Ashe to Ashes

"...The resources for this section were actually provided by Doctor Rustfelt's organization--half of the entire ward, actually. My current frame was built by MetaReal as well." A very professionally dressed android led her guest down a short hallway and stopped at the only door on the level. "This is your destination, Mister Ganzfeld. I am currently informed Mister Rustfelt is running a tad late. Would you like a beverage while you wait?"

"A drink? No, I'm..." Artemis noticed the reason for the delay, an electronic lock panel beside the door to which he surely wasn't granted clearance. "I'm fine, actually. I'll just wait inside."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible. I'm not permitted to grant you direct access. Doctor Rustfelt gave me explicit security policies regarding his home and children." The AI Construct allowed Arty to attempt entry, knowing the integrity of the lock was higher than most. "There are four biometric patterns you must register in the security office before access will be granted. You won't be--"

"No, I've got it. See?" Arty's paw pads gained a light blue glow as he touched the glass scanner panel. After a slight delay the door unlocked and slid itself open. "I'll be fine here. Just have my luggage delivered soon, please."

"I don't know what you did, but this is a major security breach. I'm afraid I'll have to detain you, sir."

"No, you don't." Art waved his shimmering paw before the android and she calmed herself. "My biometrics were already registered. You noted this and were just about to check my luggage. Correct?"

"Oh... Yes. Pardon me, sir. I recently transferred some memory space for a software application. I may have forgotten your registration." The Construct checked her doctored internal task list and nodded in agreement. "Mister Rustfelt has entered the ward. I will arrange for your luggage to arrive with him."

"Thanks, ma'am. You've been quite helpful." Arty held out a slab of ceramic with a display screen somehow permeating the surface. "You take tips, right? You've earned one."

"With the other guests we do, but as a part owner the doctor pays us extra in bulk. I must graciously decline." The robotic frame turned about and headed for the elevator. "Please make yourself at home. If you require anything else, I am this suite's personal assistant. Just ask for Corinth, day or night."

"Corinth... Such a pretty name. Alright then. Good day, Corinth."

"Good afternoon, Mister Ganzfeld."

Arty shut the door behind him and slumped against it, sliding on his back until he sat on the floor. "Well that was a bit much. The hell was Dee thinking...?" He noticed a the large, curved bay windows on the far side of the penthouse and slowly stood to take a look outside. "A garden? In space? Who has a personal garden on a station?"

"We do." A girl looking to be a mix of canine and some other species related to weasels started giggling at Art's audible scare. "We don't leave this level much, so our dad had this garden built." A small paw daintily extended for a shake. "You must be Artemis. I'm Glacier. My brother... Where is he...?"

"I'm over here, sis." A very similar brother walked over from a kitchen area and eased himself to a stop beside Glacier. "I'm Blizzard. And before you ask, we are indeed twins." His paw extended as well, though not at all in Art's direction for a moment before being corrected. "Sorry. Not too shabby considering we can't see."

"Oh, right. Dee warned me about that." Arty shook each paw, taking a moment to admire the matching bracelets the twins wore on each wrist with an unseen glow. "Those trinkets... they let you get around well enough? I don't think I've ever seen radar systems that small before."

"Oh, these things?" Glacier rubbed a bracelet, as if she suddenly became aware of the otherwise forgotten device. "Yeah, they tap our wrists when we move close to things. We can still get lost, but at least we won't trip over things."

"Yeah, dad keeps coming up with cool things to help us. He isn't around too much, but he does care..." Blizzard flicked his wrist for an instant, then followed the direction of the response to give Arty a friendly hug. "But enough about us. Make yourself at home, man. You're going to be living here for a short while, so don't be super polite."

"Just don't break anything. I'd hate to find out the hard way just how much all Elliot's fancy stuff costs." Adrian walked through the front door, followed by two androids carrying suitcases. "I see you've met the twins already. Everything going well, Arty? The flight was decent?"

"It was long. I'm not a fan of space flight, Dee." The panther-otter mix shivered as he remembered reading the ship's instruments with his abilities. "First class or not, those things are death traps."

"I know I'm not your real dad, but do you have to call me that?" Dee rolled his eyes as he moved in for a hug. "It's good to see you again, Arty."

"Nice to see you too... dad. It doesn't feel right... Sorry." Art watched as his stuff was brought into a room near the front. "Oh, is that where I'm staying?"

"Even if dad's out for business, his room is a no-go zone." Blizzard pulled his sister in for a shoulder hug. "I'm giving up my room while you're here. I've already moved out my stuff, so don't worry about being careful."

"Oh, well... Thanks. I thought I was taking a guest room."

"Not enough space on a station for guest rooms, even if you're filthy rich." Dee threw an arm around the penthouse to point out areas. "Kitchen, Elliot's room, your room, Glacie's room, bath, office, terrace. Oh, the terrace has a digital curtain up normally but you can see most of Vapor Furnace Prime if you disable it; just remember to turn it back on for the twins' privacy."

"Got it. And the office? Can I use that, or is that uncle Elliot's as well?"

"Sure, if you need a connection terminal, a computer, any of that. His projects are locked down, but maybe don't touch them anyway." Dee perked up as he remembered something, jogging into the office for a moment to retrieve a trinket. "Elliot did have something he thought you might like to try out, though. This is a prototype for the new Sense system we've been finishing. We also had a radical new prototype, but it looks like sadly it won't work with existing implants."

"So this isn't even out yet? Cool." Arty took the small, white device and checked it closely, finding a few rough edges here and there. "Can I take it in public? I find inspiration at odd times."

"Normally I'd say we needed a nondisclosure and discretion agreement, but I'll just overrule that for family." The otter smiled as his step-son attached the device somewhere on the back of his neck with a twitch of his eye. "Just try not to make that face if people do realize what you're wearing. Oh, and I'm sure Elliot would love to see your take on the library. Maybe make something for him when you check out the college later?"

"You want to see the college?" Glacier moved closer and tugged the panthott's shirt. "We can't go that far into town alone, but we really want to see our mom today."

