looks gloriously strange. And anything you do with your appearance to look more feminine is considered "looking nice" or "dressy." I put in a semi-nice hair clip yesterday and boom! I'm like 35% more dressed up.
  3. Part 65: Pia cleaned herself up in the bathroom. She felt much better, and thanks to Saoirse's quick thinking, very little had gotten on her clothes. On the way out of the bathroom, she approached Helly, who was stocking the front counter with napkins and drink cups, to ask about Cyan and Yarrow's orders. "Are the orders for Mayra and Azri?" asked Helly. "No. It's for um..." Pia hesitated. She hadn't thought about how she might refer to Cyan in front of others yet. "My um...half brother and his andyne friend." Helly nodded and wrestled with the tape on a box. "Does his friend like dagger root drinks?" "I'm not sure," said Pia earnestly. "Well, if they do, our dagger root festival freezes are on sale for half a credit until it's gone," Helly sighed. "We didn't know the dagger root was already in it until we received the drink mix." "What's the flavor?" asked Pia. Thanks to a routine allergy test when Azri had started as Pia's doctor, Pia had found that she could have dagger root drinks. She'd never had any interest in trying the stuff herself, though. "I'm not entirely sure," said Helly. "Like cucumber melon, but floral with a salty aftertaste." "Have you ever imagined what glowstick liquid tastes like?" asked a short, wide young andyne man pushing a cart of scrubbed pans through the kitchen. It was Bellis, who owned Hyachna's Shins with Helly. He had dusty black wings the same color as the restaurant aprons, shoulder-length gold hair swept back into a low ponytail, and was more muscular than chubby. He was about half a head shorter than Pia and barely reached Helly's shoulder. "You mean those flameless green flares May keeps in the emergency kits?" Pia said. Bellis nodded. "No. Have you?" "Not really, but the taste reminds me of what I might imagine if one day I thought, 'I wonder what glowstick juice tastes like,'" said Bellis. "Speaking of Mayra, we didn't see her or Azri at the festival last night." "One of our guests had a medical emergency yesterday, so she stayed with them," said Pia. "Really?" said Helly. "That's sweet of her. Is the guest okay?" Pia wasn't sure what she could and couldn't say about dockyard guests legally, so she went with: "Yeah." When they finished lunch, they had another half an hour until May picked them up on her way home. Pia and Saoirse sat with Bun and Montip and talked. Just before they left, Helly brought out Cyan and Yarrow's orders, placing them on the counter. Pia went to retrieve them while the others waited by the door and found that there were two foxfire festival freezes in the drink carrier. Pia had decided to get Yarrow one to celebrate quitting his job, but she hadn't ordered a second. One of them had a smiley face and "MAY" written on it in Helly's broad handwriting. "It's on the house," Helly said, noticing Pia looking at the drinks. "Tell Mayra and Azri hi for us." Saoirse, Bun, and Montip stood in a group outside the door, and Bun opened the door for Pia as she approached. "Yeah, the map said there's one," said Montip as Pia stepped out of the restaurant. "We forgot to check it out after we closed the stand last night." "Pia, did you know there was an avaris grove near here?" Saoirse said, taking the drink carrier from Pia. She did a double take at the festival freezes. "The city planted that the year before I moved here," said Pia. "They don't bloom for the first five or ten years so they're not showy yet, but they'll be spectacular in a few years. They're some rare iridescent variety." "Cool," Saoirse said absently, glancing between the drink carrier and Helly, who was currently ringing up a human woman for a takeout order. "Is everything alright, Sersh?' asked Pia. Saoirse bit her lip. "Is that...did you get that for Mayra?" "Bellis and Helly missed her at the festival yesterday, so they gave me a free one for her," said Pia. Saoirse glanced back inside. "And they put a..." She rotated Yarrow's festival freeze in the carrier. Only the order number was written on the side, also in Bellis's wide hand. "They only put that on Mayra's drink?" "Yeah?" Pia peered at the smiley face on Mayra's cup. "Why?" "It's an uh..." Saoirse cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's an...um...an Andyne thing." "Oh! We used to see them all the time at functions, remember, Pia?" volunteered Bun. "About a year before you were hired, an andyne businessman bought me a drink and had the bartender draw a smiley face on it. He watched me drink it really closely, but our coworker who made it said it was just a normal mix drink." Saoirse blushed. "He um...are you still serving andynes?" "Sometimes when we're working on the surface, but not often anymore. I left the catering company about a month after Pia did," said Bun guilelessly. Saoirse put a hand over her mouth and took a deep breath through her nose. Pia had only seen her this flustered a handful of times. "What is it, Sersh?" Pia asked. Their group was nearing the entrance to the pier. "It's an invitation to rendezvous with someone," Saoirse said quickly. Pia felt herself blushing and resisted the urge to say, "Really? Them?" Bun sighed. "I've heard that term a lot around andynes. It's not just...like...meeting as friends for lunch or something, is it?" he asked hopelessly. "It's meeting someone for sex," said Saoirse. "Oh," Bun's face fell. "And they're asking her...as a couple?" "Probably her and Azri," said Pia. "They mentioned her too." "Why didn't they put Azri's name on the cup too, then?" asked Montip, as fascinated as Bun was mortified. It was Bun who answered, looking thoughtful with the hip bag blocking his crotch. "Dagger root is toxic. To us, anyway: it's toxic to most species, but Andynes drink it like alcohol. If they were asking both of them, why is there only something for Mayra?" he asked Pia. Pia peered into the bag with the food. A small container at the top was marked "A+M" with a smiley face. "I think they gave me a dessert for her too," said Pia. "How was lunch?" asked May as the runabout ascended gently. The cabin was hot and stuffy despite the open windows in the back. Pia settled into the seat at the radio console and Saoirse sat down with the bag of food on her lap and the drink caddy on the seat next to her. "It was very nice," said Pia. "Helly and Bellis asked about you. They gave me a festival freeze for you and a dessert for you and Azri." May sighed. "That's generous of them. A drink sounds great right now." Pia looked over her shoulder. There was only Saoirse, the drink caddy, and a thick manila envelope in the passenger seats. "How'd it go with the stabilizer?" "Well..." May took a deep breath. "It's cheaper than I thought. There are no obsolescence or off-season fees. I just have to fill out a small mountain of paperwork before they can even order it." Pia was qualified for everyday accounting and numbers but didn't have the training for other official documents. The best she could do to help May was organize the mess for her to get to later. ________________________________ If I named the parts I'd call this one: "The One With The Smiley Faces."
  4. It's open to interpretation, but there were some very specific situations. And I'm not shaming; I wish talking about it was more normalized, though I'm on the asexual spectrum and sex is more of an abstract concept to me than it probably should be.
