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From: TBD <tbd@hushmail.me>
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Subject: {ASSM} Humans Only Purpose Written Work (finished, asst codes) TBD
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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:12:14 -0400
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Humans Only Purpose Written Work (finished, asst codes) TBD
---

I wrote the following story just to see if I could.  As it turned out,
yes and no.

I could write a story that on the surface, was exactly what was
wanted.

Underneath that, my subconscious refused to co-operate.  There is a
second, very tragic tale hidden beneath the surface.

By adding a sentence at the beginning, a sentence at the end - and a
title change,  the whole tone of the story changes.

Quite frankly, I'm rather proud of this one from a technical
standpoint.

Read the story and compare it to what I usually write.  No way I
wanted TBD to be associated with this type of story back then.  Now?
Well, I feel established enough that most people will accept this
story for what is was:

Absolute and utter prostitution of my skills to meet a specific goal.

Note: This is sort of a blast from my past.  I was involved as a
proof--reader of some authors' work at the time.
---

There was this person called Boomer who well...  I'll let the contest
moderator say it in his own words:

Quoted from a post by The Observer:
-------------

 For  those  of  you who haven't experienced the thrill,  Boomer is
this  half  illiterate  who  has  been  posting stories to a.s.s.,
featuring his idea of a good time - getting females pregnant.  His
preferred  method  is blackmail, or while the broad is passed out, or
he watches while his wife makes fun of his puny dick and takes the
seed of some stud into her fertile belly.

  Don't  get me wrong.  In our hindbrain, men know why we fuck.  And
making  babies  is absolutely a key impetus.  My only objection is
Boomer's  spelling,  grammatical errors, redundant usage of words, and
overall inept writing style.

  I  may  be mistaken, but in my opinion, Celeste is highly unlikely
to run a contest with the story theme 'knocking up broads.'   This
subject  is just too damn close to the core for most women's taste -
except  at that certain moment.  But hey man, a contest is fun. So
we're going to have one.

  Let  Boomer  be  the  judge, if he will.  If he won't, well in his
words, he can "fuck off." 

  The  rules  are simple.  The title has to use Boomer in some form,
and the theme has to be getting a female pregnant by fair means or
foul,  preferable  foul.   You must use a spell checker.  You must use
a grammar checker; or have someone edit the story so it is not an
illiterate  piece  of  shit.   Some of Boomer's stuff would be great
if he would take these steps.

  Wollstonecroft is banned from this  contest.  His stories  in this
'get the bitch pregnant'- or not a bitch as the case may be - genre
are so good, there would be no point in the rest of us even trying.
For those not in the know, look for 'Appleseed' to see what I mean.
-----------------

Get the picture?  Good.

[end of the snip from The Observer]
---

First, the original story and then I'll duplicate it and add the
changes that change the tone.
---

Just a quick little something I wrote in a couple of hours.  Comments?

This is something of a departure for me.  But, I couldn't resist the
chance to try something different.

This is a short little story about revenge.

If you don't like rape scenes and forced sex, then read no further.

M/F rape, nc, caution, preg  (You figure out what applies after you
read it.)
---

Bitch Busting Boomer
---

"Take it Bitch.

"Feel every goddamn thick inch of my 12 inch cock as it makes you
useless for any other man."

Brutally, I slammed my rod into  her resisting pussy.  I savored her
fear as my monstrous prick stretched her past anything she'd ever
known.

I grinned at her look of disbelief and pain as my pubes finally ground
into hers.  Our bodies froze together.  Hers in pain, mine with
restrained power.  Her  spasming pussy told me everything I needed to
know.  And I spent that long moment gladly watching her realize what
was coming.  I'd warned her when I started that I was going to treat
her as she deserved.  Lord knows the bitch had earned it.

Let's face some hard truths here.  I'm a womanizer and an asshole.
Everyone who knows me agrees about this.  I live for the moment when I
can get revenge on a woman who's made the mistake of seeing me as a
nice guy.  I live for one thing.  Only one thing.  To satisfy my
ever-hungry prick by using it to get revenge.  What a lot of people
never realize is that the sex is not my revenge.  Nor do I take
delight in their cries of joy as my pounding finally takes them to new
heights of pleasure.

Oh, no.  My revenge is far more subtle.  I don't leave them until they
are pregnant.  THAT is my pleasure.  To know as I leave them that
there will always be a part of me there to remind them of what price
they paid for trying to mold me to some fantasy image they had.

Over the years, I've developed a sixth sense about when a woman can be
made pregnant.  Now was such a time.  She didn't know it yet but this
would be the first and last time I would fuck her.  I KNEW she would
get pregnant from this session.  I'd timed things very carefully.

It was a routine made easy with repeated success.  First, the years of
letting her get away with lots of little things.  Then the carefully
planned night when I finally exploded and told her what I really
thought of her little endless games.  Don't think I had only one woman
at a time to deal with.  No, I had many victims just waiting for when
I would get revenge.  The beauty was that none ever suspected until
the last moment what was coming.

* * *

As I had worked myself into what looked like a towering rage, I had
removed my clothes and revealed my now engorged prick to my latest
victim.  Throbbing in time with my now racing heart, it mesmerized
her.  "This is your just reward, bitch.  When I get through with you,
you'll never want anything smaller again."

Firmly, I had used my strength to immobilize her as I removed her
clothing. I didn't tear any of it either.  That wouldn't suit my plans
at all.  I very carefully took the time to remove it intact.  Her
trembling body was reward enough during this.  We both knew where my
true brutality lay.  It certainly wasn't in my disrobing her.

My prick swollen in all its glory spoke volumes about what I had in
mind.  Or so she thought.  I let no hint of my true revenge appear in
my eyes.  As far as she knew, I only had one thing in mind.  To drive
my massive member where it had no right to be.

Softly, as I finally bent her over on her back on the bed, I spoke the
most terrifying words yet.  "I'm not going to bother gagging you.
Nobody will hear and respond.  And by the time this is over, you'll be
screaming for more.  You manipulative cunt."

As she wordlessly shook her head from side to side in denial, I made
my move.   I released her hands and let my body slam onto her and
drive the breath out of her.  I could feel her snatch slide along my
dick as I reached and levered both of her unresisting legs over her
head.

"Look closely.  Cunt"

My prick was pinned between her legs now.  As I held her ankles in one
hand, I grabbed her head and levered it up to let her get a look at
it.  Bright red with contained blood, the head was inches past her
belly button and my balls were resting against her clit.

"You're going to take all of it before I'm done.  If it kills you,
nobody except you and I will know how you died.  From a cock hitting
your heart."

I grinned at her.  I knew she'd be able to take it without being
killed.  I was more interested in her reaction to this unvoiced
threat.  I was finally rewarded with her first spoken word.

"Noooooo..."  It was soft and filled with her fear.  Her body had
frozen as she realized that for all practical purposes and as far as
she knew, I didn't care if I killed her or not.  Not true, but she'd
never know it.  It was a sop I had learned to give women.  An out to
soothe their brutally deflated egos.  I was going to rape her and I
didn't give a damn what happened.  That's all she would know for now.
Only when she discovered she was pregnant would she realize the full
extent of my revenge.  And I would be long gone and untraceable.

I released her head and liberally coated the head of my prick with
lubricant.  More than enough to ease my passage.  It would be worked
back along my shaft as I slowly forced her open.

I reached down and flicked her clit with my fingers.  I smiled at her
as her body responded to the stimulation.  Her eyes widened as her
body betrayed her.  I let her see my knowledge of that fact.  My smile
let her know that finally, in the end, her body would respond to my
actions and she would be begging for more.

No iron bar was ever as hard as my throbbing member as it forced her.
No stoking for me.  I placed the head between her lips and eased it
in.  Once sure I would not fall out, I let go and slowly moved my hips
forward.  Every so often, I would take a long pause.  Not once did I
reverse course.  Oh , no, only in.  Once started, I wanted her to know
there was no way I would even consider backing out.  Implacable, I
ignored her screams of pain as I stretched her open to receive me.  I
ignored her puny fists as they tried to hammer at me.  Feathers would
have been just as effective in getting me to stop now.  Which was to
say, not at all.

I hit her innermost reaches and stopped.  I still had inches left. Her
cunt was spasming around me now.  Slick with her secretions, my last
couple of inches had been very easy.  But my slow deliberate pace and
her fear helped to hide that knowledge from her.  Deep down, she knew
her body had started to willingly allow me to enter.  But, I now
uttered words to distract her from that fact.  Oh, yes, I was highly
skilled at this art form.  I knew exactly what she needed to let her
hide from herself that she really enjoyed this brutality.  I wasn't
really being brutal.  My actions were a careful role I played in
pursuit of my final goal.  The slowness of my entry and implacable
purpose hid the fact it was allowing her to adapt to my presence
fairly quickly.

"I'm not completely in yet, you cunt."  And that was when I suddenly
pulled back and then slammed forward to freeze with my prick fully
sheathed.  The already stretched part of her had no time to contract.
I had eight inches of stretched tunnel before I hit resistance.  My
momentum was too great and I easily forced my way in the rest of the
way.

"Take it Bitch.

"Feel every goddamn thick inch of my 12 inch cock as it makes you
useless for any other man."

She screamed wordlessly as I slammed home.  First in pain.  Lots of
pain.  Then in horror as she started to convulse in an orgasm. Finally
with pleasure as her now spasming cunt pulsated around me.  I had won.
Totally and without rational thought, her body surrendered to me.

As her first spasms started to subside, I started thrusting.  Slowly
at first, I worked to a slamming rhythm that bounced my pubes on her
clit and started her into a continuous spasming.  Her tight tunnel was
too much for me and I quickly peaked and spurted into her.  Her eyes
widened as my cum spurted into all the cracks my dick couldn't reach.

Finally, I allowed myself to drop on her.  As my dick deflated, I lay
there grinning into her now open eyes.

"See bitch?   I was right wasn't I?"

Twice more that night I took her.  Savagely the first time and then
gently the second.  My revenge was complete.  In weeks, she would know
how complete.  I could afford to be gentle now.  It would hurt her all
the more later.

As she lay on the bed in the morning light, I dressed.

I smiled as I went out the door.  "Cunt.  You got exactly what you
asked for."  As she begged me to stay, I softly closed the door on
her.
---

Not my usual thing is it?

Look below the surface to see the other story I wrote. I think you'll
find the hidden story is more in character for TBD.

Anyway, on to the story.

For me it was fairly obvious as I wrote that little piece that there
was a hidden story far different than the surface one.  We have here a
man who insecure and runs away from any chance of a good relationship.
He's fooling himself when he says he puts up with all the little
things for years just to get revenge.  What really happens is that as
soon as he feels it is going to be more than he can handle, ie. caring
and committed, he uses a symbolic 'rape' and subsequent pregnancy as
an excuse to run.  He's convinced himself that his 'role playing' of
being brutal is part of a plan and means on his path of 'revenge'  The
reality is far different.  He really does have care and concern for
his sex partner.  But he's fooled himself into thinking otherwise.

Try reading it with that in mind and see if the story changes a bit.

It's a little mind game type of thing a lot of men play with
themselves.  When they start feeling that a relationship is getting
serious, they find any excuse or rationalization to run.
-------

Failure
---

The woman knows that this night, she must put on the performance of
her life if she is to capture her lover and give him back to himself
so he may become the person he really is.

* * *

"Take it Bitch.

"Feel every goddamn thick inch of my 12 inch cock as it makes you
useless for any other man."

Brutally, I slammed my rod into  her resisting pussy.  I savored her
fear as my monstrous prick stretched her past anything she'd ever
known.

I grinned at her look of disbelief and pain as my pubes finally ground
into hers.  Our bodies froze together.  Hers in pain, mine with
restrained power.  Her  spasming pussy told me everything I needed to
know.  And I spent that long moment gladly watching her realize what
was coming.  I'd warned her when I started that I was going to treat
her as she deserved.  Lord knows the bitch had earned it.

Let's face some hard truths here.  I'm a womanizer and an asshole.
Everyone who knows me agrees about this.  I live for the moment when I
can get revenge on a woman who's made the mistake of seeing me as a
nice guy.  I live for one thing.  Only one thing.  To satisfy my
ever-hungry prick by using it to get revenge.  What a lot of people
never realize is that the sex is not my revenge.  Nor do I take
delight in their cries of joy as my pounding finally takes them to new
heights of pleasure.

Oh, no.  My revenge is far more subtle.  I don't leave them until they
are pregnant.  THAT is my pleasure.  To know as I leave them that
there will always be a part of me there to remind them of what price
they paid for trying to mold me to some fantasy image they had.

Over the years, I've developed a sixth sense about when a woman can be
made pregnant.  Now was such a time.  She didn't know it yet but this
would be the first and last time I would fuck her.  I KNEW she would
get pregnant from this session.  I'd timed things very carefully.

It was a routine made easy with repeated success.  First, the years of
letting her get away with lots of little things.  Then the carefully
planned night when I finally exploded and told her what I really
thought of her little endless games.  Don't think I had only one woman
at a time to deal with.  No, I had many victims just waiting for when
I would get revenge.  The beauty was that none ever suspected until
the last moment what was coming.
----------

As I had worked myself into what looked like a towering rage, I had
removed my clothes and revealed my now engorged prick to my latest
victim.  Throbbing in time with my now racing heart, it mesmerized
her.  "This is your just reward, bitch.  When I get through with you,
you'll never want anything smaller again."

Firmly, I had used my strength to immobilize her as I removed her
clothing. I didn't tear any of it either.  That wouldn't suit my plans
at all.  I very carefully took the time to remove it intact.  Her
trembling body was reward enough during this.  We both knew where my
true brutality lay.  It certainly wasn't in my disrobing her.

My prick swollen in all its glory spoke volumes about what I had in
mind.  Or so she thought.  I let no hint of my true revenge appear in
my eyes.  As far as she knew, I only had one thing in mind.  To drive
my massive member where it had no right to be.

Softly, as I finally bent her over on her back on the bed, I spoke the
most terrifying words yet.  "I'm not going to bother gagging you.
Nobody will hear and respond.  And by the time this is over, you'll be
screaming for more.  You manipulative cunt."

As she wordlessly shook her head from side to side in denial, I made
my move.   I released her hands and let my body slam onto her and
drive the breath out of her.  I could feel her snatch slide along my
dick as I reached and levered both of her unresisting legs over her
head.

"Look closely.  Cunt"

My prick was pinned between her legs now.  As I held her ankles in one
hand, I grabbed her head and levered it up to let her get a look at
it.  Bright red with contained blood, the head was inches past her
belly button and my balls were resting against her clit.

"You're going to take all of it before I'm done.  If it kills you,
nobody except you and I will know how you died.  From a cock hitting
your heart."

I grinned at her.  I knew she'd be able to take it without being
killed.  I was more interested in her reaction to this unvoiced
threat.  I was finally rewarded with her first spoken word.

"Noooooo..."  It was soft and filled with her fear.  Her body had
frozen as she realized that for all practical purposes and as far as
she knew, I didn't care if I killed her or not.  Not true, but she'd
never know it.  It was a sop I had learned to give women.  An out to
soothe their brutally deflated egos.  I was going to rape her and I
didn't give a damn what happened.  That's all she would know for now.
Only when she discovered she was pregnant would she realize the full
extent of my revenge.  And I would be long gone and untraceable.

I released her head and liberally coated the head of my prick with
lubricant.  More than enough to ease my passage.  It would be worked
back along my shaft as I slowly forced her open.

I reached down and flicked her clit with my fingers.  I smiled at her
as her body responded to the stimulation.  Her eyes widened as her
body betrayed her.  I let her see my knowledge of that fact.  My smile
let her know that finally, in the end, her body would respond to my
actions and she would be begging for more.

No iron bar was ever as hard as my throbbing member as it forced her.
No stoking for me.  I placed the head between her lips and eased it
in.  Once sure I would not fall out, I let go and slowly moved my hips
forward.  Every so often, I would take a long pause.  Not once did I
reverse course.  Oh , no, only in.  Once started, I wanted her to know
there was no way I would even consider backing out.  Implacable, I
ignored her screams of pain as I stretched her open to receive me.  I
ignored her puny fists as they tried to hammer at me.  Feathers would
have been just as effective in getting me to stop now.  Which was to
say, not at all.

I hit her innermost reaches and stopped.  I still had inches left. Her
cunt was spasming around me now.  Slick with her secretions, my last
couple of inches had been very easy.  But my slow deliberate pace and
her fear helped to hide that knowledge from her.  Deep down, she knew
her body had started to willingly allow me to enter.  But, I now
uttered words to distract her from that fact.  Oh, yes, I was highly
skilled at this art form.  I knew exactly what she needed to let her
hide from herself that she really enjoyed this brutality.  I wasn't
really being brutal.  My actions were a careful role I played in
pursuit of my final goal.  The slowness of my entry and implacable
purpose hid the fact it was allowing her to adapt to my presence
fairly quickly.

"I'm not completely in yet, you cunt."  And that was when I suddenly
pulled back and then slammed forward to freeze with my prick fully
sheathed.  The already stretched part of her had no time to contract.
I had eight inches of stretched tunnel before I hit resistance.  My
momentum was too great and I easily forced my way in the rest of the
way.

"Take it Bitch.

"Feel every goddamn thick inch of my 12 inch cock as it makes you
useless for any other man."

She screamed wordlessly as I slammed home.  First in pain.  Lots of
pain.  Then in horror as she started to convulse in an orgasm. Finally
with pleasure as her now spasming cunt pulsated around me.  I had won.
Totally and without rational thought, her body surrendered to me.

As her first spasms started to subside, I started thrusting.  Slowly
at first, I worked to a slamming rhythm that bounced my pubes on her
clit and started her into a continuous spasming.  Her tight tunnel was
too much for me and I quickly peaked and spurted into her.  Her eyes
widened as my cum spurted into all the cracks my dick couldn't reach.

Finally, I allowed myself to drop on her.  As my dick deflated, I lay
there grinning into her now open eyes.

"See bitch?   I was right wasn't I?"

Twice more that night I took her.  Savagely the first time and then
gently the second.  My revenge was complete.  In weeks, she would know
how complete.  I could afford to be gentle now.  It would hurt her all
the more later.

As she lay on the bed in the morning light, I dressed.

I smiled as I went out the door.  "Cunt.  You got exactly what you
asked for."  As she begged me to stay, I softly closed the door on
her.

* * *

After hours of weeping for what might have been, she admits her
failure and seeks the solace of dreamless slumber.
---

A bit different - yes?

Amazing, the impact two sentences and a different title can have.
~~~

The Very Best (MF, F-redhead, oral, safe, piv)
---

All I wanted was a chocolate fix.  It was late.  So late that I didn't
have any choice but to go to Wal-Mart and buy whatever they had left.
Yes, I *had it* that bad.

Keys.  Fought off a dog who thought she should go for a three AM ride.
Got in car, and then it seemed as if every stoplight in the area was
against me.  Bright lights.  Good. WM was open.  Be my normal luck if
they had decided to close for some reason.

I shook my head as I remembered the last time I needed a fix.  I had
reached the checkout just as they shut it down for daily changeover.
Luckily, the woman at the checkout had been understanding.  The twenty
I had handed her before I devoured the choclate hadn't hurt. Her
particular fix had been M&Ms so she had understood how I felt.

I went through the regular candy section but didn't see anything that
I felt would cure my craving.  I wandered the store to see if they had
anything on sale.  They did.  Nothing really outstanding but I did
notice a large Nestle's Crunch that was sitting by itself. Yeah!  I
reached for it and my hand closed on flesh.

Huh?  Flesh?  Where's my Crunch Bar?

The brain kicked into overdrive.  Finger type flesh.  Slender, warm...
About that time I realized they were attached to someone who was
incredibly patient.

I couldn't help my long-suffering sigh as I let go.  "Sorry.  I guess
I'll have to settle for something else."

A quiet giggle followed by "I thought *I* was the only one who had it
that bad," brought my head around.

The first thing I noticed was that I didn't have to look down to see
her eyes.  Since I stand just a bit under six feet, that made her
unusual enough for me to take a second look.  Already filed away were
the facts she was another choco-nut in need of a fix and that she had
a giggle that sent shivers down my spine.  I wondered if I could get
her to giggle again.

I gaped.  Blue eyes were framed by bright red hair.  No makeup.  I
thought she was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen.

I shook my head and tried to get it working again.  "Since I can't
find anything here, I guess I'll go look for some hot chocolate and
then cook an early breakfast."

She laughed and then studied me thoughtfully.  "I'm Corine."  She
looked me over.  When her eyes met mine again there was a twinkle in
them.  "I have some imported mix at my place.  Unfortunately, there's
no real food in the apartment.  I'm not a cook."

"Timothy."  That part of my reply was automatic.

She stood there as if she was waiting for something more.  She quirked
her lips.  "Well?"

I replayed her earlier words in my still befuddled mind.  Oh. Really?
Smooth and fast, this one.  "I hope you don't mind if we go through
the pharmacy area on the way out.  I need to pick something up."

Now it was her turn to look puzzled.

I grinned as I offered her my arm.  "Condoms.  Any preferences?"

Amazing.  She's even more beautiful when she blushes.

She remembered she was holding the candy.  She brought it up, placed
it against my lips, and smiled knowingly.  "Only one type of condom I
really enjoy."

I waited.

"Installed."

We linked arms and headed for the condom rack.  I grabbed a box at
random and we headed for the cashier.  The young woman at the checkout
couldn't understand what made us laugh so hard after I commented,
"Nestle's and condoms. Unbeatable combination."

* * *

She stopped me just after we got through the exit.  "Want to ride in
my car to go get the hot chocolate mix?"

"You'd trust me this soon?"

Instead of answering right away she reached for my chest.  I felt a
light touch and then she held something up so I could see it.  "Dog
hair.  I've never met a man covered in dog hair that I couldn't
trust."  Her eyes turned distant.  "What made you accept my
seduction?"

I shrugged even though I felt she wasn't really paying attention to my
body.  "Your smile.  Body language.  You 'felt right'."

"Do you still need to ask what makes me trust you?  Let's go."

I nodded.  "Fair enough."

The drive was a short one.  While we chatted I took the time to open
the box and put a couple of condoms in my wallet.  When I looked over
after I was finished, she was grinning. 
 
I smiled wryly.  "High sex drive."

She laughed.  "Figured that much since you forgot about the chocolate
as soon as you got a good look at me."

It was my turn to blush.  "Was it that obvious?"

Her hands moved confidently as she pulled into her parking space.
After she shut the engine off she turned to me.  "Like calls to like."

She leaned forward slightly and I responded to it.  Our lips met. Hers
parted slightly and her tongue darted out and sought a way past mine.
I opened my mouth and our tongues met.  We explored each other. Our
hands found each other and gently explored.  One of mine found its way
to her thighs and then her crotch.  I could feel a slight dampness.

Her hands found their way to my crotch.  They didn't find wetness,
only my erect penis.  She brushed the outside of my pants and then
pulled away.

Both of us were breathing in short, panting, gasps.

"Come on."

I would have followed her anywhere.  It was a short walk to her door.
She opened it and pulled me inside with her free hand.

Once she had us through the door, she pushed the door closed.  One
hand dived into my pocket and came out with my wallet.  She fumbled a
bit and then removed one of the sealed packages.  My wallet fell to
the floor.  After she opened the package she removed the condom and
placed it in her mouth.

She knelt in front of me and gently undid my belt.  She moved her
hands under my shirt and slowly worked her way up to my chest.  At the
same time she pressed her face against my crotch and inhaled deeply
without inhaling the condom.

All this was having the desired effect.  I pushed at her and she
brought her hands back down to my pants.  She unhooked the waistband
and then slowly drew the zipper down.  Instead of letting them fall
she held on and slowly pulled them down my legs.

Once finished with that she came back and tucked one hand in the waist
of my shorts.  The other hand slithered up my leg and through one of
the leg openings.  That hand slid over my penis and held it down as
she worked my shorts over it.  Once my penis was free she pulled her
hands away, grabbed my shorts and tugged them down to join my pants.

I watched, fascinated, as she gently placed her cheek against me.  She
pulled away and looked up.  I could see her working the condom around
in her mouth.  She reached, pulled my penis down until it was pointed
at her and then bent forward to kiss it.

I felt her lips part.  Then there was a slight pressure on the tip.

I stood, frozen in amazement, as she not only engulfed me, she
unrolled the condom onto my shaft.  She moved a bit and then used her
tongue and lips to unroll it.  She seemed to be able to sense when I
was almost ready to explode and would pull back and wait. 

Eventually she reached the base of my penis.  She laved me tenderly
and then pulled herself off.

As she stood up she whispered, "Now."

As one we reached for each other and pulled our bodies together.  My
hands went to her waist and funbled until they figured out how to undo
her pants.  I pushed them down so they would give me access to her
panties.  I flattened my hands above her panties and then slid them
down so they were inside them.  With a single, convulsive movement I
jerked her pants and panties down to her knees.

She was free.  She pressed against me and I felt her heat.  Her hips
moved back a bit and I felt my tip slide until it met less resistance.
She must have felt it too because she lurched her hips forward and let
me impale her.

My hands clenched on her hips as I used them to help me drive deeper.

I was so excited from the foreplay that I orgasmed after a few driving
strokes.  I sagged against the door and she pressed against me rather
than pull away.

I felt inner contractions as she massaged me.  She didn't orgasm but
when she relaxed and used her hands to hold my hips, I knew she was
content for now.

Somewhen I had closed my eyes as I enjoyed her.  I opened them to see
her face in front of mine.

That was the best part.  We didn't have to strain to make our lips
meet.
======

End: The Very Best
~~~

This one was done with a lot of respect, even though some folks won't
appreciate the way my respect has expressed itself.

