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WARNING\cf0 : This story contains sexually explicit material involving adolescent children and incest. This story also contains mild violence and profanity. If such content is illegal to view in your area or you are not of legal age to view such content, close your RTF reader now.\
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.\
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\f1\b\fs36 \cf0 Masala Chai
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\fs28 by IndigoNeko and TaintedThylacine
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\f1\b\fs28 \cf0 Chapter 15
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\f1\b \cf0 Saturday, May 7th, 2016\
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\f0\b0 \cf0 \'93Anyway, you\'92ll need to stop taking your testosterone-blockers so that the doctor can get an accurate read on your base hormone levels when we go to the hospital on Thursday,\'94 Raenne explained as they walked towards the gymnasium, following a sheep in a white karate gi. \'93That\'92s why they weren\'92t on your counter this morning.\'94\
\
\'93Oh. Okay,\'94 Alex said, slinging the small duffel bag with hir pads and spare clothes over hir shoulder.\
\
Raenne jogged the last few feet to catch the door that the ram was holding for them, then held it open as her daughter caught up and walked through the door as well. The high school gymnasium that the ISKF had managed to book for the tournament was absolutely packed, with four separate \'91rings\'92 in use for the individual matches, plus another two open areas designated for belt tests. \
\
The bleachers were packed with people, only a third of which were wearing white karate gis like themselves. The rest looked to be mostly parents who had come to watch their kids compete in the tournament. As they walked in, Raenne turned to a horse in a white gi with a black belt and a clipboard standing near the door. \'93Where\'92s the belt test enrollment sheet?\'94\
\
\'93Right here,\'94 the horse said with a smirk. \'93All examinees must be wearing a white gi with the shotokan logo on the lapel, a belt colored according to their current rank, and must wear gloves and a mouth guard during the kumite portion of the exam,\'94 he added, holding out the clipboard he\'92d been holding, along with a pen.\
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Raenne accepted the clipboard and pen. The first empty slot was halfway down the list. Apparently they were doing belt tests every ten minutes. The tigress sighed and wrote down Alex\'92s full name, plus the belt shi was testing for, then handed the clipboard back over. The horse gave a short bow, then handed the tigress another form. \'93Please fill this out and have it ready to give to the judges when they call out the examinee\'92s name. Don\'92t write anything on the back; they\'92ll be using it for point tracking.\'94\
\
\'93Thank you,\'94 the older tigress said, glancing down at her daughter. \'93You heard all that, love?\'94\
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\'93Yes, Mom,\'94 the younger tigress said, looking around. \'93I didn\'92t think there\'92d be so many people...\'94\
\
\'93There\'92s probably only fifty or so competitors, plus about that many people taking belt tests. But when you include the instructors, judges, examiners, and all the friends and family of those who are competing... It does get a bit crowded. I\'92d guess there\'92s probably three hundred people here,\'94 the tigress said, walking towards the bleachers. \'93Your exam is at eleven o\'92clock. Let\'92s go find a seat and we can watch the tournament while we wait. I\'92ll explain all the rules.\'94 \
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Raenne watched from the edge of the mat as her daughter went through the various Kihon, the basic moves such as punches, blocks, and kicks... from the \'91sanbon zuki\'92 triple strike to the \'91yoko geri kekomi\'92 side thrust kick. Alex knew far more advanced Kihon, but the examiners were only testing what was on the 5th kyu exam requirements. \
\
The tigress watched calmly as the examiners called out Heian Yondan, the fourth \'91peaceful mind\'92 Kata. It was one of over a dozen that Alex already knew by heart. With that many Kata floating around in her daughter\'92s head, it was entirely possible shi might accidentally mix and match part of one kata with another. Hence the reason Raenne had been teaching Alex weapon forms to keep hir occupied, instead of more advanced Karate forms. \
\
The little tigress standing in the center of the mat quickly bowed towards the examiners, then called out the name of the kata before shi began the twenty-seven moves that it consisted of. Raenne idly nibbled at her lower lip as she watched her daughter go through each motion, performing them at a quarter speed and making sure to do them flawlessly, slightly exaggerating each movement for the judges benefit. A minute later, Alex finished the last move, standing once again in the center of the mat. \
\
The older tigress grinned as her daughter bowed once again to the judges before walking in her direction to get hir gloves and mouth protector for the Kumite portion of the exam. Given how well shi had done, it was practically a given that Alex would earn hir purple belt today, not that Raenne expected any less. Perhaps it was time to tell her daughter about her plans for summer.\
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Ravi turned the heat up under the pot of basmati rice, then covered it with a lid. Next he poured the milk into a small pan and carefully measured out a few strands of saffron into a mortar and pestle before quickly grinding it up and dumping the powder into the milk, using a small brush to get every last fleck of the precious spice out of the mortar, then turned up the heat under the small pan and the skillet next to it.\
\
\'93Thanks, Naani,\'94 the tiger boy said as his grandmother set the cutting board down on the counter next to the skillet. He quickly put a few tablespoons of oil into the skillet, then picked up the wooden board and scraped the sliced onion and green chiles in before turning and handing the cutting board back to his grandmother. While waiting for the onions to cook, he carefully started measuring cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, garam masala, mace, bay leaves, and a few other spices into the skillet as well. \
\
By the time the onions were almost done, Lanka set the cutting board down next to him again, this time covered with a small pile of finely chopped mint and cilantro. He quickly scraped that in, followed by the diced lamb that had been marinating all day. \'93Well, that\'92s that. Now we wait.\'94\
\
\'93
\f2 \uc0\u2354 \u2337 \u2364 \u2325 \u2368 
\f0  
\f2 \uc0\u2351 \u2361 \u2366 \u2305 
\f0  
\f2 \uc0\u2325 \u2348 
\f0  
\f2 \uc0\u2361 \u2379 \u2327 \u2368 
\f0 ?\'94 the elderly white tigress asked.\
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\'93Uh... Alex will be here at six,\'94 Ravi said, quickly glancing at the clock on the range. \'93Thirty minutes.\'94\
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Lanka nodded, then walked over to the kitchen table to sit down. Ravi watched as she gingerly leaned back against the back of the chair, straightening her back and closing her eyes, taking a few quick breaths before visibly relaxing. He knew she had some kind of arthritis, and couldn\'92t stand for very long.\
\
The tiger boy turned back to the stove and checked the rice, then turned the heat down to low on all three burners before turning and padding over to his grandmother. He bent and gave her a kiss. She opened her eyes for a moment, giving him a radiant smile, squeezing his paw as he stood before he turned to head back to the living room where his dad was watching television... reruns of the original BBC Top Gear.\
\
The tiger boy stood at the base of the stairs watching the television for a moment, grinning at the three men\'92s absurd claims about the reliability of the Toyota Hilux. He\'92d already watched this episode though, and turned to go up the stairs, stopping at his sister\'92s room. \'93Dinner\'92s cooking and Alex should be here in a half hour,\'94 he announced. \
\
\'93Yay!\'94 Aruna yelled, quickly hopping off her bed and turning to straighten it before going around the room and picking up stuffed toys, clothes, dolls, coloring books, and other random odds and ends that were strewn all over the floor. \
\
Ravi watched his sister clean her room for a moment with a smile. It amused him that she cared enough about appearances to clean her room just because Alex was coming over. \'93Don\'92t want her to see how messy your room is, huh?\'94 he teased.\
\
The younger white tiger cub huffed at him while throwing her dirty clothes in the closet hamper. \'93You\'92re one to talk,\'94 she said. \'93You\'92ve got dirty socks under your bed that have been there for a week!\'94\
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Ravi opened his mouth for a retort, but... actually she had a point. He sighed and turned around, heading back to his room to do a bit of quick cleaning before Alex arrived.\
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An hour later, Aruna finished loading the last of the dirty dishes, then put a tablet in the dispenser before closing the dishwasher and hitting the button to start the wash cycle. The young tigress turned and joined Alex and her grandmother at the table. She didn\'92t know anything about cooking, but she could at least help to translate between them while they discussed recipes. \
\
Apparently Alex did a 
\f3\i lot
\f0\i0  of cooking, along with hir mom, and knew several Indian recipes by heart... enough to debate the best ratios of spices to use in tandoori chicken with a nearly seventy year old Indian woman who barely spoke English. After about ten minutes, Lanka shooed both of them off, grinning broadly at finding out that the American girl that her grandson was wooing knew as much about Indian cuisine as either of her grandchildren did.\
\
\'93Come on,\'94 Aruna said, taking Alex\'92s paw and dragging the tigress out of the dining room and through the living room to the stairs. \'93Don\'92t trip,\'94 she warned with a grin before pelting up the stairs towards her room. By the time Alex walked in, she\'92d already taken out her supply of nail polish and related products. \
\
\'93Okay, sit down here so we can clean the old stuff off,\'94 Aruna said, pointing at the chair in front of her desk. \'93If we just paint over it, it leaves pits where the paint chipped off,\'94 the younger tigress explained, pulling out the bottle of acetone and pack of cotton balls. \'93How the heck did you manage to chip your nails so badly?\'94\
\
Alex sat down at the desk chair and turned sideways, watching as Aruna knelt on the floor next to hir and doused a cotton swab with the astringent chemical. Shi held hir hands straight and flexed the last tip of hir fingers to extend the claws. \'93I... uh... I was practicing using claw swipes for Karate. There\'92s a lot of, uh, \'91secret\'92 moves for people who have claws. They\'92re really dangerous to use in sparring, so you have to practice them on a wooden dummy...\'94\
\
\'93You were scratching wood with your claws?\'94 Aruna asked incredulously. \'93No 
\f3\i wonder
\f0\i0  your nail polish is so messed up,\'94 she said, noticing the badly splintered claw tips. \'93I\'92m gonna have to buff your claws,\'94 she said with an exasperated sigh.\
\