  5. Part 64: Bun and Montip wore matching gray robes from the outdoor locker facility on the pier. Saoirse felt some resistance from Pia's hand when she started walking toward Bun and Montip, stopped, and turned. Mayra had caught Pia's arm. "If you need to get out, you can call me at any time. I'll head back, no questions asked," Mayra told Pia quietly. "I'm happy to be the 'bad guy' if they're trying to pressure you into something you don't want to do." Mayra glared over her shoulder at Bun, who slowed down and smiled nervously back at her. "Thanks, Miss May. I will," said Pia. Mayra hugged her briefly, kissed her on the top of her head, and gave Saoirse a meaningful look before trotting away to catch up with Azri. "She said that before our first date," Saoirse mused, watching Mayra's blue and tan peacock wings bob away around a corner. "She means well," said Pia, pressing her legs together. "It's not a bad thing. My cousin Rabb used to do that for me when we lived in the City of Rain. She got me out of some bad dates." Saoirse could tell Pia was getting desperate and addressed Bun and Montip as they approached: "Right on time. Let's get to the restaurant." "Um...Hi. Who was that?" asked Montip. "Your mother?" Their skin and hair were brown, with lighter brown spots across their body, including over their eyes and nose. The spots extended to their scalp, and their hair grew in streaks the same color as the spots. "She's my boss," Pia spoke up and pulled Saoirse toward the restaurant, motioning for Bun and Montip to follow. "Sorry to rush like this, but I need to use the bathroom." "We need to go too," agreed Montip. Hyachna's Shins came into view. The lights were on, and a tall andyne with bright yellow wings was wiping down the counters. Saoirse could smell Pia's nerves singing in anticipation as they approached the door. She let go of Saoirse's hand to grip the handle. When she pulled on it, the door stayed firmly in place. "It's locked," Pia squeaked. The sign on the door said that the restaurant opened at one o'clock on Mondays. "What time is it?" Bun, carrying a hip bag over his robe, reached into it and pulled out a timepiece. "It's 12:37." "And it's Monday," Pia took a deep, steadying breath. She was normally much better at hiding her desperation, but she'd been nervous all morning. Saoirse had long since noticed that stress seemed to make Pia's medication less effective and her bladder fill up quicker, especially after drinking caffeine. "We could go under the pier again," Saoirse suggested. "There's some sort of school thing going on there," said Bun. "We were going to stop there for uh...the same reason, but people are wandering around all over the place." Pia gulped, "There's an alley behind the restaurant." The alley behind the restaurant served all of the businesses on that side of the street, and the long low planters from the night before closed off that side of the alley, stacked in neat pairs, the top of which was a bit below Saoirse's hip height. The foxfire mushrooms had been taken out, leaving a neatly flattened base of sandy soil. A sharp tang of distressed urine alerted Saoirse, streaming down Pia's legs in rapid drips. Pia made a decision, and Saoirse barely caught her skirt, gathering up the back as Pia sat on the and of the nearest planter, moaning "no no no no no" under her breath. Saoirse sat down next to Pia while she held up the skirt. She felt Pia shaking and stroked her back, feeling the bumps and ridges of the knotted scars under her dress. The urine soaked quickly into the damp soil, whooshing as Pia relaxed and the flow sped up. On the opposite side of the planter, Montip pulled up the back of their robe, sat down primly, and started relieving themself in the sandy substrate. Their urine smelled like lake water. Bun sat beside them, trying hard to look nonchalant with the bag on his lap. Saoirse glanced up and down the empty side street while Pia leaned into her shoulder with a small moan. Her flow surged, rushing and splashing like an unseen creek for a few seconds before slowly tapering off. When she was almost finished, Pia checked her dress. Except for some drops near the hem, it was dry. Pia leaned in and mumbled, "Thanks for grabbing the back of my skirt." "I've got you," murmured Saoirse. Bun cleared his throat nervously. "So uh...Pia, how long have you been here? We've had our food stand at the festival here for the last three years and we haven't seen you." "They were at the last market day in the quarry, remember?" interjected Montip. "There was that nasty storm the night before and you set down there in your airship. We got there before the surface market started, and you two were whistling at the vendors' whales." Pia paled. "Whistling?" Saoirse said slowly. She didn't remember doing any whistling that night. "It could have been a vocal call," conceded Montip. "Now that I think about it, I think I heard your name in it somewhere. 'Seer-sha,' right?" Pia radiated embarrassment. It took Saoirse a second to realize what Montip was talking about. "That was me. It was an...um...a vocal call," Pia said sheepishly, "I'm no good at whistling. Miss May's tried to teach me and I'm afraid I just-" Pia shifted and let out a secondary burst of piss in the sandy soil. Oddly, the noise seemed to mitigate the awkward silence a little. "I just don't have the knack," Pia sighed. "What time does the underwater market start?" "Around three in the morning, surface time. On the surface, things start at sunrise," said Montip. Saoirse exchanged a glance with Pia. "Is something wrong?" asked Montip. "Pia? Sasha? I thought that was you," said a voice. The yellow-winged andyne from the restaurant came striding around the corner. She was tall and willowy with curly dark ginger hair and a long green dress under her work apron. Pia sat up, regaining some of her usual composure. She was still trickling into the planter. "Hi, Helly. And it's Saoirse." "Ah, Saoirse," Helly repeated the name carefully. "Got it. You all can come in and wait if you want. The bathrooms are open, and you can place your orders if you know what you want. It'll just take us a few minutes to get to them." Pia thanked Helly and said they'd come in soon, and Helly went back inside. "Did you need to go?" Montip asked Bun under their breath. Bun whispered, "I don't think I can right now." _________________________________________ No pic today. I'm trying to design another airship and I can't get it right.
  6. My dad decided to snoop through my school flash drive when I was 17-18. He didn't know that you could see what's been opened under the File menu, so I know that he went all of my unfinished omorashi fiction, plus one or two of my normal essays. I think it traumatized him, or rather, he traumatized himself. All of my actual work folders were named things like "Not Porn" (that one was Civics) or "Definitely Not Porn" (English class) and the nosy old busybody opened them all. I've also seen evidence of my parents having the fetish, which I only know it is because I noticed some relatively normal things, but my parents freaked out and then pretended they didn't exist if I mentioned them or pointed them out - if they'd just lied and said explained it away as cleaning chemicals or something, I would've believed them and never thought twice about the incidents. My mom got progressively better at hiding her reaction to me noticing those things, but my dad freaked out every time.
