Learning to Swim - Part XXXIII

Story by OttersGonnaOtt on SoFurry

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#33 of Entropy Series

The gang makes a surprising discovery while Ellie and Ashe work out some kinks.

It's been a while since my last entry in the series. I fully blame myself, though a lot of personal issues and even a bit of therapy were involved. That said, I'm finally at a stable point mentally where I can work creatively and feel awesome about it. The Entropy series will be stronger now and hopefully my work will improve more from here onward. It's also worth noting that I'm unemployed now, so until I get a new job there'll be more writing time. :3

This chapter is a tad long, but it covers a lot of the strengthening itches I've wanted to scratch for a while now. I bit the bullet and accelerated some story elements, and I've also clarified a few things between characters that (having had time to let it bake in my head) on their own would have been hard to understand as a reader without additional, bloating context. What that means to you, the reader, is that the overall story will move a bit faster towards the end of book one and hopefully it'll make more sense along the way.

I have to make a point though, as various users have unintentionally done something for me these last few months. Thanks to the many of you that have voiced concerns over the story. Without your persistence and dedication, not only would my writing have likely slowed to a full stop but I would have been a worse person by now as well. I love you guys to death.

As always, this story contains adult content and explicit sexual imagery. If you aren't allowed or don't wish to view such material, please stop reading immediately. To all the rest, enjoy! Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged.

Edit: Fixed the scene change break, guys. I'm still working out formatting issues with my text editor, haha.


A knock came from Ilaria's bedroom door followed by Elliot's energetic, feminine voice. "Sorry to bother you girls. Is Ashe in there? She isn't in the basement or the kitchen..."

"Yeah, she's in here." Robyn gave her favorite otter a kiss before giggling out her explanation. "She spent the night. Ari's idea."

"Oh, alright..." Ellie opened the door and poked his head through, then immediately reversed his actions when he received a face-full of exposed, knot-joined groin. "Shit, sorry! I didn't think...!"

Robyn giggled again as Ilaria grunted in disapproval. "Pillow, really? I know you're proud you can take it all and whatever but that's--"

"Oh, shush. He's an adult. Besides, not like I can do much about it anyway."

Ellie reopened the door suddenly with a concerned fervor painted about his expression. "Wait a minute! Why the hell are you two doing that next to Ashe, anyway?!"

"Hormones, maybe? My heat was sort of--"

Ari cut off the squirrel and politely pulled the sheets to cover them both. "She's insatiable and apparently Ashe gave the go-ahead. Not that it isn't a little creepy doing this in front of my new little sister to boot."

Ellie finally slipped into the room proper and kept his eyes averted from either of the ladies' own, instead scouring the floor for his girlfriend. "Well if she's okay with it then I guess I am too. Just no fooling around behind my back or anything. I don't like any secrets."

"No secrets. Got it." Robyn bopped Ari's face playfully as her head was blanketed by her lover. "We can keep things civil."

The fair furred otter finally found his quarry beneath a rumpled pile of pillows and fluffy comforter. "~Right.~ Just don't traumatize my cute wolfy when I'm not here, girls." Ellie took a few cheap shopping bags he was carrying and placed them on a nightstand. He then slowly crumpled down behind his curled-up love, repositioned her tail through the covers, and pulled himself close to her back to whisper tenderly into her ear. "You awake? Have a fun night, hon?"

Ashe curled upon herself tighter and groaned in seeming annoyance. "Not now... Leave me alone..."

"Oh... Don't be that way, sleepyhead." Ellie pulled up his end of the covers and slipped beneath them. When he found his paws gliding over naught but flesh and fur however, he loosened his embrace and turned back to the others. "Uh, why's Ashe naked? And please, tell me the truth girls. I can handle it."

The two lovers rolled about, struggling until Ari peeped barely over the side of the bed. "It's nothing like that, hon. Dee and my lil' bro helped Ashe with a little present for you. You'll see." Robyn struggled her own head into view with a giggle and gave Ari a kiss on the jaw. "I made sure nothing else went down though. It's why she slept here, actually."

Ceasing a trail of kisses leading down Ilaria's neck, Robyn looked back to the two on the carpet. "Like a proper lady."

"Well... thanks, I guess." Ellie snuggled up closer to his wolf and spooned her closely. "C'mon, hon. Time to get up and have some fun."

Ashe's arm suddenly rose up and swatted away Elliot's rousing effort. "Just go away, asshole."

"What?" Ellie tried again, this time rolling Ashe onto her back so he could look her in the eyes. "Ashe, what's wrong with you? It's that stuff, isn't it? It's screwing with you, right?"

"What the fuck do you care? I'm not up for fooling around so just get lost, will ya'?"

"Ashe, I thought we were closer than that..." Ellie loosened his grip on the girl, his chest suddenly feeling empty. "I love you..."

A perplexed expression quickly flushed across the Arctic wolf's face. "Wait, do I know you? Who are you?" She rolled her arms around in the comforter engulfing her and added, "And where the hell am I? And... am I nude?"

Elliot slowly placed a paw under Ashe's muzzle but after a moment decided to cancel his intended kiss. "It's Elliot, beautiful. You were sleeping in Ari's room and--"

"Elliot...?" The tension relaxed from Ashe's face as the blanks filled themselves in one by one. Then her right arm swept up and her paw slapped hard against Ellie's neck. "You imbecile! You fucking scared the living shit out of me!"

"B-But... what'd I...?" The otter took the offending paw and clenched it between his own. "I was just trying to--"

"Elliot..." Ashe sighed as she relaxed herself and stared blankly upward to the ceiling. "First rule of the blind. Announce yourself unless you want to get a slap to the... wherever I hit. That was softer than your head. And... sorry about that."

"But I thought you knew my voice."

"And you must also think I can hear a butterfly flap its wings down the street next to heavy construction. I might have better hearing than most furs, but voices still really sound alike." Ashe propped herself up for a moment and then fell flat again, covering her chest upon hearing giggles from above. "Sorry. You didn't know, so I can't really blame you. Now will everyone else in the room please announce yourselves?"

Ilaria pulled Robyn back so they couldn't spy on the girl directly and then gave the roll call. "Just your sister and Robyn, hon. You're in my room, remember?"

