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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 5
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\f1\b \cf0 Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016
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Kalu rolled onto his back, the bedsprings under him squeaking in protest. There were a surprisingly long list of drawbacks to being one of the largest evolved animals, not the least of which was that most furniture wasn\'92t built to support them. The elephant picked up the basketball next to him with his trunk and tossed it into the air, catching it and throwing it over and over. Colorado winters legitimately sucked; it was far, far too cold to go outside and shoot hoops. Football would have been a better choice of sport for someone of his build, but he had no interest in it. Not that it mattered; it was too cold for football too.\
\
Suddenly the phone sitting on the headboard shelves started ringing, and Kal caught the ball one last time, dropping it on the bed before reaching up with his trunk to pick up his phone. He flipped the phone open and held it up to the side of his head. \'93Kal here. \'91Sup?\'94\
\
\'93Uh, Hi Kal. It\'92s Alex,\'94 the voice on the other line said.\
\
\'91Oh, the tiger cub again,\'92 Kalu thought to himself, sternly reminding himself 
\f2\i not
\f0\i0  to swear this time. \'93Hi Alex. Did everything go okay with your shrink?\'94\
\
\'93Yeah. He took those plushies like you said he would, and kept the painting. I started working on another picture of my grandparents, when they were hugging at the zoo,\'94 Alex said.\
\
\'93Good,\'94 Kalu said with satisfaction, nodding to himself. That was much better than painting pictures of dead bodies.\
\
\'93Also, I figured out why I kept getting blackouts for the first couple of weeks. It was \'91cause I was afraid of being left all alone. If I was by myself, I\'92d panic and then it was like I... Like I fell asleep or something? Only it was just my head that was asleep. The rest of me was still awake,\'94 the tiger cub said. \'93Did you go through something like that after... ?\'94\
\
\'93Nooo,\'94 Kalu replied, hesitantly. \'93I never had blackouts. Just nightmares. Couldn\'92t sleep for weeks and any time a car drove by, I was afraid I\'92d get shot at.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92m sorry,\'94 Alex replied, going quiet for a few moments before continuing. \'93I, uh, never figured out exactly what happened. We\'92d finished dinner and stepped out of the restaurant, then two people with guns and helmets appeared, asking my grandparents to hand me over. Why... Why would they ask that?\'94\
\
The elephant thought that over for a moment. \'93Well, either they were trying to kidnap you or trying to rescue you. Your grandparents were ex-mafia, right? So it could have been mafia members trying to kidnap you as leverage or to punish them. Gangs do that kind of shit sometimes.\'94\
\
\'93You mentioned gangs when you said your aunt and uncle were shot in a drive-by shooting. Was it, like, just completely random? Or...?\'94 Alex asked.\
\
\'93Oh no, it was absolutely deliberate,\'94 Kalu explained, accidentally slipping back into a Jamaican accent. \'93After de Russians lost control of de drug trade mebbe five, six years ago or so, a bunch of gangs popped up trying to get in on dat action. My aunt and uncle were part of a gang out in Kelso that sold weed, ecstasy, and hookers. Dey were shot by a new gang dat was trying to take over de area. Bunch of Puerto Ricans who were trying to sell harder drugs like crack, cocaine, and meth.\'94\
\
\'93I don\'92t know anything about gangs or drugs...\'94 Alex replied.\
\
\'93Dat\'92s probably a good thing,\'94 Kalu replied, smiling ruefully. Realizing that he\'92d slipped back into his old accent, he frowned and cleared his throat. \'93Oh, and uh... you\'92re dating a squirrel-girl, right? Azalea, the art teacher\'92s pet?\'94\
\
\'93How\'92d you find out about that?\'94 Alex asked, clearly surprised.\
\
\'93News travels fast,\'94 Kalu replied, grinning to himself. \'93Look, I\'92m happy for you, but... uh... I\'92m kinda worried. I dunno if it\'92s as big a thing here, but back in Philly, people were pretty racist. They\'92d treat other people like shit just \'91cause they were a certain species, and God forbid you date someone who wasn\'92t a member of your own species...\'94\
\
Two minutes later, Kalu flipped his phone closed and tossed it back on the headboard shelves. At least now the tiger cub knew what shi was getting into. He hated having to explain the realities of shit like that, especially to a cub, but he also didn\'92t want to find out the kid had been hit in the head with a beer bottle by some racist asshole. Alex already had enough shit to deal with between losing hir grandparents and being a hermaphrodite. After a moment he realized just how many times he\'92d sworn during their conversation and sighed. At least he hadn\'92t dropped the f-bomb again.\
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\f1\b \cf0 Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016
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This time when Alex walked into Dr. DeLeon\'92s office, shi was carrying a small box filled with brand new plushies along with a poster-sized roll of paper. The young tigress carefully set the cardboard box down on the coffee table in the center of the portly skunk\'92s office, then unrolled the poster and set one of the stuffed animals on each corner to hold it open. \
\
The psychiatrist leaned forward to look at the poster. It was a beautifully detailed colored-pencil drawing of two tigers wearing beige outfits, standing in front of a bench and nuzzling each other. Unlike the painting from last week, the proportions were slightly off and the colors were a bit too bright, but it was still an incredible piece of art for a ten-year-old.\
\
\'93I drew another picture of my grandparents, since I gave you that painting,\'94 Alex said, standing back for a moment before walking over to the sofa and taking a seat next to hir father. \'93I figured I\'92d show it to you, since you like art. I did this one on my own, over the weekend.\'94\
\
\'93This is beautiful,\'94 Everett said, being totally honest. For once he didn\'92t have to lie about a child\'92s artwork; it was a truly well-done drawing, other than the proportions being a bit off. \'93Were you going to give it to your mother, or keep it for yourself?\'94\
\
The young tigress tilted hir head slightly. \'93I don\'92t know, actually. I don\'92t think Mom likes her parents. They were nice to me, though.\'94\
\
\'93Hmm. Let\'92s talk about that,\'94 the doctor said, spinning around in his chair to grab the pen and notebook off his computer desk before turning back to the two tigers.\
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\f1\b \cf0 Thursday, February 4th, 2016
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\
Alex huffed as shi pushed the heavy vacuum around, ears flat against hir head to try to protect hir ears. After finding out that Mom was coming home, shi and Dad were playing catch up after nearly a month of skimping on housework. On the bright side, now shi was getting paid to do it. Admittedly not very much, but ten bucks was still ten bucks. In the back of hir mind shi idly wondered why dollars were called \'91bucks\'92. \
\
The noise that the vacuum was making suddenly changed pitches as the roller stopped spinning. Alex quickly turned the machine off, laying it back to check the brushes. Just as shi had suspected, it was clogged with long purple and orange hair. The amount of fur that Azalea shed was absolutely unreal. Sighing, shi walked over to hir desk and pulled out a pair of scissors. The tigress wondered if Azalea had the same problem vacuuming their house.\
\
Ten minutes and two more roller repairs later, Alex sighed with relief that the entire upstairs was completely vacuumed. Now it was just a matter of cleaning the bathroom and dusting the gaming room and reading nook. The tigress walked into the bathroom and pulled a spray bottle out from under the sink. Pinching hir nose in preparation for the harsh smell of chlorine and bleach, shi pulled back the curtain of hir bathtub and started spraying down the fiberglass walls. \
\
Another ten minutes later, the tigress finished hosing down the inside of the tub with the detachable shower head. Shi put it back on the hook and glanced over the shower walls with satisfaction, hoping that the pink slime wouldn\'92t come back again. Alex closed the shower liner and turned around to flush the toilet one more time, then headed downstairs to start dinner.\
\
After filling a pot of water and sticking it on the stove next to a skillet drizzled with olive oil, Alex pulled out a half pound package of chicken breast and stuck it on the plastic cutting board. After dicing the chicken, shi dumped two cups of farfalle pasta into the pot of boiling water, then scraped the chicken off the cutting board into the skillet, stepping back as it sizzled and popped in the hot olive oil. Turning back to the kitchen island, the young tigress peeled the plastic off the package of pre-sliced mushrooms and turned back around to dump them in with the chicken. Now it was just a matter of waiting before adding the chicken broth, spinach, garlic, and eventually the ricotta cheese. \
\
Alex was sitting on the kitchen island counter, playing a game on hir phone when David walked in. \'93That smells good. What is it?\'94\
\
\'93I dunno,\'94 shi replied with a shrug. \'93I just threw some stuff in a skillet and boiled some pasta.\'94\
\
\'93Huh. Chicken, mushrooms, and garlic in cream sauce?\'94 he asked, peering into the bubbling mess in the skillet.\
\
\'93And spinach,\'94 Alex replied, looking back down at hir phone. \'93Mom says we should eat more greens.\'94 \
\
\'93She\'92s probably right,\'94 David admitted, leaning over to plant a kiss on his daughter\'92s forehead. \'93Thank you for fixing dinner, love.\'94\
