The Second Law - Part XX

Story by OttersGonnaOtt on SoFurry

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#98 of Entropy Series

The gang drifts through the cold of space in the wake of a tragic loss. Elliot and Ashe reconsider the meaning living life together. A father risks his own life for the safety of his daughter.

A longer one, again! I'm seriously not trying to give you guys and gals eleven-thousandWord miniature novels to read and passing them off as chapters. Nope. I'd never do that. :3

There's a bit of a transition back to open space that I saw as a good opportunity to fill in some gaps and jump-start the last piece of the story's puzzle. Elliot and the many Ashes (is that a good band name?) have been floating around in the background for a while now with some developments happening, but not 'on camera' so to say. A bit more detail into that seemed necessary to keep things from getting overly confusing. Then there's the hidden gem here, where our favorite oracle starts to realize her true role in the events to come. I plan on keeping her side of things slightly cryptic and revealing more and more at a time as the story advanced to the finale. Eve's got a heavy burden to carry by way of millenia of bad history lessons, and we'll see how she learns from others' past mistakes.

If you haven't read the pseudo sister novel to Entropy yet, I recommend you start checking out Singularity in my story list. Chleek Ors is on a journey that coincides with a fair part of Singularity, so if you would like that added layer of depth I'd recommend perusing the other story. The Yangurra is quickly approaching his key points of involvement in shaping both storylines, the main bits probably coming to light in the next three or so chapters of The Second Law.

As always, this story may contain adult content and explicit sexual imagery. If you aren't allowed or don't wish to view such material, please stop reading immediately. You may cringe / giggle / have an aneurysm from silly content tags. Love is in the air, and may or may not affect your capacity for rational thought. Common side effects include squealing, crying, and smiling. To all the rest, enjoy! Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged.

Additionally, lyrical excerpts from the following songs are used under Fair Use: [ "Starlight": Muse ]


"Pwah~..." Splaying across his brother's large bed, Elliot rested the cool bottle of water he'd just swigged over his forehead. "Sometimes I forget how nice it is to have a real bed. The couches in my office aren't the best for my back."

"They're not ideal for a multitude of things, but we're fighting for space so it is what it is." Ashe fumbled her way out of the bathroom and found her white cane, deftly returning to full confidence whilst holding a towel around her body. "And if you think they're bad for your back, try saying that after what I used them to do."

"Well you've probably got me there. That makes me think of how hard it is to change the sheets, too."

Ashe easily found the bed with Ellie's voice guiding her, the Arctic wolf flopping down next to him. "I'm sorry I put you through that. I'd have changed them myself, but--"

"It's alright, Ashe. I know it's harder for you to do some things, and walking to the laundry room with your arms full is pretty far from what I'd ever expect of you. There's nothing wrong with that." Ellie gave his love the water bottle to share, but not without eliciting a yip from her with a touch of the cold bottle to her neck. "That ~right there~ is what I expect. You're cute and beautiful, no matter the stress or... bad news..."

"Ellie..." Ashe slowly sipped from the bottle, buying a moment to choose the right words. "The same goes for you. Don't blame yourself for the negatives that come your way if you're doing everything in your control to ease it. You deserve to be happy for all the good you bring."

"Thanks, beautiful." Ellie took the bottle for a moment to down another gulp, spilling a tad on his chest without much concern. "So you giving up on the cigarettes too? You're getting a bit... brainier than usual."

"No, it's simply harder for Michelle and Mikhaila to reduce some of the raw oxydium from storage into a version I can use. I'm rationing until they find their way again." Reminded of her belongings, Ashe reached over the far side of the bed and confirmed her clothing and purse were still where she left them. "It's a shame what happened to them, but after the events this morning with Buck I simply can't find the will to disturb those poor girls."

"They're making a great recovery, though. Liv is working with them to get replacement paws ready, so it shouldn't be too long before they bounce back. There's just too much life in those two to be contained by depression." Ellie again passed the water, but upon getting a rejection he resumed cooling his head with the bottle. "Buck, though... I liked Buck. He brought a lot to the table and he was a great friend. It's just unfair to take a smart, social guy like him away right when we need him the most."

"I still don't understand what happened, exactly. He was slowly recovering."

"A lot of patients sort of... get better before they get worse. They try to recover with the last they have, then burn out or run out of gas as a result." The doctor sighed as the cold face of the moose came back to haunt him. "He was probably fighting hard to keep Fleur at ease and put too much strain on his weakened brain stem."

"That's romantic in a certain light." Ashe rolled over, found her love's face with a paw, then planted her lips on his. "Still, promise me you'll never be that particular flavor of romantic. I'd rather make sure you were healing, or at least that you were sufficiently at ease..."

"I promise not to lie to you, even like that. I love you too much to hurt you." Ellie rolled to his side and clasped his arms, leg, and tail around his love. "Buck wouldn't have suffered, though. His scans say he had a mental blockage that led to lung failure. He would have been effectively paralyzed at the same time, too. He passed peacefully, for what it's worth."

"Considering the state in which he was found and the... persistence of a certain body part..."

"Yeah, well he was definitely getting ~amazing~ care until the very end."

"Kidding aside, those two literally loved each other to death. I know the vow they took or whatever that was doesn't constitute marriage, but there's no question they were still mates. Love can be amazing." Ashe shifted uncomfortably under the normally cute body wrap of her own lover. "Elliot, you say you'll never lie to me... What about us? Do you still... Do you really love me?"

"What? Why would you ask that? Of course I do."

"No, I mean to say... Do you really, truly still love me, after all we've been through? I know love isn't logical, but... something just doesn't feel right and the only conclusion I can draw is... well..." Ashe straightened her otter and begged for a serious reply with a misplaced stare. "Do you love me?"

Elliot brought both of Ashe's paws to his face so she could 'see' his absolute certainty. "With all my heart, yes."

"But... But you don't seem to like when I was offering myself to others..."

"Just not my thing. It made you happy though, and you have the prettiest smile when you're happy."

"But you're always sleeping with Punk! I know you don't--"

"Like you because you're blind? Quite the opposite. I think that's insanely cute. You earned that badge and you just happen to look sexy wearing it too." Ellie shifted forward and gently kissed between Ashe's eyes. "And yes, I've been with Punk. She and I are consenting adults just looking for a good time. There's more to it for her, but we've established that I'm not the same person she's got a crush on. It's just sex, and I thought you treated your clients the same way. I can always stop if you don't like it."

"But if you can be with someone that can see and enjoy it more--"

"I'd rather be with you. You had other clients though."

"I didn't want to shove you away. I just wanted to help however I could... to be useful..." Ashe curled her legs up into a more fetal position. "Selling my body is all I know. It's hard to even eat every day when you're a twelve-yeaOld girl on the street."