  7. You got it on the day of - before midnight in my time zone anyway. 😛 Thanks! ❤️
  8. Part 63: Pia sat back on the couch. Cyan's blankets and a set of his clothes sat folded next to her, and she drank tea while Saoirse fiddled with the radio. Tinny weather broadcasts and static issued from one of the speakers after she ended her conversation with Avaris, and switched off abruptly with a heavy electric thunk. "It's supposed to rain later," Saoirse said, ambling around the corner. "And Cy's back. He's peeing on his tomato plant with..." Saoirse bit her lip. "Daffod-...no, Mallow. He's back there with Mallow." "It's Yarrow," Pia corrected. Saoirse sat on the couch next to Pia and kissed her on the cheek. "Yeah, him." "Are they ready to go down to Hyachna's Shins with us?" asked Pia. "I can't tell," said Saoirse, shrugging. "I smelled them, I didn't see them. I'll go out and ask in a minute. We never did make any solid plans." When Saoirse stepped out she returned with Cyan and Yarrow. Yarrow had a large wet spot on his pants and washed his hands at the kitchen sink. "There you are," said Pia while Cyan looked through his clothes. "Did you spend the night with Avaris?" Cyan nodded. "She doesn't sleep in her bedroom, so she let us sleep in there." "How was sleeping on a bed?" Pia asked. Behind Cyan, Yarrow blushed. "It was great," said Cyan brightly. "I feel great. I could stretch out and my joints aren't as stiff as usual." "We need to get you a real bed," Pia said contemplatively. "Let's talk about that after lunch." Yarrow gave Saoirse some money, Cyan handed Yarrow a folded-up pair of shorts, and they departed for Avaris's airship. "Good to see you again, Daffodi-" Pia took another sip of tea. "I mean Yarrow." Saoirse added, "You two be good, alright?" and shut the door gently. "I'm sure he gets that all the time with that bluish-gray mop of hair," she told Pia sympathetically. "Besides, he was probably too mortified to notice." Pia retrieved her shoes and sat down to put them on. "What's he got to be mortified about?" "Well, the wet spot on his pants, for one thing," said Saoirse. She found Pia's purse on the coat rack, took out Pia's wallet, and put the money in, smirking at Pia. "And they slept in the same bed last night." "But did they do what you're implying?" Pia sighed, giving her an old-fashioned look. Saoirse snorted, "No. That would've been obvious the first time I smelled them. Plus, Mal-...Yarrow just resolved a nasty lingering landing reflex last night. Most likely in the haunted house, now that I think about it." "Really?" Pia stood up and they walked out the door. She and Saoirse had tried to ride the haunted house the night before, only for it to stop before they left the ride's loading zone. The attendant had given their tickets back with a fuzzy explanation like "water in the mechanism," which Pia thought was odd for a ride full of fog machines. Saoirse recounted their short ride; the line at the haunted house ride had been sparse after several breakdowns during the evening. The smell of piss and overheated grease permeated the whole ride, and Saoirse smelled more urine in their car, on the floor like someone had stepped in it. The urine had smelled distinctly andyne, and there had been traces of Azri and Della in Pia and Saoirse's ride car, as though they'd sat there for a while. "It fits. Della told me their group got stuck in the haunted house for about an hour before they met up with us," said Saoirse. "And you're sure it was Yarrow's urine you were smelling?" Pia asked as they turned the corner. The runabout was already hovering in one of the spots closest to the dockyard entrance. "He wasn't the only andyne there." "I'm...reasonably sure," admitted Saoirse. "The hot grease from the ride changes the scent, so there's a possibility it wasn't him, but it's a small possibility. If it was, I've smelled Yarrow enough in the past three days to form a sort of piss-based timeline-" "Good morning, Saoirse," May said loudly from behind them, carrying a thermos. She wore her work coveralls and her hair was in a plain ponytail. "Good morning, Pia. Where are Cyan and his friend?" Azri and Della were already in the runabout, each holding an insulated bag of breakfast sandwiches. "Yarrow gave us some money to buy for him and Cyan though," said Saoirse, sitting next to Della and giving them a fist bump. Pia's stomach dropped and she patted her skirt pockets. "Do you still have it, Saoirse?" "I put it in your wallet," Saoirse replied. Pia took out her wallet and looked inside. "Something wrong, Pia?" Pia jumped, and it occurred to her that she'd been staring at the money. "No, he just gave us a lot." "He said he'd give us some extra for bringing back their food," said Saoirse. Pia sighed. "It's a lot more than that. You know how when some Andynes are off-world, they spend money like Twoflower in the Mended Drum? No offense, Miss May." "No offense taken," said May from the pilot's seat. "It's one of those weird Andyne cultural things: discussing prices and haggling are considered rude, so they'd rather throw more money at the problem than ask for prices off-world. It's a tough habit to break, but I'm glad I did." "Della? I think they went with Azri," said Avaris. "Why?" "I wanted to ask them about something," said Cyan. Yarrow knew the name but it took him a second to recall the face. "Della? The kid that babysat us last night?" he piped up. "What did you want to ask?" Avaris asked Cyan. The blue of Cyan's face deepened: he was blushing, Yarrow realized. "Oh, you know," said Cyan vaguely. He and Avaris exchanged a glance. Yarrow's heart sank; after everything, would all of this be too good to be true? "It's nothing...gross, is it? Della's just a kid." He said. Cyan looked at Avaris nervously, and she gave him an encouraging nod. "It's not that," Cyan said slowly, drawing out the two words. The blue in his face deepened to dull indigo. Yarrow inwardly braced himself. "I think..." Cyan looked Yarrow in the eye with tentative defiance. "I think I'm nonbinary." Yarrow relaxed. With that came a wave of hunger that momentarily knocked out his desire for a shower. Then he remembered he'd pissed his pants and wanted a shower again. "Oh. Phew. Should I refer to you as they/them?" Cyan's blush brightened further. "Yes, please." Yarrow's stomach picked that moment to growl, and it echoed in the tiled room. Pia wished she hadn't had so much tea as she gently lowered herself to the ground. The daily-use aircraft parking area was just a lot a block away from downtown Segoe, swept clean after the foxfire festival in almost gridlike squares: vendors had parked there the day before and were required to sweep the ground around their airships before they left. "You're getting out here?" Saoirse asked May, lightly hopping down from the ship. "Pickup for Yara and Zinda is on the pier at one," said Azri. Pia fidgeted with her skirt while they walked, glad that she and Saoirse were so close to the restaurant. Saoirse came up beside her and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Oh yeah, they stayed in that hotel down in the lake, didn't they?" Saoirse furrowed her eyebrows. "...The Fighting Nautilus?" "The Freshwater Nautilus," corrected Della. "But that's close. There's a tavern called the Fighting Nautilus in Nilbog." Pia and Saoirse split off from their group near the end of the pier. The chatter from the school pickup at the pier almost drowned out the sound of the waves lapping at the lakeshore. It made Pia need to pee. She could already see the sign for Hyachna's Shins over the nearest row of buildings. "Pia! Saoirse!" said a familiar voice. Bun and his partner Montip strode toward them. ___________________________________ Posting today because it's my birthday. Also this is the chapter that pic of Bun and Montip is from. And the next one. 😄