\'93Sorry,\'94 Alex apologized, hir ears going flat against hir head. \'93You\'92re supposed to wrap the dummy in soft leather or foam if you\'92re gonna practice claw strikes on it, but ours is shredded. There\'92s one martial art that\'92s half claw strikes... it\'92s what Bruce Lee used,\'94 Alex explained.\
\
\'93Ravi used to watch old movies with Bruce Lee,\'94 Aruna said. \'93I prefer Jackie Chan. He\'92s funny,\'94 she said with a smile.\
\
\'93Me too,\'94 Alex said, sharing a smile. \'93There\'92s a good one called \'91The Spy Next Door\'92.\'94\
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\'93Oh, I think we might have that,\'94 Aruna said, excitedly. She leaned back and hollered out her door into Ravi\'92s room. \'93Hey Ravi! Do we have \'91The Spy Next Door\'92? With Jackie Chan?\'94\
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\'93Ahhh... I think so,\'94 Ravi called back. \'93Let me finish this race and I\'92ll go look.\'94\
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\'93No hurry. I\'92m doing Alex\'92s nails,\'94 Aruna said, grabbing another cotton ball and dousing it with acetone. \'93It\'92ll take a while. You wouldn\'92t believe how badly chipped her claws are. They couldn\'92t even cut paper right now.\'94\
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Alex blushed; It was a point of pride for felines to keep their claws neat, whether they were dull or sharp. Shi quickly changed the subject. \'93Maybe after we watch the movie, you and Ravi could teach me how to do that dancing stuff?\'94\
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Aruna smiled and looked up at Alex. \'93Oh, I\'92d love to! Only...\'94 The smile she wore suddenly turned into a smirk. \'93Try not to get a boner this time, or you might need to change your panties afterwards.\'94\
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This time Alex flushed scarlet under her fur and hir ears went flat again, utterly mortified... knowing it was completely true. \'93I- I-\'94 shi stammered as Aruna began giggling.\
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\f1\b \cf0 Monday, May 9th, 2016
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The smell of incense lingered near the Dojo-Kun tapestry at the front of the dojo, the faintest hint of it tickling Alex\'92s nose despite being nearly twenty feet from it. The tigress ignored the slight discomfort in hir knees from sitting in seiza as shi waited for Ravi to get back from changing into his uniform, getting ready for class. Shi gently rubbed the strip of purple fabric at hir waist between hir thumb and index finger, one ear turned back over hir shoulder as shi tracked the faintest whispers of fur against fabric from behind hir. \
\
\'93Congratulations, Alex-senpai.\'94\
\
For once, the tigress didn\'92t jump at Owen-san\'92s words coming from only a few feet away. The black panther instinctively moved with near complete silence, and had caught the tigress unaware at least a dozen times since classes had started nearly a month ago. Now shi was attuned enough to hir ears to hear him, when the Dojo was quiet.\
\
\'93Thank you, Owen-san,\'94 Alex replied, sitting quietly. \'93And also... Thank you for offering to teach me Kenjutsu. I know Mom appreciates it a lot. She\'92s been, uhh, worried... that I need to know how to defend myself... since I got kidnapped in January. She tries not to show it, but...\'94\
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The young tigress took a deep breath. \'93Mom\'92s probably right, too. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time now, and I can\'92t use headphones anymore. Henry would have killed me, one way or the other, if Jordan hadn\'92t shot him. And it\'92s a miracle I didn\'92t get shot later... or killed by that rottweiler after he rape-\'94\
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Alex immediately shut hir mouth when shi realized what shi was saying; shi hadn\'92t even told hir best friends about this and here shi was blabbing to a total stranger. \'93Sorry. I shouldn\'92t be talking about that.\'94 The young tigress swallowed and shifted, hanging hir head and staring blankly at the mat beneath hir knees, trying to ignore the ugly memories that flickered through hir mind. Shi didn\'92t even realize that shi was crying until a tear splattered on the beige vinyl, and quickly wiped at hir face with the back of hir hand.\
\
\'93Alexandrea Andreyev,\'94 Dafydd said, holding up his paw, prompting the young tigress to look at him. \'93Before I retired I was a nasty lawyer, a nastier PI, and a licensed military contractor. That's forgetting my previous career in the official military. I'm telling you this so you know exactly where I'm coming from.\'94 \
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The black panther turned and looked the young tigress in the eyes. \'93You can already defend yourself. You had Henry\'92s blood on your claws before anyone shot him. You fought off a feral apex predator. This training, these skills... They make you a bit more effective, but mostly they give you confidence you can, let you stay calm, and use what you already had.\'94\
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Alex\'92s mouth gaped open. \'93H-how do you know about Henry?\'94 shi stammered.\
\
\'93Because of that previous career I mentioned, I've got contacts. Doorways into databases that frankly scare 
\f3\i me
\f0\i0  with how much I can find out about stuff. You wouldn't believe how deadly my google-fu can be. And I looked, after your mom\'92s comment about you defending yourself. I\'92ve seen his autopsy report. You got a pretty good piece of him, girl. With the training giving you that extra instant to think, you\'92d have had him out of action before anyone else stuck their paw in. \
\
\'93Trust me, Alex, whatever you\'92ve been through, I\'92ve seen worse. Much worse. And you made it out. Some of the furs I was trying to help didn\'92t, and I blame myself for every one of them, even if I never really had any chance of success. I\'92m no shrink, but anytime you want to talk to someone who\'92s been there and done that, who\'92s not a parent, who\'92s not listening because it\'92s his job to listen... Well, my ears still work even if one of them is a bit ragged.\'94\
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The tigress took a slow breath in. \'93Thank you, Owen-san.\'94\
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Both of them went quiet as they heard the door to the basement lounge slide open as students began to filter up from the downstairs locker room. Surprisingly, the class had grown by two more students over the weekend, to a total of ten including Alex and Dafydd. \
\
This time, when Raenne walked to the front of the class, she gave a short announcement. \'93Just so you all are aware, the Dojo will be closed on June twelfth, as my husband and I will be attending the ISKF Master Camp in Philadelphia...\'94\
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\f1\b \cf0 Tuesday, May 10th, 2016
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Raenne leaned back against the living room sofa, holding the phone to the side of her head while waiting for the call to connect.\
\
\'93Thank you for calling the office of Mr. Pullman. This is Leanne. How may I assist you?\'94 a pleasant voice said. A loud mechanical whirr sounded in the background, followed by several loud bangs.\
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Raenne tilted her head slightly, wondering why the secretary hadn\'92t included her own lawyer\'92s name in the greeting. \'93Umm, this is Raenne Andreyev. Is Mr. Pratt available? I have the bank account information for them to set up the automatic payments from my daughter\'92s trust.\'94\
\
\'93Oh... um... I thought we had sent out letters to all of Mr. Pratt\'92s clients,\'94 the secretary on the other line said. \'93Mr. Pratt is no longer with us, and Mr. Pullman is temporarily taking on all of Mr. Pratt\'92s cases and clients until we can find another partner to take his place.\'94\
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The way the secretary said \'91no longer with us\'92 made the fur on the back of Raenne\'92s neck begin to itch. \'93What happened to Mr. Pratt?\'94\
\
\'93We had a break-in at the office two weeks ago. Mr. Pratt was working late, and we believe he confronted the burglar,\'94 Leanne explained, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of a high-speed electric motor. \'93He was attacked. Mr. Pullman found his body the next morning.\'94\
\
The fur on the back of Raenne\'92s neck stood straight up. \'93Is Mr. Pullman available?\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m sorry, Mrs. Andreyev, but he\'92s currently busy. I can have him call you back at his earliest-\'94 the secretary said, then paused for a moment. \'93My apologies. Mr. Pullman wishes to speak with you immediately. Do you have time to speak with him now?\'94\
\
\'93Yes,\'94 the tigress said, wondering just what the hell had happened and hoping the other attorney had answers.\
\
\'93Hold please,\'94 the secretary said, followed a moment later by a clicking noise.\
\
\'93Mrs. Andreyev, this is Mr. Pullman,\'94 a deep, well-enunciated voice said. \'93My apologies for not calling you sooner, but it\'92s been utter chaos here at the office. They only finished replacing the carpet a few days ago and the paint still hasn\'92t dried. If you hear any loud noises while we\'92re talking, it\'92s because they\'92re installing a security system in the next room.\'94\
\
\'93Your secretary said that Mr. Pratt was murdered. What happened?\'94 Raenne asked.\
\
A sigh came over the phone line. \'93We don\'92t know precisely. Mr. Pratt was working late last week and someone broke into the building using one of the fire escape ladders on the fourth floor where our office is located. They then broke into our office... I have no idea why, unless it\'92s related to one of the cases that we\'92re handling. I believe Allan confronted the individual, since there was evidence of fighting in the office waiting room; he practiced boxing to keep in shape. It didn\'92t save him from the other person\'92s claws, unfortunately. The assailant completely trashed his office too. It took us two days just to put all the papers back in their respective cabinets.\'94\
\
\'93And you have no information on the assailant?\'94 Raenne asked, feeling her fur stand on end. This was exactly the kind of thing that she\'92d been worried about ever since finding out that her grandparents had set up a trust in Alex\'92s name. There was no way that money had been legally obtained, and 
\f3\i someone
\f0\i0  was bound to be looking for it, once they discovered that the Kaminskis hadn\'92t actually been dead for the past decade.\
\
\'93Other than having claws? Nothing,\'94 the attorney said. \'93The Camden PD forensics team went over everything in the waiting room, but they haven\'92t gotten back to us yet with any results. Now... I know I\'92m not your original lawyer, but I know that your parents set up a sizable trust for your daughter. I was going over Mr. Pratt\'92s computer records this morning while preparing to take over his case-load, and it was a bit of a shock to my senses when I saw the amount sitting in that trust fund account. Your parents must have been extremely wealthy...\'94\
