"lisa!" Isabella exclaid, leaping to her feet with a grin. "You made it!"
Before lisa could respond, the kitsune girl was crossing the room in a few quick strides, pulling her into a tight embrace.
And then, in full view of everyone behind her, Isabella pressed her lips to lisa's in a deep, lingering kiss.
lisa felt her cheeks burn.
[Isabella, what are you doing?] she thought frantically, even as she found herself lting into the kiss. [My whole family is watching!]
After what felt like an eternity, Isabella pulled back, a single strand of saliva still connecting them, and with a smug smile playing across her lips.
lisa blinked. She was dazed and more than a little flustered.
She glanced around the room, taking in the amused expressions on her parents' faces. Thankfully, Margaret was covering Hazel's eyes.
[Who let this demon of lust into our house!?]
As she looked around, lisa found the other guest. Seated beside her mother with a knowing look in her eye was Kimiko.
"Aunt Kimiko," lisa greeted, trying to regain so semblance of composure. "I didn't know you were visiting."
Kimiko chuckled, a rich, throaty sound.
Her voice sounded kind of like what lisa imagined Isabella would sound like if she were older, had given birth, owned 5 cats, and drank wine every night.
"It's been far too long since I've seen my favorite sister and her lovely family. Figured we should pay a visit."
Margaret rolled her eyes, but there was a fondness in her expression.
"Your only sister, I'll remind you," she said. Hazel escaped from her grasp and went to the garden. [Good,] lisa thought. [No need to have this actual succubus next to corrupt her.] "But it's good to see you too, Kimi. How have you been? How's life in the city treating you?"
Kimiko leaned back in her chair, a wistful look in her eye.
"Oh, you know," she said, waving a hand. "It's an adjustnt, to be sure. So much noise, so many people. But there's a certain energy to it, a vibrancy that you just don't find in the smaller villages."
She sighed, a hint of restlessness creeping into her voice.
"Of course, I don't think we'll be staying put for too long. Isabella and I, we've got wandering souls. The forests call to us, the promise of new sights and experiences. Soon as Isabella's studies are done, however many years that may take, we'll probably be on the road again."
"Probably?"
"Well," Kimiko shrugged. "You know . Never one to really commit to one thing."
Margaret nodded, a touch of concern in her eyes.
[... Lotta history in those gazes. Wow.]
"A nomadic life, even now?" She said softly, reflecting on that part. "It sounds exciting, but... are you sure it's what's best for Isabella? Moving around so much, never settling in one place..."
Kimiko shrugged, a carefree smile playing across her lips.
"She's a kitsune," she said simply. lisa felt a little weird, given how Kimiko was talking about Isabella like she wasn't in the room right now, but Isabella herself seed fine with it, so lisa guessed she agreed. "Adaptability is in her blood. And besides, I think a little adventure is good for a growing girl. Helps her find her place in the world, you know?"
Margaret humd, looking unconvinced.
[Probably why she stayed behind at the village, huh.]
But before she could respond, listair spoke up from his place by the couch.
"Speaking of finding one's place," he said, a note of pride in his voice, "I've managed to land a decent construction job here in the city. If all goes well, we should have enough saved up for a proper house of our own before too long."
lisa felt a swell of warmth in her chest at her father's words.
[A house of our own,] she thought, a giddy sort of excitent bubbling up inside her. [That's gonna feel so weird after all this ti.]
Kimiko grinned, raising her cup in a toast. She did have so wine, actually.
"Well, look at you, l," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Putting down roots, building a future. Finally, you're putting those strong arms of yours to better use. I'm quite proud."
listair chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, I don't know about all that," he said modestly. "I'm just trying to do right by everyone. Javir... She says it's fine to have us around, but, uh..." listair and Margaret both blushed. "Maybe it's ti, you know?"
[You don't say,] lisa thought as all those many, many, passionate nights she was unfortunately subjected to hearing flickered through her mind.
He glanced at the clock, his expression turning apologetic.