"It's our birthday. We like to surprise mom today." Blizzard heard his sister messing with their new roommate and pulled her back a step. "If it's not a big deal, could we stop for some flowers? I'm sure she'd like that."

"She's at New Horizons Academy? Dad always said she was super smart. It makes sense, I guess."

"Yeah... Well they named the library after her." Dee nodded and turned to leave. "I'm between meetings myself, so I've got to run. Leading tech companies don't run themselves." He hit the door panel and paused to think. "You don't have biometrics. How did you get in here, you sly little man?"

"I... tried the door and it said I was my dad. Is that a thing?"

"I suppose it makes sense, if only a fluke. You might have a lot more in common than I thought." Dee opened the door and sighed before leaving. "Well time to have my ears talked off by the suits. Blizz, Glace? I think your dad will be fine with you going out if you stay near Arty here. Just make sure you get his slab updated with new biometrics keys in security before you set out. Okay?"

"Sure, uncle DeeDee."

"Alright. I'll stop by for dinner later, but have fun today without me. Love you, son."

"Y-Yeah, Dee." Artemis checked his room to confirm all his luggage had been delivered. "I guess I'm all set if you'd like to give a tour. You two know where you're going? Uh, no offence..."

"None taken. People should confirm what we're comfortable doing more often, actually. Then we'd tell them not to leave us in the middle of open areas and whatnot." Glacier nudged her brother to get his specific attention. "I'm ready. How about you?"

"Give me a minute. I was only preparing enough supper for three." Blizzard turned about and headed for the kitchen, correcting his course as his wrist warned of a column. "Grab a sweater or something; they keep it cooler in public areas at night. I'll go make sure Uncle Dee has a plate when we return."

"Sounds good. Thanks." Art tapped Glacier's shoulder and whispered a query. "He cooks? Is it okay for him to leave something on the stove?"

"Blizz rocks at cooking. He's training to be a chef. Besides, I heard him pulling out the crock-pot earlier so whatever he's up to is burn-proof." Glacier found a closet near the door and thumbed through braille tags on various coat-hangers. "Damn, I did leave it out. Hey Arty, help me find my wool sweater and I'll buy you a snack. Deal?"

"Deal."

---

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1 Hour Later

Central NHA Ward

Vapor Furnace Prime

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---

"Wow. So this is the library?" Artemis took a few seconds to take in the sights and smells of a large courtyard filled with grass, trees, and even small animals like squirrels and birds. "I would never have guessed there'd be a huge park on this bucket."

"It's the only park actually; it's popular outside of school hours. It's hard to maintain this much flora in open spaces up here, so there's a law against parks and gardens." Glacier's nose perked up and winked in delight. "For as nice as it smells, it takes a lot to get a flora license. I think a cubic decimeter is all you can grow without one if you're not a Yangurra."

"Damn, then the garden you've got must be expensive."

"If you saw the bills we payed you might laugh at first. I did." Blizzard joined his sister in taking a sniff, then promptly regained his bearings. "Let's hurry to mom before they dim the ambient lights. It gets busy around here in the dark."

"Yeah, I can't hear a thing when it's late enough. Too many lovey-dovey college kids." Glacie groaned at first, then took a good whiff of the nicely-scented--if drab and plain green--bouquet she carried proudly. "Where's the statue...? Oh, right! We have eyes now, hehe. Arty, please...?"

"There's a statue in the center over this way." Art tapped the back of Glacie's paw as he was previously instructed, then pointed it that way in the correct direction. "Straight there. Nothin' in our way."

"Thanks, hon." Glacier led the way, tugging her brother along behind her until they stood at a large, square fountain with a statue of a female wolf at the further end. "So how's it look? The place look clean? Beautiful?"

"Sure. There's a few leaves on this..." Arty leaned forward to brush a pile of leaves off a slab of marble before the three, then fell to his knees once he read a bit of revealed text. "In memory of... Ashe Holmwilt Rustfelt..."

"Hi, mom. We're back again."

"Sorry it's been a few days."

"She's... Oh gods..." Arty gasped as Glacier bumped into him with her flowers. "S-Sorry... I just..."

"Oh, my bad. Boop!" Glacie shuffled around Art and placed the flowers on the gravestone, giving her new friend a much needed rub on his back. "Thanks for keeping her tidy."

"'2015 to 2037'? She died so young--and that's the end of the war, right?" Arty slowly stood with a paw clenching his chest. "What happened?"

"She had us." Blizzard suddenly lost his façade of cheerfulness and pouted with his head angled downward. "Women in our family didn't usually fare well with children. Supposedly dad fixed that trait in us, but..."

"I... see." Art looked up to the statue, suddenly finding visual similarities to the twins. "So you come here every year to honor her on... your birthday? Gods, I can't even imagine leaving a legacy like that."

"This isn't her only legacy. The large buildings surrounding this park? That's the Ashe Holmwilt Expertise Archives. Every book you could call 'useful', all stored in one place." Glacier slowly stood, regaining her happier demeanor along the way. "A part of her is still in there. Her genius couldn't escape it."

"Well that's nice. She's got a library named after her in the center of the best university in the galaxy. Fitting for someone deemed a genius." Arty looked to all cardinal directions, finding long pathways leading to each branch of the college. "It's a shame that's all they could keep of her memory. People like that could help so many young minds."

"But she--" Blizz cocked his head as he ran those words back through his head. "Wait, you don't know anything about her? We definitely need to show you this statue then."

"The statue?" Arty beat the twins to the punch and walked around the fountain, finding an odd hologram of the same Ashe flickering at the base. "What's this? There's no need if there's a statue, right? I mean, it's pretty cool... and I can see you take your pelt pattern from your mom in color I guess."

"I'm happy you noticed. I take pride in my genes."

"The fuck!?" Arty jumped as the hologram moved to wave forward, not quite lining up with him much like the twins. "This is a Construct? Some kind of simulated intelligence or something?"