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Alex smiled to hirself. \'93You\'92re welcome.\'94\
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\f1\b \cf0 Friday, February 5th, 2016
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Raenne stomped the snow off her boots and stepped through the side door into the living room, then stepped to one side to make way for her husband and daughter. Both parents were wearing baby carriers strapped to their chests and were carrying full-sized duffle bags. Alex was carrying a smaller tote as well.\
\
\'93Home, sweet home,\'94 the older tigress said as she dropped the duffle bag before bending to undo the laces on her boots. \'93You don\'92t realize how much you miss it until you\'92ve spent a solid month in a hospital room.\'94\
\
\'93It could have been even longer,\'94 David pointed out as he bent to remove his own boots. \'93Be glad they released the twins a week early.\'94\
\
\'93Yeah, and the medical bill would have been larger too,\'94 Raenne agreed as she kicked off her footwear, nudging them under the bench next to the door. The tigress walked over to the couch that faced the fireplace and carefully sat down so as not to jostle the infant that was strapped to her chest. After leaning back, she reached up and ran her thumb across Katherine\'92s forehead, trying to calm the mewling cub. The kittens still had their eyes closed, but they were making up for it with how vocal they were. \'93Quiet, you. Your brother\'92s only six feet away and I literally just fed you an hour ago,\'94 the tigress muttered.\
\
\'93Why don\'92t we go put them in the nursery, see if they\'92ll fall asleep again,\'94 David suggested. \'93They were sleeping soundly through most of the car ride.\'94\
\
\'93Good idea,\'94 the tigress said, carefully standing back up.\
\
\'93I\'92ll get the bags. Where do you want them?\'94 Alex asked, having finished taking off hir own boots.\
\
\'93The duffles go in our bedroom, and the small tote goes in the nursery,\'94 Raenne said.\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Alex replied, picking up one of the heavy duffle bags with a grunt and heading down the hallway towards her parents\'92 room at the back of the first floor.\
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Ten minutes later, David and Raenne peered down at the two cubs in the crib. \'93I don\'92t think we\'92re supposed to put them both in a single crib,\'94 David muttered, nibbling on the black skin of his lower lip.\
\
\'93Yeah, but they won\'92t stop fussing unless they\'92re together,\'94 Raenne quietly replied. \'93I learned that 
\f2\i weeks
\f0\i0  ago. They don\'92t even like being separated for feeding. It\'92s like they\'92ve got a built-in proximity detector or something. More than one foot apart and they start fussing.\'94\
\
David frowned. \'93Huh. Do you know...?\'94\
\
\'93Nope,\'94 Raenne replied, already guessing what he was trying to grasp at. \'93They don\'92t even need to make noise to know where the other one is. They can literally be dead asleep, and if you move one of them away the other one starts fussing. For all I know they\'92re telepathic.\'94\
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\'93I\'92ve heard that sometimes twins are like that. Usually it\'92s identical twins, though,\'94 David mused. \'93Let\'92s hope they don\'92t start speaking cryptophasia.\'94\
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\'93Yeah. Teaching them English as a second language would be a pain in the tail,\'94 Raenne said, turning away from the crib now that the cubs were falling asleep again. \'93Can you order something for dinner? Pizza, maybe? And keep an ear open for the cubs? I need to see where Alex is at.\'94\
\
The white tiger raised an eyebrow, not sure exactly what his wife meant, but was more than willing to keep an eye on the cubs. \'93Okay,\'94 he said, pulling out his cell phone.\
\
Raenne stepped across the hallway to their bedroom, heading straight to their closet and pulled out her karate gi, quickly getting changed before heading upstairs. She found her daughter sitting at the computer desk in hir room, drawing. \'93Hey kiddo. Get your gi on. It\'92s karate time.\'94\
\
Alex glanced up from the drawing shi was putting the finishing touches on, raising an eyebrow. It was almost dinner time and hir mom wanted to have karate practice? The young tigress blinked, then stood and walked over to hir closet.\
\
Two minutes later, the young tigress thundered down the stairs to the basement and garage that they\'92d converted into a gym. Shi tugged on hir yellow belt to make sure it was tight before stepping over to the mat. She bowed towards the center of the mat, then walked over and stood in the center of the mat, facing hir mom.\
\
\'93Seiza,\'94 Raenne said, watching as her daughter immediately knelt and sat on hir feet. This wasn\'92t going to be a full practice; she just wanted to see where hir daughter was at. If what David said was true, Alex was more than ready for 7th Kyu. \'93Mokuso.\'94\
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\'93Now at full speed. Heian Nidan.\'94\
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Alex blinked, then recited the name of the kata, then went through it as fast as shi could while still maintaining correct form. It helped to visualize people attacking from various directions like Hikari had suggested. Turn left, upwards block, inwards block, punch Robert right in the stupid goat\'92s chest, turn, upwards block, another inwards block, punch dog-breath Jimmy in the chest...\
\
\'91Christ, shi is fast\'92, Raenne thought to herself, a few seconds later. The little tigress had gone through all twenty-six moves in a little over ten seconds, including the slight pauses after kiai shouts. As far as she could tell, her daughter had done everything correctly, though Alex went through them so fast that the older tigress was considering putting up high-speed cameras just to make sure. \'93Very good,\'94 she said. \'93Now, seiza.\'94\
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As her daughter knelt on the mat, the older tigress turned around and unzipped her gym bag and pulled out an orange belt that she had ordered around Christmas. She turned around and knelt in front of Alex. \'93Once again, you have learned all that is required in order to progress. You have not yet mastered these skills, for mastery takes a lifetime, but you have achieved competency with all the basic techniques and the kata that are required to advance to 7th Kyu. I am honored to reward your persistence and your dedication. Congratulations,\'94 Raenne said, leaning forward and setting the orange karate belt on the mat between them.\
\
Just then, the doorbell rang for the \'91front\'92 door, next to the garage door. The older tigress stood and walked over to the door, pulling it open. A teenaged ferret in a red and white baseball cap and jacket stood there holding a black carry case. The young ferret\'92s head slowly tilted back until his gaze finally reached the much taller feline\'92s.\
\
\'93Uhhh, Hi. Did you order a pizza?\'94 the ferret asked, pulling out a brown cardboard box.\
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\f1\b \cf0 Saturday, February 6th, 2016
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Alex held Azalea\'92s paw as shi dragged the half-squirrel down the hall from the living room to the nursery. As the tigress put hir paw on the doorknob, shi turned and made a shushing noise, then pushed the door open. \
\
Raenne was sitting in a recliner in the corner, reading a novel, and looked up as the door clicked open. She raised an eyebrow as Alex and Azalea practically tiptoed into the room, her daughter heading straight to the crib.\
\
\'93That\'92s Katherine,\'94 Alex whispered, pointing at the black-and-white striped cub. \'93And that\'92s Nicholas.\'94 She pointed at the black-and-orange striped one. They were clearly sleeping, both eyes shut. Nicholas squirmed for a moment and reached out with one tiny paw, then stopped as he touched his sister\'92s. The kitten relaxed again, promptly falling back asleep.\
\
\'93They\'92re pretty cute,\'94 Azalea said, smiling at the sight of the sleeping babies. \'93I wonder if you were that cute.\'94\
\
\'93Not even close,\'94 Raenne muttered without looking up, flipping a page in her book. \'93Alex was one 
\f2\i ugly
\f0\i0  baby.\'94\
\
\'93Mooom,\'94 Alex whined in a stage whisper.\
\
\'93Okay, fine. You were cuter than Nicholas, but not as cute as Katherine,\'94 the older tigress said, still not looking up from her novel. \'93She\'92s by 
\f2\i far
\f0\i0  the cutest of you three. All because she has this adorable little growl when she\'92s irritated.\'94\
\
Alex harrumphed, then turned away from the crib, raising an eyebrow at Azalea. \'93What?\'94\
\
\'93I need to see some baby pictures of Alex,\'94 Azalea smiled, looking from the younger tigress to hir mother. \'93I\'92m sure your mom has some really embarrass- I mean, cute photos of little Alex.\'94\
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Raenne finally looked up from her book, a grin spreading across her muzzle. \'93I 
\f2\i do
\f0\i0 . I scanned them a few years ago, so I could keep them on my phone,\'94 she said, pulling the phone out of her pocket.\
\
\'93Oh no, you don\'92t,\'94 the young tigress said, frantically pushing Azalea back out of the room. \'93We are 
\f2\i not
\f0\i0  looking at pictures of baby Alex.\'94\
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Azalea squirmed, grabbing onto the door frame for a moment, but her claws couldn\'92t get any purchase before Alex managed to push her all the way out of the room and closed the nursery door behind them. \
\
\'93Spoilsport,\'94 Azalea muttered, trying to look innocent. \'93I just wanted to see if they\'92re as cute as you were.\'94\
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\'93Riiight,\'94 Alex said, glaring at her girlfriend. \'93They\'92re cute, but they make some of the most ear-piercing cries sometimes. They woke me up last night, and I was sleeping on the second floor. I can\'92t imagine how Mom and Dad got a wink of sleep.\'94\
