And speaking of the women…….
They sit in a circle, behind a magical cloak of silence. Alicia is finishing
up answering a on offhand question.
”Well, he doesn’t have a sheath for nothing….if you catch my meaning.”
Alicia says in a droll voice as she and the others sit around on various
chairs and stools. She smiles and absently strokes her red, luxuriously
fluffy tail as the double meaning of her words filter through. Some Astra
chuckle ruefully while others cough and actually blush.
”I’m sorry I asked,” mutters one of the former demi-fox vixen Astra.
“But….he was….is like my…uh….partner.”
This brings a brief chuckle from the others, which makes this Astra
blush even more, much to her horror.
By Minerva! she swears to herself. Here I am discussing things
with others that should never be discussed lightly, and…..I’m blushing
like a little 10 year old in embarrassment while the supposedly uptight……members
of the Christian Church…….
Looks like I have much to learn about his strange mirror world I’ve
fallen into! she finishes to herself.
After that, the Astra who had arrived here with five babies in two….and
two rather large breasts (!) speaks.
”I guess that was a pretty good icebreaker,” she sighs, and then gives
a odd glance to the vixen. “Manimals are rather…..open about a few things,
aren’t they?”
”Oh on some things yes,” chuckles the vixen. “Some things, no. We’ve
made accommodations for our Astra and Will when they had lived among the
Pack before…..you all came…….”
”Examples?” probes one Astra.
”Oh, things like clothing,” the Astra of Fred the manfox’s world points
out. Her sisters glance at the fancy decorated leather breechcloths of
the surrounding manimals…..and then give a questioning glance back at the
Astra who had spoken.
”Initially,” explains Alicia, taking up the burden of explanation. “The
Pack had a gies on it against wearing anything like clothing. Any attempt
brought on an attach of itching and burning sensations that nearly drove
me insane the first few times I tried to cover my…..embarrassments.
After a while though, I got used to just wearing fur… and nothing else.
Oh, we could wear the jewelry and other decorations that tradition and
local material limitations of the Isle allowed us (Astra points to the
leather anklets, feather fetishes hanging from earrings, and other fetishes
on her body), but that wasn’t the same. When we learned that we could again
wear clothing…..we found several things. Anything more than a breechcloth
annuls a manimals’ magical nature to stand a wider band of temperature.
It invited things like overheating. Also….we felt absolutely silly dressing
up in our old cultures outfits! We just didn’t like how we looked in our
old style of clothing. It….just clashed in our minds with the reality of
our furry bodies.”
”So,” Fred the manfox’s Astra finishes. “Though there was even initial
rumbling about wearing even a breechcloth, the Pack adopted wearing them….for
males and females. A concession to Will and me….that seems to have caught
on as local fashion for the Pack.”
”You could say that,” smiles Alicia. “And that’s why I at least cover
my lower private parts…while my breasts remain exposed. The white fur of
my chest is enough for my modesty….and will do for others……whether they
want to accept it or not.” The last part was delivered in a neutral tone,
as if daring the other Astras to raise objections about her fashion sense.
None of them felt like taking up the issue, knowing that that would invite
the Pack to tossing them bodily out of the city….never to return (and hundred
of miles away from anything remotely civilized by all accounts……).
”Alicia,” scolds her Astra. “I doubt that this is really necessary!”
Alicia coughs in embarrassment in acknowledgment, and had the good grace
to blush. This draws gasps of surprise from the other Astras around her
who were not familiar with the quirks of being a manimal.
”Her fur on her face just changed to a darker shade of red!” the offworld
Astras gasp in unison.
”Yeah,” chuckles this world’s Astra. “They can do that and more….due
to their magical nature. Their fur color changes just like skin color sometimes…..shows
inner feelings sometimes. Why, she can even grow pale…..a real lightening
of coloration….when the blood drains out of her face. Just another quirk
of her race, sisters.”
”All that and we even sweat when under REAL strain,” chuckles Alicia.
“Doing that instead of panting like an animal….or a demi-fox.”
”Hm,” mutters the offworld Astra to herself. She then speaks.
”This is nice, but…..,” she begins. “But we really need to at least
come up with some names here for ourselves. Now, out of consideration for
the native Astra….I’m not going to insist on her changing her name.”
Murmurs of agreement greet that. Then one of the other Astras speak.
”That’s true, but……,” she says. “Considering how difficult it was for
me to think up of good names for my children….all seven of them…..when
I was gifted with them a few months ago…..I have a feeling that the same
will befall you others.”
The others look like they just tasted something sour, but then nod in
agreement.
”I guess we could just put numbers after our names….for simplicity sake,”
this worlds Astra muses. “But……that lacks something creative. I feel that
the Fred would have better luck at coming up with new names for themselves……”
”Or maybe not,” sighs Alicia. “My husband wanted to have the nickname
of Manfox, but…..I don’t know what the others will call themselves.”
”I’ll call myself Astra 3” the Astra who came to this world as a human
sighs. This brings a flurry of protest.
”How come YOU get to have the lucky number instead of us?” one Astra
halfway jokes.
”Threes still considered lucky in your Aqualaria?” Astra 3 blinks in
surprise. “I thought that even though we all are come from the Amazons
of old….that at least THAT superstition would have fallen to the wayside.
I mean, so many old customs were assimilated or just plain terminated when
my Aqualaria became a member of the Church…..”
”About that,” interrupts the Astra of this world. “I was wondering.
I can understand how Alicia’s Church allowed her to be a fighter of sorts
from what I’ve heard…..necessity of having enough bodies to defend the
country from their enemies. But how did it come that YOU are a fighter,
and not some blushing lady of the court who faints at the sight of blood?”
