Chương 626: Day Six Hundred And Twenty-Four

Dear Diary, I'm definitely feeling some kinda way today. Not sure exactly how or what, but things have me all messed up. I really hope I'm not actually in a manic phase and I'm gonna start spiraling at some point soon. That would just suck, to be crashing at our wedding or on our wedding night. Yeah, Saffron's installed the manual override endorphin button to stop spirals, but I think I've come to realize that it doesn't really do that.

It interrupts them, sure, but it does more to ease the landing than keep the manic high flying going. I still wind up down, but it's more of a lazy, introspective, quiet down than a self-destructive, angry, painful crash. Then again, it could just be an after effect of all the shit that's happened over the past couple weeks. Got in a couple really big fights with shit that left me less than tip top shape.

Ate a being that, according to her bragging, remembered Pangaea, and ate at least two pre-mammalian civilizations. Started on real 'this is happening' wedding planning. Revealed myself as Mimic. Had sex with half a dozen Priestesses whose names I can't remember. I mean, I know I asked, but my memory for shit that makes sense is awful. Names are absolutely hit or miss, and I think I wound up too focused on making them forget their own names to have a hope in hell of remembering them myself.

Of course, today I wound up doing something that I think qualifies as a total 'win', but the fact that I didn't think to do it until now just, I dunno, I think it's thrown me for a loop. So I spent all day yesterday following all of Marie around, partially to try and memorize her schedule, partially to be able to sneak around where she wasn't and get everybody on board for making Marie's wedding day as perfect as Humanly and Human-Adjacently possible.

When we got done for the day, I scooped her up, kissed her, and said, "one Marie, please." She grinned at me and said, "Moment." I watched as the rest of her finished up what she was doing, set her work and tools down, then one by one collapsed into the Marie in my arms. I stepped us home, collapsing all but the me in the Homestead kitchen into the me holding Marie, then brought dinner out for everybody.

I mean, I did what Marie normally does, which is serving Saffron and I, which also usually covered Siobhan and Marie, then put big platters out on the central serving table, and finished up by filling plates for Isnomi, Daya, and David. Alex, Lindsey, Ria, and Maze were all big enough to serve themselves, as was anybody else who decided to eat at the East House.

Okay, if anybody else brought kids small enough they couldn't serve themselves, they could get them food, too, although I think that covered maybe two or three kids in the entire Homestead. The three of us took turns feeding Marie as she grinned and blushed. When I'd made sure Saffron and Siobhan both had enough food to keep them from falling over, we took Marie up to the showers and hit her with another full scrub down.

I'd managed to score some of Marie's spicy honey shampoo, and the three of us took turns scrubbing Marie's hair. I know everybody always laughs at the 'rinse and repeat' direction, especially how folks use that to refer to infinite loops, but after the second rinse I realized the first wash hadn't really gotten her hair fully clean.

By the third scrubbing, her hair wound up absolutely bone straight, such a light blonde it wound up pretty much transparent, and so silky smooth I couldn't stop running my hands through it when I carried her to the Bath.

"Do you know why we're putting so much effort into bathing you, lovely Marie?" Saffron asked, toying with the ends of some of Marie's hair, using it like a brush to tickle her belly.

"No?"

"Not sure myself, but you gotta have more than one reason, right Kitten?" Saffron gently slapped my hands away where I'd been combing out Marie's hair.

"Spoilsport. But yes." She looked into Marie's eyes and said, "first and perhaps foremost, I want everyone at our Wedding to see you at your most beautiful. I want every man who sees you to be stunned by your beauty, every woman to envy you for it. Including your spouses to be and our officiant." I started to say something to that, as did Siobhan, but Saffron just rolled over us.

"I know that my own envy will be both short lived and tempered by the fact that before the sun rises again, I will have that beauty as my own. When I do, I want to see you and nothing but you. I want the smell of you, just you, to overwhelm my senses." I choked back anything I'd intended to say as Saffron rolled over and somehow managed to cow a willing Marie into submission as she said, "I want to taste you and nothing but you, beloved Marie."

I glanced around to where Saffron had Co-Located and was playing some kind of counting game with the kids. Holy shit but my Kitten be smooth sometimes.

"Finally?" She said, rolling herself atop Marie and bracing her chin on her folded arms, staring into our Maenad's eyes from right about Marie's breast level.