"Twelve? Ashe... Gods, I didn't..." Again the otter kissed the wolf. "That's horrible."

"No, I shouldn't have lied about it. I've been doing this a lot longer than I'm willing to admit." Ashe caressed her love's face and drew him in for a proper kiss. "I'm sorry, Elliot. You deserve to know the whole truth about me."

"You don't need to be sorry about a thing. You escaped a bad situation and did whatever you needed to do to survive." Ellie cleared the hair from Ashe's face and caressed her just the same as she did him. "But for now, no more using your body like a tool. You can be my sexy nurse now or something. I assume you feel the same?"

"Yes... I forced myself to stop because I noticed something was... wrong." Ashe pulled open her towel and moved Ellie's paw to her hefty breast. "But I realize now that I knew a better version of that. It didn't feel right without your touch."

"Love ~is~ the spice of life, yes yes." Ellie gave a testing squeeze with positive results. "I'll call things off with Punk. Right now I've got more important things to do."

"Wait..." Ashe caught the otter's free paw as it trailed down to her crotch. "Let me take care of everything. I know... you don't like being the master type."

Elliot allowed the blind girl to freely position him however she liked, the result being flat on his back. "It's not my thing, no. I don't mind the variety every now and then, but I'm more into, er... softer play?"

"Making love. That's what I'm desiring after all this time... The way you treat me so tenderly... No, selflessly." Ashe slid down the bed and stopped when her trailing paw found her man's stiff cock. "But I think it's about time I gave you the same treatment. Let me show you how you make me feel."

"Ashe, you don't have to--" Ellie figuratively shut his muzzle when Ashe's long tongue licked the underside of his shaft, then his jaw much more literally dropped loose once she enclosed her lips around his tip. "Damn... You've got a magic touch with that tongue, beautiful."

Ashe pulled back and kissed the tip, or at least she attempted to and ended up booping it with her nose and a giggle. "It's the one way I really know how to do my thing. No magic tongues, just a lot of... practice..." She sighed in sudden distaste, torn between continuing and changing gears until an idea sparked in her head. "You like my chest, correct? You're always touching it."

"Considering that you're gifted in that area as well, what guy could call you beautiful without noticing those? You've got a wonderful body, Ashe."

"I know guys stare at them, Elliot. Well, I suppose they do. With canines there's some pretty noticeable pheromones involved, and I assume the most inviting place to look is my chest."

"They make a nice sight, yes yes, but I always go straight for those wonderful eyes of yours." Ellie signaled he was alright with continuing by guiding Ashe's paw around him with a jerking motion. "I have to admit that I do stare a lot, though. Benefits of a girlfriend that can't call you out on it. Right?"

"Amusing. I don't mind though. Stare all you like. Feel all you like. I love knowing I'm pretty, because I can't see that myself." Ashe pulled both of her breasts up with her paws and encapsulated Ellie's manhood in their hefty, furry warmth. "And for letting me know it so often and being a gentleman about it, I'll just have to give you a fitting treat."

"Well this is different. I'm a bit new to the whole titjob thing." Ellie grumbled and offered a more polite version. "I mean, I'd love to try using your breasts like this."

"You can call them 'tits' you know. I may be young, but I'm far from dumb or sensitive." Ashe worked her tits up and down while squeezing them together, adding the occasional slurp of her muzzle to help with lubrication. "I don't get a very immediate response this way; does this feel alright to you? Should I go faster? Harder?"

"No... You're perfect all slow and blow like that. Just use that amazing mouth of yours a bit more and I'll be at your mercy, beautiful." Elliot groaned as Ashe moved her breasts momentarily to take his whole length into her throat. "Holy fuck... You're sp-spoiling me now."

The wolf pulled back and secured her tits around her man's base, her mouth bobbing and sucking as vigorously as a machine for a teasing moment. "I'm glad I can make you writhe like this. Mm... Uh, how... How close are you getting?"

"I can go a bit longer, sweetie. This is great, but it's not lethal-grade like when you're in heat."

"That sounds like you're disappointed. We can't have that. Now I want to taste your cum." Ashe pressed her breasts together harshly and positioned her muzzle against Ellie's tip. "Challenge accepted."

"Oh gods."

Ashe shot her head forward and took the top third of Elliot's cock to tongue heaven. She swirled her long muzzle around until he throbbed some precum into her mouth, then took that as a good sign to press forward. As she dragged her tight lips up and down her man's shaft, so also did she mimic those motions with her chest. This time she refused to let off with her assault, instead sinking her face deeper and deeper into her raised tits as the predator instinct dormant in her tried to devour her lover.

Ashe slowed her attack once she reached the edge of her throat, which in turn caused Ellie to finally open his eyes. Upon doing so he never expected to meet his lover's dulled gaze, which only enticed him to extend it with a correction of his paw to the rear of her head. "You look so sexy when you look at me like that. I know it's odd, but... keep looking at me, beautiful. I want to see those brilliant eyes."

After a mere minute Elliot already lost control, his hips jumping upward and forcing his cock into Ashe's throat over and over. Still, he was true to to his word and managed to last longer than Ashe expected with the intensity of her tit barrage. With the constant, repeated stuffing of her throat and airway setting her off pace, Ashe pulled away for a quick breather and to let her man calm down a tad. What she didn't expect was a huge wad of otter cum to land directly in her eye. Her body not sure how to react, she just stared forward as her man tried to correct his aim, which backfired as the second rope of cum stretched across her other open eye. By the time all was said and done, Ashe's snout, eyes, and hair were plastered with liquid love.

"Holy... Holy heavens..." Elliot himself finally noticed his misdeed and leaned in close to his woman's eyes to inspect them. "I'm so sorry, Ashe. I tried to move it away, but you had such a good grip and... Shit..."

"You know I'm not a fan of getting otter in my fur. I always miss some when cleaning up." Ashe looped her tongue out the side of her muzzle and in a cringe-worthy move licked her bare eyeball clean. "I guess I don't mind if you're there to help wash me, however. Shall we take another shower, together this time?"

"That... Yeah, that sounds nice." Ellie kissed Ashe on her sullied nose. "Thank you, beautiful. You really didn't have to do that for me."

"No, I didn't." The Arctic wolf wiped some leakage from Ellie's cock and brought it to her mouth. "But I wanted it."

Ellie was about to forget the shower and try for a rare round two, but he froze upon hearing the doorbell chime for the front door. "Crap. Did you lock the door? DeeDee would kill me if he found out I came all over his sheets again."

Ashe snorted out a low chortle. "Again?"

"Ah, n-not now. Let's hide in the bath--"

The hatch's handle suddenly turned and the door slowly swung open, revealing Punk as she adjusted her eyes to the dark of the room. "Hello? Ellie?"

