Family Business

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Prince Tesem's Suite, The Grand Palace, Luxor

Neo Egypt, Planet Vasily (YG-4), Yangu-Grurra System

05:41, 8/1/3, 24 XP

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"Nm... I'm glad you're so warm, Sugartits." Tesem sank his head beneath the sheets of his bed, preferring the natural heat of his wife to the chilly air his open windows drafted. "Much better. We have time? You're a bit frustrated, right?"

Flux winced and looked back at her husband. "S-School is in about an hour. But--Ah, damnit..."

"Plenty of time for a quickie." Sem slid his paws over Flux's waist and hooked her lace panties. He pulled them down and replaced them with a kiss of his cock. "I'm guessing you don't really want this right now? I can just get it over with."

"You should... enjoy yourself. It's my duty as a wife after all..." Flux gasped as she found her searing heat encompass part of her husband's large manhood. "Ah... W-Wait. Could we m-move first? Somewhere private?"

"Private?" Sem rolled his eyes as he probed for nearby people, finding one suppressing his presence. "Damnit, Veldt. Where are you, idiot?"

"Enjoying your wife in less intimate ways." The grayish wild-dog and husky mix pulled his face out from Flux's chest and rested a paw over his brother's forearm. "I thought we shared everything. Don't tell me you've decided to keep my favorite bedwarmer from your dear older sister?"

"She's my wife. We're married. Don't feign misunderstanding where that could lead." Sem sighed as he pulled back, solving his exposure issue before tossing the sheets aside. "It's worth freezing to see you get what you deserve, sis."

"Well the joke's on you; I'm already dressed." Veldt ran that paw upward in passing, grazing Flux's side sensually to tease her. "And I only meant to stop by to deliver a message, sleepyhead. I can't help Flux is so inviting like this."

"Please order me to kill him."

"Considering this is the tenth time or so? If he feels you up you can give him one good whack. Good?" Flux, as per normal, reserved the right to speak, letting Tesem's psychic abilities confirm her interest. "A message, eh?" He took a moment to check over his girly brother through Flux's eyes, noting he was fully dressed in an elegant female school uniform. "Crap, school. It's the first day of the new year, isn't it?"

"Good to know you listen to your wife." Veldt giggled for a moment as he gave the two a hint of privacy, grabbing his glasses from a nearby table yet averting his gaze. "Right. Our grandpa the Pharaoh requests your presence. He's got something he wants to talk about, though he wouldn't say anything more."

"That sounds about right. Grandpa Siamun has always been quirky like that." Sem reached for a robe, finding it was not where he left it. He groaned and started reaching for the ground, but Flux moved a little faster than normal and beat him to it. "Let's get dressed for school. That should be good enough for the throne room too."

"Oh, no need. He also cancelled school and a few kingdom jobs today."

"Really? That's rare for this season." Sem grinned as he realized the reason for Flux's rush, the gnome donning her own robe before offering his. "I think I'd rather ignore that fact all the same. Traditional suits are too stuffy."

"No rush. Grandpa said to come by before noon. I think he's got a meeting at present." Veldt smiled as the two were more appropriately covered, turning back and showing off his own skirted uniform proudly. "Let's have breakfast! We haven't shared that in weeks with you sleeping in every day."

"That could be nice. I think I owe Flux a bit of time though."

"Really? You two can have sex whenever you like. Breakfast is only in the morning."

"No matter how many times I explain it, you still don't get this whole blood pact thing." Tesem met his own gaze via his wife's sight and shrugged his shoulders. "It's not too bad yet. Think you can wait?"

"Actually, you're the one that got me in the mood. I was embarrassed because of Veldt, not horny." Flux tapped the actual horns looping over her ears. "Okay, bad choice of words." She nodded and then headed to the open windows to correct that error of forgetfulness. "It isn't bothering me yet. We've got a while, but then I'll be all over you. Your call."

"Alright, breakfast it is. Give us a few to dress, sis?"

"You bet. I'll just show off my new outfit to the guards..."

"Oh, that is new. The skirt's a different color?"

Veldt shared his sight and looked down to his uniform, paws pulling up the skirt for a better view. "Nope, the whole thing. Finishing school is a whole new place."

"Right, you're moving up. I can't believe I'm in my last year of highschool, either. I bet it's freaking Erin out a little." Again Sem met his own view, this time courtesy his brother's tilted gaze. "What?"

"You two are far too close. I'm jealous." Veldt looked to the side as Horus landed in the final window, scaring the shit out of Flux. "Him too. You've got quite a following, little bro."

"It appears I've missed an interesting moment." Horus hopped off the ledge so Flux could shut the last window. "Good morning, everyone."

"Morning, Horus."

Veldt walked over with a drawn pawkerchief and dabbed the side of the phoenix's beak. "Blood does not befit your status, Horus. You still hunt your own prey?"

"Most meals, recently." Sem remotely powered up a bunch of security cameras in his suite and used them to path near Horus. "Big Red here doesn't like being pampered with cooked food."

"It does not taste the same as fresh meat, along with all the trimmings. Besides that, cooking is unnecessary."

"Definitely agreed there." Flux ruffled the feathers along Horus' back. "Us fire breathers need to drive that point sometimes."

"Well raw meat makes us sick, so that's not happening wherever the food is prepared in bulk. Not all of us cook our foodon the way down." Tesem gave Horus a friendly pat on the top joint of his folded wing, passing him on the way to his closet. "Screw it. I'm dressing later. Jeans work for now."

"I'm fine with my armor."

"I still don't get why you don't accentuate your uniqueness, Flux." Veldt looked to the set of floating, form-fitting underwear that denoted Flux's form. "Some tights, maybe garters... Toss in a sleek dress..."

"No playing dress up with my wife, Veldt. Though..." Sem returned wearing a set of loose jeans and holding other clothes, slapping a dress against his wife's tits. "I do agree in a few ways. When we're alone in the palace there's no need to don that clunky armor. You know I want you to feel at home, right? Comfortable, not a prisoner?"

"I know you don't like this either, but wearing that armor isn't because of our pact. It lets me act like a normal person instead of drawing questions, even if I've got to be a soldier."

"A bodyguard is better than a monster hunter, right? At least that's an improvement." Sem took a shirt and tossed it over his shoulders, slowly buttoning it by feel alone. "Why don't you just try the dress, honey? We'll be back soon anyway and you can swap to the plate set then."

"Asking and not telling... Sure, Sem--so long as this thoughtful mood of yours keeps up." Flux examined the sundress, then slipped into it with a little unfamiliarity. "Uh... How does the top work?"

"The back zips up. I've got you, sweetie." Veldt stepped behind the gnome, bent over, and fixed the zippered back. "All good. Damn, that fits great on you considering your frame."

"I can't help that I'm short-"

"I meant these." Veldt cupped Flux's breasts from behind until a set of hands forced him back. "I'm jealous of those curves, girl. You should show them off more often."

"As if I could."