"Oh, right... ~Oh.~" Ashe reached down beneath the comforter and probed for her newly-resurfaced patch of fur between her thighs. "So it really happened..."

"Hmm? You have a bad dream or something, sweetie?"

Ashe pulled herself out of the mental hole she was digging and looked in the general vicinity of Elliot's face. "No, I just... Well, it's difficult to tell what's real and what isn't when you're on the drugs I've used before. Usually when your head clears the better something seemed, the lower the probability it actually happened."

"Ashe... Wow. That's sort of the best and the worst thing I've heard in a while." Ellie brushed a thumb across Ashe's cheek then pulled back slowly to reach into one of his bags. He then pulled out a small box and guided her paws around it. "Here. I got you a few things that might cheer you up."

Ashe probed the plastic-wrapped cardboard, eventually digging a claw into a bunch of wrinkles to tear the wrapping free. Soon she managed to discard all of the superfluous components and got ahold of the prize in the box, the item's peculiar shape and weight leaving a perplexed look across her face. "What exactly is this thing?"

Elliot gave a bit of assistance by cracking open the plastic case in the wolf's paws and allowing her access to the contents of the elliptical clamshell. "It's a case, beautiful. I thought it might be easier to keep track of your little cigarette thing if you had somewhere to place it. Apparently it works as a charger too, so there's that as well."

"Oh. Electronic cigarettes. I didn't expect that, not so soon." Ashe played with the contents a few seconds before giving up and closing the case. "Can you show me how it works later? I'm not good with tiny, technical things."

"Sure, hon. I'm not sure how it works either; didn't even open mine yet." Ellie reached back into his goody-bag and yanked out yet another small clamshell. "Okay, this one might take some explaining by your sister here--contraception pills for a month. Oh, and I have a morning-after pill as well. Better to be sure, ya' know?"

Perhaps a bit too pryingly, Robyn fought her way back to the side of the bed and snatched up the new container. "Ooh, same ones I use. Slice o' fried gold on the hormones." She wrestled her way back to the nightstand on her side and yanked something out the drawer. "Use two of the reds and a pink from mine instead of that horse pill though. Same effect but none of the emotional baggage."

"Oh, I can't honey. You don't need to get into any of this. Besides, you'll need those yourself at some point."

"No, I insist." Robyn tossed both of the matching containers back to Ellie. "I'd be happy to help her learn how to use those. And don't you concern yourself with my health because... Well, I stopped taking these for a scootch. Figured I didn't really need them since my Ottah's got a snowball's chance in hell an' all. No offense, sweetie."

"None taken, Pillowtail," Ilaria warmly ribbed in return.

"Well if you insist, I guess it's fine. Just be sure to show her what's what, please." Elliot suddenly perked up with a slight smile and reached into another bag. A mechanical series of clacks sounded within the plastic and then he produced some sort of clear sticker, immediately placing it upon Ashe's forehead with a chuckle. "Almost forgot about this one. I got you something that should help with sorting your stuff, Ashe."

The wolf girl pawed at her forehead until she found the sticker, her fingers rubbing against it inquisitively. "Is this... Huh, series of sixes... You got me braille tags?"

"It's a label printer, with braille keys too so you can use it yourself. Nifty, huh?"

"Well yeah, except that I can't read braille. Lesson number two about the blind I guess; we don't all use the same standard workarounds." Ashe slid her pointer finger slowly across each letter and came to a count of nine before removing the silly thing from her fur. "So what's this one say?"

"Only the most appropriate description for you. Beautiful." Ellie pulled the surprisingly-compact device out and placed it in Ashe's lap. "You may not be able to read that, but we can figure it out. I'll even learn it with you. It's still useful to you, so it's useful to me too."

"Sure. That could be fun, even if I'm probably going to be teaching you after a few days. I'm a fast study."

"Yeah, a ~genius~. Have mercy for us normal furs, hee hee." Elliot rummaged through his purse at the thought and produced a set of sterile medical syringes and phials still in their packaging. "Reminds me. I wanted to make sure you were still handling things normally after that first dose of oxydium yesterday. How are you with needles, sweetie?"

"Not too good. Seems every time I've been stuck they always sneak it in instead of warning me. Just because I can't see it coming doesn't mean I won't flinch and hurt myself more." Ashe shook her head a bit with a soft sigh and relented with a smile. "I'll be fine with you handling it though. Blood test, correct?"

"Yup. Figure three tubes should be more than enough."

"Three? Ouch." Ashe huffed again at the thought and then perked her ears up to listen for something. "Hey, where's India? Was she locked out of the room all night?"

The two lovers above tried to spot the pup until Elliot answered the question for them. "She's sleeping at the bottom of the stairs."

"Really? Damn..." Ashe took all of her little gifts and strategically placed them between her and the nightstand one by one, a bothered look draining a bit of life from her. "Could you... If you got some of her blood, is it possible to spot anything that might be wrong with her, Elliot? Or would you need to show it to a veterinarian?"

"Don't tell me that cutie-poochie is sick..." Robyn rolled to look over the edge of the bed again and yipped when Ilaria's knot audibly popped free with the motion. "Ooh! Finally, ha ha."

"Well she's been acting a bit off the last few days. It might simply be that we've changed up her routine."

Ellie groaned with Ashe at the possibilities running through both their heads. "The blood screener should find anything abnormal. We all share the same basic functions, after all. It's worth a shot if you're concerned."

Ashe forced a smile and offered her left arm to the otter. "Well you might as well start with me. Indy's never been poked before though so wait for me to comfort her."

"Sure thing, beautiful." Ellie started ripping open the sterile packets, starting with alcohol pads to prep the small of Ashe's elbow. "Now I'm glad I brought more than I needed. Oh, this'll be a bit cold for a few seconds."

"There's my fast learner. The key's just warning me, Elliot." Ashe smiled and gave a bit of an uncharacteristic giggle as the pad touched her arm. "That actually feels nice. It tickles a bit."

Elliot chuckled as he rubbed lightly in tiny circles. "Please don't say those sorts of things when you're not wearing any clothes. I'm afraid we'll never make any progress, heeeee..."

