How to Ride a Night Mare [Quin x heartless]

[heartlesskitten]

Star could not ignore the direct summons so she turned reluctantly on her heel to go over the car where her father stood. She put her hand on her hip, the anticipation of the night with Jason quickly retreating to the back of her mind as she looked at his face. She stayed quiet, biting the inside of her lip as he explained his anger at dinner. Her motions mirrored his unconsciously, the girl with the same golden hair, round face, and stubborn chin. Eric’s daughter, there was never any doubt from the moment she first showed a spark of life within Charlotte’s womb.

With a slight crooked smile, Star remembered their games and how he would make her a bowl of cereal for breakfast when Charlotte slept late after being up all night with Ethan and David would leave early to the town hall. It was Eric that would listen to her chatter and make up stories with her. Sometimes she would visit him at work, Charlotte bringing her to drop off his lunch and she would stand on a step stool next to him, a small little girl with a bouncy ponytail in sturdy jeans and t-shirt watching her daddy turn a wrench.

Those memories came back as he apologized in his way and shared his fears. Star knew he was right but if things were going to progress they could not stay hidden away in their little oasis for long. Green River was succeeding, in less than a generation kippies and humans, and even the hybrids were co-existing relatively peacefully. If they could do it, then so could others they would just need to be showed how and their town was an example. But that was in the future, it was not something she was planning on doing anytime soon, she was no missionary with a plan to change the world. She was a girl who wanted to see what was out there, good or bad, dangerous or not.

Reaching back and touching the feathers under her shirt, wondering briefly what Jason would think of them. She had hidden it from him though he knew she had some mark of her corruption but her self consciousness had not allowed her to show him. Nor had he asked to see it. Part of her knew he was content that she hid her difference, that she wanted to be normal. Not like Dori who shoved her strangeness into the face of the world, unashamed to walk around ungloved. Or those who could not hide it, like her father’s friend with the horn on his head or the man with the squid like tentacles. They were not true hybrids but men corrupted by Nightmares, but they were tainted nonetheless. Though neither had control over what had happened to them, it did not stop people from staring or recoiling.

“I love you too, Daddy,” Star said, returning his hug and sighing against his chest, “And you’re not a monster, don’t say that.”

Looking up at him, she chucked his chin playfully with her fist, “You fought the monsters, right? Fought and won. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. You're stuck paying for my meals and clothes.”

She brightened and picked up the bag, “Oh speaking of which, I brought leftovers if you want them.”

Opening the bag, she showed off the contents in a teasing manner, giggling. Eric seemed in a better mood so she took the chance,“Hey, Dad, I got invited to go out tonight. It’s no big deal, just dinner and hanging out but I might be late coming, I think a movie marathon is planned.”

Star tried to appear nonchalant, hating to lie but there was no way she was going to give any hint about her real plans.

Charlotte watched from the kitchen, smiling to herself as the two made up and shared a hug. They were so much alike that they could be the best of friends and in a moment at each others throats. As she peeked through the curtain, she felt a tug on her shirt and glanced down with a laugh. Sophie was clomping around in a pair of her high heels and a string of beads nearly to her waist. Her mouth was smeared with lipstick and Charlotte clucked her tongue, reaching down to scoop up the four year old.

“Did Amanda do this?”

“Yes, I’m pretty?” Sophie chirruped, smiling with red stained teeth.

“So glamorous. But you know you’re not allowed to use Mommy’s make up,” Charlotte scolded gently and then turned to go hunting down the culprit, “Amanda!?”

 

[Rudolph Quin]

A weight lifted off of his shoulders, placated by his daughter's reassurances and her good-humor. He really was twisted up inside over the argument they had, the thought of his little girl running head-first into danger turning him into a panicked, whimpering pup. David even refused to continue fooling around last night before sleep because of how tense he was over it, both him and bumblebee whispering heatedly in the dark that he needed to get his head out of his arse. Everybody agreed it was too dangerous for the teen to venture past the mountain barrier but Eric was the only one being stupidly antagonistic about it. With that in mind, he'd woken up this morning with the intent to apologize, just figuring out all day how to word it so that he didn't seem like he was agreeing to let her go. And somewhere along the line, he'd become worried that she'd refuse to accept for some reason, foolish as it was.

"Ray's? Hell yeah!" Eric said with a smirk when he saw the bag she brought out, recognizing the rudimentary ink stamp on the paper. When she flashed the leftover burger and fries at him, Eric hissed a groan. "Bean burger? Fuck! That is the shit! Thank you, babe."

Feeling good about making amends with her and already digging in to take a bite from the lukewarm sandwich, Eric listened to Star's request without his usual suspicions. "Sure, sweetheart," he said, pausing before taking a bite of the leftover burger to give her a cautious look. "Wait. Is Dorito gonna be there?" His look indicated that would be a deal breaker but the teen caught on to his teasing undertone and he chuckled when she smacked him in the arm. "Just teasing. Yeah, you can stay out a little later, so long as you get all your work done before you go. How about we say 11? Midnight rolls around and I'm filing a police report, I swear to God."

With a mouthful of burger and licking his lips free of greasy juice, he smirked. "How embarrassed would you be?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "If the police and I started hunting for you tonight while you're getting ready to leave your friend's house? Would you be ashamed of me then? I'd be shouting in the streets, just totally sobbing and horrible, 'Staaaaaarrrr!'" He mockingly wailed, making the most embarrassing, mortifying noise he could, smirking and chuckling to joke with her about it. "See? You don't want that to happen, you'll be home at 11 before I have the chance to lose my shit. In front of other people, I mean."

Huffing a laugh, he gave her a soft peck on the cheek and went back to his treat. "Go on and get your work done, alright?" he said with a nod. "Thanks again for the sandwich, sweetie."

 

[heartlesskitten]

Star grinned as her father enjoyed the burger, it was both their favorite. Juicy ground Nightmare beef with mashed beans, melted cheese, and Ray’s famous Insomniac hot sauce. Her smile grew as he agreed to let her go out, smacking him with playful indignation when he cautioned her about being late. She snorted and rolled her eyes, “Oh my god, Dad! Don’t you dare! You sound like a pig giving birth. I’ll be home in time, I promise. You know me though, I’m quite the rebel...I might be five minutes late.”

She nodded with a cocky smirk then lost it, dissolving into giggles, her smile turning bright and sunny. Star was flying high on good feelings, Jason was waiting for her and she was back on good terms with her father, even getting him to allow her more leeway. She hugged him once more and gave him a big smooch on his bearded cheek, wrinkling her nose as the hairs tickled her.

“I’ll catch you later, love you Daddy!” she called over her shoulder as she turned to go into the house.

Slinging her bag, she shut the door behind her, spotting her mother with Sophie propped on the counter getting her face washed and Amanda sitting in the time out chair, with a sour expression, her own face pink from scrubbing. Star looked at the 8 year old and spoke in a fake deep monotone, “So what are you in for, kid?”

Amanda pouted, her sandy brown bangs hanging in her eyes as she sighed dramatically, “For wanting to be beautiful.”

“The crime of the century!” Star exclaimed.

“She’s in for breaking into Mommy’s makeup bag,” Charlotte interrupted, wiping the last bit of lipstick from the chubby cheek of Sophie. “Honestly none of you need make up, all my girls are naturally gorgeous.”

Star made a face, purposefully trying to look ugly and deformed as Sophie giggled and Amanda tried not to. “You think I’m purty? Maybe a little rouge will help.”

Charlotte pressed her lips together and shook her head, her shoulders shaking with laughter, “Stop it. I’m trying to impart some wisdom here.”

Her oldest daughter snuggled up, wrapping her arm around her petite mother’s waist, “Sophie looks just like you anyway, that girl won’t need any makeup but probably just Daddy Eric and his baseball bat to keep away the boys. And Amanda...”

The girl lifted her head, she was all legs and arms, a skinny girl with boundless energy with a flair for the dramatic. “I didn’t even get a trial! Aren’t I supposed to get a trial How is that even fair?”

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, “Nice try, but this house is a dictatorship run by a triumvirate, my love.”

Star laughed and gave her younger sister a thumb’s up, “Amanda’s totally gonna be following David into that courtroom.”

“No way, I’m gonna be an actress, duh!” Amanda crossed her arms, sticking her little nose in the air.

Their mother put Sophie down who pirouetted in her stocking feet on the polished wood floor before bouncing off to play with her dolls. Charlotte went over to Amanda and looked her in the eyes, “You know why you’re here. We discussed personal property and privacy before, correct?”

“Yes ma’am,” the girl admitted sullenly, her bottom lip pushing out even more, “But you have such pretty things, like Star.”

“Whoa, kiddo, stay out of my stuff,” Star replied, pointing at her as she grabbed a cup of water. “Don’t worry once you get bigger you can have all my old clothes, I’m sure you’ll love that.”

She brightened, too young to care about it being hand me downs, it was her big sister’s pretty things that she coveted. Charlotte clucked her tongue, turning Amanda’s face back to look at her, “Stay out of my dresser, that’s final.”

“Alright, I promise,” the girl sighed deeply and her shoulders slumped, giving her mother big blue puppy dog eyes.

“I’m going to hold you do it,” Charlotte warned, “Now go do your homework, I know you have some because Jack already finished his.”

The brief glimpse of freedom to play was snatched away and Amanda slumped off to get her spelling book as Charlotte tried not to laugh, keeping a stern countenance because the girl always peeked back over her shoulder. Sure enough, as the 8 year old went around the side, she tried to see if her mother was joking but the set of her lips and the firm nod sent her to the homework table set up in the den.

Once the girls were gone, Star spoke to her mother, “Hey, Dad said it was okay for me to stay out a bit later, he gave me an 11 pm curfew.”

Charlotte glanced at her eldest, “Oh, special date with Jason?”

Star froze, did she suspect? Swallowing the last of her water, she shook her head so hard her hair flew around, “No, like just some friends getting together for a movie marathon. Might run late.”

“That sounds fun,” her mother replied as she rinsed the sponge, then she looked directly at Star, “With Jason?