This was, of course, inspired by E.E 'Doc' Smith's 'Lensman' series
and all those other wonderful space operas that he and others wrote.
:)

I hope I've managed to generate the 'feel' of those old space operas.
Comments and suggestions on ways to recapture that memorable
'atmosphere' will be appreciated.
---

Spacehounds of Ipecac
---

"Anson, there's no help for it.  We'll have to call them in. Pinball
and his wife Briquette are the only people Ex-Lax and the other
Suppositorians will allow through their shields."  Commander Geeky was
rueful.  "We still haven't been able to find a way to duplicate those
damn rings they wear.  We have to have the rings to identify our
people.  You know as well as I do that everything else we've designed
has been duplicated by the Slambonians.  Those rings are the only way
people have of being sure they are dealing with one of our security
people."

"Besides, we're out of the damn things and somehow Ex-Lax knew it.  I
got his call yesterday and he told me in no uncertain terms that
Pinball and Briquette had to be the ones to pick them up.  He tossed
off a casual remark about them being required as part of the
'calibration process'.

"Can't we put monitors on their ship?"  Captain Anson Ironforge was
the newest head of research.  "Maybe we can get some clues on the
calibration procedures."

"Don't even try.  See that scorch mark on the wall?  That's all that's
left of the last person who tried that one."

"Ex-Lax materialized here, blew half the room away and then told me:
'Don't try it again.  It will make me angry.'"  Geeky sighed as he
studied the wall.

"Fine, just fucking fine.  Monitoring is out.  Neither one of them
will tell us anything.  So, all we can do is just sit here and do our
best to smile when the two of them come back and collect payment from
us?"

Geeky nodded as he remembered the last delivery.  "And have lots of
vaseline handy.  They don't carry any of their own."  He sighed.
"That's the last time we'll ever send out newlyweds on a survey
mission - *if* I have anything to say about future policy."

* * *

"Hairy balls and hairy walls..."  Pinball Pinniped was singing in his
usual loud and untuneful 'peel-the-metal-off-the-walls' voice.

"If you'd get *on* with it?"  Briquette Pinniped, his wife, snarled in
her usual paint-peeling tones.  "You lout.  We can't launch until we
both orgasm and release the interlocks that the Suppositories
installed.  It has been a week since our last visit to Suppositoria
and I need to get laid by a *real* prick."  She smiled dreamily as she
remembered her last session with Ex-Lax. "Now Exxy...  There's a *real
prick* any self-serving woman can love."

"Just go get your ring and put it on.  I don't like fucking you any
more than than you enjoy fucking me.  Why the hell do you think I
spend all my time reinventing the damn wheel whenever we land on a
planet?  If you'd stop destroying my androids, maybe I'd have time to
build one for you."  He sighed deeply as he made sure his ring was in
place.  "Fucking perverted Suppositorians.  I *know* they set things
up so we had to wear these things on our genitals."

"Keep your damn voice down.  You know how sensitive they are if
someone suggests they made a mistake in evaluating a race." Briquette
looked around fearfully.  "They designed the rings to work best when
near the brains.  We were newly married and *you* didn't have the
balls to tell them we weren't thinking with our rational brains when
we got near their damned planet."

"Leave it alone, Briquette.  We've been through this before." Pinball
sighed.  "I don't recall you complaining once they inserted yours and
we went at it.  Besides, the mistake was a natural one for them to
make.  They look like giant pricks and cunts and their brains are
located near what are their analogues of my balls and your clitoris. I
would have pointed the mistake out but by then we had seen how upset
they get when someone tells them they might not be omnipotent."

"Makes me shiver every time I remember."  Briquette admitted.

"Now, let's get this piece of rust launched so we can go relax and
enjoy ourselves."  Pinball made sure he had his ring securely fastened
so it wouldn't slide from his prick.  He watched carefully as
Briquette checked hers.

"On."  She sighed and reached for him as he slid home.  "Make damn
sure you make the connection this time.  I don't enjoy orgasming for
three hours as a result of the improper feedback."

"Put a lid on it and help me with this,"  Pinball snarled. "Think of
Ex-Lax and how he can shrivel himself up and fill that gaping hole of
yours.  I want to get there and let myself get wrapped in Xanthia's
grasping appendages."  He smiled involuntarily as he thought of once
again being wrapped in those giant labia.  She could do interesting
things with what looked like an oversized clitoris, too.

Quickly, as they each thought their own private thoughts of lust, the
rings lined themselves up and connected.  Pinball orgasmed first.
Their rings sensed that and in their unique way of amplifying thought,
reached into Briquette's nervous system and triggered hers.

"Ready for launch."  A velvet contralto announced.  The interlocks had
been bypassed and they could, after a long week of deprivation, go
back to Suppositoria and satisfy themselves properly.  They could
also, in passing, pick up the next batch of rings.  Delivery and
collection of the payment would make up for the time he'd have to
spend with Briquette.

"So get us moving.  You know the route."  Briquette smiled to herself
as Pinball told the ship to take off.  The AI ships had been new when
she and Pinball had gone on their honeymoon.  They had also agreed to
program in different voice patterns during each voyage.  She couldn't
wait for Pinball's reaction to the voice she had chosen for the return
trip.  She'd managed to gather enough to recreate his father's
personality.  Life would be interesting on the trip back.

* * *

"There you are."  Ex-Lax smiled at them from the screen.  "Right when
we expected you to arrive."

Under her breath, Briquette muttered to herself.  "Makes sense. You
idiots never had a concept of time until you met us.  Then you screwed
up the translators when you tried to use them the first time..."

"Very good to see you Ex.  How's Xanthia?"  Pinball was all smiles. He
could afford to be.  He wasn't the one who had the ship's control
plugged into his ass.  Bad enough the ring had to be left in while
they were in flight.  The Suppositorians had 'improved' the control
circuitry on their ship and since they shared such a convenient and
common opening so near their 'brains', the new control had been
designed to be worn there.

"Well, Pinball, it's so nice to have you and your lovely wife come and
visit us.  Of course we do have another batch of rings for the two of
you to calibrate but once that chore is over, we can all relax in more
congenial surroundings."  Ex-Lax bent over and the opening on top
partially closed in his version of a wink.

"Xanthia, the darling, is just quivering in anticipation of your
visit.  She misses you so much when your duties take you away from
her.  We all are aware, of course, that you folks have to be careful
when you spend longer periods of time in contact with us." The female
Suppository next to him quivered slightly but remained silent. Pinball
was fascinated by that reaction.  It was the closest he had ever seen
one come to admitting they disagreed with Ex-Lax.  He found that
interesting.  Maybe he could find out what was going on and take
advantage of it.  Anything to get the damn rings redesigned.  Well,
almost anything.  He wasn't suicidal about getting them changed.  Then
too, a redesign would eliminate all the fringe benefits he enjoyed
from being the only one who could calibrate the female rings when they
were installed on the final wearer.  Now that he thought about it,
maybe the Suppositorians really hadn't made a mistake.  At least not
when it came to evaluating him.

"You humans need to evolve some more so that sustained contact won't
endanger the vitality of your species."  Briquette hid her amusement
at Ex's apologetic look.  What he really meant was that humans without
the rings didn't have a hope in hell of living long when they were
faced with the Suppositorian sex drive.  The rings had been their
polite attempt at a compromise solution.

"Zounds!"  Xanthia had extended her 'clitoris' and put her watch under
his eyes.  "Forgive me.  I stand here chattering away when you folks
probably want to land and relax a bit before you begin your work.
Xanthia and I shall meet you once you have landed at your usual
place."

* * *

"After initially calibrating 500 pairs of those damned rings, not even
Xanthia is going to get a rise out of me."  Pinball looked down at his
decidedly limp dick.  His ring was dull and lifeless. "Not a flicker.
My back is killing me too.  My manly physique apparently has its
limits."

Briquette, for once, was too tired to take the time to respond with
one of her carefully crafted barbs.  Even as she gently massaged
Pinball's back, she spent most of her time thinking about something
she seldom considered.  Sleep.  "I feel like a welll-used dishrag.
"Roll over.  For once the sight of a limp dick won't have me wondering
how soon I can get it hard again."

"Cuddling.  That's what we haven't done since we were given these
rings.  I *knew* something was missing after we got them." Pinball was
obviously not paying much attention to Briquette. Well, for the last
ten years, ever since the Suppositorians had given them the rings,
ignoring her had become a habit.  He had to if he wanted to get
anything done other than fucking.

" 'Darling'.  When was the last time one of us used that word to each
other?"  Briquette let herself get caught up in his contemplative
mood.  "If I start to get all gushy about you, the damn ring takes
over and makes me horny."

"Ex-Lax and the others don't understand love, do they?"  Pinball noted
clinically.  "Well, I guess we should have expected that once we
figured out they had focussed all their energy and technology on
survival.

" 'Fucking, fun and food'.  Their racial creed should have clued us in
from the first."  He sighed and rolled back on his side so he could
face his wife.  He finally smiled wryly.

"Granted.  We *should* have been the scientists we used to be. We'd
just discovered sex and then they gave us the perfect sex toys.  'An
orgasm every time'.  'No side effects - guaranteed'." She looked at
her exhausted husband and shared his wry smile.

"How could we resist?"  She shook her head at their mutual folly.

"I don't think anyone could have resisted."  Pinball reached over to
lightly massage Briquette.  He noticed that she was so tired her
nipples failed to harden as he brushed them.  Not only that, she
cuddled rather than insisting he fucked her.  He stiffened suddenly
and it was his whole body and not just his prick - that did the
stiffening.

"Just what the hell?..."  He whispered it in his shock.  He wondered
if his new idea was what had been bothering him all day.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut."  He bent over and roughly kissed his
wife and then pulled back slightly and whispered.  "For once, don't
argue with me about one of my decisions.  My brain finally kicked in
again."

"Look down at my prick like you want to do nothing more than feel it
inside of you."  He felt her head move slightly.

"Make some sexy moves against me.  What do you see happening?" He
casually pulled the blanket over their tired bodies.  "I'm getting a
bit chilled, honey.  Maybe this will help warm us up more quickly." He
spoke casually and loud enough so that any monitors would hear him.

"Nothing I haven't seen before.  I see your prick getting hard." She
gasped slightly as she finally realized what he was talking about.

"Oh.  I'm not getting wet and your prick isn't glowing with that weird
yellow glow from the ring."  She looked at Pinball.  "What the hell do
we do now?  If any of the Suppositories see this..."

"Precisely.  We have to get off-planet as soon as possible."  His
voice was incisive.  We can figure out what to do later.  Right now,
we need to survive."

"Quick, start humping me slowly."  She grabbed at his ass and pulled
him to her and sheathed him.  "Think you can keep erect long enough to
fake an orgasm?"

"Relax.  I may be getting older but that guy down there is still young
enough to do what's required.  Besides, I don't remember if I told you
before we got married but I suffer from priaprism."  He hugged her as
if in lust.  "I think that's why they thought my brain was in my
crotch."

"So that's part of why you had that permanent hard on when we met?"
She giggled.  It was a nice giggle that he hadn't heard since they had
been given the rings.

"That's part of the reason."  He grinned as he lightly touched her
breasts.  "These two items were the rest of it."

"UNGH!  Damnit, don't do that.  I didn't realize they were so
sensitive."  She moaned as she recovered from the unexpected jolt of
pleasure.

"Very, very, good."  Pinball was smug as he whispered in her ear. "We
needed an unexpected reason to get out of here and back to Earth. That
will do nicely.  Play along with me on this."

"Well, here goes."  He smiled briefly in his famous 'devil-may-care'
way as he reached for the intercom.

"Xanthia's quarters please.  It's an emergency."  He waited
impatiently.

"Yes, Pinball?  Are you ok?"  'Well', he thought, 'at least she
cares'.  She was dripping the clear fluids that were a sure sign that
a female Suppository was suffering from stress.  "I'm fine. It's
Briquette."  Under the cover he stroked her breast and she moaned
loudly.  "She's having problems because she forgot her zither."  He
stroked her again and she responded with another moan.

"Zither?  Well, we can make one here for her temporary use." Xanthia
was all professional concern.

"Actually, I'm afraid that won't work.  We tried one of yours soon
after we got the rings and when she had one of these fortunately rare
attacks.  We must have forgotten to tell you it had no effect on
Briquette.  We have one of the Earth made ones of course but we didn't
think she'd ever need to use it again because she hasn't had an attack
like this in at least eight years. So, we put it in storage."  He
sighed deeply.  "Sometimes Briquette has these attacks and it's the
only thing I can count on to work if the rings don't ease her pain.
I'm sure you  understand that her reproductive health must be my
prmary concern right now.  I'm sorry to cut our visit so short but we
must be on our way as quickly as possible."  He sighed a bit
theatrically.  "I should have plenty of time before it becomes life
threatening but I don't want to risk her."

Briquette pulled his head down and appeared to be frantically biting
at his ear in her agony.  "Blank the screen."

Casually, Pinball reached over and cut the visuals.  "This is all very
embarrassing for us you know.  Briquette doesn't like people seeing
her in this condition.  Could you make sure our ship is ready for
launch?"

"Done."  Xanthia's calm voice came over the speakers.  "I'll have
private transport waiting at your door in a matter of minutes.  We
must get you on your way as soon as possible."

"Ex-Lax will have to be told of course.  This is something we knew
about but we had designed the rings to overcome it. Apparently,
Briquette is one of those unforeseeable mutations that even we can't
plan for."

"Fine, Xanthia.  Thank you."  He cut the audio and sagged with relief.
They had managed to get away with it and Xanthia, with her habitual
refusal to admit she might not know everything, had helped his
deception right along.

"Grab me as if you are trying to confort me while I'm having
convulsions."  Briquette buried her face in his shoulder and started
giggling uncontrolably.

"How in hell did you come up with 'zither'?"  She couldn't contain
herself and went back to stiffling her giggles by putting her face
against his chest.

"It's a long story.  When I was just starting puberty, I met this
oriental girl.  She used to spend hours playing one.  I was in lust
with her so I learned to play one in the hopes of being able to seduce
her.  Before I could finish the job, we met and you distracted me. The
rest of that part of the story, you know."  He frowned as something
occured to him.

"Just as long as Xanthia tells Ex-Lax *after* we leave."  He sighed.
"We're committed now."

"Keep our genitals heavily covered."  She reminded him.  "Of course,
since you are full of worry and I'm suffering an attack, we should be
able to explain the rings not indicating any sexual interest."

"Leave it to me."  He smiled as he quickly dressed them both in their
anti-everything suits.  "These will work nicely.  If they ask, I can
say I don't want to risk you and while I respect their expertise, this
is just one of my quirks.  I'll use my priaprism to explain that the
subtle chemicals you are giving off are slowly taking control of my
body.  I can't have that happening since I'll have to be in full
control of my senses as we launch.  The lack of sexual signals will
also be explained if I use a purely chemical excuse.

"Make it quick."  I don't know how long I can keep my giggles
suppresed."  She acted like she had suppressed her convulsions long
enough to realize what was going on around her.  She pulled him down
and kissed him tenderly.  "Get me home.  I don't know how much longer
I will last."

Nodding, he tenderly closed her suit and picked her up and carried her
to the door.  "I'll get you home as quickly as I possibly can."

"Open."  He used his external speaker to tell the waiting car to allow
him access.  Apparently Xanthia's concern and sympathy had extended to
sending them an automated vehicle.  Good, he didn't have to worry
about explanations and delays.

"Programming override."  The car announced.  What was this? Xanthia's
voice came over the speakers.  "Prepare yourselves for a rougher ride
than usual.  I've taken the liberty of telling it to use the emergency
system to get you to your ship as quickly as possible."

Quivering in its full power readiness mode, the vehicle seemed alive
as it waited for them to get themselves strapped in securely.

"Ready." Pinball announced.  Briquette echoed him weakly.  "Ready."

"Stand by for emergency transport override."  Something clicked in the
control panel.  "Awaiting operator confirmation of spaceport as
destination."

"That is correct."  Pinball took a deep breath.  "Go."

"Underway."  Even as it spoke they were crushed into the seats.

Very cautiously, he turned his head as if he were checking on his
wife.  She had already turned to look at him.

"Wait."  He told her.  "Once we're underway, I can probably do
something to ease your symptoms.  It's not much but it should make the
trip home easier on you."

"Xanadu.  We thought Suppositoria was our Xanadu."  She seemed to be
rambling in a delirium.  He knew better but he trusted her now that
their minds were back online after all these years.

"Yes dear.  Everything will be ok in a few days.  Just hold on to that
thought."  He smiled at her and managed to move a hand against the
g-forces until he could rest his gaunlet on hers.

"Zither.  Where's my zither?"  She suddenly arched and moaned. "I need
my zither - damnit!"

"As soon as we get home, love. It won't be long.  I promise." He
settled back and waited.

Braking furiously, the transport slid to a halt at the ramp that led
to their ship.

Carefully, he lifted Briquette out of the vehicle.

"Don't move."  He told her.  "I don't want to drop you as I carry you
aboard the ship."

Exhaling and allowing himself a sigh, he stepped slowly up the ramp.
He went through the corridors and when he reached her room, he
strapped her in for a high-g liftoff.

Fixing the control to his ass after he opened the access panel on his
suit, he was calm as he announced:  "Medical override. Destination:
Earth - as quickly as possible."  The ship hummed briefly while he
settled in the command chair.  "Course laid in. We are cleared for
emergency launch procedures." There was a brief pause as he could feel
all the power being brought up from standby.  "Ready."

"Go."  As the ship leapt away from Suppositoria, he waited. There was
one more thing that had to happen.

"Hyperspace."  The ship calmly announced their escape from reality.

"I don't fucking believe it."  He sagged back in the command chair.
"We made it.  We fucking made it."
---