"There are quite a few clothing options that would suit you well, Flux." Horus leaned to peer in the closet, shaking his head at the mostly male outfits inside. "Perhaps you should experiment. The servants of the palace are accustomed to your unique plight of opacity impairment."

"That's my point, essentially." Sem donned a light jacket to help fight the remaining chill in the air and then focused on socks and shoes to combat the practically freezing marble floors. "It helps you're not wearing layers. Have you ever felt cold?"

"I don't think so. Half the time I wear just a bodysuit under that armor. If not for the chafing I'd wear nothing come summer." Flux took a look at herself in a mirror and groaned as she spotted the rear of her bra through the gap of her dress's low neck. "This takes getting used to, for sure."

Veldt unzipped that dress and pulled open the clasp of that bra, removing it and upping the zipper again before Flux comprehended what was happening. "It's better not to show that, at least not such a frilly, sexy one. Right?"

"Th-Thanks. I guess I would need something more tame."

"If you ever need advice, I'd be happy to help anytime."

"Coming from the king of all queens. I do have to admit you know your crossdressing though, sis." Tesem stood tall, a few inches higher than his brother. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Practically famished, Sem."

Banquet Hall, The Grand Palace

Luxor, Neo Egypt

06:44, 8/1/3, 24 XP

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"Well damn, if that didn't hit the spot. Elise, solid cooking as always." Tesem stretched in his chair, a smile spreading over his muzzle. "In fact, take the day off. Relax in the springs as well, supposing the baths aren't occupied."

"Thank you, my sire! You're far too generous!"

"No, the prince is gracious of good support from warm company. I must say that I particularly enjoy your sweets as well, Elise." Horus craned his head a bit, then narrowed his eyes and hunched forward. "Good morning, Miss Karidan-Optik."

"What? Aw..." Erin popped up a few paces behind the phoenix with her hopes dashed. "I can't even sneak up on you when you're busy talking? That's no fun."

"My mind wavers far less than Tesem or Veldt, little one. Besides, I fail to see how surprising me adds to your enjoyment. If you want a hug, you need only ask."

"Oh, well... I just..." Erin fussed with her paws, an old and worn military helmet held in one. "Hunter! You're not sleeping, I see. I was... gonna try waking you..."

"Well Veldt beat you to that task." Sem stood and gave his close friend a hug. "However, I wouldn't have minded waking to you instead."

"To m-me?" Erin's face flushed with color and she tried to distract from it by gripping her helmet close to her chest. "I j-just... don't want you to waste all of a holiday in bed, d-dummy."

"Never change, Cupcake. Good to see you too." Sem tapped the helmet, manipulating eyes to the object for a better view. "What's with this old thing? Is it related to the holiday or whatever?"

"I'm not sure what the holiday is about, exactly. I just read we had the day off and it turns out this is a new military holiday. I actually figured you'd know more." Erin tossed the helmet and Sem barely caught it. "But this is for you. You know that powerbike I was fixing up? Guess what's chained up nearby."

"Seriously? You've been talking about that practically every day now. I can't wait to see it. Ah..." Sem gripped the helmet and turned to Elise, calling her over with a curled finger. "If it's a holiday you should enjoy something special. Take this and consider checking out the markets today."

Sem placed a rather large, glowing crystal into the human's hand, the amber gem pulsing with warmth. "Sire, this is... quite a few carets. I can't take something so valuable-"

"Nope. You work harder than the others. You've earned a bit of a treat. If you really can't spend it on yourself, at least share it with the others that work this shift." Sem 'blindly' tossed the helmet back to Erin and turned back to her. "So where exactly did you leave this thing? I'm ready for a ride."

"Oh, I didn't want to draw attention since it's not the cleanest of machines. It's hiding in my secret alley..."

"Ah, that's smart. It's closer than the front entrance too." Tesem paused to clasp his brother's shoulder. "We'll go enjoy ourselves. Will you be alright by yourself, sis?"

"Oh, I'm always fine on my own. You don't need to-"

"You slipped into bed earlier because you were afraid of getting a cold, right?" Sem tapped his temple twice to help clarify his muffled words with body language. "You usually forget to shield yourself fully when you're worried."

"...I might have been sniffling this morning. It's not serious yet." Veldt tugged his brother close and gave him a lick on the cheek. "Thanks for worrying. Just have fun for me."

"Will do. Later, sis. Stay warm for me." Sem headed for Erin and again found a helmet barely in his paws. "Making me hold mine, eh? Well where's your helmet?"

"I only have the one. You're riding the bike though, so you carry it. Horus, we could use some eyes in the sky if you don't mind."

"Oh, this has my interest as well. I'm curious how Tesem could coordinate himself on such a device." Horus grew himself slightly and hopped off his elegant perch. "I'm willing to lend my services for a good laugh."

"Ha! You love watching me fail far too much--admit it, buddy." Tesem strolled through the nearby door and only slowed when he noticed he was relying on cameras for sight. "What's up? I thought you'd be more excited."

"I am, but... I'm thinking maybe Flux..."

"Oh. Shit, that's right. Flux, you want to get changed first?"

The gnome slowly stood, trying to hide her neck gap but having quite a hard time of it with invisible arms. "Um... I could just do that while you have your fun."

"And miss me slamming into a dozen walls? I owe you a bit of painful fun for the shit you go through." Sem turned around and held his arms out questioningly. "It's your choice, but I wouldn't want to miss the fun. We're not going out somewhere too public, either."

"...You promise we won't go far? You won't get yourself in a hospital or anything stupid?"

"You got it, Sugartits. I'm not that stupid." Sem resumed his pace, sighing and tossing his paws up at the uneasy feeling he read from his wife. "I promise, Flux."

"Then... okay. Let's make it quick." Flux eased up and followed her husband, much more assured yet not confident enough to round corners without checking them first. "We're taking the super-secret route, I take it? Remember, smaller people fall further..."

"Shush. I'll catch you." Tesem walked onto a large terrace balcony and immediately found the edge. "Eyes, please."

"Not even attempting to hide, I see." Horus cooed in amusement and took flight, granting his vision to his host. Do be careful, Tesem.

I've done this more than enough times, Horus. Ah, that's a good angle there. Thanks. Tesem hopped over the railing and kicked off the outer wall, grabbing a rod of bamboo to slide down to the ground. "Well that went well for once. I'll try to spot you, Tits."

"At least preface that with 'Sugar', Sem. Ugh." Flux tried to follow her husband's lead, but the section of bamboo was a tad too far from the wall for her shorter arms to reach. "Sem!"

"I've got you!" Sem aligned himself and caught his wife, though he forgot to account her her size not translating to her weight. The dense gnome nearly crumpled the otter, the two entangled on the ground with one of Sem's paws yanking the top of Flux's dress wide open. "Uh... good thing nobody can see these?"

"Damnit, Sem!" Flux pulled up her dress and fumbled with the zipper, huffing in frustration once she realized it was stuck. "We really better not be seen now. My tits are hanging out for good."

"You won't hear me complaining." Tesem grinned and readied himself to catch Erin, but the ottkat had already clung to a bamboo pole and slid down. "You're getting pretty good at this."