"Oh, shit." Ellie pulled Ashe's towel to cover both his and Ashe's lower bodies, though Ashe blindly waved her tits around for all to see. "H-Hey, Punk. Is it something important?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Punk averted her eyes and instead focused on the exceptionally neat, folded, and sorted assortment of clothing Ashe laid out for after her shower. "I have something, uh... I'd like you to look at for me. Privately, you know."

"Your pussy?" Ashe waved her alternate self over to the bed. "You just want to have sex, right?"

"The two times you let me join you were... the only sex I've had in--"

"You've had my Elliot inside you at least once a day for months. You forget we share the same nose." When Ashe felt the bed give under Punk's additional weight, she reached out and pulled the wolf closer. "Don't be afraid. I've known long enough that I could have stopped it if I wanted."

"But... I mean..." Punk sighed as she leveled her mental state, though her face lit up pink counter to that attempt. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without at least asking."

"Hey, I was in on it too." Ellie rubbed Punk's back soothingly, which Ashe took entirely the wrong way. "I wanted relief and you were exhausted. Punk was willing and... close enough."

"You don't have anything to explain, mister." Ashe flipped Punk around to sit in her lap, her paws gliding up to uncover the clone's large chest. "And you helped my man keep from going crazy over my mistakes. I think you deserve a little something for that, in addition to some punishment. Elliot, honey? Do you still have the constitution for another round?"

A paw over an obvious lump in the towel easily told Punk the answer, but Ellie spoke it for all to hear. "Yeah, I could go again for once. You sure you want this, though? I thought you wanted me to stop."

"I did. Circumstances change though, and I've come to a fair compromise." Ashe groped the carbon copy of herself, honestly just as interested in the oddity of the moment as in the two previous engagements with Punk. "Just focus for now and I'll explain. Punk here is getting a deposit of your lovely cum deep in her womb, whether she agrees or not. Gentleman's Boner rule."

"But I can't. I've... I've already gone too far. I was trying to--"

"Shush. It's inarguable, set in stone." Ashe licked a breast, settling her tongue to circle a nipple. "Or perhaps you didn't enjoy the times you stole my man's body for yourself either?"

"I..." Punk squirmed as Ashe's other paw shoved down her shorts and panties. "F-Fine. I'm wet now anyway, so..."

"See? I knew you desired it." Ashe played with Punk's pussy lightly, her lack of experience with women quite apparent but she still did an adequate job. "Elliot, please fuck her senseless."

"I'm not sure about this. I don't want to do something we'll regret later."

"Oh, I won't regret it at all. I'm serious. I want this to be the absolute best you've ever made her feel. Give her the works. Make me feel it through her." The wolf grappled Punk's chest and molded her tits into various shapes. "How do you like it best? Soft? Hard? Fast?"

"...Can I flip around? I like it... doggy..."

Ashe smiled as Punk got more into the groove of things, the pup helping her turn around to lay atop her. She licked a breast and slowly trailed kisses from the nipple up to Punk's plump lips. "See? Isn't this already better?"

"Y-Yeah..." Punk presented her rear and lashed her tail side to side in anticipation. "Ellie, could you...?"

"Hard like usual? Definitely. I don't think I'll last long anyway." Ellie pressed his manhood against Punk's familiar folds and slammed forward, arching over her back in sudden triumph. "You feel hot as hell today. You're not in heat, are you?"

"N-No, I'm n-not... Oh, gods..." As Ellie pulled back Punk's tits slid against Ashe's, but upon a very forceful reentry the two pups locked lips into a deep kiss. "Hah... Fuck, that's good."

"Lubed up and ready so soon? You really do want this badly." Elliot gave up on full thrusts and settled for half-length pummeling of one soft wolf into another. "Yeah... Gods, I'm not gonna last too long like this. How's it feel?"

"Amazing! Keep going!"

Ashe cooed through another kiss as she ground her clit upward into Punk's sliding fur, an extra kick eliciting soft whimpers as her man's balls slapped against her pussy lips each on the apex of each stroke. "That feels nice. Can you go a bit faster, honey?"

"Fuck... Yeah, I can." Ellie brought his pace up to his limits, the bed creaking like it was going to break and the two Arctic wolves sliding across each other enough to ruffle the sheets haphazardly. "I'm about to blow!"

"Crap! Uh..." Punk fought free of another long kiss and tapped her lower back. "Cum on my ass, El."

"Ah! Yeah, I'll--!"

Ashe grinned mischievously as her legs extended, then they locked together and pulled Elliot balls deep into Punk's stuffed cunt. "No you don't. She worked hard for that load."

"Ashe, that's not funny! Let me--!" Already on a short fuse and too late to stop it, Elliot bucked his hips forward on raw instinct and did as he was told. "Shit! I'm cumming!"

The devious wolf shook in climax herself as the extra force toward the end literally rubbed her in just the right ways. "Oh! Elliot!" Her whole body jerked randomly once she came down a bit, the twitching of Ellie's balls on her nethers and the liquid heat that soon seeped from one wolf into the other doing a nice job of keeping her smaller aftershocks propagating their bliss. "That's right... Give it all to her... Every last drop..."

"Wh-What's gotten into you? Don't you want us to be safe if you don't approve?" Punk stared down at the spent puddle of wolf below her in awe until she realized she could slid off of Ellie by herself at any moment. "Shit. You could have at least grabbed a condom or something."

"Whew... Damn..." Elliot looked for a good place to rest once Punk was clear, but upon spotting his mess had leaked into his girlfriend he decided to just sheathe his shrinking length in there. "That was pretty damn good, though. Besides, you've got a contraceptive hormone implant. Just enjoy it." Ellie reached out and stuck two fingers into Punk's sloppy cunt. "In fact, let me help finish you off."

"No!" Punk stood from the bed to get out of reach, ignoring the spunk that slid down her thighs and dirtied the floor. "I'm not fooling around here. I should go. I'll see you in your lab."

"Wait, you don't want to finish? Shame. I was going to make you beg for it." Ashe pulled her man deeper inside, trying to feel what she could before his erection faded entirely. "Don't leave just yet. We still haven't talked about punishment."

"I don't give a fuck. You're acting... bitchy all of a sudden." Punk started for the door, but forced herself to stand still and get something off her chest. "No, wait. You might be acting like an ass, but you deserve to hear this too. I..." She reached down and felt a bit of guilt at the sight of her sodden pussy. "I think I might be pregnant. I'm about a month overdue and I haven't... had a heat yet..."

"Gods..." Ellie immediately pulled himself to sit on the edge of the bed. "And I'm the only one you've had sex with?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Sometimes you can have a period and just not notice it much. We're all under a lot of stress, and that's a factor."

