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jeriendhalOkay, I think I'm done hopping around in the narrative for now. From this point forward everything will be in proper sequence.
***
With reluctance Ali split off from Salli when they reached the section of the house devoted to personal apartments. Salli retreated to her suite, and Ali went across the hall to the servant's room assigned to her. It was the same one she'd be given during the period when they had returned from Greenholme after being rescued by Lady Melanie and Lord Rolas, hitching a ride on a Allied Worlds Patrol frigate that had arrived in response to Lady Salli's signal after Lady Melanie, in her guise as the Red Vixen, had curb stomped Bloody Margo's base there, catching her flagship on the ground.
Back then, Ali, recovering from a wound to her stomach and having her pelt shaved off by Bloody Margo, had been hailed by Salli's parents as a brave heroine. Never mind it had been Lady Salli who had rescued her. Now, of course they knew better. Back then they'd just thought she was a bodyguard. Now they knew her as a pirate and a cub murderer, beyond redemption even in the eyes of the all forgiving Mother Goddess. If she was worth anything still it was only in the sight of Lady Salli and her newly re-discovered family, for they were mysteriously blind to her faults.
Ali's kit had been laid out on the bed, not just her clothing but all the weapons and equipment that she habitually carried on what Salli had dubbed “Your Very Useful Belt.” Much of it was survival gear, on the offside chance that they ended up separated from the other colonists back on Greenholme. The rest were weapons, including several knives and the plasma blaster she also carried, and had set aside for the stunners she kept hidden in the inner pocket of her waistcoat and up the wide sleeve her blouse. That was all that was really necessary on civilized Foxen Prime, or so Lady Salli had reassured her. She still felt vaguely naked without the rest of it though.
After putting her clothing away and setting her weapons inside a lockable drawer, Ali checked her messages on her palm comp. There was one from Aunt Razi, reassuring her that she and the rest of what Ali had mentally dubbed “The Family Horde” had arrived safely groundside and back to their homes. She debated replying to it, but set the message aside for now. With everything that was happening with Lady Salli and her parents, Ali couldn't deal with the additional stress right now of pretending to be a civilized person around the Blacksailor clan.
Her comp bleeped once, a short three note tone that signaled it was from Salli. Ali opened it at once, and read the two word message.
NEED YOU
She set the comp back in her pocket and strode immediately across the hallway, into Salli's suite. Ali didn't have time to get the “Yes, Salli?” she was about to say from her open mouth before Salli's arms were wrapping around her and Ali was pressed up against the closing door, Salli's mouth against hers as the tall, spare, beautiful noblevixen planted a deep kiss in her muzzle.
Ali relaxed into it, knowing Salli's need to establish control, not over Ali but over herself, as she felt the noblevixen's body shuddering, fighting the urge to break down completely.
“It's all right.... It's all right, milady,” Ali whispered to her, as Salli broke off the kiss and allowed them both to come up for air.
“No it is not,” Salli whispered back fiercely, her arms not loosing their grip on Ali. “My parents want me to get over you. Want me to give you up. I am not giving you up. I'm not throwing you away.”
“I know.” Ali pulled an arm free of Salli’s grip, petting her headfur gently. “We’re fine. We’ll be fine.”
“Yes,” Salli agreed, relaxing slightly. “There are options, always options.”
Ali nodded, guiding Salli back to the suite’s conversation pit, where they cuddled together, Ali’s cheek resting on the older vixen’s bosom. “We don’t have to get married for one thing,” Ali pointed out. “We could just stay together. No one has to know we're lovers.”
“No,” Salli said, in a voice suddenly so grating with pain it made the younger vixen flinch. “I am not hiding you away. I will not be ashamed of loving you. I am done pretending to be anything except myself. They are just going to have to accept that. And if they can't, then I can say to the Cold and Dark with my peerage, to being Greenholme's governor, to my whole family if need be. If Mother and Father can't swallow me marrying you, let Rolas and Melanie produce the next Darktail heir for our House. You are my heart's love, you are the vixen I wish to be mated to, and I will not accept you being anything less for the sake of someone else's opinion.”
“Salli...” Alinadar sighed, trying to figure out how to put together her thoughts. Even in a rage her love was much more articulate than the younger vixen could ever hope to be. “How would you feel,” she asked, “if I told you I'd stay with, even if it meant cutting myself off from Lu, and Aunt Razi, and the rest of my family? After just discovering that I still had a family?”
“Ah,” Salli said softly, her anger deflating. “No, I wouldn't be happy about that.” She snuggled in closer against Ali. “But I don't want to give you up, either. We have to find a way to resolve this. One keeps you with me, and doesn't force you to... reduce yourself for the sake of my family.”
“All right,” Ali agreed. She nuzzled Salli's neck lightly. “Do we have to think about it right now, though?”
“Tomorrow,” Salli agreed. “We can start thinking about strategy then. For now, I just want you with me.”
“Yah.” Ali sat up and turned around, straddling Salli's lap, and they began unbuttoning each other's clothing. Soon Ali's blouse, waistcoat and athletic bra lay tossed aside in a heap, along with Salli's dress. Ali unholstered the forearm harness for her palm stunner with considerable more care, setting it aside within easy reach on the arm of the couch.
“I don't think we have to worry about attackers bursting into my rooms, Ali,” Salli said lightly, as their palms began some mutual stroking.
“I'm here to protect you,” Ali replied, rubbing cheeks with her. “I'm always going to protect you.”