"Well I have lots of practice thanks to you. I like sneaking off for fun, but it would be better if our moms weren't so protective to start." Erin dropped the last meter and landed off center, using both Sem and her tail to prevent toppling over. "Thanks."

"Always welcome, Cupcake. It's the least I can do after making you jump through hoops."

"The least, eh? Coming from the guy that can make almost anything out of hardlight, yet doesn't even try making distractions?" Erin checked around for the helmet, then looked up with a smile. "Thanks!"

"Definitely don't forget this." Veldt grinned ear to ear as he dropped the helmet from the balcony. "Have fun!"

"Hee. Veldt is pretty happy today."

"He had a good morning. Those are pretty rare on cold days with his condition." Sem grabbed the helmet and headed for the street, regaining his bearings rather quickly now that Horus didn't need to hover so closely. "The bike's in the alley next to the legal library, right?"

"It's a courthouse, Hunter. Damn, you really are above the law, aren't you?" Erin edged out ahead of her friend and grinned toothily as she entered the noted alleyway. "It's right there, under that tarp. Go ahead and do the honors."

"You're acting a bit strange today. Paths, you'd normally at least offer to be my eyes..." Tesem noticed those eyes were settled on him and not the bike cover, the otter falling back to Flux for the required sight. "What's going on here? You're normally too excited to wait when showing me your little gadgets."

"Just... open it up, dummy."

"Right..." Sem felt a welling of anticipation in his friend's mind as she forcibly darted her eyes to the cloth shroud, though they unconsciously kept fidgeting between the bike and her friend. The otter took a breath and then lifted the covering, finding a pristine-quality machine rather than the clunker Erin described. "I don't... understand...?"

"...Oh!" Erin crouched and picked up a cardstock note that had fallen from the seat, presenting it to her friend while reading over it herself, soon deciding to read it aloud as remotely doing so wasn't the easiest of processes. "In honor of our last year of school, so you'll always think of me when riding this into the ground. All my l-love, Erin."

"This is... Erin, this is too much. You've put the better part of a year into this thing. If anyone deserves--"

Erin placed the very eccentric circular keys set in large brass levers into Tesem's paw and flicked his nose. "I restored it for you from the start, Hunter. You always expressed an interest in powerbikes so... I came across some parts..."

"Parts, indeed. This isn't a standard bike. That alone is a gift to behold." Sem juggled the rather large keys and looked at the odd, dual-hinged bike. "I love it. I'm guessing you didn't break her in yet?"

"What? Never. You know I'm too small to balance one of those things, even with the improvements I've made." Erin whipped a cloth from the rear of her belt and shined a smudge on the frame. "No, I walked it here--under its own power, before you complain."

"Well you're taking the maiden voyage with me. Just let me know what's different so I don't hurt anyone. I've only tried one of these things once before and it was a tiny electric one."

"Differences, hm? Well..." Erin's eyes widened as she tried to shorten the list that was in her head. "This version is two wheel independent drive, which I'm proud is a first. There's no shocks, and instead the wheels are on adjustable servo motor mounts. Balance should be strange until you find what works for you. Um... There's a counterweight system instead of a kickstand..."

"This sounds like a whole new kind of vehicle, Cupcake."

"It is. The engine runs using a salt cell."

"Salt?"

"Molten salt. Some of my people's tech runs using batteries made from the stuff. That's about all I know about it." Flux sniffed the air and nodded knowingly, pointing to a tubular object hazy with diffused heat. "That smells like lithium and... cobalt?"

"I'm still playing with the mixture, but that's about right: lithium-silicon paired with cobalt... disulfide?. I had to get some help from uncle Adrian so the one battery is all I know how to make from pure memorization until he visits again." Erin slid back a protective shield to cover the battery core. "Make sure you don't touch it, because it operates at about 500 degrees."

"And salt can power this thing? How long?"

Flux nodded as she tried to estimate the chemistry from what knowledge gathered back home. "That much? I'd guess about three hours for that half-liter if it stays hot enough."

"It's not perfect though, and the ones I've made so far get maybe half that much time." Erin slapped the padding and helped settle Sem in the saddle style seat. "Remind me to pick your brain more about it though. I didn't know you understood any of that salt tech, Flux."

"I'm not too well versed on the tech stuff my dad tinkers with. I just listen a lot when he calls. If nothing else it might help when I eventually start up my own glowforge."

"...You and I are going to have a nice, long talk about that. A salt forge is one of my dream tools." Erin flipped a lone switch on the barren dashboard and pointed to the ignition. "That's an emergency cutoff switch for the power... considering the battery might leak or... explode..." She led her friend's paw to the key port and coughed away her comment. "Just remember to flip that off if the battery is still active. Don't let this bike melt itself."

"Alright. So the battery runs out on its own and I have to ground it? Good to know, I guess." Tesem gripped the downward-swept handlebars and quirked his head at the lack of controls. "Wait, how do I drive this?"

"Oh, my bad. I thought you would have figured that out already." Erin held up her Slate and brought it near the dashboard for a secure connection. "You really thought I'd make you a new toy and not personalize it to you?"

"You made it so only I could control it? Damn, I figured it was using a Sense or something, not my technomancy directly. That's cool." Sem gripped the barren handles a few times, longing for something tactile even though he now had full mental access to the controls. "I sort of wish it had a few physical bits though. There's something right about making something move by touch, by mastering the physical dexterity for it."

"Oh... Well I can add some parts back. It would actually simplify the throttle and brakes-"

"It's fine if they don't do anything, I guess. I love it already, I swear." Sem imagined the wheels rotating in opposing directions, but didn't expect the bike to slide sideways. "Ah! Sorry! What did I do!?"

Erin hopped out of the way just in time, then used her power of technopathy to calm the machine. "Ah, crap. I forgot one big detail." Erin looked specifically at a wheel, or more accurately the many small, oblong rollers that added up to a wheel. "The tires are omnidirectional, a nice bonus of having dual electric drives. And before you try something stupid like drift the thing, they don't move sideways as fast as they rotate forward."

"And I was just about to try that, too. Aw." Sem reached for Erin and tugged her onto the bike by her belt. "Show me how it's done. I'll just take her for a run around the block, real slow-like."

"Okay, but only if you're actually slow. I'm not used to these things." Erin found the helmet on the ground and popped it onto Sem's head. "And never ride this without at least the helmet. Please promise me that, Hunter."

"I think you should wear it this first time-" Sem stiffened at a chill that ran through his spine, concern bleeding from his connection to Erin's mind. "I promise, Erin. I get it."

"You can't see, and even with all the cameras I added to this thing you could still miss something. Just make sure you stay safe, alright?"

"I'll get a set of something protective if you make me a bunch of those batteries and show me how to change them. Deal?"

"Deal." Erin settled on the rear humpback seat and slid her thick rudder tail into a groove above and to the side of the rear tire's cowling, manually placing Sem's tail in the opposite one. "Remember to keep your tail out of the way too."