Ashe sat up and felt for her man, wrapping her arms around his chest for a hug. "I'd slap you into the next room right now if I could find you. Instead, this will now have to work into my plan." The wolf touched her own drippings and brought them to her nose for a sniff and a lick. "I know this scent. I know it very, very well. It's the smell of us, not you."

"Ashe, don't be so hard on her. She--"

"No, don't misunderstand. I want you to fuck. I'd never force someone that brings my man happiness out of his life." Ashe reached out, her calm demeanor leading Punk to touch a paw to hers. "So, here are the new ground rules. I would like to know or take part in this when it happens, but if you want you can just as easily fuck in a closet or whatever you've been doing until now if it makes you happy. I just have to make sure it makes me happy, too."

Punk sat next to Ashe and rested a paw on her thigh to signal as much. "I'm listening. I mean, I might be carrying his pup, so anything that can make you happy about it is a priority."

"And non-negotiable. First, no fucking until you come to us smelling like another fur. In fact, no cheating; I want you to bring hot, wet proof as such. If you're going to fuck my Elliot, I need to know it's not exclusive and that it's casual. Hopefully it will prove you're on working contraceptives, too." Ashe slid her paw into Punk's crotch and eased three fingers into her slit as a show of th power she held at the moment. "Second, you might need to service me as well. I need to know you respect that we're a couple and you're just a guest."

"Okay... Uh, sure. I guess I can... try to do that."

Ellie groaned and reminded his girlfriend of the sensitive nature of the moment. "Ashe, she's got a crush on me. You know she can't hold to all that."

"No, she will. She either acknowledges she wants you under our terms or she refrains from trying to get what she can't have." Ashe eased up on her teasing and brought her fingers to her lips for a quick taste. "Which brings me to the newest point. Regardless of the outcome, you're spending nine months catering to our needs to make up for risking a baby with a taken man. For instance I could always use a paw in the shower when Elliot is busy. Let's see... and I'm sure our only doctor could use some stress relief. Go down on him once a day and bring the result to me, all over your face."

"That's just mean..."

Ashe gained a furious frown for a moment before she forced it away, the hint of anger sending a shiver into the others in the room. "Elliot, you had unprotected sex with someone else. She may have stolen your first child from me. I do not think I'm being too unreasonable."

"But that's--"

"Not enough? Okay, I agree. That's too easy on her, and you do deserve more." Ashe stood and slowly reached for her white cane, further leading to her journey back to the shower. "Two blowjobs a day and a session for me too, plus she needs to have a toy inside her during waking hours. We have one with WiFi control you can borrow for some added fun."

"But... I can't do..." Punk fumbled with her shorts, but stopped at the beckoning of Ashe near the bathroom door. "I'll... help you shower. I want Ellie to be happy, and that means... I need you to be happy too."

"I can help her this time, Punk. We need to talk, anyway."

"No, you can sit here and think about what you've done. Besides, I'm trying to be nice instead of breaking things off out of spite." Ashe pulled Punk close as she shut the door, her muzzle drooping to suckle one of her tits as it latched. "And I don't mean it to be unpleasant. I do want her to enjoy her punishment, and hopefully learn something along the way."

"Ah! W-Wait!"

"You haven't cum yet, and you taste like my man." A yip and a few crashes against walls sounded through the closed door. "So let me show you how I like to get eaten out. Take notes. This will be on the exam."

Elliot shook his head and sighed in disbelief, yet oddly noticed his cock was standing as tall and hard as ever amidst the recent awkwardness. "Dear gods. She's gone from being the slave to a damned dominatrix."

"Ah! Oh... Oh gods, yes!"

"But two blowjobs a day? That might kill me if she's as good as Ashe." Elliot smirked as the odd logic made more sense with Ashe's natural playfulness, punctuated by her loud session in the bathroom. "With some tweaking this might work out fine after all. My girl's a genius after all."


"Niishal, my brother. I will miss you dearly."

"I will miss you just as much, Niima." Chleek touched his forehead to his sister's and closed his eyes, shutting out the surrounding world as he focused reading her emotions through a brief Link. «Go, before I change my mind. I will retrieve you from Vauxhaul when I can, and if all goes well we will have a wonderful place to grow our little sapling.»

«I'll dream only of you the as I travel. I just wish that circumstances didn't force me to leave.»

«And I'll dream of us safely together again. I love you with all of my heart, Niima.»

«And I love you, Niishal.»

Chleek broke the Link and rubbed his sister's cheek, the faithful brother and lover hesitating in letting his sister leave. "Go, while it is still safe. May the Great Ones guide your path."

"Indeed. Thank you for keeping my safety in mind, my Chleek." Niima backpedaled into her commandeered transport ship and curtsied as the door slowly shut. "Come back to your family alive and well, Niishal. We'll be waiting for you."

"I look forward to the moment. Farewell, sister."

The stone door shut, affording Enthol a groaning comment. "You two are far too soft for this galaxy. Sometimes I think you might grow a set of petals between your legs the way you two get along so well."

"She's family. Family means everything when you have little else."

"Well I have a new kingdom at your family's expense, so perhaps I should show more respect." Enthol continued through the area and headed for the experiment site. "Yet, I won't. Your work is yet to be done, Chleek."

"We only have need to test the power supply. The rest is already stable." Chleek hurried along as the nearby port workers cleared the launchpad. "Is the æti in place?"

"Yes. We have the amount you requested." Enthol pointed a tendril at a cargo crawler outside the town center being used as the test site. "I have even more waiting in the off chance the other batches are ruined. You have no excuses for failure now, sprout."

"Not for lack of power, no. I am a bit concerned at the density of power nearby though." The head of the house stopped for a moment to inspect the cargo, finding at least that the containment was pristine against all odds. "You may want to move this further away. If an explosion or the like occurs, this will likely add to the damage."

"And do you plan on such an explosion?" Enthol opened the guarded door and played the false role of the escort properly. "Let's consider it an extra incentive for success. Fail and we all die."

"This is not a joke. I'm serious. I don't want unknown variables."

"Neither do I. The reserves will stay, with extra precaution if it eases you. I don't need you freaking out at the last moment." The false guard paused a moment to witness the explosive concussion of the transport ship launching, then shut the door before debris could hit him. "Do as I ask and check your contraption in small scale. Then you may get on your way to wherever you call home and go back to tasting the nectar straight from your sister's flower."

"Even for you, that's--"

"Crude? But it's true. You really think I don't know who's seed is growing in your sister's belly? Or perhaps it's someone else's?" Enthol grinned as he walked ahead to the experiment. "With a body like hers, I have no doubt she'd be very popular in the bedroom. I know I surely enjoyed her."