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As the attorney continued to prattle on, Raenne ran her paws over the fur on her forearms, which was standing practically on end, then massaged the itching scar on her palm. She made a mental note to inspect all the pistols she had stashed in various locations in case of emergency... and to talk to David about getting a security system for the house as well. Getting suppressors for the pistols in the house would probably be a good idea too. The biggest question was where to relocate the stash.\
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\f1\b \cf0 Wednesday, May 11th, 2016
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The moment that Ravi walked through the sliding Shoji doors of the Dojo, Alex ran over to him and grabbed his paw, dragging him towards the stairs that led down to the lounge.\
\
\'93C\'92mon! Your armor\'92s here. You gotta try it on and make sure it fits,\'94 the younger tigress said, letting go of his hand and bounding down the stairs. Shi hit the door at the bottom of the stairs and pulled it to the side, practically dancing with impatience as he followed.\
\
David was sitting at one of the couches, watching over the twins who were currently squirming around on the carpet in front of the couch. \'93Hello, Ravi-san,\'94 the big white tiger said, waving at Ravi.\
\
\'93Hello, David-senpai,\'94 Ravi replied. He smiled at the sight of the two kittens who were just barely learning how to crawl. After a moment, he turned and followed Alex across the lounge to the room marked \'91Employees Only\'92. He raised an eyebrow as the younger tigress pushed the door open, then followed hir inside when shi beckoned him in.\
\
This room was easily as big as the locker room, only instead of lockers it was a fully functional studio apartment, complete with computer desk, king-sized bed, oversized baby crib, coffee table, recliner, and sofa. The only oddities were a wooden practice dummy wrapped in badly shredded leather and four mannequins against the left wall just beyond the computer desk, which had been dressed in black riot armor that slightly reminded him of Japanese samurai armor.\
\
Alex\'92s mom was sitting at the sofa on the opposite wall, and waved to Ravi as he walked in. \'93Hello Ravi-san,\'94 Raenne said, looking up from the array of handgun pieces on the coffee table that she was in the process of cleaning. \
\
\'93Hello Raenne-sensei,\'94 Ravi said, bowing to the older tigress. He wrinkled his nose at the faint odor of chemicals and bananas in the room. \'93Alex-san said my armor came in.\'94\
\
The tigress nodded, and pointed over at the mannequins. \'93I think you can figure out which is yours,\'94 she said with a smile.\
\
Ravi nodded as he turned to look at the armored dummies. One of them was a little taller than Alex, the second exactly the same height as him, and the third and fourth were roughly the same height as Raenne and David, respectively. Alex took the helmet off the second mannequin and tossed it to him, which he caught and promptly held up to look it over. It looked halfway between a motocross helmet and a samurai kabuto.\
\
\'93Try not to deliberately break those. They\'92re pre-production prototypes by Chiron Global, and they were 
\f3\i very
\f0\i0  expensive,\'94 Raenne said, focused on cleaning the gun on the coffee table.\
\
\'93Mom, I don\'92t think we 
\f3\i can
\f0\i0  break these. I was smacking Dad with a staff for like five minutes as hard as I could.\'94 Alex said while taking the various pieces of the armor off the mannequin and setting it on the ground. \'93The worst I did was scuff the visor when I threw a sai at his face.\'94\
\
The older tigress gave her daughter a tired look, then sighed and rolled her eyes before she went back to cleaning her pistol.\
\
\'93This looks like something out of a video game,\'94 Ravi said, putting on the helmet. \'93Seriously, I feel like I\'92m Master Chief or something, from Halo. Actually, the visibility in this isn\'92t too bad.\'94\
\
\'93Too bad it takes like ten minutes to get it on and off,\'94 Alex muttered. \'93It\'92s way faster with help, though. Here, start with the shin and thigh pieces, then we strap on the foot and knee protectors...\'94\
\
Five minutes later, Ravi clunked up the stairs, followed by Alex. The younger tigress wasn\'92t wearing any armor at all, just hir usual karate gi. The armor wasn\'92t as bulky or heavy as he\'92d thought it would be, though it definitely had weight to it. Once they reached the mat, Ravi tentatively did a few jumping jacks and swung his arms around. Curious, he did a somersault across the mat, then tried a handspring. The extra weight was too much, and he collapsed onto his back.\
\
\'93What\'92s this made of?\'94 Ravi asked as he accepted Alex\'92s paw to help him back upright. He noticed that the inside of the helmet was starting to smell plastic-y.\
\
\'93Some kind of kevlar and plastic composite. At least that\'92s what Mom said. All I know is it\'92s super-hard, like diamond or something,\'94 the young tigress explained. \'93Here, brace yourself and I\'92ll punch you.\'94\
\
Ravi stood up and took a fighting stance, facing the younger tigress, who promptly hit him in the chest with an open-palm strike as hard as shi could. He staggered back like two feet, but was completely unharmed. \'93Wow! This stuff is crazy.\'94\
\
\'93Right?!\'94 Alex exclaimed. \'93Okay, so... Open Kumite sparring is where you can use whatever strikes, blocks, or kicks that you want, but no striking at the crotch or joints. In a tournament, you get a point if you hit someone in the head or torso...\'94\
\
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Later that night, Raenne handed the two baby carriers to her husband and turned back around, leading the black panther into the \'91Employees Only\'92 room. The tigress took a seat at the computer chair, then turned and waved at the two chairs against the wall next to the computer desk. \'93Sorry for the mess. Have a seat. What was it you wanted to talk about?\'94\
\
\'93You know that I\'92m a PI,\'94 Dafydd said, glancing at the suits of futuristic-looking riot armor and a wing chun dummy against the adjacent wall, before taking a seat as well, loosening the navy-colored neck-tie he was wearing. \'93After that comment last week about Alex needing to learn to defend hirself, I did a bit of digging. I found out most of what happened back in January. On Monday, before class, Alex and I had a short conversation. I don\'92t think shi intended to say as much as shi did, but... Shi confirmed pretty much everything that I discovered.\'94\
\
The black panther took a deep breath, meeting Raenne\'92s gaze. \'93I think Alex is remembering things. She mentioned a species that\'92s nowhere in any official record... A rottweiler. With that, I can probably ID the male who assaulted hir.\'94\
\
Raenne\'92s eyes narrowed as she took in just how much the panther knew. She sat silently for a few moments, then shifted slightly in the computer chair. \'93From the time-line I could put together, shi was probably raped after shi was picked up by the FBI, which means that they were most likely an FBI agent, and probably on the CARD team.\'94\
\
\'93Say the word, Reanne, and I will,\'94 Dafydd offered. \'93Then it will only take a phone call and the law lands on him like the end of the world. A different phone call and he silently vanishes. Or I take a short vacation and he ends up wishing I\'92d killed him. You\'92re hir mother, Reanne. It\'92s up to you.\'94\
\
\'93My idiot of a husband accidentally ensured there\'92s no evidence that could be used in a court of law,\'94 the tigress said, looking down at the floor while clenching her jaw. After a moment she looked back up at the panther sitting a few feet away. \'93But a predator like that shouldn\'92t be hiding within an organization created to protect the children he\'92s preying upon... and an act like that shouldn\'92t go unpunished.\'94\
\
The two felines sat in silence for a moment before the retired detective stood up. Dafydd nodded to the tigress, then turned and pulled the door open, slipping back out into the lounge.\
\
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\f1\b \cf0 Thursday, May 10th, 2016
\f0\b0 \
\
Doctor Negasi Abebe took a deep breath before pushing the door open to the exam room three. As expected, Raenne Andreyev was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall and her daughter Alexandrea was sitting on the examination table. What he didn\'92t expect was the two infant tiger cubs in baby carriers sitting on the floor... though he probably should have, remembering that the older tigress had been pregnant the first time he\'92d seen Alex. \
\
The warthog smiled at the two older tigers as he stepped into the exam room. \'93Hello Raenne, Alex,\'94 he said. \'93My greatest apologies, but the clinic has been in utter chaos today. The computer systems aren\'92t working, and we can\'92t pull up patient records. I am sorry, but... I have forgotten the reason for your visit today.\'94\
\
The tigress sitting on the chair blinked. \'93Huh. I guess that\'92s one disadvantage to going entirely digital; if the computers are down, you can\'92t do much,\'94 Raenne said, with an awkward smile. \'93Alex needs to get hir hormone levels checked.\'94\
\
\'93Aaaaah, yes. Now I remember. Shi has been on spironolactone since the end of last summer, to keep hir testosterone levels in check to permit hir body to develop a more feminine physique. So we need to test hir testosterone and estradiol levels and see where they are, yes?\'94\
\
\'93Exactly,\'94 Raenne said, nodding.\
\
The warthog nodded as well, then pulled out the rolling stool and sat on it before he turned to the child on the exam table. \'93You look quite feminine to me, little one, much like many girls your age. Is that what you wanted? To have long hair, wide hips, and breasts?\'94\
\
The young tigress nodded, hir snow-white hair dancing upon hir head.\
\
\'93Good. The first year of puberty is, in my humble opinion, the most crucial for a hermaphrodite in determining how your body will look as you develop into an adult. That is now mostly behind you; you can rest more easily, knowing that over the next four years you will continue to blossom into a beautiful young woman,\'94 the warthog said.\
\
\'93You should continue to take the spironolactone until the end of summer, but after that you probably won\'92t need to take them anymore; your body will already be growing in the right direction,\'94 Dr. Abebe continued to explain. \'93This isn\'92t 
\f3\i always
\f0\i0  the case, which is why we need to find out what your base hormone levels are now that puberty is in full swing. At best, you will no longer need any pills. At worst, we may find that we need to give you a small fraction of the dosage that you are currently on for the next few years. Now... Before we get a sample of your blood to test your current hormone levels, I need to ask: When was the last time you took one of your spironolactone pills, little one?\'94\
\
\'93Last Friday,\'94 the young tigress murmured.\
\
\'93Excellent,\'94 Dr. Abebe said with a broad smile. \'93Then I will call the phlebotomist to come get a blood sample and have it delivered to the lab for testing. I should have your test results in a few days at the very latest. If you need to continue taking the spironolactone after this August, I will call you to let you know.\'94\
\
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Alex locked the deadbolt on the door behind them, then kicked off hir shoes before unstrapping the baby carrier on hir chest. Shi carefully set it down on the coffee table, then went about freeing Katherine from her cloth prison. \'93Don\'92t worry, I\'92ll get you out in a moment,\'94 shi murmured as the grey-furred tiger cub made cute little irritated growls, pulling apart the velcro straps.\