The two below quickly and quietly went through the remainder of the blood drawing process with but a few whispers and a small quotient of time. As they did so Ilaria took the time to shimmy out of bed and hit the bathroom, leaving Robyn to spy on the others from above. She noticed a pair of frilly panties in the corner barely a foot from the crack in Iolvin's door and couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the ensuing mental image of what he and Adrian were up to during the night. Eventually she finished her business, hit the plunger handle on the toilet, and made her way back to bed. Ari expected to find things more or less the same way as she left them upon returning, but something she couldn't place was different. Perhaps Elliot had moved something to make some working space.

"You best be headed back to bed, Ottah. I'm not ready to wake up and I need warm snuggles."

Ari did just as her lover requested, promptly hopping back under the tangled sheets and pinning the squirrel's tail between them. "Hey, I can't pass up an offer like that. Warm, fluffy, sticky, sexy squirrel makes the best body pillow. We do need to get ready for work soon though, honey."

"Mmm... We can't call in sick? I want to stay like this all morning."

"No, we took yesterday off. I mean, ~you~ could maybe but Dee and I are already too far behind on our testing." Ari sighed and hugged Robyn tighter before shifting onto her back to stare at the ceiling. "Trust me, I hate having to get up as much as you do."

Robyn giggled apparently out of the blue and curled her tail in this certain way she only did when she was getting a bit frisky. "Well your muzzle says one thing and your body another, yeah? Eep... Would help if your fake foot wasn't so cold though."

"Cold? What?" Ilaria shot her eyes back to Robyn and quickly scanned her backside, freezing stiff when she found what she was describing. "Uh, Pillow... Don't freak out, but that's not me."

"Hmm?" Robyn slowly righted herself so she wasn't hanging off the side of the bed, finding there was indeed a false limb caressing her leg. However instead of Ilaria's prosthetic the object in question was actually the mechanical frame that was propped in the corner, only now it was fleshed out with a large quantity of translucent nanite gel around the skeleton. "Oh. I take it you're done with the upgrade, Sprite?"

The sudden arrival of Sprite in her fairy form from behind the headboard though sent Ilaria into a panic. "W-Whoa! Wait, Sprite's over here! The fuck is that thing!?"

"Bloody--!"

Elliot poked his head up once the shouting started and he hurried to safely remove the needle from Ashe in preparation for the worst. "What's wrong, girls?"

Ilaria's tablet unlocked itself and lit up clearly in its charging stand. <Mistress, we apologize for frightening you. We only answered Mistress's call. How might we mend the situation?>

Ari grabbed the tablet and started calming down, only to tense up again when the framework started exploring her own legs. "Okay, start by explaining ~this thing~ before I grab my gun!"

<We have activated our other body, but our sisters have requested to stand alone.> Sprite fluttered over to the skeleton and touched it, calming the android. <This one also requests experience we are incapable of dispensing. Is this not to Mistress's liking? We can cease our sisters' functioning if Mistress so desires.>

"They want to...?" Ari sat up and scooted back against the headboard, just in time to avoid the curious paws of the strange automaton. "Wait, 'this one'? So it's--" The otter corrected her words as the android stood upright, revealing quite the feminine silhouette. "--she's not a part of you anymore? How's that even work?"

<This one retains this one's autonomy, Mistress. However this one and ourselves must remain linked for full functionality. Even though we do not control our sisters, we do seem to be experiencing a successful experiment in data pairing.>

Ilaria smiled at the pixie and didn't know why until she realized that Sprite actually held a hint of happiness in her body language. "Well I'm glad you're satisfied. We need to give your sister a name though; 'this one' isn't exactly catchy."

Elliot loosened up and went back to his work. "Maybe she already has a name. Sprite's capable of giving her one, right?"

"I'd assume so." Robyn sat up herself, bringing the sheets with her. "Do you have a name, hon? If you don't we can bluff one up for you."

The android quirked her head, as if she understood the words but not their meaning. Soon she emulated the other girls and crawled onto the end of the bed to sit. At this point it became quite apparent from the mass of nanites pointed towards the girls that the android wasn't fully female. Rather, she ~was~ but also had the whole male package down below. Looking further into the build of the girl however brought about a revelation. She had decided to take on the forms of her 'masters'.

The whole of the android's build resembled Ilaria the most, being almost as tall and definitely as lean as such an otter should be. However there was a clear bulk in muscle mass, or the outward appearance of such since there wasn't any actual muscle to speak of inside her gelled flesh. That combined with the additional appendage between her legs showed the android's traits taken from Iolvin. As for Adrian's contributions, they appeared more subtle. There was a 'fluffy' look to the otherwise smooth surface of the android, where faux tufts of fur were sculpted in her flesh to emulate Dee's softer fur. The largest element of Dee in the girl had to be the tail however, being absolutely fluffy like the mink in his blood had gifted him.

Ilaria caught herself staring, her eyes lingering too long on the girl's crotch and her so-far unexplainable full chest. "Well she's not saying anything so I guess that's a 'no'. We should figure one out I guess."

"Well I've always fancied the name 'Michelle' myself." Robyn turned to Ari looking like a girl that just got a new puppy. "Can we call her that?"

Ilaria sighed and shook her head. "She's obviously curious and smart. We should just propose a few names until she responds to one. She'll let us know what she likes."

"Personally I think something befitting that glow of hers would be best. It's so unique." Elliot was referring to perhaps the strangest part of the girl's appearance. She remained nearly clear, a haze of ultraviolet kissing the surface of her skin. However she also refracted light through herself like any lens might, giving her skin a rainbow effect at hard angles. "'Rainbow' sounds a bit too cheesy. Anything, girls?"

When the android didn't respond to the name, Ilaria pondered similar phrases. "Well we could go with something like 'chromatic' or 'brilliant' but those don't really sound like names. Oh, and what's that word Yoyo uses for the haze in his photos?... 'prismatic'?"

The android perked up at the last suggestion, mouthing something but having trouble actually projecting speech. "P... Pr... Pris... ma..." She ducked her head in defeat and mumbled another attempt. "Prisma..."

"Prisma. I like that." Ilaria chuckled lightly and went to rub the girl's back, hesitating a moment before discovering her skin was about the same strength as flesh. "It's okay, Prisma. We all have to learn to speak sometime."