Afterword:  There is a hidden 'challenge' in this one:  Each paragraph
begins with a letter of the alphabet, in alphabetical order, and
repeats thoughout the story.
~~~

Iron Writer - The Erotic Writing Academy

MF M+F+ cons exh humor pedo-(incest, cons, first, anal, FgMb in
various combinations)

Meet Sally Simile, Pulsar Longarm, Professor Fleuroscopia Halogina
(Fleur-o-scope-e-ah Hal-o-gee-nah) and spend some time at...
---

The Erotic Writing Academy
An Iron Writer Story
by: Stasya T. Canine---

Professor Halogina staggered into the classroom.  She was carrying a
stack of pink and blue paperwork that I thought I recognized.

"Miss Simile.  Master Longarm."  Yep, it was our homework.  "I have
researched your allegations and come to the conclusion that two
bodies, no matter how they are connected..."

Here it comes, I thought to myself.

"Do NOT go, and I quote,  'Thump, thump, thump in response to our
rapidly consummated lust.' Unless one of you can convince me that your
scene has some basis in reality, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give
the two of you a failing grade in spite of your obvious enthusiasm for
researching the reality aspects of your writing."

By now the rest of the class was smirking or laughing.  Their
reactions depended on if they had helped Sally and I research our
story - or not.  Sally shifted slightly in my lap and squeezed my
penis with her vaginal muscles.  I pulsed myself in response and then
whispered. "Do you want to take this one? Or should I finish setting
her up?"

"You were right", she whispered and then she nibbled on my ear a bit.
"I think Fleuroscopia is upset because I saw her fall asleep while she
was masturbating.  I'll do it."  (If you've never been to 'The Erotic
Writer's Academy', it's time you knew that Professor Halogina insisted
that we all call each other by our first names or whatever nicknames
we were given during the writing course. 'I'm Professor Fleuroscopia
Halogina and by the time I am finished with all of you, we'll all be
on a first name basis anyway', had been her introduction as she
disrobed in front of us.)

"Fleuro?  Perhaps Pulsar and I should use some of the classroom props
and demonstrate the situation for you?"  Sally was apparently contrite
but her inner muscles spasmed around me as her body quivered with her
amusement.

In spite of her obvious fatigue, Fleuro's eyes brightened and her
nipples suddenly hardened.  "If..."  She trailed off as her lust
overtook her reasoning.  Eventually she remembered she was in the
classroom and being a teacher.  "Yes.  I think the two of you should
demonstrate how two bodies can be made to 'thump'."

I sighed.  In spite of the bets we had with the rest of the class, I
had been hoping for a leisurely fuck and a quiet but intense orgasm.
Now, it was up to me to help Sally add the final touches that would
let us win.  Oh well.  "Let's do it."  I hugged Sally as she gave me
one last squeeze before sliding off of my manhood.

She pointed at one of the other young men.  "Stubby.  Pulsar will need
your help.  I want the canopied bed moved next to the wall."  He
nodded and grinned.  Part of our research had involved Sally letting
several different sizes of men fuck her.  He'd been promised a return
match in front of everyone if Fleuroscopia fell for our trap.  His
penis was of average length but it was so large in diameter that it
looked short.  He had quickly earned the name of 'Stubby'.

Sally let herself fall back on the bed after we got it positioned. She
turned her head so she faced Fleuro.  "As part of my research for that
story I wanted to find out if the physical sound effects of being
fucked by different sized men were different.  Rather than describe
them, I'll let Stubby and Pulsar demonstrate that they are indeed -
different."

She spread her legs and revealed her already dripping pussy. "Stubby?"

He nodded and then bent down to gently kiss her vulva.  Just before he
pulled away, he flicked his tongue across her clitoris.  She moaned
loudly in response.

He lined himself up and slid home with a squishing noise that was
accompanied by Sal's moan of pleasure.  I watched as his ass muscles
clenched in time to his movements.  Over his grunts, and Sally's
moans, we could clearly hear the bed squeaking as it rocked in time to
their movements.

"Oh, Stub, that feels... SO GOOD!"  Sally started wailing.  Her legs
came up and locked him to her.  From experience, I knew that until she
orgasmed, anyone she wrapped up would never be able to pull away.
Stubby apparently knew that as well because he began really hammering
at her.

Other than the normal squishy sounds, the only obvious nonhuman sound
was the squeaking of the bed.  Most of the class was masturbating and
I noticed that Fleuro was avidly fingering herself as she intently
watched Sally and Stubby.  Sally grunted and screamed first and then a
few minutes later Stubby grunted and drove himself into her.  There
was an unmistakable 'thump' - followed by silence.

Sally and Stubby hugged each other and then she let him go.  Instead
of walking away, he rolled himself to one side as he fell forward.  I
can't blame him.  When she wasn't doing research, Sally was quite able
to exhaust a man in one good fucking.  They kissed and then she rolled
her head to look at Fleuro.

"OK. I heard *one* thump. You used three of them in your story."
Fleuro's voice was tinged with respect. Some of the class snickered.
They knew what was next.

Sally closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  "Pulsar?"  Her voice
was weak and exhausted - but firm.

I buried my doubts.  If this worked, Sally and I would be sleeping
tonight rather than doing research for our next collaboration.

I walked over and bent down to kiss her on the mouth.  "Ready?"  I
whispered it and saw her nod.  "OK." I smirked back.

I shifted slightly and blew lightly on each of her breasts.  I licked
around each of her nipples and for a few seconds gently nibbled each
one.  My tongue left a wet trail as I worked my way down to her navel.
I left a puddle of saliva cupped by its depths before I moved on to
the main course.

Her hips arched to meet my mouth as I slowly tasted her and Stubby's
mingled fluids.  I sucked and slurped noisily.  I wanted the whole
room to know exactly what I was doing.

I tasted.  I wormed my tongue inside her.  I clamped my mouth over her
and sucked with all my might.  Sticky clumps and smooth wetness
mingled as I drained her of Stubby's tangy offering to her altar of
femaleness.

Somewhat reluctantly, I pulled away and positioned my penis at her
entrance.  We had some bets to win.

I slid the full twelve inches of my penis home in one implacable
stroke.  I paused and savored her heat and the spasming of her muscles
as she once again got used to me filling her.  We shared grins and
then I began fucking her with strokes that used almost all of my
length.  I used a slowly increasing rhythm that eventually had the two
of us slamming our pubes together.

Instead of working to my orgasm, I steadied my rhythm and waited.

Over her moans, everyone could hear the unmistakable 'thump' as the
bed banged into the wall after each of my downstrokes.  After about a
dozen of those unmistakable thumps I looked over at Fleuroscopia and
gave her my lewdest grin.  Sally was already spasming in the first of
her orgasms so she wasn't able to savor the rueful look of chagrin
that slowly formed on Fleuro's face as she realized she'd been had.

I swapped my grin for my most inviting smile.  I let my lust change
the tone of my voice as I asked...  "Would you like to prove our words
to yourself? First-hand?"

The chagrin was replaced with lust.  Fleuro pulled her hands away from
herself and stood up.  I watched as her readiness became evident in
the wet spots left on the floor as she slowly walked over to join us.

"Yeeeesssss..."  It was a soft moan as she let her hands wander over
my still thrusting body.  She briefly caressed Sally and then she
wrapped her hands around my penis as I slid back and forth.  "It may
be that it only happens with you and Sally.  I think we should
discover if it can happen to more than one person.  For the first
verification, you'll fuck me instead of Sally.  If that works, I'll
pick someone to take your place."

She managed to find my lips with hers and we kissed deeply.  She
pulled back.  "It's not that I doubt you but we must be scientific and
explore ALL the possibilities."  She squeezed my penis and then pushed
at my hips to get me to withdraw.  "I think I may have a way to make
it possible for anyone to be able to justify using 'thump' if they
need to."

I shook my head in disbelief as I looked at Sally.  In the three
months we'd been in her class, Fleuroscopia had proven herself many
times over when it came to finding non-contrived ways for unusual
words to be used in sex stories.  Sally and I had figured this one
would stump her.

Oh well.  I managed to stop my thrusting and wait patiently as Fleuro
and Sally  swapped places on the bed.  "Miss Simile?"  Fleuro's voice
was a little hoarse from her mounting lust.  "You and Master Longarm
get a passing grade on your story."

She raised her voice slightly as she settled and offered herself to
me:  "Pay attention, class.  Take notes because I will expect all of
you to write at least one story using what we learn as a result of our
reality research today."

I still have difficulty believing what happened next.  As soon as I
got lined up, Fleuro lunged upwards to engulf me.  As she pulled
herself away, I heard the unmistakable THUMP! as the bed hit the wall.
Before I could react, she had lunged up and swallowed me again.  There
was another thump when she slid herself to my tip.  The slippery
friction of her sliding vagina overwhelmed me and I released my
inhibitions so I could match her driving lust.

I drove home as she lunged up again.  Our pubes smashed together with
such force that I felt as if her pubic hair was going to leave lines
in my flesh.  It had been a long time since my pubes were bruised
after sex.  I had no doubt that when we got done, I'd have some
bruises.

Well, part of our plan had been to get me a chance to fuck Fleuro in
front of the class.  The payoffs from the bets would just about cover
the tuition costs for Sally and I.  We'd proved that, with careful
writing, you could get Fleuroscopia to fuck at least one of the
authors - in front of the class - in order to verify the truth in
their story.  The hell with the grade.  What Sally and I had wanted
was a piece of that luscious cunt - in public.

There was no finesse to our sex.  I wasn't interested in research. All
I wanted was to eventually unload my seed as deeply as possible in
Fleuroscopia's fantastically fluctuating female flower.

I thrust.  I twisted.  I froze with my pubic bone nearly welded to
hers.

In short, we rutted as the bed thumped in syncopated time to our lust
filled grunts.

My release was sudden.  It jolted me.  I've never heard it said that a
man can pass out from the strength of his orgasm but that's what I
did.  I blanked and the next thing I knew I was on my stomach between
Sally and Fleuro.  One of the other students was thrusting his way to
oblivion as the bed thumped against the wall.

I managed to roll myself on my side and smile at Sally.

She was grinning as she pointed above our heads.  "Look."

I looked.  I chuckled tiredly.  I could see the unmistakable dents in
the wall where the bed was bouncing off of it.  "I wonder if we get to
sign it?"

Sally kissed me and we cuddled.  "Who cares?  Tonight, we sleep."

I think I nodded just before I fell asleep from my exhaustion.

* * *

I stared at the ceiling of our shared bedroom and mused about the
day's events.  "Sal?  I think we have a problem."

I felt her head shift slightly as she lazily trailed her fingers
across my chest.  "Oh?"  She paused and I felt her raise her head.
"You look fine to me."  Obviously, she was talking about my erection.

"Not that one."  I hugged her briefly.  "We agreed that tonight we'd
take a break to recharge."

"So?"

I paused and tried to figure out how express the 'problem' and not
break the mood.  "One of our self-imposed goals was to go through this
course - together.  Right?"

"So far we've done pretty good at it."  She giggled.  "Some of our
collaborations have been lots of fun.  I don't know about you but I've
learned a lot about how to write reality based fiction."

"Yeah.  There *is* that.  I've learned a lot more than I figured I
would."  I sighed.  "However, there are some subjects we haven't
covered.  And," I hastily added, "I for one see no reason to explore
them even if we could.  I've noticed an unspoken agreement to avoid
certain subjects and stick to more or less universally accepted
genres."

She rolled to her back and there was a long silence.  "Now that you
mention it, I see what you mean.  For such a diverse and lusty group
of people, we've all been pretty mundane in our writing."

"So, where do we go from here?"  I put a shrug in my voice.  "In three
months, we've written about most of the male-female and orgy
variations.  I've been, in my free moments, trying to figure out what
to write about that we haven't written about - *and* still obey that
unspoken self-censorship."

Her next words were sort of a surprise. "Bestiality?"  She hesitated
as she thought about the subject.  "No, the subject has never come up
and I think verifying the accuracy might be a problem.  At least
nobody has admitted to personal knowledge and even if they did, how
would we be able to verify they were telling the truth?"

I chuckled.  "Yeah.  I can't see any of us being willing to publicly
check out a person's claims.  Before you ask, no, I don't have any
personal experience to fall back on.  I've watched animals get it on
but that's it.  I don't want to make a fool of myself by using that
limited info to write a story."

"How about rape?"  I tossed it out.

"Too many BDSMers have done variations already.  Orgies are out for
the same reason.  Too many variations already done, including ours."
She sighed.  "Let's face it, there's only so much you can do with
male-female sex before you get to the point it becomes..."

We turned to look at each other. "Ridiculous." I breathed softly. "How
could we have missed it?"

She smiled slightly.  "There's one other genre people have shied away
from."

"Oh?  Enlighten me.  I've managed to miss that detail."  I watched her
lips quirk into a half-grin.

"Pedophilia.  How about some sort of humorous pedo story?"  She bent
her head towards mine and kissed me.

"Mmmm..."  I returned her kiss and then let my thoughts wander as I
considered her idea.

"Pulse?"  Sal interrupted my thoughts. "Do you remember our parents'
parties and what happened at them?"

I chuckled.  "Oh yes.  'Parties' is stretching things a lot.
'Free-for-all-orgies' would be closer."

"Do you remember how we learned about actual sex?"  She was laughing.

"How could I forget?  My mom and your dad invited us in when we
thought they were hurting each other."  I stopped and joined my rueful
chuckles with hers.  "Who'd believe us if we admitted we were writing
about ourselves?"

She managed to stop laughing long enough to seal our agreement. "Let's
do it and see how it turns out.  It certainly won't be boring."

* * *

Mini-Strokers
A Pulsar Longarm Production
---

"Uncle Tim! You stop hurting my mother - right now!"  The childish
shriek was followed by a slightly higher one that knifed through my
head.  "Aunt Jenny!  Quit hurting my daddy!"

Jen and I stopped fucking each other. I looked at her and my lips
quirked into a wry smile as Joey and Kathy started pounding on the
door to get our attention.  "Do we have a choice?"

She sighed.  "No."

I rolled off of her and sat on the edge of the bed.  "I *knew*
bringing the kids along was a bad idea."  I mumbled it just loud
enough for her to hear me.

She slid to the edge of the bed and kissed me before she stood up.
"Nonsense.  We've both wanted to screw our kids ever since we started
these orgies.  The only argument has been about who does what to whom
- and when."  The banging on the door got louder.  "If we don't prove
that we aren't hurting each other, we'll never be able to fuck without
being interrupted by *that*."  She pointed at the vibrating door.

I nodded and smiled.  "Point.  Go open it before they figure out it
isn't locked."  I laughed as she turned to look at me.  The surprised
look on her face was priceless.  "My frustration is a pose.  I'm more
exasperated than anything else.  I was hoping they'd just barge in on
us.  Apparently we've been too successful at teaching them to mind
their manners."

She chuckled and I watched as she went over and opened the door.  I
stifled a laugh as Joey and Kathy stood there in shock.  Kathy was the
first to react.

"Aunt Jen...  You're all naked and...  WET!  You smell funny too." She
added that almost as an afterthought.  Joey opened his mouth a few
times but nothing came out.

I can't blame Joey for not saying anything.  His face was red and his
eyes were locked on Jen's cunt.  I could see the trails left by our
mingled juices as they flowed slowly down her legs.  I didn't doubt
that he was seeing much more than he ever dreamed he would.  I hoped
he enjoyed the sight.  If things went as Jen and I expected them to -
he'd be seeing it several times a day, at least.

Jen, of course, acted as if it were the most normal thing in the world
to let our kids see us naked and after a good fucking.  She always did
have style.

"Kathy, I wasn't hurting your father."  She looked at her son.  "As
for you, young man..." He jerked his eyes away from his mother's
dripping pussy and looked up at her.  "Do I look or act like I'm
hurt?"

She smiled as he stammered out a whispered "No, mother."

"Well, you two, I can see that Tim and I need to convince you that we
weren't hurting each other."  She knelt in front of them.  First she
gently loosened Joey's pants and shorts so they dropped to his ankles.
She lightly touched his penis.  I could see that while he was used to
being bathed, her suddenly personal touch had its desired effect.  His
hips jerked as she stroked him a few times.  The confused look on his
face made it obvious he was surprised to discover that his mother was
willing to have sexual relations with him.  She smiled and kissed him
tenderly.

Without saying anything, she reached over with her other hand and
slowly worked it under Kathy's dress and inside her panties.  I smiled
as Kathy jerked suddenly and let out a small gasp of surprise.
Obviously, Jen had started working Kathy's undeveloped but responsive
clitoris.

She finally removed her hands from the two of them and hugged them to
her.  "What we were doing was fun.  That's what these,"  she stroked
each of them again to make her point, "are made for."

She hugged them again and stood up.  "Now, why don't the two of you go
over and apologize to Tim and then we'll all get on the bed and sort
this misunderstanding out before it can happen again."

"OK, Mom.  Yes, Aunt Jenny."  They pecked her on the cheeks and after
Joey had stepped out of his pants and shorts, they came over to stand
in front of me.

"I'm sorry Uncle Tim .  It sounded like my mother was being hurt.  She
was screaming and everything..."  He wasn't looking at my face but at
my growing erection.

I had spread my legs before they entered the room.  So, when they
stood in front of me, they were faced with my crotch.  Just the
thought of having their inexperienced hands on me was getting me
excited and hard again.

Kathy was looking at my crotch and then down at Joey's penis and then
back again.  Suddenly she blushed.  "Daddy?  Joey's feels good but
yours is so big.  You put that in Aunt Jen and it *didn't* hurt her?"

That comment caused a twitch that was almost an orgasm.  As nudists, I
wasn't worried about the kids seeing an erection.  That she knew what
we had been doing startled me almost as much as it excited me.  Our
kids had been doing some experimenting on their own.

Jen had closed the door and was now behind them.  "No honey.  I was
screaming because it felt good to have his penis inside of me."  She
looked at her son and smiled.  "He wasn't hurting me a bit.  I'll show
you."

With that she turned and squatted over my penis.  Once she felt me get
lined up, she relaxed her legs and took me in one movement.  As she
wiggled her hips to make sure she was fully impaled by my penis, she
moaned and then smiled dreamily.  "Joey.  Kathy.  Come over here and
touch us.  You both know how we flinch when something hurts."

Their lightly questing and inexperienced fingers felt like they were
charged with electricity.  As they explored our joined bodies, I could
feel Jen quivering inside and then she moaned throatily and shivered
in her orgasm.  Her rapidly fluttering vagina pushed me over the edge
and I stiffened my legs and arched into her as I orgasmed.  Our
combined moans briefly frightened them but they looked at our ecstatic
faces and went back to exploring where our bodies were joined. I felt
tentative touches as their fingers moved through the mingled fluids
that seeped out of Jen's body and down my now softening penis.

"Are you peeing, mom?  You're all wet."  Joey's innocent question
brought a smile to my lips as I waited for Jen's answer.

"No, Joey.  I'm all wet because Tim fucked me and it felt good."

I was watching my daughter and noticed she had a puzzled look as she
heard Jen's answer.

"Kathy."  She looked at me.  I could tell she was hesitant about
asking questions.  "It's ok.  You can ask Jen anything at all.  She's
knows things about you that I never will."  I smiled gently.  "You and
Jenny are women.  Joey and I are men.  There are the obvious
differences you know about.  Some differences are inside.  I can't
tell you about them because I don't know what it's like to be a
woman."

She nodded and giggled as she touched my flaccid penis.  "Yes, daddy.
You go out and she goes in."  She then did something I didn't expect.
She squeezed me.  "Do you get hard again when I do this?  Joey does."

"Eventually."  I laughed.  "I just orgasmed though.  It takes time for
me to recover."  With all the movies, magazines and books, Jen and I
had never hidden our sexuality from our children.  About all we had
ever done was keep our fucking to those times when the kids weren't
around to see us.

What was the point in trying to do it differently?  We had both
decided, long before we met and the kids started calling us 'Aunt' and
'Uncle', that we preferred to be open about sex and all its
ramifications.  At least this way we still had some control over what
they learned - and a hope that they would be getting something closer
to the truth rather than all the misinformation that is so common.

Still, for all our openness, while we had suspected they realized Jen
and I fucked each other, we never considered the possibility that they
would experiment on their own.  Looking back, I had to admit their
experimentation was an obvious thing that we should have taken for
granted.

"Aunt Jen?  How come I don't get as wet as you do when Joey puts his
penis in me?  He has to lick me a lot and get me so I feel all tingly
inside before he tries to fuck me.  Then, it hurts so we have to stop.
He usually starts to hurt before I do and he doesn't want to keep
going even when I want him to."

Well, that pretty much decided who was going to do what to whom.  I
think Jenny realized the solution to the problem about the same time I
did.  "I felt the same way the first time I had sex with a boy.  It's
doesn't hurt when you keep going.  All that happens is that you keep
feeling better and better until all of a sudden you feel so good you
can't describe it.  What you think is pain is really just good
feelings that are so strong you aren't used to them yet.  You'll have
to experience what happens when you let everything happen all the way.
Then you'll understand."

She reached down and put her hands over theirs.  "Kathy, will you
trust your father?  He won't try to put his penis in you but he can do
some things to you that will help you understand what I'm trying to
say."

Kathy stopped her movements and looked at me.  I could see her
unspoken fear and doubt.  "Aunt Jen?  I don't know.  I'm afraid.  He's
a man.  You're a woman.  Can't you do them to me?  I want you to teach
me what I need to learn."

Joey's eyes were wide as he started to realize what was going on.  His
brain finally caught up with his awakening sexuality.  "Uncle Tim? Can
you teach me how to be a man?"

Jenny and I looked and each other and laughed softly.  I answered for
both of us.  "Of course I'll help you start learning what it's like to
'be a man' and have a sex life.  If that's what the two of you want,
we'll do it that way."

They nodded and then waited for whatever came next.

I helped Jenny get off my lap and then I stood up.  "Come on, Joey.
Jen and Kathy have 'woman things' to talk about while we talk about
'man things'."  He and I grinned at each other and then I bent down
and kissed Jen and Kathy.  "Meet the two of you in the pool.  No
suits."

I wasn't surprised when Joey kissed the two of them.  What did
surprise me was how he worked his fingers inside his mother's still
dripping cunt.  "See you later, mom."  He finally pulled his hands
away and we headed for the door.

Jen's eyes were wide as she watched us leave.  I think she had finally
figured out that our kids were more sexually aware than we had
expected.  Joey had obviously been spending some time dreaming about
his mother and known exactly what he wanted to do when he had a chance
to grope her and get away with it.

After I closed the door I stopped and looked at Joey.  "What would you
and Kathy have done if one of us had really been hurting the other?"

"Oh!"  Instead of answering my question he fumbled with his discarded
pants and came up with one of our cordless phones.  I noticed the
active light was on and then he turned it off.  He sagged in relief.

He handed me the phone.  "One of us would have pushed the number one.
We had the nine-one already entered just in case.  Just like you and
my mom always tell us to do."  He finished.

I took the phone from him and leaned against the wall as I shook.
Well, it had been close but they did remember what we had taught them.
I settled on my knees and hugged him.  "Good.  I'm *very* glad you
didn't push the button this time."

"We did it right?"  He sounded relieved.

"Yes."  I held him close and started laughing.  "You did it right."
Their terror and worry had been real.  I wasn't about to judge them
harshly for following our directions during what they thought was an
emergency.

"Now, how about you take your pants and shorts to your room?  And you
might as well take your shirt off at the same time."  I looked at him.
"How come you didn't take it off when you left your other clothes
off?"

"Uhh..."  He blushed and looked down at the floor.  "Promise you won't
tell my mother?"

I nodded before I remembered he wasn't looking at me.  "Promise."

"It felt so good when she played with my penis that I was still
thinking about that when she told us to apologize to you.  She smelled
funny too.  Kinda neat and different." He smiled tentatively.  "I
forgot I still had my shirt on."

"Oh, Joey."  I hugged him again.  "Your mother would be happy to know
she made you forget about undressing the rest of the way."

"She would?"  He sounded puzzled.

I nodded.  "She would.  Sometimes a woman likes to know that a man
can't think of anything except how sexy she is.  It's even nicer when
she knows you weren't pretending.  Don't worry about it if she finds
out.  I won't tell her though."

He nodded solemnly.  "Is that one of those 'man things'?"

I grinned.  "In a way.  As you get older and gain experience, you'll
find out that it's just part of a game men and women play with each
other.  Sometimes the rules change and a woman gets upset if you are
so interested in fucking that you forget about other things.  You'll
get used to making mistakes.  They make them too."

I stood up.  "Now, go get rid of your clothes and I'll meet you in the
den."

I watched as he gathered his clothes and ran to his room.  His
wiggling butt sure looked cute.  I wondered how it would feel as it
rubbed against my penis.

I smiled fondly and turned to head for the den.  I doubted if I would
find out today but I was definitely going to find a way to have that
penis of his explore my ass as soon as I could get him to try some
serious fucking.  For his age, it looked a little larger than average.
From his earlier comments, I knew he already had a pretty good idea
about how to use it.  All I had to do was get him to orgasm.  I was
sure the next step would be easy once he recovered from the intense
pleasure.

I sobered as I remembered Kathy and my frustrated desire to help her
to have her first orgasm.  I imagined Jen felt the same way about
Joey.  Well, I could help him learn to enjoy his orgasms and then let
Jen take over from there.  I hoped she would be as gentle and
thoughtful with Kathy.

I sighed as I settled on the couch.  At least Jen could let Joey fuck