Chleek nearly stabbed the bastard in the back of the neck with one of his queo spines, but held back for his and his sister's sakes. "Niima is not an object to be enjoyed."

"No, you are right. I should correct myself. I enjoyed every rejection and denial. I enjoyed making her quiver against her will. I enjoyed pumping her full with more loads of my seed than I can count." Enthol once again proved his worthlessness as a person as he held open the last door, ready to lock his Chleek inside. "What I did not enjoy was that she never held my child. Now she carries what is likely yours, of all plants. It seems we were always meant to be rivals, you and I."

"Then perhaps it's for the best that I'll never see you again after this test." The door shut and locked, leaving Chleek to slide his back against it in a shaking mess. "She would never do that. The bastard is lying."

A knock on a window and a muffled shout signaled for the plant to get to work. "I don't care if you take it personally or pleasure yourself to the thought. Finish my machine and get off my planet."

"You've got it, you rotten fruit." Chleek picked himself up and slumped toward his invention. "There's not a chance in hell he touched her. Niima would have killed him where I could not. Niima..." The memories of his sister's past encounters flashed through his vision, and for more than a few moments a purposefully blurred and forgotten face similar to Enthol's made itself known. "She's happy with me now, damnit."


"This is seriously harder than it should be." Elliot groaned and shifted in his office chair as he finished his notes for the day. "Let's see... Ah, that test has a few minutes left."

"Yeah, just like you. You could make it easier by not holding back though." Ashe grinned from the otter's side as she took a hefty puff from her electronic cigarette. "Now Punk, I don't hear that tongue working. That long tongue is your best asset, especially on his balls."

Punk pulled her head back from Ellie's length and caught her breath, her icy eyes staring up from beneath the desk. "I just started trying this yesterday. Give me some time, Ashe."

"Oh, you'll have loads of time. And loads of experience, all over your face."

"Ashe, don't be mean to just her. I'm just as responsible."

Ashe reached down and gave India a pet, confirming her former guide dog was still there. "My reasons for this are... Well, it will all make more sense soon. Really soo--"

A small instrument fell off a table in the next room right by the door, prompting Elliot into an instinctual defender role. "Who's there? Make yourself known and we won't be angry."

"Um..." Prisma slipped into the office, waving her surprisingly translucent paws defensively. "I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to snoop!"

"I was wondering who'd be roaming around at this hour." Ellie relaxed in his seat and coaxed Punk to continue. "I haven't seen you around lately. Busy? Or can you even be busy?"

"I'm curious what you do in your downtime." Ashe stood and searched around for her cane to then greet the android. "You only sleep beside the crew to charge for a bit, right?"

"I only require about half an hour now, after Chelle and Mik worked out some upgrades. I like to sleep like you though."

"I like the clear body. It's pretty sexy seeing all the moving parts."

Ashe chuckled as she finally reached the robot for a quick hug. "Because you're a doctor. You like that stuff."

"No, I just think it's revealing in a refreshing way." Ellie gasped and hunched forward, trying not to make a big deal out of filling Punk's muzzle with his seed. "I-It's a b-bit... hah... a bit better than the... old mechanical look."

"But I didn't choose that look. This might be the first I've had a say in, though..." Pris pulled up a breast with a paw while the other slid down to a small slit in her crotch. "...maybe I shouldn't have emulated my friends and family so much. I've sadly had to turn down a few Gentleman's Boner requests recently."

"I like this body. It's squishy again." Ashe played with Prisma's spare breast, more for testing the semi-realistic handling. "Well you could always opt to wear clothes like the rest of us."

"Could you... please not do that? It's sensitive."

"Oh, so you've upgraded your touch sensors? Interesting." Ellie zipped up his pants and stood, chuckling as Punk struggled with a pool of cum in her cupped paws. "Out of interest, what's been changed?"

"I added heat transfer sensing and... multiple grades of touch sensitivity I still need to grow into." Pris took a step back to put some distance between her and Ashe's physical curiosity. "Maybe I really should wear clothing, as a precaution."

Ellie awkwardly shuffled as he walked around with his still stiff cock in his pant leg. "Considering you upped the realism, that might be best." The otter kept his distance out of respect, but still examined the upgrade closely. "I can understand a few things, but why would you need to give yourself a vagina? Are you... hoping to have sex?"

"...Maybe. I won't lie and say I'm not curious."

"She's embarrassed." Ashe felt her way over and planted a paw over the cleft of Pris' pussy. "It's even wet. She definitely wants to try this thing out."

"Th-That's not true!"

"Aha! I thought so." Ashe backed away with her paws up, sniffing and licking the damp one after she was clear. "Sorry, Pris. I just wanted to test something, and I'm glad I did."

"Test something?" Ellie shook his head. "You just violated her from my eyes."

"No, I provoked her. That's new, too." Ashe slurped her paw free of the sugary nectar gifted to it. "She's an AI, Elliot. She's an AI that feels embarrassment, anger, and caution. That's... honestly amazing."

"Well good! At least you recognize I'm not some kind of toy like a cell phone!" Pris covered her chest and groin with a combination of her arms and tail. "And at least I haven't done anything worth being embarrassed about like Punk!"

The desk jumped a few inches along with it's sole inhabitant. "Y-You knew?"

"Well you were pretty loud." Ellie eased himself back to behind his desk and helped Punk to her hindpaws. "Guess the cat's out of the bag."

"I w-was just doing what I was told to!"

Prisma found Ellie's medical coat near the door and donned it, moving closer to the desk upon feeling less scrutinized. "You've only given him one fellatio session today. If you want to meet your duties, you only have twenty minutes to do so. How serious are you guys about that?"

Elliot sat in his chair and fished his cock out of his fly "You know about this? We only came up with it this morning."

"I... Crap." Pris shut her coat as she watched Punk take Elliot back into her muzzle for another round. "I watch the crew most of the time, sometimes even when I don't want to. The security grid is, uh, wired into my systems."

"Wow, regret followed by a lie." Ashe made her way over and grabbed Pris' ass. "And perversion. Now I'm really impressed."

"I really can't help it! I just... might also enjoy it too... just a bit..."

"You're fucking cute as hell like this." Ashe's paw slipped into the lab coat to grope at a breast again. "I'm all for the fucking and the cute."

"What the hell's gotten into you, Ashe? She told you to stop that." Ellie grumbled in just the right tone to get that paw out of Prisma's coat. "You've been acting like a whole different person since Punk came to us. This isn't a game. She might be having a baby."

"Oh, no she isn't." Prisma took the otter and the person attached to his groin's combined expressions of confusion as a hint to explain herself. "She's not pregnant. Your tests can verify this, but my sensors indicate otherwise."

Punk pulled her head up. "W-What?"