"I still liked my name," Robyn grumbled out," but I guess Prisma fits her too."

Ellie put his materials back in his bag and stood up, making sure to give Ashe a kiss on the snout before he left. "Well I think it's great. Now if you'll excuse me, ladies, I've got a puppy to find." He paused as he passed by the newcomer and gleefully added, "Nice to meet you, Prisma. Now do yourself a favor around these two and find something to wear before they explore you further, hee heeee."

Robyn huffed in playful anger at that. "Oi! No fair, lesbo!"

"Well ~ha ha~." Ari politely waited until Ellie had left the room before throwing off the covers and standing tall. "She's right though. We need to clean up for work." She went over to Ashe and knelt next to her. "I can clean you up from last night's mess first so you can help with Indy. Alright, sis?"

"Yes, but..." Ashe found her new gifts and separated the pills from the rest. "Don't I need to take these first?"

"There's a pretty good grace period, hon. You'll be fine."

Robyn slid to the end of the bed to look down at the others. "I'll get to know Prisma better if you want to help her first. Don't worry about us." She looked back at the android and purposefully stared at her third leg. "Besides, it's like there's a part of you staying behind anyway. A ~large~ part."

Prisma mulled over a single word as she processed where Robyn was looking. "P... Pe... nis..."

Ilaria chuckled as she helped Ashe to her feet. "Looks like she learns fast. Just please, seriously..."

"I'm not ~that~ much of a hussy." Robyn stood and reached over for a towel near the bathroom before sitting back down over it, using the towel to help with the aftermath leaking from her sex. "Besides, she's too innocent for my tastes. We'll just gossip about you."

"Yeah, yeah." Ilaria grabbed another towel and tossed it over Robyn's head, both for play and because she knew the squirrel would need extra help with the size of the load she'd deposited earlier. "Well could you help Prisma find something to wear, Pillow? I think anything of mine will fit, so go nuts."

"I thought you didn't want me to go for those nuts." Robyn laughed at the annoyed look on her lover's face and assured, "Clothes. Got it, Ottah."

"Ashe? Hey, Ashe?" Adrian poked his head in and out of various aisles and corners of the laboratory. "Ashe, I need you for a minute. Can you make some noise?"

"Huh...?" The wolf girl lifted a paw over a counter and then slumped back down, resting her head lazily on India. "Sorry. I fell asleep."

"No need to apologize, dear. Ellie's pulling up outside so she asked me to inform you."

Ashe forced herself to sit up straight at that news. "Oh, thanks. I'll straighten myself up then."

"Oh, have you seen that Prisma girl around? She went exploring and we lost track of her."

"Yes... She saw me using my label printer and seemed interested in it. I think she hit the locker room next." Ashe stood up and straightened her skirt and blouse, brushing them off afterward. "That girl's got some energy too. You can hear her fumbling with ~everything~."

"Okay, thanks. I'll check for strange sounds in the showers, heeee." Adrian took a few steps but paused out of concern. "Hey, anything wrong? Why ya' sleeping over here instead of hacking the government or something like you normally do?"

"I had a strange night. Lots of distractions." Ashe felt around for India's guide bar and then rested her paw on it without disturbing the puli. "There's a few other concerns too, but it's not a big deal. Oh, did you figure out how to load up my cigarette?"

"More or less. The first batch won't be very pure though. You just need to burn up the old flavoring first." Dee walked over to his desk and and returned with the modified device, freshly charged in its case. "Here you go. Should be ready to go. Just unscrew it from the case and screw on one of the flavor bits. It seems to work just by breathing through it after that."

Ashe reached out to seek the source of the case clacking on the counter top, finding it after her fourth pass. "Thanks, Dee. I don't mean to give you more to do but I'm not good with tiny parts."

"No problem. Only took a few minutes once I figured out how the thing worked."

"Oh, you hooked her up?" Elliot strolled over and slung his arms around Adrian. "Thanks, sis."

Dee tensed up but eventually relented into the hug. "Hey, sis. You here to take Ashe to lunch or something?"

"Something like that. I've got a reservation of sorts, but we've got a bit of time." Ellie sensed his sibling's reluctance to be so close and leaned forward, such that his head rested on Dee's shoulder. "How about you, DeeDee? Anything bothering you? You know I'm always all ears for you."

Dee sighed and lowered his voice. "Just... I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to insult you or anything but..." He took a slow, full breath and came out with it. "It freaked me out. Like, I know we fool around with others near each other, but not ~with~ each other. And yesterday? It sort of forced me to cross a line I'm not sure I'm ready to cross."

Ellie sighed out a suppressed giggle as he rubbed his sister's back. "I should have asked first and for that I'm sorry. I'll make sure you're good before trying that again. Alright?"

"Yeah... Okay. I like our time together though, so don't hide from me or nothin'." Dee slipped away feeling a lot more sure of himself. He gave Ellie a knowing nod and then backed away into the locker room. "I'll see you later, sis. Have fun."

"I will." Ellie dropped down to a mumble as he closed in on Ashe for a similar embrace. "Oh, I will. ~We~ will. But for now, how's your day been, beautiful?"

"Uneventful. I've been recovering sleep more or less, in between emotion swings from the hormones and worrying about Indy." The wolf presented her modified cigarette case and appended, "Dee set me up with my oxydium however."

"Well you're talking all proper-like so it might be time for some of that stuff." Elliot reached into his purse as he broke the hug and pulled out a few documents. "As for you and Indy, I've got a few things worth noting. Some of it isn't that nice though, so maybe we should sit down. Okay?"

Ashe gripped her pup's guide bar tightly and then slumped down with a nod, a dash of worry accenting all of her actions. "Don't try and butter it up. Just give me the facts."

"You don't seem so sure on that." Ellie stared down his love and decided she was starting to put up an emotional shell of sorts, if her facial expression said anything. "Alright. Well the good news is that you're doing just fine on the oxydium. I can't pin the reason for it, but it inhibits neuron firing speed compared to a normal blood sample. Except for some potentially delayed senses it shouldn't mean much. It seems to sap some of the oxygen in your blood though so be careful when you stand up. It might be enough to cause blackouts or lightheadedness."