"No... I'm their mother." The hologram shut off momentarily, then came back a bit clearer than before. "Damn, someone needs to replace this unit. It's getting water damaged."

"You're... their mother?"

"Oh, sorry. I got on a tangent. My attention is split at the moment with a data backup." The image slowly corrected to point toward Arty, likely an error correction system and not a planned motion. "You must be Artemis. My children were making predictions about you for almost an hour just two days ago. I'm Ashe. Nice to finally meet you."

"Uh... same here..."

"Ah, right. You're wondering about all this." Ashe threw her paws down her holographic representation and gave herself a spin. "My dear Elliot put me in here. I'm a Construct essence of my old self. I'd say that's nice, but my own husband doesn't have the time to visit me after deciding to sell the tech."

Arty reached behind his neck and felt the new Sense device snapped into place. "So Linked Reality tech stems from this? I can't even imagine..."

"Well, it's an adaptation. We both developed it with some help from Adrian and Carbon. My handsome Elliot wanted to save me once we found out I was pregnant, but... Carbon discovered there was nothing we could do so late." Ashe started to pout, but shut off her hologram projector to hide that fact. "But he wouldn't accept that and made an artificial Link... hoping to preserve me like this. What we both didn't expect was that the wetware it required would fill several buildings."

"Then... the library is actually you?"

"Indeed. I'm located below the whole academy, actually. The library is just a way to share my memory banks, by my own request. If I'm to be stuck like this, I'd at least want to have a purpose."

Artemis stood tall and looked to the twins as they regained their pouts. "And as a result, you can't see your pups when you want."

"Oh, they come every day for the most part. Hearing about their days is the highlight of mine. I just... wish I could hold them." Ashe brought her image back online as she sighed and faked a smile. "I'm alright with this though. I would have none of it if I just died. I'd never know my children, their friends, you... I'll take that."

"I can... relate." Art focused on his Sense and nodded for the Construct. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on them, but... I need a minute to myself. Is there--?"

"I'll watch them for a bit. Just call them over; they're not usually this shy."

"Thanks, ma'am. I'll... be back soon." Arty jogged over to the twins and placed his paws on their shoulders. "She wants to talk. I'll leave you guys alone for a little bit and head back soon. Cool?"

"Yeah. Check back in a while, Arty." Glacier crawled her paws up the panthott's arm and placed one on his heart. "I don't know what's bothering you, but take your time. We'll be here."

"Y-Yeah... Later, guys."

Blizzard gave a similar squeeze of the shoulder as if the two could sense Arty's heightened emotions. "See ya', man. Take it easy."

"Later." Art broke away from the two and headed for the established 'northern' facing building. Fuck... What are the fucking chances of that? Gods, I've basically got a ghost strapped to my head. He pulled the device off, along with a neck band he wore to hold it in place. So this is all a work of love? It's romantic and sad both at once.

A sudden bump sent the one-ofAKind device flying... thankfully into the arms of a student. "Oh, ah... e-exc-cuse me, sir..."

"Ah! I..." Arty blinked and stared at the stunning red fox girl before him until he finally caught his figurative jaw dropping. "N-No, I'm an idiot. I should have been watching the path instead of my Sense. Sorry about that."

"Oh... Thank the gods. I didn't realize I caught this." The vixen inspected the unfinished device and gave it back with a hint of visible questioning in her eyes. "I didn't know people could make their own. Cool. Well... I'll be on my way..."

"Wait, I... I'm Artemis. Let me at least get you a drink to apologize."

"Oh, thanks... but I think I'm fine. I'm... Vixelynn."

The girl tried to walk away shyly but Art held her gently by the wrist. "Wait. At least let me make you something cool. You want a custom avatar for SenseSpace? It'll only take a minute and I could honestly use an excuse to clear my head."

"Oh... Sorry, but I don't use any of that." Vix tapped the back of her bare, unaltered neck. "You know how one in a million people can't have the surgery? Yeah." She broke the hold on her arm and bowed politely to Art. "Thanks for the offer though. I know those are pretty coveted in that realm. I'll see you later--Art, was it?"

"Y-Yeah, Art's great. I'll owe you a coffee or something, uh... Vix? Lynn?"

"Anything is fine, really. I... need to get inside before it gets dark..."

"Sure. Don't be late on my account." Arty nodded and held open the door in thanks. Well now I need a new subject. Oh... the library. Right. Arty passed through the door Vix just used and scanned the elegantly detailed, hardwood clad Research Wing of the Archives. After he got a sense for the scene, he found a greeting desk with a Voider on the other side. "Oh, ah... Hello? Can you help me?"

"Certainly, Terran." This particular Voider barely contained additional parts, his core sphere floating with only a single arm attached to it for basic tasks. Most likely this sphere was rather young, if the basic emotive speech was evidence enough. "Politely: How may this one assist you today?"

"I'd like somewhere I could be alone. Do you have studying rooms for students or something?"

"Yes, this facility contains such rooms." The sphere tapped a physical button, then wirelessly communicated with a terminal. "Due to examinations ongoing in the Academy, currently group rooms are for students alone. Please present your Slate or another photographic identifying article to confirm enrollment."

"Oh, I'm not sure if mine's set up yet. I'm enrolled for the upcoming semester." Arty pulled out his Slate and offered it for a scan. "What do I do if this isn't good enough?"

"Processing... Complete. You are not currently enrolled." The Voider lowered its hover height as if it was bowing. "Apologetically: This one cannot schedule a group room under these conditions. Your name is now credited with a redeemable skip ahead of the next line once you become eligible. May this one assist you further?"

"Uh, no. Thanks." Arty rubbed his temples as he examined the layout of the area much closer the second time around. There's got to be somewhere I can go. Hm... He walked around slowly, admiring the way only the walls contained Slate docks and the rest of the area was centered around tables and equipment for studying. Without thinking, he noticed the corners of the rooms were mostly unused and found out why. Some kind of secure door? Cool they make them look like part of the wall, at least. Let's see what you're hiding in there.