“Yeah...and Dori will probably be there, Ollie and some others...you know,” Star could feel her mother prodding too close to the truth and wanted to escape. “But hey, I have to finish my homework and chores before I go, so I better get started.”

Charlotte merely nodded and said, “Are things getting serious with him?”

“With who?” Star was about to step away when she asked.
“With the handsome popular boy you’ve been dating for the last few months,” Charlotte replied.

“Hmm yeah I guess but can we talk about this later? I really gotta get started on my rough draft,” Star said, backing away from her perceptive mother. It always seemed she half knew what her children were thinking before they even thought it.

Making a dash for the stairs, Star ran up to her room and shut the door. Not that she was opposed to discussing sex or her life with her mother, but she did not want her to forbid her from going. Maybe after it was over, she would ask for Charlotte had always been quiet about her first time though Star knew enough that it had been with Daddy Eric when they first met and doing the math, it meant she was underage for that time. Not that it mattered, they loved each other fiercely and David along with them. They made a happy family and that’s what mattered. But still, there was that nagging comment David had made last night, the one that made Charlotte pale and Eric infuriated and defensive.

Shoving open her notebook, the thoughts about her parents past flew out the window as she began cranking out the homework to get done as fast as she could. Once she was done, she could see the sun waning towards the trees and she took a shower, shaving her legs and did some ladyscaping so not to embarrass herself. As she dressed and undressed, indecisive on what to wear, she grew more nervous.

Star finally settled on a knee length dress in a peach colored lace with long flowing sleeves. It was romantic and ultra feminine, something her mom had worn and passed down to her. She slipped on a pair of nice flats, her hair combed and worn down. Before she left her room, she glanced at the mirror, looking at herself one last time as a virgin and wondered if after she would be able to tell the difference, despite what Doir said. Under the gauzy fabric, she noticed the dark shade of her feathers and frowned at them, grabbing a lightly woven shawl made from the creamy soft wool of the sheepflowers, a Nightmare version of cotton. Tossing it around her shoulders, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door with a wave to her mother who was playing on the floor with Sophie and Charlie, building towers out of blocks for the toddler to gleefully knock down.

 

[Rudolph Quin]

Meeting Star at the end of her street as the sun disappeared from the sky, Jason kissed the blonde teen in greeting, his heart beating fast and a sparkle in his eyes to see her. "You look amazing," he said, giving her another up and down look, cradling her hands in the halo of light from the streetlamp. It was a kippie who worked for the neighborhood, most of the time going unnoticed from the older technologies it was replicating and it coughed moths and small bugs, the lamplight fluttering in it's cheeks and chin above them, unable to hold back from disturbing the young lovers' privacy. Still, Jason glanced up at it, seeing it's hidden eyes above the bulbs of dream-light and he gave it a polite wave before taking Star's hand in his and leading her outside the circle of light.

Chatting idly with her, Jason led her to his parents' house and the firepit in the backyard that was already set up and blazing. Jason's best friend and confidant, EL, a kippie that looked like a tall, skeletal man in tuxedo suit and top hat, only unnaturally skinny and moving with too surreal, jerky movements for a human, rose from the bench bordering the blaze set into the ground corral. EL had been a family friend and servant ever since Jason was 6, his father getting it as a babysitter when he couldn't handle taking care of a young Jason on his own and do his job at the same time. Jason's mother had died giving birth to him in the early years of Green River after Piper was taken down and his father, Matthew Goines, hadn't remarried until Jason turned 9. EL had become more than what he was in the beginning and was Jason's best friend ever since he came to the house and guarded the young boy from the boogiemen that EL never denied being in the shadows and dark spaces of his child's room.

It's face obscured by it's noteworthy mauve scarf, nothing but it's yellow and green eyes showing above the wrap, EL tipped it's hat to the teens, leaving Jason to take over tending the fire pit. "Thanks Mr. E," Jason said with casual familiarity to the creature as it made it's way to the house in bursts of disturbing movement through the darkness, appearing on the back steps within seconds. Although scary in some respects to others, the kippie was anything but for Jason, the 16 year old being used to it's behaviors and idiosyncrasies by now.

Cooking up two small hen breasts for himself and Star, Jason showed off a little bit, his prowess with dealing with the fire and getting the meat just right to a nice crispy brown. After that, the two of them sat back, watching the golden orange flames crackle and dance before them, feeling it's glowing warmth in the spring darkness. "I was a little surprised to hear you say 11," Jason commented, his lips and fingers greasy with the oils and fat from the meat as he put the bones back down on the plate balancing on his knees. "You musta did something to get your dad to agree to that. Anyway, don't worry, I'll get you home before then. Gives us plenty of time to..."

He trailed off, bowing his head with a small nervous smirk, his features transforming into a young boy from the firelight. Instantly, he turned back into a young man, the shadows deepening on his chiseled features when he picked his head up and gave Alex an adoring look filled with confidence. Setting his plate aside, he stood and offered her his hand. "Come on. I wanna show you something."

Taking her over to the yard, just outside the circled patio and benches, Jason showed Star the telescope already set up and pointed up at the night sky. The moon was invisible this night, leaving the diamonds in the blackness above, free to blaze in their true glory, unrivaled. Adjusting the knobs on the side of the ancient instrument, already 2 decades old, Jason bent his face to the small eyehole, making sure he was seeing what he wanted to see. Smiling with a breathy laugh, he stood up straight and offered her a look. "Aquarius," he stated plainly. "The grouping of stars I was born under. Called the 'water bearer' it's a representation of Ganymede. The ruler of the Gods, Zeus, saw the beautiful young man one day and swooped down in the form of an eagle to take him for himself. Up on Olympus, he turns the young man into his personal cup-bearer and finally, one day, Ganymede has had enough, he doesn't want to be his servant anymore. So, in his frustration and rebellion, he dumps out the pitcher of ambrosia water and causes rain to flood and cover the entire world. At first, Zeus wants to be mad and punish the boy but realizes he's been kind of a dick and instead makes him immortal, putting him into the stars."

During his tale, Jason stood watching the heavens with a small smile on his face, imagining these ancient and powerful beings and how they must have lived their lives. Stories of the ancient Romans and Greeks, including their myths and legends were Jason's favorite, articulating a time long before the Rift had changed the world and mankind was still deeply in love with the primitive art of storytelling. Glancing back down at Star, Jason boasted, "I know all of their stories and where they are positioned in the sky. Which stars were you born under, Star?"

 

[heartlesskitten]

Star held his hand as they walked towards his house, waving at EL when they went into the backyard. She was familiar with the kippie and unafraid of the rather spooky qualities he had, EL was really a wonderful being and had a great affection for Jason. His roll was not unlike the one Peaches had in Star’s life, though it was a psychopomp rather than a nanny.

“Oh nice! It smells so good,” she exclaimed over the fire pit and the roasting quails. The delicate flesh was juicy and seasoned just right, “I never knew you were such a chef. Is it the cooking outside part? So primal.”

Star licked her finger, looking at him with appreciation. It really was good and the effort was noted. The fire light flickered and when she got up to move closer to him, her body was silhouetted for a moment in the gauzy dress, showing her slender nubile shape. When he trailed off, she blushed slightly, ducking her head and brushing back her golden hair. Glancing at him, she bit her lip with nervous anticipation wondering how they would start and how it all would end. She got up and went with him, over to the old telescope and listened as he explained about the water bearer sign. She smiled warmly and touched his arm, “It suits you, Jay.”

At his question, she looked up into the night sky, the stars were brilliant and shimmering like so many diamonds strewn across dark velvet. She recalled how she got the nickname, that Noel could see her tiny life glowing like a star in the darkness of her mother’s womb. It was a story she never got tired of hearing and when they visited the blue woman, she would pester her to tell it again in those hauntingly beautiful flute notes.

“Gemini,” Star replied, gazing up at the tall young man, “Which is funny because Jack and Amanda are the twins but they’re Sagittarius.”

 

[Rudolph Quin]

Everything was perfect. The meal was perfect, after how much practice both burned and undercooked meats he'd gone through, it really paid off, the task second nature to him to perform. The night sky was perfect, the moon new, cloaked in the Earth's shadow, letting the new lovers bask in the light from the billions of stars so far away. And she was perfect, dressed in soft colors, the fabric delicate to the touch and tantalizing his senses as she moved around the firepit, her body casting tempting shadows through it.

"Ah, Gemini," Jason said with a knowing smirk, now one step closer to knowing her brithdate without outright asking for it. Still, only being April yet, he still had time to search for a birthday gift, for the first birthday they would spend as a couple.

Bending to adjust the knobs on the side of the telescope and put his eye to the hole on the end, searching for her constellation, Jason told her the story while he worked. "Castor and Pollux, the twin brothers," he started, licking his lips and lifting his head to adjust the knob again, tipping the scope in tiny, increments to change it's view. "One, the son of the King of Troy, the other, the son of Zeus. They did everything together, participating in the Trojan War and even becoming Argonauts to join Jason in the search for the Golden Fleece. Except... being the son of a God, Pollux is immortal and Castor is not."

Stepping away from the telescope, he offered the eyehole to Star, for her to take a look while he finished his story. "Eventually, Castor dies and Pollux can't live without his twin. He doesn't know how to go on without his brother. So, Zeus grants him the mercy of making Castor immortal, so they can live together forever in the constellation, Gemini. If you look, you can see how the stars sort of form the image of two figures, with the actual stars named Castor and Pollux, the brightest ones, making the heads of the twins and their arms held together."

When Star finally stood up from her inspection, Jason bit his lip and put his arms around her, gently holding her against his body with hands cradling the curve of her back. "The twins," he purred matter-of-factly, kissing her and cradling her face to keep her steady. Time for talking was over and the young man undressed her slow and easy, unwrapping her shawl and discarding it on the grass beside the waiting blanket beside the telescope. Gently putting pressure upon the blonde girl, Jason led Star down to the ground to sit together upon the old quilt, his hands pushing her skirt up above her hips, eager, hot tipped fingers stroking her thighs and waist. Undoing her dress, he let it slip down her shoulders, baring her to the light chill of the springtime night, the firelight just near enough to paint them in saucy orange highlights.