Ashe pushed her head right back down. "Keep going, dear. It's impolite to speak with your mouth full."

"I almost forgot about that batch test. Let's see..." Ellie opened up a hologram and navigated through it, pulling open a document containing the results. "Nominal... Yeah, normal... Estrogen is spiking... though, there's not the right chemistry otherwise? So what's with the estrogen? It's like she--" The otter looked over to Ashe and was greeted with a wicked smile. "She's in heat. You knew this?"

Ashe tapped her nose. "I definitely know my own scent. Shame the pheromones aren't as radically potent with you as with other canines. But yes, I knew she was in heat so her period was starting."

"So what the fuck was all this about!?" The room went quiet except for the gentle, continued suckling of Elliot's dick. "Ashe, what does this mean? What's the point of torturing her?"

"Oh, I was just trying to have some fun. We totally had fun this morning." Ashe guided Punk's head down lower but kept the pressure light. "I'm serious about wanting her to have experience with others. The punishment part is more for you, though."

"How the fuck will free blowjobs be punishment for a guy?"

"Because," Ashe licked her lips and knelt down beside Punk, "I've got dibs next."

Elliot's eyes went wide as his overly-sensitive cock throbbed in orgasm. "Fuck... That's evil, Ashe."

"So now you see my master plan."

"Why?"

"Mn..." Ashe caught some of her man's jizz as it overflowed from Punk's mouth. "Because you cheated on me. You know I'm fine with Punk, but you can't just go fuck her without me knowing." When Ellie was done with his climax, Ashe drove her point home by sucking his extremely sensitive tip for a few seconds. "So now you get to see what it's like when you aren't in control of the when and how. You also get to learn that to love equally, you have to do so twice as hard or to choose just one mate. And be thankful I learned what not to do when I caught you thanks to your brother embedding a laptop in my face."

Ellie ran his paw over the scar from that incident, the fur regrowing matte white instead of silver. "O-Okay. I get it." The otter gasped and huffed as Ashe slowed to a light, ticking lick of his underside. "I'm sorry, Ashe. You've made your point and I'm sorry."

"Oh, it isn't that easy." Ashe's paw stroked the whole of her man's length, very slowly enticing a third erection in quick succession. "For nine months you get to learn just how bad this could have turned out if I didn't love you so much. And I'm going to show you by loving you. So. Much."

"But Ashe, that almost hurts. Could you give me a minute to rest?"

"I sort of... agree with her." Punk finished swallowing jizz and wiping her face. "I can't hurt things if I'm on a short leash, and you can't hurt things if we have allotted time together... sort of..."

"Sort of? Oh, well then that's a good point to address." Ashe slowed down her assault on her man's manhood, allowing him some breathing room out of love and respect. "How much did you fuck? I only smelled that you did, not how often."

"Uh... We..."

Where Punk hesitated, Prisma automatically fulfilled a query. "They had sex an average of two and a three-quarters times a day. Typical sessions began at four occurrences a day and tapered to only one or two near currently."

"Wow. Well that's tougher, but you did this to yourself." Ashe grinned as she lifted up her skirt and sat upon Elliot's cock. "I'm upping the ante. If you can make love to me twice, have sex with her twice, and take all the blowjobs, all for nine months... I'll know you really love me. If you can do that, I'll marry you, Elliot."

"We might not even be alive in nine months..."

"You can't convince me otherwise. That 'We're all going to die' thing doesn't work on this genius." Ashe started moving her hips slowly. "I'll tell you what: I can concede some power too. Punk, how about you only need to screw someone else once a day? Sound better?"

"That's still... pretty hard for me. My body can't take that."

"See, Ashe? You're being a bit unreasonable."

"No? You still need more?" Ashe shrugged her shoulders as she ground into Ellie's hips, drawing squeaks from the otter. "Then I'll have sex with Punk too, so she can have time to rest. I'll even let it count as sex with another person every other day. And maybe... in the process... I can see if we'd like to marry her too. No promises, though."

Punk blinked as she stared into space. "You... mean that?"

"I said before that I wouldn't mind the help in giving my man a child. I'd only bring that up if I trusted you, maybe even liked you" Ashe picked up the pace, but stood when Elliot started to get out of breath. "So for going along with my crazy plan, you've earned yourself this one. With a little more work, maybe you'll earn my heart too. Until then, Elliot's my man though."

"Y-Yeah, I understand." Punk stepped out of her shorts and sank herself over Ellie's pulsing cock. "Th-This is worth it alone."

"Might I remind you that you are in heat." Prisma hunched over the edge of the desk as she watched the intimate connection. "Species barrier and human mutations aside, you do have an increased chance to bear his child right now."

"Which is why she's taking all his spunk for now." Ashe again forcefully insisted that Punk go deeper, the tip of her man's cock crushing against wolf womb. "So Elliot, I want you to breed her like you'd breed me. Fill her with pups."

"G-Gods!"

"Ah! I can feel it!" Punk held a paw to her stomach, the gentle addition of heat to her core feeling wonderful on its own even if she was nowhere close to stimulated herself. "Give me your whelps, Ellie."

Ilaria strolled in through the open door, then whistled and strolled right back out. "Oops. None of my business. I'll come back in the morning."

"Sis! Wait. We're just finishing." Ashe straightened her skirt and felt around for her white cane. "Shit... Uh..."

"Here." Ari pucked up the cane and gave it to her adopted sister. "You should take it easy, sis."

"I'm an adult. I can choose to have sex all I want."

"I was taking about the cane, but I guess you're right. Sorry for intruding."

Ashe reached out and hugged her big sister. "You came here for a reason. What do you need?"

"I was just going to ask if Liv could borrow some stuff tomorrow. She's finally got things ready to give my little girls their paws back for their birthdays." Ari held out her robotic prosthesis and frowned. "Well, close enough."

"Awesome birthday gifts I don't have to come up with? Yeah, we'll help all we can." Ellie groaned as his dick painfully pulled free of Punk's searing, drooling confines. "Just give me some time to recover first?"

"I feel your pain. Those girls can get horny as hell and they like to corner mommy dearest." Ari sighed and started to leave again. "Thanks, Ellie. Have fun."

"No, ~wait~ sis." Ashe found Punk via her entropic sight and pulled her over, the two wolves now groping both tits and a forming erection through Ari's sirat. "Punk here wants to sleep with you. She wants a huge, huge belly to show off to us."

"I never thought I'd have fans of ~that~. I mean, I can do it but..."

"I'm sure Rhyme would be fine with it. Punk's really good at eating pussy. She even has a tongue ring!"

"Okay, okay. I'll see if Rhy is game." Ari led Punk out of the office and only stopped to duck her head back. "Thanks for looking out for me, sis."