Artemis ran a paw along the semi-secret door as he probed for anything electronic. After a few seconds he latched onto something, a digitally controlled switch recessed into one of the seams. A quick check resulted in no secondary systems such as deadman latches or air pressure gauges. The switch must have been for the door's catch alone and was quite simple at that. With a brightening glow in his paw Arty forced the switch to fire, popping the door open a crack.

Bingo. Now to just act like I belong here... Art slipped beyond the thick door and shut it behind him, regretting that choice of actions when he couldn't find a working light switch even with his abilities. He could use the trace scatter of light from his flesh to bump around a bit, his arm glowing brighter as he searched for anything electronic at that point. "Come on... There's gotta be something in here. There's... a digital stylus... Oh, like ten of those. A bunch of old Slates... This is a storage closet? Oh, what's this?"

Art blindly bumped into a rugged chem-light lantern, probably used while the station was being built or upgraded. "Why's it got a lock fitted to it, though? Just gotta nix that..." The digital combination lock popped off without much effort, allowing the panthott access to the creamy, blue-glowing center as a seal popped free and a guard shroud was pulled down. "Much better. Thank the gods for the shelf life of basic tech. Now for some advanced gear..."

Artemis simply held the prototype Sense in his paw and connected his mind to it directly, forming a Link without the need for an implant. In moments the system recognized his biometric pattern and configured the unit, displaying various user interface notifications floating around him. Arty merely willed the clutter away and it flew out of sight, soon followed by the rest of reality in favor of a gray void. "Blank canvas. Damn, that was quick too. Beefy horsepower on this baby."

A message popped into view. [Art, that you?]

"Chelsea? I didn't realize she had one of these." Arty imagined a block of text and it sent before he could mentally see his intended message. [Chels, hey. Bit busy right now, but I'd love to catch up later.]

[Later? No time for little old me?] Art chuckled at the response, imagining his playful former girlfriend's signature smirk. [I just got into this whole thing. I know you use these all the time. You really gonna leave me out to dry, kitty?]

[I have a lot on my mind at the moment. I'll give you a rundown tonight though.]

[Only a rundown?] Art almost closed the conversation right there, but stared with his jaw on the floor as a very nude 3D model of the athletic cheetah popped into frame. [Maybe we can bump that up to personal tutoring. I think I've gotten over our little problem we had before. Want me to show you?]

[Chels, it was your problem. I was hard and ready and you're the one that ran out my house in a fit.] The hybrid sighed at his harsh tone and imagined his crotch, a render of the area sending over to the old friend. [Have a good time on your own. This might help, if you're really fine with it now. But just so we're clear, I seriously need some time right now. My whole life's flipped around recently.]

[Oh... You only get like this when you really are serious. Sorry, hon.] Another 3D render came into view, this time of Chelsea's puckered lips. [Call me when you're feeling better. I really do want to give things another try.]

[Sorry, Chels. We'll do that later, yeah.] Arty drooped his head in his paws at the bad memories, but tried to keep himself thinking straight. You're fine without her, Art. Focus on your work. As the conversation faded away, several 3D modelling tools appeared near Arty's sides intended for his paws. Using his abilities in tandem with the freedom of the new Sense unit, he remotely controlled the brushes as they painted colored voxels over the blank space. Uncle Ellie wants the library, he'll get the library. That entrance hall is impressive... but he needs to see his wife more.

The brushes scurried about, building a rough layout of the courtyard fountain with sketches of trees and the statue. In merely a minute the whole park was reconstructed in basic shapes from memory alone. Not sure what those trees were, but... The landscape took the focus once the fine detailing tools activated. Arty purposefully left the trees and bushes simplistic to draw focus away from them. And now for the centerpiece... Using a few photos he'd secretly snapped the fountain slowly came into cleaner detail, the masonry gaining curves and chiseled edges. The burial slab was next with a placeholder of what text Art remembered carved into the surface. The statue finished it all off over another twenty minutes, a perhaps more impressionist version of that feature coming out of the detailing process. And since this isn't reality, let's make this a little nicer. The centerpiece of Ashe slowly filled out with color as a material brush worked over it, making the statue look much more like the person in the hologram below. There. I think he'll like that.

Artemis shifted the scene around to inspect it in detail and make small corrections. Then a vision flashed over the sight, making the panthott break out his basic tools again. No, there's a key detail missing. Over another twenty minutes two new cheerful figures relaxed over the edge of the grave, a female holding flowers out for the deceased. I thought this might be sad, but it's sort of a decent family portrait. Actually... maybe the first with their mother. Arty saved his art and sent it to his uncles with a nice note. [Family never fades. Enjoy.]

"Ha~h... I needed that. Nice suggestion, Dee." Arty laid back in the dim light and held his new Sense up to admire it in the strong contrast of the lantern. "Nice stuff, guys. Approved. And you..." The panthott rolled over and grabbed the chem-light. "You're coming with me. I'd love sharing that new bed with that light of yours."

The door suddenly clicked open, causing Art to shut the guard on the lantern instinctively. In a moment a figure entered the storage room and turned on one of the library's borrowable reading Slates as a makeshift light. "Finally. It's too fucking noisy out there."

I know that voice...

The Slate turned to face the person, revealing the vixen from earlier. "Time for a good stack of books. Again. Forever."

Shit... I need to leave, but I'll just look like a creep now. ...Fuck it. Arty acted like he was waking up from a nap and slid down the shroud of his new lantern. "Well that was fun."

"Oh, shit!" Vixelynn jumped and dropped her Slate once she realized she wasn't alone. "How the hell did you get in here? And... Art?"

"Oh, hey. Yeah, um..." An excuse... Oh, right! "My uncle is Doctor Rustfelt. I have full access around here. How did you get in this secret hiding spot, Vix?"

"I... know a trick. Sorry. I'll leave." Vix stood and reached for the door, muttering in a fit of distress. "Shit... Now what am I gonna do?"