His hand cradling the back of her neck, Jason kissed her more passionately, filled with the eagerness and sloppiness of his age, his lips and fingers touching her everywhere and yet nowhere expertly. Still, it was exciting for them both, even when he planted semi-sensual kisses upon her neck, moving down to her bared shoulder, his other hand working between her legs at the exciting warm slit he got to finger once before. There was a jolt as he came upon her feathers in the darkness, his whole body tensing in shock at the odd growth but he wasn't going to let it stop him from having this night. Moving on, covering his momentary hesitance with more frenzied passion, Jason kissed the other side of her neck and shoulder, tugging her dress down to bare her breasts, her nipples already erect.

Lips that'd only tasted a few nipples and not even his own mother's, Jason captured one of the excited nubs in his lips, tonguing it and humming hotly in pleasure and desire. Taking off his own button-up shirt, he pressed their bodies together, embracing her as he kissed her more, his fingers avoiding touching her weird growth whenever they accidentally strayed too close to her feathers. Unbuttoning his pants, Jason let his young, uncut cock springing free with a wagging bounce, his father deciding that losing a wife to the lack of medical resources was enough and foregoing the risk of circumcision when Jason was born.

Taking a Kipped condom from his pocket, he opened the package and kissed the excited young woman, only stopping momentarily to make sure he was putting the plastic wrap on right. The Kipped hissed as it was unrolled from it's dormant state, shooting a glowing ring up his length as it was put into the right position, his nerve endings aligning with the false skin barrier. Then it remained dark and silent, soft to the touch and causing Jason to sigh and breath out trembling gasps when Star touched him. Kissing her, he pushed her to lay on her back on the blanket, pulling her dress off the length of her body, freeing her from the garment completely as he positioned himself on top of her.

"Are you ready? Do you want this?" he asked, picking his head up to look at her, the need for consent hammered into his young head. His pants were kicked down his own thighs, freeing his slender, muscled and youthful body, naked except for the Kipped he wore.

 

[heartlesskitten]

Jason’s kisses excited her, the contact and closeness, the heady knowledge that the evening would not end until they had consummated their relationship. At that moment she thought she might love Jason, his hands moving over her bare thighs and his lips locked on hers. When he moved down her neck she tried not to giggle, it felt so ticklish but she trusted him not to leave marks that would piss off Daddy Eric. Star arched her back, pushing out her small round breasts to his caressing hands and she gasped when his lips touched her sensitive nipples. Her fingers moved over his bare arms, feeling the tense muscle there, moving up to his biceps.

She was lost in his embrace, the eagerness of his kisses matched by her own as she kissed and nibbled his shoulder, gasping softly when he touched her feathers. For a split second she feared he would pull away from her, Star could feel his hesitation but it passed. While he did not linger at least Jason did not show any disgust. His kisses soon brought her back to her heated senses, forgetting about the corrupted feathers that sprouted from her shoulder blade.

Star admired his body when he moved his pants down his thighs, he had a nice dick, she thought. Smiling at him, she caught her lip with her teeth as he took out the Kipped condom. This was it. Her heart was tumbling end over end as he pushed her back against the blanket. Reaching down she stroked the V line of his pelvis down to the pubic hair, her fingers running along his stiff cock encased in the kippie made condom. She could feel his reaction and smiled in the darkness, “Yes, I want this, Jason. I want you.”

She spread her legs for him as he positioned himself between her thighs, bending her knees slightly as he used one hand to guide himself into her untried entrance. Star gazed up with affection as she felt the head of his cock brush against her wet eager slit. She watched his face when he found what he sought and began to ease himself into her.

“Ah, ohh Jay...” Star breathed out, as he closed his eyes tightly, struggling for control at the hot tight feeling around his sensitive organ. She could feel a pinching sensation as he pushed forward and it burned sweetly as she stretched to accommodate him. Biting her lip she winced a little but did not stop him as he gently moved back and forth for her to get used to it.

“Star...” he breathed out sharply as he thrust all the way in, finally sheathed within her tight velvety insides.

She gripped his arms as he began to thrust, the sensations thrilling and strange, feeling so full and the friction was starting to feel good. Star was starting to lose herself in the act when she felt him speed up, his hands gripping her shoulders as his hips pumped up and down. Jason was panting and his body trembled as he gave a short gasp and groaned.

He collapsed against her, breathing hard and kissing her cheek. It was done and she felt a sense of let down when he withdrew from her, discarding the Kipped. Jason sighed and drew her close, cuddling her and she hugged him back. Her body still felt tense and she looked up at him, smiling a little at his flushed pleasure. It had felt good, there was no denying that but the fireworks she had dreamed about were no more than the flickering embers. She kissed his brow as he nuzzled against her neck. They lay like that for awhile and Star found herself sneaking a look at her watch, the soft glowing face marked the time at 9:30 pm.

“Star?” he whispered once he had regained his composure, “How do you feel?”

She quirked her lips, “I feel like...I feel good. Jason?”

“Yes?”

“Can we do it again?”

With a laugh he kissed her and after some time caressing each other and another Kipped applied, he humped into her again. It lasted a little bit longer but he still finished within minutes and Star was still left with the hollow feeling. They dozed together, legs tangled and she woke up, checking her watch again. An hour had passed and she gently shook Jason who was snoring lightly.

“I gotta go,” she said, finding her dress.

“Alright,” he ran his hand through his thick dark hair, yawning, “That was really great, a perfect night. Did you like it?”


Star pulled the dress over her head, careful to face him so he would not see her feathers, “Yeah, it was really cool.”

He walked her to the end of the street, kissing her before she took off by herself towards home. Turning once, she waved at him and blew him a kiss which he returned, a big grin on his handsome face. As she unfolded the li ped, she thought about what Dori had said and generally agreed, it did not seem like such a big deal. It was done and over, another thing she could write about in her diary. It had been really romantic though, Jason was so sweet to her and he really was a great guy.

Despite her glowing feelings, the li ped slowed a little when she thought about how he had hesitated touching her feathers. It was silly for her to feel hurt about it, she had hid it from him and she could not expect him to embrace her difference just like that. Especially when she did not even particularly care for it. Shrugging, she smiled to herself, thinking about the look in his eyes when he came inside her and it was almost as good as if she had orgasmed herself. The memory of his sleek youthful body and his hot kisses would fuel her as she would likely finish off on her own under her covers.

Once she was home, she entered the house, brushing her hand down against her hair as she passed through the darkened kitchen. Her parents were still up, David and Eric in the living room, she could hear their deep murmuring as they sat on the couch talking.

“Hey Dads, I’m home,” she called out as she made her way to the stairs, “And early I might add.”

Charlotte was coming down after finally getting Charlie to sleep and she put a finger against her lips causing Star to make an apologetic face. In a soft voice, she asked, “How was your evening?”

“It was good,” Star smiled, glancing aside.

“That good?” Charlotte looked her daughter over and marked the way she was walking and the splotches on her neck and chest. “A big night?”

“Mom...” Star sighed, “Not here. I don’t want them to hear.”

Star went to her room, Charlotte close behind her and once the door was shut, the girl turned around, “So what do you think you know?”

Charlotte smiled and ran a hand through her long dark tresses, “I think my little girl is not so much a little girl anymore. Though it takes more than sex to be grown up.”

Star opened and closed her mouth, her mother had her dead to rights and she crossed her arms under her chest defensively.

Charlotte brushed her hands down her daughter’s arms, “I know there wasn’t a movie marathon going on. I spoke with Brownie earlier and Dori was home. You two do everything together...but maybe not this. So...I just want to know one thing, did you want to do it?”

Star looked up at her, meeting the familiar sky blue eyes that held such love and warmth. “Yeah I did...Jason was really romantic and gentle. It was fun.’

She could not hide the smile as she admitted to her mother she had finally had sex with her boyfriend. Charlotte said nothing and hugged her close, “That’s what I hoped. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I thought it would be a bigger deal,” Star said, hugging her mother back, “I mean it was over pretty fast once we got down to it. Did Dad finish quick too?”

Charlotte stiffened and glanced aside, “It was over pretty fast too, first times tend to be like that.”

Star was still beaming, “The cuddling after was nice, he held me and we looked at the stars. I think...I don’t know but maybe I might be in love with Jason.”

Charlotte smiled a little, “Don’t think of that right now, you’re still flush from the excitement, sex will make you say things when you might not mean it in the day light.”

“Mom, when did you know you loved Dad?” Star asked, flopping back on her bed. “How long did you wait until you guys did it?”

Charlotte bit the inside of her lip, “We...ended up together pretty quickly but the circumstances were different, we were living in constant danger and that causes people not to wait or be very cautious. And I knew I loved him...I don’t know if I could pinpoint it, I just grew into it.”

She skirted the truth, dancing along the edges without incriminating Eric. Certainly her first time had not been the romantic bumbling episode her daughter had just experienced. It was a different time and a different Eric who had taken her that first night they met. Hating to think of the feelings she had after it was over, Charlotte shook her head, “It’s been a long time and it’s hard for me to remember a time where I did not love both your fathers.”

Star noticed some of her mother’s hesitation and recalled what David had said at dinner, “Mom...I know Daddy Eric can be a jerk sometimes but was he ever really mean to you? David said...”

“I know what he said, he was being protective,” Charlotte cut her off and kissed her forehead, “Don’t worry about it, Eric is the man he is today and we’re all who we are today because we were tested and we passed. Life does that, you either evolve and live or you don’t and wither away. Have a good night, Star, this will stay between us if you wish it.”

The girl quirked her lips, her mother was being uncharacteristically evasive and it bothered her but she felt too good to push it. “Yeah, probably be best for now.”

“Goodnight, baby,” Charlotte said softly, her gaze lingering on her oldest child’s face, “Sweet dreams. I’m sure Peaches will see to it, it’s around here somewhere. Probably spinning dreams for the little ones.”

“‘Night, Mom,” Star began to undress and glanced back, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Alex,” her mother replied before closing the door.