\
\'93Okay, there you are,\'94 Alex whispered, pulling the kitten out of the carrier and setting her on the floor so she could get on with the important business of learning how to crawl. She sat down on the chair that Dad normally used, watching as hir baby sister began exploring under the coffee table.\
\
Nicholas continued to make mewling noises after Raenne set him on the floor, though. He pawed the air in his mother\'92s direction as she sat on the sofa, then started cautiously scooting in her direction. \
\
\'93What is it you want, little man?\'94 Raenne asked, sighing and leaning over before picking up the mewling kitten. She quickly checked his diaper. \'93No? Hmm. Hungry? Probably hungry.\'94 The older tigress began unbuttoning her flannel shirt, then pulled the shirt open and lifted her bra, holding the kitten up to her chest. She sighed as he began nursing. \'93Thank God their milk teeth haven\'92t come in yet. It\'92s just a matter of time, though.\'94\
\
Alex didn\'92t say anything; trying not to shift uncomfortably in the chair as hir erection surged to life, just from seeing a flash of hir mom\'92s boobs. Shi clenched hir teeth; shi\'92d been getting hard-ons so often over the past four days that it felt like shi was practically walking around with a boner 24/7. It was a miracle nobody at school had noticed the lump of hir penis around hir skirt waist. It wasn\'92t like there was anywhere else for it to go since shi couldn\'92t bend it down; having a baculum made it more or less impossible to bend it when shi became hard.\
\
The young tigress tried to ignore it, watching Katherine eventually get bored of taking refuge under the coffee table and started exploring around the glass-fronted gas fireplace. After two minutes, shi was starting to get irritated; every little move shi made was causing it to rub against the upper hem of hir skirt and undershorts. Shi heaved a sigh of frustration.\
\
\'93What\'92s wrong, kiddo?\'94 Raenne asked, turning to look at her oldest daughter. \
\
Alex\'92s ears went flat in embarrassment. \'93I just... keep getting boners all the damn time. It\'92s been non-stop for the past week. I can\'92t concentrate on anything and school absolutely sucks.\'94 The young tigress hung hir head. \'93Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide an erection when you\'92re wearing a skirt? Seriously...\'94\
\
\'93Ooooh,\'94 Raenne murmured, then gave a rueful smile. \'93Sorry. That\'92s from taking you off the testosterone-blockers. It should subside in a few days after you start taking them again. Why don\'92t you go take one now? The bottle\'92s sitting on the counter in the downstairs bathroom. And take it back up to your bathroom.\'94\
\
\'93Kay,\'94 Alex said, standing up and quickly walking past the sofa and down the hallway, not bothering to hide the lump pushing out hir skirt.\
\
Raenne raised an eyebrow as she watched her daughter walk away. The young herm hadn\'92t been exaggerating in the slightest about how difficult it would be to hide an erection the size of hirs when wearing a skirt. It stood out like the prow on a ship, impossible to miss. She felt a small tingle between her own legs and sighed as her infant son continued to nurse. A few seconds later as the young tigress started jogging up the stairs, Raenne spoke up. \'93Hey, Alex? Can you bring a towel down here?\'94\
\
\'93Sure, mom,\'94 Alex said, darting up to hir bathroom to drop off the pills and grabbing a towel from the linen closet before jogging back downstairs. Shi quickly walked over to where hir mother was nursing and held the towel out. \'93What happened? Did he puke?\'94\
\
\'93No. This is for you,\'94 Raenne said, accepting the towel. \'93Drop that skirt and sit down here, so we can do something about that problem of yours.\'94 \
\
The young tigress froze, staring at hir mom for a second before looking up at the enormous glass windows that went from floor to ceiling at the front of the great room. \'93But... someone might see...\'94\
\
\'93Nobody\'92s going to see us,\'94 Raenne reassured her daughter. \'93We live in the very last house on this road; In the last year, the 
\f3\i only
\f0\i0  people that have been here other than us and your friends have been emergency personnel or the FBI. Now, do you want me to help you out with that little problem of yours or not?\'94\
\
\'93I... uh... yes, please,\'94 Alex said in a very quiet voice, staring out the glass windows. Hir mom was right, though; nobody ever came up here. Even if they did, they couldn\'92t see in from the street level and there was no way to get up on the front deck without a ladder; it wasn\'92t attached to the side deck at all.\
\
\'93If you want lube, you might want to go get some. I would, but...\'94 Raenne turned her muzzle down at Nicholas, who was quietly nursing. \
\
Alex licked hir lips and tore hir gaze from the front windows. \'93Be right back,\'94 shi said, darting down the hallway to hir parents room and returning a moment later with a jar of coconut oil. Shi quickly unscrewed the lid and set it on the coffee table before dropping hir skirt and undershorts to the floor. Despite running around the house for the past minute, hir erection was still standing straight up. It pulsed slightly, pre beading at the tip as it was exposed to open air.\
\
\'93Well, sit down,\'94 Raenne said, gesturing at the open space next to her on the sectional. \'93And hand me that,\'94 she added, pointing at the coconut oil.\
\
Alex quickly handed over the jar, then draped the towel over the sofa and sat down on it next to hir mom, tilting hir hips up and crossing hir legs while leaning back against the couch cushions. Shi snagged the opposite side of the towel and draped it across hir legs so that it would be handy when needed. \
\
Raenne hummed to herself as she scooped a small dab of coconut oil out and spread it on her palm, then set the jar aside before reaching over and wrapping her hand around her daughter\'92s shaft, slowly rubbing it up and down.\
\
Alex sighed and leaned back into the couch, letting the muscles in hir back relax. Shi didn\'92t even bother to resist the urge to buck hir hips slightly as hir mom gave hir a hand-job. The young tigress let out a long sigh and closed hir eyes. \'93Thanks, Mom. I needed this.\'94\
\
\'93Any time, Love,\'94 Raenne said with a gentle smile on her muzzle. \'93Well... as long as we\'92re in private, anyway.\'94 A few seconds passed quietly, the air filled with only the quiet noise of Nicholas sucking on his mother\'92s breast and the subtle squelches of liquid between Raenne\'92s finger and Alex\'92s shaft. \'93I\'92m kind of surprised you managed to last this long. It\'92s been almost six weeks since Ravi asked you out. And you only went on one date before friend-zoning him.\'94\
\
Alex opened hir eyes, then frowned as shi did a bit of math. It had indeed been over a month since shi\'92d had sex... getting a blow-job from Aruna, but only Ravi and Aruna knew about that. \'93Friend-zoning? What\'92s that?\'94\
\
The older tigress raised an eyebrow, then mentally kicked herself; she\'92d never explained the basics of dating to Alex. \'93Uh... that\'92s when you tell a guy who wants to date you that you just want to be friends,\'94 Raenne explained. \'93It\'92s an insult; basically telling a boy that they\'92re not worthy of dating you. I thought he\'92d done something to piss you off, except you started going over to his house.\'94\
\
\'93What?! No!\'94 Alex protested, suddenly feeling guilty. \'93I just felt uncomfortable holding hands and stuff with him, cause I didn\'92t know him. So I said I\'92d rather we were friends first so I could get to know him before we started holding hands and touching and stuff.\'94\
\
Raenne sighed, tracking Katherine across the floor as she crawled over to the couch. The twins refused to be separated for long. \'93I\'92m sorry, Love. I should have explained all this stuff. After we take care of 
\f3\i this
\f0\i0 ,\'94 she said, squeezing Alex\'92s dick, \'93I\'92ll go put together a list of things you should know about dating. And I\'92ll check with David; guys have different rules about dating than girls do, and you need to know 
\f3\i all
\f0\i0  of them. That was why he got upset, by the way... he doesn\'92t want you to be seen as \'91easy\'92. If you get a reputation for that, whether it\'92s true or not, high school is going to 
\f3\i suck
\f0\i0 . If you thought bullying in elementary or middle school was bad... Anyway, we can talk about that later.\'94\
\
Alex watched hir baby sister as well, who inched across the floor until she was sitting at their feet, then curled up against the foot of the sofa. Knowing the kitten was going nowhere, shi relaxed against the cushions again, saving the sensation of hir mom\'92s paw against hir skin while watching the clouds moving across the evening sky. Mom was going slow enough that it would probably take hir a while before shi reached climax. Then again, it had been a while...\
\
Another minute or two passed while the clouds floated across the sky outside. Raenne shifted slightly, moving Nicholas from one nipple to the other, though her paw never left Alex\'92s shaft. The young tigress eventually closed hir eyes and tilted hir head back, enjoying hir mother\'92s slow and gentle ministrations. The slow build was the best, the tension in hir loins slowly growing...\
\
\'93Feel good?\'94 Raenne asked. \'93You sound like a car engine.\'94\
\
Alex opened hir eyes, then nodded, smiling shyly at the smirk on hir mother\'92s muzzle. \'93Thank you, Mommy.\'94\
\
The smirk spread into a grin. \'93Mommy?\'94 Raenne asked, clearly amused. \'93You haven\'92t called me 
\f3\i that
\f0\i0  in a while.\'94\
\
Alex\'92s ears lowered in embarrassment.\
\
\'93Don\'92t be embarrassed, Love; It\'92s cute,\'94 the older tigress said, gently rubbing her thumb across the tip of her daughter\'92s member. \'93I kind of miss that you used to call me that all the time.\'94\
\
\'93Do you want me to call you Mommy instead?\'94 Alex asked, trying not to jerk hir hips as the nerves in hir penis were over-stimulated. Shi couldn\'92t fight back the moan that escaped hir throat after a moment.\
\
\'93When it\'92s just us and your Dad, sure. You might get teased if anyone else found out you called us Mommy and Daddy. Though I know your Dad gets a kick out of it when you call him Daddy in bed,\'94 the tigress said, smiling as her daughter\'92s third eyelid slid halfway closed, twitching in time with the motion of her thumb across Alex\'92s glans. \
\
\'93O-okay,\'94 Alex gasped. \'93And... I\'92m getting... close....\'94\
\
\'93Good. I was looking for some supper of my own,\'94 Raenne said, withdrawing her hand. \'93Okay, time\'92s up little man,\'94 she said, setting Nicholas down on the floor for a bit. With the two kittens temporarily out of the way, the older tigress lay down across the long sofa and bent over her daughter\'92s lap and licked the tip of hir shaft for a moment before taking it between her lips.\
\
Alex moaned as hir shaft was enveloped by hir mother\'92s warm, wet mouth. \'93Oh, Goddess... That feels so good,\'94 shi murmured, trying not to buck hir hips, lest shi accidentally scrape a tooth.\
\
It didn\'92t take more than another thirty seconds or so while Raenne carefully ran the underside of her barbed tongue across her daughter\'92s shaft before Alex finally let out a gasp. \
\
\'93I... I\'92m coming,\'94 Alex moaned, hips twitching. A moment later, hir shaft began to twitch as shi finally reached climax, releasing over a month of pent-up frustration into hir mother\'92s mouth, coating it with sticky white cream.\
