Volunteer (Selected Book 3)

by Robin Roseau

  "Sometimes I add hot fudge sauce, but I like it this way. It's clean and simple."

  Violet looked into my bowl, and then a free tentacle reached out and she dipped the end in, slurping a little. I stared at her. She caught my expression.

  "Oh no," she said. "Another faux pas."

  I smiled. "Relax. But I'm going to need a spoon. I can't eat that way."

  "Of course."

  They gave me a spoon and put everything away. Then I again saw the advantage of so many limbs as they each easily carried two bowls by two handles while still having two free tentacles to wrap around me again.

  We headed back to the game room.

  When we arrived, Bluebell and Azalea were seated together. The girls passed out the bowls, and then they pulled me down to a cushion between them, never releasing me. But we were close enough that they reached out and touched feet with their mothers. I looked at that for a moment then sighed.

  My legs were too short.

  "You would offer touch?" Azalea asked. Without another word, she and Bluebell moved off their cushion, moved it closer to ours, and then rolled back together. And as easily as that, the five of us were touching as we ate our ice cream.

  Then I reached over with my spoon and slipped past Violet's tentacle to steal a tiny bit from her bowl. Posey took that as permission to slip a tentacle into my bowl, so I stole some of her ice cream as well.

  Azalea and Bluebell stared at all of this. I smiled. "Did either of you want to try it with just plain vanilla?" I looked into my bowl. "Hey!" Posey's tentacle withdrew after slurping the last of my ice cream. "Or not."

  So then I went after her bowl with my spoon, and her tentacle waved at my spoon, trying to chase me away. I giggled while we battled, but then I glanced over and Violet was watching all this, and so I reached over quickly and stole a little more from her bowl instead. I stuck my spoon in my mouth and grinned around it.

  I didn't care for rocky road ice cream, but the cherry I'd gotten was pretty good.

  Everyone finished her ice cream. The tentacles were more thorough than my spoon, so when Violet dipped her nose over to see what I had left in my bowl, I wasn't surprised when she slipped a tentacle in the bowl to slurp it clean.

  In human cultures, it might have been rude, but I decided human rules didn't apply.

  Posey and Violet then pulled away from me and stood up. I was going to stand with them, but Violet waved me back down. They collected everything, returned with hot towels, waited until we had all cleaned, and then took the towels away. A minute later they sank down next to me again.

  Posey leaned towards me. "You looked at your back."

  I nodded then whispered into her ear. "I don't see similar marks on any of you."

  "You are far more delicate than we are, at least this way. I'm sorry, but you taste so good. I hope you're not upset."

  "It will heal," I said.

  "I'm trying not to leave anymore. So is Violet." But then she pushed me forward and looked at my back. "We're failing."

  I leaned over and patted her cheek. "It doesn't hurt. If it's sore tomorrow, then we'll make new rules."

  "Thank you, Skye."

  I nodded.

  After that, the four of them talked, all in Catseye. I could tell they were speaking slowly and carefully, but I let the words roll over me. I spent the time smiling. I laid my head on Violet's shoulder for a while, then shifted to Posey's shoulder. I listened to the words, growing accustomed, but that was the best I could do.

  They talked for some time. I was warm and comfortable and grew sleepy. Eventually I yawned.

  Immediately the conversation stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry."

  Azalea spoke in Catseye for a while, and then she switched to English. "Have you been listening?"

  "Yes."

  "I think perhaps it is late." She stood and helped her wife, and then Violet and Posey untangled from me, and I felt myself pulled to my feet. But it was Bluebell and Azalea that took possession of me, leading me to my room. Azalea gave me a Catseye hug and disappeared towards their bedroom. Bluebell led me into mine, closing the door, and also hugged me, but then she switched to English.

  "There was a little fib earlier," she said.

  "Oh?"

  "Our daughters are flirting with you."

  "I wondered."

  "But you started it."

  "By allowing proper hugs?"

  "No. When you ate from Violet's bowl. They then ate from yours. That was flirting."