"When we've had our very excessive way with you, and you lie there in our bed, devastated by our collective passion, I want you to look in the mirrors of our Bedroom and know that every single imperfection, from tousled hair to mussed fur, from salty sweat to sticky seed, yes, even blood and bruises both incidental and deliberate, all of it is the result of the consummation of our love for you, my lovely Fiancée."

"Holy fuck, Kitten. Can we maybe have a taste of that tonight?"

"Yes! Please?" Siobhan asked from where she'd snuggled next to me to hold Marie up. Saffron smiled at the two of us, then shook her head.

"Ladies, Marie has made her position very clear. Let's not try to force her hand." I wheezed out a laugh.

"Like that wasn't... Fuck, Kitten." I blew out a huge breath.

"Sorry, Marie. I think Saffron's tryna work us both up for Friday and Saturday."

"Of course I am," Saffron chuckled. At that point Marie kind of growl-whined, "Watch." Saffron smiled at her.

"Of course, my Fiancée. What would you like to watch?" Siobhan squeaked as Marie's claws caught her by the scruff and held her up between Saffron and I.

"Practice." Saffron's grin was an absolute incitement to riot as she said, "you want us to practice on Siobhan what we intend for you on our Wedding Night?" I barked out a laugh when Siobhan squeaked, then said, "sister, I'm not sure I would survive what they plan for you." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Marie just grinned to match Saffron and growled out, "Control."

At that point I rolled Marie over, dumping Siobhan and Saffron both into the water, and said, "you know me holding back like that is just gonna make it worse on the night, right?" Never thought Marie could grin that big, or blush that hard. Siobhan wasn't exactly in the best shape for work in the morning. On the other hand, she got absolutely intense when I tried to apologize.

"First of all, I enjoyed every minute of it. Second, if I am to be Concubine to all three of you, I'd best practice my Skills and Endurance, hadn't I?" Then she maybe spoiled it by groaning as she put her headdress on, then giggling as she thought about some of the goings on so hard it spilled over to my brain too. So today was another day of Marie following and checking in with people about preparations for the Wedding.

On top of all that, I spent the day in the Infirmary shadowing Siobhan to make sure the after effects of playing Maenad stand-in didn't prevent her from getting her duties done. Early on, I Co-Located to Siobhan's desk and called Ice Pop's two Cadet Healer trainees over to talk with Grandma and I.

"Okay, guys. Here's the deal. Siobhan's not gonna be available Friday or Saturday. She might even be out of action on Sunday, depending on how, uh, energetic things get." The two Cadets looked a little scandalized, but Grandma just cackled quietly.

"They've done without her before. They'll do so again. Better reasons than before, at least." I opened my mouth to ask here where she'd be, then realized something.

"Uh, Grandma Aetos?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Would you sit for us those days? I think Isnomi misses you, and the others ought to get to know you. Gonna go from one... well, two great grandkids to seven as of Friday, right?" Before she could reply, one of those revelations that made me feel some kinda way hit me.

"Wait, you're living here at the Academy, aren't you?" She nodded toward the Infirmary beds.

"Sleeping in one of the cots. Close to my work." She smiled at her statement like it was some kind of joke. Kitten? I'mma invite your Grandma to the Homestead. I... I don't know if she'll come, but If you can convince her, that would be wonderful.

"So, we've got the Homestead all set up now. Mostly climate controlled, hot and cold running water, lots of extra bedrooms, biggest fuckin' bed in the world for everybody to sleep in at night if they're feeling lonely. Horde of kids who'd love to meet you. Good ones, who'd probably get a kick out of helping you out with anything you need." She just stared at me for a little bit. I got a little nervous, and it didn't help at all when she said, "Isnomi has six sisters now, plus her other playmates.

I'm sure she doesn't think of me at all." I shot her a crooked grin.

"Either you're wrong, and you ought to go see her, or you're right, and she needs to see you." She shook her head.

"Such a smart ass." If the other two had been shocked by me talking openly about how Siobhan might wind up too exhausted for work on Sunday because of Saturday's nuptial shenanigans, they spontaneously manifested Lancaster worthy steel rods up their asses at Grandma calling the Champion and Patron of the Alliance a smart ass.

"Siobhan tells me you've got a Bath set up?"

"Big enough for everybody to just lie around in. Hot enough to scald Elatha's asshole. Melts all the aches and pains right the fuck away."

"You and her," she nodded toward Siobhan, "both soaking in the altogether with my granddaughter?" I grinned at her.