her.  I knew I wouldn't be able to fuck Kathy until she reached
puberty.

"Uncle Tim?  What's wrong?"  Joey's voice came from the doorway.

"You've fucked Kathy, haven't you?"  I smiled to let him know I wasn't
upset.

He nodded.  "Not like you and my mother."

"But you've put your penis inside her.  Right?"

"Yeah."

I smiled and invited him to join me.  "I can't do that to her for a
long time.  If I did, I'd hurt her and she wouldn't like to have any
men fuck her."

His eyes got wide as he looked at my now throbbing penis.  "You want
to?"

I nodded.  "Yes. I've wanted to fuck her for a long time."  I dropped
the bomb.  "Just like your mother wants you to fuck her.  Except she
knows you can do that as soon as the two of you agree to do it.  You
don't have to wait to fuck Kathy - or your mother - unless they tell
you to wait."

His eyes got wider as he thought about it.  His penis got hard too.

I reached over and gently enclosed his penis in my hand.  I moved up
and down a few times and then stopped.  His hips twitched slightly and
it was obvious he was enjoying what I was doing.

Instead of continuing to masturbate him, I held his penis and spoke
softly.  "I want you to watch as I jerk myself off.  After I'm done,
we'll talk about what happened and then I want you to do the same
thing except when you usually stop, I want you to keep going.  If you
don't think you can do that, I'll do it for you.  It won't be easy the
first time but I promise this will be the only time I keep doing
something even if you tell me to stop."  I smiled to let him know I
really did care.  "The first orgasm is hard to do for everyone.  It's
scary because you don't know what's going to happen.  After that first
one, you'll know why sex is so much fun."

He thought about it as I waited.  "Is it sorta like the first time I
went down a slide?  I was all scared but I had to keep going because
the other kids wouldn't let me go back down the ladder and one of them
pushed me and it was scary and fun and exciting all at the same time?
And now it's so much fun that sometimes I keep doing it until mom
yells at me to come in the house?"

"Yes."

"I'm scared."  He took a deep breath and shivered. He looked at me.
"Someone caught me the first time.  So I was really safe, wasn't I?"

I nodded slowly.

He thought some more.  "This is like the first time you tossed me in
the air and caught me.  You got me feeling real good and then you just
tossed me up a little and caught me.  It wasn't very far but it scared
me and felt funny and when you caught me and did it again I started to
enjoy it."

"That's what I'll be doing.  I'll get you feeling really, really good,
just like you do with Kathy.  When it starts to scare you I'll keep
going and you'll find out that instead of pain, it only feels so good
you can't tell anyone how good it feels.  Since I'm a man, I'll know
when to stop before it starts hurting you."

"OK.  You do it.  Now, before I get so scared I don't want to."

I nodded again and instead of answering, I slid back on the couch and
motioned for him to come and sit between my legs.  Once he settled, I
could feel him shivering so I wrapped my arms around him and waited
for the shivers to start slowing.

When his shivering started to slow down I used one hand to lightly
stroke his chest.  Eventually I let my fingers touch his penis and
after awhile I worked my way lower so I could  slowly fondle his balls
and trail my fingers through his crotch.  I knew he was relaxing when
his hips started twitching and he slumped against me.

At that point I started to stroke his penis.  As I slowly moved up and
down, I also gently squeezed and released.  Every so often I would
lightly rub the tip of his throbbing erection with one finger.  The
combination was having the effect I wanted.  It was rapidly getting
him close to his orgasm.  Now that he was leaning into me, I used my
other hand to cup and fondle his ballsack.

My own penis was pinned between his back and my stomach.  Because I
figured he would accept anything I did as natural, I stopped my
attention and gently slid him forward until I could hold my penis flat
on the cushion.  With my other hand, I reached in front of him and
under his balls.  I lifted slightly as I pulled him back against me.
His hot and quivering asscheeks slowly slid down the length of my
penis until he was once again nestled into me.  I moaned slightly as
he shifted a little bit and then settled when he felt comfortable in
this new position.  Once he stopped moving and leaned back against me
again, I went back to masturbating him and paying attention to his
balls.  His involuntary movements as I increased his pleasure served
to excite me even further.

He started breathing in short little gasps.  His hands reached down
and feebly pushed at mine.  Rather than stop, I kept stroking him and
used his short, sliding motions on my penis to gauge how aroused he
was.

Without warning he suddenly gave a little strangled gasp.  His
asscheeks clenched and pulsed against my quivering penis. I felt his
penis pulse slightly but as I watched, nothing came out.  In a few
seconds his orgasm was over and he went limp.

I had already quit stroking his rapidly softening penis.  I removed
both hands from his crotch, wrapped my arms around him - and waited
patiently while he recovered.

I could feel the rapid beating of his heart slow.  I wasn't really
surprised when his breathing slowed and his head fell to one side. The
poor guy had fallen asleep.

Well, he wouldn't be the first male to do it.  I made a mental note to
tell him about the natural result of a good bout of sex and I also
reminded myself to find out if Jen had remembered to tell Kathy that
it was natural and not a 'bad thing' if a man fell asleep after sex.

* * *

Sally looked at me strangely after she read my rough draft.  "That's
not what I remember happening."  She accused me.

"Ok, ok..."  I sighed.  "I know it wasn't like that.  I didn't want to
make it look like the adults were so horny they damn near raped the
kids."

She giggled as she remembered what had happened during our
'apologies'.  "I didn't realize it at the time but the bedroom must
have reeked of sex.  I was so fascinated by my dad's 'huge' penis that
I got upset when your mom changed her hug into a double-fuck.  I don't
remember you complaining when she crammed your dick up her cunt while
my dad was still in her."

She chuckled at my rueful look.  "Probably the only thing that kept it
from being rape was the fact we were so excited at the chance to
finally 'do it' with our parents - we never thought about resisting.
Remember how we used to talk about you fucking your mother and me
getting fucked by my father?"

I smiled with the memory.  "Yeah.  She grabbed my dick, lined it up
and then used her other hand to pull me against her.  Once I was
inside, she started me humping and at that point the reflexes kicked
in.  It felt so good I didn't stop like usual and my orgasm hit me.
After that happened, the problem wasn't getting me to fuck, it was
getting me to stop."

Sally nodded and grinned.  "I wasn't any better.  Once we all got on
the bed, my dad started licking and sucking and it wasn't until later
that I realized that I wasn't feeling any pain like I expected.  All I
felt was 'real good' and I wanted to keep feeling that way.  I cried
when he stopped and said he didn't want keep going and hurt me.  I
guess he hit his limit and wanted to be sure he didn't lose control
and try to force his penis inside me."

I nodded thoughtfully.  "I guess instinct and all that other
excitement made us forget about stopping when we didn't feel right."

"Good thing we were on a break.  The four of us had sex so many
different ways I still can't remember all the things we tried. About
the only thing I remember clearly other than that first time is that I
sure learned there was more to fucking than putting that,"  I pointed
at my penis, "in there."  I pointed at her crotch.

She smiled at my rather whimsical comment.  Then she changed the
subject.  Her voice changed from lightly teasing and ironic to
thoughtful and filled with gentle love.  "Do you remember the first
time my dad actually fucked me?"

"How could I forget?  The position became an annual event until he got
so old he couldn't fuck you."

Her eyes closed and her hands wandered to her crotch.  "Yes..."  She
smiled and slowly rubbed herself.  "It wasn't what he wanted and it
sure surprised both of you."

She opened her eyes and looked at me.  "That was when I decided we
were going to get married no matter what you or anyone else thought
was going to happen."

I blinked.  This was something I had never heard before.  "Your first
fuck by your dad made you decide you were going to marry me?"

She nodded.

I rolled over and leaned on my arm as I watched her slowly masturbate
herself.  "This I have to hear."

* * *

Fucking Father!
by Sally Simile
---

"Daddy?  When are you going to fuck me?  I mean really FUCK me?"  The
three of us were sitting on the couch and I was between him and
Pulsar.  Aunt Jenny was upstairs getting ready to take her bath before
we all went to bed for the night.

That was something I never understood about Aunt Jenny.  She always
took a bath *before* we went to bed and fucked each other to sleep.
Pulsar and my dad never complained about the way *I* smelled.  Aunt
Jen always smiled and said "Honey, wait until you are older.  Men
never tell us but they do like their women smelling all nice and fresh
before they fuck us and we get all sweaty and stinky again.  Once you
start puberty, your smell will change.  Considering you are so
sexually active, you will probably wind up smelling freshly fucked or
ready to fuck - all the time - unless you have just taken a bath."

I usually just looked at her and sighed.  "There's something wrong
with smelling like I enjoy sex?"

Jenny always nodded and hugged me.  "Yes, love.  Some people don't
like the smell and you do have to be around other people at times. You
can't always stay home and fuck whenever you feel like it."

I always sighed and hugged her back.  "Ok, if you say so."

She would then kiss me and smile.  "Now scoot!  I'm going to get
cleaned up and I don't need your help."  I'd laugh and go find Pulsar
or my dad.

"Kat, I'll fuck you several times a day *after* you go through puberty
and I know you can handle my size."  I quit daydreaming as my dad gave
me his usual answer.

"Father, you're so blind I think I'll have to get you a guide dog."  I
pinched him lightly.

"What was that for?"  He tickled me back and we started laughing.

I started playing with his penis and then stopped.  "I'll tell you
later.  Let's go to bed."  I got up and reached down to tug on his
penis.  "This guy needs to be relaxed.  Pulse?  You too.  I've got a
neat position we can all try.  I read about it and now I want to try
it out."

Neither of them knew about my real plans and that was the way I wanted
it.  I had already made up my mind that tonight I was going to get my
dad to really fuck me in the cunt for the first time.  Pulsar knew
that I was going to eventually get it to happen and had agreed to help
me.  What he didn't know was that *he* was going to be the first
person to fuck me in the ass.  I'd been stretching myself for months,
so I already knew that what I had planned for this evening  would work
and wasn't going to be painful, even at first.  I sure enjoyed having
all of Aunt Jen's sex toys available to play with.  I was *really*
glad she was too polite to ask me which ones I used the most and what
I used them for when she wasn't around.

As we got to dad and Jen's Bedroom, I pointed.  "Dad, I want you to
lay down in the middle so your head is propped up by the pillows.
Pulse, you wait until he gets settled."

They looked at each other and then they both smiled and shrugged.  My
dad commented, "Let's do what Minklet wants.  She'll pester us until
we do it her way anyway."  He tossed his robe to one side and Pulse
took his off and waited while my dad got comfortable.  I was a little
disappointed that neither of them was hard yet.  But, by the time I
was done getting them ready, I figured they would be more than willing
to do some serious fucking.  I listened carefully and heard the water
running in the bathtub.  Good.  Aunt Jen wouldn't be disturbing my
plans at a critical moment.  Still, I knew I'd have to move fast once
things started happening.  Dad was such a stick sometimes and I didn't
want him able to back out.

"OK.  Pulse, you get on the bed so you face my dad.  Then sit down
with your legs stretched out in front of you.  Once you do that I want
you to move one of your legs so it is on top of one my dad's and move
the other one so it is under his other leg.  After you do that, I want
you to scoot up until your balls are pressed against his."

He got on the bed and positioned himself.  "Like this?"  After I
nodded he scooted himself forward until their balls touched and then
he stopped.  Both of them were getting hard.

"Yep."  I grinned as I tossed my robe on the floor and jumped on the
bed.  My hands dived for their dicks and I started stroking them and
rubbing them against each other.  "How's that feel?"  Before they
could answer I bent down and swallowed first Pulse and then my dad.  I
went back and forth for a bit and barely heard one of them say
"Great!"

They were both hard and I had them really wet with my saliva - so I
sprang my trap.  I held them against each other and sure enough, Pulse
was obviously bigger than my dad.  Good.

I pulled my head away and grinned at my father.  "Look dad.  Pulse is
way bigger than you are and he fucks me all the time.  Now, don't you
think it's time we both fucked each other?"

Before he could gather his wits and reply, I straddled them so I was
facing my dad.  I wanted to be able to see his reactions so I could
remember them for my diary.  I knew I wouldn't be able to see how
Pulse reacted but I figured I could get him to tell me about it later.
Besides, his penis would tell me everything I needed to know about how
he felt.  I aimed my dad at my cunt and I aimed Pulse at my ass.  As
soon as I had them both lined up, I let myself relax and I forcefully
impaled myself on the two of them.

"AHHH!"  I couldn't help my moan of pleasure.  Having the two of them
in me was real different than the dildos I had been using.  Lots
better.

I looked at my stunned dad.  "There.  See?  You fit just fine."  I
started fucking the two of them.  "And Pulse gets to be the first
person to fuck my ass.  My first fuck by my father, my first assfuck
and my first doublefuck."

Just before my orgasm overwhelmed me and they tried to force
themselves deeper, I closed my eyes and smiled happily.  "What a
wonderful birthday present you two are giving me."

At that point they got the hint and managed to move a little and
really fuck into me as I came down.

Pulsar never hesitated or protested about what I had done.  As he
started to fuck my ass in earnest, I decided that our teasing had gone
far enough.  When we were old enough, I would make sure we got
married.  I couldn't really picture anyone else in my life anyway.
Some of the boys were bigger.  Some were smarter.  None of them were
Pulsar.

* * *

When Sally finished, I laughed so hard she started to blush.  "Hell,
we were always having so much fun fucking each other the normal way it
never occurred to me you wanted to be assfucked.  All you had to do
was ask."

She nodded and smiled.  "Wasn't it better the way we wound up doing
it?  I bet you thought you were going to be ignored the first time my
father fucked me."

I smiled wryly.  "Point.  Set.  Match."  I hugged her.  "I sure don't
regret your decision.  Thanks for letting me know I didn't really have
one to make.  I never knew that - until now."

I gently inserted my penis in her willing body.  "Looks like this stay
at the Academy has been worth it."

She clenched so I couldn't move.  "Shall we make it an annual event?
Say yes or I won't let you go."  She grinned.

"Sure, why not?  Maybe by next year we can figure out a way to stump
Fleuroscopia."  She released me and I surprised her by not starting to
fuck her.

"Pulsar?  Is something wrong?"

I wrapped her in my arms.  "Nope.  Sometimes love means NOT fucking
your wife until she's bow-legged."

"Oh."  She massaged my penis a bit and then kissed me tenderly.  "I
always knew you were special."

That was all we did before we fell asleep.

* * *

We were finally going into the last week.  Everyone was relaxed about
public sex and we had all learned a lot about writing and life.  Sal
and I had been sort of envied because we were the only married couple.
Everyone else was either older singles or, from our point of view,
young kids.  Most were in their early to mid twenties.  We weren't the
oldest, quite, but we had become kind of unofficial 'parents and
confidants' to many of the others.

We weren't really that much older than they were.  Just more
experienced at life and enjoying ourselves.  Some of the younger ones
held us in a sort of awe.  We'd been *married* almost as long as
they'd been alive.  Two people who are thirty-four and have been
married since they were of legal age at fifteen are a novelty by
anyone's standards these days.  It also gave us an incredible
advantage when it came to talking about sex.  There wasn't much in the
way of normal, non-abusive sex - that we hadn't tried at some time in
our lives.

Another advantage we had was that we were relaxed when performing in
front of a crowd.  Those long ago orgies with our parents had quickly
eliminated our shyness and turned us into relaxed 'performers'.

All that aside, the topic for the last week had been the 'final'.
Fleuroscopia had smiled slightly and announced that all we had to do
was come up with a position that nobody had used previously or find a
creative situation that made sex a natural result.

Even Sally and I had been stumped - so far.

So, here we were, sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast on the
first day people were expected to put on their 'performances'.  Nobody
had to actually act out their scene but by now the spirit of
camaraderie and competition had everyone so 'up' that nobody talked
about or suggested backing out or just reading something they had
written.

I looked at Sal and sighed.  "Come up with anything yet?"

She looked down at her food and shook her head.

"Damn."  At least that got a reluctant grin.  "Neither have..."  I
stared at our plates and then at the folks running the cafeteria.
"I'll be damned.  I *do* have an idea that nobody has used.  Nobody
has even *mentioned* it."

I settled back and waved Sally off when she asked me what it was.  I
mentally inventoried the props in the classroom and when I realized
one of the essential props I needed was missing, I was sure I had
something.  I grinned and started laughing out loud.  Some of those
near us looked over at me.

Sally had that exasperated look I knew so well.

"Sal, what's the one thing we do so often that we no longer have to
think about doing it every day?"  Before she could answer I leaned
forward and motioned her in close so I could whisper in her ear.  "
'Doing the dishes.' "

"Oh. My."  She started giggling.  I had to hand her a glass of juice
when she started hiccoughing.  Eventually she got herself under
control and leaned back to grin at me.  Her grin turned devilish as
she turned to slowly scan the room.  "That's so absolutely *perfect*,
it's *evil*."

I had some of the same deviltry in my smile when I nodded.  "Better
yet, we'll have to improvise.  There's no kitchen sink in the props. I
doubt if anyone here will take the time to think about what's missing.
We certainly didn't."

When we got to the classroom we grabbed our favorite overstuffed chair
and I sat down first.  Once I got settled, she took the time to get me
hard before she impaled herself on my penis.  Some of the other
'students' were pairing up and finding comfortable places to settle.
By now, this quiet settling in was so normal nobody really paid
attention to what was going on.  The relaxed closeness was far more
important than the sex.  What had started as a novelty in the early
days had become so routine we didn't really think about it.
Fleuroscopia had taught some of these people stuff that was far more
important than any improvements they had made as writers.

By now everyone had spotted how relaxed and carefree Sally and I were
feeling.  Most had figured out that we were 'up to something'.

Fleuro walked in and settled on the bed she used as her 'desk'.

"Well?  Who's going to start this off.?"  People started sheepishly
shaking their heads.  Many of them them turned to look at Sally and I.

Fleuro noticed the trend and looked at us.

We tried to look as innocent as we could.  "Us?  Well...  Yes, we did
come up with something that might work."  Sally was grinning by now.

Fleuro blinked and looked slightly flustered.  "You did?"  Her
disbelief was unmistakable.  That was the first hint anyone had the
she had expected everyone to fail to come up with anything.

Sally smiled and nodded slowly.  "Actually, Pulsar thought of it this
morning while we were eating breakfast."

Fleuro gathered herself with an effort and settled back so she could
see the front of the room.  She smiled ruefully.  "This has never
happened before.  Congratulations."

She gestured in the general direction of the cleared area we called
'The Stage'.  "The Stage, as they say, is yours."

Sally got off my lap and turned to offer me her hand to help me up.
"The play 's the thing,"  Her quiet comment fell into the sudden
silence that surrounded us.

I smiled as I reached and used her strength to help lever myself out
of the depths of the chair.  "Wherein I'll catch..."

Together, we completed the famous phrase.  "The conscience of the
King."

Sally tugged me towards the props.  "Let's get on with this."

We looked around and studied things.  I pointed at a table.  After a
whispered consultation we hauled it over and placed it an angle so
that when we faced it, people could clearly see between Sally's cheeks
when she bent over.  After we were satisfied with that, we grabbed
another table and set it off to one side and set two chairs on
opposite sides of it.

We found some plates and utensils and set them on the table.  Two
large salad bowls went on the first table.  Next, we found a hotplate
and a large pot.  We set the temperature and filled the pot with
water.  A quick search of the cupboards and we found some dish soap.
That discovery led to another consultation and we decided to raid the
refrigerator for some food and actually get the plates dirty by eating
from them.  Just to confuse people, we rolled the portable dishwasher
over and put it at one end of the first table.

Hurried glances at the class told us that most of them were either
intrigued - or bored with it all.  Fleuro and a few of the older folks
were the only ones really paying attention.  Well, that would change
once we started our skit.

A last look around to make sure we had everything we needed and then
we walked to the center of our 'set' and faced the class.

I bowed.  "Ladies and Gentlemen of the thirteenth graduating class of
The Erotic Writing Academy.  The PulSim Players are proud to
present..."

Sally mimed a curtsy and then finished it.  "Doing the Dishes."

We were rewarded with a few giggles, a lot of puzzled looks and a
couple of startled gasps.  I looked at Fleuro.  She was studying us
and had a thoughtful look on her face.

I went over and held a chair for Sally.  She came over, sat down and I
helped her get positioned.  Once she was seated, I slapped together a
couple of sandwiches, as if we were going to eat a quick snack.  I
served her one, put the other on my plate and then dug in the fridge
and got us something to drink.  I poured that in the two cups, put the
container back and returned to sit down.

We ate.

After she finished her snack, Sally got up, picked up all our dishes
and put them on the other table.  She turned back, pointed at me and
then the dishes.  Her meaning was clear.  "You wash them."

I sighed and got up.  She stood back and smiled as I walked over,
poured some of the the now hot water in one of the salad bowls, added
the soap and then placed the dishes, cups and utensils in the bowl of
soapy water.  While my hands were starting to wash the first dish, I
glanced over at Sally and then nodded my head at the other bowl as if
to say, "I'm washing, you can rinse."

She sighed and then smiled slightly.  After a pause she walked over
and added some of the remaining hot water to the other bowl.

I placed the first dish in it and reached for another one and started
washing it.  Sally rinsed the first one and then, instead of setting
it to her left, casually reached in front of me and set it on my
right.  As she pulled her hand back, she trailed her fingers across my
chest.

Now that we had established the 'rules', when I placed the next dish
in the rinse water, I casually brought my arm back and moved it across
her breasts.

She rinsed again and this time her arm went behind me when she reached
to set the dish on top of the other one.  On the return her hand went
to my neck and then she trailed her fingers down my spine and wound up
casually reaching between my legs to fondle my balls.  I pushed back
into her hands and spread my legs to give her easier access.  This
seemingly casual movement gave the other people in the room a better
view of what was going on.  (Remember my earlier comment about Sally
and I being 'performers'?)

While she had been fondling me, I had managed to wash both glasses and
set them in the rinse water.  Sally looked over, sighed slightly as if
to say "You're still able to do the dishes?" and used her left hand to
rise them.  Now, she still had her right hand in my crotch.  She
hesitated and seemed to think things over.  Finally, she grinned and
managed to get both glasses in her left hand.  She kept her right hand
where it was and reached in front of me with her left arm to set the
glasses next to the dishes.

Since she already had me in a hug, she decided to forget about the
dishes and slowly knelt down beside me.  Her left hand found my penis
and began gently stroking it.  I shifted backwards to give her more
room and then turned my hips so my penis was hitting her face.

Her reaction was to start mouthing it.

I moaned slightly and seemed to forget about the dishes.  My hands
came out of the water and I reached down and put them on her shoulders
and pulled her against me.

We looked at each other and grinned.  Then she came out of her own
daze and looked at the wash water as if to ask if I was done yet.  I
looked and shook my head "No."  She sighed and stood up.

I quickly did the few utensils and put them in for her to rinse.  As
she stepped up and leaned over the table, it was my turn.

I stepped behind her and reached between her legs and started fondling
her.  My hands were still soapy so I wandered her cheeks and casually
groped her.  Eventually she moaned and stopped rinsing.  She left her
hands in the water and braced herself.  Then, she slowly spread her
legs and suddenly rolled her hips so her vulva was presented for easy
access.

Instead of fucking her right away, I resoaped my hands and slowly
worked my way down her spine and then along her sides.  She shivered
and pushed herself back at my crotch. It wasn't an invitation, it was
an obvious demand.  She wanted to get fucked.  Forget the foreplay,
fuck her *now*.

With that obvious hint, I quit playing and while I lined myself up
with my left hand, I used my right hand to pull her back onto me. Once
I was started, I paused with just the tip lodged within her.

Sally, frustrated with my slow approach, jammed herself partway down
my penis.  She started fucking me.  Now that we were into it, I leaned
over, braced myself on the table and let her do all the work.

It wasn't long before she worked her usual miracle and I orgasmed.
Rather than bury myself and savor the sensations, I pulled out and
with semen still dripping from the end of my penis, turned to face the
class.  There was a brief wait while Sal just stayed in position as if
catching her breath.  I glanced over my shoulder as if I was checking
on her.  Sure enough, her lips were oozing and it was obvious she'd
just been fucked.  She pushed herself upright, turned, came over to
stand in front of me and with a smile pulled my head down and kissed
me.

"Showoff."  I whispered as she pulled away.

"Yep."  She settled in at my side and then as I bowed, she once again
mimed a curtsy.

I smiled and wrapped an arm around Sally's waist.  "Show's over
folks."

Without any more words we casually walked over and resettled in the
chair.

Fleuroscopia got up and went over to stand in front of the table that
had been our 'kitchen sink'.  "Well, they passed *their* final."  She
leaned back in obvious invitation.  "Anyone want to help me do the
dishes?"

At that point we all started laughing and clapping.

Obviously, the graduation ceremonies for the thirteenth class of The
Erotic Writing Academy - were over.
~~~