"You don't need to leave. If you just wanted some peace, I can relate. It'll be our little secret." Arty stood and nudged ahead of Vix. "I'm wanted elsewhere so I've got to jet. Feel free to enjoy your books in here, Vix."

"Really? Gods bless, Art. Thanks." The fox held the door open as her new acquaintance left. "Wait, um... Art? I know you're busy now but... maybe a coffee sometime wouldn't be so bad, after all..."

"Coffee sounds nice, yeah. Lets do that--rain check though. Bye, Vix. Nice meeting you."

"Y-Yeah, nice meeting you too, Art. Later."

Artemis shut the hidden door, gaining a hop to his step as he returned to the courtyard. Maybe this whole space college thing won't be so bad after all.

---

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0512 Hrs., The Next Morning

Rustfelt Custom Penthouse

Housing Ward 001

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"Nn..."

"Ah... Hm...?" Artemis snapped awake suddenly to a face full of silver and white fluff. After the initial shock of noticing Glacier in his bed, he then gasped as he felt himself inside Glacier. What the fuck!?

"Mnuh... Finally up, brother? Lazy." The wolf rolled her hips back and clenched her inner muscles. "Why don't you help me out now that we're awake. That heat won't solve itself, Blizz."

Oh, shit. Damn. She thinks I'm... Wait, she fucks her twin brother? Art looked down at Glacier's ass, moving her tail away to check the damage. Holy shit... down to the hilt. What the flying fuck?

"What's wrong, Blizz? Can't find your condoms?"

Art attempted to ease his length out of her folds, but his soft spines kept him from doing so easily. "F-Fuck..."

"Ah! Wait, wh--" Glacie reached behind her rump and grabbed Art's cock to stop him... only the spined spire she gripped wasn't the one inside her. "What the fuck is this!?"

"Glacier! Hold still!" Arty carefully inched himself out of the poor girl's squelching trap, doing his best to reduce the grip of each fleshy spine. "Just relax. Let me... try to do this..."

"Oh, fuck...! Arty!?" Once Glacie was free she rolled out of bed and crawled into the nearest corner. "Gods, I thought you were--!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know--"

"No... Gods, this is my fault." The wolf checked her oversensitive sex, unsure if there was any leaking blood due to her existing wetness. "Fuck... I... Blizz usually helps me when I'm... in season... Fuck me, that stung."

"Glacier... let me check. It's the least I can do." Arty slipped out of bed, grabbing his new night light lantern for a little illumination. "I don't see anything to worry about. I... didn't know that would do that though."

"How... do I look down there? I can't see and... you seem like you'd be popular with the ladies."

"You're not wrong, honestly. Still, you're really p-pretty down here. You're young though, so..." Art's eyes widened at that realization. "You're what, fifteen or sixteen? Crap."

"Almost sixteen. And don't worry... I won't tell anyone." Glacier slowly shut her legs as she calmed down, a heavy blush flooding to her face. "Thanks. Can we... not bring this back up?"

"If you want. You're fine though? I mean... mentally, too? That gave me a hell of a scare."

"Yes. Yeah, if we don't think too much about it." Glacie slowly rose up, feeling around for the door. "What was that I...? No, forget it."

"I invaded your privacy in the harshest way possible. Don't worry about being impolite now." Art stood as well and pulled Glacie's panties up to cover her sex. "What's on your mind?"

"I grabbed something all... spikey. What was that?"

"Shit. It was my other cock." Art looked down at the aberration, a longer penis with the same feline spines but an additional knot poking out from beneath the normal one. "I'm a bit different, probably thanks to my dad being different too. I have a second one of... those."

"I sort of got that part, but I meant the nubby bits too."

"Oh, really? Well... Shit, I guess you're too young to be sleeping with random felines." Arty corrected the shirt Glacie wore so it covered her down to her tummy. "The panther in me gives me spines on my dicks. They're not sharp like normal, thankfully, but they are stiff. I didn't think they'd stick us together though."

"You've never used them? Wait, was that your first time?"

"Y-Yeah, it was. I've fooled around with a lot of girls, but when they see the second cock they run away screaming." Art placed both paws on her shoulders and sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just... go find your brother and some condoms. I won't ask questions, Glacie."

"No... I took something special from you without checking first." Glacier boldly ran her paws down to Arty's boxers and found his cocks, honestly feeling around them to envision and understand his spines. "I got you worked up, too. Now you'll get double the blue balls, won't you?"

"I told you, don't worry about it. It's fine. I... have perfectly capable paws."

"No, that's not right. Um... Here, how about this?" Glacier slid down her sopping wet panties, stepped out of them, found Arty's arm, and placed the gift in his webbed paw. "At least let me give you something to help you get the job done. Then when we have time later... maybe I'll find some way to make it up to you."

"That's... Thanks, but I'd rather not have sex with you just because--"

Glacier shushed the panthott by grabbing both his cocks and slowly rubbing them. "You'll be helping my heat, so don't think this is one-sided. As to how...?" She smiled as she nudged her hips forward, allowing one of Art's tips to touch her sex and the other to rub her virgin ass. "Maybe I can trade you one of my firsts for yours. You do have the extra hardware, after all."

"I'm not sure we should do this. I don't want Blizz to freak out, and you're so young..."

"I'm old enough to be in heat. I'm therefore old enough to choose who the fuck helps me with it. Stop worrying." Glacie released Arty's manhoods reluctantly, then exited the room. "I need to think about it too, Arty. I'm just saying that... I don't want to leave things unsettled, however we resolve this. Oh, and... you can keep those if you like."

Shit... What the fuck am I gonna do about this? Arty shut the door, then slipped back into bed and held the panties near his nose. "She smells good. Must be some otter in her turning me on. Damn, it's strong too." A bit nervously at first, he brought his paws down to his cocks and started stroking while the panties rested on his pillow. "Fuck it. Can't go make breakfast like this."