 

[Rudolph Quin]

The next morning, David was still home by the time Alex came downstairs, finishing up his hot morning tea while he got ready. Eric sat at the table, hunched over his own plate of chicken eggs and kipper cheese, merely sparing his teenage daughter a glance and curt greeting before turning to help Charlie who whined about getting liquid out of his sippy cup. David stood from the table, giving the children still seated small kisses on the crowns of their head before turning to look at Star. And when he saw her, he stopped.

There was something unusual about her that struck him as curious and at first, he couldn't pinpoint what it was. The way she held herself was different, a new light shining in her eyes while a different light within had gone out inexplicably. It caused him to pause in his morning routine, adjusting his tie as he pushed his chair in with a hip, a frown etching his weathered features as he puzzled about these microscopic changes. Then it hit him, remembering the 'movie night' she'd been at last night. Not conclusive in the least bit but it was the first thing David's mind jumped to, especially considering that she had a boyfriend. It was the logical next step and a moment he'd been dreading.

Not that David didn't like Jason Goines, after all, he was a good boy with strong values and he came from good, respectable family. And not to mention that Alexandra was a young woman, soon a legal age adult by Green River standards as soon as she graduated this June. But she was the first, the baby they'd strove to live for and protect, the one they tore from the shadows' clutches. Not a babe and not so little anymore, his loss was almost palpable as he looked at his daughter, Eric's blood, but the girl he helped raise, and saw her leaving those small parts of herself behind, shed like black feathers. Those snuffed out candle flames of childhood growing fewer and fewer by the moment, blown out in a huge gust from last night.

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Glancing at Charlotte who stood by the stove under the dictates of a really complex pancake order from Jack, David assumed she knew of it already. Of course she did. Even if she and Peaches didn't have as close a relationship as they did, the pomp keeping her updated on the psyches of each of the evolving little ones, Charlotte was pretty perceptive and on top of things all by herself. Eric, though, who offered Star a mug of tea, insisting she take some of the nutrient infused herb water whether she liked it or not, remained oblivious. There was no way he would remain so nonchalant if he knew what happened and David wasn't about to tell him. Looking up, his eyes met Star's and he felt another pang of sorrow for how strong and independent she looked now and he forced himself to give her a tight and supportive grin. Gathering his leather satchel from the floor and taking a deep breath, trying to shake off the melancholy cloud that was wrapped around him, David finally noticed Eric. The man sat in his seat at the head of the table with his head tilted towards the Brit, his lips pursed and making a tapping motion against them with his fingertips.

"What in God's name are you doing?" David asked, cocking his head to the side and frowning.

"I want a kiss before you go," Eric huffed in irritation, resuming his pursed and expectant expression.

"For the love of," David muttered under his breath, his expression clearing with amusement at his beloved's cute display. Bending down, he gave the other man a lingering smooch on the lips, Eric grabbing ahold of him and attempting to slip him some tongue. A hand found it's way under his jacket, greedy fingers stroking at his chest through his button-up shirt and Eric's other hand holding him in place for more passionate lip wrestling. "O-kay!" David stuttered, trying to regain his balance on his feet and pulling away with some difficulty from Eric's grasping hands. "This is quickly becoming something other than a goodbye!"

Finally Eric acquiesced, only to turn to a giggling Charlie and Sophie, giving the toddler a high five. "Got 'im! Got Daddy David with big smooches!" Again, Eric's comedic genius prevailed and the kitchen lit up with morning laughter.

David shook his head tolerantly and proceeded over to where Charlotte stood, giving her a kiss on the lips and cradling her hip with his hand. "Going to be home late tonight," he said with a sigh, breathing in her strawberry smell mixed with the ground and processed nuts they used to make the pancake batter. "A non-citizen rape case and I'm counseling the accused on his rights and the process of trial here. Will be a bit complicated because he's been refused citizenship by the judge. Not that I disagree but it doesn't leave him many options and since I'm 'the lawyer' I'm supposed to fix it or something. Anyway, I'll be stuck at the courthouse all day. Might you give me a visit around lunchtime?"

Sex was what he was implying, a little booty call on his lunch break with his beloved, to help relieve the stress of the day and the complicated issues of the case. And also because he missed her and wanted to love on her, as Eric had been hogging all of his attentions lately. 44 years old and the blonde man was still a bloody hounddog. Once he had his answer, he kissed her sweetly once more, moving back through the dining room on the other side of the table to kiss his little ones goodbye. Stopping at Star, David hesitated, not really sure how to touch her now that she'd been touched by a boy in the way a man would. Realizing he was being ridiculous and not wanting to draw attention to her from the still blissfully unaware Eric, David set his hand on the teen's shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

"Good bye, love," he said softly, moving away from her to leave out the kitchen door, turning back to give her a chipper wave. "Have a good day!" When he was gone, Eric sat at the head of the table making fart noises with his mouth and making the children giggle until Charlotte asked him to stop. Then he too was headed off to work, kissing children and beloved alike while putting on his handmade jean jacket to protect from the light rain that was forecast for later in the day. Already the dark clouds were gathering in the sky and a warm breeze had begun to blow.

Meeting Star in the park amidst waving leaves and bushes, her hair done up in two neon pigtails, Dorito looked at her friend and took in the whole package with an appraising look. "How did it go?" she asked with a bright smile, hugging the other teen. "Good, I hope! Otherwise, Steve might not be the one I end up shoving down some stairs!"

 

[heartlesskitten]

Charlotte smiled gently at David, noting his expression and the way he looked at Star. He was always more sensitive and perceptive than Eric ever would be and there was no doubt he had noticed the almost intangible change in their daughter. Her kiss on his cheek was soft and her whispered answer letting him know she would be by the office around lunch time was punctuated with a quick touch of his belt. Her fingers brushed the buckle in a quick motion as she turned to go back to the pancakes.

Star waved to her parents, holding a pancake in her mouth as she thrust her arms into her jacket. Munching it down, she said, “I’m gonna take off early, see ya later!”

She was out the door before any of the younger kids could tag along, grabbing up her li ped and zipping towards Green River and the park. Breathing in the rain scented air she felt alive, her heart light as she thought about Jason.As she passed by the gate she spotted the bright orange hair and went to Dori. Folding up the personal vehicle, she grinned and did a little spin, holding out her arms. As she hugged her friend, she blushed at her direct questions.

“It was pretty great,” Star replied, her shoulders hunching up in excitement, “It was really romantic. He made me dinner, grilled quail over the fire and then we did some star gazing, he knows so much about Greek myth and the constellations, I had no idea. Then we...”

Laughing she pounded a quick beat on the picnic table and looked right at her, “Then we totally did it. Twice.”

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Tossing her long blonde hair back, she bit her lip, “It was pretty cool. I mean, it felt nice and he looks so good naked.”

Giggling into her hand, she leaned an elbow on the table, “It hurt a little at first but he was so sweet about it....I don’t know who was more nervous at first but then Jay really got into it.”

Tucking back a strand of hair, she looked out at the park, watching a couple walking hand in hand with a small six legged ferret like kippie prancing around around their feet. She smiled at them and then reached back scratching at her feathers and it reminded her. “The only thing was he finally felt these things. He touched them and then stayed away...he never asked to look at them or anything. Not that I care, it’s weird anyway and he didn’t say anything or make it awkward. It’s me being self conscious.”

Dropping her hand, she shrugged and quirked her lips, “So, what’s up, are you gonna get your panties back or what?”

**********

Charlotte left Peaches to watch the kids while she drove into town. A brown bag with David’s favorite sandwich in it and a jar of berry infused tea sat in the passenger seat. She wore black stockings and heels with a demure grey skirt and a button down pin striped shirt, one of his actually and it fit rather loosely so she tucked it in. Leaving the top button open, her push up bra showing a peak of her cleavage, her long dark hair worn loose. Her old promise ring winked on her finger as she stepped out into the bright strange light that marked the coming storms as the dark thunderheads built up in the west.

Climbing the stairs with his lunch in tow, she nodded and smiled at the security guard who tipped his hat at her, recognizing Mr. Riddell’s wife. The heels clicked along the tiled hallway and she found his office, pushing open the door and peeking in to watch him for a moment before announcing herself. He was concentrating on what he was reading, his brow furrowed in that familiar beloved way he had when he was thinking. Charlotte smiled a little, enjoying just observing David. Finally she cleared her throat and he looked up.

“Lunch is delivered,” she said, closing the door behind her and turning the lock with a click, “Just as you ordered.”

Walking with slow sensual steps, she set the bag and jar on his desk, sliding onto it and crossed her legs, showing a glimpse of the edge of the thigh high and garter she wore under the skirt. Reaching over, she picked up the old pen holder she had made so many years ago. How young she had been, she thought, looking at the paintings on it.

“I can’t believe you still have this old thing,” Charlotte said, setting it back in place but the smile on her face showed how pleased she was. “How is your case going? Anything I can do to help?”

She licked her lips, gazing down at David as he looked up at her. Charlotte fingered the button on his shirt she wore, deftly undoing it to show the edge of the black bra and the soft whiteness of her skin.

 

[Rudolph Quin]

"Twice!?" Dori giggled, smacking her friend playfully on the arm. "You horny little tramp!" The orange haired girl couldn't be more pleased with her friend's experience, knowing a thing or two about how disappointing the act could sometimes be. Better the first time kept the hope alive rather than leave the blonde jaded right through the gate. "I can tell it wasn't as 'fulfilling' as you were hoping but trust me, it gets way better with practice. You just gotta make your own moves because most of the time, guys won't. Feels like it's easier for them which isn't really fair but they just don't know any better is the thing. I mean, for fucking sake, their's is a big shiny handle sticking right out there. Of course it's easy with those kind of controls. Sometimes, it's okay to get on top and make your own moves and make him push your buttons or push them yourself to show him how to do it. Plus," Dori shook her cute pigtails so the hair flopped in her face, her hands pushing straight on the bench between her legs and her shoulder lifted coquettishly. "Some dudes actually get really turned on when a gal takes charge. Because they ARE so clueless and nervous and the more information you give them the less helpless and inadequate they feel."