\
After another half minute or so and several swallows later, Raenne drew back, running her tongue across Alex\'92s glans to get the last bits of semen. \'93Guess you didn\'92t need a towel after all. Also, coconut definitely doesn\'92t go well with chai tea. We\'92ll just skip the hand-job next time.\'94 \
\
Alex took a deep breath as the tense muscles in hir back finally relaxed for the first time in weeks; shi hadn\'92t realized how much shi needed that release. \'93Thank you.... Love you, Mommy,\'94 shi whispered, closing hir eyes, not even realizing when shi drifted off to sleep a moment later.\
\
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\f1\b \cf0 Friday, May 13th, 2016
\f0\b0 \
\
The Winters family\'92s house was strewn with several banners and dozens, maybe hundreds of balloons, including a few that had managed to cling to Azalea\'92s tail. The jerboa-squirrel hybrid smiled as she looked over the ice cream cake that was sitting in the freezer.\
\
\'93How does it feel to be a teenager?\'94 Cora asked as she joined her wife and daughter in the kitchen.\
\
\'93Our little girl is growing up,\'94 Beth said, closing the freezer and pulling her daughter into a hug.\
\
\'93I don\'92t feel that much different,\'94 Azalea said, poking her tongue out. \'93I mean, it\'92s just kind of another day.\'94\
\
\'93Oh, come on. You only turn thirteen once,\'94 Jennifer said as she carried a few boxes of gifts into the living room, then set them on the kitchen island.\
\
A knock at the front door caught the group\'92s attention. \
\
\'93It looks like someone\'92s here,\'94 Cora said warmly.\
\
Azalea darted over to the front door and pulled it open, smiling at the orange-furred tiger cub that was standing there, carrying a large present wrapped in red paper and tied with a broad white ribbon. \
\
\'93Hey Alex,\'94 Azalea said. As Alex stepped inside, Azalea pushed the door closed for the tigress after making sure that hir tail was well out of the way.\
\
\'93Hello sweetie,\'94 Cora greeted the young tigress. \'93You know, I think we could get away with sneaking you a little catnip tea. I mean it is a party.\'94\
\
\'93No, honey,\'94 Beth said, shaking her head a little. \'93Hello Alex,\'94 the malabar squirrel said, nodding to the cub.\
\
\'93Aww. I still kinda want to see that. I bet it would be cute to see her all kitten-like,\'94 Jennifer said with a little giggle. \'93Hey Alex.\'94\
\
\'93Hello everyone,\'94 the tigress said as shi started slipping hir shoes off. \'93Mom and Dad said they\'92re sorry they can\'92t come; Mom\'92s teaching classes at the Dojo and Dad\'92s watching over the cubs,\'94 Alex said with a shrug. \'93So instead they had me bring this instead,\'94 shi added, tilting hir head toward the huge present shi was carrying. \
\
\'93Wow... that\'92s big,\'94 Azalea said as she accepted the box, adding it to the others on the kitchen island.\
\
\'93That\'92s what she said,\'94 Jennifer muttered with a giggle.\
\
\'93We kinda thought that,\'94 Cora said with a little nod. \'93It\'92s a little rough to watch out for two little ones when it comes to things like this.\'94\
\
\'93Just remember to get some cake for your parents... and don\'92t eat it yourself,\'94 Beth said as she sat down in one of the recliners.\
\
\'93Don\'92t worry, I\'92ll leave some cake for mom and dad. Anyway, the cubs are starting to move around now, so Mom and Dad actually have to keep an eye on them,\'94 Alex said. \'93It\'92s funny, watching them try to crawl.\'94\
\
\'93Just hope they don\'92t take after Azzy. She wanted to climb everything,\'94 Beth said.\
\
\'93We would look away for just a moment and she would be trying to scale the sofa,\'94 Cora reminisced, reaching over to ruffle her daughter\'92s hair. After a moment she took a seat on a pillow next to the coffee table.\
\
\'93I blame Jen; she was teaching me. She taught me all kinds of things,\'94 Azalea said, flicking her tail.\
\
\'93Oh, don\'92t try and get me in trouble for this one,\'94 Jennifer protested.\
\
\'93So Alex... did you invite your friend, Ravi? Or should I say \'91boyfriend\'92?\'94 Azalea asked with a smirk.\
\
\'93How\'92d you know about Ravi?!\'94 Alex asked, shocked. \'93I haven\'92t told 
\f3\i anyone
\f0\i0  at school about him.\'94\
\
\'93News travels fast. Supposedly one of the cheerleaders said he\'92d been teaching you some \'91moves\'92,\'94 Azalea teased. \
\
Alex blushed furiously, but shook hir head. \'93Look, Ravi and I aren\'92t dating right now. It\'92s... complicated,\'94 shi said, sitting down on the sofa. \'93And it\'92s 
\f3\i your
\f0\i0  birthday; it would be rude to bring someone else with me.\'94\
\
\'93Awww... So what happened? How\'92d you meet again and why aren\'92t you dating?\'94 Azalea asked as she sat down next to the tigress, nudging her a little as she did. \'93Is he nice? I only met at the arcade that one time.\'94\
\
\'93Sooo... Ravi showed up at the Dojo over spring break. After he met Mom and Dad, he immediately asked them for permission to take me out on a date. So a few days later we met at the arcade. I got a bit nervous though and asked if we could start by being friends before dating,\'94 Alex admitted. \'93Then I got to meet his little sister. She\'92s super-cute. So now all three of us are friends, and we\'92re having sleepovers most weekends.\'94\
\
\'93So 
\f3\i that\'92s
\f0\i0  why you haven\'92t been coming to sleepovers with me and Willow,\'94 Azalea said, poking the tigress. \'93You should introduce us to them.\'94\
\
\'93Sorry,\'94 the tigress apologized. \'93Maybe next time Ravi, Aruna and I have a sleepover at my place, you can join us?\'94 Alex suggested.\
\
\'93I think I\'92d like joining you three for a sleepover. They sound pretty nice.\'94 Azalea smiled.\
\
\'93They are. Aruna can be slightly annoying sometimes; she\'92s only nine. But she listens to Ravi if he tells her to behave, and she\'92s really cute,\'94 Alex said. \'93I think you\'92ll get along with them.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m used to living with annoying people,\'94 Azalea said, looking over to her sister, poking her tongue out at her. \'93There\'92s a reason that I have a lock on my room.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m your older sister. It\'92s my job to be annoying,\'94 Jennifer said as she took one of the last seats. \'93And the only reason you got that lock is so you could sneak off and use that purple thing that you stole from me.\'94\
\
\'93You have no proof of that,\'94 Azalea countered, grateful that her dark fur hid her blush well. \'93I would never do something like that! I would never steal something from my bestest sister,\'94 she said with a little giggle.\
\
\'93Purple thing?\'94 Alex asked, puzzled. Then hir eyes went wide when shi realized what Azalea was most likely talking about. \'93Oh my. Nevermind. So... Is anyone else coming?\'94\
\
\'93Willow should get here eventually,\'94 Azalea said, slouching back. \'93I\'92ve never been one for big parties, I mean I rather have just one or two people that I really know, and just have fun like that.\'94\
\
Alex smiled. \'93I\'92m the same way. I\'92d rather have a small party with close friends and just have fun. I mean, more people means more presents, but... I don\'92t care.\'94\
\
\'93Yep. Friends, family, and cake... that\'92s all we ever need,\'94 Azalea agreed with a nod.\
\
\'93I don\'92t know... I like the idea of gifts,\'94 Jennifer said, turning to her mothers. \'93Soooo I have been good, and kept my grades up. So I\'92m getting my car, right?\'94\
\
\'93Ask your mother,\'94 Cora said, rolling her eyes.\
\
\'93Ask your other mother,\'94 Beth countered.\
\
Alex leaned over to the hybrid next to hir. \'93Somehow I get the feeling they do that a lot when they don\'92t want to say \'91yes\'92,\'94 the tigress whispered.\
\
\'93Yes... yes they do,\'94 Azalea said with a sigh.\
\
\'93Love you two too,\'94 Jennifer told her mothers.\
\
Just then, a knock on the door prompted Azalea to immediately hop up and run over to the front door. A moment later, the purple-haired field mouse named Willow stepped inside, panting slightly. She quickly handed a wide, flat present to the jerboa-squirrel hybrid and began taking off her shoes. \'93Sorry I\'92m late,\'94 she apologized. \
\
\'93No worries,\'94 Azalea said, taking the gift and setting it over on the kitchen island.\
\
\'93Would you rather start with cake? Or would you rather open your gifts?\'94 Cora said, standing up and glancing at the presents and the envelope that was sitting on the island.\
\
\'93I think that I\'92d rather open the gifts,\'94 Azalea said. \'93I mean, I can\'92t wait to see what\'92s in that big box. Hopefully it\'92s not something that will pounce me like a tiger on catnip,\'94 she said, picking up the big one.\
\
Alex stood up to follow, walking over and standing next to Azalea to watch her open her gifts.\
\
Azalea\'92s tail twitched a little as she started opening the biggest present first, taking time to get the ribbon off safely before shredding the wrapping paper. \'93You know Alex, you don\'92t have to hold my tail,\'94 she said, smacking the tigress with it while she tore more of the wrapping paper away, revealing a large brown cardboard box. After slicing open the tape, she lifted the flaps, revealing several other smaller boxes inside. The first was a big black and green box with the words \'91GeForce 780 Ti\'92 in big, bold stylized letters.\
\
Azalea carefully lifted it out of the, as Alex said \'93So... Dad just replaced some parts on his computer, and he figured you\'92d be able to use this. I dunno what it is, but he said you\'92d like it,\'94 Alex said with a shrug.\
\
\'93Well he was right,\'94 Azalea said, smiling happily. \'93It\'92s a GPU. It\'92s what makes the graphics on my PC look so good and run so smooth,\'94 she explained as she set it to the side and started to pull out the next item, a 36-piece set of Prismacolor watercolor pencils.\
\
\'93That\'92s from me,\'94 Alex said. \'93I know you like painting, and I like drawing... I figured maybe we could try doing both sometime,\'94 shi said with a small smile and a shrug.\
\
\'93Ohhhhh. I have been wanting to try some of these,\'94 Azalea said, looking over the box, chittering softly. \'93You know what this means right?\'94 she asked, turning to Alex, smiling from ear to ear.\
\
\'93Nooo...\'94 Alex replied, looking confused and slightly scared. \'93What?\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m going to need you to be my subject and paint, errr, draw you,\'94 Azalea said. The hybrid giggled before continuing to unpack the box. The last two items in the box were a bag of candied pecans, and a small ziplock bag full of pine needles. Looking up from the container of pine needles, Azalea said \'93Your mom knows me well.\'94 She opened the bag to take one out and slip it into her muzzle. \'93Thank you Alex. Tell your mom and dad I said \'91thank you\'92, too,\'94 she said, pulling the tigress into a hug.\
\
\'93I will, and you\'92re welcome,\'94 Alex replied, returning the hug.\
\
This time Willow stepped around to watch as Azalea picked up the wide, flat present, taking the bow off before using her claws to shred the shiny green wrapping paper, revealing a polished wooden box. After taking a moment to inspect the box, she slid the top off, revealing several compartments filled with tubes of pigment, brushes, small towels, and mixing trays.\
\
\'93Oh my,\'94 Cora said, having walked up to see what was inside. \'93Winsor and Newton professional watercolors. 