Artemis looked up to the Sense sitting on his nightstand and remotely Linked to the device. As he pumped his lengths, be recalled the image Chelsea sent him the previous night. "Damn... Smells like otter, but hello kitty. I was so close to having cheetah as my first notch, Chels... Fuck..." He noticed a bunch of pending notifications and opened them, finding a surprise treasure trove of 3D cheetah images, all leading through the entire process of taking a mounted silicone toy. "Holy shit, Chels. What the fuck?"

[Just a little something to let you know I'm thinking of you.] Another message full of images popped up showcasing two dildos crammed into the cheetah's pussy, going all the way until they pumped her full of cum lube in a messy show. [Thanks for the pic, sexy. If you're feeling lonely, you know where to find me...]

"Okay, now I wish I was back on Earth. Fucking... Gods, easiest pawing of my life." Engulfed in the scents and sights, Arty sped up his efforts and gave his growing knot a few squeezes. "Fuck... I'm getting close. Need a towel..."

A warmth grew in Arty's spine as he fought his orgasm, then out of nowhere that warmth shifted into a paw on his hefty balls. "Or you could let me help, handsome."

Art froze stiff at the foreign touch and voice, then shivered at the cold, blue paw cupping his balls. "Wh-Who...!?"

"I'm here to serve, Master. Oh, but I forget I normally absorb heat." That glowing, slightly translucent paw slowly warmed to the touch. "Better, Master?"

"Who the h-hell are you!?" Art finally willed himself to turn around, finding the spitting image of Chelsea lying next to him only apparently made out of magic blue gel. "What the hell are you?"

"I'm... a djinn. The one you revived the other day?" The genie lookalike furled her fake brow, then nodded as she came to a conclusion. "Oh, I get it. You've never seen djinni before. It pleases me that I am my Master's first."

"A djinn... Fuck, I thought you guys were just SenseSpace rumors!" Arty inspected the completely nude copy of his ex-girlfriend, his mind partially controlled by his dick as he lingered on her pussy. "Wait, how did I revive you? When?"

The genie picked up the chem-light lantern and presented it with a smile. "You freed me of this damned lock. I was almost out of energy until you let that fresh air touch me. I could have died if not for you!"

"I... You lived in that lamp? How does that work? And who are you, anyway?"

"All djinni require a place to release our forms so we may rest and recharge. When I was born, no suitable container existed; How to explain...? My mother, Prisma, was not prepared for me as I was the first of our kind, so this lantern was modified to hold me. I do not know why I was one day locked inside, and my memory is hazy due to the long hibernation." The djinn rolled Arty onto his back and straddled his waist, gliding her pussy over his lengths. "I do not know my origin, but I do know I was named Cherenkov. Until I remember my original purpose... you are my purpose, Master."

"I'm your master? As in... I own you?"

"Yes, wholly. I would no longer exist if not for you, so my life is yours." Cherenkov raised her hips as well as her master's cocks, then slowly lowered herself back down. "My body is also yours, Master. Allow me to please you in a way that leaves no mess."

"W-Wait! Oh... gods..." Arty groaned as his new genie friend sank down upon his whole lengths aside from his knot. "We can't do this. You're just--"

"Oh. Is... this form not desireable?" Cherenkov shuddered a gasp free of her calm exterior as that knot nudged against her ass, then again as her master's lengths grew enough that her cervix was crushed against. "I noticed you were using this image on that device to get yourself off, but... I can always--"

"No. Fuck no. Looking like Chels is a good thing." Art reached up to grab the woman's waist, finding to his surprise that though she looked to be made of the same jellied candy as gummy bears she actually felt much like a normal person. "Are you sure you're fine with this? I'm not going to have sex just because you think you need to help me."

"You think I wouldn't want to have sex? With these wonderful beasts? With my absolutely handsome, caring Master?" The djinn raised her hips a tiny bit, then set into a rhythm of dropping and lifting them. "Don't worry so much, Master. Just let me know how I can make this better for you. It's already wonderful to me."

"Okay... Then maybe... don't look exactly like Chelsea? She's a bit young for me, anyway."

"Older? Let me see..." Cherenkov gained a bit more luminance to her glowing body, then over a few seconds she shifted to look more like Chelsea only closer to the age of thirty. "Does this fit me better, Master?"

"Oh, fuck yes. Chels' mom..." Arty's paws slid up the more curvaceous hips and eventually settled on a set of fuller breasts. "Perfect, Cheren. Just... Gods... Fuck, you might be too beautiful now... I'm getting close again."

"I'm happy, Master. Enjoy yourself. Here." Cher picked up the forgotten pair of panties and held them up to her master's nose. At the same time, she tipped her balance backward a bit and started sinking down on the knot knocking at her rear door. "Give me your seed, Master. Mark me as yours."

"Ah, fuck!" Artemis jerked his hips upward, eliciting a yip from both lovers as that knot slammed home. Moments later he realized there was no point in holding himself back, Arty's orgasm washing over him completely while visibly filling Cher's womb with the off-blue of his cum. "Gods! Fuck, I-I'm--!"

Cher started shaking atop the panthott, her own climax firing off with the sudden tightness and warmth inside her. "M-Master!"

"Gods... Oh, gods..." Panting desperately after his short but sweet first time claiming a woman, Art sat upright and hugged Cher close. "Holy... shit..."

"It was... that good for... you too, Master?" The genie fell forward into the hug, smothering her lover with her tits. "Good. This... makes me happy."

"Thank you... for that..." Arty tried to lift Cher off him so they could rest, but that knot and his barbs worked in tandem to make it impossible. "Sorry. I guess we're stuck for a little while." He checked his lover's side and spotted the faded outline of his two large cocks buried into the djinn. "Holy crap. How am I that far inside you and not hurting you?"

"You can't damage me, not easily anyway. My body is only for your enjoyment, as I am truly a collective organism." The genie gave her master a lick, her feline tongue modified to only act about as rough as a toothbrush. "But for all intents and purposes, I an just Cherenkov. And until I find my original purpose... please, don't hesitate to make use of me, Master. Not just in the bedroom, either. I'll help fulfill all of your wishes."