\
\'93Oh, we didn\'92t,\'94 David said, stepping out of their bedroom. \'93We\'92re going to be taking care of them in shifts. I\'92ll sleep in the evening, your mom will sleep in the morning. I suggest you start going to bed earlier so you get enough sleep.\'94\
\
Alex peered up at hir dad. \'93Like when? Ten?\'94\
\
\'93More like eight. But don\'92t take my word for it,\'94 David said, heading down the hallway towards the great room. \'93You\'92ll find out soon enough for yourself. I still have nightmares that wake me from a sound sleep, remembering your cries from when you were an infant.\'94\
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Alex glanced over at Azalea, looking vaguely alarmed, then followed her father out into the great room.\
\
\'93So, what\'92s the plan till dinner? Snuggles, napping, a snowball fight?\'94 Azalea tossed out a few ideas, the last one being an obvious joke.\
\
Alex perked up at the idea of a snowball fight. Going outside was actually a good idea. \'93Hmm. We\'92ve got like three hours to kill. We could go for a hike,\'94 the young tigress suggested.\
\
\'93Are you 
\f2\i crazy
\f0\i0 ? It\'92s 
\f2\i literally
\f0\i0  freezing outside. As in the temperature at which water turns solid. Did you know that you\'92re over ninety percent water?\'94 Azalea asked, launching into a rant about the temperature. \'93Yes, it\'92s true, you\'92re mostly water. You know what happens to people when they go outside when it\'92s freezing? That\'92s right, they freeze solid. Like an 
\f2\i ice cube
\f0\i0 . I have no intention of turning into a squirrel-shaped ice cube.\'94\
\
Alex stared at hir girlfriend as she ranted about the cold, waiting patiently for the older cub to finish her rant. \'93Stop whining and put on your coat. We\'92re going hiking,\'94 shi said, totally deadpan, before turning and walking over to the side door entrance that led out to the covered part of the deck that wrapped around half of the house.\
\
\'93Did you not hear me?\'94 Azalea asked, exasperated as she followed the tigress over to the side door next to the fireplace. \'93My muzzle will literally be dripping icicles. My tail will freeze solid and break off. Then my fingers, then my hands. I won\'92t be able to paint very well without 
\f2\i fingers
\f0\i0 , you know, much less 
\f2\i hands
\f0\i0 .\'94 \
\
Alex, wearing only an orange t-shirt and a pair of black capris, pulled open the door. \'93I\'92ll be waiting outside,\'94 shi said, snagging a pair of boots and stepping out onto the covered porch. \'93Besides, you won\'92t freeze. You\'92re more paint than water,\'94 Alex quipped, pulling the door shut behind hir.\
\
The half-squirrel grumbled under her breath for a moment about \'91crazy tigers\'92 before pulling on her own boots and grabbing her coat from the coat rack.\
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Azalea followed Alex into hir bedroom. \'93I thought we were going to play video games or something after dinner,\'94 the half-jerboa said, following her girlfriend into the bedroom. \'93Did you change your mind and decide to watch a movie and snuggle instead?\'94\
\
The young tigress walked over to hir bed and flopped backwards onto it. \'93Actually, I have a better idea. Think we\'92ve been dating long enough that Mom and Dad will let us do sexy stuff together?\'94\
\
Azalea\'92s eyes shot wide open at the suggestion. \'93Seriously?\'94 she asked, mouth hanging open.\
\
\'93Yes, seriously,\'94 Alex said, sitting upright. \'93Want to come with me to ask them?\'94\
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\'93You\'92re kidding, right? Your dad would snap me like a twig,\'94 the half-squirrel protested.\
\
\'93Nope, not kidding,\'94 the tigress said, hopping off the bed and grabbing Azalea\'92s paw, dragging her along. \'93And Dad\'92s a giant teddy bear; he wouldn\'92t hurt a fly.\'94\
\
The tigress darted down the stairs with a wild-eyed Azalea in tow, coming to a stop as hir father looked up at hir from where he was sitting on the couch.\
\
\'93Dad! Can Azalea and I do sexy stuff together yet?\'94 Alex asked, point blank.\
\
David cocked an eyebrow at his daughter, then turned to look at Azalea. \
\
\'93This was 
\f2\i not
\f0\i0  my idea, I promise,\'94 the half-squirrel said, immediately trying to defend herself. \'93All hers. I\'92m here under protest.\'94\
\
The white tiger sighed and set his book down on the arm-rest before standing to his full six-foot-eight height, glaring down at them. \'93Alex? Did you ask if Azalea wants to have sex?\'94\
\
\'93Well, no, but-\'94\
\
\'93What did your mom say about asking first?\'94 David said, clearly exasperated.\
\
The young tigress sighed, also exasperated, then turned to Azalea. \'93May we 
\f2\i please
\f0\i0  have sex?\'94\
\
Azalea gasped like a fish for a moment at how brazen her girlfriend was, then swallowed nervously. \'93I mean, I would like that, but... I feel like this is a trap. Like if I say the wrong thing, your dad is going to yeet me out the door.\'94 The squirrel blushed furiously, looking from Alex to David and back. \'93But yeah, I would like to have sex with you.\'94\
\
\'93Raenne?\'94 David called before sitting back down on the sofa.\
\
A moment later the tigress walked down the hallway from the nursery. \'93Yes?\'94\
\
\'93You were right,\'94 David said, casually pulling a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and holding it out while picking up his book and flipping it open again.\
\
The tigress looked at her daughter and sighed. \'93Yes, you can. 
\f2\i If
\f0\i0  both Cora and Beth are okay with it,\'94 Raenne said, walking over to her husband and snagging the cash before sitting down on the sofa next to her husband and picking up a book of her own. \'93And yes, I\'92ll want to speak with them first.\'94\
\
\'93My phone\'92s up stairs, I can go get it.\'94 Azalea said after patting her pockets to make sure she didn\'92t have it.\
\
\'93Go on, then,\'94 Raenne said, waving at the two children.\
\
Alex promptly turned around and darted back up the stairs, dragging hir girlfriend along, the half-squirrel\'92s fluffy tail bouncing around wildly. After a moment they arrived back in Alex\'92s bedroom. \'93Okay, where is it? Oh, there,\'94 the young tigress said, snatching Azalea\'92s phone off the computer desk and pressing it into her hand. \
\
Azalea took the phone and quickly pressed the contact labeled \'91home\'92 and waited for one of her mother\'92s to pick up, panting for breath from being rapidly moved from point A to B. \'93Hey Mom. Just have a quick question for you,\'94 Azalea sighed, setting the call to speakerphone. \'93So we kinda want to get naughty, but Alex asked hir parents first and now they want to talk to you about it and make sure that it\'92s okay with you...\'94\
\
\'93As long as you two are safe about it, and your parents don\'92t mind...\'94 Cora said.\
\
\'93I\'92m safe, Mrs. Winters. I got an IUD last year, and if you insist, I\'92ve got condoms that I\'92m pretty sure will fit Azzy around here... somewhere,\'94 the tigress said, rummaging through hir nightstand.\
\
\'93Jebus. You must have been planning this for a while, horny tiger,\'94 Azalea huffed, reaching over and pinching Alex\'92s butt as shi was digging through the drawer, getting a squeak in response.\
\
\'93Say Alex, you\'92re ten now, right? Just 
\f2\i how
\f0\i0  did you talk your mom into getting you an IUD?\'94 Cora asked, remembering just how young Alex was.\
\
\'93Ha! Found \'91em! Yes Mrs. Winters, I turned ten in August,\'94 the tigress confirmed, rolling back over with a pair of foil packets in hand. \'93Mom had me get an IUD after she found out about Lizzy... or maybe it was when I started having those, uh, dream things... Actually, uh.. You-know-what-nevermind,\'94 Alex blurted, flushing red with embarrassment. \'93You should talk to Mom.\'94\
\
\'93Oookay. I\'92ve got questions now,\'94 the jerboa said, clearly suspicious, \'93and your parents wanted to talk anyway, so let me talk at \'91em.\'94\
\
\'93Come on Alex,\'94 Azalea said, getting up and taking Alex\'92s paw, dragging the embarrassed tigress out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the great room. \'93Mr. and Ms. Andreyev, you two wanted to speak with my mom?\'94 the squirrel-hybrid asked, stopping at the edge of the living room.\
\
\'93Yes,\'94 Raenne said, setting her book down while leaning forward and holding her hand out.\
\
\'93Hello, Raenne,\'94 the voice on the line spoke up as Azalea handed her phone to the older tigress. \'93It\'92s Cora.\'94\
\
\'93Hi Cora. A few moments ago Alex came running down here asking for permission to do \'91sexy stuff\'92 with Azalea,\'94 the tigress said, leaning back against her husband again and glancing up at the two cubs in front of her. \'93I said yes, but only if Azalea has 
\f2\i your
\f0\i0  permission.\'94\
\
\'93So, before we get to that... Alex, who is only ten, just told me that shi got an IUD 
\f2\i last year
\f0\i0  and mentioned someone named Lizzy and dreams before clamming up,\'94 Cora said. \'93This sounds like an absolutely wild tale. Spill.\'94\
\
Raenne sighed, looking over at her daughter. \'93Well, there\'92s a lot to it, but the extremely short version is that we found out Alex was messing around with hir friend Elizabeth last spring. Both of them have precocious puberty. When Alex started having nocturnal emissions too, I decided not to wait until hir first blood to go on the pill and got hir an IUD instead of risking a litter of \'91mini-me\'92s, since auto-impregnation 
\f2\i is
\f0\i0  possible for hermaphrodites.\'94\
\
\'93Oh,\'94 Cora said, clearly disappointed. \'93I thought there\'92d be more to it.\'94\
\
\'93Oh, there 
\f2\i is
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Raenne said with an evil grin. \'93I\'92ll tell you and Beth the whole story over coffee or something next time I drive Alex over to your place.\'94 The tigress smirked as her husband rolled his eyes.\
\
\'93Oh, yay, I love a good story,\'94 Cora said brightly, giggling. \'93But yes, they can have sexy times as long as they are safe and it is okay with you two.\'94\
