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Joy:
“Anita, loosen your stitches or this section will be too short,” Joy said. She’d never seen any crochet work look so terrible. It looked as if Titi might’ve crocheted the piece. Of course, it could have been her fault. She’d given advice, and then her mind had wandered to the last visit with Rojan, in which he declared his infatuation with her. He’d kissed her within an inch of her life until she’d agreed to not avoid him any longer. She’d held out a good amount of time because his kisses were so wondrous.
“Are you sure?” Anita asked. “I don’t want the air to waft through the stitches and make the blanket too chilly...”
Anita’s voice brought her back to awareness. The ladies were all staring confusedly at her, as her head angled and her lips opened in the daydream as if to accept his kiss.
She snapped her mouth shut and straightened her head, but Pariah saved her the embarrassment.
“At this rate, your blanket is going to be a wash rag.” Pariah snickered. “And while it’s nice and quiet in here...Joy, tell me about this Rojan.”
Joy sighed. “I’d like to lose my virginity to him. Oh, I know he’s here to kill me as Joy. But as Jo, well, she wants to lose it before Joy dies. Jannie’s helping me with sex lessons...”
“Tramp,” Tris whispered.
Virginia and Molli giggled.
“Shame on you,” Pariah admonished. “I taught you better than that. If your sister wishes to lose her virginity, she doesn’t need you three treating her the same as the Quaker males do and making her feel guilty for having normal, womanly feelings.”
The other ladies looked properly chastised. “We have those feelings, too, Mother Pariah.”
“It’s just Pariah now. I am a Freijian by marriage, and no longer Puritan.”
“Did you renounce your citizenship?”
“I did,” Pariah said proudly.
“Oh, dear.” Lara bit her lip. “I’m not sure if that was a good idea. Should the girls need a witness, you wouldn’t be allowed to take the stand in their defense.”
“We’ll have to make sure they’re never caught, won’t we?” Pariah sounded unperturbed. “Besides, I have a back-up plan. It’s why I asked my dear husband Lennard to drop me off here for a few days while he meets with the Mayor’s Council.”
“You do? What is it?”
“As you know, Puritans come from prestigious, wealthy families. Joy here is from one of the wealthiest of them all. And if necessary, I shall swallow my pride and contact my sworn enemy to beg her for help in protecting my girls.”
“Who is my family?” Joy asked.
“Why, my dear, you come from the royal family of Fagina.”
“Fudge-eye-na?” Anita snickered. “Sounds like—” She was elbowed into silence.
“Millie Fagina, Mayor’s Peenis’s wife, is your very own sister. She has benefitted greatly from your Puritan sacrifice.”
Joy’s jaw dropped. “But she’s so old!”
“She’s my age,” Pariah all but snapped. “We’re but a mere ten cycles from your tender virginal age. I have one, maybe two, very minor laugh lines, barely visible except for in the brightest of light. And that is only because I am so happy lately. Granted, Millie has not aged as well...”
“I don’t want to be a slut,” Joy said. “Like Wilma said. Because what if all Puritans eventually go crazy, like she did? I feel so different now—since we’ve come to this planet.”
“You’re exposed to situations here that you’ve never encountered. It’s normal to be confused and having feelings arise that you’ve never dealt with.” Pariah sighed. “It doesn’t make you a slut in any way, shape or form. Look, girls. You were taken as babies and kept locked in a virtuous tower, away from the world. You were trained on how to be meek, and sweet. You have not had any outside influences whatsoever and suddenly, you were banished to this planet where you were exposed to other races, and cultures and joys such as music and dancing...”
“They didn’t even have dancing?” Anita asked.
“No,” Pariah said sadly. “All they’ve known is prayer. And that is partly my fault. In trying to make up for my early transgressions, I allowed Wilma to take too much liberty in the raising of the young girls. I wanted them to be banished along with me to correct the errors, but things have escalated horribly. The Quakers are sparing no expense to kill the Puritans. They don’t want their tradition destroyed of raising perfect women for themselves. So this batch will be sacrificed in order to return things to the way they were. My dear,” she turned to Joy, “you are only a slut if you believe it. As modern women, the four of you need to stand up and confront labels and limitations placed upon you.”