  9. Part 62: "You're right, we'll probably be the only ones there anyway," Althea said slowly, dropping her pants. She pulled her shirt up over her breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra. Althea sat back on the toilet and spread her legs, exposing her vulva, and aimed with both hands. She let go, spraying loudly into the bowl. It was brief but pressurized, and she let herself drip for a few seconds before she got up. "Did it work?" Althea asked while she washed her hands. "Yes, but it's already wearing off," said Del. "I might be getting too close." Del stood breathing carefully in the hallway outside the hospital wing cafeteria, leaning on a doorway. It was more difficult to hold her bladder standing up. "Do you need to sit down?" asked Althea. "I just need a second," Del breathed. "Go ahead and get your stuff. I already know what I want, I'll be along in a few seconds." "If it helps to sit down, I can just grab both our stuff and we can go back," Althea said. "I have a microwave." Del took Althea up on the offer and sat at one of the tables. She'd brought her water bottle and took a swig. The beginnings of the landing reflex gathered in the soles of her feet. The cafeteria was oddly crowded: a mixed group of about twenty people populated the tables in uniform coveralls, producing a distinctly un-Haman buzz of conversation that Del found comforting. Del recognized the uniforms: a transport company that specialized in large, delicate, but most of all expensive equipment. "Delphinium?" Del jumped. So did the landing reflex. She stopped her stomach mid-contraction but a brief, whooshing burst escaped her and formed a small hot puddle in her lap. It wasn't visible under the table and soaked warmly into Del's work pants while the landing reflex subsided, leaving dull pain in its wake. "Hi, Clay," said Del, trying to sound casual. "Where is your nephew located?" Clay asked quietly, leaning in but keeping a slight distance between them. "The Andyne Homeworld," said Del. "At the family compound in Bluster Bay." "What time is good to call him?" Del's heart leaped. For a long moment, she forgot about the cramps and throbbing bladder. "He's usually home by eight on Fridays, so that's..." Del tried to count on her fingers. "Two in the morning," said Clay. "I should be able to get you in around two-thirty. I'll come get you from Althy's quarters." He hurried off, leaving Del cramping but optimistic. Althea returned a few minutes later with a tray stacked with boxes of fresh and frozen food, and they hurried back to Althea's room. Once they were back, Althea took Del's key and went up to Del's dorm room to check the hydrostasis unit. Meanwhile, Del cleaned herself up, changed into the freshly dried pink lotus pants, and started microwaving Althea's frozen entrees to keep her mind off the nagging need to pee. "Did you lock your door this morning?" Althea asked when she entered. Her sandwich, fresh fruit, and microwaved frozen entree sat on the counter. Del had put hers in the fridge and freezer and sat on the couch, her hands gripping the cushions. "I did, but you were in there after I left this morning, remember?" said Del, sitting up. Althea blushed. "I must've forgotten. Sorry." Del shrugged and took a drink of water. She was about to burst. Del was tired and hungry, and the thought of resolving the reflex made her heart race. "It's probably fine," Del grunted. "The most valuable thing I brought here is my toothbrush." "Seriously?" said Althea. "Are Andyne toothbrushes that expensive?" "It's an electric-" Del tried to stand up, failed, and fell back, groaning. The landing reflex started traveling up her legs. Althea bent down, opened a cupboard with her free hand, and brought out a mop bucket, which she handed to Del. "Thanks," Del breathed, pulling her wings around her while she yanked at her waistband. She got it just in time to burst into the mop bucket. "I'm sorry this had to happen in your room." "I don't mind," said Althea behind Del's wing. "You're the one that was helping me. I should've made it clearer that the elevator might do that." Del sagged, gushing safely into the mop bucket. "It shouldn't have," she moaned when the stomach cramps let go. "That's why it surprised me." "That's right," Althea said thoughtfully with her fork in her mouth. "You're not out of shape, and you haven't been on any long flights lately." "Right," yawned Del. The bucket was starting to get heavy so she set it on the floor and scooted up, aiming herself downward into it. Now that she had a free hand, she rested her elbow on her knee and her head on her hand. She wanted to fall asleep right there but knew she couldn't, at least not until she'd finished. "Del?" Del jolted out of a doze when Althea nudged her wing. "You okay?" Del wasn't pissing in the bucket anymore, but she wasn't quite finished. "Yeah. I'm just double-voiding." Althea patted Del's wing. "Good girl," she said. Del's stomach did a fluttery backflip. She opened her mouth to say something and stopped when her bladder relaxed. Del positioned herself and let out a long, slow stream. "How's the reflex?" asked Althea. "It's gone," Del sighed. She waited until she was all done, stood up slowly, and took the mop bucket into the bathroom, where she dumped the contents and rinsed it out. She cleaned up and washed her face after, stopping to survey herself in the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her crotch bulged obnoxiously. Meanwhile, hunger and the desire to sleep jockeyed for her attention. Del exited the bathroom, pulling her shirt down over her crotch. Althea stood at the sink eating a fruit bowl, and opened the cupboard for Del to put the bucket back. "How are you feeling?" Althea asked. "If you're hungry I'll pop one of your entrees into the microwave." Del sat heavily on the couch. "I feel fucking amazing." Her stomach growled. "Do you mind if I take a nap?" Althea glanced up at the clock. "It's almost seven, so we have a few hours. You can sleep on my bed if you like. I need to start planning out Cassie's extraction and I'd like some extra room for it on the couch." Del happily stretched out on the bed and was out the second she lay down. ________________________________________________________ This is Helly. She does look a lot like Avaris - Avaris is from a big family so that's possible but they'd be distant cousins. Helly and Bellis are named for sunflowers and daisies, respectively.
  10. Part 61: Avaris clicked the space under one of Della's photos to add a caption. Della had taken a lot of pictures of the large Mellen woman. There were some good images of the foxfire in the photos so she sent all of them, typing out, "I think Della has a bit of a crush" under a picture of their aquatic friends sitting on either side of a large foxfire planter. After Cyan finished in the shower, he dropped the shower mat on the ground and pulled it back up twice, seeming to enjoy the sound. Della brought over a pan of grilled breakfast sandwiches. "There are eight in here. Mom says to make sure you eat at least two to keep up your calorie intake," they said to Avaris. "And she wants Yarrow to see her sometime today." Cyan tried and failed to wake Yarrow, and he and Avaris ate at the table in the front room. "Don't feel bad about it," watching Cyan shovel down the leftovers from his curry morosely. "An unresolved landing reflex is no joke. It's like full-body hiccups, and it'll keep you up for days if you can't resolve it. Try Yarrow again in an hour or two. We'll save him some sandwiches." "How do you resolve a landing reflex, exactly?" asked Cyan. "I feel like I should know this." Avaris shrugged while reading through her letter. "Maybe from before you got put in hydrostasis. You might be from the Andyne Homeworld," she speculated. "You resolve the landing reflex by filling up your bladder until you almost can't hold it and then waiting for the reflex to kick in. The catch is that you have to successfully hold it every time you get the reflex until you're full enough. If you're not, the reflex won't resolve and you just keep getting the 'hiccups.'" "That sounds frustrating. What happens if you fall asleep?" "You either wake up and wet yourself, or you stay asleep and wet yourself. You can't resist it when you're unconscious." Avaris said, typing. "Would you mind helping me proofread this before I send it?" Cyan sat next to Avaris while she read the email aloud. Having been at the festival, Cyan filled in some of the details from Della's account and had some corrections, one of which surprised Avaris. Fully proofreading the email took over an hour, and they were just finishing up when Yarrow plodded