Ashe huffed a breath and began running her claws through India's dreadlocks. "Well that's good. But what's the bad news? Getting dizzy when I stand isn't exactly my idea of bad."

"Ashe... India's not doing so well." Ellie gave the dog a scritch under her chin, using the moment to candidly inspect the pooch. "How long have you two been together?"

"Since I was a kid. I think I was five when my aunt brought her over. Why?"

Elliot groaned at the information. "Well I looked up her breed. Did you know they only tend to live fourteen or fifteen years?"

"And?"

"And I know you can do the math, Ashe." The otter moved his paw upward and pulled back the dreadlocks covering Indy's eyes. "I know it's hard to admit it, but India isn't fit enough for guiding you around town."

The Arctic wolf flopped over to rest on her pup's side. "She's doing a fine job. I don't believe that. What makes you even say something like that?"

Ellie tilted Indy's head so the light better crossed her eyes. "Well for one thing she's got some pretty bad cataracts in both her eyes. Talk about the blind leading the blind..."

"But--"

"Ashe, please. Her blood work shows she's got a bad case of pancreatitis, and if it's detectable there it's chronic. She needs to rest and we need to closely watch her diet." Ellie looked over to Ilaria as she did something in the testing range and sighed. "You're probably just giving her nothing but scraps, right? And food from Ari's place might be bad, but you've been dealing with fast food and stuff before that. Ring a bell?"

"N-No... I... I mean..." Ashe pulled Indy's head against her shoulder, batting Elliot's paw away harshly. "Well what did you expect!? I was homeless! I ate out of dumpsters more often than not!"

"I'm not blaming you, hon. You did what you had to do. I just want to fix what damage that's done, nothing more."

Ashe sulked, bringing India into more of a snuggle than anything else. "Well will she be alright? Do we have to do anything?"

"Just let her rest. As old as she is, she's probably got arthritis all over and inflammation in her joints can worsen what's in her pancreas. So..." Elliot reached over to the side of the counter to retrieve an item he'd propped up against it. "I went ahead and borrowed an aluminum cane from the rehab clinic. I can get you a better one eventually, one made for the sightless. Think you can learn to use it in place of India?"

"Maybe..."

"Well... good. I'm thinking we can ween you off of her for walking about and she can lose the harness. That thing looks heavy." Ellie set the cane on the ground and slid it flush against Ashe's legs. "We can worry about food later. There's plenty of great dog foods out there, and we can give her raw meat if that's what you'd ra--"

"Enough. I get it. Okay?" Ashe sat up and took the cane, wrenching the foreign device between her paws almost in a hateful manner. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, not now. Can we please just get something to eat or whatever?"

"I can do one better. I sort of came here with something already planned to take your mind off of things." Elliot reached in his purse and pulled out a cell phone, though it was a more basic button-based model than his normal one. He placed it in Ashe's lap and then stood up. "I got you a phone, so hold onto it. You might get some calls after this if things go well."

"Calls? Who would call ~me~? I don't know anyone."

Ellie bent over and offered a paw to his wolf, rubbing the back of his wrist against her arm. "Here, stand up. We're going over a few rooms to try something I agreed I'd try with you. And to be honest I'm sort of liking it already. You'll have to leave Indy here though."

Ashe took the offered paw and was pulled to her feet. Once she was up, she found India's guide bar and gave it a certain tug. "Indy, stay here. I'll be back." She then took up her cane and slid her paw up to Elliot's elbow. "Alright. So where did you learn how to ask to lead me? I'm impressed by that already."

"I work at a hospital, hon. We've got a special needs expert, and after this morning I thought it a good thing to ask her for pointers. Just don't get mad if I forget something though. It was only a coffee break after all." The otter turned about slowly so they faced the way he came and then started for the door to the main office area, Ashe in steady tow. "But if this alone impresses you, you'll probably love what comes next."

As the pair ventured through the door and into the office proper Ashe added another paw to Elliot's arm and tugged for him to slow down a tad. "I know how much you like to surprise me, but please tell me you're not overdoing it."

"Not quite sure, really. Get back to me on that one." Ellie led Ashe to a central-walkingPathTurnedSocialArea part of the building and shook free for a moment. "I think I see our friend over there. Stay here a minute and I'll nab 'em."

Ashe reached for guidance but panicked when Ellie was suddenly gone. She immediately started searching for something, anything to give her a landmark to no avail. Just as she grabbed for her cane to extend her search area however, Ellie jogged back over just in time to get kneecapped by the tool. "S-Sorry!"

"Ouch. No, I shouldn't have left you like that." Ellie offered his arm the same as before and Ashe took it, only she used it to find the position of his head and give him a slap. "Gah! Shit... I deserve that though. Sure."

"Damn right you do. ~NEVER~ leave a blind girl in the fucking open like that. Walls, Elliot. We see in terms of walls."

"Sorry... I just didn't want to lose the guy or anything." The otter waited until Ashe calmed down a bit before leading her over to a supply closet in the corner. "Okay, he said he'd be in here. Kind of a brave spot he picked, actually. So, ready to guess what your surprise is?"

Ashe reached out and bumped against the door with an elbow, retrying with a paw until she found the doorknob. "A room and a strange guy... Am I really supposed to guess this? I mean, I think I know what's going on but... I don't want to ~say it~."

"Well... I sort of made it out to be your idea, so act like that. Consider it an order. But the point here is..." Ellie opened the door and led the wolf through, slowly and silently closing the barrier behind them. "It's time for some sex. Ajax here can't wait."

"Ajax. Right. And what am I doing exactly?"

The only other guy in the room shuffled by the back wall, a younger fox of some kind though his exact build was obscured by the dark of the closet. "I know I didn't get into details earlier, but I've never done this sort of thing before so..."

Ashe gripped down hard on Elliot's arm, but otherwise hid her perturbed state for the sake of the ruse. "Oh, well we can try something simple and work from there. No need to feel pressured, Ajax."

Ellie led Ashe forward a few more steps and broke the hold, stepping back against the door to bar it shut afterward. "Well I hope you don't mind me being here. There are some rules though. I have to be close by if not outright watching. Nothing against what the girl says goes. She's in control. Oh, and no bartering. She sets her own prices."