\
\'93They\'92re perfectly safe and it\'92s fine with us,\'94 the older tigress confirmed. \'93Alex has a clean bill of health; I had hir take a full STD panel the day shi got back from vacation, just in case.\'94\
\
\'93Vacation... with Lizzy, I presume?\'94 Cora asked.\
\
\'93Uh-huh,\'94 Raenne confirmed with an exasperated sigh.\
\
Cora giggled. \'93Well, I know that Bushy butt is clean. The one guy that she was talking to was a dickbag and broke up with her when he found out she\'92s trans. But it seems that she and Alex worked that one out already, sooo... Anyway, is there anything else you wanted to discuss?\'94\
\
\'93No, that was it. Have a good evening, Cora.\'94 With that, Raenne handed the phone back to the jerboa-squirrel cub. \'93Try not to make too much of a mess, kids. Alex has plenty of towels in hir closet. Use them.\'94\
\
\'93You heard her Bushy butt, no messes. And don\'92t get anything in your tail. I don\'92t want to shave it,\'94 Cora added.\
\
\'93Love you too, Mom,\'94 Azalea said with an exasperated sigh, clicking the button to disconnect the call. \'93And thank you two,\'94 she said, nodding to Alex\'92s parents.\
\
Raenne smiled. \'93You\'92re welcome.\'94\
\
\'93Well, that was easy,\'94 Alex said quietly before turning around and pelting upstairs. \'93C\'92mon!\'94\
\
\'93You don\'92t have to tell me twice,\'94 Azalea said as she slipped her phone into her pocket and rushed off with Alex. \'93I\'92m gonna pounce a cutie!\'94\
\
After Alex reached hir room, shi stepped into the closet and pulled out a short stack of towels.\
\
Azalea followed Alex into hir room, closing the door behind herself. \'93Sooo, ummm... Just gonna get naked and stuff?\'94\
\
\'93Huh?\'94 Alex asked in confusion as shi tossed the towels onto hir bed, then turned and tilted hir head while raising an eyebrow at the squirrel-hybrid. \'93Why would we get naked? We have tentacles for a reason.\'94\
\
\'93
\f2\i I
\f0\i0  am not Jennifer. You can\'92t fool me with your deadpan bullshit,\'94 Azalea said, glancing sideways at the tigress. \
\
The tiger cub giggled. \'93Sorry, I couldn\'92t resist.\'94\
\
\'93Tentacles... That makes me think of evil dragons. Dang you, Vinewrath,\'94 Azalea muttered, shaking her fist at the ceiling, then turned and looked over at the tigress, blushing. \'93So, ummm\'85\'94\
\
\'93So, first we need to spread a few towels out,\'94 the tiger cub said, grabbing a towel and flipping it out, draping it across hir bed. A moment later a second one joined the first. \'93Okay, all done,\'94 shi announced, hopping up onto the bed. \'93What, are you going to just stand there?\'94\
\
\'93You don\'92t have to ask twice,\'94 Azalea said, still blushing a little as she climbed onto the bed and snuggled up to the tigress. \'93So lots of kissing and touchy stuff?\'94\
\
\'93Yep!\'94 Alex said, giving Azalea a quick kiss. \'93Do you want to get naked before the touching stuff, or\'85\'94\
\
\'93Nah, I have the 
\f2\i best
\f0\i0  panties on; they are fun to touch and rub,\'94 Azalea said. \'93So do I, like, strip you? Or do we just take our own clothes off?\'94\
\
Alex snorted with amusement, and answered by taking hold of the hem of hir tee-shirt and peeling the entire thing off, dropping it off the side of the bed. \'93Just get naked already, silly squirrel,\'94 shi said, popping the snap on the back of hir skirt, shimmying out of it and letting it fall to the floor as well. All shi had left on was a black lycra sports bra and matching shorts.\
\
\'93
\f2\i That
\f0\i0  I can do; I\'92m good at it,\'94 Azalea said with a smirk as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt, tugging it up and off, showing off her cream-colored chest fur. The next thing that came off was the beige training bra that she had on, then she started working on her jeans, letting out a happy sigh as she was soon left in only a pair of cute silk panties.\
\
\'93I should probably get some actual bras and undies,\'94 Alex said, peeling off the sports bra. Shi tossed it off to the side of the bed to land on hir tee-shirt. For a moment shi looked down at hir chest, which had started to fill out, barely qualifying as AA-cup. \'93But I like these sports bras.\'94\
\
\'93I have been told that they are some of the most comfy bras out there. Well, other than the ones that cost like an arm or a leg,\'94 Azalea said, blushing as her eyes slowly made their way over Alex\'92s body, taking in the sight of the nearly naked tigress. \'93Though I do, um, like the idea of you in some lacy things.\'94\
\
\'93No way,\'94 Alex protested, shaking hir head, then brushed hir hair out of hir eyes. \'93I don\'92t do lacy things. Neither does mom, as far as I know. I just, I dunno\'85 I like plain things in black... or bold colors. Wait,\'94 shi said, noticing the sheen on the fabric of Azalea\'92s undies. \'93What are those made of? Are those lycra too?\'94\
\
\'93They\'92re silk,\'94 Azalea said, smiling as she wiggled a little closer. \'93I like silk. Lacey things can be super cute, but give me something silk with cute designs and I\'92m happy.\'94 The half-squirrel paused, her tail tip twitching a little; she liked showing off her panties... and really wanted to be touched by her girlfriend. \'93You want to feel how smooth they are?\'94\
\
\'93Can I?\'94 Alex asked, reaching out with one paw, waiting until Azalea nodded. The tigress stretched hir paw the last few inches, gently rubbing hir finger-pads across the front of the half-jerboa\'92s panties. \'93Oh wow, it\'92s really smooth. Almost slick,\'94 shi added, stroking the fabric for a few moments.\
\
Azalea let out a happy chitter as she felt the tiger\'92s fingertips against her undies, shivering a little. \'93Silk feels really nice, but... sometimes it causes\'85 things to happen.\'94 It was clear that 
\f2\i things
\f0\i0  were happening, judging by the growing bulge in the hybrid\'92s panties.\
\
Smirking, Alex continued to stroke the front of Azalea\'92s smooth undergarments as the lump started to grow firm. \'93Are you sure that\'92s not because I\'92m rubbing them?\'94\
\
\'93Well, that\'92s sure a big cause of it,\'94 Azalea said, blushing as she leaned over, kissing Alex on the cheek. \'93You know there is something about being, like, mostly naked and snuggled up to a cute tiger... and being touched. Things wake up.\'94\
\
As the hybrid\'92s shaft took shape, Alex fondled it between hir finger and thumb, just like Azalea had done to hir a two weeks ago. The tigress was starting to get aroused too; shi hadn\'92t really played with another\'92s boy parts before\'85 at least not someone hir own age. After a few moments Alex shifted around and rolled over, laying down with hir head on Azalea\'92s tummy to continue the intimate caress, gently running hir paw across the firm shaft beneath the fabric.\
\
The hybrid was at a loss for words, feeling someone else touching her so intimately. It didn\'92t take too long for the bulge to swell to full length, tenting her silk panties. Her tail twitched more as she held onto the towel that was under them.\
\
Alex continued using the slick silk to help with the handjob shi was giving. Azalea\'92s penis didn\'92t feel like hers did at all\'85 it didn\'92t taper, didn\'92t have any bumps except at the end. The shaft had a uniform diameter ending in a smooth round cap. After a few moments it didn\'92t feel like it was growing any more, and it was almost the same size as hir own boy-bits.\
\
\'93It isn\'92t, like, as big as some of the boys that I heard my sister talking about... I hope that\'92s okay,\'94 Azalea apologized, squirming as she looked down at the tigress. Where the black stripes met along hir spine, they formed arrows pointing up hir back. Alex was facing away, though hir ears were angled back towards Azalea.\
\
The tigress rolled over, resting hir head on Azalea\'92s thigh so they could talk while shi continued to rub the rodent\'92s member. \'93It\'92s 
\f2\i more
\f0\i0  than okay, silly squirrel. It\'92s almost as big as mine, and mine\'92s huge for a feline. The doctor put me on testosterone blockers about six months ago to keep it from getting too big and to help my boobs grow. Boys are always talking about having big dicks, but it isn\'92t a good thing. Taking a dick that\'92s too big can be painful for a girl. Or a herm. Especially for felines.\'94 Alex knew that from personal experience; Dad was way too big for Mom. He was also too big for Alex, but shi was young.\
\
\'93Taking a dick that\'92s too big can be painful for 
\f2\i anyone
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Azalea said, also speaking from experience; she had a toy that was 
\f2\i way
\f0\i0  too big to go up her bum. \'93Mom and my doctor are working on getting me started on those testosterone blocker things too. And I think that there\'92s a 
\f2\i big
\f0\i0  cat joke somewhere that needs to be made.\'94 \
\
Alex\'92s ears flicked at the mention of big cat jokes, and shi rolled hir eyes. \'93You and your jokes.\'94\
\
\'93Sorry, I had to say it.\'94 She said smiling and poking her tongue out a little.\
\'93You know... I dunno if they\'92re the same thing your doctor wants to put you on, but I\'92ve got extra testosterone blockers, if you want them,\'94 the tigress offered, sniffing slightly at the slight smell of pine and musk coming from the rodent\'92s panties. Shi felt her nethers tingle, and realized hir own shaft had started to swell in her underwear as well.\
\
\'93I might take you up on that,\'94 Azalea said blushing as she watched the tigress stroke her shaft, hir head resting on her thigh. \'93I don\'92t know a lot about herms. Is being bigger normal?\'94\
\
\'93No. We\'92re supposed to be smaller. At least, that\'92s what I\'92ve read. Something about having high levels of both estrogen and testosterone causing stunted genital growth. Small boobs too. That\'92s mainly why they have me on the Spironolactone; so that my boobs grow normally,\'94 shi replied before reaching up and tugging at the upper hem of Azalea\'92s silk panties. \'93Do you think\'85?\'94\