Dorito frowned pensively when Star mentioned Jason's reaction to her feathers. "Hm, I don't know about that," she said with a sigh and a shrug, sitting back on the bench. "Normally, I'd be all for communication and stuff as my momma says but she doesn't really understand how natural it is to hide it. Some guys can get really weirdly focused on it. Remember Tony? The guy from Grammatical English that I dated for a day because he kept freaking asking about my finger and pushing me to do stuff with it. So... I dunno, maybe answer his questions if he has any or if he seems really nervous about it but don't worry too much about it. I mean, they're yours and they'll be there whether he stays or not. Just be safe. Some guys are creepy."

The change in topic got Dori to back off being so forthright and she shrugged and glanced away, seemingly unsettled. "I dunno... maybe. Gerry was reading some old Natio Geo article last night about primate behaviors aloud to mom while she painted and it got me feeling kinda nasty about yesterday. Like... I just met him... maybe I jumped into it too fast... and then that whole underwear thing... and he sucked on my finger at one point..." Dorito's voice trailed off and she frowned while glancing at the other park occupants. "I really need you to feel him out for me. Do you and Jay have any plans later? Maybe we can go somewhere semi-private to hang out? You and Jason can meet him and kinda tell me what you think. Because I like him, I really do but it worries me how much I do like him and how quick it's happening."

++++++++++++++++++++

David was so fully absorbed in his work that not only had he completely forgotten his lunch date with his beloved wife but he also hadn't realized it was lunch already when she arrived. So it was relief and adoration that filled his eyes and painted his face when she spoke and entered the room, disentangling him from his thoughts and the procedures he was mulling over. Effortlessly, her rump perching comfortably on his desk worked like a gigantic duster, sweeping away the stress and workload, his eyes and attention all for her. Even at 32, she was breathtaking, turning him on just with a walk, her breasts jiggling with the soft sway of her hips as she crossed the room to join him. He was hard by the time she actually sat in front of him and throbbing when she teased a button loose on her shirt, exposing even more of her supple breasts, his body trained over the years to respond to her exact tones and gestures.

"Actually, not well," he said, leaning back in his chair and tossing aside the held papers to flop on the other side of where her ass was planted. "Poor Taylor is not from around here and he's not much younger than I am, so, he thinks this is supposed to work the old Law & Order way. I try to present him with all of the information he needs to defend himself tomorrow in court, which is very little considering the evidence and witnesses of his enraged assault and he interrupts me and whines like an entitled teenager about why I can't simply do this for him. He doesn't deserve the help for all his faults but you know me... I can't half-arse it."

Licking his lips musingly, David gently smoothed his hands up Charlotte's legs and gently moved her so that they uncrossed, spreading them on either side of him. "Helping me with the case? Not unless you can hammer information and responsibility into the unwilling. No," his breathing deepened and his blue eyes gave her a predatory look as his fingers stroked up her inner thighs, teasing at her vulva through the lacy fabric of her underwear. "But... you can help ease this weight off my shoulders for a short time. Let me immerse myself in something much more pliable and worthwhile."

Harshly, he jerked her forward on his desk so that she was barely sitting on it anymore, her legs dangling beside the arms of his desk chair. Pushing her skirt up, he adjusted her underwear, twirling the crotch around his finger expertly to push them aside before plunging his face between her legs. Tongue and lips were there, stroking in the darkness between her thighs, teeth grazing her teasingly, just enough to get a jolt from her and fill the wounded area with excited blood. Slender fingers and hands that were veiny and starting to get wrinkles deepening on the backs, gripped her ass cheeks and her waist, pressing his nose and lips into her like she was the meal she brought for his lunch. Heady groans left his throat as he sucked on her engorged and swollen pussy lips, licking up every droplet of liquid that drooled from her pleasured slit and then fucking her with his tongue, stroking deep and curling into her.

Reaching up to her chest, his body tense and twitching like a tightly wound wire, David groped Charlotte's breasts, fingers hot and needy stroking up her chest above her bra and to her neck then smoothing down again, loving the excited pulse that throbbed beneath the mounds. He could feel her getting close and although he loved to make her come on his face, loved to eat her out until she was a mad woman screeching above him with nothing but pleasure and maddening desire, he held back this time. Changing it up, he drew back from her clinging thighs, his face reddened and his lips shiny with juice, his hair disheveled and eyes hollow of anything that wasn't lust for her flesh and her cries.

Remembering this morning and the way their daughter looked, David took his time undoing his tie and unbuttoning his cuffs to fold up his shirt sleeves. "I was caught a bit off guard about Star this morning," he said breezily, his eyes still all over his beloved in her slightly undone state. "You knew she'd been with that boy she's with. And now I know too. Yet, you want me to keep it from Eric, don't you? Even though knowing, I'm sworn by our brotherhood and our commitment to each other to tell of the boys our daughters have been with before they graduate." A half-promise made while cradling a sleeping 8 year old Star on his chest during a newly produced family film on their movie night, telling of the hardships of a young family trying to work together over the years. It was made so long ago, whispered in the darkness of their living room with nothing but the rolling credits screen of the television lighting their faces. But still, it counted as 'legit' in Eric's eyes and so it was for David.

"I won't tell," David sniffed, playing haughty and drunken with power, raising a fiendish eyebrow at his wife as he stood and wedged himself between her legs. Hovering close, with his breath on her cheeks and his eyes heavy-lidded as he gazed down at her, David said, "But my price isn't cheap." A game and nothing more, simple role-play using their real situation, something that had been a bit jarring for him to come to terms with this morning, now turned into an ultimatum and blackmail in his kinky play with his wife. "What is your offer?" Kissing and nipping at her chin and neck, he finger fucked her slowly, his long, slender digits pushing deep and curling within her silken entrance, squelching softly as a background to their tense pretend drama.

 

[heartlesskitten]

Charlotte leaned back as David moved her legs apart. Just the simple movements and the sound of his voice was enough to get her juices flowing. Her heated gaze met his as he pulled her close, her head tilted back, her lips parted. She moaned softly as his fingers stroked her warm sex, the familiar tingle that coursed through her as she watched him dip down between her thighs.

Her breath rushed out at the first touch of his mouth on her swollen lips, his tongue flicking against her aroused clitoris. Biting her lip, she reveled in his skilled touch, so adept at eliciting his desired responses from her. Charlotte’s long dark hair brushed the desk as she leaned farther back, arching her hips up as his tongue sought entrance, her stocking clad thighs pressing against his face. She was getting close, her gasps and whimpers growing louder. One more touch and she would explode, her body quivering and strained.

“Mmm David, right there,” she pleaded, feeling his mouth touch her in just the right places. Her fingers splayed against the desk as she moved with him until he unexpectedly pulled back. Charlotte gasped and opened her eyes, her mouth open as she stared blankly at David.

She blinked and huffed a breath as he began talking about Star, her arousal slowly disappointing from the brink. A slight smile appeared on her lips as he raised the subject of not telling Eric about their suspicions about Star and Jason. Tilting her head she stopped smiling and gave him a worried look, her eyes wide with a slight pleading expression. She played his game, enjoying the blackmail role play.

With a soft sigh as his finger slipped in, Charlotte licked her lips, “Please don’t say anything...you know how Eric gets.”

Slipping the buttons open, she kept her eyes on his as she exposed her bra and stomach that was still flat, with just slight layer of softness from time and pregnancies. Running her hand down her arched neck, she looked at him and begged, “And what could I offer you that would make you hold back from your beloved? I would give you anything you wished...right here in this office.”

Remembering their first liason in his first office that had been cut short by the long nose of Piper, Charlotte reached for him, running her hand down his chest to his belt, “I”ll be your little slut.”

A smile touched her lips as she said it, her free hand moving the skirt higher so her garter belts were exposed.

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[Rudolph Quin]

"Hm, price and exchange requires some sacrifice," David murmured in deep-toned threat, holding her wrist to pull her hands away from his belt. "And you'd enjoy that too much, I'm afraid."

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A smile broke across his features briefly but he quickly covered and kissed her deeply on the lips, letting her taste her tangy-sweet flavor still lingering in his mouth and on his tongue. Letting go of her wrists, he jerked her body forward to press himself firmly against her, cradling the small of her back as he kissed down her neck. Fingertips worn with age touched up her neck and jawline as his mouth descended once more, licking pathways down over her collarbone and biting her in frustrated need. Dipping his fingers into her mouth, his hand sensually cradling her chin and jaw, David bent his head down and nuzzled the black lace of her bra aside to free one of her dark nipples. Capturing it between his lips, he suckled her and groped her plush breasts with his free hand, his body trembling in excitement as she sucked the digits that had been inside her, like a wanton whore.

Panting when he lifted his head, he cradled her chin in his hand firmly and rasped, "Gods! I love it when you're dirty! I think you need a spanking. 10 pops on the arse. For asking me to keep your little secret and ensure the survival of our daughter's boyfriend. Fair and a sacrifice. We both get something we want. An exchange has been made."

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Hands cradling her arse cheeks, he tugged her off the desk to stand, not backing up an inch and forcing her to straddle his thigh. Backing up and giving her room, after rubbing the bulge in his trousers against her, David smirked and turned her back to him with mockingly rough movements. Ever mindful of her and keeping it playful, making sure she was alright, he didn't say anything but wordlessly looked after her with small touches, caresses intended to reassure her and reassess for himself that she was still consenting. After all, it wasn't real BDSM. They had no contract. It was whimsy that drove them to play a bit rougher and David was determined not to hurt his wife for real. Nothing she didn't want anyway. A fluttered and impatient kiss on his palm let him know and he was standing up straight once more, pushing on her back between her shoulder blades to shove her against his desk to lean on it with her arms.

Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a small, sausage link-shaped vibe. Made of old world plastics, it had been Frankensteined with kippie tech since batteries were a thing of the past. Kept very clean, it was his office-specific toy, since Eric was the one who visited him most often at work, jogging over from his autoshop for a quickie on their breaks. The toy, nicknamed 'Sausy' for it's shape, had brought Eric to shrieking, cussing orgasm plenty of times, just from David circling the buzzing tip against his arsehole. Still, after all of these years, he was the most sensitive of the two of them and loved the arse-play; very rarely did Eric come to David wanting to dominate the Brit, preferring instead to suck cock and have his bum played with.