The front door opened as Marcie walked in, Titi and Reese in tow with small, fuzzy blankets and dolls. She had left earlier to check on the men, saying, “We can’t leave them alone for too long. Who knows what they’ll get into?”
“How were the guys?” Lara asked. “I see you brought the little bits.” She leaned down to accept a wet kiss from Titi.
“It was nap time, but these two were being obnoxious and bugging the other children. So I told them they’d sleep here in the corner. Go lay down, you two.”
Titi and Reese took their blankets and dolls to the corner, away from the ladies. They lay on their sides, facing each other, and giggling softly as they hugged their dolls.
Marcie sighed. “Our guys are great. You can’t believe what they’re doing! Tea. My wonderful, genteel husband is teaching the guys how to appreciate tea and bake scrumptious scones. You know he once said you want to be delicate with your scones just like you’d be delicate with your lady.”
Anita’s mouth dropped. “Bajoc?”
“Well, how many genteel husbands do I have?” Marcie snapped. “And you, Miss Anita,”—she mimicked Bajoc’s voice—“are so very lucky. I saw Kamau sitting in the front of the class, paying rapt attention.”
“Are you sure that’s what they were doing?” Anita asked suspiciously.
“Very. Bajoc was wearing that ruffled pirate shirt the Commander found at a trading post. He only wears it to tea.”
“I hate that thing,” Lara swore. “Every day Tristan asks if it would be polite to ask Bajoc to replicate it. Every day I assure him it’s rude as hell to ask for a personal belonging to be replicated.”
Marcie grimaced. “Yeah, I don’t know what Goodwill post the commander found that one at, but at least the men are trying for a fashion statement. Twenty years from now, we’ll look back at our hair and their shirts and laugh.”
“Some woman is grateful she talked her husband in donating that thing,” Diamond snickered.
“But I’m proud of Bajoc for working so hard at bringing your men up to speed,” Marcie said. “I’m going to crochet him something lovely. Perhaps a new blazer so he can look professional when he teaches his classes.”
“I’m not sure if you’re that good yet,” Joy said carefully. “We just started learning a few basic stitches...”
“Pfft,” Marcie snorted. “What’s so difficult? I’ll crochet two long pieces and roll them together, stitching them closed for sleeves. Then I’ll crochet one long piece for the midsection, folding it over for shoulders. I’ll sew the sleeves on, and voilà! A blazer.”
“We’ll call it the Frankenstein collection with all the stitched pieces,” Anita snickered.
Marcie narrowed her eyes. “You’re just jealous.”
“Jealous? You said Kamau was sitting up front, being an apt pupil. That means he wants to learn. You know why? For me. To impress me. Hell, I’m gonna make him something, too. I got a start right here. A pair of pants will be easier than a blazer because you haven’t even figured out where you’re gonna stick the hole for the head when your blazer folds over his shoulders.”
“Um, the pants may be too short,” Joy said gently. She didn’t want to insult the poor woman, but the statement of pants for anyone’s legs, much less the giant warriors, was a wee bit ridiculous. The humans couldn’t even stitch a simple square with four even sides. And Joy had stressed the importance to them of the sides being even.
“I’ll just make them longer,” Anita announced. She yanked and pulled the bits of fabric that she had just crocheted like bread dough.
Joy sighed. That had been lesson number one she just ruined...not to stretch the yarn as one stitched.
“Tristan needs a shirt,” Lara said. “He’s such a good husband. He signed up for the class just to support his buddy, Bajoc. It’s not like he needed tea lessons.”
“Are you saying Kamau did?” Anita’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you remember when men’s rompers were all the rage?” Marcie asked. “I’ll bet if you make an extra long shirt and fasten it with a quick stitch between the legs, it’ll make a really elegant romper.”