"Speaking of which, I'd better get going."
He moved towards the door, but Kimiko stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Not so fast, big guy," she said, a playful lilt to her voice as her tail moved back and forth. "You can't leave without a proper goodbye."
"Ah, right," listair smiled.
And with that, she pulled him in close, pressing her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss, just like Isabella had given to lisa.
lisa felt her jaw drop.
[What the...?]
Now, that she hadn't seen.
Margaret just laughed, shaking her head.
"Okay, okay, break it up, you two," she said, making a shooing motion with her hand. "l's going to be late if you keep that up."
Kimiko pulled back with a grin.
"Don't have too much fun without ," she winked at him.
listair just shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he slipped out the door.
lisa stared after him, her mind reeling.
[Did... Did that really just happen?] she thought, glancing at her mother for so kind of explanation. [D-Did Aunt Kimiko really just kiss Dad like that, right in front of everyone? I an, I saw mom making out with her all those years ago, but... That was in private, wasn't it?]
But Margaret seed entirely unfazed, going on to joke around with Kimiko about sothing she saw on the newspaper, like this was nothing out of the ordinary.
She did, however, notice lisa's reaction.
Margaret paused. Then, Margaret cleared her throat.
"Hazel!" She called out. The 7-year-old ca bouncing in.
"Yeah?"
"Can you show auntie Kimiko and your big sis, Isabella around the house, please?"
"What, you wanna get rid of already?" Kimiko raised a brow, amused.
"No, no, I just... I want to ask lisa how she's been."
[Ah, she caught on.]
"Very well. Co on," Kimiko said firmly to Isabella, clearly catching on too.
Margaret then watched as Kimiko and Isabella followed Hazel into the halls, their laughter and chatter drifting back through the air.
Once they were out of earshot, she turned to lisa, a knowing smile on her face.
"You look a little shell-shocked, sweetheart," she said, her voice gentle and amused. "Want to talk about it?" Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire
lisa sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"It's just... It's not a big deal. I an, I know things are different here," she said, struggling to find the words. "But seeing Aunt Kimiko kiss Dad like that, right in front of everyone... It caught off guard, I guess."
Margaret chuckled, reaching out to pat lisa's hand.
"I understand," she said, her eyes soft with sympathy. "Growing up around humans, here in Syux, you've probably heard that people are supposed to have a certain way of doing things. A certain set of... expectations, when it cos to the correct kinds of intimacy and relationships."
She leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face.
"But for kitsune and nim, it's different," she explained. "Promiscuity, physical affection... it's not just accepted, it's a fundantal part of who we are. A biological imperative, you might say."
"I-I know that, but..."
Margaret smiled.
"As you know, for us nim, affection is quite literally a matter of survival," she said. "We need that physical contact, that emotional connection, to thrive. Without it, we wither away, both physically and ntally."
lisa nodded.
"However, for kitsune, they draw a certain energy from intimacy."
"Wait, they need it to survive too?"
"Not quite to survive, but..." Margaret tapped her chin. Then, her eyes widened, like she thought of the perfect way to explain it. "Coffee."
"Coffee?"
"Intimacy is like coffee for them," Margaret explained. "And, the more intimate they get, the more... prepared they are for the day, to put it that way."
Now, that actually made things click for lisa. Suddenly, that made all those monts where Isabella would sit on her lap so early on in the day feel different.
lisa nodded slowly, pieces starting to fall into place.
"So... so things like kissing, touching... even between family mbers..."
"It's not just normal," Margaret finished, "it's quite necessary. An integral part of our daily lives and interactions."
She gave lisa a searching look, her head tilted to the side.
"Does that make sense?" she asked gently. "I know it's a lot to take in. Ah," Margaret sighed. "I wish we could have spent a few more years back at the village. If you'd made at least a handful of other nim friends, this would be a bit easier."
lisa agreed.
"Um... Still," she said softly, "I think I get it."