\f3\i That
\f0\i0  is an expensive gift.\'94\
\
\'93Weeeellll, it 
\f3\i was
\f0\i0 , but... It\'92s used,\'94 Willow admitted. \'93All the tubes are at least half full, though. I made my own art supply box, so I don\'92t need it anymore.\'94\
\
\'93It\'92s still a very nice gift,\'94 Cora said. \'93Now, don\'92t forget ours,\'94 she told Azalea, pointing to the envelope on the kitchen island before she pulled the cake out of the freezer.\
\
Azalea picked up the envelope and opened it, freeing the card from it and chattering softly. As she opened it, she smiled at the sight of the Steam gift card before reading what the card said. \'93Thank you everyone,\'94 she said, looking around the room and smiling happily.\
\
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Alex dropped hir empty plate off in the sink before returning to the living room, watching as Beth and Cora retired to their bedroom, leaving the three cubs to their own devices. \'93So, what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?\'94\
\
Azalea paused to think for a moment. \'93Well, we have a big Steam card to spend, so I\'92m sure we can find a game or something. Or maybe painting...\'94\
\
\'93Oooh, that would be fun,\'94 Willow agreed with a smile. \'93I can show you how to use 
\f3\i real
\f0\i0  quality paint.\'94\
\
\'93You mean quality watercolors,\'94 Azalea sniffed. \'93They don't count as real paint.\'94 The jerboa-squirrel hybrid pursed her lips, then looked at Alex with a grin. \'93We just need a nude model.\'94\
\
\'93What, me?\'94 Alex asked, taking a step back from the two rodents. \'93Why?\'94\
\
\'93You would make for a 
\f3\i perfect
\f0\i0  model,\'94 Willow said, stepping forward and running her paw down Alex\'92s arm. \'93Your colors are bold, your stripes are compelling and exotic, you have a physique that shows your every muscle despite your fur...\'94\
\
\'93And she wants to see your dick,\'94 Azalea said, then started laughing at the sour look that Willow gave her. \'93What? It\'92s true, you told me last week.\'94\
\
\'93Well... I\'92m not 
\f3\i technically
\f0\i0  dating Ravi at the moment, but I...\'94 Alex said, hesitantly, then sighed at the glares she got from the two rodents. \'93Fine. As long as it\'92s just modelling,\'94 shi relented. Then shi paused. \'93Oh, wait. Dad was telling me something earlier about how the police consider pictures of nude cubs to be child pornography, even if it\'92s taken or drawn by other cubs... even themselves. There was even some girl a while back who was arrested just for taking a selfie...\'94\
\
Azalea paused for a moment. \'93Hmm. I\'92m sure that we have some silk scarves and stuff.\'94\
\
\'93Ooooh... Paint me like one of your french girls,\'94 Alex said, laying down on the couch to strike a pose, getting a giggle from Willow.\
\
\'93Alex,\'94 Azalea muttered, then sighed, shaking her head. \'93You are a dork. But I\'92m okay with that,\'94 she said, heading over to the kitchen island to grab the art supplies. \'93C\'92mon you two,\'94 she said, heading upstairs to her room.\
\
Azalea\'92s bedroom hadn\'92t changed much in the past few months; she still had a giant pile of pillows instead of a proper bed, and had a television, computer desk, cabinets, and easel with a stool along the left side, and a dresser, bookshelf, several bean bag chairs, and a small couch with a floor lamp along the right. \
\
The tigress followed the two older rodents into the room, standing awkwardly as Azalea promptly turned the easel around to face the sofa and Willow grabbed a beanbag chair, dragging it over so she could sit next to the jerboa-squirrel hybrid. The purple-haired field mouse took the canvas sitting on the easel and turned it sideways while Azalea rolled a set of shelves over next to it and started opening up the box of watercolor supplies.\
\
The two rodents continued to whisper to each other while getting everything set up. After a few moments, Azalea practically bounced out of the room.\
\
\'93Okay. While Azzy gets those silk scarves... Go ahead and strip, then lay on the sofa,\'94 Willow instructed while she started squeezing paint out onto the mixing trays.\
\
Alex peeled off hir \'91Hello Kitty\'92 t-shirt, dropping it on the floor, followed a moment by hir black pleated skirt. For a moment shi hesitated, then peeled off hir black lycra sports bra and dropped it too. \'93Should I go take a quick shower so my fur\'92s not so matted?\'94 shi asked, looking down at hir chest, running hir claws through hir fur to fluff it up slightly. \
\
\'93Uhhh...\'94 Willow turned around, then walked over. \'93Maybe. Let\'92s try fluffing it a bit. You get your front and I\'92ll get your back,\'94 she said, stepping behind the tigress and vigorously rubbing the tiger\'92s fur so it stood up a bit before combing it flat again. Alex did the same to hir front.\
\
\'93Oh my,\'94 Azalea said as she stepped back in, mimicking George Takei. The hybrid quickly stepped over to Alex and draped a teal organza scarf around hir neck. \'93There. That\'92ll go with your orange fur and my blue walls. Now... drop those shorts and get on the sofa.\'94\
\
Flushing red under hir fur, the tigress peeled off the black lycra shorts, dropping them next to the sports bra. Being the only one naked with others looking at hir was definitely a new and slightly uncomfortable experience. Swinging the translucent scarf around to cover hirself, shi quickly sat on the sofa while Azalea moved the nearby lamp, then lay sideways on it.\
\
The jerboa-squirrel raised an eyebrow as Alex raised hir arms above hir head in the signature pose from Titanic. \'93What the hell? How did you go from being nearly flat to having boobs in three months?\'94\
\
\'93They\'92re not 
\f3\i that
\f0\i0  big yet,\'94 Alex said, looking down at hir chest. \'93It took like six months of being on spironolactone before they finally started growing.\'94\
\
\'93Oh, so I\'92ve got another six months before I start to catch up, huh?\'94 Azalea asked, turning and heading over to her easel. \
\
\'93Mosquito-bites. Not even B-cup,\'94 Willow said with a sniff. \'93You\'92ve got a lot of growing to do.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m only 
\f3\i ten
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Alex protested.\
\
Willow did a double-take. \'93
\f3\i What?
\f0\i0 \'94\
\
\'93Yep. Shi\'92s only ten,\'94 Azalea confirmed, blending watercolor paints in the mixing trays. \'93Skipped fifth grade completely.\'94\
\
\'93And you two had sex?\'94 the field mouse asked, turning back to the tigress. \'93Ten? Seriously?\'94\
\
\'93What? Is that bad?\'94 Alex asked. \'93I started having sex when I was nine. With my friend Lizzy.\'94\
\
\'93Ooookay...\'94 Willow blinked. \'93Here I was feeling bad for wanting to see you naked, knowing you\'92re only ten. Except you\'92ve probably had sex more times than I have.\'94\
\
\'93Way more,\'94 Azalea confirmed. \'93Shi\'92s probably had sex more times than anyone else in sixth grade. Damn horny cats. What did you say you went through? A box of condoms a week?\'94\
\
Alex blushed, draping the organza scarf to cover hir hips. \'93Yeah, the twenty-four packs, for like two months straight last summer. Lizzy liked having sex a 
\f3\i lot
\f0\i0 . And she had to have sex with her dad every couple of days, too, to keep from getting sick.\'94 The tigress felt hirself growing stiff, remembering all the things shi had done with the cute little stoat-ferret.\
\
\'93With her 
\f3\i dad?!