”Oh, that’s simple enough to explain,” chuckles Astra 3. “While a lot
of concessions were made by my ancestors when they accepted Christianity…..they
didn’t follow one disturbing trend that the surrounding lands seemed to
find popular. My grandparents actually took a calculated risk and…..arranged
a crisis with one of the local thug tribes to the east…..that called for
every able body….women were knighted……and when the dust finally…….”
”So you’re a knight?” Alicia murmurs. “I get the feeling that everyone
can be a knight if they go through the right hoops.”
”Correct,” chuckles Astra 3. “It put a bit of friction with the other
neighboring countries….because it flew in the face of tradition….but then….we
Amazons have to be Amazons…..or we are not worthy of our warrior heritage.
At least we all don’t keep on insisting that females are superior to males
and cut off or left breast like in olden times!"
”True!” her sisters nod and chuckle.
”Who needs cultural views like that!” chuckles this worlds Astra. “That
would put a damper on ANY relationship between man and woman outside the
border, eh?” Again, a murmur of agreement.
”Well,” chuckles a as of yet unnicknamed offworld sister. “With a story
like that….I’m all for letting Astra 3 keep her lucky number, if only for
the entertainment value. I….guess I’ll be Astra 1.”
”And I’ll just be Astra 2,” smiles Astra 2 as she looks at her counterpart,
Astra 1 (who had been the one who had the bad luck of being caught by a
greedy lawyer……).
The smiles soon fade as one last subject is brought up by Alicia. The
vixen muzzle twitches in distaste for this last item….but then again…..this
session had been called to at least lay the groundwork for future cooperation
between native and analog….for now and the foreseeable future.
”I hate to really bring up such a topic,” Alicia begins. “But, there
is the matter of Fred…..all of them….and us. It’s more than a bit awkward
having a set of similar people who are…..so much like each other…..that
you kind of wonder why…..oh…..” The vixen’s tail thrashes in embarrassment.
SHE
had no problem with this awkward situation because…..she knew her Swift
Foot like he knew her, Leaping Stream. Neither one desired any other, this
both knew and felt within their hearts. They knew it everytime they muzzled
each other. They knew it every time their eyes touched one another. They
knew it every time, when they embraced. They knew it every time their tails
intertwined. Problem was, Alicia didn’t know how these other Astras felt
about this business. And how did they feel about this worlds Astra…who
had fallen for a different man?!
”I think,” Astra 2 begins slowly. “At least for me…..I need to state
this slowly and concisely. So at least if nobody else understand…..you
will.
”Through Minestus, I was….violated!” she grinds out…..fury barely suppressed.
“I do NOT blame Fred for what he did, because he was only doing what appeared
to be necessary to avoid getting cursed by what appeared to be a mischievous
fox spirit. Even I have heard the rumors of how badly a jilted kitsune
acts…..
”But…..I have come to the conclusion that I can NOT marry him….nor am
I ready for motherhood!” she sighs. “It all struck too quickly. I wanted
to eventually have children and get married…..but I don’t want to be forced
into a marriage!! I don’t want to be a mother YET! I….am not….ready.” She
wipes rebellious tears from her eyes, embarrassed at crying.
”I can’t return home,” Astra 2 whispers hoarsely. “Honor demands I reveal
what happened to my parents….and while I don’t know how YOUR parents reacted….my
sisters, I know damn well how MY parents will react. They will disown me….strip
me of my honor and royal title, and banish me. I love my parents….but I
know that they are….very set in their ways when it comes to tradition.
”If I can stay here, dear Alicia,” Astra 2 suddenly says, looking into
the vixen’s green eyes. “I know that I can make a clean start, make a position
of honor and security for myself. This land doesn’t spit on those who bore
children while unwed! I know this. And I also have been talking to others
of the Pack, and they won’t look down upon me for my decision to not keep
my children.”
”So….you’re going to let your Fred have them?” Astra 3 finally is able
to ask. “Because you’re not ready to be a mother?”
”I said it before,” Astra 1 says to the assembled ladies. “This came
out of the clear blue….and hit me dead on! When I went out to slay a dragon……
F**k! I’m not ready for this yet!”
That Fred is just going to LOVE this! several Astra’s think tartly.
But somehow….they all get the feeling that the former demi-fox was also
uncomfortable with the whole deal….also. Who knows what’ll happen now!
”I believe I can make arrangements with some of the Pack who are always
looking for a few new hands to help in various….odd jobs that you’ll be
perfect for. Nothing ‘dirty,’ but calls for a quick mind and a quick sword.”
Astra 1 nods, and Alicia lets the subject drop….no longer wanting to touch
it!
”As for me…..I think I kind of….like my Fred,” Astra 2 chuckles nervously,
glancing at Astra 1. “I sense…..somebody I can grow to love. Sort of like
you did with your Fred, Astra 3.”
”I wish you luck,,” the other Astras say together, all sincere and all
in sync.
”As for Will…..” Astra 2 says to Astra (this world’s Astra). “I never….EVER
try to move in on another woman’s man. I’m no harlot, and I have no real
desire to add yet another complication to an already awkward situation
with wondering how my…..sisters lover would be like. By Hades, I’ll have
enough fun as it is with trying to get used to MY Fred….and all HIS quirks.”
”Doctor….stick to your last.” Alicia chuckles, mangling an old fable
motto. “In other words, stick by your love….and don’t worry about greener
pastures.”
”Because,” Astra 1 finishes. “Whatever powers that be just pretty much
shat upon us. We need not add any more fecal matter to the pot!”
I hope to God that this works out! Alicia silently prays as they
all reach out and clasp hands in agreement.
-
 With that….earthy finish…..we
turn to those of the draconian descent…..
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