Anita snorted. “Yeah. Maybe with a beanie. You know what’s cool about knitting? We don’t have to make holes for their horns in the beanie. They can just poke their horns through.”
“Crochet, not knit,” Joy corrected.
“Ladies, let’s not quibble,” Joy said. “Let’s just focus on the clothing you wish to make your men.” Suddenly the Frankenstitched clothing didn’t sound like such a bad idea. These real humans were a dramatic lot. Thankfully, the thought of working on the clothing smoothed over the ugliness in the mates’ eyes, too.
“I’ll start more slowly than them,” Diamond said. “I’ll just knit a tie for Kresna.”
“Crochet,” Joy corrected softly.
“Whatever. I’ll make him a lovely tie.”
“I always thought a man with a scarf all knotted around his throat was sexy,” Jannie said. “And we’d like to get pregnant, so I’ll make the scarf in pink and blue for my amazing Chautles.”
“Dammit, I was gonna use those colors for Tristan since we have a boy and a girl,” Lara snapped. “Oh well, I guess I’ll make his in a neutral lemon yellow and spring green.”
“Maybe a nice mint,” Marcie suggested helpfully.
“Yes. That’ll go nice with his coloring,” Lara said, pacified.
Joy looked at the wide eyes of her sisters as they stared at the interaction of the humans. These humans were weird. They had absolutely no fashion sense. Not like the Puritans who were boldly exploring colors and frou-frou fabrics.
“I’m wearing my wedding gown tonight,” Virginia announced. “But I’m enhancing it. Making it sexy with a slit up the front of the skirt that reaches all the way up to a slit that bares my cleavage. That slit will have a wide gap, exposing the valley between my breasts, and narrows down to my waist. I’ll fasten the area where they meet at the center with a bow.”
All the humans stared agape.
“What?”
“Um, you only wear a wedding dress during a wedding. You know that, right?”
“Well, how else will I tell Baub I now wish to get married unless he sees how beautiful I am in it?”
“That makes sense,” Tris said, nodding helpfully.
“Um, it’s bad luck for the groom to see you dressed in it before the wedding,” Anita said.
“Technically, he’s not her groom,” Joy said. “He’s not even her boyfriend, really.”
Anita shrugged. “I guess that’s a good point.”
“I’ll wear the prom dress,” Joy announced.
“I’m not wearing a dress,” Molli said. “I’m going to try out those cool see-through pants we made after seeing those belly dancing clothes. Oh! I have to remember to shave these legs...”
Joy shuddered. She couldn’t believe they never thought to shave under Pariah’s care. It was a good thing they met these humans. She loved the way the silky smooth skin felt instead. That was the best part about all these fashion clothes they’d discovered. All the different textures. As Puritans, all they ever wore was itchy, heavy wool. While it was excellent for covering up the hairy legs, (and truth be told, the thick forest between their thighs) it was cumbersome.
But those days were long gone. She’d never go back to being a Quakestrarian Puritan. Who cares what she was born and bred for? In fact, it wouldn’t be long now before she wouldn’t even be a virgin.
Dear Goddess of the Sacred Oyster. That was the answer. She’d be the first of her sisters to actually seduce Rojan, way before Virginia, who at the moment seemed to be angling for marriage if they lived. She’d seduce him tomorrow, as a matter of fact. Mother Pariah had set her straight.
“Screw the prom dress. I’m going to wear the sheer belly dancer clothing, too.” She announced suddenly. So sheer, he would know exactly what he was getting.
“She only knitting with oooone neeedle,” Titi whispered to Reese. The two gave hysterical, sleepy giggles.
* * * * *
THE SISTERS WERE DISTRACTED, arguing over the outfits they were going to wear, when Joy slipped out the front door.
Now what? Should she just wander the village, hoping to run into Rojan again? Or should she wander back and forth in front of his ship a few times, hoping he’d come out and notice her there?