\f0\i0 \'94 Willow asked incredulously, her eyes growing wide. Then she saw the tiger cub\'92s rapidly-growing length under the translucent fabric. \'93Okay, stop! That\'92s it! I don\'92t want to know any more,\'94 the field mouse said, throwing her paws up to cover her ears and turning away, blushing furiously with embarrassment as Azalea started laughing hysterically.\
\
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\f1\b \cf0 Saturday, May 14th, 2016
\f0\b0 \
\
\'93I claim this in the name of tree rats and jumping rats everywhere,\'94 Azalea said as she flopped down on the bean bag chair and curled up. She promptly wrapped her tail around herself, looking a lot like a ball of fluff. A few seconds later, both of the jerboa-squirrel\'92s ears perked at the sound of knocking from downstairs.\
\
\'93Oh, that\'92s them,\'94 Alex said, rolling off the sectional and darting out of the guest room. \'93I\'92ve got it!\'94 the tigress yelled as shi went pelting down the stairs at breakneck speeds. A moment later shi hit the side entrance door with a thud, then pulled it open, panting slightly. \'93Hey Ravi, Aruna. Come on in. Azalea\'92s already here, upstairs in my room.\'94\
\
\'93Hey Alex. You sure got here quick,\'94 Ravi said, stepping inside and kicking off his shoes. \'93Then again, I\'92ve been moving slowly with how sore I am,\'94 the tiger boy added, rubbing his shoulder.\
\
Alex blushed. \'93Sorry about the shoulder; I thought you\'92d manage to dodge that kick.\'94\
\
\'93Why\'92d you hit the door?\'94 Aruna asked. \'93Did you trip or did you get into the catnip?\'94\
\
\'93I haven\'92t had catnip since, like, Thanksgiving,\'94 Alex protested. \'93Never touching that stuff again.\'94\
\
\'93Wait, you\'92ve had catnip? Really?\'94 Ravi asked, tilting his head. \'93Alex, is there something that you need to share?\'94\
\
\'93Uhhh... I should probably let Azalea tell you what happened,\'94 Alex said, flattening hir ears against hir head and closing the door behind them. \'93It was her mom\'92s fault.\'94\
\
\'93This sounds like a good story,\'94 Aruna said, heading for the stairs. Suddenly the young white tigress stopped about halfway up, turning to look down at the other two tigers. \'93Aaallleeex, make sure you hold onto the railing.\'94 She giggled.\
\
Alex glanced up, holding onto the railing, and promptly stumbled when shi saw the pale pink panties Aruna was wearing under her skirt. \'93By the Goddess, Aruna... Did you have to wear a skirt again? Are you trying to kill me?!\'94\
\
Ravi glanced up and sighed as he followed Alex up the stairs with a backpack slung over his shoulder.\
\
\'93Nooooo, I wouldn\'92t do anything like that,\'94 Aruna said, smirking before quickly jogging up the rest of the steps. \'93If I was, I would do this,\'94 she said, standing at the top of the stairs and bending over, shaking her tail at them.\
\
\'93Aruna!\'94 Ravi chastised with a blush, watching his sister run off towards Alex\'92s room, before turning and apologizing. \'93I don\'92t know where she got that...\'94\
\
\'93Watch that step, Aruna!\'94 Alex yelled as Aruna turned the corner. \'93It\'92s my fault. I should never have told her why I tripped at your house,\'94 shi added with a sigh.\
\
\'93Alex, there\'92s a weird fluffy thing in here,\'94 Aruna said, pointing at the hybrid sitting on a bean bag chair in the guest room across from Alex\'92s bedroom.\
\
\'93I\'92m not that weird,\'94 Azalea said, still snuggled into a ball.\
\
\'93There\'92s nothing weird about the squirrel-mouse-thing, except that she sleeps in a nest, drinks pine needle tea, and has two moms,\'94 Alex said as shi reached the doorway. \'93What are y\'92all standing around for? Take a seat,\'94 shi said, stepping past them and sitting down on one side of the overstuffed leather couch, curling hir feet up and leaning against the armrest.\
\
\'93Just making sure,\'94 Aruna said sitting in the bean bag chair next to Azalea.\
\
\'93Oh, and before I forget... Aruna, that\'92s Azalea. Azalea, that\'92s Aruna. You already met Ravi at the arcade a few months ago,\'94 Alex said.\
\
\'93It\'92s nice to meet you,\'94 Azalea said, finally uncoiling and stretching a paw towards Aruna.\
\
\'93Nice to meet you too,\'94 the tiger cub said, taking the offered paw and shaking it. \'93You are so fluffy... Can I pet it?\'94 Aruna asked, tilting her head a little.\
\
\'93You know, I\'92m starting to think that this is like tiger bait or something,\'94 Azalea said, flopping her fluffy tail onto Aruna\'92s lap, who promptly began petting it. \'93And, nice to see you again Ravi, in a better situation.\'94 \
\
\'93It\'92s nice to get to sit down and get to know you better,\'94 Ravi said, nodding to Azalea. \'93If my sister starts annoying you, just tell her to stop.\'94\
\
\'93I don\'92t mind. I\'92m used to being groomed and petted. Like I said, it\'92s tiger bait, Alex always took care of it for me.\'94\
\
Alex blushed. \'93I like brushing you... It\'92s relaxing.\'94\
\
\'93You never heard me complaining about it,\'94 Azalea said, poking her tongue out a bit. \'93So, Ravi... If you want to get close to hir, go for the tail. Shi loves it when you brush it,\'94 the hybrid said, smirking at Alex.\
\
\'93You dirty rat,\'94 Alex said, shaking hir fist in mock anger. \'93Giving out all my secrets.\'94\
\
\'93Hey, I haven\'92t given all of them out,\'94 Azalea protested.\
\
\'93Oh, oh! Secrets! Tell us about the catnip!\'94 Aruna begged.\
\
\'93Yeah, Alex just mentioned catnip a moment ago,\'94 Ravi added, flashing a smirk at the tigress as he sat down next to hir.\
\
\'93Yeah! She said it was your mom\'92s fault,\'94 Aruna said, practically bouncing in place. \'93Tell us!\'94\
\
Alex hid hir head, covering hir face with hir tail as shi sat there, listening. Shi had to admit, it was a funny story, but it was very, very embarrassing.\
\
\'93Well you see, we drink catnip tea from time to time at my house,\'94 Azalea said, leaning forward a little. \'93And, well, Mom gave Alex some, not thinking about the fact that shi is a tiger. Alex comes running into my room and hides in my bed, terrified about a dragon... I ended up having to trip-sit hir.\'94 She smirked at Alex. \'93Thank Bastet for feather toys.\'94\
\
\'93Oh God... So she was like a big kitten?\'94 Aruna asked. \'93I bet that was, like, super-cute,\'94 she said giggling at Alex. \'93Big ol\'92 tiger pouncing around after a little toy.\'94\
\
\'93Yeah... shi mauled my walls. I think I have photos,\'94 Azalea said, smiling.\
\
\'93Well... Note to self: no catnip for Alex,\'94 Ravi said, nodding.\
\
\'93I don\'92t really remember much about it, except for the dragon in the kitchen,\'94 Alex explained, trying not to blush. \'93I hit my head pretty hard against the wall and knocked myself out.\'94\
\
\'93That was also the day that I learned the power of a spray bottle of water,\'94 Azalea said, poking her tongue out. \'93Oh, and that smelling salts actually work.\'94\
\
\'93I always had a feeling that Alex was a big kitten,\'94 Aruna said smiling to Alex, pausing for a moment. \'93What\'92s trip-sitting?\'94 she asked, turning and tilting her head at Alex.\
\
\'93Do you know how to field that one, kitten?\'94 Azalea asked Alex with a smirk.\
\
\'93Ummm, when someone\'92s high on drugs, it\'92s called tripping... and they don\'92t exactly act normally, and someone has to keep an eye on them,\'94 Alex explained awkwardly. Shi hadn\'92t even known what tripping was until shi had asked Azalea at some point.\
\
\'93It still kinda sucks that I didn\'92t get to do that thing Mom B told me about,\'94 Azalea said with a little snicker. \'93That would have been fun.\'94 The rodent hybrid paused, looking at Ravi. \'93Hey Ravi, are you affected by catnip?\'94 she asked, grinning from ear to ear.\
\
\'93No... Why? You\'92re not going to get me to do something illegal are you?\'94 he asked, cocking an eyebrow at the hybrid.\
\
\'93Nothing that bad... just a way to make each kiss that you give Alex, one she won\'92t forget.\'94 Azalea said smiling. \'93All you need is just a little catnip and some lip balm or chapstick. Mix the two, apply to your lips, and kiss.\'94\
\
\'93Azalea!\'94 Alex exclaimed in shock, promptly picking up a pillow and throwing it at the squirrel on the bean bag. \'93No!\'94\
\
Azalea let out a little squeak as the pillow hit her before picking it up and holding onto it. \'93Sooo totally worth it,\'94 she said, poking her tongue out. \'93And blame my mom. She\'92s the one that told me about it.\'94\
\
Alex huffed. \'93If any of you even think about that again, you\'92ll find out exactly how sharp a kitten\'92s claws are. A ten-year-old tiger kitten\'92s claws. I\'92m never doing drugs again!\'94\
\
\'93You don\'92t have to worry about that,\'94 Ravi said, rubbing the back of his head a little. \'93I don\'92t want to get mauled by you, much less your Mom or Dad.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92d call you a wuss, but I\'92ve seen what shi can do to a wall,\'94 Azalea said, pulling out her phone and flipping through the photos. \'93See?\'94 she asked, showing it to Ravi and then Aruna.\
\
\'93Oh, Wow,\'94 Ravi said, going a little wide-eyed. He knew how dangerous shi could be in Karate, but seeing the wall with foot-long vertical and horizontal gouges that covered the wall from nearly the floor all the way to the ceiling, dripping exposed insulation, was... frankly terrifying.\
\
\'93It can\'92t be that bad...\'94 Aruna said before she saw the phone. Then her eyes went wide. \'93Wow... Alex, you\'92re banned from catnip.\'94\
\
Alex huffed. \'93It\'92s not like I went and tried to get some myself; I didn\'92t even know Cora was giving it to me.\'94\
\
\'93We\'92re not blaming you or anything. I blame Mom for it all day... Beth was the one that said something about the catnip in the lip gloss,\'94 Azalea said, shaking her head a little.\
\
\'93Both your moms are both a bad influence,\'94 Alex replied, rolling off the couch, walking over to the entertainment center, and flipping the television on.\
\
\'93Where do you think I get it from? Also, I\'92ve been good so far. I haven\'92t even tried to make you and Ravi kiss yet,\'94 Azalea said. \'93No matter how much I want to see it.\'94\
\
\'93Wait!\'94 Aruna exclaimed, as she turned to the squirrel-jerboa hybrid. \'93You have two moms? I thought that Alex and you were joking! If you have two moms, then how did...\'94 the tiger cub paused, tilting her head a little as she looked from Alex to Azalea.\
\
\'93Well, when one mommy loves the other mommy, they go to bed and hug one another and make funny sounds...\'94 Azalea said, trying not to burst out laughing and failing at it.\
\
\'93Hush, Azzy,\'94 Alex ordered, trying to be serious. \'93Beth is a herm like I am,\'94 the tigress explained. \'93Shi\'92s really Azalea\'92s father, but shi prefers being called Mom.\'94\