“And I you. Don't ever forget that.”
Ali smiled. “Never.”
***
With reluctance Ali split off from Salli when they reached the section of the house devoted to personal apartments. Salli retreated to her suite, and Ali went across the hall to the servant's room assigned to her. It was the same one she'd be given during the period when they had returned from Greenholme after being rescued by Lady Melanie and Lord Rolas, hitching a ride on a Allied Worlds Patrol frigate that had arrived in response to Lady Salli's signal after Lady Melanie, in her guise as the Red Vixen, had curb stomped Bloody Margo's base there, catching her flagship on the ground.
Back then, Ali, recovering from a wound to her stomach and having her pelt shaved off by Bloody Margo, had been hailed by Salli's parents as a brave heroine. Never mind it had been Lady Salli who had rescued her. Now, of course they knew better. Back then they'd just thought she was a bodyguard. Now they knew her as a pirate and a cub murderer, beyond redemption even in the eyes of the all forgiving Mother Goddess. If she was worth anything still it was only in the sight of Lady Salli and her newly re-discovered family, for they were mysteriously blind to her faults.
Ali's kit had been laid out on the bed, not just her clothing but all the weapons and equipment that she habitually carried on what Salli had dubbed “Your Very Useful Belt.” Much of it was survival gear, on the offside chance that they ended up separated from the other colonists back on Greenholme. The rest were weapons, including several knives and the plasma blaster she also carried, and had set aside for the stunners she kept hidden in the inner pocket of her waistcoat and up the wide sleeve her blouse. That was all that was really necessary on civilized Foxen Prime, or so Lady Salli had reassured her. She still felt vaguely naked without the rest of it though.
After putting her clothing away and setting her weapons inside a lockable drawer, Ali checked her messages on her palm comp. There was one from Aunt Razi, reassuring her that she and the rest of what Ali had mentally dubbed “The Family Horde” had arrived safely groundside and back to their homes. She debated replying to it, but set the message aside for now. With everything that was happening with Lady Salli and her parents, Ali couldn't deal with the additional stress right now of pretending to be a civilized person around the Blacksailor clan.
Her comp bleeped once, a short three note tone that signaled it was from Salli. Ali opened it at once, and read the two word message.
NEED YOU
She set the comp back in her pocket and strode immediately across the hallway, into Salli's suite. Ali didn't have time to get the “Yes, Salli?” she was about to say from her open mouth before Salli's arms were wrapping around her and Ali was pressed up against the closing door, Salli's mouth against hers as the tall, spare, beautiful noblevixen planted a deep kiss in her muzzle.
Ali relaxed into it, knowing Salli's need to establish control, not over Ali but over herself, as she felt the noblevixen's body shuddering, fighting the urge to break down completely.
“It's all right.... It's all right, milady,” Ali whispered to her, as Salli broke off the kiss and allowed them both to come up for air.
“No it is not,” Salli whispered back fiercely, her arms not loosing their grip on Ali. “My parents want me to get over you. Want me to give you up. I am not giving you up. I'm not throwing you away.”
“I know.” Ali pulled an arm free of Salli’s grip, petting her headfur gently. “We’re fine. We’ll be fine.”
“Yes,” Salli agreed, relaxing slightly. “There are options, always options.”
Ali nodded, guiding Salli back to the suite’s conversation pit, where they cuddled together, Ali’s cheek resting on the older vixen’s bosom. “We don’t have to get married for one thing,” Ali pointed out. “We could just stay together. No one has to know we're lovers.”
“No,” Salli said, in a voice suddenly so grating with pain it made the younger vixen flinch. “I am not hiding you away. I will not be ashamed of loving you. I am done pretending to be anything except myself. They are just going to have to accept that. And if they can't, then I can say to the Cold and Dark with my peerage, to being Greenholme's governor, to my whole family if need be. If Mother and Father can't swallow me marrying you, let Rolas and Melanie produce the next Darktail heir for our House. You are my heart's love, you are the vixen I wish to be mated to, and I will not accept you being anything less for the sake of someone else's opinion.”
“Salli...” Alinadar sighed, trying to figure out how to put together her thoughts. Even in a rage her love was much more articulate than the younger vixen could ever hope to be. “How would you feel,” she asked, “if I told you I'd stay with, even if it meant cutting myself off from Lu, and Aunt Razi, and the rest of my family? After just discovering that I still had a family?”
“Ah,” Salli said softly, her anger deflating. “No, I wouldn't be happy about that.” She snuggled in closer against Ali. “But I don't want to give you up, either. We have to find a way to resolve this. One keeps you with me, and doesn't force you to... reduce yourself for the sake of my family.”
“All right,” Ali agreed. She nuzzled Salli's neck lightly. “Do we have to think about it right now, though?”
“Tomorrow,” Salli agreed. “We can start thinking about strategy then. For now, I just want you with me.”
“Yah.” Ali sat up and turned around, straddling Salli's lap, and they began unbuttoning each other's clothing. Soon Ali's blouse, waistcoat and athletic bra lay tossed aside in a heap, along with Salli's dress. Ali unholstered the forearm harness for her palm stunner with considerable more care, setting it aside within easy reach on the arm of the couch.
“I don't think we have to worry about attackers bursting into my rooms, Ali,” Salli said lightly, as their palms began some mutual stroking.
“I'm here to protect you,” Ali replied, rubbing cheeks with her. “I'm always going to protect you.”
“And I you. Don't ever forget that.”
Ali smiled. “Never.”