In the recent past, I posted something called 'Lusty Lessons' in the
newsgroup alt.sex.stories.d.  It was a poor attempt at writing
something bad enough to be used as an example of poor writing that
could be used to show what happens during a proof reading/ editing
cycle.

I kept the original version around and finally found a way to rework
it into something a bit longer.

I hope you enjoy it.
---

The Eyes Have It
---

"Lookit the tits on that bitch." My friend and I were prowling and
eyeballing the meat that was on the sidewalk.  I'd spotted a redhead
before he did and nudged him to get his attention.

"Yeah. I could see myself mattress dancing with that one." He paused
and then whispered.  "Standing up.  Like right now..."

"Hey, buddy, what have we got to lose?  Whatsay we double team it and
winner takes all of it home?"  I was grinning openly now.

"Itsa deal chump.  Loser buys breakfast at the coffee shop if she
spends the night bangin' the pubes together with one of us."

"Yer on."

* * *

We sauntered over and laid the eyes on her closelike.  "Hi there,
woman.  We could give you a quick tour of life in these parts if ya
wants a chance to see it up close and intimate like."  I tried one of
my openings on her.  She looked new in the area so I figured she
hadn't heard it yet.  Ya have ta start somewhere and that was one of
my better comeons.

She made a comeback insteada givin' me da bum's rush.  "Really? We
just moved in and I don't know where anything is at."  She smiled.
"So, you guys know where things are at around here?"

I glanced at my buddy.  He was eyein' her attributes and wasn't payin'
no attention to what we was sayin'.  Maybe that was why he told me
later that he thought she'd grinned just before I made my move. 'Hell,
you know I don't look at the mouth. Leastways not unless I wants her
to use it on my dick.  You know that.'

Anyway, who'da thot a woman would be on the prowl and then go fer a
coupla chumps like us fer cryin' out loud?

My buddy finally spoke up.  "Yeah.  Well we can help you learn the
area."   Hey, he's no good on the opening but he can be devastating on
the followup - if you know what I mean.

I pointed at the local hangout.  "Cow guts on toast but they do
allright with it.  Nice place to set and have a quiet chat. Nobody
pays attention to what goes on in the booths."

"Why not?"  She tossed her head back and her hair parted to reveal
blue eyes.  "I've been wandering the streets for hours and could use a
break."  She shook her head back and forth and sighed.  "This town is
mono-tetanus."  Then she looked down at her feet.  "The one thing I
seem to find everywhere is dog turds."

I looked down.  "Yeah, the shoeshine guys do good here."  Don't ask
me.  When I look back, I still haven't figured out how I missed it.
Musta been those blue eyes.

We sat at a booth.  "Coffee!  The pot and two cups!  Get the lady what
she wants.  We're buying."

My buddy nudged me.  "Where you get off with this 'we' crap? You
ordered, you buy it.  Don't be spending the money I ain't got. Unless
you wanta do dishes next to me again."

I sighed.  "OK, I'll pay this time.  You'll have to pay up part of it
if you win.  Now shut the fuck up so we don't blow it with the meat."

Neither one of figured it out at the time but while he and I were
arguing over who was gonna pay the check, the foxbitch had been
looking us over.

"So what do you boys do for a living?"  She was leaning her arms on
the table and looking at me.  I was losing it.  I had a boner under
the table and those eyes were wide open and swallowing me.

"This and that.  Odd jobs for the shopkeepers."  I barely heard my
buddy.  I remember thinking 'Damn, what's with this bitch? First time
I ever heard him give one an honest answer.'

"And you?  Handsome?"  Her voice reached down into my balls and I damn
near came right then.

"You is one fine woman.  Know that?"  I blurted it out.  Then her
question hit me.  "Oh, hell, I don't do much that's important.  Run a
forklift in a warehouse.  Been doing it for years."  I shrugged and
then looked down.  "Keeps me in enough money to stay outta the shit
and have something of a life."

I paused and then decided to plunge on.  "In this area, having an
education doesn't do a person much good.  There's no place to go and
nothing worth having once you find it.  I haven't seen any reason to
try for something better.  So, I survive with my friends."

She gazed at me and I squirmed as those babyblues examined me. "If you
found something worth keeping?"

I gazed out the window at the passerby.  "Hell, woman.  I don't know
what I'd do.  Maybe take that transfer they offered me last year - if
it's still open.  They opened a new warehouse and wanted me to run it
for them."

"I'm outta here.  See ya fer breakfast.  Chump."  My buddy was
grinning as he left.

"OK."  I blinked back into awareness of what was going on. "Huh?"  I
glanced at him and then at the foxbitch.  She was grinning.  "Oh. Hang
on just a sec.  I think I might be late." I looked at those blues and
she nodded.  "Yeah...  Very late."

"So what do I call you?  Besides 'chump'?"  She was smiling slightly.

I looked away and managed to blush.  "Hell.  My parents gifted me with
'Spartacus Tiberius'."  When I looked back, the amusement was gone
from her eyes.

"Are you?"  The question was softly spoken.

I knew what she meant.  You don't grow up with a name like mine -
without wondering why the hell you were saddled with it.

"Come on."  I dropped enough money on the table to cover the check and
leave a tip.  "Let me show you something."  I waved to the waitress as
we left and got a smile in return.  My companion's eyes widened when
she figured out the 'tip' was twice the amount of the bill.

"I practically live here.  They let us wash dishes or otherwise earn
our meals when things are tight.  You'll understand in a few minutes."

As we ambled along the sidewalk, our arms found each other's waists.
"I'm Anna.  You never answered my question.  If you even understood
it."

"Yeah, I understood it.  If I simply told you the answer, you'd think
I was as full of shit as the streets are."

I paused in front of a dilapidated storefront.  I pointed at the hand
lettered sign in the window.  "They insisted.  The name wasn't my
idea."  I feel her freeze as she looks at it.  Then, her arm tightens
slightly.

"Spartacus Triumphant?"

"Yeah.  Well...  Read the fine print."  For some reason I want her to
understand this part of my life.

" 'Ignorance never built the future'."  There's a long silence as we
just stand there.  Finally, she reached up and pulled me into a kiss.
"I guess you *are* a gladiator."

Frozen time.

After she pulled away, I opened the door and we went inside. It was
full of kids and adults, as usual.  Anything with a flat surface had a
computer or parts of a computer on it.

"We recycle them."  I let some pride tinge my words.  "Then we give
them to the schools or anyone else who needs them.  The kids get first
choice of the parts and build their own.  Then, they help a friend.
Some of these people have gone on to run computers for the smaller
businesses around here."

"It's taken years but the operation is self-sustaining."  I smiled
slightly.  "I didn't say there was 'no good' to having an education.
As for the rest, well, we don't find it, we build it."  She and I are
grinning at each other.

"After seeing this, I want to see where you live."  She takes my hand
and those who hear her words start laughing.

"No etchings.  I promise."  We head out the door to the accompaniment
of catcalls and wolf-whistles.

* * *

As I inserted the key in the lock, I commented quietly, "It isn't
much.  A living room and kitchen combo, a bedroom and a bathroom.  It
suits me just fine.  I don't spend much time here."

I pushed the door open and we walked in.  "Just a minute."  I turned
back and entered the codes to disable the alarm system. "Keeps the
honest folks honest."

She nodded and turned to study the place.

"Is that a hide-a-bed?"  She was smiling slightly.

"Yep.  For guests if they want to use it.  You considering?"  I stood
there and openly sized her up.  Lithe.  A cat.  Now that I had a
chance to study her, definitely self-assured and something of a
predator.

"As a matter of fact, no, I'm not considering.  I decided I would."
She turned back and raised her eyebrows.  "You have a problem with
that?"  It was a challenge.

Yep. Like I said, she knew who she was and what she wanted.  Of course
I had pretty much figured that out in the coffee shop. "Who's hunting
who here?"  I grinned.  "Truce?  Sealed with a kiss?"  I held my arms
wide open.  "Before I forget, and *if* I forget, in the drawer in the
end table next to the hide-a-bed, there's a box of condoms."

She started laughing.  "Is that how you seduce all your women?"

"As a matter of fact, yes.  If they've made it to the point they step
through that door, they deserve to know."  I was smiling wryly.

"Point."  She came over and molded her body to mine.  "Now, shut the
hell up and let's do what we knew we wanted to do before we got to the
coffee shop.  We can talk - after."

The simple thing to say - is that we kissed.

I figured that as long as my hands were behind her back, I might as
well make them do something useful.  So, I trailed them down her spine
and then worked them under her blouse and slithered them up to
unfasten her bra.  After I did that, I worked my hands around to her
breasts and cupped them gently and massaged them a bit.  This seemed
to meet with her approval since I felt her moan into my mouth.

I felt her hands work between us and pause at my belt.  To my
surprise, she didn't do anything there but just dug my shirt out of my
pants.  Her plans became obvious when I felt her start unbuttoning my
shirt from the bottom.  That seemed like a good plan so I returned the
favor by bringing my hands out and unbuttoning her blouse.

Once I had her blouse undone, I gently worked her bra out and tossed
it to one side.  Briefly, she pressed her naked chest against mine.  I
don't know what she felt but I felt heat and the faint beating of her
heart.  It felt pretty good.

Regretfully, I gently pulled away and turned her around.  When I
reached around to help remove her blouse, she understood and shifted
her arms so I could slide it down and over her hands. Just before I
removed it completely, I leaned forward and kissed the back of her
neck.  She shivered and leaned back into the kiss.

The blouse got tossed on top of the bra.  I pulled her back against me
and held her there.  She reached up and clasped my hands in hers.  I
felt her shift slightly and then, when one leg shifted slightly and I
heard a thump followed by the other leg shifting and another thump, I
knew she had removed her shoes.

My next move was obvious and I didn't hesitate to make it.  I undid
her pants and opened them.  One hand briefly caressed her and then I
knelt behind her.

Slowly, gently, I worked her pants down and let them fall around her
ankles.  Before I removed my hands I kissed each cheek though her
panties.  My gentle worshipping done, I leaned back and gently pushed
her forward.  As she stepped out of her pants I caught each foot as it
appeared and removed her socks. She completed her move away and then
turned to look at me.

Eyes locked, I stood and let her examine me as I admired her trim
form.

She gestured for me to stay put and then she knelt down and untied
each of my shoes.  Gentle pressure told me to lift each foot as she
removed first the shoe and then the sock.

The pile of discarded clothing was getting taller.

To my surprise, rather than undo my pants, she stood and gestured for
me to turn around.

I was treated to the same gentle disrobing I had done for her. As she
opened my pants, her hands squeezed my stiff penis and she laughed
softly.  "Soon."  It was a warm gust on my back.

I reached and started to lead her to the hide-a-bed.

"No."  She pulled away and reached into the drawer and grabbed the box
of condoms.  "Your bed.  I don't want an uncomfortable quickie."

I laughed.  "Sounds reasonable."  I led her to one door. "Watch the
ledge."

She looked at me with a frown.

I pushed the door open and waved my hand as she gasped.  "After we
talked it over, the landlord said 'ok' as long as I reinforced the
floor.  Easiest way to do that was install a layer of two by twelves
and recarpet the room.  If I move, everything can be taken out."

"A waterbed.  I never..."  If she had flowed into me before, this time
she melted.

"Yeah. I had to pay for some studies on the loading and tear the
original floor out to do some other reinforcing to satisfy the
building inspectors...  But, it's been worth it."  I grinned.

"Oh my yes.  I haven't even *seen* one in far too many years." Her
voice had gone soft and slightly vague.  I had the impression she was
rethinking her plans for the night.  She hugged me and laughed.  "This
changes things."

"Stand still."  It was a command.

She walked over and before she set the box on one of the nightstands,
she pulled out one of the packets and tore it open. The foil got
tossed next to the box.  She stopped suddenly and studied the condom .
Then she looked at the box again.  I couldn't blame her for her sudden
interest.  She had obviously just realized they were the textured
kind.

Her smile alone was enough to cause my penis to tent my shorts.

She returned and once again knelt in front of me.  By forcing me flat,
she was finally able to work my shorts past my erection and down my
legs.  As I stood there with my shorts around my ankles, she paused
and then looked into my eyes.  As she trailed her hands lightly around
my crotch, I knew what her unspoken question was.  "I shave it to keep
from getting tangled in the condoms.  Not only that, the sensations
are...  More."  I fell silent and shrugged slightly.

She nodded and then smiled.  I had the impression she didn't need any
explanations.

Wet warmth engulfed me as she slowly swallowed my penis. As she pulled
back, her tongue massaged me.  I felt coolness and a final flick as
she let me fall free.

Now, finally, one hand held me firmly as the other gently worked the
condom over my throbbing length. She unrolled it a fraction and then
would slide her hand to my base and back to the tip.  Unroll a bit
more and then repeat the slide.  It wasn't quite a hand job but the
enticing differentness of it was almost enough to make me orgasm
anyway.  My hips twitched each time she stroked me.  it seemed like I
was forever being tantalized but eventually I felt her gently push the
remaining rolled up portion firmly against my pubes.

A trailing touch as she pulled her hand away and then she stood up.
Her eyes twinkled merrily.  I was drowning in them. "Ready?"  She
whispered.

I took a deep breath.  "Yes."

For all the buildup, our sex was nothing exotic or unusual. She had me
lie back on the bed and then she straddled me.  Once we found a rhythm
that let the waterbed do most of the work, we were able to pay more
attention to those light touches and caresses that turn sex into love.

I came fairly quickly.  (Do you blame me after all the foreplay?)  The
excitement and her inflaming touch helped me recover quickly.  Our
second session was longer than the first.

Before we got too involved, she pushed me back and told me to wait as
she went into the bathroom.  I smiled slightly as she came back with a
soapy washcloth and a towel and began washing me after she removed the
first condom.

"Cautious, aren't you?"  I was smiling.

"Trusting those things past two sessions like that is foolish. I want
to be reasonably certain there's noting on the outside of the next
one."  She had a wry smile.  "I'm not into forcing a guy into
something more permanent."

I must have reacted because she paused to point at me.  "Maybe. I'm
considering the possibility.  Let's give it some time before we make
any long term decisions.  OK?"

"Practical.  If was into anything serious I wouldn't have been
prowling with an itch that was doing a lot of my thinking."  I
grinned.  "OK."

She grinned and then finished washing my crotch.  Her touch had me
semi-hard again so rather than wait, she applied another condom.

We tried various positions during that long night and all of them gave
us great pleasure.

Before we fell asleep in each other's arms, she pointed at the
nightstand and giggled.  "You better get another box.  At this rate,
there aren't enough left for tomorrow night."

I think I nodded.  If she said anything more, I never heard it.
~~~

msolo mast dildo enema
---

An Evening of Passion
----

'There.  That's over with.'  My thoughts were dragging.  It had been
yet another long day, but at least the 'job' was finished.   While I
recovered I'd been on the net, taking care of that part of my life.  I
clicked on send and the email left.  Along with it, buried in the
subtext, went some of my dreams.

Dreams.

Hopes for a new reality, really.

I moved my head to the left and watched my hand while I reached for my
glass.  'Way too tired.'  I couldn't be bothered to try and figure out
which fatigue was more intense.  Physical, or mental?  I made the all
too familiar consciously focussed effort to wrap my left hand around
the glass and lift it to my lips.  

Still too tired to make the effort to turn my head back, I gazed at
'almost nothing' and let my thoughts drift while I sipped the room
temperature liquid.

'Damnit.  Did it again.  You idiot.  You of all people should know
dehydration is no joke.'

More than a quart later I felt my body start to recover.  With that
recovery came something else.  I was feeling an urgency again.  When I
'saw' the room more clearly, I realized my drifting thoughts had
settled, and I had decided that I wasn't as ready for sleep as I'd
thought earlier.

Now fully aware of what I was thinking, I smiled while I studied my
latest dildo.  "My.  Aren't you handsome.  And soooo...  'Majestic'.
You're just waiting for me, aren't you?"

I made sure my glass was away from the edge of the desk.  Then, still
gazing at the dildo, I let my hands find my crotch.  They rubbed
slowly, enticingly, and I felt myself start to engorge.  With the
swelling came a tingling, a readiness.  The sensations slowly radiated
towards my ass and my waiting sphincter.

I clenched and unclenched, encouraging my sphincter to relax.

I let the lust build slightly, then stopped. 

My hands went to my belt and unfastened it.  My right hand snaked
under my pants and shorts.  I let my fingers find my penis and they
teased it some more.

The tingling in my penis increased and I held it to myself, savoring
it.

Then I sighed.  'Not yet.  I have other plans tonight.'

I finished stripping.  Naked, I settled in my chair again.

Now, I dreamed.  My hands weren't mine.  Someone else controlled them.
I felt a lover's touch.

Passion made his hands sure.  His deft touches made me quiver
urgently.  My breathing quickened.  When he slid his fingers through
my crotch I moaned.  "Yeessss...   I need...  Please..."

He started working my penis.  He worked me, as only another man can.
He knew everything about me.  He knew what I wanted but he still
denied me the final consummation of our passion.

I arched.  I felt his now lubed fingers caress my asshole.  My passion
took over and my hips twisted, seeking to capture his fingers so they
would fill me.

They slid inside me easily.  He moved then gently.  They twisted and
flexed, getting me ready.

Then, slowly, I felt him pull away.

My eyes languidly opened and I stared at the true object of my
passion.

'The Penis'.

I moaned while I reached for it.

It was thirteen inches long.  Just over two inches in diameter at the
base of the glans, it rapidly expanded to two and a half inches in
diameter before it gently went back to two inches in diamter for the
rest of its length.  I knew I'd never take the full length but part of
the attraction was the ongoing quest to find out how much of that
monster I *could* take.

Ultimately,the length didn't matter.  What was important was that I'd
never feel cheated because my lover's penis was too short.

I caressed it lovingly.  "Soon.  Very soon."  It was a lust driven
promise.

I stood and let the warm air flow around me sensuously.  I was ready,
but there had to be more.  Our foreplay wasn't done, and 'he' was
patient and understanding.

We headed for the bathroom, and I felt his grin.  Our consummation
would be there, as always.

Without hesitation or embarrassment, I reached for the rubber bag
hanging from the shower curtain rod.  I wanted to give him as much of
me as I could and that meant an enema.  When my chosen partner was
smaller, of a more 'normal' size, we never hesitated to let our
passions complete themselves whenever it was time.

This partner was special.  His size demanded that I empty myself
before he took me.  I smiled dreamily while I filled the bag with warm
water.  After it was full I rehung it and carefully purged the air
from the tube.

I smiled at him while I pushed the probe into my well lubed hole.
"Soon, love.  Soon I'll be able to allow your passion to fill me."

Still smiling, still filled with a barely contained lust...

I settled on the commode with my legs spread and my body receptive to
the liquid passion that was about to fill me.

I released the clamp and waited.

I felt the initial surge of warmth when the water rushed into any
easily filled cavities.  That was quickly over and I felt an insistent
pressure begin to build inside me.

I moaned and reached for my penis.  I smiled at my lover and let him
watch while I slowly stroked myself and maintained my passion just
below its peak.  Reality tangled and the warm water wasn't water.  It
was my lover's precum, and he was calmly preparing me for the
passionate embrace we would soon share.

I felt his fluid try and flow through my sphincter.  I clenched
firmly.  I was not willing to allow my lover's fluid to leave me, yet.

Pressure continued to build and then it lessened.  I felt this happen
several times and then there was no more pressure.  I looked at the
bag and smiled while I watched it slowly collapse.

Eventually the bag was empty.  I closed the clamp and waited.  I knew
that it would be awhile before my body recovered and decided to reject
what had so implacably entered.

I let the probe stay where it was.  It would be forced out with the
first surge as his fluid left.

I stroked myself and dreamed.  It was *his* hands touching me.  It was
*his* penis gently waiting.  He would expand soon enough, once he knew
I was empty--and able to take as much of him as possible.

The internal pressure built.  I could feel my lower colon fill as my
body began working normally again.  I let the pressure keep building.
My sphincter wanted to release.  I denied its demands.

But, at last, the pressure could not be denied.

I suddenly relaxed and the water surged from me, I felt the lumps
surge past my relaxed muscles and the sudden, fleeting pressures added
to my lust.

The flow suddenly stopped.

I waited patiently.

Several more times, I felt the slowly building pressure and allowed
the sudden release.

Somehow I knew when it was over.

I relaxed and smiled at my lover.  "I'm ready, love."

I could sense our passion.  We moved to the bathtub.  I gently lubed
him.  When he was positioned behind me I bent over and slowly pushed
against him, teasing him until I knew my passion would allow his easy
entry.

I closed my eyes and smiled.  I felt his hands wander my body.  They
settled and teased my crotch.  
They stroked my penis.  'Are you ready?'

I let my body answer.  My mind felt nothing but his tip.  My anus
dilated and allowed him a bit of access.

Then, while he waited patiently, I implacably impaled myself on his
slick implement.  I moaned while he stretched me.  There was a sudden
almost pain that quickly went away when I slid over the widest part of
him.

I kept pushing.

We merged.  I moaned.  I wanted more.  I pushed again.  True pain
stopped me.

I stopped pushing.

I relaxed and savored our lust.  I was stretched.  I was filled as
nobody except *he* could fill me.

I milked him greedily.  I moved slowly at first.  I felt his laughing
patience while I used him to fulfill myself.  His hands moved over me,
stroking me everywhere they could reach.

My passion didn't let me move slowly for very long.  Soon I was
passionately riding him.  My body knew just how far it could move on
him without letting us separate.  It jerked us apart and then slammed
us together.

I felt my anus slide along his length.  I felt his hands slide over my
body until they settled around my penis.  In spite of our passions he
quickly matched his stroking to my demanding movements.

I twisted as I impaled myself.  I forced his head to find untouched
places inside me.  I forced him to jam into me.  I forced him to
demand that my body respond to him, and him alone.

The tingling, present ever since the first time he gently touched
me...

Peaked when I jammed us together and buried him more deeply than ever
before.

I screamed when my sphincter spasmed in time to my pulsing.  His hands
milked me and forced my own fluid to jet from the tip of my penis.

He stroked me demandingly, just as my sphincter demanded that he stay
buried while I orgasmed.  He was *mine* now and I refused to let him
deny me my pleasure.

All too soon my orgasm was over.  I leaned forward slightly, enough to
ease the painful pressure I felt.

Still recovering, I reached back and felt where we were joined.

Long familiarity with the texture of him let me decide I'd taken a
little more than usual.  He was still firm but now there was a
satisfied feel to the way he held himself in me.

I relaxed and savored his now gentle penetration.

I lightly stroked the exposed part of his penis and dreamed of future
penetrations, of our future together.  I anticipated our shared
passions and slowly moved myself along his length, promising *him*
that he hadn't hurt me and that I always wanted him to take me as
forcefully as he had this time.

My legs quivered and I knew it was time to pull away.

Still lost in the afterglow I teasingly pulled away until I felt the
cool air bathe all of my ass.

Spent, languid with the release of tension, I turned and knelt in
front of him.  I reached and lightly stroked him while I admired his
now glistening length.

I bent closer and smelled my passion on him.

I looked at him and smiled before my lips touched his tip.

"Thank you, love."
~~~

Write a story about an image
---

In Thoughts of You
---

Is this the end?

Do I want to start over--finally?

I raise the glass of wine to my lips and contemplate what was and what
could be--if I tell him 'yes'.

'Do I love him?  Or am I trying to make sure that I have a future?'