"That's... alright I guess. It's still the same rate you mentioned though?"

"Two hundred to start, a hundred every fifteen minutes after. The lady here picks pricing on extras past oral." Ellie slumped back and fumbled around with his cell phone until a timer was running. "That includes not using a condom, so you better have one or some extra cash before we start."

"Three hundred to go without." Ashe smiled a bit as she took on her role in the deal, her body already getting warmed up by the prospective chatter alone.

"Aw... Man, that's a bit much. I mean, I have a rubber but..." The fox sighed and muttered under his breath as he reached for his wallet. "I didn't want my first time to be with a rubber..."

"Oh, you're a virgin? Why didn't you say so earlier? Just two flat then; you deserve that much if you're becoming a man and all."

"Really?" Ajax perked up, taking the condom from his wallet and chucking it to the ground. "Thanks. It means a lot."

Elliot tapped on his watchless wrist, just conveying his point. "Well, clock's ticking..."

Ajax reached out and allowed Ashe to bump into his paws. "So, you really are blind huh? You've got pretty eyes in the dark though. Sort of makes me sorry you can't see me back." Once Ashe brought a paw to meet his he pulled her closer. "Sorry. You probably hear that from everyone. So I guess we should just get to it, huh?"

"I'll do what you like, Ajax. Even if all you want is to talk, that's fine." Ashe's other paw worked its way down the fox's chest and rested so her thumb hooked into his belt. "But if I never felt another fur's touch before I'd go straight to the good stuff. So what's your desire?"

"Damn. That's hot." Ajax brought his free paw to Ashe's shoulder and lightly pressed downward. "Could you, uh, suck my cock? I've always imagined that but... Well, I--"

Ashe knelt down and fumbled with the fox's belt and pants. "No need to explain, mister. Every guy wants some of that." Once she'd gotten access to Ajax's boxers she gently took him from a bulge of cloth to an already-rockHard cock in her face. "This little guy sure as hell wants it."

As Ashe slowly worked the tip into her muzzle Ajax placed both paws on her head to guide her, however little guidance she actually needed. "Fuck... That feels amazing."

Ashe slowly took more and more of the fox into her mouth, one paw helping to work the remainder at his base and the other on his leg. She eventually pulled back, allowing her paw to spread her saliva across his length. "Hey, is that a knot I feel? Are you a wolf or a dog?"

"A fox, actually. A tundra fox, strange as it is around here. Sorry if it's not as big as what you're used to."

"What? If I was fooled, take it as a compliment. You're ~just~ fine, Ajax. Most foxes aren't as thick as you." Ashe smirked as she hunched forward again, this time slurping her way to the edge of her throat before pulling back again. "You want the full treatment or is this just foreplay? I can go harder."

"Yeah, give it your best. You're so damn good at this." The fox pulled on Ashe's head and she went back around his cock, this time taking him all the way to his expanding knot. "Oh, shit! Fuck, I'm--!" He suddenly lurched forward, his knot stretching open Ashe's jaw a tad as it lightly locked his length in place. Ajax squeezed his paws together as he unexpectedly climaxed, sending a few light throbs of salty cream down the wolf's throat. "...Oh fuck. Damn, I didn't mean to cum like that..."

Ashe gave the fox a few seconds to have his moment, then forced her head back once her air supply started getting stale. As she yanked free of Ajax's member her teeth scraped roughly against his knot, causing him to shudder and her to apologize. "My bad. I just didn't have warning to get some air." She licked the fox's tip clean and went back to slowly pumping his still-hard flesh with a fist. "So was that all or did you manage to save some for the main course?"

"I... I think I can keep going. Sort of stopped myself in the middle of it." The fox forced a recovery, hiding his hardened breathing. "I ~really~ want to fuck you now. You're so ~perfect~."

"Three hundred to use my pussy, Ajax. Nothing more though. You have to pull out and all. Messes are on the house, so aim wherever." Ashe stood up and then bent over, making sure to face away from Ajax as she pulled down her lacy black thong from under her charcoal skirt, her tail raising slowly to reveal her honey pot. "So what'll it be, stud?"

Ajax stared, mouth agape, at the first love slit he'd ever seen. "Well, fuck. I mean, yeah. There's a shelf to your right." The tundra fox shuffled a few steps forward and lined himself up as best he could, pressing forward and slipping free a pawful of times before Ashe reached back to help his aim. "Can I just go how I want or...?"

Ashe grasped Ajax by the base of his knot and pulled him forward until it squelched against her nether lips. "Ooh... damn, that's a nice cock. Now show me how you use it. Your money, your pace after all."

Ajax grunted as he ground deep inside, then instinctively pulled back and gave up another solid thrust. He leaned forward and cradled Ashe against his chest, a paw working her blouse buttons to gain access to her chest while the other settled for her globes of flesh through the fabric for the time being. "Gods, you're so hot and tight! I just.. I can't hold back."

Ashe yipped as he gave another hard push forward, the fox's knot slapping loudly against her entrance. Pretty soon his slow, hard pace quickened, driving the inexperienced fur to huffing and puffing in time with his movements. When the shelving started to falter against Ajax's sheer force, Ashe lost her grip and slipped up against it. "Ah! Wait! Calm down, big boy. We need to re-think this."

Without so much as a word Ajax pulled out of Ashe and guided her onto her back. He took the time to properly open Ashe's top as well as yank her bra up and over her breasts. Everything to his liking, he lined up again and drove home with a yiff. He very quickly built up his previously vigorous pace, this time using Ashe's tits as tender handles to rock against. Soon he practically gasped out a yiff with each full thrust, desperation and years of suppression breaking free with his newfound pleasure. Neither of the two seemed to notice how tight their juncture was getting towards the end until with a definite element of surprise the fox's knot squelched into place, locking them together with the inevitable outcome.

"Fuck! Shit, is that--?!"

Ashe wrapped her legs around Ajax's hips and ass, keeping him from moving as she grew accustomed to the new sensation of her overstretched pussy. "Just--Ah!--costs more. Can you still--eep! Can you pull out?"

Ajax tried and only ended up hurting the both of them, his knot already having pumped up with too much blood. "I don't think... Oh shit, I'm gonna cum..." As he struggled he tried wiggling side to side, which only drove the final nail in the coffin. The fox followed his primal instincts and quickly bucked his hips into Ashe. "Crap, I can't hold it!"