Smirking at Charlotte, his gorgeous beloved bending over for him on the desk, the setting so mundane and yet set on fire by their activities, David moved forward to lift her skirt. Exposing her ass cheeks, still firm but less perky than they once were, David felt himself jump in his trousers at the sight of her, so willing and open, her lacy panties barely containing the mounds of flesh. With a sniff and heavy-lidded, sensual grin at her, David smoothly groped her ass cheek before giving her a tight swat. "Just testing," he said grinning mischievously and arching an eyebrow at her.

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When the actual spanking started, there was no denying it for what it was, his hand swinging down to give her swift, resolute punishment, flesh jiggling slightly with the thunderous energy. Getting in 3 firm smacks to her right cheek, David gave her two more steady, full-palmed swats on the left, reddening the creamy flesh with his prints that quickly faded to splotches of pain on her skin. Turning on Sausy, David hooked a finger under her waistband and tugged her panties down, letting them cage her thighs. Rubbing the humming, lightly vibrating plastic tip down the cleft of her cheeks, David let it trail down to her brown rosebud, a satisfied smile gracing his features to see her body react with a muscular flinch at the sensitive contact. Letting the vibe hum and buzz at her little bud, David smoothly let it trail down lower, sliding between pussy lips grown slippery and wet with her arousal. As the vibe as rubbed between her vulva and labia, David straightened and gave her some more smacks on her ass cheeks, bringing them up to 8 total, with her right side more abused than the left.

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Hissing out a harsh breath, David glanced down at himself and the blotch of wetness appearing at his crotch as he over-excited and strained himself. Turning the vibe off and setting it beside her on the desk, he murmured, "Close enough," before unbuckling and unzipping himself and rubbing his dickhead between her pussy lips and forcing himself into her slit. Then he was riding her heatedly, brushing her hair over her one shoulder so he could kiss at her neck while humping her. Even after as many children as she had given birth to, she was no less tighter than the day she first rode him in the median, with Eric, pumped up on Nightmare juice, humping her from behind. Well-worn paths for sure, welcoming him home as a frequent visitor but her silken walls gripped him snugly, like he hadn't worn her vaginal slipper over a thousand times. Perfectly cradled, he knew how to angle his hips to get to her special spots and he did so now, loving how her plush insides folded around him, embracing him to keep his cock sliding in the right direction.

"Oh, Charlotte..." he groaned, biting her earlobe as he fucked her savagely, hands cradling her waist to keep her steady as he pushed himself past his breaking point. It was fairly quick and he was sorry for that but knowing how many buttons of hers he'd pushed, he was glad to know she'd come as quick as he. Stress was the reason for that but he let out pleasured sighs against her throat and neck as he shook overtop of her, his hand beneath her on her belly, cradling her close to his chest as he spent it all. "Bloody fucking Christ...!" he breathed, a shocked grin coming to his lips after he blinked back the haze.

 

[heartlesskitten]

The sudden sharp spanks on her bare ass made the mother of seven blush like a girl again. Charlotte yelped and whimpered as he cracked his palm against her tender flesh. Her chest was pressed against the polished wood of his desk and she squirmed when he reared back to swat her once more. Her rear end ached but his next touches were comforting, soothing strokes of his nimble fingers along her full cheeks and down between her thighs. She sucked in a gasp as the vibrator touched her, sending tremors of pleasure coursing through her body.

“Ahh...” she breathed out, “David...mmmf...”

Under his control, he brought her to the brink once again, only to deny her as she writhed and moaned. A little game for him, to allow her to cum with his permission but it was fun for her, to let go of her composure and be that teenage girl under his guidance again. Her limbs trembled with unspent adrenaline and her pussy throbbed with arousal, her inner thighs slick.

Once he finally pushed inside of her, Charlotte cried out hoarsely, her fingers digging at the wood. It was hard and fast, she finally orgasming as his cock stroked just the right spots, clenching and pulsing around him as he thrust into her towards his own climax. She moaned softly when he bit her ear, feeling his seed flood her ripe womb and she tightened up around him, trying to keep it inside. She panted, feeling his heart beating against her back as he finally came down and she giggled softly, “My god...I don’t think my knees will work.”

As if to prove it, when David moved off of her, Charlotte turned around and sunk down until she knelt on the floor before him. Her legs did feel like jelly but it was this vantage point she wanted. Reaching for him she took his softening dick into her mouth, slurping off their mingled juices until he was cleaned. She nuzzled against his thigh and gave him a small smile as she looked up at him, her long dark lashes shadowing the blue of her eyes. Using his hips, she pulled herself back up and kissed him deeply, tasting herself again and sighed deeply against his mouth. The stress had melted away in the aggressive sex and now the loving affection glowed between them.

In a throaty whisper, she said, “I really should visit you more often at lunch.”

 

[Rudolph Quin]

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David watched with heavy-lidded satisfaction as she slipped to the floor and took his soft cock into her mouth to clean him. The tantalizing touches against his too sensitive flesh, his foreskin and length licked clean of her juices and the excess semen that had come rushing back at him with his climax within the tight spaces inside her. Gasps and sighs left him as she gave him sensual looks, her breath cooling the sweat on his bared thighs before she rose up once more to embrace his mouth with her own. Truly, it'd been like a release, his body mellow and loose now even as he kissed her passionately, humming low in his throat and cradling her to his chest to feel her body pressed to his own.

"Of course," he murmured, nuzzling her, leaving himself exposed with her for a few moments longer, relaxed to be with her so vulnerable still after the heated passion fled. "Anytime, my lovely bumblebee. I'll fill you with nectar and you'll let me dine on your honey."

With an agreement to meet up with Star and Jason later at the river-side and the site of Piper's execution, Dorito made her way to Steve's apartment after her morning classes. She'd done horribly, even with some of her favorite teacher's attempts to get her to engage with the material, the entire morning the orange haired girl couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious painter and her upcoming reunion with him. Understanding the nature of the struggles a lot of the graduating class were going through this year, especially those who had not yet finished their grad essays, the teachers in both classes let her be finally, focusing on the other students who were eagerly lapping up the information they were pouring into their heads.

Dorito was so happy for her friend who seemingly was on her way to a happily ever after with a great guy and all she wanted was that for herself. From their brief interactions the day before, Steve was seemingly perfect, not only as a man but everything she wanted. But Dorito couldn't be sure. She'd tried being with several different guys, the jocks, the artist types, the math geeks and they all turned out to be not what they seemed. The artist had been a douchebag who told all his dreamer-juiced buddies that she was a half-formed freak, spreading rumors among the artists and storytellers that her hybridness was gross; the jock had been overly sensitive and clingy, needing her approval over everything; and the geek had sufficiently creeped her out by being overly obsessed with her corrupted finger. She was just waiting for this guy to suddenly pull the curtain back and reveal something about himself that was less than savory. Something hurtful, something disturbed, or something tiresome. She didn't want to let the light of hope in his supposed maturity, being 20 years old and all, to sweep her away only to throw her back down to the ground with a sickening thud that knocked the air out of her. She didn't want Steve to change her... not in that way.

So, it was with a heavy mind and timidity that Dorito made her way up to his floor and knocked on his door, waiting for him to answer and immediately smack her in the face with something horrible. Just so she could run away and be done with waiting. When he answered though, a light came on in his brown eyes, his smirk spreading with familiar ease over his gaunt features.

"Hey, little finger," he said in greeting, moving aside to let her into the one-room space. "I was wondering when you'd be stopping by."

"I had classes this morning," Dorito commented guardedly as she walked past him, her eyes searching the space for hidden dangers. There were none. "You look tired. Something wrong?"

"Ah, no, no," he said with a sigh and rubbing a hand through his greasy hair. "Stayed up all night is all. Experimenting--"

"With drugs?" she quickly injected with a narrowed gaze, looking for signs from him that she'd hit some truth.

All Steve did was wrinkle his brows at her and smile in confusion like the accusation had come out of nowhere. "Uh, no. Not that kind of artist," he huffed a laugh, shaking his head at her in amusement. "No, I was experimenting with a new piece. Inspiration struck and I had to get the ideas down, you know? They were just bursting out of me." She nodded, her eyes falling downward in thought, temporarily placated. "Oh! Right, I've got what you came for!"

"My underwear."

"Yeah, hang on, lemme get them for you," he said, crossing the room to the bed on the floor, rummaging among the sheets for her discarded panties that he'd apparently slept with.

"What did you do with them?" Dorito asked, craning to watch him dig for the elusive garments. "Did you jerk off into them or something weird?"

"What?" he coughed a laugh, giving her a toothy grin over his shoulder before stepping off the mattress to dig amongst his piles of sketchbooks. "Why would you ask that? I just wanted to give you a reason to come back. Just, you know, playful and stupid. Kinda hoped you'd want to come back on your own but you're a bit skittish. No offense."

"Hm," Dorito said, looking around and noting the neglected dishes in his sink. "I thought maybe it was a kink or fetish thing." Movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention and she noted the turning masked figure on the painting from yesterday, except now it was on the floor leaning gently against the wall. Glancing at his easel, there was a different canvas there, also covered with a sheet to hide it from view.

"Right. Well, if you're gonna drag it out of me like this," he said, the humored lilt never leaving his voice as he found the panties on the floor along the edge of the mattress under the thrown aside blankets. "I did wad them up and shove them in my mouth and took a few hot photos of myself to beat off to in humiliation later on. And then I put them on like a mask and went into the night to fight bad dreams like an old school comic hero. You'd be surprised by how breezy--Wait!"

Steve made to cross the room quickly to stop her but by the time he even noticed her by the canvas, she was already pulling the sheet off of it and he slowed to a stop, standing beside her lamely. "Ya really gotta stop unveiling work that isn't finished," he said with an irritated chuckle. "It's a little rude."