out, clutching his lower belly. "Good morning Yarrow!" Avaris said brightly. Yarrow gave Avaris and Cyan a muzzy smile and wave. "Cy, you should show Yarrow your tomato plant." "I'll show them! I'll show them all!" A mad scientist cackled onscreen. "They said I was crazy!" "What's...?" Del grunted, carefully keeping her stomach muscles relaxed while the landing reflex took its course. Her bladder burned to let go, but it wasn't full enough. "I missed what the evil monologue was about." The urge to pee ebbed away and she sat up, gingerly stretching one wing. Althea yawned, "I think he made penicillin, except it turns people into zombies. How's the reflex?" Del forced herself to take a large swallow of water. "Under control." She looked up at the clock; it was almost six in the evening. "Want to go get dinner soon?" "If you're okay with it," said Althea. "I need to change and p- uhm...use the bathroom before we leave." "I don't mind other people going pee," Del said patiently. "It helps to think of it as just the reflex. It might help if I could watch though...if you don't mind." "I don't mind," said Yarrow, standing next to the tomato plant with Cyan. He pulled up the front of his sweater and unzipped his pants. "It was fairly straightforward. We had a lot of questions for each other, and after that, she told me she had some wing relaxers." Yarrow stretched his wings and sighed happily. His feathers looked even more tattered than they had the night before. Cyan pulled down their waistband. After rapidly downing three cans of tea and a glass of water over the past ninety minutes, Cyan had no problem letting go into the leaves of the budding tomato plant in a hard blue stream. Yarrow seemed to be having more trouble and pulled his wings around himself. "Were you dreaming before Azri talked to you?" asked Cyan. "I don't remember," Yarrow said quickly, seeming to focus on his crotch behind his feathers. A spray of clear urine splashed the tomato plant and he moaned, "Ugh, finally!" His wings relaxed and he looked back over at Cyan, his eyes going to Cyan's slowly petering flow. "Remember those air rafts from last night? We talked at a picnic table on one of those." He blushed. "That sounds nice," said Cyan. Yarrow grinned sheepishly. "Not as nice as last night. Not as cold either though...Please pardon me if this is a rude question-" Yarrow stopped when Cyan finished and pulled up their shorts. "What is it?" Cyan asked, stepping back. "We can keep talking, I just want to get the watering can." "Oh," said Yarrow. He lowered his wings and Cyan had a full view of him pissing into the plant. "Is your um...urine always blue? Or was it something from the festival last night?" Cyan found the water hookup and watering can next to the corner of Pia's airship and set the can under the faucet to fill. They walked back over to keep talking to Yarrow. "It's just blue I think. At least, it's been blue since I got out of the hydrostasis tube." "How long has that been?" asked Yarrow. "About a month I think," said Cyan after some mental math. They realized that the watering can was probably full and hurried over to turn off the water, and made it just before the can overflowed. It was too heavy to lift, so Cyan spilled some out onto the dirt. "How long were you in hydrostasis?" Yarrow called, leaning back carefully to see what Cyan was doing. He started soaking his pant leg and squatted awkwardly when he noticed. "You probably shouldn't be lifting that." Cyan spilled out the water and turned the can back upright when it was light enough. "I know. Azri likes to remind me not to lift heavy things." They tested the weight of the watering can and hauled it over to where Yarrow stood pissing straight down into the tomato leaves with his odd little dick. Cyan wanted to ask about it, but they were too busy trying to act like the watering can wasn't heavy. Yarrow reached one hand over and helped anyway, holding up the bottom of the can while dripping into his pants. "Yarrow, you're uh..." Cyan inclined their head toward Yarrow's crotch. Instead of drawing back, Yarrow put himself back in and zipped up one-handed. He evidently wasn't quite done, because a wet spot spread rapidly in his pants a few seconds later. "Darn it," Yarrow hissed under his breath and his newly freed hand cupped his groin. "Do you mind if I run some water over myself after you're done with the can?" "If you want," said Cyan. "I could ask Avi or Pia if we can wash your clothes." "We're supposed to go out to lunch today, remember?" said Yarrow. "Hyachna's Shins, right?" said Saoirse, ambling around the corner. She was dressed for the day and had her pale hair in a short ponytail. Yarrow blushed and stood up straight. The wet spot in his pants spread some more. "Yeah." "We could take your orders to go and bring them back here," Saoirse offered. "The place is mostly takeout anyway. Pia and I are meeting that Bun guy from last night there in half an hour." "I'll send you some money for it," said Yarrow quickly. He started patting his pockets and brought out his wallet. "Just uh...wash your hands first?" Saoirse said. __________________________________________ Instead of drawing any of the main characters I drew two more new ones. This is Bellis, one of the people who run Hyachna's Shins. I gave him common blackbird wings.
  11. Part 60: The first impulses of the unresolved landing reflex started when Del sat down on the couch with her first glass of water. It was easy to suppress with an empty bladder, and she waited for it to pass before taking her first drink. Del's top, pants, and underwear were still washing, so she only wore her work pants and draped her towel around her shoulders. The thick terrycloth covered her chest and made her feel a little less flat. Althea opened the bathroom door fifteen minutes later and emerged in a towel. Del was already on her second glass of water, watching a Haman quiz show called "Peril!" "You like quiz shows?" yawned Althea, sitting down. Del sipped her water. "I'm more partial to sci-fi with silly effects, but this is holding my attention. It helps to have something to focus on." Althea nodded in reply. She leaned on Del's shoulder, dozing off until the landing reflex made Del tense up. Del kept her abdominal muscles carefully relaxed and took slow, shallow breaths while her bladder tried to let go. When it passed, she sat back and took a sip of water. Althea curled up under her towel on the other side of the couch and sleepily answered Del's questions about the quiz show. As Althea nodded off, the towel slipped off her. Del had already seen Althea naked and tried not to stare, but being a little horny helped Del ride out the impulses to pee. When the washing machine stopped, Althea was still snoring. Del looked over to tell her and saw Althea clutching the towel like a blanket, covering her breasts and shoulders but exposing everything else. Standing up quickly would stimulate the landing reflex, so Del got up slowly and carefully. The throw blankets were in the dryer. Del took them out and brought them over to the couch, spreading one over Althea, who pulled it around herself and mumbled, "Thanks Del...what are you doing?" Del reached over her and set the folded blankets on the back of the couch. "Switching out the laundry." "How are you feeling?" Althea asked, sitting up when Del eased herself back onto the couch a minute later. "Still pretty good. The landing reflex isn't too intense yet." "Are you sure you wouldn't like some diuretics? Maybe tea or coffee?" Althea offered. Del shook her head. "Thanks, but I have more control over it with water," said Del. "It's slower, but I don't get cramps unless the reflex hits unexpectedly." "How do you know?" asked Avi's voice from the other room. Cyan found that they were unusually comfortable, stretched out on a soft surface instead of the cramped couch they were used to. Someone was snoring nearby, and when Cyan opened their eyes, their stomach did a backflip. Yarrow was asleep next to them, stretched out with his wings pulled tight against his back. "I've been around them," said Della's voice. "It's really obvious if you can smell it." "Just don't be too obvious about it around them, alright?" said Mayra's voice. Cyan tried to go