Ashe gave up on trying to steady Ajax's motions and relaxed herself. "Just do it. Give it all to me, stud."

Ajax couldn't help but comply with that request, his length twitching and jerking as he unloaded spurt after gushing jet of pent-up batter into the wolf's searing hot tunnel. "Gods... Oh fuck yes..."

"That's it, hon. Let it out." Ashe yipped as the fox suddenly lost his strength and flopped down against her, head between her breasts. "Bet that felt good, huh? It must feel great getting your rocks off knotted and all, especially for your first."

"You can say that again." Ajax huffed out of breath and gave Ashe's chest the occasional kiss. "I sort of needed that. Don't think pulling out would have done it for me." He reached further upward for a proper kiss and Ashe shunned him away. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Sorry, personal rule. No kissing. That's my otter's privilege." Ashe reached up and petted Ajax's head down into her tits again. "And your amazing ride is going to cost some additional cash, Ajax. I'm still a bit young so knots aren't especially fun for me. Two hundred for that, and another five for finishing inside as well. Sorry, but you sort of went and did that without asking. Not that I can really blame you personally."

"Shit."

"Plus time, remember." Ellie came over and gave his wolf a quick kiss. "Though foxes don't stay knotted too long if I remember. Right? You're already at fifteen-hundred so far."

"Maybe. I haven't had a chance to compare." Ajax reached for his wallet and yanked out all his cash. "I only have a grand. ATM wouldn't let me take any more. You're not gonna... break my legs or something, are you?"

"Depends." Elliot faked a serious expression before giggling. "I think we can work something out." Ellie found the discarded condom and grinned at the foil's description. "Oh, ~lubricated~. Hee hee..."

"Gods, you're not thinking about--"

"No, no. Your ass is safe, hon. Hers though..." Ellie reached down and rubbed a dull claw around Ashe's pucker. "Maybe we could offer a discount if you guard the door for us after you're free. Watching the two of you has me really going."

"Elliot... Um, I don't--"

Ajax spoke up almost the same time and overpowered the girl in his curiosity. "With the kissing and all... You're her boyfriend?"

"Girlfriend maybe. Still working on that." Ellie yanked down his tight pants and panties in one motion and then ripped open the foil. "So we have a deal, hon? That or you leave in bad standing, and you'd like to see Ashe here again. Right?"

"Y-Yeah. I'll get on it in a minute." Ajax tried another yank to no result, then rolled himself to the side to make room for Elliot. "Go ahead. I deserve a bit of awkwardness I guess."

"Such a gentleman! Why thank you, Ajax." After a brief moment to slip the condom into place, Ellie lined himself up with Ashe's ass and pressed forward slowly but surely. "Ooh, bet you'll love this dear."

However Ashe didn't share Ellie's enthusiasm. She knew he wanted to mount her rear, and though she didn't normally like it there she allowed her master to exert his authority. Though once he was merely an inch inside she yelped in distress. "Wait! Ah, no!"

Not hearing the magic word, Ellie continued until he was more than halfway into his wolf. "Aww, I know it feels strange. It'll feel better soon though."

"No! Elliot... ~Phosphor~, damnit!"

Her words came at perhaps the worst moment. Ellie stopped his assault on Ashe's ass, though because he hit rock bottom and not because of the safeword. Not wanting to frighten Ashe's client he pulled in next to her ear and whispered his words carefully. "I'm truly sorry, beautiful. I'll pull out and we can talk about it in a minute."

Ashe pouted a bit, hints of tears forming in her eyes, and then turned to whisper back. "No... I'm alright. I thought it would hurt like all the other times but it isn't too bad..."

"Other times? You mean I'm not your first back there?"

"Hey, I'd rather not think about it. They weren't as considerate as you. Not so much as spit." Ashe settled herself down and then rocked her hips, both cocks coming out a little bit. After Ajax pulled out completely and started dressing himself she pressed back, hinting that she wanted more from her otter. "Give it a try, Elliot. Just be gentile."

"Of course. I'd never hurt you, beautiful. Unless you wanted, hee hee..." Ellie slowly sank back into Ashe's tailhole, one of his paws heading towards her other opening to play around and hold Ajax's aftermath inside. Then as he used that paw for leverage to pull himself to the hilt he noticed the difference in her fur. "Hey, when did you trim down there?"

"Ah... Last night. I was sort of embarrassed the way yo--ooh!--you talked about it so... Dee helped..."

"I hate to admit it but I really don't like going down much on a wild bush. Sorry." Elliot pulled back and gave a good thrust forward, then another, as he found a good pace that didn't seem to bother Ashe. In fact, her panting and twitching hinted she was enjoying herself more than either of them expected. "See, take your mind off the weirdness and it feels nice."

"Umm, I can leave you two alone and sit outside." Ajax finished with his pants and grabbed his wallet. "Looks like I'm done here anyway."

"Nope. I want you to watch. Hell, paw off if you like. Just keep an ear on the door."

"Goddess, I think..." Ashe squeezed her thighs tightly together and angled her hips so Ellie pressed into a certain spot in her other passage through her ass. "Harder, please..."

"My pleasure, heeee." Ellie started humping and grinding harder and faster as requested, eliciting far more than expected from the almost howling wolf. He noticed Ajax joining back in with a paw, and with his diverted attention he nearly missed Ashe's sudden tightness. Without any warning she started convulsing around him, her typically adorable mewling howl of ecstasy signaling her well-earned orgasm. "Ooh, perfect. That's about to set me off too, babe. Where you want it?"

Ashe fluttered her eyes and rolled her head in bliss, barely acknowledging the question. "Uh... Wherever you like. Clean, maybe?"

Elliot didn't put much thought into things with that answer, his real goal being to test that new birth control himself. He pulled himself free and quickly snapped off the latex sheath wrapping his manhood. Then before the cold air triggered him too early he slammed home in one harsh thrust and unloaded his potent seed into Ashe's cunt. However Ajax didn't realize he'd swapped holes and went to finish his pawing the same way, inexperience and sexual drive causing him to ignore the extra snugness as he pressed the head of his cock into Ashe's clam as well. Soon he questioned why he couldn't quite get inside her properly and checked the situation, pulling free to coat Ashe's thighs and lower abdomen with half of his climax.