"I know what you like. Night!" Ashe smiled all the way until they were out of sight. "What? I figured her first adventure should be with someone we trust. She's part canine too, so that helps with her heat."

"Oh, I don't disagree there. I just don't think anyone's second pairing should be subject to something with the same size, girth, and liquid volume as a fucking fire hose." Ellie groaned as he fit his cock back into his stained pants. "So should we go to bed as well, beautiful?"

"You'll have to make love to me too."

"I'm sleeping here, thank you."

Prisma giggled at the couple's hijinx. "Don't kill the guy, Ashe. He's only a man."

"Except when he's a woman," Ashe joked.

"Except... not?" Elliot stood and grabbed his girlfriend from behind. "Being around you has made me rethink that. Notice I've gone a while without wearing a dress."

"Ah, you're right. Nothing but itchy guy clothes recently."

"We can improve the itchy part later." Ellie kissed Ashe on the cheek. "I think I just want to be myself, not something I'm not. So yeah, I like girly things. Yeah, I dress in colorful stuff. But I don't need to therefore be a girl. I'm your man."

"And you're about to prove it in bed." Ashe smiled and broke away to get the bed warm. "Get Indy for me, would you? Love you, Elliot."

"Love you too, beautiful." Ellie turned around and woke India, the poor old pup taking more and more to excite recently. "Come on, Indy. Time to take you to our dominatrix master."

Pris left the office ahead of Ellie so he could lock up. "She's not that bad. My logic doesn't find too many faults in hers either, though her practices ~are~ unconventional."

"Yeah, well say that after the day I've had. Nine more months of too much sex and lack of sleep... Ugh."

"Lack of sleep...?" Prisma slammed a fist into a paw. "I knew I forgot something. I came here initially to tell you about Carbon."

"Ah, did the sedatives not help Fleur? She still not sleeping well?"

"No, it's him." Prisma stopped Elliot and held his shoulders. "Carbon's still awake. He was supposed to hibernate--"

"Two days ago. I know." Ellie led India to his room and shut the door. "That could kill the guy. We're making a house call, and you're my master key."

"But he's worryingly concerned for Fleur. Maybe--"

"No, I'm going to beat some sense into him." Ellie stopped at a cabinet and pulled out a bottle and a syringe. "Then I'm jamming this up his ass and kissing him goodnight."

"Oh. That works too."


"My former Chleek, I thank you for your service to my new kingdom." Enthol took a deep breath and then bowed for Chleek. "It was annoying and tough, but perhaps we did benefit each other. If you ever change you mind, I'm sure we can work out a mutual deal."

Chleek took a step backward into his commandeered passenger shuttle. "No, we won't."

"Are you sure? With my new power I can grant you anything. Hell, I can even give you Yangurra." Enthol forced a smile. "We need not disgrace ourselves with each other's presence for this to benefit us."

"You raped my sister. You can take your useless power and do what you want with it." The perturbed leader signaled to shut the overhead stone slab of a door. "I'm leaving. Don't abuse your new mægika well. I'd hate to see these people lose their city."

"They'd just be dying for the cause in any case, just like their leader."

"Because you needed his ætir. Own your mistakes, Enthol, before they come back to haunt you." Chleek ducked down to speak through the closing hatch. "I feel sorry for a plant with no hope left for himself. May the Great Spirits grant you peace in the next garden."

The hatch shut, allowing Chleek to smirk as he earned a small victory with his final words. His primary guardswoman shook her head with a smile of her own. "He's an idiot, but he still poses a threat. Don't forget that."

"Eiita, you speak without knowing your past fate. I rescued you and Lirou from him while I still had some power." Chleek slipped past his comrade in the small ship and headed for the pilot's chair. "He planned on making all of the female guard into his own harem. Now the three of us at least do have reason to forget that lunatic."

"That... explains things. I wondered why you didn't pick more suitable personal guards."

"You're more than suitable. I think there's value in subtlety, dexterity, and diplomacy." Chleek Linked to the ship with his queoo and charged the engines. "Besides, you're the prettiest bloom of the bunch. I'd rather have myself eyes upon you than see you become Enthol's favorite receptacle for seed."

"You... granted me a great favor, my Chleek." Eiita sat in the seat beside her true leader and laid back, placing her plasma caster in her lap. "If you knew this, why not choose more females for your sister's guard?"

"I chose her guard because... though male, they do not share nature's path. They prefer each other and would never harm Niima. The bonus is that they happen to be well built and smart. They also know how to avoid conflict and be discrete." Chleek looked behind his seat and didn't find Lirou. "Enthol would have had them killed. I find value in those two, even if they won't fertilize another generation. Lirou, are you in the back?"

"Yes, Chleek. I've been guarding your ætir in case Enthol attempted sabotage."

"That's smart thinking. Thank you."

"No, thank you for assigning my brother to your sister's guard."

Eiita grinned as the connection came out. "That's very kind of you, keeping a family together."

"Lirou, I'm launching the ship." Chleek reached over a hand and rested it upon Eiita's over her rifle. "All of what I do, I do for family. You'll come to see how much that matters the more you work with me."

"I see..." Eiita placed her rifle on the floor and moved her hand to rest upon her Chleek's inner thigh. "Then as a distant part of your own family, how much do I matter to you?"

Chleek released the engine thrusters, a stream of explosive crystals rapidly propelling the shuttle upward with the sturdy inhabitants unphased. "I... I have already found someone, Eiita. Though... I suppose my public image may require another partner..."

"Could that child...? Could it be that Niima is this woman? Our family is in desperate times, so I will not judge." Eiita moved Chleek's lower garments to the side and exposed his engorged pistil. "I would be honored to be your mistress, my Chleek. I... always thought you were attractive when we were growing."

"Coincidentally, you have been in my dreams more than once. I thought you were in an arrangement though."

"I was... but he died in battle when we left." Eiita slid down her armor and straddled Chleek, taking advantage of this vessel's lack of hand controls to ride the plant freely. "If you'll allow me, I would be proud to carry your seed now instead."

"If the image will hold true, we must make some fine memories. By all means, I appreciate your enthusiasm." The leader gasped as Eiita's tightness enveloped him completely. The two sat still to grow accustomed to each other as they left orbit, the lack of gravity making things a tad easier. "I think this might be a better definition of 'mutually beneficial' than Enthol's. You'll also see just how much I love to make my family feel their very best."

"I sure hope so. May I?"

"I may be your Chleek, but I am not your master. Do what you desire, dear Eiita."

The warrior plant steadied herself with her own vines and started sliding up and down her leader's manhood. "With pleasure."

"Ah... You're good at this. Your last partner must have been quite thirsty for your dew." Chleek checked out the quartz window in the front and shook his head as he found Enthol's new fleet reaching orbit. "All of this would be wasted should I have left you behind."