\
\'93I thought that it would be like that,\'94 Azalea paused for a moment, thinking. \'93Things have to be in balance. If there is one th-\'94\
\
\'93Azzy,\'94 Alex interrupted. \'93Do you think we could take these off?\'94 shi asked, tugging at the hem of Azalea\'92s panties again. \'93I wanna see it.\'94\
\
\'93Huh? Oh! Yes,\'94 Azalea said, blushing even darker as the tigress sat back on hir knees. With a little wiggle she reached back and undid the tail snap on her panties before wiggling them down her body, blushing more as she got her panties off and let them fall to the floor. \'93I wish I was an innie instead of an outie, but... this is what I\'92m stuck with. Do... Do you like it?\'94\
\
\'93Of course I like it, silly squirrel; I like you, and it\'92s part of you,\'94 Alex said, leaning over and giving Azalea a kiss. It was clear that the hybrid was turned on by the tigress, her pink appendage was standing proud in a sea of her creamy fur, twitching. It looked exactly like shi remembered from their sleepover back when Azalea still lived in the apartments nearby. Below it, covered in the same cream-colored fur, were a pair of larger-than-average nuts, owing to her rodent heritage.\
\
\'93May I touch it?\'94 the tiger cub asked, staring down at Azalea\'92s lap, remembering hir parents\'92 injunction to 
\f2\i always
\f0\i0  ask before doing something with a partner.\
\
\'93You 
\f2\i can
\f0\i0 ,\'94 Azalea said with a smirk. \'93You already did, just through the panties, silly.\'94\
\
Alex reached out and took hold of the rodent\'92s shaft just above her sheath, and gave it a gentle squeeze. The tigress looked up again, meeting Azalea\'92s gaze. \'93Can I lick it?\'94\
\
\'93If... if you want to,\'94 Azalea said, face and ears burning with embarrassment. \'93I, ummm, I would like that.\'94 The half-jerboa nodded.\
\
Alex grinned and leaned over Azalea\'92s lap, tentatively sticking hir tongue out. Shi gently ran the tip of her tongue up the side from all the way to the rounded tip of the squirrel-hybrid\'92s length. Shi pulled hir tongue back, blinking. It was musky, and with that strange astringent pine smell. Or taste. Whatever. It wasn\'92t bad, but then shi only had hir dad\'92s to compare with.\
\
After a second Alex bent forward again, this time wrapping the underside of hir tongue around the base and dragging upwards, coating the hybrid\'92s smooth shaft in saliva. Before doing anything else, shi warned the squirrel. \'93Lemme know if you like this or not. I\'92ve got a kinda rough tongue, but it\'92s not as bad as a feral\'92s. If it\'92s too much, we can do other stuff.\'94\
\
Chittering rather loudly at the feel of the tongue sliding along her shaft, Azalea let out a moan. \'93Your tongue\'92s a little rough, but as long as you\'92re gentle... All of this feels really good.\'94\
\
Alex smiled and carefully took Azalea\'92s length into hir mouth, wrapping the underside of hir long tongue around the rodent\'92s penis to avoid scratching it with the barbs on the top. Shi pursed hir lips around the base of the squirrel\'92s length, the tip barely touching the back of hir throat. At least shi didn\'92t have much of a gag reflex anymore, so that wasn\'92t an issue. Mindful of hir sharp teeth, shi began slowly bobbing hir head, dragging hir tongue and lips along Azalea\'92s shaft.\
\
\'93Ahh... Alex,\'94 the hybrid squeaked, falling flat on her back and holding onto the towel with a death grip. \'93Th... this feels really good.\'94 \
\
The tigress didn\'92t reply, slowly moving hir muzzle up and down over Azalea\'92s penis, keeping hir tongue wrapped around it like a bacon-wrapped hot-dog. Shi used hir lips to push hir tongue up and down along the smooth shaft. It had taken a bit of trial and error with hir dad before shi\'92d figured out an oral technique that worked, given hir barbed tongue and sharp teeth. The tigress kept it up for at least half a minute.\
\
\'93I thi... think I\'92m gonna...\'94 Everything around Azalea seemed to disappear as she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the incredible pleasure coming from her (mostly) unwanted appendage. Moments later she let out a noise that might have been words of warning, followed immediately by her cock twitching as she spurted her watery seed straight down the back of Alex\'92s throat.\
\
The tiger cub stopped bobbing hir head, holding still as shi felt the squirrel-hybrid\'92s length pulsing in hir mouth, swallowing quickly. Shi let the last bit pool in the back of hir mouth, wanting to taste it. It was slightly astringent and metallic, like tea brewed too long. Shi hummed, wondering if it was her imagination that shi was tasting juniper berries, before realizing that shi still had a dick in hir mouth. The tigress pulled back, dragging hir tongue off Azalea\'92s length. Curious, shi ran the leftover semen over hir tongue. It wasn\'92t thick or gooey like hir dad\'92s at all. Shi swallowed, expecting a gummy residue... but there wasn\'92t. Shi sat back on hir heels. \'93Was that your first time getting a blowjob?\'94 Alex asked curiously, after Azalea had stopped twitching.\
\
\'93Yeah,\'94 Azalea said, blushing and nodding while using her tail to hide her face. \'93It was really great too\'85 I can see why my sister likes doing it with others.\'94\
\
Alex nodded. \'93You\'92ll probably get really tired soon, then.\'94 The tigress grabbed a pillow to throw under hir head and laying down next to the jerboa-squirrel. \'93I did, my first time having sex with someone else. I didn\'92t know what was happening. I actually thought I was going to pee, and I nearly fell over trying to get to the toilet.\'94\
\
\'93That\'92s what I thought was going to happen, my first time,\'94 Azalea said, blushing and snuggling against the tiger cub. \'93I was gonna warn you, but I forgot to word correctly. If you want, I\'92m not too tired to... to make you feel like that,\'94 the hybrid said, blushing again.\
\
\'93It\'92s okay,\'94 Alex said with a smile. \'93I\'92d rather snuggle. I like making other people feel good more than, ummm, having them make me feel good. Not that I don\'92t like to feel good, but... er\'85\'94 The tiger cub\'92s voice trailed off, followed by a slight growl. \'93You know what I mean. I hope. Shoot. I think I forgot to word correctly too.\'94\
\
\'93Words are really hard sometimes,\'94 Azalea said with a snicker. \'93I\'92m fine with snuggles.\'94 The half-squirrel brought her tail around to wrap around their waists. \'93Making other people feel good makes you feel good too, or something like that?\'94\
\
\'93Exactly!\'94 Alex said, then planted a kiss against Azalea\'92s cheeks, wrapping hir arms around her, and yawning slightly as shi nestled hir head against the hybrid\'92s shoulder. \'93I\'92m kind of tired anyways. We can do some more stuff in the morning.\'94\
\
\'93That sounds like it would be amazing.\'94 Azalea said, letting out a squeaky little yawn. \'93Sleep sounds good.\'94\
\
\'93We should probably get under the covers,\'94 Alex suggested \'93Mom and Dad keep the house cold at night, except for the nursery.\'94\
\
\'93Yeah, I remember,\'94 the rodent said, shivering slightly. \'93I suppose that it\'92s good for snuggling and nesting. Want to get the cover\'92s ready and I will put the towels in the hamper?\'94\
\
\'93Nah, we can use them again if we have sex tomorrow,\'94 the tigress replied, rolling over and scooting off the bed. Shi quickly moved to the head of the bed and turned down the covers and grabbed a few pillows for head-rests. Without waiting for the squirrel to move, shi snagged the towels and yanked them out from under hir friend, quickly shaking them out and folding them before dropping them on the floor.\
\
Azalea yelped, then blinked in confusion after suddenly being flipped upside down when the towel was yanked out from under her, then crawled across the bed and climbed under the covers. Chittering softly as she wiggled under the covers and built a little nest out of pillows. Once she was happy with it, she lay there, her tail hanging off the side of the bed.\
\
Alex spent a moment hunting for the remote, finding it on the floor under their clothing. Shi flipped the TV on and set it to Cartoon Network, then dropped the remote on the nightstand and crawled into bed, yawning again even though it was only half-past-seven. A moment later hir chest was pressed against Azalea\'92s back, wrapping the half-squirrel in a hug while purring. \
\
\'93You cats make the cutest sounds,\'94 Azalea murmured, wrapping her tail around the tigress. \'93And are nice and warm.\'94\
\
\'93Mmmhmm,\'94 Alex agreed, tilting hir muzzle up. Shi nibbled on the edges of Azalea\'92s ears, making the half-squirrel\'92s tail twitch violently under the covers. \'93Oh? Is that a sensitive spot?\'94\
\
\'93Stooop,\'94 Azalea whined, her entire body quivering; it was like her large, sensitive ears had nerves that connected all the way from the top of her head to the tip of her tail.\
\
The tigress released them, grinning to herself. At least now shi knew the jerboa-squirrel\'92s weakness. Shi tucked hir muzzle against Azalea\'92s neck and sighed, breathing in her friend\'92s scent.\
\
Half an hour later there was a knock at the door, followed maybe ten seconds later by a tall white tiger poking his head into the room, glancing around. David cocked his head to the side, looking at the TV, then stepped in and picked up the remote on the nightstand, pointing it at the television. It beeped quietly and went black. He waited a second to see if there was any kind of response from the two under the blankets, but there wasn\'92t. He set the remote back down and turned around, flipping the lights off as he walked out of the room with a smile on his muzzle; with all the cubs asleep, he and Raenne had the house more or less to themselves tonight.\
\
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\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0
\cf0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\sl360\slmult1\qj\partightenfactor0

\f1\b \cf0 Sunday, February 7th, 2016
\f0\b0 \