back to sleep, but their achingly full bladder kept them awake. They couldn't help listening to the conversation; Azri was there too, and the group seemed to be discussing food. After some time Azri said, "I'll check on Cy and Yarrow. May, you and Della start the prep and I'll head back in a few." Azri tapped on the door and said quietly, "Cyan?" Cyan sat up too fast and compressed their bladder. "I'm up," Cyan grunted, trying not to wake Yarrow. Azri eased her way into the room. "What time is it?" "Almost six. May, Della, and I are making breakfast so I'll just get some touch impressions now," Azri whispered and hitched up her bag. Cyan let Azri spread her hand on the side of their face. Her eyes went unfocused for a moment and she snapped out of it abruptly. "Are you still doing Avaris's treatments?" she asked, walking around the bed. Cyan felt themself blushing and gulped, "I...If she's okay." "That would be between you two," said Azri, touching the side of Yarrow's face. Her eyes went unfocused again, and she frowned. She bent down and pressed her forehead to Yarrow's. Yarrow stirred a second later and sat up. Azri handed him some pills and a bottle of water from her bag. He took the pills, uncapped the water, and started to drink, consuming the entire bottle in four long, slow gulps that made Cyan's bladder throb. Cyan got up and followed Azri out into the front room. Avi sat at the kitchen table on her laptop, eating one of the buns from the night before. Her hair was wet from a shower and her mouth was full, so she greeted Cyan with a muffled "mormimg!" and a nod. "Is Yarrow your patient now?" Avi asked when she'd swallowed her food. "Yes," said Azri. "We discussed it last night, but also just now." Cyan interrupted, "Is that what you were doing?" "Yep," said Azri. "We had a pretty lengthy talk. It rarely takes more than about five seconds in real time. Are you alright to keep up your treatments with Cyan, Avaris?" Azri left and Avi stood in the shower, raising her skirt. As usual, she wasn't wearing any underwear. Cyan stepped up to her, pulled down their shorts, and screwed up their face in concentration. "Is everything okay?" asked Avi. Cyan gulped, "I'm saving it for when..." they blushed. "For when you show Yarrow your tomato plant?" Avi asked wryly. "Yeah." Cyan's stomach fluttered, and they squirmed at the smirk on Avi's face. "Cy, he's going to be asleep for at least another couple of hours," said Avi. Cyan let go with a small grunt and Avi drew closer to them, squatting to lower the scar on her thigh into the whizzing blue stream. "You might as well pee now and fill up on tea for later." Cyan's bladder deflated slowly. It felt good, and they found they couldn't stop. Cyan yawned, "Do we still have the leftovers from last night?" Avi tried to stifle a yawn and stepped back, letting Cyan finish into the fish-shaped shower drain. Cyan liked having Avi watching and wondered what it would feel like if Yarrow watched. Part of Cyan immediately chastised them for that thought while another enjoyed a pleasant little shiver in the pit of their stomach. "Both yours and Yarrow's are in the fridge, and Azri's making breakfast sandwiches," said Avi, dropping her skirt back over the scar. "Want a shower?" Cyan's flow slowed and stopped, and they and Avi used clothespins to hang towels on the clear shower screen. _____________________________________________ Socializing attempts for the day have been unsuccessful, but today has been productive in other ways.
  12. King's sex scenes aren't bad necessarily, mostly just awkward, jarring, and they feel out of place, especially in books like the early Gunslinger series. And I want to be more social here; I suck at it but sucking at something is the first step toward being sorta good at something. I have some days off soon to at least practice, even if I chicken out again and don't hit "submit."
  13. It's definitely true about there being weirder things. I read a lot and even in popular books there's some shockingly strange stuff - I think I'm subconsciously trying to word toward making my sex scenes as awkward as Stephen King's. 🤣 I should probably be more social on here; it's difficult for me to get started with that stuff, even though I've posted 60,000+ words here.
  14. Part 59: May bit her lip. She stood in her shop in her warm terrycloth bathrobe. It was five in the morning, and a chilly fog hovered over the flat ground and boardwalks of the dockyard. The sky above was clear, fading quickly from violet to blue. "Well, how much does Saoirse know?" asked a scratchy voice on the radio. "A lot, but about her, specifically? I can't be sure," said May. "And then last month some girl from the Nucifera family came to my dockyard. Avaris. She knew who I was and called Azri about it." The scratchy voice gasped, "Avaris Nucifera? She's there?'" "Yeah. For a couple of weeks now," said May slowly. "You know her?" "Del? Del?" Del awoke to Althea nudging her. She could hear the opening credits of Love in the Snow for a third time and smell something cooking. "How many grilled cheese sandwiches would you like?" They spent most of the morning watching Haman romance dramas on the couch. Del's anxiety about her nephew was still there despite knowing she'd speak to him soon, and in her nervousness, she absently consumed large amounts of popcorn and coffee. Althea, by contrast, ate about two handfuls of popcorn and was still on her first cup of coffee when Del sat down with her fifth. "Would you like the rest of the popcorn, or can I finish it?" said Del, proffering the almost empty bag guiltily. "I'm okay for now. Thanks though," said Althea. "Are you sure? I could tie off the bag and save it for later." Del wrapped the bag around her wrist and mimed tying it. Althea finally finished her coffee and stood up with the empty mug. "I'm sure. I had an extra sandwich earlier, and I'm trying not to gain any more weight." Del looked Althea up and down. She was curvy, but not obese. "Really? You eat like a bird." "I know what you mean, but birds can eat half their weight in a day," Althea said, smiling. "I'd like to eat more but I can't burn enough calories here to offset it." "What about going outside?" Del yawned and took a drink of coffee. "I could get away with it right now, but not when we still had patients on site," said Althea. "I wasn't even able to leave my room when the little one came along, and I'll be in here for three days once I begin the extraction process." "We could go on a run or something outside before you do," said Del. "Or go up and down the stairwells here." Althea contemplated that while pouring herself another cup of coffee. "Getting rid of my ratty old couch would be a workout for both of us," she said, picking up a spoon and stirring her drink. Del shrugged and said, "I'd be up for that. This thing is awful." Half an hour later, they had the couch out in the hallway. Del found the couch relatively light, which was good because it was easy on her slowly filling bladder, but Althea was sweating and puffing before they got it out the door. Althea took a break to clean the floor where the couch had been. One of the items among the dust bunnies and bits of breakfast cereal was a quilted blanket. It looked handmade, and Del could make out a hand-stitched capital C in the crumpled fabric. "Oh, that's where this went," panted Althea, picking it up. She dropped it in her washer, and she and Del swept the area before vacuuming it. "Should I change into my work pants before we take the couch downstairs?" asked Del. Althea plopped down on her bed and flopped back. It reminded Del of her dream again. Her stomach did a backflip as she sat down on the bed next to Althea. "It's the middle of the day. Nobody's going to be around to see," Althea sighed. "There's always a chance someone might, though." Once Althea had caught her breath they carried the couch to the elevators. There were three elevators: two were normal-sized and only went to the residential floors and lobbies. The other, sitting to the right of the regular elevators, was a larger cargo elevator with access to the basement level of the complex. The couch fit into the car with room to spare, and Del took up a spot in the back corner on the handrails. "Watch