  "Not the touch?"

  "No. The touch is just touch, although Violet's hug earlier was also flirting."

  "You could tell?"

  "She isn't as subtle as she thinks she is, and your reaction also gave it away. You weren't offended."

  "No. But I didn't start the flirting. Violet did. She stole some of my ice cream while we were in the kitchen."

  "Did you know it was flirting?"

  "No, but it was definitely flirting when I did it back."

  She offered a chuckle. "We talked about you. Did you know?"

  "No."

  "I was going to wait before making this offer. We would like to invite you into our intensive Catseye language program. At this point, that means two years of language study instead of one, and a variety of outings with us."

  I smiled broadly. "Really?"

  "Yes."

  "I would love to, Bluebell. Is there a fee?"

  "No. Only friendship."

  "I'm not in a position to exchange these types of dinners."

  "Friendship is not about keeping score in that fashion, Skye. You are young, and we do not have expectations of that sort." She smiled. "In a way, you would become a vassal."

  I laughed. "Of all four of you?"

  "Well, mine, but in a way, perhaps yes. If I have expectations of you, I will tell you."

  "You understand I am already bound to someone else, perhaps in a similar fashion."

  "Jasmine Brighteyes?"

  "Yes."

  "She wouldn't have given you this dress if she felt possessive of you in that fashion. The dress is a message to me. But she has the prior claim, so if she expresses concern, it is right to accept her claim in front of mine."

  "Then I would love to be your vassal, Bluebell," I said with a smile.

  "Good." And she pulled me into another hug, completely enveloping me in her tentacles. "Will you be upset if I mark your face very lightly? It will heal by morning."

  "No, I won't be upset, if it heals."

  I felt the lightest of touches, and when I looked later, I saw very light, very small white marks across my cheek and lower lip. I didn't mind, and while it didn't disappear by morning, it was gone once I showered.

  She drew away again.

  "What about your daughters?" I asked. "Is it just flirting?"

  "I think Posey is just flirting and working very hard to tease her sister, but I could be wrong. But she quite clearly said she wants you to be her friend."

  "I'd like that."

  "Violet, on the other hand, may have deeper feelings. If you would like me to warn her off, I can do so."

  "No," I said. "But I need to tell you something, and you may want one more conversation with Jasmine Brighteyes."

  "Oh?"

  I paused before saying anything. "I intend to date, but I am here first and foremost to attend school. I will be holding my emotions in reserve."

  "I believe I will speak more plainly than you just did."

  I smiled. "All right."

  "Did you just tell me you might enjoy dating my daughter, but you wouldn't consider marrying her?"

  "No, that's not at all what I said. But I won't let myself think about that path for a long time."

  "And somehow Jasmine Brighteyes could offer clarity?"

  "She and I have talked longer about it," I said.

  "You and I could talk longer."

  I offered a pained expression, and Bluebell recognized it, in spite of our alien differences.

  "Th
ere are things you aren't telling me."

  "Yes."

  "Things Jasmine knows, but you don't want to tell me."

  "Yes, and I don't know what she'll tell you, either. But I won't mind if you talk to her."

  "Does this have anything to do with my request to have you called for Testing, only to be denied?"

  I paused before answering. "I know the real reason for Testing."

  "If you know who Dr. Moirai and Sapphire Fletcher are, I rather thought you might. When you offered Jasmine's name, I was sure of it."

  I wasn't sure what I should say. "I think you should talk to Jasmine."

  "Did you know I work for her?"

  "No. I thought she handled the center in Africa."

  "She is the head of the entire program. There is a program head in each region, and that person reports to Jasmine Brighteyes."

  "If you call her, would she take your call?"

  "Yes, but it would be unusual."

  "If I email her, she'll call you, Bluebell. I really don't want to talk about this though."

  She cocked her head. "Something is going on."

  "Please stop asking."

  She nodded. "All right. But I may talk to Jasmine Brighteyes about you."