\
Alex yawned, showing several long, sharp teeth, and pushed out hir arms and legs as far as they could go. Shi blinked a few times, clearing the last of the sleep from hir eyes before tugging the bed cover down and peeking out. It was surprisingly dark, especially for a Sunday morning. Usually the sun was up before shi woke. The house was also surprisingly chilly. Much more so than usual. Glancing over at the alarm on hir nightstand, shi was even more confused when it blinked 12:00. Maybe the power was off.\
\
Reaching over, she picked up the TV remote on hir nightstand and aimed it at the TV before pressing the power button. Nothing. Shoot. They\'92d gone to bed early and now the power was out. Alex carefully pulled the comforter further down and crawled out from under it, then stuck a finger-claw between the blinds of the window above hir headboard, pulling them down enough to peer out. A fresh coating of powdery snow, steel blue in the pre-dawn light, covered practically everything. There was at least a half-foot of snow outside, and more was still coming down. Shi wondered for a moment if the access road shi\'92d found with Azalea around Halloween would be steep enough to snowboard on. That might be fun.\
\
That was when Alex remembered the twins, and let go of the blinds, turning around to climb out of bed. If the power was out, they might get too cold. Almost as if they knew shi was thinking about them, shi heard their high-pitched mewling, followed a moment later by one of the downstairs doors opening and closing. The tigress relaxed, reassured that Mom and Dad would have everything under control. They had a gas-powered fireplace and a wood-burning stove, if needed.\
\
After grabbing hir phone off the computer desk, shi climbed back under the nice, warm covers. It was too damn cold without the heater running; heck, if not for Azalea shi\'92d probably be shivering. They\'92d have to get bundled up if the power didn\'92t come back on in the next hour. The tigress lay back against the pillows and flipped the phone over, unlocking it and starting up one of the SquareSoft games that hir dad had recommended, \'91Secret of Mana\'92 or something. Shi turned the volume down as low as it could go without being muted and loaded up the latest save.\
\
Shortly after the tiger woke up, Azalea started stirring. At first she just lay there and enjoyed the warmth under the covers, then eventually poked her head out, immediately spotting the phone in Alex\'92s paws. She yawned and scooted up slightly, resting her head on the tiger cub\'92s shoulders. \'93What are you playing, hmm? Secret of Mana? That\'92s a classic,\'94 she said with a happy little churr.\
\
\'93Yeah. Dad recommended it. Said it was something he played when he was a cub,\'94 shi said, swiping to bring up the spell menu and casting an ice spell at the crazy bouncing spiky cat thing that had attacked shortly after talking to the witch at the end of the castle in the haunted forest. A few spells later the monster exploded in a shower of glittering sparks. Shi brought up the menu and saved the game, then set the phone back on the nightstand.\
\
\'93It\'92s a fun game, I just never could get into it on the phone.\'94 Azalea went quiet, holding Alex and blankets a little tighter as she realized how cold it was. \
\
Alex leaned into the snuggle, then sighed. \'93The power\'92s out. Which means there\'92s no heat. And no television. Or computer. Or kitchen appliances. So I can\'92t make us waffles right now.\'94\
\
\'93Well that sucks\'85..and I don\'92t guess that you guys have a kerosene heater? I could make some pancakes like that.\'94 Azalea said. \'93And I\'92m sure that we can find things to entertain one another.\'94\
\
Alex blinked, waiting for hir night-vision to come back after staring at the phone screen for the past couple of minutes. \'93Hmm\'85 I can think of at least one thing to do\'85 and it doesn\'92t even involve getting out from under the covers,\'94 the tigress said, a grin spreading across hir muzzle. Shi reached hir paws under the coverlet, squirming around a bit. A moment later, shi pulled a  handful of black fabric out from under the coverlets and held it aloft triumphantly. \'93Hah! Freedom!\'94 the tiger cub said before flinging the undershorts across the room where they hit the closet door. \
\
Giggling at the show, Azalea said \'93You know, that reminds me...\'94 The rodent reached under the covers for a moment. \'93Yup, I seem to have forgotten to put mine back on. Shame.\'94 She wrapped her arms around Alex, running a hand down hir sides. The tiger cub started purring, content with letting the squirrel-hybrid explore hir body in the early-morning darkness.\
\
The hybrid let out a happy little chitter as her paw kept moving lower and lower, briefly resting on Alex\'92s hip before starting to slide inwards. It didn\'92t take but a moment for the paw to come to rest on the tiger\'92s sheath. She stroked the fur on it lightly, like she would do for herself. The darkness hid the blush on her cheeks and ears, not to mention the smile on her muzzle.\
\
Alex\'92s purring got louder as Azalea\'92s fingertips ran across hir swelling flesh. Just thinking about what they were going to do in a few moments was enough to get hir erect, and as the hybrid\'92s fingers wrapped around the tip of hir length, shi bit back a moan. With every pulse of hir quickly beating heart, hir warm shaft continued to expand into the palm of the hybrid\'92s paw.\
\
\'93Oh, you got hard fast.\'94 Azalea paused as she slowly stroked the swelling length. \'93And it has weird nubbies on it. Is that where your barbs were? I remember you mentioned that cats have barbed penises when we watched porn a few months ago.\'94 \
\
\'93Yeah. If I hadn\'92t been debarbed they\'92d be like little needles on my dick. Trust me, it would 
\f2\i not
\f0\i0  be fun to play with,\'94 Alex said, shaking hir head.\
\
Azalea snickered, continuing the slow up and down movement. \'93Ummm... Could I do that thing you did last night? Lick it and stuff?\'94\
\
\'93Sure,\'94 Alex replied, breathing a little deeper than normal. \'93Just be careful with your teeth. It\'92s sensitive. Just lick it like a lollipop or something.\'94 \
\
Azalea stuck her tongue out for a second, licking Alex\'92s cheek. \'93Heh, I can do that. I don\'92t have fangs like you,\'94 she said, flashing the buck teeth common to her species before lifting up the blanket enough to wiggle under it. Mostly going by feel, she found what she was looking for, nose twitching as she let her tongue slip out and lap at the pointed tip. The tiger\'92s flesh was clean, but shi smelled faintly of peaches and a blend of spices. She kept licking at Alex\'92s shaft, letting her tongue trace over different parts of it, feeling the little nubs near the tip and the smooth shaft along the sides and base.\
\
Alex sighed and lay back against hir pillow, relaxing. It was obvious Azalea had never done anything like this before, but she definitely wasn\'92t doing anything wrong. Still...it was missing something. \'93Hey Azzy?\'94\
\
Pulling away from her lover\'92s privates, the half-squirrel sat up, still under the blanket. \'93Did I do something wrong? I can do other things if I\'92m bad at that,\'94 she said softly. \
\
\'93No, not at all. But just behind my, um... just under my balls... That\'92s where my flower is; my, uh, pussy. It feels really good if you rub that too,\'94 Alex said, rolling over and lifting one knee slightly to make it more accessible. \'93If you don\'92t want to, that\'92s okay\'85\'94\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Azalea said, nodding as she went back down, licking her lover\'92s shaft from base to tip. Her paw slowly slid up Alex\'92s leg before coming to rest between them, rubbing along the tigress\'92 testes before slipping past them to hir flower. Azalea, guessing what she was doing, ran her fingertips along the damp slit, taking her time to familiarize herself with that part of her girlfriend. A moment or two of rubbing her fingertips found a nubby spot and started rubbing it lightly.\
\
\'93Oh yes, right there,\'94 Alex said, purring louder. \'93That little spot right behind my balls is my clit. It\'92s really sensitive, so don\'92t spend too much time on it. I\'92ll show you when the lights come back on... or I can turn on my phone light and show you.\'94\
\
\'93We can wait on the light thing. I\'92m sure that we are going to want a shower later.\'94 Azalea said, her fingertips moving further down, gliding along hir lower lips. \'93Can... can I put my fingers in?\'94 she asked, glancing up towards the tigress.\
\
\'93Uh-huh,\'94 Alex said, nodding. Not that the squirrel could see the gesture in the darkened room. \'93Just be careful with your nails.\'94\
\
\'93Can do,\'94 Azalea said as she carefully pressed one of her fingers into the tigress\'92 folds. It was a good thing that the hybrid kept her claws filed down, trimmed and neat. As she sunk her finger into Alex, she pressed her lips around the tip of the tiger cub\'92s cock, lightly suckling on it. Her tongue ran over the tip, tasting Alex\'92s faintly chai-flavored pre-cum.\
\
Alex continued to purr as shi focused on Azalea\'92s touch, both inside and around hir. Shi wasn\'92t all that interested in a blow job right now though; shi wanted to feel the hybrid\'92s length inside hir. \'93Azzy? I want you inside me. Can we mate now? Please?\'94\
\
\'93I- I, ummm,\'94 Azalea stammered, her ears so flushed it felt they were on fire. \'93I would like that a lot,\'94 she said, sitting up and poking her head out from under the covers. \'93Is there, ummm, a certain way that you want to do this?\'94\
\
\'93Just lay back,\'94 Alex said, pushing slightly against Azalea\'92s shoulders.\
\
\'93Like this?\'94 Az asked as she laid back, resting on the pile of pillows.\
\
\'93Yeah\'85 like that,\'94 Alex replied, quickly reaching over to hir nightstand and pulling the drawer open. After pulling out a small jar, shi rolled back over and swung hir leg over the hybrid\'92s waist, straddling her. \'93I don\'92t think we\'92ll need it, but I have lube just in case. Oh, and\'85 just relax and enjoy,\'94 the tigress added, leaning down and giving hir new girlfriend a gentle kiss.\