"The whole family. Saffron, Siobhan, me. The kids, although they don't so much soak as play around, but the Bath's big enough for them to play at one end and all we get are some ripples at the other end. So yeah, all of us. Saffron, Siobhan, the kids. Me." I let my grin get a little more suggestive.

"Marie." Grandma Aetos rolled her eyes and barked out a laugh, even if she coughed a little as she did. Then she shook her head.

"This I have to see. Hot Bath sounds nice, too." I swear the trainees were gonna have aneurysms when I said, "Grandma Aetos! Are you gonna leer at your granddaughter's fiancée?" She shoved herself to her feet. I moved to help her, but she waved me off as she toddled over to lift up a satchel and sling it over her shoulder. Like, mega big purse sized, or school backpack sized. She turned back to me, held out a hand, and said, "prolly gonna leer at her Wife and Concubine too. I'm old, not dead."

I took her hand and said, "okay, Cadets, looks like you two are gonna be in charge Friday through Sunday." The me next to Siobhan leaned in and said, "sorry, Darling. I think I just stole your main assistant away." She looked up at me and frowned.

"Did you Just Happen to one of my Cadets?" I laughed out, "no, no, no. Grandma. She's coming back to the Homestead."

"Oh! Well, that's for the best. She should spend more time with her Great Grandchildren." She lowered her voice and some of the smile she'd gained when I told her what I intended melted away as she leaned in close to murmur, "she's very old. I'm not sure how long she has left, but I think it far better that she spend it with the youngest of her family rather than here with Cadets who might or might not remember her a decade from now."

I hugged her, took Grandma's hand, and stepped to the Courtyard of the Homestead, where the kids were running around playing some kind of running, screaming, chaotic chasing game.

"Oi! Menace! Look who's here!" Isnomi turned, and the look on her face when she saw Grandma Aetos was worth any amount of effort. Eyes wide, grinning from ear to ear, she pelted toward us screaming, "GWAMMA!" Half a dozen feet from us she leapt, and I barely got an arm in the way to intercept her, spinning her around once, then holding her up to look her in the eyes.

"No tackle glomping Grandma, Menace!"

"Ah Tay!" She wriggled around to hold her arms out to Grandma Aetos, shrinking down to her smallest as Grandma reached out and took her from me.

"My girl. Look how much you've... Grown?" Isnomi just giggled as her sisters jogged up to us.

"I growed big! I gotted my own woom! I even gotted a theyah thing!" Right about then Isnomi slithered down Grandma's front, but kept one one of Grandma's hands clutched in her own.

"C'mon, Gwamma! I thow you owah wooms!" I stepped over and quietly asked, "d'you need a hand? Or a lift?" I swear I choked on my own spit when she looked me in the eye and said, "I'm a little old for you to try picking me up, aren't I?" Then she walked off cackling in the midst of a gaggle of kids, all of them vying for her attention in their own ways. So that added another me to my tally for the day.

Still can't do more than kinda stand there staring or doing boring repetitive shit I don't have to think of with more than one of me, but I'm keeping a dozen up following the Maries, plus another half dozen for wedding planning, one in the Infirmary keeping tabs on our very tired and sore Siobhan, and one following Grandma and the horde hoard around the house as they showed off their rooms. Most of which were still pretty bare, but they all had a bed and an armoire.

Okay, Maze had her tub, and most of the beds looked like they'd been jumped on more than slept on, and all of the armoires except Ria's stood open with very few outfits in them, but they had them. And Grandma Aetos nodded thoughtfully and complimented something about each kid's room. Kind of proud of my kiddos.

You'd expect a horde of hyperactive single digit aged kids would wind up getting bored or tryna hurry her up or, y'know, something like that, but nope, they all moved more or less at her speed, two of them holding her hands most of the time. Alex and Lindsey helped her up the steps to the upper hallway, where she left her satchel in the 'guess room' closest to the Bath. The kids showed off our fancy indoor toilet. When the sun approached the horizon and I called out, "dinner time!"

the kids all wavered between sticking with Grandma and charging off, so I said, "I'll help Grandma down to the dining room. You kids go wash up. You're all sticky."

"Am not!" called Alex.

"Sticky! Sticky, sticky, sticky! Go wash!" They all groaned, but lit out for the Bath, intending to wash their hands in the shower taps, I guess. I took Grandma's hand and stepped her down to the dining room, settling her in Saffron's chair.

"Sorry. They're a bit much." She just looked up at me, then smiled softly.

"Kids only are if you're doing it right."