[I do have one question, though,] lisa thought. [Our intimacy draws Essence from others. That's how we survive. But... Then, how does being intimate with other nim make Essence? We can't generate Essence on our own.
How does that work?]
She had no answer for that.
But, she did have another question. One she felt Margaret could answer.
"Actually, while we're on the subject... There's sothing I've been wanting to talk to you about. About and Isabella."
Margaret raised an eyebrow, an interested gleam in her eye.
"Oh?" she said, leaning forward slightly. "Do tell."
lisa felt her cheeks heat up, but she pushed through the embarrassnt.
"We've been... well, we've been getting closer," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Physically, I an. And it's been great, really great, but..."
She trailed off, biting her lip.
"But?" Margaret prompted gently. She looked incredibly amused.
"But I keep getting hung up on... on her extra, you know... What she's working with."
The words ca out in a rush, and lisa felt her face fla even hotter.
But Margaret just looked confused.
"What do you an?"
"You know," lisa blushed even more. "Her... package."
"Her... package?" she repeated, sounding genuinely baffled. "What do you an, sweetheart? What pa-"
She made an "oh" face.
"You an, her penis?"
lisa damn near lted in her seat.
lisa nodded, her face burning with embarrassnt.
Margaret's confusion only seed to deepen, her brow furrowing as she tried to understand her daughter's discomfort.
"I don't quite follow, sweetheart," she said gently. "What's so odd about Isabella having a penis?"
[Good God...]
lisa squird in her seat, feeling like she might spontaneously combust from the sheer mortification of having this conversation with her mother.
"It's just... I'm not used to won having... those," she mumbled, unable to et Margaret's gaze.
Understanding dawned on Margaret's face, her expression softening with sympathy.
"Ah," she said, nodding slowly. "I forgot, sotis, how sheltered your upbringing was in that regard."
She reached out, patting lisa's hand comfortingly.
"Well, for kitsune and darians, having both sets of genitalia is perfectly normal," she explained. "In fact, it's a biological advantage. It allows them to both impregnate and be impregnated, depending on the situation. That's why kitsune and darians have the highest birth rates of all four races."
lisa's eyes widened.
"So... so it's not a big deal, then?" she asked hesitantly. "Really?"
Margaret shook her head.
"Not at all," she said. "It's just another part of who they are, like having a tail or fur."
lisa sighed, leaning back in her chair as she tried to process this new information.
[This is... A lot.]
"I guess... I guess I'm still getting used to things here," she said quietly.
[Still trying to let go of so of the ideas and hang-ups I brought with from before.]
Margaret's expression softened.
"Of course you are, sweetheart," she murmured, pulling lisa into a tight hug. "You've been through so much, had your whole world turned upside down. It's only natural that it would take so ti to adjust."
She pulled back slightly, cupping lisa's face in her hands.
"But you're doing so well," she said firmly. "You're learning, and growing, and adapting every day. And it will get easier, I promise. As you get older, as you have more experiences and interactions... it will all start to feel more natural, more normal."
lisa felt a lump form in her throat, gratitude and love welling up inside her.
"Thanks, Mom," she managed. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you and Dad."
Margaret smiled, pressing a soft kiss to lisa's forehead.
"Well, luckily, you'll never have to find out," she said, a playful glint in her eye. "Any questions you have about our weird little culture, I'll be here to answer."
lisa laughed, a sudden thought occurring to her.
"Speaking of which," she said, looking up at Margaret with a raised brow, "I don't have to start kissing you now, do I?"
Margaret snorted, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
"Cheeky brat," she said, giving lisa a gentle shove. "I'll only kiss you if you want to. And sothing tells you've got your hands full with a certain kitsune at the mont."
"Don't I know it?"
"Have fun with her, by the way," Margaret added with a mischievous grin. "I had my own Isabella when I was your age and we fucked so much."
"MOM!"
As if on cue, the sound of laughter and chatter drifted in from the garden, signaling the return of Kimiko and Isabella.
lisa rolled her eyes, smiling.
[This world is such a handful.]
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