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Standing before the revealed piece, Dorito's face contorted with a wondering frown as she took it all in. Still very sketchy with rough painted strokes and just the beginnings of shading, it was Dorito on the canvas looking back at what was clearly a detailed image of herself. With her neon orange hair and her long, almost androgynous features, she laid across the canvas naked, gaping at the viewer like a moderately surprised doll. But instead of breasts or hips or vagina, her torso went through a transformation into a pockmarked and bubbled chip surface, the old triangular snack food that she was named after making up the lower half of her body. And coming half into view from the right hand side, gigantic, caricature nose, mouth and teeth emerged to bite at a crispy corner of her form. The lips were bright and red, the teeth gargantuan and pearly white squares, almost taking on a feminine cast if not for the light, dark hairs decorating the top of the eyeless form's upper lip, marking it as male. Maybe even a rendition of Steven himself? Fingers, as long and thick as painted Dori's arms, held daintily onto her form, like she'd been picked up from a snack bowl or a bag by this munching giant. And his fingertips were sprinkled with neon orange powder, the characteristic stain of eaters of this particular chip.

Looking down when she could look away, Dorito saw the books and scrap book of wrappers rented from the Green River library, showing detailed pictures of the Dorito logo and the snack food itself in photographs all splayed open on the floor beside his paints. "I wanted you to stay, so that I could paint this," Steve murmured politely after several minutes of silence had passed while she looked at the surreal portrait. "But I ended up just doing it by myself. Did you know the library doesn't close at night, in this town? Yeah, there's always somebody manning the desk. Thank god, because I only remember Doritos from old commercials that they don't air anymore."

Turning to him, tears glittered in her icy blue eyes, and her lips trembled even as she pressed them together. "You made this...? For me...?" she asked, her lips gumming together with too much spit from her held in emotions. "Why?"

Giving her a sympathetic look, Steve cradled her cheek in his hand and said, "Mostly, after being with you, I was hit with an intense amount of emotion. I had to get it out, to see it become real."

She hesitated for only a moment, then unable to fight it or fight against him anymore, Dorito pressed her cheek into his palm, rubbing softly. "What emotion?"

Licking his lips, his voice grating with a soft, smokey edge, he said, "You make me hungry in ways I've never felt before."

+++++++++++++++++++++

"So, have you met this guy before?" Jason asked Star as they walked along the shore of the river just outside the town limits. The exact place where Christopher Piper and Ruby MacKenzie had been executed was further up the riverbed a ways, the place marked by a stone slab and a small blurb detailing the events of that fateful afternoon.

Jason was more affectionate than ever, constantly touching Star, caressing her in small unnoticeable ways, seemingly unable to get enough of her. He didn't talk about the night before but something had definitely changed about their relationship, the young man seeming more at ease around her and even more eager for small affectionate touches, keeping her close and reassuring that she was still there beside him. "Seems kind of an odd place to meet up," he huffed a soft breath, annoyed while looking around even as his fingers intertwined with Star's. "This is a kid's hang out. Isn't this where her dad died?"

Glancing at his watch again, Jason let out another irritated sigh. "She said 3, right? Well, just letting you know, it's almost 4 o'clock."

Tossing rocks into the surf together to pass the time, it was another 15 minutes at least until Dorito and Steve showed up. Signaling their approach with excited whoops and hollers, the orange haired girl rode on the back of the skinny artist, finally let down in a giggling bluster when they were within a few feet of the other couple. "Star!" Dori shouted boisterously, jumping across the sand to embrace her friend excitedly, all girlish laughter and bright spirits. "Thank you for meeting us here, Finally, you get to meet my boyfriend, Steve!"

She started to turn to introduce the stranger to the other two, but Jason crossed his arms over his chest and made a small sound with his nose. "You guys are late," he huffed.

Dorito's hair flopped around her ears as she turned to give the young man a look. "Don't be a twat, Jay," she said with an arched eyebrow, turning back to Steve to tug him forward by the hand and presenting him with a smirk. "This is my boyfriend, Steve Simmons."

 

[heartlesskitten]

Star sat with Jason, their hands clasped and shoulders brushing. He was complaining about Dori being late, but Star hardly heard him, her eyes on the river. “Yes...I mean no, I haven’t met him but yes this is where Piper was killed. He was trying to execute my mother...and me, since I was along for the ride.”

Chewing her lip for a moment, she tried to imagine the terror of being chased along the rocky shore by two monsters. Daddy Eric had taken care of those though, killing them before they could hurt his beloved. A twinge of guilt in her breast was felt when she thought of gentle Ollie, the son of Nancy and one of those lab created monster. Not many people knew the story since he turned out normal and his mother was not about to announce it on Father’s Day. But Star knew, her parents had told her enough about Dr. Mackenzie’s crimes that she grasped what had happened. Not that she would ever tell or hold it against the sensitive young man.

Leaning on Jason’s shoulder she playfully nipped him, “Don’t stress it, she’ll be here. It’s a big deal for her to us to meet this guy.”

When she spotted the neon orange against the green of the riverside trees, she laughed and waved, watching the piggyback couple heading their way. Star waved brightly, getting up from their stone seat to hug her friend. The blonde girl eyed the young man introduced as Steve and after a brief exam she could see why Dori was attracted to him. He had a definite mysterious air, the mop of dark hair artfully tousled in his eyes and chiseled cheekbones. He was not as tall or broad as Jason but he had an appealing lithe body.

“Hey Steve,” Star said, giving him a little playful wave, “I’m Alex and this is my boyfriend Jason, nice to meet you.”

Jason merely nodded and then extended his hand out of ingrained manners from his father, “Nice to meet you.”

Cutting his eyes to Star he shoved his hands in his jean pockets, still a little irritated at having to wait so long. If he had known they would have been an hour late maybe him and Star could have fooled around. He was not really looking forward to hanging out with Dori and her older boyfriend but he had to make his girlfriend happy. This guy was older than all three of them but it was not up to Jason who Dorito dated, she was weird anyway.

Star put her hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow at Dori, “Well, lets get going, it’s not a far walk from here.”

Jason frowned slightly before hooking his arm in Star’s, “Why do you like to visit that place anyway, Dori? It’s so macabre.”

Bumping him with her elbow, Star sighed and made a goofy face, “Like oh my god, the haunted river bank! Please. It’s not like there’s not a whole lot else to see in this town. And you can sense something happened there. And Steve here, maybe he’s never seen it. Go on, Jay you lead the way.”

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The tall young man blinked, frowning, “It’s not that, it’s just a river bank that would be any old river bank if it was not for the historical markers. Remember I’m not a f...not in tuned to that kind of stuff.”

After a warning look from his girlfriend, he shut his mouth and touched the corners of his lips, unconciously trying to cover his near miss. It was easy to forget Star was a hybrid, she kept those strange feathery growths covered with her blouse but Dori’s black finger was exposed to the world. Like if she was not freakish enough. He knew of course how kippies and Nightmares consumed sentiment, how they were drawn to it and he glanced uneasily at Star. Was she the same, like some sort of emotional vampire? It had not felt like it when they made love last night, with all the emotion pouring from them he never had the sensation of her using it.

Giving up, he smiled a little in acquiescence to her and waved them forward, his long strides covering the stoney ground quickly. Slipping away from him she grabbed Dori’s hand, and pulled her along side, away from the guys who exchanged some small talk about the route. She scrunched her shoulders and giggled before she whispered in her friend’s ear, “He’s cute! For an older guy.”

Bumping her with her hip, Star glanced over at Steve who had fallen back, “So Dori here says you’re an artist. What kinda stuff do you art?”

She gave them both a warm smile, her cupid bow lips quirking playfully.

 

[Rudolph Quin]

"Very nice to meet you, Alex. Jason," Steve said, nodding to the young woman and shaking the guy's hand respectfully. It was a bit of a surprise when Dori asked him to meet her friends so quickly but he supposed it was a good thing. It meant he'd made an impact and from the girlish and excited way the orange-haired teen introduced him, he supposed it was a good one.

Watching the back and forth between the two teens, Steve arched an eyebrow and smirked softly, even as a tremor of defensiveness ran through him with Jason's almost-slur. "Hey, yeah, I'd definitely like to see the river," he said with a pleasant nod and an energetic light in his eye. "History, even the gruesome aspects of it, is very important, and most of the time, the scenes of old battles or deaths mark a turning point or a catalyst for a new direction for a society or culture. In this case, humanity itself. Especially with Green River being at the center of the new world, as one of the first places settled for re-habitation."

As soon as Alex drifted away from the boy she'd claimed as hers, Steve drifted forward with casual steps to walk alongside Jason by the river. When they could hear the girl's chattering behind them, Steve breathed a chuckle under his breath and without looking at Jason he said, "Nice save, by the way. Almost lost it there right? Whoo, that woulda been some trouble. Is she a hybrid too or is she just protective over Dorito?" Steve looked at Jason then, his manner all at once cool and aggressive at the same time, relaxed laughter coming from his throat and yet a clear threat in his dark brown eyes.

"Everything we hear about this place everywhere else," he said with a serene shrug, his feet keeping pace with the younger man. "You'd think it's a goddamned paradise. A blended sanctuary, the shining fort atop the hill, leading the way while others follow your example. You'd think. Guess there's bigots everywhere now." With a small, condescending bounce of his eyebrows at the boy, Steven slowed his footsteps and drifted back to talk to the girls, all smiles and relaxed charm again.

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"It's so much more than that, Star," Dori whimpered with teenage gushiness, keeping her voice low so none of her words would drift to the ears of those a few steps ahead of them. "I'm sorry we were late. He made a painting for me last night and... we did it again." Dori closed her eyes at herself but a smile blossomed across her face and she lazily opened them to look at her friend. "There's just some things that can't be helped."

Quickly quieting when Steve turned to join them, Dori gave the man a smoldering look and secretive grin, which he returned with a discreet wink at her. Perking up when Alex questioned him, Steve shrugged as he moved to walk along with them on Dorito's other side. "I try to paint things that both kippies and humans can enjoy. Semi-realistic with heavy surrealist leanings. Things that kind of tell a story or take a snapshot of a much larger narrative, you know?"