* * *

"Corrine.  I won't try to tell you the risks you take every day, every
time you invite someone new up here."

Nathan leaned over to lightly brush my lips with his.  I shivered at
his reminder of how dangerous my work can be.

"Nathan.  You know what I am.  I never tried to be anything more, even
to you."

"I know, Corrine.  Maybe that's why I'm admitting that I love you.
You've never denied who and what you are.  Will you marry me?"

"Love?  Marry?"

"Yes."  He stood up and walked back to his easel.  "I'm an artist. I'd
be a terrible one if I couldn't see the person that hides behind the
poses.  I couldn't sell my work--of you--if I wasn't able to let
others see just how special you are."

"I need to think."

He nodded and kept painting while I used my time to consider what he
was offering.

Should I risk the comfortable life I now lived?  Oh, I know Nathan is
more successful than most of the artists I pose for.  His commissions
alone paid for this apartment.  He has to be much richer than the
simple street artist he pretends to be.  His speech, his perceptions,
his often barbed comments about collectors and fads have always told
me that he spends time living a life I thought was far beyond my most
ambitious dreams.

"Hold that smile!"

I froze while he captured it.

"Ah...  So you've decided to accept.  Take a look..."  He spun his
easel so I could turn and see his latest painting.

"I did?"  I was confused.  I'd only been trying to decide if I wanted
to ask for more time before I gave him an...  "That's me?!"

"Of course."  He walked over to the wall, took down the mirror and
held it next to the painting so I could see myself.  "Smile that smile
again."

I did.  "Oh."  We looked at each other with new understanding.  "How
rich are you?"

"Does it matter?  All of the real riches in my life are right here, in
front of me.  He pointed out the window.  My house, our home, is over
there, in those hills."  He sweetened the deal.  "You could also work
for artists who display more skill than those you usually deal with."

He smiled and held out a hand to help me out of the chair.  "So what
do you think of my wedding gift?"

"I accept."
~~~

A parable inspired by the talk about the death of ASSD.
---

Two Wolves and Two Sheep - A Parable
---

Two wolves had just killed a sheep and were eating it when another
sheep walked up.

"Why did you kill my brother?" He asked.

The wolves looked at the sheep with some surprise.  "We are hungry."
The first wolf replied.

"I don't understand."  The sheep replied.  "There is food all around
us." He lowered his head and calmly ate a tuft of grass.  "See?"

The first wolf laughed.  "We are not as you.  We eat meat, not grass."

The sheep puzzled at this simple statement while he watched the wolves
eat his brother, then shook his head.  "What is meat?"

The second wolf looked at the sheep thoughtfully, then shrugged.  "You
are meat."

The sheep finally made the connection.  "Are you going to eat me,
too?"

The first wolf laughed again.  "No, we are no longer hungry.  Go
home."

They watched the sheep until the sheep dog spotted them and, barking
furiously, ran towards them.  The wolves glanced at one another and
smiled before they loped off, easily out distancing the sheep dog,
whom they knew had his own responsibilities and could not chase them
very far anyway.

Later they sat and talked about the day's hunt.

The second wolf looked at the small valley with its meadow and spoke
thoughtfully.  "Must we always eat meat?  When we are sick, we eat
grass and other plants to make us well."

The first wolf thought about it and then shrugged.  "No wolf has ever
stopped eating meat.  It is the way things are meant to be."

The second wolf nodded.  "The sheep are well fed.  They spend every
night in comfortable quarters.  The sheep dog guards them and protects
them so they can have easier lives.  The humans groom them.  It might
be nice to be a sheep.  I think I will try it for a time."

So saying he went to the dead sheep and carefully wrapped its fleece
around his body.  He practiced how to walk until he could pass for a
sheep when he was moving.  He tried to talk like a sheep but he
couldn't do it. He settled for a sort of gasp the sheep sometimes used
and hoped it would be good enough.

He waited until the sheep were led to pasture and then snuck down and
joined them.

The first wolf, somewhat bemused by his companion's actions, finally
shrugged and moved off for a nap.

* * *

Several months later the first wolf was hunting the sheep and much to
his chagrin found himself getting ready to kill his former partner. "I
almost killed you!"  He howled his frustration and confusion.  "I
thought you were a nice fat sheep, ready to be made into my meal.  Can
you forgive me, my friend?"

"Of course I forgive you.  I am content now.  It took me some time but
I find the grass quite tasty and filling."  He bent his head and
nipped off some grass with his front teeth.  "Everyone accepts me as a
sheep.  I was right.  It is nice to be a sheep.  I don't have to waste
time trying to find food.   The sheep dog tells me what to do, which
is really no different than following the Alpha."

The first wolf, startled at the change in his friend, sat on his
haunches and stared at him.  "But what if there is no food for you?"

The second wolf smiled and waved his tail negligently.  "Oh, that's
not a problem.  The human provides us with food if there is none to
graze."

The first wolf sighed.  "Go back to the flock, my old friend.  If you
are content with what you have become, I will not dispute your
decision."

* * *

The first wolf met his friend one more time, in the depths of winter.
He was very hungry and knew that without food he could not survive
much longer.  His ears perked when he saw a sheep staggering through
the deep snow, bleating pathetically.  The stalk was easy and when he
got closer he realized it was his friend.  Instinct warred with hunger
until his friend bleated one last time and collapsed.

He ate well that day--and for many days after.
---

Moral: If a wolf chooses to live like a sheep, it is not another
wolf's responsibility to remind him of what he once was.
---

Released to the public domain,
August 28, 2005

Spam Game
---

MF rom nosex
---

From a Spam in alt.sex.tasteless:

Instant Hardcore SEX- No Credit Card Needed!!
---

Instant Hardcore SEX- No Credit Card Needed!!
---

Caitlin stretched her lithe body and laughed softly, cynically, as she
studied the discreet sign in the window.

 Instant Hardcore SEX-No Credit Card Needed!!

"Doesn't mean I don't take them."

She looked up as footsteps approached and then frowned after the
couple walked past her. She hid her surprise, managed to get rid of
the frown, then have her most alluring smile in place when the woman
looked back and let her eyes linger on Caitlin's trim form.

"Anytime,"  Caitlin mouthed silently.

The woman shook her head slightly in negation and smiled warmly before
she turned to say something to her companion.

She was surprised when the man's stride faltered and stopped. She
heard his throaty laughter and it sent chills down her spine. It also
made her quiver with eagerness as it went right to where...  Well, it
went right to a certain place that tended to be very moist when it was
touched in certain ways, but seldom so when she heard a man's voice.

He turned abruptly and looked her over.  Something in his gaze said 'I
understand you.  I understand you as no other man ever has, or will.'

Caitlin shivered with excitement, then shifted so her thighs opened
slightly.  She tilted her head slightly to one side and put a gentle
question in her eyes as soon as she knew he'd become aware of her
readiness.

He turned to his partner and Caitlin saw the edges of his lips quirk
into what was obviously an unspoken question.  The woman's posture
shifted and Caitlin *knew* the woman was involved in some private game
with the man, even as she considered Caitlin's 'worthiness'.

The man reacted in a way Caitlin never expected.  He *didn't* react. A
patient statue, he simply waited for the woman to make her decision. 
The woman raised an elegant eyebrow before she turned to study
Caitlin.  She looked...  Caitlin was surprised when she realized she
couldn't describe the woman's look.  Then, she did recognize it--and
her composure left her.  Never, in the years she'd plied her trade,
had a man's partner shown the understanding and *compassion* this
woman displayed for Caitlin.

Caitlin was shocked to realize that the woman had tears in her eyes
when she turned back to the man and nodded before whispering what
Caitlin thought to be the word:  'Yes'.

The moment stretched and became minutes before the man held out his
hand and spoke softly.

"We're sorry it took us so long to find you, Caitlin.  Are you ready
to come home?"
~~~

western MF rom
---

"Neighbors, back when I was jes' knee high to a prairie dog, I read a
buncha Mr. Zane Grey's westerns.  'Til I 'found' SF and the likes of
Mr. Heinlein and 'Doc' Smith and all, I was livin' and dreamin' of
cowboys and suchlike.  Still got a soft spot," Stasya taps his chest,
right over his heart, "right here, fer the likes of Roy, Gene, Zane,
Big John, Louis, Miss Mae, and all them other folks."

"It's kinda strange an' jes' doan' seem right thet fer a buncha folks
that has a lot of fine Americans in it, none of us be awritin' tales
thet tell about the fine heritage we have."

"So, I thot 'bout it and 'cided I'd try my hand at writin' a tale that
that does honor to all the folks that's aridin' thet range in the sky
and lookin' down on us to see if we been rememberin' things proper an'
all."

"This here be a tale that's a western with some o' them spicy bits
rather than one o' them there new type westerns thet doan' do more
than git ya all hot and bothered 'thout sayin' nothin' important like
- if y'all git my meanin'."
===

Return to Rio Mercate
---

Sal's ears perked as we crested the rise and saw Rio Mercate. "You've
worked hard ol' gal.  Won't be long 'afore we can both find ourselves
a stable to relax in."  I carefully bent forward and patted her neck.
"I 'preciate it.  Let's git these dogies put to bed and then we're
through for this year."

She snorted softly and her breath steamed in the cool evening air.  I
gently turned her back towards the herd - and our job. She didn't
complain.  For fifteen years we've been making the trip to Rio
Mercate.  She was as much an old hand as I was.  That small,
ramshackle town was our winter home but she knew we couldn't relax
until the job was over and I got paid.

Then, I'd take her to the small paddock I owned, curry her, put some
feed in her stall and she could start recovering from the long, hard
ride.

Me?  Well, Madame LaRue's was waitin' for me.  By now someone would
have spotted the dust cloud, so I knew that Madame LaRue and her girls
would be getting the bath water ready for those of us who spent the
winter at her house.  I wondered if Becky was still there.

Both of us had aged over the years.  At first she was just another
girl at Madame LaRue's.  After a couple of years, every time I hit
town and got to LaRue's, she'd been the first one to welcome me back.
We started sharing more than our bodies.  I'd told her about my dream
of becoming a rancher who supplied good horses to the trail riders.
She'd wistfully talked of having a family.  She wanted to have a man
in her life she could depend on to be there all year, not just when
the cattle drives were over.

I guess that was when we'd sorta silently agreed that if I wanted her
as more than a winter companion, I'd have to retire.  She never said
it out loud but I could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes
every spring.  "Come back to me, Billy.  Just come back to me."  Each
year, it got harder to leave those haunted eyes behind.

I winced as I shifted in the saddle.  The pain in my thigh reminded me
of how close I'd come to never seeing Becky again. Maybe it was time I
thought about more than myself.  Too much time on the trail to think
this year.  I used to look forward to the next drive.  This year I'd
been looking forward to the end of the drive.  To Becky.

It was time I told her that.  "Sal old gal...  Maybe we should settle
down and raise families together.  Retire.  Would you like that?"

Instead of answering she lurched as she moved to stop a steer from
breaking away and starting a stampede.

"Yeah.  I need to pay attention."  The weary steer didn't have much
enthusiasm left after the long drive so we easily coaxed him back into
the herd.

It had been a good trip.  No sickness, plenty of forage along the
trail.  Small outposts had been built at most of the waterholes so
water had been readily available.  Not like the early years when we
never knew if the next well would be dry or not.  This time we'd been
warned well before we got near a dry hole and had been able to shift
our route to take advantage of the places that still had water.  As a
result, the outriders and scouts hadn't had to do as much as usual to
earn their pay.

Civilized.  Routine.  That's what it had been.

It was time for me to move on.  That, and the fact my bones were
beginning to creak from the slight chill in the air, convinced me it
was time to retire from trail riding.

I patted Sal's neck after we returned to our usual position alongside
the herd.  "A warm bed for me and someone to help keep it warm.  A
warm, dry stable and all the hay and feed you can eat. No more
wandering."

"I'm gonna do it.  With Becky - if she'll take me.  With someone else
if she doesn't.  Or, alone."

"It's the end of the trail and past time I admitted it."

* * *

After he paid me, the trailmaster squinted into the morning sun and
made his usual farewell.  "Lookin' ferwerd to seein' ya next year.
Here's your part of the bonus we earned fer bein' early -fer a
change."

I chuckled.  "It was mostly a good ride.  'Bout time we had one." I
hesitated and then rushed on.  "I'll be waitin' for you here. Gittin'
off the trail.  That saddle's makin' me old."

He studied me.  "You're not yet thirty.  That ain't old."  He clapped
me on the back and I staggered.  "Always said you had more sense than
most, boy.  Glad you proved it.  She's worth it."

He laughed deeply.  "Now go rest them 'old' bones of yours.  Next
year, if things are good, I'll drop by and we can swap lies about the
good ol' days while I'm eatin' your Becky's cookin'.  Give me a couple
o' days and I'll put that new stallion of yours in with Sal."  I
watched as his face grew sad.  "Ain't no doubt I'm gonna miss Sire."

He brightened.  "If Sal throws a good foal, send me word.  I can
afford to pay more than anything you could get from the locals." His
grin was sly.  "Be good advertisin' for that ranch of yours too, boy."

I chuckled again as I nodded.  "Happy trails, Ben.  I'll be looking
forward to seeing you.  And I'll be sure to send word if Sal drops one
good enough for you."

With that, I picked up Sal's reins and headed for town.

* * *

"Billy!  You made it!"

I smiled as I turned to greet the teenager who was running to catch up
with me and Sal.  "Ragmop!".  The boy's real name was something only
he knew.  His raggedly cut hair made his head look like a well used
mop and the name had stuck.

"Hey, Billy.  I went the whole year without gittin' put in jail fer
the night.  Miss Becky said you'd have a surprise for me."  He was
shaking with excitement.  For some reason, known only to him, he
'dopted me after I caught him trying to get Sal to let him ride her.

I stopped and looked at him.  "You tellin' me the truth?"

He nodded solemnly.  "Jes' as sure as my name is 'Billy', jes' like
yours.  Madame LaRue and Miss Becky, they'll tell ya I ain't lyin'.
They know everything.  You know that."  He grinned impudently.

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.  "Well, Billy.
You git up on ol' Sal and I'll let you take her to her paddock and
then you can make sure that she's taken care of. She's tired.  Let her
set her own pace."

His eyes grew wide.  "By myself?"

"By yourself."

He turned and looked at Sal.  She was patiently waiting for us to get
on with things.  "By myself."  It was a whisper filled with awe.  Sal
was pretty spirited and he knew it.  She'd been gentle when she tossed
him that first time and only his pride had been damaged.  Ever since,
one of the conditions of his helping me was that he couldn't ride Sal
when I wasn't around.

He pulled himself into her saddle with the easy grace of a born rider.
That smooth mount had me beaming with pride 'cause I'd been the one to
teach it to him.  When I handed him the reins, Sal turned to look at
me.  "Be nice."  I patted her neck gently. "It's only Ragmop and he'll
make sure you're taken care of."

I looked back at Billy.  He was sittin' tall and his face glowed.
"Take your time and be gentle.  She's earned it."  He nodded. "When
you're done, come on over to Madame LaRue's.  You can share dinner
with me and Becky.  All you can eat."

I looked closer and realized something else.  "Got anyone special
yet?"

He blushed. "Yeah. Miss Carla."

I chuckled at his embarrassment.  "Got it bad?"

He ducked his head and didn't answer.

"Carla's pretty fiery, boy.  You think she might be interested in
you?"

He glanced at me.  "I dunno.  Maybe.  Coupla times after... Well, I
figger she has to say that to all of us."  He blushed but smiled as he
looked  at me.  "Shore wish she meant it."  He sagged as he started to
turn away.  Not even being allowed to ride Sally by himself kept the
fire in his eyes.

I shook my head.  "Billy, Madame LaRue doesn't put up with that
nonsense.  Her girls don't say they are interested unless they mean
it.  Anything else and they don't stay at her house."

His head jerked up and his eyes lit up again.  "They don't?  Miss
Carla never told me that."

I chuckled until he squirmed in the saddle.  "Bet you never asked her.
Some things, boy, a man's gotta ask straight out.  I'll make sure Miss
Carla is waitin' for you.  My treat.  Now, go get Sal taken care of
before she gets rid of you and heads home on her own."

I smiled as he lifted her reins and gently urged her forward.  I
watched them out of sight and then turned my steps to LaRue's, and
Becky.

As usual, Madame LaRue was greeting everyone herself.  The place was
busy and I knew that during the next few days she'd easily make enough
to stay in business for another year.

"Billy!"  She hugged me and then pushed me away so she could look me
over.  "You're early.  Something wrong with Sal?"

"Nope.  I let Mop take her home on his own.  He said Sheriff Johnson
never put him in jail this year."

She laughed and hugged me again.  "The scamp.  Well, he's right." She
looked at me.  "Bet he didn't tell you he was deputized this last
spring.  Jake told me later that he figgered as long as Mop was so
good at bein' the town scamp and stayin' out of trouble, he might as
well make the Mop a deputy and let him teach others how to stay out of
jail.  Besides, he got tired of having to pay for the meals that boy
can eat."

I grinned.  "Nope, Mop didn't tell me that.  Can't say as I'd have
believed him, either.  How's he done in his new job?"

She shook her and laughed.  "Better'n any of us figured.  The younguns
adore him.  He raided the schoolhouse one day and locked 'em up until
their parents could come get 'em out.  He even charged 'em with
crimes.  'Truancy.'  'Lying'.  'Breaking promises'.  That boy had
something on every last one of 'em. Scared the bejeezus out of Kelly
'cause he never told her what he was going to do.  When they were let
out, he lectured 'em good and told 'em be glad they had somebody to
come get 'em and it'd better be the last time he ever saw 'em on the
wrong side of the bars. Terrified 'em he did.  Jake was all set to do
some terrifyin' of his own but the kids got together and talked him
out of it."  She grinned as she remembered what had happened.  "At the
next town meeting, he explained why he did it.  'I wanted them to know
what it's like.  Maybe they'll do better than I did as a kid.' "

"'Bout once a week Mop drops in on Kelly and asks if she's havin' any
problems.  Ain't been near as much truancy after the first couple
times she told him who was missin'.  That boy knows all the hidin'
places and the kids know it.  Kelly ain't never been as busy teachin'
as she has been this year.  Loves every minute of it, too."

She faced me.  "That boy's a scamp but he's a smart one.  Took a lot
of courage for him to do what he done."

I nodded.  "I'll let him surprise me.  Is Becky busy?"

She got serious.  "She got rid of her last one and has been waiting
ever since the word went out that the riders would be coming in
today."  She hesitated and then plunged on.  "When you gonna make her
an honest woman and take her away from me, Billy?"

I looked down and whispered.  "Today, if she'll let me.  When we rode
over the ridge I decided I needed to settle down. I figured I'd find
me a place to 'stead that's somewhere close by."

"I'm glad."

I looked up and smiled through my embarrassment.  "How would you like
a live-in handyman and maid until I find a proper 'stead and get my
ranch house built?  Leastways that way you get to keep Becky a bit
longer."  I winked.  "Might be good for business if folks find out
LaRue's has room for married folks."

I'd managed to surprise her.  "I'd...  Hell, Billy, I ain't never
thought of that before!  Sure!  You've got a deal!"  She spat in her
hand and held it out.

I spat in mine and clasped hers.  "Deal."

She turned on her brightest smile.  "Call me Fran, since I'm going to
be your boss.  I'll let Becky thank you."

I nodded.  "Ok, Fran.  Oh, before I forget, I promised Mop he could
spend the evening and night with Carla after he had dinner with us. If
you could make sure that Carla can join me and Becky for dinner..." I
trailed off and grinned.

Fran grinned back.  "So he told you that, did he?  I kept telling that
girl that he had it for her.  I'll make sure she's free by then."

I could hear her muttering to herself as she left me to go greet the
next patron.  "Now who is that preacher with today?  I *do* wish he'd
settle down and stick to one girl."

I looked around and couldn't see Becky.  LaRue's has never been known
for decorum and I have never been known for my 'genteel manners'.

I shouted.  "Becky!  How about you and me gettin' hitched today?"

There was a stunned silence.

"Billy??"  The shouted response came from the kitchen.  "Yes!"

That was followed by the sound of a dish breaking and then Becky was
running and dodging through everyone to get to me.

Everyone was laughing as she slammed into me and started nibbling and
murmuring her pleasure.  If Carla was fiery, Becky was a prairie
hurricane.

There was an amused snort next to me that was followed by "damnit,
Billy, you got no sense of decency, do you?  A whorehouse is for
whorin', not hitchin'."  Reverend Tom's eyes were twinkling as he
stage-whispered his next comment.  "Besides, I was busy."

He straightened up and looked around the room.  "You folks heard the
proposal and saw the  response."  He placed his hand on his holstered
pistol.  "Anyone fool enough to object?"

He grinned when nobody answered him.  "Good enough."

"We all have better things to do than sit around listening to me make
a fool of myself. By the powers invested in me and all that other
stuff I'm a-gonna ignore, Billy and Becky, you two folks kiss each
other like you mean it and I'll officially declare you man and wife.
Drop by the courthouse when you have some free time and we'll take
care of the official stuff."

Becky and I pressed our bodies together and her lips met mine with the
same natural movement that my hands had when they reached for my
pistols.

Everyone cheered.

Reverend Tom smiled and touched us lightly.  "I'll take that kiss as a
mutual vow of commitment."  He grinned.  "I now pronounce you man and
wife."

All three of us had tears in our eyes.  Becky and I managed to whisper
our thanks.

Then, just to liven things up, I whispered to Becky.  "Hold still."

I raised my voice so everyone could hear it.  "Folks, I'm just a
country boy but I think my shouted question wasn't a good way to
propose to a fine country girl.  So, I'm going to make up for bein' so
crude and propose to this fine lady in proper country style."

Becky's voice was filled with suspicion as she whispered in my ear.
"Billy, you love-sick fool, what are you up to now?"

I knelt in front of Becky and looked up at her with a gleam in my
eyes.

Before she could react, I lifted her dress and kissed her lower lips.
I leaned back, lowered her dress - and proposed.  "Miss Becky, my very
tasty and very loved sweetheart, will you marry me?"

She grinned back.  "Cowboy, as good as you are in the saddle..." She
swayed seductively.  "Of course I'll marry you."

I smiled as I stood up and pulled her into a tender embrace. "Thanks.
Now, let's git to your room so you can help me bathe."

She giggled and poked at my crotch.  "And relax that tired bone of
yours."

* * *

When she opened the door and pushed me into her room, I gasped in
surprise.  "Where in tarnation did *that* come from?  I ain't seen
nothin' but pictures of 'em 'fore this."

Placed smack dab in the center of the room was one of them iron
washtubs with the fancy feet and all.  She even had a post within easy
reach so you could get your iron unslung if ya needed it in a hurry.

"I've been saving up.  A girl deserves a little luxury in her life.
'Sides, with that in here, I could charge more.  Didn't take me long
to pay for it.  Not after everyone found out it was good for more than
bathing in.  Several of the girls have them now."

She was blushing when she went on in a rush.  "It's a *lot* more fun
than that ol' round washtub we used to use.  Buncha them riders is
going to be in fer big surprises tonight."  She stepped forward and
started helping me remove my gear.  Becky was the only person I let
take my gunbelt off.  Before she hung the belt, she pulled the pistols
out and looked them over.  "Billy, you still ain't learned to take
proper care of these.  What was it this time?"