"Well I wish we weren't stuck together, actually. As nice as this feels, I think I might die if I don't get some coffee in me soon."

"Aha. Well as I said, don't worry about me." Cher loosened her plugged holes and lifted herself up, wincing in mild pain as she forced herself free of just the knot. "There we are. You're still hard though, Master. Would you like to make love to me again when you return? I'd sure enjoy it."

"If I didn't have school tours to worry about, I might just--" The bedroom door slowly opened a bit and a lone otter paw reached inside to knock on the frame. "Wh-Who is it? I'm a bit busy."

"Just how long are you gonna take, Arty? To think I'd have to show my own son how to paw off properly..." With a sigh, Iolvin opened the door and caught himself in a surprised paralysis upon spotting his son deep inside an unknown djinn. "Well if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all. Good going, son. Got your old man's swagger, I see."

"Dad!? Could I have a minute!?"

"Sorry, Arty. I thought you were just jerking it after seeing Ash--" Yoyo caught himself making a mistake and tried again. "Glacie walk out of here damn near stark naked."

"Shit... You were waiting out there the whole time? How much did you happen to overhear?"

"Pretty much all of it. Popular with the ladies, huh? Speaking of..." Yoyo offered a paw to Cher with a slight bow. "I'm Iolvin, Arty's dad. People call me Yoyo though. And who might this sexy djinn be?"

"I'm Cherenkov, sir. I'll be your son's personal servant for the forseeable future."

Yoyo huffed a puff of air as he shook the genie's paw. "You don't say. I guess that runs in the family too. Say... have we met before? You seem familiar."

"I can't say that we have, though I did recently scramble some of my memory sadly." Cher slowly eased herself off her master's deflating cocks, inadvertently giving Yoyo full view of both their goods. "It doesn't matter, though. I'm just happy to have a purpose again. Even if your son only cares to use me as a sex slave, it's better than the fate he saved me from."

"Maybe that's where the déjà vu is coming from. It's like I'm staring at a younger version of myself and my wife." Yoyo took a good look at his son's extra appendage, then without asking reached below his balls to prod at the small opening of a hidden vagina. "We're more alike than I thought. Arty, why didn't you ever tell me about this? There can be complications with this kind of anatomy, and between your aunt and myself we could have helped you with any problems you'd have..."

"Dad, please--" Two of Yoyo's fingers dipped into his son's tight sex, immediately sending a reactionary punch to the otter's jaw. "Get your paw out of my pussy! Fuck, dad!"

"Hey, I was just checking something for you." Yoyo held his jaw and backed away, finding a chair by a desk to rest. "Aunt Lulu had issues because hers was too small. Mine's hopeless. Yours looks... decent, like a young girl's at least. Hopefully that's enough if you ever feel like having whelps of your own."

"Dad... damnit. Maybe you should wait outside a bit?"

"Hey, I wouldn't mind having more time to watch Ashe's kids going at it. They're like Lulu and I are every chance we get."

"O...kay." Arty took a deep breath, then pulled Cher beneath the covers with him. "Leave them alone. Glacier's been through enough this morning."

"You really don't mind me staying here? You can always show me how much of a man you've become, son. We don't shy away from sex in this family." Yoyo tossed his paws upward and headed for the door. "Or I could sit in the garden until you're done with Cherry, here. Not familiar with djinni myself, but I'll be rooting for you two if you're aiming to start a family."

Artemis flopped his head back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. "Dad, wait. We... need to talk."

"I can only assume. Adri was telling me I had to rush back from some important negotiations because you were in trouble or something." Iolvin sat on the side of the bed, but gave his son all the room he'd ever need. "Arty, son, I'm a father first and an ambassador second. I know we haven't always gotten along, but I do love you. What's troubling you?"

"It's not me, not really. I told Dee to keep things vague because I was afraid you'd avoid me. I'm not calling for you because I necessarily want to... though maybe I was wrong not to want to see my own dad so much." Art sighed deeply, mustering the courage to deliver his message. "Dad, I don't have anywhere else to go. I'm all that's left."

"All that's left? I don't think I follow."

"Fuck. Dad..." Artemis choked on his words, closing his eyes but unable to hide his own tears. "Mom's cancer finally got the best of her. Mom's gone."

"Wh-What...?" To Arty's complete surprise, his father lurched forward as if he was going to upend his breakfast. "N-No way... You're f-fucking with me."

"Dad, mom is dead. I'm serious." Art shimmied to a sitting position and reached for a shelf over the headboard of the bed. His paws clasped a small box very gently, then passed it to his old man's shaking fists. "One of her last wishes was for me to give you her remains. She... said she 'could never be with you in this life, so she'd like to stay by your side through the next'."

Yoyo frantically wiped tears from his face as he accepted the box, opening it to find an ornately decorated brass urn inside. "Cassandra..." He shed the box and gave the urn a closer look, finding all of the decorations and carvings were done by paw. "She... knew this was coming. Fuck, we both did. She even made herself a final resting place. I don't know if I could ever face death head on like that."

"Mom was amazing, wasn't she?"

"That's why I loved her. She had a strong spirit." Yoyo turned the pot around and found a small inscription... with an engagement ring soldered just above it. "She kept it? 'The answer is always yes, even if it must be no.' Oh, Sandy..."

"Dad... are you alright? I've never... seen you like--"

"Don't worry about me, son. I got the message, so... I'll see myself out." The broken otter stood and slumped toward the door. "Even if not for me, try to come to holidays for your family. Your mother always said she forced you to come for them."

"Dad..."

"I'll... see you later--"

"***Dad!***" Artemis reached out and grabbed his father by his thick tail, dragging him back onto the bed. "I'm not done yet. Mom also... had another wish."

"Yeah? Son, I can only handle so much..."

"She wanted us to get along." Arty shoved his father onto his back so he could relax as well. "I can never forgive you for... not being there for her, in the end. That said... I think I can at least try to make you a bigger part of my life than I have."