Darn it, she didn’t think about this part. Perhaps she’d go see Jannie and have lesson number three. But to get there, she had to go around the Echo Nine ship. The men were nowhere to be found. She could easily have snuck into their vessel to spy, if she had been an evil Puritan, that is.
Instead, she hurried around the ship, heading into the wooded area. A nest of birds fluttered away as she approached, and walked along the small dirt trail. The gurgling of the Bubbled Waterfalls was up ahead. If she wanted small ones one day, she would know to trick Rojan into taking her there.
Or she could simply suck on cucumbers.
Jannie’s house came into view. The front door was open, though Jannie was nowhere in sight. She took a deep breath before she knocked. Hopefully Jannie wasn’t steam-vaging.
“Knock, knock,” she called out through the screen door. “Are you busy?”
“No, dearie, come on in.”
“I was hoping you’d be up for lesson three? We’ve studied one and two.” She refrained from mentioning she still didn’t know squat about either.
“Of course. “
Jannie’s voice sounded funny, coming from the sofa the way it did. Well, land sakes, that was why. The woman was sitting on the sofa upside down, with her head on the floor, her back spread over the seat portion and her feet up on the back of it.
She knew she shouldn’t ask. She knew it. But she couldn’t help it. “Jannie, what are you doing now?”
Jannie winked, which looked odd considering all the blood had gathered in her face. “Chautles and I just did a little baby making. Right here on the living room sofa. So I thought, what better place to help his little swimmers along to find my egg than right here? It’s like salmon. They always go home to reproduce.”
Swimmers? She had no idea what hanging upside down had to do with swimmers. And she had no idea what a salmon was. But this seemed like it would be another odd day, so perhaps she should forego the sex lesson. “I can come back later,” she said, backing slowly out of the room.
“No! Sit,” Jannie barked. “The mysterious Jannie of Arc has come up with something.”
Joy quickly sat. Eww. The sofa felt warmed. Did they have sweaty alien sex in this spot? Humans and Freijians combined were a strange lot. Inconspicuously, she moved over to the chair to sit. Much better. The seat of the chair was cool to touch.
“When I met Rojan, I told him I was experienced. He seemed to like that. Now however, he has made sure to tell me that he can’t offer me anything but a magical time while he is here. I’ve let him know that is what I want, too. Not Mr. Right, but Mr. Right Now. But I’m afraid he may be getting attached now—”
“Mr. Magical Time, huh? Well, now it makes sense,” Jannie said.
“What does?”
“Chautles told me Echo Nine was worried about catching STDs. Because they think you’ve been deflowered.”
“Deflowered? STDs? What is that?”
“Deflowered is when a girl loses her virginity. Her orchid loses a flower. A sexually transmitted disease is...well, they think you gals are loosy goosy.”
Joy stared at her, not understanding.
“Like you’ve taken on a few football teams in your life.”
Joy continued looking at her with a blank stare.
“If you’re sexually active, it increases your chances to catch something if you’ve experienced quite a few men...”
“Catch something? Like a bug?”
“Um, yes. Bugs in your bush. Or a disease.”
“I shall shave mine completely off immediately,” Joy said, horrified. “I will instruct my sisters of today’s valuable lesson.” She leaned in. “Jannie, do you think we already have a disease?”
Jannie smiled, which looked terrifying upside down.
Joy gulped. She knew she wasn’t going to like the answer.
* * * * *
“JO!” SHE TURNED TO see Rojan coming toward her from the path in the woods.
“You should have come to get me,” he said. “You know it’s dangerous to walk the streets alone.”
“I thought about it,” she admitted shyly. “But I didn’t want to bother you.”
“What bother could you possibly be? I already told you how I felt about you.”
They walked in a companionable silence for a moment.
“I’d like to have you over for dinner,” he said. “My quarters.”