out when we get to the bottom," huffed Althea, red-faced. "This thing lurches when it stops." Del didn't understand the warning in her tone but nodded anyway. "So we're putting this in the banquet hall?" Del asked as they descended. The cargo elevator was noticeably slower than the others, but Del didn't mind the break. The need to pee was beginning to bother her, but it wouldn't be a problem unless she triggered her landing reflex. Althea paused to take a deep breath. "Yeah. That room they do birthdays and holidays in...opens to that outdoor patio." Del opened her mouth to ask Althea if she was alright, and the elevator lurched under them. Del wasn't ready and landed heavily on her feet, feeling the landing reflex start in the balls of her feet. The elevator doors opened with a scraping noise. Del clenched up, trying to ride out the urge to let go. Althea lifted her end of the couch determinedly and stepped quickly forward, up a hallway and around the corner to a wide, sunny room. "Let's set it down close to the wall," Althea grunted and steered her end of the couch to the nearest wall. Not pissing herself consumed most of Del's concentration, and she could only repeat, "Close to the wall." "Phew! Thanks for helping with this, Del," sighed Althea. Del felt the landing reflex coming on again and glanced around. They'd passed a bathroom near the elevators- "Dr. Tock?" A middle-aged Haman woman walked around the corner. She wore the sleek black Andyne-style suit currently favored by WS corporate, but her expression was friendly. It fell when she saw Del, and her eyes lighted disdainfully on Del's pink pajama pants. Disapproval flickered on the Haman woman's face, and Del sat down in embarrassment, pressing her legs together against the oncoming urge to pee. "That's me," Althea said breathlessly, standing up. She extended a hand to touch palms and the woman and the woman recoiled. She was taller than Althea, with long brown hair and short pointed ears. "You have an appointment tomorrow after lunch," said the woman, handing Althea a slip of paper. Del's urge to pee mercifully ebbed away, but she didn't dare let herself relax in front of someone from WS Corporate. "Is he still here?" Althea asked the woman, reading the paper. "He's staying in Eternal Autumn," the woman replied coolly. Althea waited for her to add something else, but she didn't. "Oh. Umm...great. Thanks." The woman departed wordlessly, saving one last cold glance for Del. Althea folded the paper she'd gotten and stuffed it in her pocket. "Well, Del," Althea snorted at the rhyme. "Would you mind if we took a quick break?" Del pressed her legs together and gulped, "Sounds good to me." Althea gave her a knowing look. "What?" "Landing reflex?" Althea asked, sinking onto the couch next to Del. Del nodded, blushing. "There are bathrooms around the corner. If you're still pee-shy I can stand guard outside the bathroom," she offered. Del started to stand up and felt the landing reflex kick in again. She dropped back onto the couch, but that didn't stop it. "No," Del moaned under her breath. "No no no..." "Delphinium," said Althea quietly, placing a hand on Del's arm. "If you let go now there's no one around to see." Despite Del's best efforts, a hot trickle escaped into her pants. "Th-that corporate lady was around," Del moaned. "And this is your couch." "And I said I wouldn't mind you ruining it," said Althea. "If you hold it in too long, your landing reflex won't resolve properly." Del tried to relax, but she had already clenched up too tight for that. "Can I do anything to help?" Althea asked quietly. "You c-could stand watch?" breathed Del. Althea stood up. "I'll keep an eye out at the end of the hall. Mind if I watch?" "If you like." Del reached into her pants and aimed herself downward, hoping that it would confine wetness to the back of her pants when she stood up. The cushion absorbed the urine easily. "I'm sorry about your pants." "They're yours, remember?" said Althea. "Let's go back up after this and each get a fresh change of clothes." Del's bladder relaxed and let go in a loud whoosh that seemed to echo in the wide empty room. Del let out a long sigh of relief. The heat and pressure from her controlled flow felt good on her crotch and butt against the couch cushion. Del looked down: she was pleased to see that the front of her pants was mostly dry. "Althy?" said Clay's voice. Del's stomach dropped. Clay was the last person she wanted to see, and she couldn't stop flooding the couch cushion if she tried. "Is Delphinium with you? I need to speak with him." Del's stomach dropped further. "Del's a little busy right now," said Althea, sidling into the hallway. Clay sidestepped into the banquet hall past Althea and marched right up to Del, oblivious to what Del was doing. "Delphinium," Clay bent down a little, close to Del. He was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. "Are you related to the Nucifera family?" Del hadn't been expecting the question. "Yes, through my father's side." "Have you had your genes mapped?" Clay pressed. Althea walked up behind him and exchanged a glance with Del. "Yeah, when I was ten like everyone else. Why?" Del asked. She couldn't believe Clay hadn't noticed that she was relieving herself, and something about that was starting to turn her on. She felt herself swelling and clasped her hands in her lap to hide it. Clay rubbed his eyes. "I'm not sure yet." He turned to walk away. Althea spoke up before Clay left: "Clay, would it be possible to get Del a few minutes on the outside phone line sometime in the next few days?" Clay hastily agreed to it and hurried away toward the hospital wing. "What was that about?" Del asked quietly when Clay was gone. "I have no idea," said Althea. "Are you **still** going?" She seemed impressed and it made Del blush. "Y-yeah," Del said bashfully. "I'm almost done." Althea sat on the couch across from Del. "Sorry, I have to sit down. Did you resolve the landing reflex?" Del, who was finally finishing, shrugged and said earnestly, "No, but it won't be a problem as long as I don't drink anything before we move the couch." "In that case, want to get the couch tomorrow?" asked Althea. "It might be better to get it sooner," said Del. She sat back comfortably and saw the wet spot in her crotch when she spread her legs to stretch them. "I need to relax my bladder to get the rest out. If you need more of a break, tell me where the couch is and I'll go over and get started." "I only need a second," said Althea. "Tell me when you're about to pee again." The two of them sat in restful silence for the next few minutes. "It's coming." Del leaned back and used one hand to adjust herself through the thin fabric of her pants. The rest came out effortlessly, soaking into the already-soaked couch cushion. "Much better," Del sighed, massaging her lower belly. "Now, where's that couch?" The new couch was on the same floor as Althea's quarters, left behind by another one of the doctors. The doors to the vacant rooms had their keys left in the lock, and it was easy to get in. Their quarry sat conveniently in the middle of the floor, light blue patterned with little off-white dots. Del's pants were almost fully dry when she and Althea hauled the couch through Althea's doorway. Althea was dripping sweat when they were done and plodded over to the washer. "Let's get our clothes in the wash. Did you want to shower first?" she puffed, unabashedly stripping naked. Del took off her pants and underwear. Her work shirt was a little sweaty, so she washed that too. Del took the shower first and started it, stepping in for a quick rinse. Althea offered Del a diuretic for her landing reflex. "Thanks for offering, but I've done this before," said Del when they switched out. She stepped in front of the sink and began drying off. _____________________________ I find myself somewhat unmotivated to art, but have gotten some writing done. I think I'm getting to the end of this story. Writing this stuff is fun because I love it and people I talk to [cryptically] about it ask to see it and insist that nothing I write could *possibly* be that weird. Well it is! 😄 I'm open to any suggestions as to who to draw; I have some ideas but only a few scribbles to show for it.