  "As much as she'll allow, but please don't ask me anything more about this, unless she says it's okay, and please, please don't talk to anyone else about me."

  "Of course." She stepped further away. "Will you be comfortable?"

  "Yes."

  "Very good. If you need anything, feel free to ask."

  "What do I do about your daughters?"

  "Whatever you each mutually want. You're all adults."

  "I don't know what to do if Violet is doing more than flirting."

  "Because you don't want more than flirting."

  "Because I don't want to hurt her if she wants a serious commitment, and I wouldn't want to mislead her."

  "She won't expect a serious commitment after a little flirting, Skye, and I'll talk to Jasmine Brighteyes long before she might. I'll handle her expectations."

  "You know, this is a weird conversation."

  "Yes, I suppose it is. Good night, Skye."

  A moment later she was gone. I then slipped out of the dress, hung it up, and then climbed into my pajamas. I used the bathroom and then returned to the bedroom.

  I was a little wired and not ready to sleep. In my pack, I had one of my textbooks, so I pulled it out and began reading. A few minutes later, there was a scratching at the door. When it repeated, I thought I'd see what was causing it. I moved to the door and opened it, and I found both sisters standing at the door. They were nearly naked, and I found myself staring.

  Not that there was much to see, but it was a little shocking.

  "You sleep in those?" Violet asked, pointing to my pajamas.

  "Not always," I said. "Um."

  "There's a human custom."

  "Oh?"

  "Slumber party."

  I smiled. "I love slumber parties." Honestly, I'd never had one. "Here?"

  "You have the biggest bed," Violet said. "Will you invite us in?"

  I opened the door more widely and stepped aside. They both stepped in, and I closed the door. When I turned around, Violet was waiting right there, and I found myself in a hug. Then her tentacles began fighting with the pajamas top, and finally she pushed away. She looked upset.

  "You aren't going to let us touch you anymore? Are you mad about your back?"

  "I'm not mad. I didn't know I'd have company. But I think we need to talk first." I took a hand from each and pulled them to the bed. They saw my textbook.

  "You were studying," said Posey.

  "I'm wide awake and not ready to sleep. The two of you are far better than chemistry." I pushed the book aside and pulled them onto the bed with me. We sat in a triangle. "Humans are weird about something."

  "Humans are weird about a lot of things."

  "One of the things we're weird about is clothing."

  The two looked at each other, and then they slumped. "We'll go," Posey said gently.

  "I wish you wouldn't," I said.

  "We wore bottoms," Violet said.

  "You wouldn't normally?"

  "No."

  "Do the two of you share a bed normally?"

  "Sometimes, not normally. We can go put more clothes on."

  "Please wait," I said.

  "This was too much, wasn't it?" Posey asked. She gestured to herself. "You turned a different color when you saw us. You were embarrassed."

  "I'm sorry about earlier," Violet added. "I forgot human women are sensitive about their breasts."

  "We don't have them," Posey added.

  "I see that."

  "We can go," Violet said.

  "Are you too embarrassed to stay?"

  "We made you uncomfortable. You were so accepting of everything else, but this made you uncomfortable. We didn't want that."

  "Well, I wish you would just relax," I said. "Please don't go."

  "You're sure? We could put shirts on and come back."

  "If you wanted to do that, you can, but you don't have to. If I were Catseye, what would you be wearing?"

  "Probably nothing," Posey said. "We dress for the weather, not modesty."

  "And fashion," Violet added. "I love the dresses we wore tonight, and yours was amazing, too."

  "I liked how you looked, too." I paused. "Unless they make you uncomfortable, please keep the bottoms." Then I looked down at myself. I was wearing undies and pajamas. I squirmed around and ditched the pajama bottoms then unbuttoned all but one button of the top. "If I'm invited in the future, I'll bring things that give me my modesty while giving you more to touch."

  "Really?"

  "Really. So, what happens in a Catseye slumber party?"

  "Well..." Then Posey leaned closer. She spoke in rapid Catseye, and Violet leaned closer as well. I felt crowded, by I held my place.