\
Alex pushed hirself back up, then quickly unscrewed the lid, scraping a small amount of waxy coconut oil out and putting it on hir palm. Shi set the jar back on the nightstand, then reached between hir legs, lifting hir testes out of the way and revealing the hybrid\'92s slender length. \'93This\'92ll be slightly chilly at first, but it\'92ll warm up fast. I promise,\'94 shi said.\
\
Reaching down between hir legs, Alex gently grasped Azalea\'92s shaft, rubbing hir palm up and down it a few times to spread the slippery substance. The half-squirrel let out a little squeak as she felt the cold lube on her most sensitive parts, but Alex ignored it. Instead, once shi was sure that it was well-coated, shi moved hir fingers to the base near Azalea\'92s sheath and aimed the tip forward slightly, sitting back a little until shi felt the tip brush against hir slit. \
\
Taking a soft breath, Alex slowly relaxed hir legs, letting Azalea\'92s shaft slowly enter hir passage. It wasn\'92t nearly as large as her dad\'92s, so shi had no problems with simply rocking hir hips as shi slowly slid down it. A few seconds later, hir butt came to rest on Azalea\'92s thighs.\
\
Alex let go of hir balls, then glanced up at Azalea\'92s face. By now hir eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that shi could make out the half-squirrel\'92s face in shades of blue and grey. She was panting softly, smiling at the feeling of her lover\'92s warm flower around her, it was clear that she was enjoying herself. Reassured, the tigress lifted hirself up a few inches and sat back down, bouncing against Azalea\'92s hips. Shi did it again a few more times, making sure shi wouldn\'92t accidentally let the hybrid\'92s length slip out, then leaned forward to rest hir paws on Azalea\'92s shoulders and settled into a rhythm, rocking hir hips forwards and backwards, up and down.\
\
\'93Oh God,\'94 Azalea moaned as Alex bounced on her hips. \'93This feels so amazing.\'94 She let out another moan as the tigress settled into a rhythm, gripping hir hips with both paws.\
\
Alex simply smiled. As shi continued to bounce against Azalea\'92s hips, shi reached down with hir hand, the one still damp with lube, and took hold of hir own shaft, rubbing hir palm over it. Shi held hir hand still, using the motion of hir hips to drive hir own shaft in and out of hir palm. It wasn\'92t the same as having a threesome with hir parents, but good enough.\
\
The clock on the nightstand continued to blink, still stuck on 12:00 even as the first few rays of sunlight hit the blinds of Alex\'92s room, adding the barest hints of light to see with. Just enough to add color to the room. The tigress continued to bounce up and down, sitting atop the jerboa-squirrel\'92s hips, masturbating while shi mated with hir moaning girlfriend.\
\
After a minute or so of rutting, shi was starting to feel the first inklings that shi was getting close to orgasm. And it was feeling like it was going to be one of hir favorite kinds too, cumming with both hir sexes at once. \'93I hope... you don\'92t mind... getting a bit... messy,\'94 Alex said, panting heavily.\
\
\'93I\'92m... I don\'92t mind,\'94 Azalea said between the moans and squeaks that she was making. \'93I... I\'92m getting close.\'94 The hybrid\'92s hips bucked as she grew closer to orgasm, gripping Alex\'92s hips tightly.\
\
\'93Good,\'94 Alex said, bouncing a bit faster. Hopefully shi\'92d get to feel Azalea squirt inside hir before shi came. The familiar tensing sensation continued to grow in hir belly, somewhere just behind hir navel, as shi continued to bounce and the clock on hir nightstand continued to blink.\
\
\'93Oh God. I\'92m\'85..I\'92m...\'94 Azalea barely managed to say as she tensed up again. Her penis started twitching, cum spurting from the tip as she clutched her lover\'92s hips. \'93Aleeeex...\'94\
\
Feeling Azalea squirt was exactly what Alex had been waiting for. The tigress came to an abrupt halt, focusing on the pulsing sensation within hir flower. Shi squeezed hir dick in time with the spurts of liquid warmth within hir. By the time the fourth squirt hit hir insides, shi was on the verge of climax. On the fifth one, hir own orgasm started.\
\
As hir climax hit, Alex\'92s insides clenched down around Azalea\'92s length and hir balls drew up. Trying not to get cum all over the bed, shi pushed hir length down, aiming it at Azalea\'92s cream-colored belly. The first twitch did nothing, but the second shot a streamer of thick white semen straight down the hybrid\'92s tummy and across her chest, almost reaching Azalea\'92s neck. The next two shots stopped in the middle of the jerboa-squirrel\'92s chest. The last few didn\'92t go nearly as far, making a small pool near her belly button.\
\
The tigress tried to stay still as the last of hir orgasm wracked hir body. Twin orgasms were absolutely mind-blowing. They were tiring, too. Alex had just enough presence of mind to lean to one side so as not to smack Azalea in the face as shi collapsed, unconscious before shi even hit the pillow.\
\
The hybrid panted as Alex flopped to the side. \'93Well, I think I killed my girlfriend,\'94 Azalea muttered, turning her head a little to look at the tigress. \'93Alex? You alive?\'94 she asked softly, then giggled at the soft rumbling coming from the tigress. She leaned over the side of the bed and scooped up one of the towels to clean up the mess on her chest. Curious, she dabbed her finger in it and licked it off, noticing once again that it tasted like watered down chai tea, and was a bit sweeter than last time. After cleaning up as best she could, she planted a kiss on Alex\'92s nose and snuggled up to her, pulling the covers over them. \'93Good night, kitten,\'94 she whispered.\
\
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Azalea rolled over in the unfamiliar bed she was lying on, nose twitching at the scent of cinnamon, sugar, and toast. The jerboa-squirrel hybrid yawned and sat up, looking around the room, remembering that she had spent the night with Alex. \'93God, that smells good,\'94 she muttered as she slid out of bed, gathering up the clothes that they had left on the floor last night and getting dressed. She definitely needed a bath and a brushing, but she wanted to find the source of the tasty smell first. \
\
\'93Alex? You in here?\'94 She asked, walking downstairs to the great room that housed a living room, dining room, and kitchen.\
\
\'93Yup,\'94 the tiger-cub replied, already showered, dressed, and standing in front of the stove. \'93Mom and Dad should be out in a few moments too. Could you set the table? There\'92s plates in that cabinet, and silverware in the drawer below it,\'94 shi said, turning and pointing with the spatula in hir paw.\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Azalea said with a nod as she got out plates for each of them. \'93Man that stuff smells soooo good,\'94 the hybrid said as she set out the plates before getting the silverware and doing the same. \'93Might have to get you to teach mom to make that.\'94\
\
\'93Sure! I\'92ve been having french toast for breakfast for as long as I can remember. I only started making it myself last year though,\'94 shi said, scooping yet another slice out of the cast iron skillet and onto the platter next to the stove that was already piled high with french toast. Shi quickly picked up the shaker next to her and shook it a few times over the pile, dusting it with powdered sugar and cinnamon.\
\
A yawn announced the presence of yet another person appearing for breakfast, as David appeared in the hallway, dressed in a hastily donned bathrobe. His wife followed close behind, also wearing a bathrobe and moving a bit stiffly, like her hips hurt.\
\
\'93Good morning you two,\'94 David said after he finished yawning, walking into the kitchen.\
\
Raenne let out some kind of noise that might have been a good morning. She looked like she was still half asleep, leaning against her husband\'92s back. \
\
\'93Good morning,\'94 Alex said, turning off the stove and picking up the platter to take to the dining table. Hir parents followed close behind, both of them collapsing into chairs while Alex set the platter in the middle of the table. \'93What does everyone want to drink?\'94\
\
\'93Tea\'85.\'94 Azalea said with a little giggle as she glanced at the youngest of the three tigers, and then turned to hir mother. \'93You look half-dead. Are you okay? Do you need coffee?\'94\
\
The older tigress blinked, a strange expression on her face. \'93Uhh... mostly okay. The cubs keep waking us up every few hours,\'94 Raenne said, blearily. \'93Orange juice, please. I\'92m going back to sleep after this.\'94\
\
\'93I\'92ll have coffee,\'94 David said, picking up his fork and using it to snag several slices of french toast, alternating between putting them on his and his wife\'92s plates. \
\
Alex went back into the kitchen, pulling down several mugs and glasses from one of the cabinets and then heading to the fridge. \'93Hot tea or cold?\'94 shi asked loudly.\
\
\'93Hot. With a pine needle on the side.\'94 Azalea called back. \'93If you don\'92t have hot tea, I\'92ll take whatever you\'92re having.\'94\
\
\'93No prob\'85 it\'92ll be a minute though,\'94 the tiger cub replied as she put two mugs of hot water in the microwave. A moment later, shi walked through the living room and pulled open the side door, heading out onto the patio before closing the door behind hir.\
\
Azalea was a little surprised that Alex actually went outside to get her a pine needle, smiling that the tigress went right along with the half-squirrel\'92s little quirk. \'93So... Why do they keep waking up?\'94 she asked as she snagged some of the french toast for herself. \
\
\'93They\'92re just hungry,\'94 David said as his wife rubbed her eyes. \'93They wake up every four hours, mewling for milk. Raenne\'92s been a stickler for breastfeeding them instead of formula, since it\'92s supposedly healthier for preemie babies. I guess that it\'92s worked though; the twins are at exactly the right weight for their ages.\'94\