"For your knowledge, this is my first time with a man. And in any case I'm glad it is with you, Chleek."

"When we're alone, call me by my old name. After this exchange of power, I do not approve of titles." Chleek sat upright as he noticed his machine was enabled, a mass of dark energy building outside the planet's orbit. "When we find our new home, I wish to be Niishal again. I wish to wash my hands of this effort."

"You wish to focus on love instead of hate." Eiita bucked her hips forward as she pressed down rapidly, almost trying to milk the poor plant below her using her greater strength. "I ~definitely~ agree with this logic."

"Mm... How can anyone think war is better when love feels like this? Any plant that can--" Niishal stopped as his vision clouded with various energies, a moment later dying down to reveal a large explosion on the surface of the planet. "No! You bastard!"

"What?" Eiita spun herself around to urgently check out the corner of the window. "What happened?"

"I told that idiot not to keep so much æti nearby! Those... Those poor people." Niishal stopped the thrusters and prepared to turn around while he still could, but before acting he witnessed something that robbed away all hope for a rescue. "All that energy... No..."

"What's happening here?" Lirou pulled herself into the main cabin, her eyes locked on the various portholes along the hull. "What's that large sphere? I'm no mægician."

"That is our portal to Utopia turning to a hole into hell." Niishal released his queoo and pulled Eiita closer to a porthole to track the event. "We need to flee before Enthol hunts me down. I have another plan, but... I need certain resources and time to fix this."

Eiita slipped off of her new lover as he returned to his controls. "Agreed."

"Wait, where did Tartarus go? Why is there a a black sun here?" Lirou finally focused her vision on the exposed lovers and froze for a moment. "Were you two pollinating?"

"Yes, we were. And... Tartarus is lost to that dark abyss." Niishal reformed his Link with the ship and restarted the thrusters. "We cannot risk my sister's safety. Thankfully our vessel is fairly light. Sorry, Lirou, but you will have to hold off on seeing your brother as well."

"Where will we go then?" Eiita aligned herself with Lirou and rubbed her shoulder. "Vauxhaul is our only home now. Where else but our home?"

"Terra." Niishal finished correcting his course and released his Link. "Nowhere else but Terra."

Lirou perked up in concern. "The Forbidden World? No Yangurraa that go there ever return."

"Then we will break that trend. We must." Niishal looked out a rearward porthole and tracked the twinkling dots of his former fleet scattering away from an ever enlarging black hole. "For the sake of the galaxy, we must succeed."


My life You electrify my life Let's conspire to ignite / All the souls that would die just to feel alive

I'll never let you go / If you promise not to fade away Never fade away

Our hopes and expectations Black holes and revelations Our hopes and expectations Black holes and revelation

--Starlight, Muse


"I'm seriously going to stab you with this. How and where are up to you, plant boy."

"I'm not sleeping until I know she's safe!" Carbon held Elliot back with two vines while bracing the floor with the third, but upon spotting Evelyn was awake he shifted focus. "Eve! Back me up here!"

"Um... Oh, it's--" Eve searched her recent memories and determined how long she was daydreaming. "Seriously? Carbon, you've been up two days since your dormancy cycle started. You could die from this."

"Shit. You're with him too?"

"I'm with my mate, Carbon. I don't want you to get hurt."

Prisma poked her head through the hallway dormitory door, not wanting to endanger her new avatar body in the struggle. "Listen to your wife, Carbon. Please don't die inside me over something preventable."

"You don't understand! My baby girl has lost everything before. Everything." Carbon slouched to check his daughter through a solid wall, the light cosmic radiation permeating the ship acting as a basic X-ray system in tandem with his eyesight. "You didn't see her holding Buck's razor, staring at it for an hour. I... I can't lose her. She's what I've been fighting this fucking war for all these decades."

Ellie took the hybrid's lowered guard as a chance to strike with his sedative, but the plant was too quick to react in the end. "Damnit, Carbon. So what, you'll just never sleep? Depression is long term."

"Carbon, dear... Think about what she might do if she loses her father--for a second time at that. You don't want to put her through that immediately after losing the love of her life." Eve stepped forward and reached out a hand to caress Carbon's jaw. "I'll look after her, and then when Sydney wakes so will she. And if that fails, the whole crew will take a shift. We all love Fleur and we won't let her harm herself."

"You're just saying that!" Carbon shoved Eve's arm, and to the veile's surprise the super-massive limb actually moved away with his emotional touch. "You'll doze off into another one of your dreams! I can't leave her with you."

Evelyn's arm lost its color and faded pure black, then rebounded directly into the side of Carbon's face. "You've... You've always trusted me. I don't know what's driving this change in you, but I'm scared , Carbon. You need sleep."

"Gods fucking... damned bitch..." Carbon shot out a queo at the door and attempted to pull himself out to flee. "I don't need this. I'm going to watch--"

The otter didn't finish his sentence, instead falling face first into the floor. In the aftermath it became clear Eve had reformed her body ahead of her mate and her extended, balled fist revealed the tool of Carbon's demise. "I forgive you, Carbon. You've got a lot on your mind, and it was for the best of intentions."

"An odd form of forgiveness." Prisma crouched near the hybrid, inspecting his shattered face mask. "I think... he's knocked out."

"And he needs air. I'll take care of him." Eve effortlessly picked up her mate with one arm and carried him over her shoulder. "Get to bed yourself, Ellie. He'll be fine, I swear."

"But you just broke his mask. He might have a concussion." Ellie moved closer and checked the otter, finding only a cut over the top side of his snout. "He needs stitches."

"No he doesn't. I can easily mend this as he sleeps. It's sort of my job, actually; I look after my favorite oddball."

"Then... I'll drop by in the morning for a house call to see how he's doing." Elliot walked out into the hallway and waved his unused syringe back to the group. "And tell him to take two punches and call me in the morning."

"You're a bit silly late at night yourself." Eve smiled and carried her mate to an empty bed. "We'll be right here whenever you're ready. I just need to float over to the barge and grab his spare breather real quick."

"You're gonna fly through space? I thought you needed air too or something."

"Not to breathe. It helps charge the oxydium in me though."

"Damn. Well that's dedication." Ellie smiled as he thought about his own significant other and the changes they were going through. "You must really love the guy, going through all that trouble. He found himself an amazing wife."

"Thanks. I appreciate actually hearing that, I really do." Evelyn followed Elliot out into the hallway, but chose to head down the elevator shaft instead of across it so she could use the lower airlock. "But don't think this is anything special. This is how a good family works, and..." The phantom coasted through the open air of the shaft, dazed as she recalled the events of her latest genetic memory. "Well, Carbon's dad said it best: 'All of what I do, I do for family.'"