I was pulling my chaps off so I couldn't do much more than mumble an
answer.  "'Bout a week ago we got hit by an organized band of
rustlers.  Fought 'em off but we lost a couple o' our boys doin' it."
I heard her gasp when she realized I had a bloody bandage wrapped
around my left thigh.

"Billy?  You ok?"

"Looks worse than it is.  Took a bullet meant for Sal.  Felt mighty
good when the varmint took mine.  Shot to kill and it did. He had a
good stallion under him so I claimed it as my bounty.  We get the
ranch set up, Sal's gonna throw some fine cuttin' horses. Ben's got
the stud fer now and when things settle down he'll leave him in the
paddock with Sal."

"Billy?  Ain't like you to trust another man with one of your horses.
You ain't tellin' me something."  Becky had come over and was easing
the crusted bandage away from my pants.  I winced when the cloth tore
away part of the scab and I started bleeding again. "At least it went
through," she noted.

"Yeah.  Bullet's still in the saddle somewhere.  Never touched Sal or
I'da done a lot more than shoot to kill."

"So what are you doing lettin' Ben use a horse of yours?  Never done
that before."

"Leave it alone, Becky.  Sire was shot out from under him.  He had to
finish the job himself.  Wasn't any hope."

She moaned and fell against my legs.  "Oh no.  Not Sire..."

I reached down and tilted her head so she would see my eyes. "Ben
didn't hesitate.  Once he was certain, he made it quick. Sire didn't
suffer any more than he had to."

She reached up and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
"The rustler."  She sounded vicious.

"We dug a proper grave for Sire.  The varmint is hangin' over it as a
warning.  Ben made sure he suffered.  None of us tried to stop him. He
was lookin' wild and had both guns out.  None of us was crazy 'nuff to
get in his way.  Couple of the boys offered to help but Ben waved 'em
off.  Told us to take care of the herd while he did what had to be
done."

"Good!"

I sighed.  "I don't know, Becky.  We relaxed 'cause we thought all the
gangs had been cleared out.  Never seen this bunch before. Let's get
me stripped so you can help me wash off the blood."  We started
working at my clothes again.

I whispered to myself: "Too much blood.  Never git rid of it. 'Nother
reason for me to retire. Coulda been me this time -instead of him."

Becky paused as she was lowering my pants.  "You say something,
Billy?"

"Nothin' important."

She returned to gently working my pants over my wound.  "You name him
yet?"

That brought a grin to my face.  "Nope.  I figgered since he was gonna
be yours, I'd let you name him.  He's a good hunk of horse flesh.
After I took his rider out of his saddle, he kept right on trying to
cut some critters out of the herd.   Tell the truth, I don't think he
noticed he was missin' anything.  Fine cuttin' horse.  Good match fer
ol' Sal.  I been wonderin' how I'd be able to afford a proper stud for
the ranch.  Now I ain't got that problem."

"Branded? You gonna have any problems about him?"

"Don't matter. You know that.  Whoever he belonged to, he was taken
fair and square during a rustlin'.  I didn't recognize the brand.
Looked like it might a been a set of horns with a lightning bolt
through 'em."

She started laughing.  "That stud of yours.  Is he blacker than night
and does he walk like he can see over the clouds?"

I chuckled.  "Yeah, that's him.  You know him?"

"Sure do.  'Hooves of Thunder' is what folks here 'bouts call him.
Best cuttin' horse in this part of the territory.  People been
wonderin' 'bout the folks at Thunder Ranch.  Lot o' rumors about how
their herd got started.  Looks like the rumors were true."

She bent back to helping me undress.  Eventually I was naked. She
poured some hot water in the tub to warm it and then I settled
comfortably.

"Close your eyes while I do your head."  I felt warm water and then
her gentle hands worked the soap to a lather.  "Lean forward."  I did
and she poured the rinse water over me.

"You sure know how to please a man, Becky.  How come you're still here
and not some high falutin' rancher's wife?  You got no business
gettin' hitched with a dirty ol' poke like me."

"I ain't met no fancydan that's as hard and practical as you, Billy.
'Sides, I been waitin' years fer you to come to yer senses.  'Bout
time, too."  She started working the kinks out of my back.

While she was doing that, I could feel another part of me unkinking.
When her hands slowed and started drifting around to my chest I
straightened and reached to pull her into the tub with me.

"Billy!"  She squealed.

I noticed she didn't argue when I pulled her against me.  "You said
this here tub was good for more than bathin'.  Time you showed me just
how good."

"Billy, I do declare.  Let me get out of my special dress and I'll do
that.  Thanks to your ways it's gonna take me hours to get it right
again."  She was laughing.

I helped her pull her dress over her head and then I tossed it to one
side.  "Don't worry about it.  We earned a bonus for bein' early this
year.  I'll buy you a new one as a wedding gift."

"Fool.  You aren't going to be able to homestead that ranchland, you
keep on like that."  She was laughing as she got more water and took
the time to fill the tub so I could soak.  When she was done she
carefully got in the tub and straddled me.  Once she had herself
positioned, she carefully settled on my manhood.  Some of the water
sloshed out of the tub but it quickly vanished though the cracks in
the floor.

She shifted seductively and then leaned against my chest and sighed.
"Missed you, Billy."

"Yeah.  I missed you too.  Now wiggle and start scrubbin' my itch
'fore it goes away and I fall asleep."

She giggled and started movin' on me.  "Billy Caitland, you ain't
never gone to sleep before I let you and I sure ain't gonna let you go
to sleep on our weddin' day."
---

Afterword:

TBD picks himself off the muddy ground and glances over at the ghosts
aleanin' on the corral 'afore he staggers over and picks up his now
trampled Stetson.  One of the ghosts spits out some of his chaw before
speakin'.  "Well, pilgrim, fer a tenderfoot, y'all didn't do *too*
bad.  I s'pose.  Now get back on that bronc and show him who's boss."

TBD ducks his head as he tips his hat.  "Thank you, sir.  I shorely
will get back on, sir.  Y'all can count on it."

Bruised and staggering, TBD makes his way to the bronc, grabs the horn
and wearily climbs back aboard for another round in the saddle.
~~~

Esu's 'Milk Train' song challenge
---

Omozukai 
------

There's been a lot of talk about the Trans-Con Railroad and what it
means to the USA.

Don't get me wrong, we needed it in spite of the heavy price we paid
for it, in lives and changes to ways of life along the route.

Speaking for myself, I know I'll never see the USA the same way again,
especially after the summer I helped entertain the coolies and
criminals who were building that spur in Arizona.

* * *

The white folks and blacks called me a Jap, and a low budget
marionette handler who couldn't afford proper stage backgrounds.

The Indians were of two main opinions, mostly, depending on whether
they were 'free' or 'reservation' born and raised.  That didn't stop
them from watching our performances.  After all, we were the only new
entertainment to be found.

The ranchers saw me as something they could count on to keep their
'workers' from rioting and interfering with the proper running of the
'Milk Trains' that took their cows to market instead of the rapidly
disappearing cattle drives.

It was only the coolies, who knew better, that called me by my proper
title: 'Omozukai'.

A few of them insisted on using the honorific 'Master', but I never
felt comfortable hearing it, even less so, applying it to myself.

No.  I was definitely an amateur, just as the rest of the people in
our traveling bunraku show were.  Our puppets were crude compared to
the ones I remembered seeing as a very young boy, in Osaka.  In the
Midwestern heat we'd quickly abandoned the traditional black clothing
and head coverings in favor of lighter colored clothes.  Because of
that, we'd also switched to using light colored canvas for our
background.

Truthfully, what we wore, didn't wear, or used for our
backgrounds--didn't matter.  The people watched our show as much to
relieve the boredom as they did because they were genuinely interested
in the shows we put on in the evenings.

For all of us, it was something to do in a land where there was little
to do.

And, in my case, it was better than starving in a San Francisco alley.
I guess the same was true for the rest of the troupe.  After all, it
wasn't but a few years ago that we'd been street corner performers,
eking out a living from the handouts we earned.

* * *

It seemed like it was days ago, instead of years, that the powerfully
built man had staggered out of the bar to piss on the wall before
moving on to take care of his other business.  He and the harlot who
was with him had held on to each other and been barely able to place
one foot in front of the other as they wove their drunken way towards
us.

"Oh, look!  You need to watch this!"  She held on and stopped to
giggle at our play.  It was one of the lewder ones that we routinely
performed in this neighborhood.  He grumbled a bit, but indulged her
whim.

We made my puppet grin at them, then had it bow with a flourish.
"Jasmine.  You're looking ravished, this evening."

She giggled at the puppet.  "And you are your usual lecherous self,
aren't you, Shiro?"

I moved 'Shiro's' right hand and rubbed the puppet's crotch
suggestively.  "Always, when I'm in your sweet presence, radiant one."

The man guffawed.  "We are in agreement on that much, wooden one.  But
I bet she'd rather feel my wood's caress, than yours."

"Aye, tis true I'm afraid."  We moved the puppet's hips suggestively.
"Were I to feel the flames of desire, it would be the end of me."

We made Shiro bow again.  "The play's the thing, and we must gather
coin enough to eat."

We returned to our play and finished the performance.  Jasmine and her
evening's conquest stayed until we finished, then he dug in his pocket
and tossed us a gold piece.  "I've not seen the like since Osaka.  You
do well--for amateurs."

All of us gaped at him.  'This man had been to Osaka?'

I realized I was staring at him and quickly lowered my head, breaking
my eyes away from his.  "You honor us far beyond our worth, sir.  We
are boys, crudely recapturing memories."

He gestured at the filth around us.  "Silkworms living in squalor.
Would you be interested in a long term contract?  One performance a
day in return for food and lodging.  It will involve travel, lots of
it.  I've need of performers to entertain the railroad workers and I
think the coolies will appreciate a bit of culture, even when it isn't
their own."

I think we all stared at him at first, stunned by his offer.  I
glanced at Jasmine and she nodded slightly.  The offer was genuine and
would be honored in the spirit, as well as the letter.

My mercenary side took over.  "What about the tips?  How much do you
want in return for your generosity?"

"Any tips you get, are yours."

I laughed at him, then boldly challenged him.  "And you will ask us
for 'special performances', for which you will charge outrageously
large amounts--and keep all of the money from *those* for yourself?"

He laughed.  "I like your attitude, young man.  Very well.  I will
charge prices that will have people screaming in outrage, but after
they have seen your troupe, they will accuse me of being a fool for
not charging what you are worth.  Of that money, we will spilt it,
half for me and half for the troupe...  And you still get to keep any
tips."

He spat on his hand and held it out.  "On my honor.  If I fail in
this, may my soul never see Mt. Fuji again."

I looked at everyone, gathering the silent vote.  Nobody demurred.
Satisfied we were agreed I spat on my hand and shook his firmly.  "We
are yours to a man.  When do we start, and where?"

"Here, in the morn..."  Jasmine leaned against him and giggled,
stopping him mid word.  "Make that noon.  How many carts will you
need?"

I mentally inventoried things.  "Five, for everything, including our
possessions and the concubines of those who have them."

He smiled.  "Done!"

When he started to turn away I remembered my manners.  "Sir!  Your
name?"

He looked back at me and smiled.  "Janus.  Yours?"

I bowed deeply.  "Shiro, sir."

"Ah."  He laughed deeply.  "Which of you is the real puppet?"

He and Jasmine linked arms and staggered off as best they could before
I whispered my answer.  "I am--and Jasmine is my Omozukai."

* * *

I returned to the present when the chanter kissed the scroll we used
as a prop for the dedication.  The audience was our usual one, a skin
toned rainbow that spoke of many cultures and races.  Mixed in were
the usual girly-girls and prostitutes, along with a few of the wives
and families of the local ranchers.  I took a last sip of the lemonade
in my beer stein and briefly wondered at the odd taste.  Someone had
spiked it again.  Whiskey, this time, if my taste buds had recovered
from last night's celebration and weren't still remembering what I'd
been given then.

It had been a wild night as the coolies celebrated the completion of
this section of the spur.  Some of then had hoarded odd bits of the
fireworks used. I heard someone scream in pain when he got too close
to the fire and accidentally lit the fuse of whatever it was he'd put
under his belt.  A few others beat the fire out, then
unsympathetically turned back to the performance.

We'd leaked some rumors that this evening's play would be a new work
and they didn't want to miss any of it.

As the chanter sing-songed the words, slowly building to the finale
while we made the puppets posture, I smiled as I thought about all the
time and effort that had gone into writing and practicing this play. 

Of course, as the puppeteers, we knew the outcome, but the audience
didn't, and that was the important thing.

I'd named it 'Love on the Milk Train' and made it an amusing
collection of missed cues and sharp wit that poked fun at romance and
the greed of the cattle barons.

By the time we neared the climax, the audience, including the
ranchers, was on our side and laughing at the silly antics of the
puppets.

During a pause while the few props we had were rearranged, I turned
and smiled at the most recent apprentice Omozukai we'd added.

Jasmine smiled back.  She was ready for the final act.

I grinned, then pursed my lips in a silent kiss.  She rolled her eyes
at me and giggled silently.

My eyes laughed at her before I nodded slightly and whispered...

"The play's the thing!"
~~~

Halloween 2010
---

The Costume
---

The three of us were sitting in the food court and watching the
ghosts, goblins, skeletons and other creatures parade past us on their
annual venture into the real world.

Finally, I sighed, and turned to the older of my two companions.

"I'm sorry. There's no right way to say this, that will soften the
blow."

"My online profile said I wanted honesty in the man I would accept
into our lives. I know the consequences of that honesty."

"That, you do. It's just one of the things that makes us good for each
other, yet so wrong."

She nodded, then reached to touch my hand and lift it to her cheek.

"Mom! In public?!"

'Mom' and I both laughed gently, and I did the little gesture that
told her I knew the young woman beside her was her daughter, and her
responsibility, not mine.

"Yes, Dear, in public. Young people aren't the only ones who can be in
love enough they want the world to know."

She let go of my hand and sighed. "Unfortunately, when you're older,
and honest, you know when to accept that the love you feel isn't
shared by the other person, especially when he's a man who wears his
life on his face."

I stroked her face, then pulled my hand away. "If the two of you will
settle for like, I'll be your friend."

She sighed and looked down. "Let me think it over, before I make that
decision. There are others, but... I'll be comparing them to you,
now."

"Thank you for that much."

"You're welcome. Do we get to know?"

I temporized. "Are you sure you want that much honesty from a man who
can't love you the way you wish? Wouldn't it be better to keep
guessing, and thinking 'perhaps, someday'?"

"You tempt me, Satan, but no. Leave me with the memory that even if we
never meet again, I had a brief interlude with that rarest of all
things, an honest man."

"I see."

I stood and gathered the remains of our meal, put it all in the
nearest trash can, then came back and held out my hand. "Come with me?
This is not the right place for sharing this particular truth."

"Oh? Where, then?"

"The nearest clothing store will do."

"An odd choice."

"An appropriate one."

They flanked me, and we strolled and made idle conversation about the
people, stores and decorations.

After passing several stores that were suitable, she gestured with her
free hand. "Will that one do?"

"It will be fine."

We went in and I led them to one of the full length mirrors.

"Stand beside each other, and see how beautiful the two of you are,
and see how much you resemble your daughter."

"I resemble my daughter? An unusual way to express it."

"You are an unusual woman."

"Thank you. And now, the truth between us?"

"Of course. Earlier, you said that what attracted you to me, was the
way my profile picture proved that I was willing to wear my life in
full view."

"Yes."

She turned and stroked one of my cheeks, then used a finger to trace
around one of my eyes. "The scars, the laugh lines. Even the way your
eyes are sunken slightly, yet your brows are not furrowed, except when
you are thinking deeply. You're a very mature and experienced man, and
it shows."

"Thank you."

I turned her back to face the mirror, then stood behind them and put a
hand on each of their waists to move them together so the three of us
could see each other.

"I said you resemble your daughter, and therein lies the problem. Your
face is unlined, your eyes surrounded by the smooth flesh of youth,
instead of the looser flesh that a woman earns by living her life."

I lifted one hand to gesture at a group of costumed kids who were
giggling while they stared at the sexy clothing on display, while they
dreamed their dreams of someday being old enough to wear it.

"I'm sorry. I could never love a woman who sees her flesh as a
costume, and removes the evidence of the person she is. Yes, you are
honest, more honest than most women I've met."

I sighed and touched her neck lightly, before I met the eyes of her
reflection. "But you've chosen to hide that honesty behind the lie of
a face that reveals none of who you really are. You've chosen the
illusion of youth, over the pride of a woman who earned every scar,
every laugh line, that life gave her."

She shivered. "Oh."

Her head turned and she met her daughter's eyes. "Let that be a lesson
to you. Your perfect man will be someone you lose before you meet, if
you allow vanity to make your decisions for you, as I did."

She turned the rest of the way and lightly kissed me on the lips "I'm
sorry. You offered friendship. Give me some time, and I will accept
it."

"Mom? After the way he just hurt you?!"

"Another lesson for you, my daughter. Never let the good ones *ever*
escape completely. Sometimes you'll need a male friend, and not a
lover, or a husband, because you will come to value the kind of
honesty he gives you."

"That's... Scary."

I felt her relax before she laughed throatily. "Well, it *is*
Halloween!"