  "You let Mother mark your face!"

  "Don't get any ideas," I said.

  "You accepted our offer."

  "I'd have ben a fool not to, don't you think?"

  I was suddenly enveloped in a three way hug, and this time tentacles found places to slide inside my pajamas. I received a brief brush against the side of one breast, but the tentacle adjusted, and they held me tightly.

  We stayed like that for a while before they slowly released me.

  "So, what now?" I asked.

  "Well, we already ate, but we can bring in more food if you're hungry."

  "No way," I said. "But if you two are."

  "I'm fine," said Violet. "It's just that junk food is a standard in both Catseye and Human slumber parties."

  I laughed.

  "What happens in a Human slumber party?"

  "I've never had one," I said. "But in the movies, they do makeovers."

  "What's that?"

  "They do each other's hair or makeup. They talk about boys, too." We all made a face and then laughed.

  "We can play another round of the game," Violet offered.

  "You just want to win her this time," Posey said. "I don't want to be left out, and if I win her a second time, then you'll feel left out twice."

  "You two didn't have a plan?"

  "Our plan was to get past the door," Violet said. "That's as far as we got."

  I laughed. "I know what I want to do."

  "Oh?"

  "You two have been touching -- and marking -- me. I haven't really looked at you two."

  "Oh. Sure."

  For the next twenty minutes, they showed me our differences, or at least most of them. It was Posey who said, "We're a little different here." She gestured between her legs. "But not that different."

  "And you know this, how?"

  "Human physiology class," she said with a smirk. "What did you think?"

  "Past human girlfriends."

  "Nope. Never," she said. "You're the first human I've hugged."

  "I hugged Charlotte McI
ntosh," Violet said, "but no tentacles."

  "If you didn't taste, it doesn't count," I declared. She laughed. "So, you don't need a guy to make a baby."

  They made faces again. "No," said Posey. "I feel bad for human women."

  "You know about cell division, right?" Violet asked. I nodded. "Well, for us, we do a cell merger. Think of two eggs merging together. They aren't actually eggs, but that's the concept."

  "Oh, wow," I said. "That's kind of cool."

  "The tricky part is we have to synchronize our cycle. Two women sharing bodies long enough will synchronize cycles. And then one of them can choose to, well, share fluids. The other chooses to accept, and that's how she becomes pregnant. But it can only happen at certain points in our cycle, and it's entirely voluntary besides."

  "Wow."

  "Every species does it a little differently," Posey said. "Some a lot differently."

  "Wow," I said again. "I didn't know any of this."

  "But you knew how to accept a hug."

  "Talk to Bluebell about that."

  "We will," said Posey. "You know what I want to do now?"

  "What's that?"

  "I've heard humans are very, very ticklish."

  "Oh god."

  "I want to see if it's true." She waved her fingers and tentacles at me.

  "I don't think so."

  "I'll make it worth your while."

  "I don't think so," I repeated.

  "Backrub afterwards."

  At that I stilled. "How long do you want to tickle me?"

  She grinned. "Are going to get mad?"

  "I'm not lying still so you can tickle me. Heck, I don't think I could lie still while you tickled me, if you actually know how."

  "We watched videos," Violet said. "Catseye aren't ticklish."

  "But we tried anyway," Posey added.

  "Backrub?" I asked.

  They both nodded. "But you'll have to lie on your stomach and take your top off."

  "I want to see your back," Violet added. Then she said, almost shyly. "Will you let us see your breasts? I've never seen a real breast."

  "There are videos."

  "It's not the same."

  "I'm not quite ready for that, Violet. I'm sorry."

  Posey reached out with a tentacle and caressed my arm. "You have fur here."

  "Very light fur, yes."

  "We don't. Is this why it tickles to be touched? And is being ticklish why humans don't touch as much as we do?"

  "If you caress very lightly so you are just caressing the little hairs, then it eventually starts to tickle, but at first it feels really nice."