"You really did think of everything. Amazing, Cupcake." Tesem took note of the mentioned cameras and noticed quite a lot of overlap in the images, but still took the higher fidelity of Horus's sight into account. "Okay, I think I have a good handle on this thing. Hold on, Erin. We'll be right back with your turn, Flux."

"Oh, hey! You do remember my actual name!" Flux chuckled as she sat down on the foundation of the building. "I'm good for now. Just enjoy yourself while that battery still works. You can give me my 'turn' when you're done."

"Right, I do owe you 'that'. It's a deal."

Erin fidgeted her paws around Tesem's waist. "...Could we get going, before I get cold hindpaws?"

"Figurative or literal?--because the latter is definitely an option today." Sem chirped at the imagery of Erin squealing behind him, but upon sensing a proper trepidation from his friend he chose to tread lightly and slowly led the bike out of the alley. "Alright, Cupcake. Let's see how this girl moves."

"Just go easy on the accelerator value, because it's on a-!"

The bike suddenly lurched forward, the spine lowering and leaning forward automatically to keep the center of gravity balanced and the wheels down. "Woah! This girl's got some kick to her!" Sem stabilized the rear wheel as it slid around, using the omniwheels to rotate in alignment with the street. "Okay, that's better. You should have warned me the throttle was sensitive, Erin."

"I was just doing that, you oaf! Fuck, I nearly had a heart attack!" Erin paradoxically froze and simultaneously burned her cheeks off when she noticed the snickering chuckles coming from her friend. "Oh, you idiot! Don't screw with me like that!"

"Sorry, Cupcake. I couldn't resist. I noticed the log curve on the power output. You did a good job making everything readable on my end." Sem smiled as Erin clamped down around his waist, giving him incentive enough to speed up enough the wind caught his hair. "This is nice. The freedom to move around, I mean. The bike is wonderful too, Cupcake... but the feeling I get riding her, that's the real gift."

"I know, silly. You act like I don't know how you tick. You've always wanted to drive for yourself instead of your chauffeurs." Erin leaned forward, cuddling her chest against Sem's back and basking in the now-exaggerated warmth. "Just promise you'll treat this--her well and you'll give her some proper usage. She likes to stretch her legs... and I don't think she'd mind visiting me every morning on the way to school..."

"If saving you a long walk is the price to pay for this luxury, I'll happily pay it. Hey, and I finally have a good excuse to visit the tribe when I want. I love checking out your workshop too, so-!" As Tesem rounded the last corner he suddenly felt a pang of fear and told the bike to completely stop, barely nudging into someone with a thud and a feminine shriek. "Shit! Erin, what was that? I can't connect to her!"

"You bumped a girl. Shut this off and stay put until you've got your bearings." Erin hopped off the powerbike and crouched near the fallen red panda, fox, and perhaps ferret hybrid. "Are you okay? It looked like we stopped in time, but-"

"S-Spirits... Ah..." The girl balled up on the concrete, coiling in a very exaggerated show of pain. "Oh. You're playing the insurance card. Hunter, you want to pay this idiot off?"

"N-Not... Hng!..." Tesem broke free of a similar show of pain, gasping as he jumped off the bike. "She's not playing around. It felt like every nerve in her body was on fire when I linked to her."

"Crap, she's really hurt? But she's not bleeding or anything..."

"What in the two hells did you do?" Flux jogged from around the corner and rested on a knee. "You hit someone? Damnit, Sem. I knew this wasn't ending without a hospital visit."

"She's... not harmed, not as far as I can tell. She knows she's alright, but still..." Sem hesitated with a paw over the girl's forehead, then dove into her mind amidst the immense suffering and searched for a solution. "L-Look for her iden-ntification."

"Um, right. One sec." Erin shut her eyes and searched for the girl's Slate, coming up oddly with nothing to show. "I found the one person besides you who doesn't own a Slate, Hunter."

"She's got a thing on her wrist. A medical band, maybe?" Flux grabbed the ivory-white bracelet and paused when she realized there was no way to remove the solid object. "Maybe not."

"That isn't chipped. Hm."

"I... think I've got it..." Sem slowly regained his calm demeanor, the firefox trembling but otherwise also soothing. "I had the right hunch. Her nerves are far too sensitive. We need to call someone that knows more, and I'm at my limit here just keeping her stable. Horus?"

"I feel it too. Sadly, I cannot purposefully penetrate this child's mind. How you managed is beyond me." The phoenix landed beside the girl and prodded at the white band. "This concerns me however. You don't sense this miasma?"

"I'm a little distracted, Horus. What is it?"

"Ah, I assumed you noticed. This girl possesses a Conduit of Despair."

"Well that makes sense if she's dealing with this nerve issue." Tesem borrowed Horus' eyes and gawked at the rather thick, sizable bracelet. "That's by far the largest I've ever seen. She'd have to have dealt with this... damn, maybe her whole life if it's that hefty."

"Exactly my assessment, Tesem. This poor child must have a method to deal with her plight. We need to discover-"

"Ah, got it. Check this out." Erin pulled a pawful of Coin from the girl's pocket, along with a series of printed receipts. "She's super low tech, no Pip chit or gems. I bet we can figure out her neighborhood by checking the addresses on these slips."

"Well don't wait on me. I'm only about to pop a blood vessel keeping this girl asleep."

"Just give me a moment, Hunter." Erin whispered the addresses to her Slate and they showed up in a map application. "Oh, well that certainly helps. Look, the place in the weighted center is all by itself. It's a little estate in this area. She's a rich kid, I guess."

"I'd call her pretty poor in one respect. She's dealing with a lot." Tesem briefly connected to the Slate to read the triangulated address, regretting the distraction when the girl snapped awake with a scream for a few seconds. "It's close enough. Erin, can you control the bike?"

"I could, yeah. Wh-Why?"

"I'll be busy keeping her asleep and I don't think I can walk like this. Can you walk us along until we find this place? It's not too far."

"Oh, you mean remotely, not riding it. Okay, I can probably manage that." Erin noted the similar tall sizing of the firefox to the one soothing her and looked to Flux for help. "You can lift a lot, right Flux?"

"I'm on it. Get the bike ready."

"Horus, scout the way if you would." Tesem shut his eyes so he could better open his mind, taking on his share of the pain to keep the girl at relative ease. "Let's get her the help she needs."

Horus flapped harshly to gain altitude quickly. "Agreed, my honorable friend."

Unmarked Estate, Central District

Luxor, Neo Egypt

07:28, 8/1/3, 24 XP

---

"This is the place? I didn't expect it to be so... creepy." Flux jogged ahead of the group, halting at a large gate. "It's so barren, and the walls aren't even that thick."

"Most people don't live in a fortress like you do." Erin guided the powerbike to the gate and whispered for it to hold still for a moment. "This seems like a pretty bog-standard rich person estate... one that's a bit privacy oriented maybe."

Tesem slid off the side of the bike, leaning the girl forward to drape over the handlebars. "Why do you say that?"