\
Alex pulled the side door open again and stepped back inside, stomping on the mat just inside the door to get the snow off hir bare paws. After closing the door again, shi walked past them and back into the kitchen. \'93Have I mentioned you\'92re weird?\'94 shi asked over hir shoulder as shi went by Azalea.\
\
Azalea stuck her tongue out at the younger tigress. \'93You\'92re the one that was chasing imaginary phoenixes that time. And it\'92s not that weird. Pine smells nice and pine needle tea is good and good for you.\'94\
\
Alex rolled hir eyes as she dropped a tea bag into the mug, setting a pine needle almost as long as hir paw down next to it before turning around and pouring a steaming hot cup of coffee fresh from the pot under the coffee maker. A few moments later, shi walked back into the dining room with a platter in hand, several cups and mugs sitting on it. \
\
\'93Thanks, love,\'94 David said as his daughter set his cup of coffee down. Raenne said the same a moment later as a glass of orange juice was placed in front of her. Alex set a cup of hot cocoa down at her own spot, then handed Azalea a saucer with a mug of tea and a pine needle.\
\
Azalea took the cup, dipping the needle into it and stirring it a little before setting it on the saucer. \'93I didn\'92t think that you were going to get me one, but... thank you,\'94 she said, sipping at the tea before starting to eat. \'93I will make you some pine needle tea, sometime.\'94\
\
\'93If you\'92d asked for anything other than a pine needle, I\'92d have said forget it\'85 but there\'92s a pine tree just within reach of the patio,\'94 Alex said with a shrug, sitting at the table. \'93It\'92s not like the cold bothers me,\'94 shi said, reaching out with a fork to snag some of the french toast.\
\
David took a bite of the toast, chewing for a moment before swallowing and giving a contented sigh. \'93Delicious. I\'92m starting to think you may have surpassed even me at the art of making french toast. The student has become the master, young padawan.\'94\
\
Raenne rolled her eyes, taking a sip of orange juice. Alex did likewise, taking a bite of french toast.\
\
\'93She can make some killer french toast,\'94 Azalea said happily, before letting out a little squeak and setting down her fork. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. \'93Ummm... is anyone doing anything this afternoon?\'94 she asked, setting her phone in her lap and going back to eating.\
\
\'93No,\'94 David said. \'93Not that I know of. Sunday\'92s sort of our day off,\'94 the white tiger explained.\
\
\'93Well then,\'94 Azalea said, smiling. \'93Mom A wanted me to ask if you all wanted to come over for dinner and meet the family or something.\'94\
\
\'93Sure,\'94 David replied, after a moment, looking slightly surprised. \'93Is that okay with you?\'94 he asked his wife.\
\
The older tigress peered suspiciously over the top of her glass of orange juice, then set it down. \'93How many people are going to be there? I\'92m not keen on exposing the twins to any of the viruses going around lately, and we can\'92t exactly leave them behind.\'94\
\
\'93It\'92s just my parents and sister, and you guys. It\'92s nothing big,\'94 Azalea said, sighing happily as she stuck the last of her French toast in her muzzle.\
\
\'93Okay. I guess that\'92s not too bad\'85\'94 Raenne said, finally taking a bite of her own french toast. \'93What time?\'94\
\
Azalea looked at her phone one last time. \'93Ummm, about four,\'94 she said, typing out a message and putting it away. \'93That way you all can meet the family, talk a little before the dinner and stuff.\'94\
\
\'93Okay,\'94 Raenne said.\
\
Alex looked over at Azalea with a calculating expression. \'93Does this have anything to do with us having sex?\'94\
\
David nearly spit out his coffee at that, and Raenne almost choked.\
\
The young hybrid went wide eyed at that question. \'93No,\'94 Azalea said, blushing as she picked up her tea. \'93No. My family does this like every month. Cook a big meal and celebrate. Nothing to do with that,\'94 she said, picking up the pine needle and sticking it in her muzzle. \'93And, um, don\'92t worry. I told her to not let you have any more of that tea,\'94 the half-jerboa said, trying to change the subject.\
\
\'93What tea?\'94 Raenne asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the rodent sitting next to her.\
\
\'93I\'92m innocent on this one,\'94 Azalea immediately protested, blushing a little. \'93Mom A gave her nepeta cataria tea. She didn\'92t really think about it cause we drink it pretty regularly-\'94\
\
\'93You gave Alex 
\f2\i catnip tea?!
\f0\i0 \'94 the tigress asked incredulously.\
\
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\'93Alex actually said that?\'94 Beth asked, laughing warmly. \'93You know, I\'92m starting to like hir. Shi\'92s sharp and goes straight to the point,\'94 the malabar squirrel said, standing at one end of the dinner table.\
\
\'93Alex said it without missing a beat,\'94 Azalea said, helping her mom clean off the table. \'93So, you two don\'92t be, like, super weird and stuff. Shi\'92s my mate now, and well\'85\'94\
\
\'93You want us to make a good impression on them?\'94 Cora said, kneading some dough at the kitchen island.\
\
\'93Well, yeah. I mean, you two know that we are doing it, so there is no need to bring that up, and none of that grandkid stuff\'85\'94 Azalea said as she and Beth finished cleaning the table.\
\
\'93I make no promises,\'94 both of Azalea\'92s mothers said in unison as Beth and hir daughter walked into the living room area, heading over to the sofas to start straightening them up.\
\
\'93And don\'92t worry; we told your sister to behave,\'94 Cora called out, waving the rolling pin. \'93Not sure how well it\'92s going to work...\'94\
\
\'93Oh God. Does she even know that Alex and I are a thing? We kissed in front of her a few weeks ago\'85\'94 Azalea said with a huff as she and Beth moved the sofa and got the cat toys from behind it before moving it back to the wall. The cats sitting on the sofa didn\'92t bother to move.\
\
\'93Don\'92t worry. I will have a little talk with her when I go to pick her up,\'94 Beth said with a smile as they straightened the small pillows on the sofa and recliners.\
\
\'93Thank you,\'94 Azalea said with a little sigh.\
\
\'93You really do have a thing for her don\'92t you?\'94 Cora asked with a giggle as she finished washing and drying her hands. \'93You two are really cute.\'94\
\
\'93Moooom,\'94 Azalea said with a little huff.\
\
\'93You know, I\'92ve never seen Alex\'92s dad, other than at a distance when he dropped hir off,\'94 Beth said with a snicker. \'93I\'92ll finally get to see if he\'92s as muscular as you say\'85\'94 shi said as shi picked up a box and followed hir daughter down the hallway, giving a wolf whistle.\
\
\'93In the name of Ra... We are not trying to make me blush to death,\'94 Azalea said, putting the box of cat toys she was holding in the hallway closet.\
\
\'93Honey, it\'92s our job as moms,\'94 Cora said, spreading a tablecloth on the dining table. \'93And hey, Bethany is the one that you should be worried about. You know that shi is going to be the one that does the interrogation.\'94\
\
\'93Mom, 
\f2\i please
\f0\i0  don\'92t\'85\'94 the hybrid begged. \'93I know that you like to read a lot of detective novels, but that doesn\'92t make you one,\'94 she said, shaking her head a little as she started pulling out statues and figurines of different sizes and set them out. \'93And, while I\'92m thinking about it... you know shi\'92s a herm, right?\'94\
\
\'93There\'92s no way I\'92d forget that, seeing as I am too,\'94 Beth said, smiling as shi set out candles on the table. \'93But I still have to make sure that shi is right for my little girl. And don\'92t think that it\'92s just you; we do this to Jenny\'92s boyfriends too. None of us are worried about what gender someone is, as long as shi is good to you and you two get along and all that.\'94\
\
Azalea froze up for a moment. \'93Shoot.\'94\
\
\'93What did you do\'85 or forget?\'94 Cora called out on her way back to the kitchen to check on the bread before pulling it out and starting to knead and roll out the next batch.\
\
\'93I forgot to tell them all about the Feast. I just told them that it was a family dinner thing that we have each month,\'94 Azalea said, letting out a sigh. \'93I don\'92t 
\f2\i think
\f0\i0  they will get offended or anything,\'94 she said as she walked into the kitchen to watch her mom.\
\
\'93Well in that case...\'94 Cora said, reaching over and booping her daughter\'92s nose with a flour covered paw. \'93We will ask them. If they don\'92t like the idea, we can do the blessings later. If they\'92re interested, we can do the blessings after dinner,\'94 Cora said, smiling and taking a deep breath. \'93It seems like they are a pretty open-minded bunch, so I wouldn\'92t worry.\'94\
\
\'93I think so too, but I still worry,\'94 Azalea said, shaking her head and rubbing her nose a little to get the flour off. \'93And you remembered to go easy on the spices on the meat right?\'94\
\
\'93Sweetie, I\'92ve had two kids. I know how it works,\'94 Cora said, smiling as her daughter stared into the oven, watching the bread bake. \'93Just a little salt, pepper and the slightest hint of allspice. We will have the other spices sitting out on the counter.\'94\
\
\'93You know, it\'92s starting to sound like she is planning the \'91I\'92m getting married to this woman\'92 dinner, doesn\'92t it?\'94 Beth said with a laugh as shi joined hir wife and daughter in the kitchen.\
\
\'93We\'92re just dating. It\'92s nothing like that,\'94 Azalea protested, blushing. \'93Oh God. I told you about the babies, right?\'94\
\
\'93Yes, you did,\'94 Cora said without missing a beat. \'93I think that someone needs to go have a nap or something. You\'92re worrying too much,\'94 she said as her daughter walked into the living room and sat on the sofa.\
\
Azalea rolled her eyes. \'93Love you too, Mom.\'94}