Finally they were close enough to the stone slab to see it. Set upon a podium, it was a simple design, marking the spot as a historical place, with an engraved top detailing the events of that fateful afternoon. The bigger monument of Christopher Piper, was within Green River in the actual square before the courthouse, a stone carved rendition of his long-snouted mask set upon a similar stand with information about Piper's reign and the impact he had upon the city. It was one of the very first things David Riddell did upon returning to the city, not to commemorate the villain, per se, but to serve as a reminder of a path they dare not take again. So far, the warning was clear.

Walking over to the podium, Steve rubbed his hands upon the top and quickly read the tale of the riverside beach confrontation. "All I remember about that day was seeing Piper on his knees," Steve said. "On the big TV screens they had all over the city. And he was singing some sort of weird song, like about teapots or something? I dunno. I can't remember. We moved, my adoptive dad and I, even after they got the Redoubt turned back on, we left as soon as David Riddell, Eric Patten and Charlotte Marsten left the city. Not that my dad was a loyalist but there was no telling what was gonna happen to the city now that the only order it had was stripped away. But I do remember him feeling bitter that Riddell would abandon us all like that. Start a revolution, dethrone the psycho dictator and then just leave."

Dusting off a bit of sand from the letters on the plaque, Steve turned away from it to look at the others. "He came around eventually, especially when kippies in the area where we'd settled down stopped attacking us and more people came to settle a town and everything. We knew it was because of what Riddell and the others did on the other side, making the world whole again. I grew up in Redburn by the way. Southern Utah."

Shivering in his weathered kippie leather coat, Steve let out a hissed breath while grinning. "This place gives me chills, just being here. After all of these years. Anybody else feel that?" he asked with a curiously cocked eyebrow. "I remember other kids would tease and say that the Piper's song was a ritual of some kind, to prolong his life or ensure his resurrection in another form. They said sacrificing hybrid babies on this spot, spilling blood upon the earth and then laying his old mask upon a sand sculpture of him would awaken him from death. Silly stories, human nature to turn the bad guys into monsters, legends with a moral turned into a here and now threat and warning." Squinting at Dori, he said, "You said he was your dad, right? You're Dorito Piper."

"He helped make me," Dori shrugged, coming to stand close to him, looking over the stone monument. "He was never my dad."

"But you kept his name, why?"

"Because words have meanings," Dori said, tossing her pigtails out of her face as a breeze came off the water towards them. "A boy who was close to kippies once told my mother that it wasn't just a snack, that it doesn't just mean 'chip' or whatever simple-minded thing Piper wanted it to mean. It's a Spanish word and it means 'little bits of gold' or 'golden pieces'. So, for whatever evil he had in him, whatever selfishness or pathology he had, even as he tried to take away meaning and destroy symbols and tradition in the world, it still came through. Piper was a dreamer too and he couldn't run from that."

"Nice," Steve breathed, a soft smile filled with adoration coming to his lips. Turning to the other two, he asked, "I was surprised you introduced yourself as Alex because she calls you 'Star'. I thought that was your name. Is it just a nickname? Why are you called that?"

 

[heartlesskitten]

Jason kept his mouth shut as Steve jabbed him subtly, it was not that he hated hybrids, that was stupid. He was dating one, he had made love to her the night before, he cared about Star. And she did not look like a hybrid, it’s not like she had a horn on her face or black appendages. It was almost too easy to forget that is what she was. He did not argue with his comment but pressed his lips together and nodded, jutting his chin out.

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“You mean you don’t know who Alex is?” Jason replied, cocking an eyebrow, “You have been outta touch. She’s the daughter of the three who saved Green River, Alexandra Patten-Riddell, ring a bell? She’s...she’s special.”

Clenching his jaw he struggled to say the word and then shrugged, “Yeah, she’s a hybrid, so? She’s a lot more normal than the rest of them.”

He walked faster, not caring if the skinny artist kept up. The things he did for his girl.

Star noticed Jason’s tense shoulders and sighed inwardly, he was not really fond of Dori, she knew that even though after the first time he openly criticized her she had got angry at him. Now he mostly kept it to himself but his opinion had not changed and he seemed to not warm up to Steve either. Star bit her lip, she was always hanging around his friends and while they were alright, they were also kind of boring. And one of the girls would make eyes at her boyfriend when they thought Star was not looking. She had set her straight real fast in the bathroom.

She turned her attention back when Steve answered her question. Thanks to Dori, she was familiar with artistic terms and she raised her eyebrows, “Impressive, I do love storytelling in all sorts of mediums. Words, pictures, movies...as long as it is a good story, you know? The best ones with adventure and danger, love and longing...all that hardship and then a happy ending.”

Her smile faded as they approached the podium and she could feel her skin tingle with the energy of the area. Here was where her Daddy David had ended two lives that had both built the town and at the same time brought so much pain to so many. He had saved them, along with Daddy Eric and her mother who later ventured over into the Nightland. That tale was not so well known, only that they came back after defeating Isadora, who had ultimately been a bigger threat than Piper. Under her blouse, she could feel the quills of her feathers quiver slightly and she reached up as if to scratch at them.

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Star leaned back against the boulder as Steve read the familiar tale and when he asked Dori why she kept her name, she moved closer to her friend. Names indeed did have meaning and sometimes it was not immediately apparent why that person would have such a name. Sometimes people were born to them and sometimes they grew into their names. Star reached out and touched Dori’s arm as she finished and when Steve asked why she was called by her nickname, she squinted and then replied.

“It’s a nickname from an old family friend, a kippie woman who met my mother when she was still early in her pregnancy. She said she could see my life shining in the darkness, like a little star. And it stuck.”

Jason smiled at her, it seemed to suit her so well, not just for what the Nightmare had seen but the way she was, how she glowed with life and drew eyes towards her. There was something about his girlfriend that made people pay attention and want to know her. Certainly she was pretty but there were others even more beautiful, she was funny and exuberant and she had a sassy mouth but a kind heart. And she was the first child of the saviors of the world.

“My friends call me Star,” she said, brushing back her hair, “You can too, if you are my friend. Which means you have to treat Dori like a queen.”

Her bright greenish blue eyes met Steve’s dark ones and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of challenge. Perhaps it was just playful, responding to her demands about her dear friend. She looked up as Jason moved next to her and put an arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. “Brighter than any star in the sky, even Sirius and Capella.”

Star blushed and giggled, “You’re so corny...”

She was pleased though, that he had seemed to shake off his doldrums and warmed up enough to show his affection in front of the other couple.

“Steve, so how much of this art do you sell?” Jason asked, glancing up and down at the man. “I mean, does it provided a pretty good living or do you actually have a job?”

Star jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, glaring up at him and he winced, shrugging, “What? Aren’t I allowed to ask relevant questions?”

With a sigh and roll of her eyes, she looked apologetically at Dori and then Steve, “Sorry. You don’t need to answer that.”

 

[Rudolph Quin]

Another smile came to Steve's lips when Alex recalled the origins of her nickname, beautiful and dream-like, he had to admit, there was something precious about being identified by a kippie before she was even born. It gave Steve an idea for a painting but he wasn't sure yet how inclusive with her friends Dori would be if he gave Star that kind of attention. After all, it wasn't her that he was interested in but sometimes girls, especially young girls, had an odd idea about possessiveness in relationships.

Graciously, he began to nod his head a little, when she offered to allow him to address her using the nickname but then he quickly bristled when she put an ultimatum on it. That was the moment he decided, he didn't really like Alex all that much and from that moment forward, he'd make sure she never knew. Covering with a smile, Steve continued his thankful nod at her and said, "Don't worry, you don't have to give me a reason to want to do that." Looking at Dori, he gave her a heavy-lidded grin, remembering the way she looked riding him earlier that afternoon. "I've got all the incentive I need to kneel at this altar in devotion." Stupidly cute, Dori swayed from side to side, her shoulders perked up and giving him a bashful, yet preening smile back. Depthless and so willing to jump his bones. He loved it.

Looking up when that cocksucker asked him some particularly patronizing questions, then passive-aggressively veiled it with simple interest, Steve smiled with barely withheld contempt towards the young man. "No, it's alright, Alex," he nodded with a wrinkled brow. "Those are some very relevant questions. Of course, the implication in the way they were phrased is that your boyfriend here is a dilettante and superficial material-world sympathizer. On top of being a closet bigot. Which is always good to know. My adoptive kippie mother always used to say that sunlight is the best disinfectant."

Rubbing at his mouth with his fingertips, Steve paced slowly in a half circle in front of the other couple, surreptitiously threatening even as he kept his demeanor calm and unruffled. "But, let me entertain your trivial concerns for how I make a living or run my life, for just a second. And I'll start by shutting down your conjecture that what I do isn't a viable career or a job. We're surrounded by creatures, half-human and not at all that feed off of emotions and stories, that literally thrive on it. Your girlfriend and mine are two of them. An artist IS a job. Storytelling IS a job." Putting his hands in his pockets and sniffing in disdain, Steve said, "2014 called. They want their skin-deep, commercialized view of the world back, poser."

Put on the defensive ever since Jason whined about them being late, Dorito was pushed past the breaking point now, during the heated exchange. Rushing forward, she gave Jason a shove on the chest and glared at him, standing between him and the older man. "Cut it out! Why do you have to be so antagonistic about everything I do?" she yelled. "It's not just this right now, who I'm choosing to be with, but everything, like you've got some hidden beef against me! You and your friends! Maybe it's not just the hair or the horror stories. Maybe you really are a bigot! Here's a fucking clue, Jay, if you're gonna try and keep it quiet then YOU NEED TO HIDE IT BETTER! Because I fucking CAN'T!" Shoving her finger in his face, she waved it around at him, threatening to touch him with the blackened appendage.

Coming up behind her, Steve held her arms and pulled her back, cooing at her to calm her. She fought at first then turned in the circle of his arms and put her face against his chest, her lip trembling as she tried not to cry. Petting her back and her hair, Steve hummed comfortingly at her and then lifted his brown eyes to other two, an easy, and barely faked apologetic smile coming to his lips. "It was very nice meeting you. Both of you."