"The gate isn't electronically locked in any way. It uses a complex key and a physical lock. That screams distrust of networking systems." Erin peered inside and found a few closed circuit laser tripwires scattered around the path and grass. "You don't have any super rich war veterans living near you, do you?"

"If you exclude our family I could maybe give that a 'no'." Sem groaned as the girl started sliding off the bike, wincing in renewed pain. "Flux, a hand please. Erin, work on the door. Is there an intercom or something?"

"No, it's completely dumb-locked." The ottkat whipped out a multitool to force the lock, but noticed a brick missing grout. "Well that explains why she doesn't have a key on her." She wedged the brick with a screwdriver bit and pulled it free, a surprisingly complex punch-card key stuck to the top of the remaining well. "She did a good job hiding it, but I guess only to the general public. She even taped it out of view."

"Well you have an inquisitive mind for that sort of thing, so maybe that's a better solution than you think." Sem helped balance the girl while Flux did the heavy lifting. "Open it up already. I'm sure we'll be welcome if we're bringing her home."

"Well when your prince comes knocking I'm pretty sure your only option is to open the door, so there's that." Erin fumbled with the uncommon lock, eventually figuring out she needed to insert the key into a slot to then turn the handle. "We're in. All you, Flux."

"Don't remind me. Just... give me an excuse to hide in a bush, maybe? This is so embarrassing." Flux led the girl through the gate, then stopped only a few paces forward as something clicked by her feet. "Wait, that's illegal."

"What? ...Oh." Sem read his wife's train of thought and looked down more as a hint for Erin. "Cupcake, we're gonna need you to hurry that cute tail of yours over here."

"What in the void...?" The ottkat moved closer and jolted her eyes open as she saw the top of an explosive device through Flux's invisible foot. "Well that confirms my theory. Crap."

"Can you deactivate it? Is there some way I can-" The girl started struggling with her pain, drawing Tesem to focus on keeping her still. "Fuck."

"Let me get my paws dirty." Erin crouched to get a better look at the device, realizing it was only a pressure plate connected to something else. She started tracing the line to the source, but very quickly halted herself as if she stepped on a trigger herself. "Oh, crap."

The girl screamed out as Tesem lost his concentration, the immense fear Erin radiated petrifying him as well. "Wh-What is it?"

"T-Tes-sem..."

"Tesem?" A second floor window pushed wide open, a rather scruffy figure lifting up a heavily modified C96 carbine pistol so the green laser dot no longer sat upon Erin's chest. "Now that's a name I haven't paired with a face in far too long."

"Sir... we tried to bring your, uh, daughter back..."

"And you broke in and stepped on a mine. Sounds about right considering the family." The man hopped over the window sill and onto a balcony, soon leaping down to his patio. "Just don't move... Wait, is that one of Yoyo's other kids? Not every day you see a person gone clear."

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Oh, crap? Is that you, Flux?" The only slightly older otter-panther hybrid picked up the pace and gave the invisible gnome a hearty hug while he grabbed the tension line of the device glueing her in place. "Last time I saw you I could hold you in one arm! Looks like you've grown a lot since, eh?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, the trigger is safe--just don't touch me or this wire." The panthott reeled in the line to its source--a pair of claymore mines--making sure to keep it under tension the whole way. "I'm your older brother, Artemis. I'm sorry we had to meet under these conditions, little sister."

Tesem offered to take the girl himself so Flux could move, but she refused and took the girl with her. "You're Arty? The same Arty dad is always secretly fussing over? He cries at night sometimes, you know."

"All too well. He'd cry even more if I stayed in contact. I don't have a choice." Arty twisted the priming point to its untensioned state on each explosive and eased the tripwire back to neutral. "Crap. I'm already saying too much. Just give me my baby girl and don't speak of this. Fuck, we're gonna need to move again now..."

"Wait, after all that you're just kicking us out?" Tesem stormed over to the panthott, practically wanting to punch him. "Your daughter isn't well. I'll be damned if-"

"You don't know shit, son. She's been like this since birth. Today's just a bad day, I guess. That's why I always warn her about sneaking out on her own." Arty folded the stock on his carbine and holstered it, diverting from defense of his homestead to defense of his child. "How did you come across her? Where was she? Did anyone notice you?"

"I couldn't tell while I was keeping her from screaming herself hoarse." Sem tugged Flux to follow him, then when she refused he grunted in disgust with himself and delved into loathed territory. "Flux, we're taking her back to the palace if this ass won't help his own daughter. Bring her to the bike."

"But... She shoul--Ack!" Having not felt that shock of pain in her tail in over a year, Flux started moving slowly to the vehicle. "It's not our say, Sem. She's his daughter."

"Not from what I'm seeing. Let's find her a bed and-"

"No, please. She doesn't respond well to most beds."

Sem turned around and barely kept himself from punching Arty. "What in the Abyss, man? If you cared you'd take her back from us. Fuck you."

"I won't hurt family. If you take my girl I'll just have to figure out how to get her back, but I'm not tossing in the damned towel." Arty looked over to the cowering ottkat frozen in his yard and took a deep breath. "Erin too, eh? Cassie's in good paws at least." He walked toward the front door and pulled it open, holding it with purpose. "Come on. We can figure something out like the kin we are, ideally out of public sight."

"Flux... this way." Sem shut his eyes and tried to read the panthott's intent, relenting when he found true concern present. "We'll hear you out, but if anything looks off we're heading to the palace. You touch that gun, we're heading back. You fucking scare my friends again, I'm crippling you and heading back. We clear?"

"Hunter... What's gotten into you?"

"Just... be glad you can't feel what this girl feels." Tesem found his bearings and moved closer to Erin, throwing an arm around her to calm her shivering body. "Are you okay? I know you don't handle confrontation well."

"I'll... I can deal with it. Just don't go too far... please?"

Sem walked his friend to the door, carefully using her vision to verify the area was safe. "This is a pretty nice place for a temporary location."

"I didn't intend for it to be that way. This was honestly the first attempt to have somewhere more permanent, and close to family at that." Artemis kept the door open for Flux, then shut the door and flipped half a dozen locks. "I don't take pride in denying my girl a stable life. She's old enough I can't really stop her from exploring anymore. She wants a real school, real friends..."

"I understand that point of view. Maybe that's why we can connect. Cassie, you said?"

"Yeah, Cassandra. She's named-"

"She's named after one of my moms. I was wondering how mom fit into the family." Flux moved into a dim living room and looked around for directions. "What now? How do we deal with... Wow, she's my niece, isn't she?"

"Cassie's bed isn't set up. I'll take care of it. How about... Oh, a bath might work for now." Arty popped into a side room momentarily, then another with better success. "Cher, you awake? Got a minute?"

"I'm not sure I could ever sleep with whatever was happening out there. Is the mail woman still trying to drop things by the-?" Cherenkov peeked out into the main hallway and hopped out much more politely. "We... have guests?" The azure djinn resembling a red fox in shape gave a welcoming smile to the others until she noticed Cassie. "What's the matter? She didn't fall again, did she?"

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter now. Do you have enough energy to take Cassie to the bath?"