\
\'93Yeah. What Alex said,\'94 Azalea said after getting her laughter under control. \'93Hey, I was trying to be PG about it; Trying to be a good role model or something.\'94\
\
\'93You were being a smart-ass,\'94 Alex retorted. \'93Now, does anyone want to play \'91Marvel vs. Capcom\'92 before dinner? Or \'91Smash Brothers\'92?\'94\
\
\'93Smart ass is my default. You know that,\'94 Azalea defended herself, wiggling a little. \'93And I\'92m good for some Smash.\'94\
\
\'93Oooooh. I can beat you all up with Samus,\'94 Aruna said, smiling and nodding.\
\
\'93I\'92m game,\'94 Ravi said, leaning forward.\
\
Alex turned around and flipped on the console, already having anticipated the games they\'92d probably prefer playing, and started digging out the controllers from the drawer underneath the television.\
\
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Half an hour later, the four children were still playing Super Smash Brothers. Alex sighed as hir current character, Fox McCloud, got punted off the platform and hit the edge of the screen with a flash of light.\
\
\'93I should go start dinner,\'94 Alex said, setting down hir controller and standing up. \'93I\'92ll call when it\'92s ready. Try not to kill each other, except in the game.\'94 The orange tigress stretched, and started walking out of hir room, leaving the two white tiger cubs alone with the jerboa-squirrel hybrid.\
\
\'93Just try not to get hurt; You\'92re a little on the klutzy side,\'94 Aruna said with a smirk.\
\
\'93I\'92ll try not to spill extra chili powder in your portion,\'94 Alex said, turning around just outside the door and sticking hir tongue out at Aruna. Then shi disappeared from view, heading downstairs.\
\
\'93She\'92ll do it too,\'94 Azalea said, snickering. \'93This is why you have to watch her and the spices.\'94 \
\
\'93We\'92re used to hot food. That one there likes it,\'94 Ravi said, pointing to his little sister.\
\
\'93There\'92s a reason that I\'92m so spicy hot,\'94 she said, poking her tongue out at her brother.\
\
\'93R.I.P., my whiskers,\'94 Azalea said, slouching back in the bean bag chairs, as she got another round of Smash Brothers going. \'93So, Ravi, when are you and Alex going to start being a thing?\'94\
\
\'93When shi and hir dad say that it\'92s okay,\'94 Ravi replied. \'93We already went on one date, but shi asked to just be friends for a bit first. Then hir dad got upset that we were moving too fast when we asked to do stuff.\'94\
\
\'93Bummer,\'94 Azalea said as she wiggled her tail against Aruna\'92s arm as a distraction.  \
\
The little tigress thrashed as she tried to bat it away. \'93Stooooop!\'94\
\
\'93He has his reasons and we understand where he\'92s coming from,\'94 Ravi said, smiling at Azalea and her underhanded tactics. \'93You know she bites, right?\'94 he warned the squirrel.\
\
\'93I\'92m not doing anything,\'94 Azalea said as she continued to tease the younger tigress while they played. \'93And if David is keeping things slow for you and hir, then there is some good reason for it, I\'92m sure,\'94 she said, opening her muzzle to say something more, only to let out a squeak as she felt teeth clamp shut on her tail, jerking it away.\
\
\'93Pfffffth. So much fur,\'94 Aruna complained, sticking her tongue out and scraping at it with her claws, trying to get the foot-long strands of tail-fur out of the barbs on her tongue.\
\
Azalea cackled for a few seconds. \'93You know... Alex made that mistake once... \'94 she said as she took the chance to get a one-up on Aruna. The one point lead didn\'92t last long as the younger tigress was surprisingly competitive and pretty good at the game to boot. Each of them had at least one character that they were good at playing, but after two more matches, it looked like Aruna was the best of the three.\
\
\'93I win,\'94 Aruna said, poking her tongue out. \
\
\'93For now... cheater,\'94 Azalea said, smiling.\
\
\'93You\'92re the one that was cheating,\'94 Ravi pointed out.\
\
\'93Dinner!\'94 they all heard Alex yell from downstairs.\
\
\'93Well, it looks like you get a break from getting beaten up,\'94 Aruna said as she got up, stretching with her paws in the air.\
\
\'93For now. Give me time to learn,\'94 Azalea said as she got up and started out the door. \'93Come on, slow pokes,\'94 she said, leading the three children downstairs to the great room.\
\
\'93Oooooh, that smells 
\f3\i really
\f0\i0  good,\'94 Ravi said, now that he was paying attention to his nose instead of the video game.\
\
\'93Naani gave Alex some of our recipes when they got to talking after dinner last weekend,\'94 Aruna said as she took a seat at the dinner table, followed a moment later by her brother.\
\
\'93Smells like it\'92s going to burn... but it does smell good,\'94 Azalea said, licking her lips.\
\
David and Raenne joined the cubs at the table a moment later, carrying stacks of plates, glasses, and silverware. \'93Hello, you three,\'94 David said as he set the plates down and started distributing them around the table. \'93Are you all getting along okay?\'94\
\
\'93I got chewed on,\'94 Azalea said mournfully, looking over to the youngest tiger. \'93Every time that I\'92m around you felines I get nommed on. I know that I\'92m a rodent, but the war ended long long ago,\'94 the hybrid complained.\
\
\'93You were cheating,\'94 Aruna pointed out with a huff. \'93You deserved it.\'94\
\
David sighed and rolled his eyes, then looked over at Aruna. \'93No biting. You\'92ll only give yourself a hairball by chewing on that one,\'94 he said. \'93I don\'92t want you coughing up a hairball on Alex\'92s carpet.\'94\
\
\'93What do you all want to drink,\'94 Raenne asked as she set the glasses out on the table. \'93Tea, lemonade, milk, or juice?\'94\
\
\'93Tea please,\'94 Azalea requested. \'93Don\'92t worry about the hairballs. I live with two cats; I\'92m trained to keep that kinda thing from happening. If I hear gagging, I immediately grab a towel or something.\'94\
\
Ravi rolled his eyes at Azalea. \'93Milk would be nice,\'94 he said, worried that he might need it if Alex went heavy on the chilies.\
\
\'93Ummm, do you have apple juice?\'94 Aruna asked,  looking up at the older tigress.\
\
\'93We do,\'94 Raenne replied as David turned back to the kitchen. \'93What kind of tea, Azalea?\'94\
\
\'93I\'92d say catnip, but I don\'92t think that you have that,\'94 the squirrel said with a smirk. \'93Umm, any black tea will be good. Got a breakfast blend?\'94\
\
\'93No, we don\'92t have any catnip tea,\'94 Raenne said, chuckling. \'93We do have Stash English Breakfast tea though. Hot?\'94 the tigress asked, turning to head back to the kitchen.\
\
\'93Yes, please,\'94 Azalea said, nodding. \'93With a little milk and sugar.\'94\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Raenne said as she started pulling cartons out of the refrigerator.\
\
A few moments later she stepped out with two small containers of milk and apple juice, filling Ravi and Aruna\'92s glasses. \'93There you go,\'94 she said, returning to the kitchen.\
\
\'93Thank you,\'94 Ravi said with a nod. \'93You know, Azalea, you might want a little milk if you\'92re not used to hot food.\'94\
\
Azalea shrugged. \'93Can\'92t be 
\f3\i that
\f0\i0  hot.\'94\
\
\'93I don\'92t think it\'92s going to be that hot. Mom didn\'92t tell her about the really hot stuff yet,\'94 Aruna said, then sipped at her juice.\
\
\'93Your mom didn\'92t need to tell me about the really hot stuff,\'94 Alex said as shi and hir dad stepped into the room, carrying several bowls. \'93Have you ever heard of Bhut Jolokia?\'94 shi asked as shi set the tray down and took a seat along with hir dad.\
\
\'93Welp, I\'92m skipping dinner,\'94 Ravi said with a sigh.\
\
\'93How did you even get a barf pepper?\'94 Aruna asked, going wide-eyed.\
\
\'93Alex? Is there something that I need to know?\'94 Azalea asked, tilting her head and looking a little worried.\
\
\'93Only that you shouldn\'92t eat that right there,\'94 Alex replied, pointing to the bowl of meat cubes in a red sauce. \'93That\'92s lamb Rogan Josh. Normally it\'92s got cayenne pepper, but I put one finely minced ghost pepper in it. The rest of these are tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, malai kofta, butter chicken, chole, palak paneer, and Mom should be here in a moment with the rice and naan,\'94 shi said, pointing to the respective dishes.\
\
Raenne stepped in a moment later, carrying a huge bowl of white rice and another filled with naan bread. \'93I\'92ll be back in a moment with your tea, Azalea,\'94 she said after setting down the bowls.\
\
\'93Wait... That\'92s lamb?\'94 Azalea said, looking from the bowl of rogan josh up at Alex. \'93You\'92re evil,\'94 she said with a little huff. \'93It can\'92t be that hot can it?\'94\
\
Alex shrugged. \'93I don\'92t think it\'92s too bad. You\'92ve got milk right there if you need it,\'94 shi said, casually. Too casually.\
\
Azalea squinted at the tigress. \'93Well, if it\'92s made with, uhh, \'91barf\'92 pepper, then I know who I will aim for,\'94 she said, reaching out and spearing a little piece of meat with her fork. \'93R.I.P. me,\'94 she said as she put the meat into her muzzle.\
\
The squirrel made a chittering sound as she chewed the meat. \'93That\'92s good... kinda hot,\'94 she said, making a face and opening her muzzle to breathe. \'93This isn\'92t that ba... Oh fuuu... fuzzy butts that\'92s hot,\'94 she whined, taking the glass of milk that Ravi offered her after rolling his eyes.\
\
Alex began giggling uncontrollably at Azalea\'92s expression, as the squirrel-hybrid tried to quench the fire in her mouth.\
\
\'93Good try,\'94 Ravi said with a chuckle, adding one piece of the rogan josh to his plate along with several other things.\
\
Raenne stepped out of the kitchen carrying a large mug and a pitcher of iced tea. After setting the mug down in front of Azalea, she poured some tea for Alex, David, and herself, then took a seat.\
\
Once shi had managed to get hir giggles under control, Alex bent hir head, saying a silent prayer to the Goddess while the rest of them began to pile food onto their plates. After a few moments, shi looked up at hir parents. \'93Thanks for helping.\'94 \
\
\'93You\'92re welcome, kiddo. Thank 
\f3\i you
\f0\i0  for fixing dinner,\'94 David said, lifting his cup of iced tea and raising it in hir direction.\
\
\'93Yeah. Thanks, kiddo,\'94 Raenne added, raising her own glass as well.\
\
\'93To... friends, family... and food,\'94 Azalea said, panting for breath and holding up the now empty glass of milk. \'93Even if they... try and burn... your whiskers off.\'94\
\
\'93Cheers,\'94 Ravi and Aruna said in near unison.\
\
\'93Thanks,\'94 Alex said, starting to blush. Then shi reached out and stabbed a piece of the rogan josh and stuck it in hir mouth, chewing with a sigh. \'93Mmm, so good...\'94}