She stopped walking and turned to him. This was a do or die moment. No matter what the girls said, this was her chance. She could seduce him and hope he didn’t kill her when he found out who and what she was.
Or she could go back to being a frightened little virgin that the Quakers would come for.
And if she was going, she was going with a bang. “I’d love to,” she said.
His lips turned up, exposing deep lines on the sides of his lean cheeks. “I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“I’m very excited.”
It was true. Strange things were flitting about in her midsection...and trying to fly deeper. As if they were exploring the sacred area between her thighs. The area where Rojan’s enormous bulge had been pressed. Dear Goddess, just the thought of his bulge pressing against her secret spot made the most uncanny feeling erupt...like moisture slicking at the sacred area.
She licked her lips.
“Josie, you are the most beautiful female I have ever come across,” he said.
This time, she didn’t even notice that he called her Josie. No, somehow, somewhere, she had come to accept herself as Josie.
“You are the most handsome Freijian I’ve ever met,” she said honestly.
“Do you still want me?” He asked hoarsely.
“Every day.”
His head lowered. This time, she knew enough to turn her head up. His eyes closed, masking the beautiful blue color, and hers followed.
Doh! This kiss occurred naturally...and she realized his eyelids had fluttered shut. How could she not have noticed during the first kiss that she’d kept hers fully open? Had he opened his to peek and saw her eyes wide and crossed? How truly embarrassing to be a virginal Puritan.
He didn’t have to work at opening her mouth this time. She knew what to expect. No, this time she opened first, and her tongue snaked into his mouth. He seemed more excited at her lead, and pulled her closer to him.
Did she dare touch him? Right now her arms locked of their own accord around his neck. She trailed one hand down his chest. Oooh, so hard. The firm pectoral muscles quivered underneath her exploring touch. She took her hand lower than she ever dared...and rubbed the bulge below his belt.
He pulled his mouth from hers to mutter, “Sweet Goddess,” in a strangled voice.
The bulge hardened further, and a heady excitement pulsed in the air. She could lose her virginity right here, right now. All she had to do was release his bulging cock from his pants and blow on it. Lesson number two.
Her clumsy fingers became deft as they maneuvered the buttons at his waist. Then a dilemma occurred. Should she tug the tight material of his uniform down? Or should she delve in after the snake and pull it out? She was going for the latter, because she imagined it was probably more than eager to be freed and would practically jump into her palm.
The waistband of his pants opened and she felt the hot, hair-roughened trail along his abdomen. Ooh, that was to-die-for sexy. Tiny hairs tickled her fingertips as she dove down...she almost jumped as she felt his fleshy manhood. It was curled, but hard. Just like she’d imagine a snake would lie.
And it obviously felt good for him. He groaned. Groaned! She had magical powers over this man.
She pulled it out suddenly, and curled her whole palm around it. Then she broke from the kiss so she could look at it.
Stars and galaxies, it was beautiful. A deeper silver tone, and lined with the most beautiful, elegant veins, it practically throbbed for her touch. It was heated like an oven and the thought of that heat rubbing against her pulled an answering warmth from deep inside her.
“Jo...baby,” he gasped.
Baby! Scratch endearment from an admirer off the bucket list. She was on a roll.
She tore her gaze away from his beautiful eyes and focused on the cock in her hand. It also had an eye, centered right in the middle of the large, head-like protrusion on the end. As she stared at it, it seemed to wink. It did, it opened and closed in a snake-like wink! What a remarkable creature.
She opened her mouth to mimic its movement and the eye shed a tear. It wept for her. A tiny, pearl of liquid gathered and she used her thumb to brush it away.
“Jo.” Rojan sounded strangled.
This was it. She couldn’t wait any longer to break her virginity. She stooped down slightly and blew heated breath across his cock. There. It was done. She was a true human woman now.
“What the?! Oh, my!” A feminine voice shrieked.
“Marcie, my dove. Shield Lily’s eyes!” Bajoc’s voice shrilled.