"Yeah, I could handle that."

"No..." Cassie grunted as she finally overcame her fit of pain. "I can... handle it myself..."

"Sweetie!" Arty sped over to his daughter, amazed at her recovery speed. "This doesn't hurt? Flux, could you lower her slowly?"

"I'm fine, dad. I feel pretty good, actually." Cassie wobbled as she eased onto her own hindpaws, the whole time staring at Tesem. "That guy helped me out. I wasn't watching where I was going and almost got run over, but..."

"You went into town? Baby girl, what did I say about that? It's not safe."

"I wanted to finally explore. We moved to a new planet and you want me to stay cooped up the whole time, again." Cassie tested her legs with slow steps then walked over to Sem and hesitantly reached to meet his paw with hers. "Fuck me--it does work."

"You can touch him? How?"

"Me." Tesem shook and trembled through the touch, fighting back his share of the pain involved. "I've been carrying some of her burden for her, and thankfully it's a little easier now that she's back in control."

"Daddy, I'm fine. I just need some rest." Cassie checked her soiled shirt and sighed. "Okay, maybe a bath is actually in order."

"Cher, could-"

"No, I can do it... with him, though. I want to know how it feels like this." Cassie's face flushed blue as she realized how that sounded. "I mean, I'll take a bath with him nearby, not with me! Oh, Paths..."

Arty walked over to his child and reached out to cup her chin, tears welling in his eyes as he managed to hold her without causing her pain. "Sweetie, you could screw this guy senseless for all I care. If he's actually helping you, he's welcome to help you however you deem fit." He moved to plant a firm grip upon Tesem's shoulder. "Thank you, Tesem. Finally there might be some hope to be had."

"It's that bad? You didn't have any solutions?" Sem gripped Cassie's paw and winced as he took perhaps too much of her hypersensitivity for his own. "What's the cause? Something genetic?"

"It's a condition you see with extreme old age or some odd cases of sepsis--neurochemical transmission inhibition." A very basic android stripped of all simulated skin and missing an arm casually strolled into the living room. "There's no reason I can find for her to exhibit this condition, but sadly it's currently permanent. Essentially, we have no cure for nerve damage. We can't even regrow her nerves with nanites."

"Ashe, are you sure that body is safe?"

"I was about to scrap it, but then I overheard our guests." The transient cyborg frowned as she tried to shake Sem's paw but was missing the required appendage. "Is there anything I can help with, or can I scrap this frame and continue my research?"

Sem offered the opposing paw and nodded into the pawshake. "You said it was something with nerves? What, exactly?"

"Most nerves are similar to analog sensors, outputting varying levels of charge to the brain. Poor Cassandra here essentially only fires off in digital binary. The signal is either very low or very high, calm or pained." Ashe emoted a frustrated sigh. "I've tried everything I remember of neurochemistry. Hopefully there's not a part of my professional memory that was corrupted when I became like this. I'd hate to have a solution locked up in me somewhere."

"Ashe was married to a neurosurgeon, and she's probably smarter than most computer systems." Arty walked over to a long sofa and eased into it. "If she can't figure it out and Cher can't compute something, it likely isn't solvable. Even still... I have new hope now, Tesem."

"Because I can distract her mind? That's not a solution though. We'd want to-" Sem froze as he dug a little deeper into Cassie's mind, her control and calmness granting him surprising depth to his search. "Cassie, can you manipulate machines, remotely?"

"Yeah, just like my dad. It's more screwing around with electricity."

Arty gave a quick salute, an arc of lightning forming between his brow and fingertips. "Part magic, part nanites. If not for that, I don't think she'd be able to do anything herself. Thankfully she takes after me in that regard."

"Show me the bath. I have an idea."

"Well that sounds risqué." Ashe giggled at the idea, then saw the serious expressions on Sem's and Arty's faces and quirked her head. "You're serious? What are you thinking?"

"I think my tactics so far are backwards. We don't want to shield Cassie's mind; we want to give her control over her nerves." Tesem held up Cassie's paw and proposed a question. "Just a hunch, but you feel more relaxed in the bath?"

"Yeah..."

"That's all I'm looking for. If we can get you relaxed, we might have a chance at a solution." Sem examined his surroundings through various viewpoints, but still looked helplessly lost with his head turning everywhere. "Take me to the bath. I can't see on my own."

"Okay, but..."

"Hm?"

Cassie tugged the otter down the hall, giving them a bit of privacy for a somewhat embarrassing question. "Um, wh-what's your name?"

"...Oh. I never did introduce myself, did I?" The otter followed closely, waiting until they reached their destination and the pain in his hindpaws died down to then give an answer. "I'm Tesem Rihzyet. Call me Sem."

"Tesem... Artyom Rihzyet, as in the future king?"

"Pharaoh, actually. I am the one and the same, however much I despise the fame." Sem nudged through a door into a tiled room, only that room had a large sliding glass door on the far side leading to an outdoor hot spring. "Holy crap. And I thought my bath at the palace was unique. Yours is outside? With this weather?"

"It's not so bad when you've got thick otter fur." Cassie held up her paw to reveal the dense webbing between her fingers, her heritage making a bit more sense. She then tugged with that paw, a ceaseless smile on her face as she led Sem to that sliding door. "You don't know how good it feels to tug you around."

"No, but I do know how bad it used to feel for you." Sem broke contact once they hit the cold outdoor air, the additional sensation forcing him onto his paws and knees. "I'm fine. Just do your thing and relax. I'll... Spirits... I'll hide in the wash room over there."

"You look like you could use a break too. Sorry for... putting you through this..." Cassie tossed her shirt onto the ground, then kicked off her pants in Sem's direction. "The sooner I relax the sooner you can too, right? Just... um, enjoy the show? You deserve any eye candy you can get."

"What? No, you don't understand. I can't-" Tesem froze as Horus flew above, giving his host a fair view of Cassie in naught but her boyshorts. "...Well, tits."

"You can't tits so well?" Cassie tested the water with a toe, practically crumpling into the pool in pleasure at the soothing heat. "It doesn't sting! Spirits Divine!"

"Oh... Wow, I can feel that too."

"Why not join me? It feels better than normal."

"Join you...?" Sem crawled over to the water and set his hindpaws inside. "I'm not sure if my wife would approve, Cassie."

"Your wife? You're married at your age?" Cassie melted into the water, looking up into the foggy eyes of her savior from the edge of the water. "Wow, you aren't kidding. Blind and married. Got it."

"I can actually see if I use some really special glasses with a bunch of holes in them, but they don't work well unless I have a lot of light. Normally I just see through others with a little mind trick. Hence..."

"Oh. You can't see me, then?" Cassie glanced down at her tits and Sem practically had a nosebleed. "No shit. Well in that case, you should definitely hop in with me. You can't peep, can you?"

Sem pointed upward at the flaming trail behind Horus. "Not quite true. That isn't the best view admittedly, even with Horus's magnified sight."