She took my hand and tugged me towards the door. "It's time for
dessert, before we go our separate ways. I'll pay, since you paid for
our dinners." 
~~~

What follows is an experiment in self-challenge.

On March 28, 2011, I decided I wanted to take a break from working on
things in my hopper, and searched for a way to 'do something
different'.  

I own an electronic dictionary, and one of the built in features is
that it displays a random word, every time it is turned on.

I decided to take advantage of that, and let it tell me a word I would
work into a scene or story.

So...  The final form of the self-challenge is simple.  Ten random
words, ten connected scenes.

With three exceptions (scenes two, five, and six), I wrote each scene
before getting the next random word.  For those scenes, I needed to
look up a word in the previous scene, to make sure I was using it
correctly, so I used the random word generated during that lookup, for
the next scene.

This one took three sessions to finish:

March 28, 2001 (scenes 1-4)
April 11, 2001 (scenes 5-7 )
April 12, 2011 (scenes 8-10 )
----

Vocabulary Builder
---

Scene One:
Double-hung
[1823 of a window: having an upper and lower sash that can slide
vertically past each other]
---

My wife and our friends usually call me 'Double-hung', because I am a
carpenter who installs replacement windows, and most people in our
area replace the modern side-sliding windows with double-hung ones to
create better air exchange, and reduce the energy usage, because they
don't need fans to circulate the air.

But, yes, she does enjoy making my balls slide over each other when
she fondles me, and since one ball hangs lower than the other, the
nick name was, unfortunately, obvious--and admittedly juvenile.

In fact...  To put it as delicately as possible, a man who replaces
windows gets to see many things, accidentally, and sometimes
deliberately.

That was how I met my wife, Christine.

* * *

Scene Two
Thesaurus
[circa 1823 b: a list of subject headings or descriptors usu. with a
cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of
documents for reference and retrieval]
---

I knocked on the door and waited.

Eventually a young woman wearing a halter top and bikini briefs,
answered it.

"Man!  Am I glad to see you!"

My eyebrows went up.  "Excuse me?"

She laughed.  "Oh, this?"  She gestured at herself.  "Don't mind me.
Professor Thurgood sent me home with a huge stack of graded papers,
and told me to create a thesaurus, as soon as possible, for his web
site.  I changed into this because it's sweltering, and the damn power
company has me rationed to what I think is an absurdly low limit,
before they...  Do their best to clean out my bank account with one
bill."

She stepped back and sideways.  "Come on in, Nathan, and I'll show you
which windows I need replaced.  If you think I should have others
replaced, too, for better air flow, speak up."

She finally noticed I hadn't moved, and studied me.  "A problem?"

"Well, yes.  I have a computer for the business, and only use it to
check email and read a few comics online, and..."  I shrugged.

"I get it.  You're a guy, and single, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Christine.  Chris, or Chrissy, to my friends.  You were saying?"

"Well, Christine, it seems to me that everyone probably wrote those on
a computer.  Couldn't they just give you electronic copies and you
could go from there?"

"Oh!  You're thinking of a traditional thesaurus.  I keep forgetting
not everyone is an English major who reads dictionaries instead of
popular novels, when they are bored.  There's another meaning, and
that's what I was talking about.  I have to read each one of those
papers, then create a cross-indexed list of one or two sentences each,
that uses a standard set of key words, so people can find the papers
they want.  If you're thinking a simple search would work, you'd be
wrong.  Way wrong."

I looked at her, then sighed.  "*That*, I do understand.  It's a
presearch, with some sort of detailed indexing, so people don't get a
lot of false hits, right?"

"Pretty good way to express it.  Yes."

I looked around, then back at her.  "Those windows?"

"Sure.  First two, are the ones in my bedroom, because I'd like to be
able to sleep better, when I find time to slow down and nap during the
day..  After that, I'll show you the rest of the house, and you can
make suggestions about what you think I could do to improve my home
life.  Don't limit yourself to the windows, ok?"

My eyebrows went up again, she noticed, then giggled.  "Ok. Yes, I
love to play with words, while still getting the main meaning across."

"So you...  Let me see if I can say this right.  You do the man-woman
stuff, but tend to do it in a way that scares most men off?  Pretty
obvious you're single.  I've seen a lot of people, and the way they
live.  All part of the job, so I've learned to ignore it.  Were you,
in your way, telling me I shouldn't ignore what I see?"

She looked me over, then spoke a little more seriously than she had
been.  "You're convenient, aren't you?  Lots of women get lonely, and
I bet...  I never thought about that.  Must have seen a lot by now,
and...  No matter what experience you had when you started doing this
job, you would have needed to learn fast, if you wanted to be able to
focus on the job, and still be able to deal with all the other stuff
in a way that didn't cost you business."

She stepped away slightly, then sighed.  "Sorry.  I think I took it a
little too far, because I didn't think, and allow for some things.
But...  Sure.  If you want to be a little more personal, and can still
get the work done, I won't get upset if you don't ignore what you
see."

* * *

Scene Three
Antinomian
[1565 2: one who rejects a socially established morality]
---

I managed to get the bedroom windows installed and sealed before dark.
With Christine's permission, I'd done another walk through and taken
notes on each room, before I settled on her patio, to think about what
suggestions I could make, to reduce her energy bills.

She came out and offered me something to drink, I'd opted for water,
and after she brought it to me, settled on her lounge and...  The only
word that fit, was 'studied' me, while she sipped whatever it was she
was drinking.

Eventually I made my last note, and looked up.  "Well...  First thing
I can suggest is, if you want to save money, you could make
arrangements for one of the trade schools near where you work, to use
your place as a live classroom."

She paused in lifting her glass.  "You are...  Forgive me this
observation, a person with unusual interests, if you know where I
work."

I shrugged.  "Not really.  I went to one of those trade schools, and
let's admit it, 'Antinomian Thurgood', and his 'lexicographical
orgies', do get a lot of media attention."

That casual observation made her set her glass aside, then she shifted
to face me more fully, before she looked me over more intently than
she had while she was waiting for me to finish my notes.  "You even
pronounced all the words correctly."

The memories she evoked made me laugh.  "I should *hope* so!  Unless
the rules have changed, if you claimed to be a 'Vocabulary Builder',
you had to be able to say them, and use them correctly.  If you
didn't..."

She nodded and smiled back before she picked up her glass and offered
it to me as a toast.  "You don't get access to the supine lexicons,
only the drink bar.  It's still true."

"And you're one of his TAs.  He doesn't tap many, and...  Let me try
guessing.  You want more than hormones driving any relationships you
have, from the beginning.  If you don't mind, before I explore that
further, I'd like to at least mention some of the thoughts I've had
about upgrading your house.  It's been a few years since I knew, going
in, that I would need to be...  More than 'merely adequate at physical
movement in conjugal positions'."

"And if I note the you wrote those thoughts down, and point out that
you were likely to leave a copy with me?"

"You're the Boss,..."  Her eyebrows had raised slightly, and I opted
to pay attention to them.  "Chris."

* * *

Scene Four
Farouche
[1765 1: Wild 2: marked by shyness and lack of social graces]
---

I had mostly cleaned up before I did the walk through, but I was still
not as clean I wanted to be, so I mentioned I'd like to go home and
clean up, then come back, if she was ok with that solution.

She looked me over, wound up in front of me again, then shrugged. "Let
us admit to each other that we are going to see each other naked,
before morning.  I have a tub and shower combo in the master bathroom
that is big enough for two people.  I also have a washing machine and
dryer, if you don't have spare clothing with you.

"Plus..."  She smiled, stepped into me, hugged me tightly, then pulled
away just far enough so she could begin unbuttoning my shirt while she
spoke gently.  "I like to give my man a good bath, when there's time."

"I have no place I need to be, and I have a block of days set aside
for the work here, because you'd made it clear that scheduling times
when you would be home, would be something you couldn't do in advance.
I have time."

"So do I.  As long as I get things done in a 'reasonable' amount of
time, I can bring my work home in a case like this, and not show up at
school until I have it done.  A lot of that is because reading those
papers is going to be, in some cases...  Tedious enough I'll need to
take frequent breaks."

"Bad?"

"Sometimes.  These are from one of his freshman classes, and for some
of those students, English is their second language."

I winced.  "There are times, when I curse the easy availability of
portable translators."

"Exactly.  Add to that, the use of an inexpensive thesaurus, and the
results can be...  Sad, when they aren't hilarious.  I'll show you
later.  Let's take some time for us."

I nodded, then reached and pulled her close enough I could kiss her
full on the lips.  She moved to mold herself to me, then our tongues
met, and we began the usual courtship ritual.

Eventually she pulled away to catch her breath and give me a chance to
catch mine, then she touched my face.  "I hope you've figured out I
have an obsession for using big or unusual words, when they say what I
want to say."

"You've been one of Thurgood's horizontal dictionaries?"

I felt her stiffen slightly.  "Yes."

"Relax, Chris.  Experience, or lack of it, doesn't bother me.  I'm old
enough to be more concerned with the mental fit, than I am the
physical one."

"Thanks.  Now, I know I was going to pick the right word.  You're so
farouche that you make most of the men I've had dates with, seem
farouche when I compare them to you."

"I can see I'd better take the time to get my electronic dictionary
out of my briefcase, bring it in, then keep it within reach.
Otherwise, I'm going to be asking you to explain yourself more often
than I am comfortable with doing."

"I could attempt to control it better."

"I'm not going to ask you to lie about who you are.  I don't mind
learning from a woman, and it doesn't bother me when she's far smarter
than I am.  If I was that type of man, I wouldn't have been welcome at
Thurgood's, right?"

"Too true!  Anyway, I twisted one definition, the one that says
'farouche' means 'wild', in the feral sense, then I used it more
correctly, the second time, when I meant most men, compared to you,
lack social graces."

I thought about it, then studied her long enough her head tilted
slightly.  "What's going on in there...  Mind if I call you Nat,
instead of Nathan?"

"Nat is fine, or you can come up with something you want to use.
Maybe..."

"Maybe, what?"

"Farouche, huh?  I can be pretty relaxed and creative, when it's the
right woman helping me explore.  Shall we pretend we're adults, and
move to the bathroom before we decide to leave our clothing scattered
all over your house?"

"I have a better idea.  Let's make a ceremony of it, and go to the
garage, then strip, empty our pockets, and put our clothes in the
washing machine.  *Then* we go to the bathroom and try to get as
tangled with each other, as our clothes will be!"

* * *

Scene Five
Bestow
[14th century:  1 to put to use.  2 to put in a particular or
appropriate place. 3 to provide with quarters. 4 to convey as a gift.]
---

Our clothes were busy getting acquainted with each other, and we'd
settled in her tub to do the same thing.  Once we agreed on the water
temp, I'd settled, then she sat on my lap after getting me erect.

"Lean forward a little more, and I'll do your back, Chris."

She leaned, and while I worked her back, she soaped my legs and feet
before the water covered them.  "There.  Thanks, Nat.  Not many men
have been able to focus on the bath, first."

"Do this a lot?"

"It varies.  Happened quite a bit when it was at Thurgood's.  Takes
someone special, to get this sort of treatment here."

I laughed, then finished her back.  "People still get hooked on words
they like, and tend to overuse them?"

"Of course."

"Nice to hear that.  I just remembered I had my own favorite for
awhile, and realized I have an excuse to use it.  Let me see if I can
do this so it works for all four meanings...  Chris, thanks for
allowing me to bestow on you, the use of my penis, in a suitably
proper manner and in a place most appropriate for its...  Design."

She stiffened, then lost it in a fit of giggles.  "I can't *believe*
you managed to do that!  You were perfect!"

"Thanks.  You want to raise up so I can get lower, or wait for later?"

"I'll wait until we're done scrubbing my front from the inside, then,
if you are up to it, you can use your applicator to make sure I'm
scrubbed in back."

She braced and started moving, I grabbed her waist to help, and
eventually we found a way to work together.

The sex was fast enough that we both orgasmed before she had to shut
the water off, so only a little of it sloshed outside the tub.

When it was over she leaned back, and I reached around and gently
washed her chest and breasts, before I held on so we could share the
afterglow.

* * *

Scene Six
Lintel
[14th century: a horizontal architectural member spanning and usu.
carrying the load above an opening]
---

It took us a week to agree on the changes her house needed, and for me
to make the changes that would help cut her heating and cooling bills
the most, from the beginning.  When all the changes had been made,
that I could do, we made a ceremony of starting in the front of her
house, and making love in a different room each night , after we'd
opened the appropriate doors and windows for circulation.

That we wound up sleeping in the same room, was, by then, something we
did as easily as we fit together physically, and mentally.

On the evening before we wound up in the master bedroom, I was settled
in the living room where I could see her while she worked in the
kitchen.

I must have been silent too long, because she noticed.  "Nat?  Is
something wrong?"

"No, Honey.  Now that we've slowed down, I've been really looking at
this place, and I just realized the lintel over your fireplace is...
Magnificent, underneath all that old paint."

"It is?"

"Yes.  I think..."

She showed up in the doorway.  :"You think what?"

"I think I'm being crazy, and...  Oh, Hell, Chris.  The last three
weeks has been wonderful.  You've been wonderful.  Maybe...  I'd like
to get the restoration class in here, at my expense, to restore that
fireplace to its original condition."

"All you'd have to pay for, is the materials, right?  So, why the...
Strange look?"

"Umm...  A mantel like that, was meant to have pictures on it, right?"

"I suppose.  Never thought about it as more than something that needs
dusting on a regular basis."

"Yeah.  I can understand that attitude.  Thing is, I have a
fascination for well worked wood that's at least as bad as yours is,
for words."

She laughed.  "That was easy to figure out.  Again, so?"

"A mantel like that, was designed to have one type of picture in the
center.  A wedding picture.  How would you like to make it ours?"

Her head tilted while she thought about it, then she came out of her
trance.  "Be right back.  I'd better lower the heat so our dinner
doesn't burn."

She was back in a few minutes, then she leaned on the jamb so she
could study me, before she took the time to look at the mantel.
"You're right, Nathan.  All that paint has built up and hidden the
details.  Makes me think of how you seem to hide behind that
carpenter's apron, and a casual glance would never let a person get to
know the real person you are."

"And?"

"Two conditions."

"Oh?"

"We hold the wedding here, after it's restored, and the official
picture should be taken while we're standing in front of the
fireplace, and it has a fire burning in  it."

"That's one.  I don't have a problem with it."

"Good.  Two might be a problem.  It should be fairly easy to find out
when this house was built, but the fireplace and mantel might have
been built later, right?"

"True."

"So let's see if we can find out a best guess for that date, then
we'll get married in period wedding outfits."

"Deal."

"Thank you, Darling.  I'll pass the word to my family, and let them go
crazy with relief, then I'll hit them with the gotchas."

I chuckled.  "Yours, too?  That's fine with me.  I'll give you my
parents' number, and with any sort of luck, all we'll have to do is
show up."

She giggled.  "That will be the easy part, since we'll be here
anyway!"

Then she came over and settled on my lap.  "I turned everything off,
so we can turn the heat up in here and not worry about our food being
burned."

* * *

Scene Seven
Histrionics
[1864 1.  theatrical performances 2.  deliberate display of emotion
for effect]
---

"Nathan!  How've you been?"

"Hey, Ray.  Doing well enough.  Just got done doing the first part of
an efficiency upgrade on Christine's house, and ran into something you
and your class might be interested in.  Got some printouts of the
pictures I took."

"Christine...  Christine...  Ah!   One of Thurgood's Dictionaries,
Right?"

I laughed.  "You've met, then?  I met her because she called me in to
install some double-hungs to improve the air circulation."

"We've met.  She tosses around the language the way you and I wield a
paint brush.  Let's see those prints..."

I handed them to him and he spread them out on his desk so he could
look them over.

Eventually he nodded.  "You always did have a good eye for hidden
beauty."

He looked up and grinned at Chris.  "For women who hide their beauty,
too."

She blushed, then laughed.  "And you're still the flatterer.
Unfortunately, you're too late.  Nat wants to see if you'll restore
that fireplace, as a wedding gift to me."

He chuckled.  "Sounds like one, or both of you is a fast...  Hold it!"

He picked one of the pictures up and grabbed a magnifying glass.
"Now...  Where have I seen that before?"

"Ray?  It's an older house..."

"No!  No!...  Not the house!  That mantel!  Let me think..."

We waited, and suddenly he pawed through one of his desk drawers and
pulled out an old photo album.

He rapidly flipped pages until he stopped, then he examined an old
photo.  He nodded, then took it out and placed it next to the print.
"Impossible!  Yet...  There it is!"

"Ummm...  Ray?  Mind letting us in on it, whatever 'it' is?"

"Hmm?  Oh."  He handed me the picture.  "Take a close look at the
fireplace in the background, then compare it to the one you found."

I studied both images, and finally frowned.  "Could be the same.  Have
to get rid of all that paint and stuff to be sure."

"Home in that old photo belonged to my great-greats.  The man you see,
built the fireplace for his bride, in 1893.  That style of carving is
something that's been passed from generation to generation in my
family.  What's important, though, is that the house was torn down in
the early 1900s.  Story is, that someone bought the fireplace and
mantel from the wrecker, then put it in a new house.  We never did
find out where it went."

I thought about it, then shook my head.  "I just got done replacing
most of the windows.  I can guarantee that Chris' house is a lot newer
than early 1900s.  I used modern lumber for my framing work.  Never
saw a trace of the old non-dimensional stuff."

"So it must have been moved at least one more time.  Worry about it
later."

He bent over the pictures again and sighed.  "Oh, you poor, poor
baby...   The indignities you've lived through.  I'll fix you up,
Dear.  I promise..."

He sighed deeply, then straightened.  "Don't touch her, Nathan.  You
ready to spend some serious money?"

"How serious?"

"The traces are faint, but I think that behind that stucco, may be the
original wall.  I'd like to do a full restoration, with a film crew
there to document it all.  This is a once in a lifetime project."

I glanced at Chris, and she shrugged.  "Your money."

I nodded.  "And your wedding gift.  Looks like the diamond rings will
have to wait."

"I can live with that.  Rather have a fireplace, anyway."

"Ok."  I turned back to Ray.  "Talk to me."

"Materials only.  I'll do all the work myself, for free.  In return,
we'll split the income from the video, fifty-fifty.  I'm betting the
first sale will recoup your expenses, and then some."

I smiled.  "Are we going to have to put up with your histrionics, or
are you going to be serious, for once?"

"Both.  If that's the fireplace I think it is, I'm going to be
mentioning a lot of family history while I work--and curse the
incompetents who...  Hid her beauty."

I held out my hand.  "Deal."

He slapped my palm and held on firmly.  "Good!  Give me a week to get
organized, then I'll be moving my class into your living room!"

* * *

Scene Eight
Kith
[before 12th century: familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives]

Ray was as good as his word.

One week after we shook hands, he called my cell phone and warned us.
"Starting tomorrow morning, you two are going to lose your living
room, for...  A long time."

I sighed.  "Any idea how long that will be?"

He snorted.  "Nice try.  As long as it takes."

"It was worth a shot.  Who's going to be feeding you and your crew?"

"PBS is catering it, for as long as it takes."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Yeah.  I floated it as an ongoing show, and they swallowed so far,
all that was showing were the soles of my feet.  Do me a favor
tomorrow morning.  Sigh the paperwork, then go cash the check before
someone wakes up."

"Ray?  Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I'm still reeling, Nathan.  They want me and my class in period
clothing, once I start the restoration.  I called a friend and had him
do a pixel by pixel analysis.  There's no doubt it's the family
fireplace and mantel you saw in the old picture.  The university is
sending over a full archeological team and that wall is going to
become a full dig.  It's crazy, but...   I did say once in a lifetime,
remember?"

"You did.  Are we going to have a house to live in, while all this is
going on?"

"Umm...  You'd better find a good lawyer and see how attached to that
place you future wife is."

"Ray, I see a problem, already.  We want to get married in front of
that fireplace, after it's restored.  Chris wants to be in period
wedding stuff, too."

"Perfect!"

"What?!"

"How would you like to become curators of a new museum?"

"That went by pretty fast.  Let me find out how she feels about moving
out, or...  Has someone been talking buyout and declaring this place a
historical building?"

"Yes."

I sighed.  "All we wanted was a restored fireplace, Ray."

"I know.  None of this was *my* idea.  All I wanted to do, is one of
those restoration shows, and give my students a chance to see some
history rediscovered, so they have a clue if they ever see something
similar.  Now, someone with bigger dreams than I ever had, wants me to
do the restoration as part of a 'kith and kin' special that has me
remembering my roots and all that stuff, while I stand around and
watch someone else prepare everything, before I get to...  Use the old
fashioned skills and tools to fix whatever damage has been done."

"Ray, it sounds like someone also spoke numbers to you.  Absurd
numbers."

"Very absurd.  Seven digits to the left of the decimal. for Christine,
the same for me, and...  Oh, Hell. Nat.  Would you believe someone
wants to put you on an *eight* digit to the left, annual retainer, and
have you wander around to see if you can spot more hidden treasures,
all over the world?"

"Ray?  If I hadn't suffered through a couple of your classes, I'd be
wondering if you staggered out of one of Thurgood's wilder parties,
after someone slipped you too much of 'the good stuff'."

"Been wondering that myself.  We going to be welcome in the morning,
or not?"

"We shook hands, remember?  I'll talk to Chris, and we'll figure out
where we're going to fit our lives in all the madness."

"Thanks, Nathan.  Just remember, be smart, not greedy.  Oh, and tell
her she's going to meet Mary, finally."

"I'll do that.  Say hi to Mary for me, and bring her with you so she
can clue us in while you dance for the cameras."

He laughed.  "Already planned.  See you in the morning, about ten or
so, I hope."

"Right.  See you then, Ray."

* * *

Scene Nine
Wheel-thrown
[1964: made on a potter's wheel]
---

Trisha stood behind her father and watched him while he worked on
another bowl.  "Dad?"

"Yes, Honey?"

"I don't get it.  How come you make everything we use?"

"I enjoy working with my hands.  Plus, it's something I can do at
home, so I can be here when you kids need one of us.  Besides, I don't
make *everything* we use.  I only make wheel-thrown pottery, so we
have dishes and stuff that will last."

She sighed.  "And I know you built our house.  But that's what I don't
get.  Kevin found an old news article on the net, that mentioned you
and mom.  He says you guys had a chance to be real rich and you...
Didn't do it."

"Oh.  We've been wondering when one of you would find out about that."

He slowed the wheel until it stopped, then he shifted so he was
watching his oldest daughter.  "Yes, we could have been very, very
rich and famous, and in a way, we are.  Only, we're not as rich as we
could have been, and the fame was...  Fleeting."

"I read it.  Is the other guy in the picture really Uncle Ray?"

"Yes.  Before we got married, your mother owned a different house, and
she called me in to replace most of the windows in it.  I was the one
who decided to have her fireplace restored, as my wedding gift to her.
We took some pictures, then I showed them to Ray and asked him if he'd
do the work.  He was the one who realized how old the fireplace really
was, because he had a picture of it."

"So...   He's real famous and rich now, and you and mom aren't?"

"Yes.  He was the one who realized how important that fireplace was,
so after your mother and I talked it over, we decided that we'd never
be able to have a family if we stayed in that house, so she sold it to
some people who wanted to make it a historical building.  After Ray
finished the restoration, we got married."

"And after that you sold your business and mom quit her job at the
university, right?"

"Yes.  Then we moved here, bought this land, and I built our house.
After that, she went to work as an English teacher, while I taught
myself how to make ceramic stuff."

He smiled at her.  "And we started having you kids, too.  That's about
it."

"So you quit being famous, so you could have us?"

"Yes.  We wanted to raise normal children, in a place where we didn't
have to worry about hiring bodyguards and all the other stuff rich and
famous people have to do.  Ray and Mary already knew how to live that
way, so we let them keep living the way they wanted to live, while
we...  Stayed smart, instead of being greedy."

"Why are you smiling funny?"

"I built our home, but Ray brought one of his classes out here, and
they built the fireplace and mantel.  It's identical to the one that
was in the house your mother sold.  So, eventually, we got what we
really wanted, which was the fireplace, and a family to share it
with."

"Oh.  Yeah.  No wonder you and mom spend so much time staring at it
when you cuddle."

"Uh huh.  It's special for you, too, because we're pretty sure we made
you on the hearth rug."

"What about everyone else.?"

"Maybe.  We'll never know for sure."

"Oh.  So... "

She finally walked over and hugged him.  "Thanks for being you, Dad.
If Kev bugs me again, about us not being rich-rich, I'll try and
convince him we're better off this way."

"You're welcome, Trish.  Love you."

"Love you, too.  Hey, you making that one for mom, or to sell?"

He laughed.  "Neither.  I'm hoping I make this one heavy enough that
Spike doesn't try to play with it after he's done eating."

She giggled.  "Let me paint it?"

"Sure.  I'll let you know when it's ready.  Be a few days."

"Ok."

He watched her until she was out of sight, then he started the bowl
spinning again, and went back to adding clay to it.

* * *

Scene Ten
Kinesthesia
[1880: a sense mediated by receptors located in muscles, tendons, and
joints and stimulated by bodily movements and tensions; also: sensory
experience derived from this sense]
---

Chris and Nathan watched their younger son, Robert, while he played.

She smiled and touched her husband's arm.  "Ray wants him."

"I'm not surprised.  He's been hoping one of the kids would have his
gift for restoration, with my eye for details."

Robert was focused on the two pieces of wood in front of him.  They
watched while he closed his eyes and ran his fingers over the carving
he picked up, then he opened them and reached for the raw wood and a
carving knife.

He made a few light strokes, to outline where he was going to remove
more wood, then he carefully started carving.

A few minutes later, it was obvious he was trying to duplicate the
original work.

Eventually he looked up, saw his parents watching him, and he held up
the new work and grinned.  "It's a mirror image.  Uncle Ray asked me
if I'd make it, so he can finish restoring a cabinet for the museum.
He said he would have tried, but his hands bother him too much."

Nathan went and knelt so he could examine the new carving.  "I'm
impressed.  It looks like you even managed to match the knife strokes
of whoever made the original.  You're quite a forger, Bobby."

"That's what Uncle Ray said, too.  He called it something weird,
though.  'Kinesthesia'.  It's like when I feel the carving, I can
figure out how it was made, then this time I just...  Remembered that
and sort of did the carving backwards."

Chris laughed.  "Kinesthesia is a fancy way of saying you are able to
remember how you moved.  In your case, it sounds like you've been able
to take that further, and figure out how someone else moved, then
duplicate those motions."

"Yeah.  Whatever.  I always think of it like I'm trying to solve a
mystery.  It's a lot harder when I only have a picture to work from."

She smiled.  "So you still want to go live with your uncle, while he
teaches you the rest of what you'll need to know about restoring
things?"

"Yeah.  You guys going to be ok with that?"

"We are."

"Thanks."

Nathan stood, then smiled slightly.  "If you can tear yourself away
for a few minutes, there's something in the garage, that we want to
show you."

"Sure!"

The three of them went to the garage, then Nathan handed his son a key
and pointed at a locked cabinet.  "Open it."

Robert did, and then froze in surprise.  "Dad?"

"All yours, son.  We managed to duplicate Ray's collection of
restoration tools.  You'll have to restore some of them before you can
use them."

"Wow..."  He opened the drawers and touched many of the revealed
tools, then sighed.   "I didn't think you knew I was *that* serious
about following Uncle Ray."

Christine wrapped an arm around her husband's waist and giggled.  "We
know a lot, about being fixated.  Obsession with the unusual runs in
the family.  You were easy to figure out."
---

End: 'Vocabulary Builder'
~~~

ASSTR Theme Game (unfinished)

The theme--is 'pain'.
---

    "Years, maybe." Dr. Sorensen spoke softly, gently. "You asked me
if you'd ever return to your active lifestyle. Kathrynn, I'm seen
people with far more damage than you have, make full recoveries. It's
out of *my* hands--and up to you--now."

    My frustration made me slap at the joystick and try to break it
off as I spun my powerchair so I could stare out the window while I
fought back my tears. I glanced over at the calendar and when I
realized what day it was, I couldn't stop the tears or my agonized
whisper: "Sam. This was supposed to be our wedding day."

    "DAMN THAT DRUNK TEENAGER! WHY DIDN'T SHE HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE
OF THE CAR?? AT LEAST THAT WAY SAM MIGHT HAVE LIVED, TOO!" Without
turning away from the window I lowered my voice and told Dr. Sorensen:
"Go. I need to be alone."

    Her lab coat rustled as she stood up. "Kat?"

    I heard the pain in her voice. In the six months she'd spent
carefully patching me back together, we'd gone from being a doctor
with a difficult patient, to almost friends. When I started coming out
of the drug induced haze and really *seen* Mirabelle as a person
rather than the person who kept causing me pain, her eyes had told me
more clearly than any words, the horror she'd seen when she first saw
me in emergency. Since then, she'd helped me realize the miracle she'd
performed.

    I'd been fortunate she was on call that night. Without the
immediate attention of someone who *knew*--from experience--how to
repair a body as shattered as mine had been, I wouldn't have my legs,
or the chance to walk and run again.

    I owed her so much, and with the questioning use of my nickname,
she was asking me if all her work had been wasted.

    I made my decision and turned my head over my shoulder. "Dr.
Soresen. You made me want to live. You've given me a chance. I know I
should thank you for that, but all I see is that Sam didn't make it.
I'll keep living, somehow. Don't ask for more than that, yet."

    She sighed deeply and then nodded. "Go on living. That's thanks
enough. I'll let them know you want to be alone for awhile."

    I had already turned away before she finished speaking.
---

End: Abandoned work ASSTR Theme Game
~~~

End: Humans Only Purpose Written Work

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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