  15. Part 58: Del sat on the shower stool and watched Althea lay down the plastic shower mat, pulling up her feet so Althea could get the mat under them. Althea was naked, and Del watched her test the mat to make sure it was secure. Once she was satisfied with that, she turned to Del, looking almost exactly as she had in Del's dream. "You seem nervous," Althea observed. Del sat with her knees together and her hands clamped over her crotch. "I'm having some um...difficulties," Del gulped. "And I haven't peed yet this morning." Althea gave Del an odd look. "Did you get some bad news when you went to the security office this morning?" "Not...bad, per se. I've been enjoying it here," Del sighed. "But I might be staying an extra week or two. My ID is having some sort of problem in the system and I can't leave Ud until it's fixed." "Do you want to go back?" asked Althea, bending down on her haunches and placing her hands on Del's knees. They were warm. "I'd say no, but my nephew starts his school break next Monday. He's got his heart set on doing his flight trials, and if he hasn't got his training hours in by next month, he'll have to wait another three years. I'm afraid he might train by himself and get too ambitious." "I see," said Althea. "Have you been able to log into the network here?" Del nodded. "Something is wrong with my ID. Otherwise I'd send him an email or something." "Clay and I might be able to arrange a call," said Althea. "He thinks the people listening to the phone lines left with Mr. Nucifera, but even if they're not, all you're telling him is to be safe." The thought of speaking to Digitalis over the phone made Del's shoulders relax a little. "That would be wonderful if you could," Del said. "I'd feel a lot better if I could just tell him to stay off the course until I get back." Althea pulled herself up, straddled Del's lap, and sat down. "I'll talk to Clay at dinner." Del couldn't help noticing how close Althea was. She had a small, defined waist, and her breasts were fuller than they'd been in Del's dream. Thin green pubic hair screened her swollen, pinkened vulva. Del felt a hot throb against the hand in her crotch and shivered when Althea's hands moved to her hips. "We can stop at any time," breathed Althea, leaning in close to Del's face. "Please don't stop," Del moaned. "I wish I knew more about airships so I could compare your butt to one." Althea laughed and stood briefly to kiss Del on the forehead, her cleavage in Del's face. Del felt the blood surge downward into her groin and it wrenched another moan out of her. "I have lots of guides and manuals if you want to look at them," purred Althea. "But I'm flattered for now." Del took her hands away from her crotch and placed them on Althea's hips. Althea scooted closer, letting Del's stiff cock press into her belly. "Wanna make out?" Althea whispered in Del's ear and kissed her neck. Del nodded. "May I touch your umm..." she gulped. "My boobs? My pussy?" suggested Althea. "Both?" Del squeaked. "Yes," said Althea. Del traced her hand down Althea's thigh. "I'll warn you, though: I haven't peed yet this morning either." Del's fingers slipped into Althea's vulva. It was hot, wet, and subtly pulsating at her touch. Althea leaned into it, grunting softly. "I don't mind that," said Del. Althea's clitoris swelled against Del's hand. Del began rubbing the slick folds in slow circles, prompting Althea to start undulating her hips. "We're in the shower." Althea took a breath like she was about to speak, and nuzzled into the crook of Del's neck, breathing heavily. Del had to brace herself as Althea's movements quickened, but it didn't last long. Althea suppressed a loud cry that still echoed in the bathroom, and Del kept her strokes quick and steady until Althea relaxed and collapsed against Del, sweating and shaking. When Del withdrew her hand, a brief trickle of urine came with it, and Althea tried to stand up. "You don't have to get up," Del said. "Can I umm...Can I aim it?" "Be my guest," panted Althea, spreading her legs wider. There wasn't much of a flow to aim yet, so when Del spread the lips the urine ran down Althea's leg. "Just a sec. I need to catch my breath." "Take your time." Del let Althea lean on her shoulder. She was sweaty, and her breasts pressed against Del's chest. The skin tone was different, slightly paler and pinker than Del's, but Del could almost imagine they were hers. She stared down at Althea's breasts until Althea sat up again a minute or so later and released a hot burst onto Del's legs. Althea let Del try to aim it again as it sped up into a hissing stream, and Del managed to get it into two streams, running onto Del's thighs and cock. "Here, let me help," said Althea, and guided Del's hand to pull her outer labia upward. The streams combined and hit Del's glans with enough pressure to make her squirm involuntarily. The flow lasted for a long time, and Del was almost relieved when it slackened. Althea noticed Del's body relaxing with it. "Is the arousal getting more intense lately?" she asked. Del was a little surprised to find that she was out of breath. "No-not really for me, I already have a high sex drive. What about you? You must've been pretty worked up to come like that." Althea shrugged and sighed, "I'm just excited for the tit job. If you're still up for it." "Well..." Del gulped. "You're not gonna um...use your mouth, are you?" "Not if you don't want me to," said Althea. "Why?" Del took a deep breath and felt herself blushing. "Just...can you not use your teeth?" "What kind of jerk uses their teeth on someone's genitals without asking first?" said Althea. "I don't do that, but if it gets uncomfortable at any point, let me know and I'll stop." Althea got up and opened her medicine cabinet. In it were a dozen large pump bottles of- "Toad erythrum oil?" Del read aloud. "Why is there so much?" "It's for when the little one comes out of hydrostasis - her skin gets dry, like mine." Althea took a pump of the pale pinkish oil, put the bottle back, and shut the medicine cabinet. "But it's a good topical lubricant too." Del spread her legs and Althea kneeled between them, spreading some of the oil in her cleavage and applying the rest to Del. Althea eagerly went to work, and enclosed Del with her breasts. She pressed her breasts together and began moving up and down. "This is like something out of The Last Sovereign," Del blurted out, looking into Althea's dark eyes. Gold threads seemed to reflect in them, indicating they were dark brown, not black. "Oh? Do I remind you of anyone?" asked Althea, not missing a beat. Her strokes were slowly becoming longer, her lips brushing Del's tip. It was hard to focus. Del's body tensed, and she felt hot. "I think...Altina?" Althea giggled, "It's the ears, isn't it?" She sped up her movements and took the head into her mouth. She moved her tongue in slow lapping motions. "Althy-" Del grunted, gasping. Althea smiled up at her and kept going, sucking more enthusiastically. Del took a breath to warn her what was about to happen and just managed to wheeze, "Althy I'm coming." Del came into Althea's mouth with a loud moan, her wings slipping and thumping on the tiled wall behind her. She relaxed after what felt like a dozen spurts and looked down to see Althea still sucking. "You came a lot," Althea commented, sitting back on her haunches. "I almost couldn't swallow it all." Del was out of energy to be embarrassed. "You swallowed? Are you sure you're Haman?" she panted. Del's bladder relaxed while Althea stood up and turned on the shower. "I told you, I'm not from the homeworld." With the shower going, Althea resumed her spot between Del's knees on the shower mat. "We had whole units in school on contemporary Homeworld cultures, and at the end of each one we'd have a Haman day, Andyne day, Renoige day, et cetra." It made sense to Del, so she switched the subject and asked, "Why did you sit between my legs again? I need to pee." Althea rubbed Del's thigh. It was clear that she wasn't about to move. "How long have you been holding it this time?" "Just since last night. It's the coffee from this morning that's making me really need to go...are you just going to stay there?" "I will if you don't mind," said Althea. "Do you?" Again, Del was too tired to be embarrassed. "I don't mind. Did you want to aim it this time?" Althea said yes, and when Del let go about a minute later Althea ran the clear pressurized jet over her shoulders, chest, and belly. The two of them showered after that, and when they were finished they went out to see the credits to Love in the Snow playing onscreen. Althea made a fresh pot of coffee and restarted the movie, but ten minutes in they were both asleep on the couch, Del leaning on Althea with her wings pulled in compactly against the backrest. _______________________________________ For some reason I felt like I had to make a corny movie poster. A big square one, which is only one of the most unrealistic things about it as a movie poster. It's also the version from Del's dream, not the actual fictional movie about an aroace Haman priest-slash-detective who solves mysteries and helps people find love. In Hamans, "priest" is most often a caste they're born into rather than a job description. The tips of their ears are cut off both sexes during infancy, and the marks under the eyes indicate their age. Magenta and green are also very common Haman hair colors. Also a TLS reference that I couldn't resist popping in there at the last second.
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