"I don't mind. I'm just trying to repay you for being so nice to me." Cassie rolled her eyes at the resistance, reached upward, and pulled Tesem into the water. "There. Just... relax for a bit so we can figure this out."

"...Fuck!" Sem surfaced beside the mostly nude girl and panicked when he found his paws anchored on an arm and groping a breast. "S-Sorry! Crap!"

"Just calm down. It's fine. Relax, right?"

"Yeah... Okay, sure." Sem reeled back his paws and sank into the shallow pool of steaming water, going limp at the unique feeling against the opposing frigid air. "You're right. This does feel good." The otter leaned his head back and took a moment to clear the frustrations of his day from his mind, then tensed again upon feeling a paw groping his inner thigh. "Cassie?"

"S-Sorry! I know you're married, but I was just... I've never been able to..."

Sem joined the firefox in sinking mostly below the water out of embarrassment, poking his head up to break the resulting silence. "You've never been close to anyone before, I take it?"

"N-No, I haven't."

"Cassie, I've let my desires get the best of me before and it didn't end well for my wife. I'm not about to make that mistake again." Tesem gave a little ground for Cassie and shimmied out of his pants, keeping his boxers in place. "I feel like we share something, and I don't want to spoil it. Maybe... in the future, when I know you're acting on your own and not with me in your head things might be different, but for now?"

"You want to keep things friendly. That's still more than I've had before. Sorry for... jumping the gun there..." Cassandra put a bit of distance between herself and Tesem, then loosened every muscle in her body. "Forget that. Why don't you show me this idea of yours?"

"About that... It's not an easy concept to explain when I think about it. I've been trying to dumb it down in my head, but I've been a bit distracted."

"I don't mind too much if I get to feel like this in the meantime, honestly."

"While I'm sure you feel a lot of relief, I'm amazed all the same. I'm not even taking a third of the sensation load from you and I'm a hair away from crying like a whelp." Sem focused on the tingling of the heat against his pores and tested his theory on himself while he explained it. "My idea to help combat that is to reduce the electricity your nerves send between themselves, fixing the problem at the source. Think of it like adding a resistor to a power line, if that makes any sense."

"Are you kidding? With dad and Ashe about all I ever hear over dinner is electronics and spiritual mumbo-jumbo. If I can't live as a nun at least I know I can fake it 'till I make it as an electrical engineer." Cassie noticed her new friend had almost passed out and gave him a nudge. "You alright?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just trying it myself. It's... not easy." Sem reached over and softly pinched two fingers over a patch of Cassie's arm fur and gave it a mild tug. "Focus on that, on the base of the hairs. See if you can't bring that alone to mind."

Cassie winced as Sem slowly gave back the whole of her senses. "That's not h-hard."

"Sorry. Too much? I can take some of it away again."

"No, I need to d-do this mys-self eventually." The firefox shook and trembled as she brought the pain in the specific area to the forefront. "Now I feel like I'm on fire. Please c-continue."

"Bear with me. Now imagine each of the hairs being a shock of power--no, a bolt of lightning, like your dad made."

"I can make actual lightning if you want."

"This is mental. Just imagine it." Sem cuffed half a laugh when the hairs stood on end, the firefox actually charging her fur with static. "Good, I guess. I can sense that tingling myself."

"Y-Yeah, it's like knives under my skin." Cassie could barely keep her arm out of the water, the appendate wobbling uncontrollably. "What's next?"

"You know how it feels when you short a circuit to ground? With your mind or nanites or however you do it, not your paws. Just imagine it happening to each of those hairs."

At first the arm fell into the water as if Cassie ran out of strength, but instead of disappointment she was flooded with tears of relief. "I don't feel a thing! Holy shit, it works!"

"A little too well, it seems." Tesem lifted the arm in question and let it go, the limb flopping into the water completely dead and numb. "It's a good start though. With some practice you might be able to curb the pain and not turn into a dead fish."

"I don't care. With this alone... Abyss, I might even be able to sleep in a normal bed!"

"Okay, I'm curious now. How exactly do you sleep? This bed of yours sounds like a torture device."

"It looks like one, I'll give you that." Cassie nearly slipped below the water as she numbed more of her upper body, if not for Sem's quick reaction speed in propping her up. "Thanks. Maybe the torture bed is still in my future."

"I'll help you find something that works, even if I need to stay with you for a little while."

"Yeah, that sounds better than sleeping standing up."

"That's how you sleep?"

"My dad made me a moving bed. It starts out standing up and gradually shifts to horizontal with every deep sleep cycle." Sem noticed his new friend staring into the distance blankly and bumped shoulders until she snapped out of it. "I don't much like waking up in that thing. Sorry."

"Then wake up next to me. I'll keep the pain down until you figure this out." Sem turned his head away, unsure if he was blushing when those words hit his ears. "I mean, I'll sleep on the floor or something. I didn't mean..."

"Sem, are you sure? I'm getting mixed signals here." The firefox reached over with her good paw and pulled one of Sem's over to her shorts. "Are you sure... I can't thank you?"

Sem cringed at first, then found himself oddly fixed on a rather large protrusion in those shorts. He eventually backed his paw away, but shared Cassie's desperation through their neural link. "Is that what's worrying you? You're...?"

"My dad's the same way..." All paws moved away from the point of note, but Cassandra perked up when Tesem gave her a hug. "You don't think I'm weird?"

"If you saw the shit I've been through, you'd understand me here. So you're a bit different. You're still a nice girl. Or guy? Is that why you're fine stripping around me?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I definitely wanted you to see my tits." Cassie rested her head on Sem's shoulder and relaxed, the otter once again taking some of her pain for her. "I've got bits of both, but I just want to find a matching set. Wait, that sounds bad."

"You want to find love. I can get that much. I get that more than you'd think for a married man." Sem drooped the side of his head against Cassie's own, rubbing his ear against hers. "I'll try to help there too, if I can. I'm just not crossing the line you're balanced on. Sorry, Spaz."

"I'm not a spaz, no-eyes."

"Oh, yeah. Not a good time for a nickname, huh?"

Cassie lifted her head and stared at the otter. "That's your idea of a nickname? What the hell do you call your wife? Dufus?"

Tesem shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Sugartits, actually. Everyone gets one."

"...Oh, we're not leaving this bath until I hear this whole list."

Ganzfeld Estate

Luxor, Neo Egypt

11:12, 8/1/3, 24 XP

---

"Arty?" Cherenkov slipped behind her long-standing friend's chair and bent over him. "I'm getting a bit tired. Are you going to want... well, you know?"

Artemis reached up and rubbed her cheek. "Nah, I'll be fine. Rest up and save the fun for later, hon."

Flux set down a cup of steaming tea she was chugging like water. "We're cock blocking the poor guy. Maybe we should find Sem and get out of their hair."

"No, it's not sex actually. Cher has a few conditions she has to-" A faint fizzle caught the panthott's attention, immediately sending him reaching for his weapon. "Cher, get everyone out the back. You know the plan. Decoys are ready to fire."