"Oh shit. Sorry, I thought--"

"Nah, it's fine. The more, the merrier." Ellie gave a few soft thrusts for good measure until he was pumping more into Ashe than she could hold. "She's a mess anyway. Just how I like it."

"What?" Ashe began slowly regaining her wits after her first anal orgasm, her breath barely adequate but calming down. "Oh, that. Don't worry, Ajax. Nice to know you go a few rounds though."

"Oh, then I'll leave you two to yourselves." The fox took his cock and wiped it clean with Ashe's panties without thinking and then made himself more presentable. "Anything else?"

Ellie reached for his purse and pulled it closer, then yanked out a few cards for the fox. "One for you and some for your friends, so we can set this up again. Oh, and could you watch the door for another minute. Outside if you'd like, but we just need to clean up."

"Sure. I'll keep an eye for a few. And... thanks, Ashe. Highlight of my life so far.

Ashe whimpered as her otter pulled himself free, but she used the opportunity to crawl to her knees. "My pleasure, Ajax. Have a great day, stud."

"Uh, yeah you too." Ajax went for the door, but before leaving he chuckled out a quick question. "Are all uh... all ~escorts~ as nice as you?"

"Probably not. I have never known any other girls like me though." Ashe beamed a smile at the compliment and stood tall, her otter following suit as he yanked up his pants. "It was fun."

Ajax left with a smile of his own. As soon as he was gone though, Elliot pulled Ashes panties down to her ankles and then forced her to step out of them one footpaw at a time. "I think you should go without these for the day. Don't want them to get dirty."

"But without those I'll... leak all over the place..." Ashe pressed her thighs together as if it would stop the flow of gravity. "People will notice."

"That's the idea. Besides, I'm damn sure everyone in the building can smell this." Ellie stuffed the panties into his purse and picked up the cash from the floor. "Besides, what better way to advertise than to flaunt yourself a bit?"

"I don't know, Elliot..."

"Please, for me? I mean, I did sort of make up for invading that taut ass of yours..."

Ashe relented, sort of getting turned on again by the idea of satisfying her man this way. "Can we just go back to the lab already?"

Ellie led her to the door and pulled it open, waiting for Ashe to ready her cane. "Sure. I bet the others are about to go to lunch. Let's go see."

Ashe cringed as she felt a slight trail of warmth slowly run down her thigh beneath her skirt. "Well can you hurry it up? This is embarrassing."

"Ehehe... That's the idea." Elliot started slowly heading back to the lab, taking his time with each step. Then he noticed something nearby and had another plan. "Tell you what. If you do one more little thing for me, I'll clean you up before we see your sis. And I'll do a good job, I swear. No traces."

"I don't know, Elliot..."

"My way includes tongue."

Ashe's face flushed pink even through her fur. "...Okay."

With a chuckle Ellie reached in his purse and then brought Ashe's panties and a card to the wolf's free paw. "About five or six paces ahead there's a guy with his paw down his pants, no doubt in on what we've been doing. Go shove these below his belt as well, maybe toss in a little assistance... Advertise yourself."

"Advertise?" Ashe flipped the card around between her fingers and finally connected the dots. "Business cards. And my new phone has the same number, I'm guessing."

"Hey, you can't be a respectable escort if you're asking for tricks on the side of the road. Besides, the phone was there before I hatched this idea. I hate having to track you down through word of mouth. Just not my style." Elliot nudged Ashe forward as he eyed another potential target. "Look, if you make a few regular clients you can call this a viable job, and I said I'd support your decision on making it one. And if you get to know some well enough to trust them, you won't need me there to protect you."

"Protect me? Is that what that was?" Ashe shifted her weight and fumbled with the items in her paws. "I see. You care about me since I'm blind while around these strange men. That's sweet that you think that far ahead for me."

"But I can't protect you if you make random calls like today. I get that was that guy's first time, but you have to use condoms. I was hoping for a higher fee on that. You're on the pill but there's still diseases. Until you trust someone, use condoms. And even then, if you're in heat you should still use them."

Ashe headed off as instructed, spinning about to nod in response. "We'll talk more about it later. I'll be more careful though."

Just as stated, five strides forward Ashe tapped her cane against a chair. This in turn startled the crap out of its occupant, his paw wrenching out of his pants immediately. "Woah! I'm s-sorry!"

Ashe calmly moved until her waist was against the back of the seat and then traced the man's shoulder to his paw, placing her panties in it and closing his fingers. "Don't stop on my behalf. I'm just glad you enjoyed my performance." She took the card and dropped it in the fur's lap, then re-traced her way to his other paw so she could guide it beneath her skirt. "There's more where that came from if you're interested. So are you going to start again or do I have to help you?"

The guy slowly guided his now-sticky paw down to his belt and slipped beneath it, Ashe's own going along for the ride. "You... smell so sexy."

Ashe chuckled at the compliment, more because it sounded like something she'd say than the awkwardness of it. She took a bit of control and helped squeeze the fur's paw around his hard cock. "Well you can have the whole meal rather than just a taste for the right price." Just as fast as she started Ashe pulled her paw back, a smirk stretching into the corner of her muzzle. "But sadly I'm off duty right now. Lunch break." She backed away a few steps and then pulled up her cane. "Call me sometime, cutie."

Ashe was hoping Ellie would pick her back up, but instead she gravitated towards another direction when she heard his soft whisper of a voice. "We cater to women too, hee heeee." Elliot pressed a few cards under the band of a lady's exposed panties and then covered her back up. "Be sure to tell all your friends, honey."

Ashe bumped into Ellie as he backed away, but the two recovered and giggled as they scurried away. "Propositioning the whole place, I see. Big sis isn't going to like that. Your own sister either."

"They'll never find out. Too embarrassing for those two to-- Hey, you called Dee my sister."

"Yeah, I did. You see him as a sister so... he just is I guess."

Ellie squeaked in delight as he offered his arm properly. "Well as much as I love being your man, it's great to know you might see me as a woman one day too. Come on. Time for your reward, beautiful."