"What the hell is going on?" Flux instinctively tensed upon feeling a loud explosion more than hearing it. She reached for a weapon that didn't exist, then cursed under her breath and grabbed an iron poker from the fireplace. "How can I help?"

"Protect my daughter and get out my fur."

"No deal. My duty is to keep Sem safe." Flux ran behind Arty as he climbed the stairs, heading to his sniping perch. "I'm holding the line with you. Put me where you need me."

"Edge of the stairs then. If she makes it inside I'm shit with a knife."

Erin poked her head over the last step. ""It's a woman?"

"A particularly insane one that's been tracking me for years. Hell, she has fun terrorizing me." Arty pulled out his carbine and extended the stock, his training getting him ready to fire in seconds. "If you're ready to die, you can at least take the opposite windows. Matilda and I can only move so fast. The sound came from..."

"Arty! Is this you trying to char my fur?"

"Wait, what?" Artemis shoved the window open and poked his head out, waving to the vixen treading directly through a minefield. "Nadi? What are you doing here? Stop walking before you kill yourself!"

"Stop mining your yard, then!" Nadiya picked up a rock and tossed it to her side, triggering yet another claymore patch. "I'll keep going all day!"

"Fine! Just... I'll get the door! Just stop giving away my position!" Arty groaned as he holstered Matilda. "False alarm, I think. Nadi and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye with the whole hiding in a bunker thing."

"The door, Arty!"

The panthott drooped his head as he stepped down the stairs. "One sec!" He flipped each of the locks and then hesitated a moment before swinging open the solid wood door. "Good to see you again, Nadi."

"Yeah, I'm sure. That's why you run off without a word whenever you see me." Nadiya nudged her way through the door and fell into a sofa seat. "Where is Tesem?"

"No, I need to know how you found me first. If my daughter is at risk-"

"Yiffy said Horus was hovering in the area. Cool your jets." The pet in question poked his head out from Nadi's cleavage, answering the question of how she navigated so well with her own poor eyesight. "Tesem, Arty. I don't have time to lecture you today."

"He's in the back with Cassie. Something about your boy is helping my baby girl with her problem." Artemis sat on the sofa, as far as possible from his old friend. "It's sort of ironic, isn't it? All that running from you and one of your twins is the solution I've been seeking."

"R-Really?" Nadiya turned to face the hallway, noting the voices of the two kids after the commotion she caused. "They're getting along? I mean..."

"You raised that boy right. He dedicated himself to Cassie where I was too afraid to act." Arty slumped into his seat, disappointment washing over him. "That kid has a lot of heart. It's hard to think his flaky twin brother isn't-"

Noticing several sets of eyes darting about in confusion, Nadi stood and immediately sat beside her friend. "Arty... we need to talk."

"Nadi, I didn't run from you. I wasn't afraid of anything romantic, nor of the sex. I was trying to protect you."

"Artemis, shut up and listen." Nadi set Yiff aside, mostly keeping her paws busy through fidgeting with his fur. "Arty... I don't know what's gotten into you. I can't imagine how you feel. But... I was there for you when you were suffering, a lot like my son. In fact, that's the most ironic part."

"What are you saying? I already said I don't hold the sex against-"

"Well I do! Arty, you... We had each other back then. I'm happy you found yourself again, I am. But when you left me alone after that, you didn't actually leave me alone." Nadi rested against Arty's shoulder and neck. "Damnit. I turned you into your father..."

"Nadi... what are you saying?"

"You can't be that dense. Arty... just promise me you won't spring this on anyone else?"

"Yeah. Of course, Nadi. I like to think we're close, however far I run."

"Focus, idiot." Nadiya closed her eyes and listened to a heartbeat she hadn't heard in years. "Artemis, Tesem is your son. I thought I should hide it from you since you were losing yourself, but... I see I'm turning you into your own father and I hate myself for it."

"My father is a good man, and sullying his name with a farce like-" Arty felt a pair of paws squeezed his tightly with a whimper. "You're... serious? How? You and Qesis had twins."

"No, not twins. They're a few months apart." Nadiya raised her head to the peeping girls by the stairs and shot them an acquired regal stare. "Even Tesem doesn't know. I'd like to keep it that way, at least until a few other things blow over. And definitely don't leak this to the public, please."

Erin nodded and hid behind the banister. "Y-Yeah."

"What are we hiding?" Cassandra slowly led her brother into the room, taking note of the crowd. "What's going on? I thought dad screwed up some mines again."

Nadi sat upright, placing Yiff between her and Arty. "That would be my fault."

"Mom?" Sem moved forward a few paces, the mother and son mentally wrestling for access to various viewpoints. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you wearing, Tesem?" From several sets of eyes the mother was left blinking at the military BDU outfit in alpine camo, complete with netting. "Are those even your clothes? Crap, your grandpa is going to kill me. He desperately wanted to talk to you."

"Oh... Fuck, I forgot about that." Tesem groaned as he felt his rough, baggy uniform. "I don't suppose you have a suit that fits me in some hidden closet?"

"I think it might be a little late for that." Ashe walked in from a back room, now missing even more components, and turned on a large screen on the wall. "I think you'll want to see this, Sem."

"I've got it... on my..." Sem activated his Sense and froze at the sight of Siamun on national broadcast. "He refuses to go on TV. What's the occasion?"

"He wouldn't tell me. Just... shush, Tesem."

"...this grand occasion. In honor of those in service to the greater progress of our people, this new holiday remembers their effort with a day of well deserved rest."

Erin moved closer to the screen and took a nearby seat. "Sounds pretty tame."

"Yeah. Grandpa doesn't come out for this sort of thing."

"But our great people are not alone in this endeavor. We've striven to build a lasting peace with our close friends, the Vaiinu and the Gnomes. Our friendship is built upon several layers of trust and many more shared values. Perhaps the grandest of them all is the freedom of our people and their just rulership."

"What's his point? Everyone knows this stuff." Arty sat forward, Yiff perching on his legs for a better view. "Did something happen today I missed?"

"It is for this reason that I have chosen to resign my position as your leader."

Nadi squeezed Arty's arm. "Oh, shit."

"I know many of you have spoken of democracy. Some have mentioned forming a republic. Founder's Day is not the time for such a radical shift in structure. The great Horus watches over us all, and with his return comes a deserved change."

"I'm not liking where this is going." Sem reached for the arm of the couch and slid onto it once he found it. "What the Abyss is he thinking?"

"Today, I announce my successor, not as a representative serving the gods, but as a king serving his people."

The otter sank when he caught on. "Oh, shit."

"As of this moment, on the first Founder's Day, my grandson Tesem Rihzyet will hold this prestigious position. This promising young man rescued our great god from the Field of Reeds, putting his own life on the line for his people, with no other reward than order and hope. May his reign beside his queen guide our people to the stars and beyond, that we too may become like the gods we praise." Siamun took a golden rod and placed it on his podium, saying a prayer just out of range of the microphones. "With this act, I resign as the final Pharaoh. Long live the King. Long live our people."

Almost in unison and for varied tones and purposes, the whole room collectively spat, "Fuck me..."