"Arty, I supported the both of you as much as your mother allowed. I wanted to marry her, to raise you... I wanted us to be happy." Yoyo hugged the urn close to his chest. "She didn't want any part of that. She loved spending time afterward, as friends more or less... All I could really do for you was make sure you had a decent upbringing. I sent most of my pay as an ambassador to your mom. I opened up all the time I could. She kept herself distant because of her beliefs."

"So that's where the money comes from..." Art slowly started laughing at the ceiling as a great weight fell off his shoulders. "I thought mom was slaving away day and night through her cancer, treatments... I thought she was killing herself so I'd have money for an education. But that money was yours?" The son breathed a sigh of relief as he pat his father on the shoulder. "She just raised me her own way. Now I'm going to college here on this station thanks to you."

"Really? The Academy?" Iolvin gave his son's paw a pat or two as he calmed himself down. "I'm proud of you. She'd be proud of you." He rolled his head over and smiled at the sight of his son curled up together in bed with smiling lover. "You've grown up so well over the years. Find your passion in life and make it yours. Fall in love. Start a family. You've got the ability to do whatever you want. You can have a better life than I ever did, Arty."

"Thanks, dad." Artemis followed his father's eyes to Cher and quirked his head. "What you staring at?"

"I was just thinking, Cherry looks twice your age. She's more in my bracket, isn't she?"

"Looks can be deceiving. That said though... you always did bond better this way..." Arty turned to his new lover and servant in a lower tone. "Hey, how do you feel about... helping others?"

"I'd love to help you and your father get along better. Plus..." Cher crawled over Art's chest and tossed his father's sirat drapes to the side, uncovering his massive, solid cock. "I can definitely see the resemblance now."

Yoyo grunted as Cher licked his tip. "Son?"

"When I said mom wanted us to get along... in her own words right from the will, 'Artemis, have sex with your father. Trust me, it will help.' I think I get it now." Art spun his finger around and the genie got the hint. "Just relax. Let's have a... call it a 'chat', man to man. I've always wanted that."

"You know that normally doesn't include a woman, right?" Cherenkov hissed and gasped as she slowly engulfed Iolvin's cock in her cum-coated cunt. "N-Not that I'm complaining."

"I said to relax, old man." Arty took his mother's remains and placed them safely on the nightstand, then cooed and purred as Cher's warm muzzle lowered over the shorter of his two lengths. "I'm trying to get you involved in my becoming a man. That's a thing you do, right?"

"Yeah... I thought you didn't care about our tribe's traditions." Yoyo bucked his final length up into Cher, punching through her relaxed, gelatinous cervix with minimal resistance. "Alright then. Consider this your rite of passage into adulthood. You don't mind getting a little jizz on your face, do you?"

"I don't normally have that on my mind, dad... I don't really like guys like you do."

"No... I mean, I'll have to mark you to make it official. It's nothing crazy." Iolvin practically growled as he took command, jamming his hips upward into his offered lover as he was more of a top by default. "First lets drain our balls into Cherry here a few times. You're alright with that, hon?"

Cher bucked her hips in pleasure, taking a moment to adjust before continuing to fellate her master. "O-Oh, I think I can manage."

"Awesome. Family fun time starts now." Yoyo gave his son a nudge of the shoulder, finally feeling better about the situation he discovered. "So, you think you can go two or three more times? I've been pent up by myself on that trip."

"More like four or five. Once I get started it takes a lot to stop." Arty didn't even bother holding back, letting his next orgasm go the moment he obtained it and sending a stream of cum visibly into Cher's stomach. "Might... need to work on the stamina... though..."

"Well that's my first task as a real dad. Son, we're teaching you the tools of the trade today." Yoyo shoved himself onto his knees, lined himself back up, and began pounding into Cher from behind. "We're gonna work up an appetite for breakfast."

"Heeee..."

---

---

0840 Hrs.

Rustfelt Custom Penthouse

Housing Ward 001

---

---

"I can't believe you're actually coming home for once." Adrian stopped his older brother by his front door and locked foreheads with him. "Look... They know something's wrong with Arty. They need their father before this degrades further."

"Yeah... Well, it doesn't help I wasn't there for their birthday." Elliot placed his paw on a sensor by the door it slid silently open. "I couldn't... face them the way I was--"

"Ellie, shush. They know it isn't a happy day for you. Yet somehow they always muster the strength to visit their mother's grave." Dee crept into the foyer, hoping not to wake the kids. "Arty went with them this time. You should see what he sent to me last night. It's sweet."

"What? You didn't give him my prototype, did you?"

"What? You didn't blow him off to sleep in your office, did you?"

Elliot sighed as he silently conceded that point. "He was a cute little thing last time I saw him. You say he makes stuff with a Sense? Sounds like the start of a good marketing campaign for the new units."

"Ha-ha. Please, leave business at the door. Focus on your kids, Elle."

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right, DeeDee. Actually, maybe I should file for vacation when we get back to--"

"Water! Please tell me this place has a water filter!" Artemis strode out of his room directly to the kitchen, naked as the day he was born and drenched in sweat. "Wait, do you even need filters in space? Isn't all the water clean, dad?"

"That's pretty much what I got from it. But what do I know? I've only lived on ships for the last two decades." Iolvin followed his son proudly sporting the exact same manner of dress. "Actually, I just can't get sick from radiation I think. You too, if that glow of yours does more than just look good."

"Well I don't care right now. I can barely move after all that fucking." Art found a few glasses and filled them from the tap, taking a sip of the chilled refreshment. "It's the best I've ever had! Damn!"

"Everything's better after a good fuck, son. Welcome to the big leagues." Yoyo walked over, placed the glasses down, and gave his son a hug. "Thanks for giving me a fair chance, Arty. I want to be there for you in all these special moments."

"Well... that's different." Dee very purposefully cleared his throat as he walked over, suppressing a chuckle at the lack of clothes despite the touching moment. "So they let you do negotiations in the buff now?"

"Honey?" Yoyo turned about and instantly smiled with his arms outstretched upon spotting his mate. "Adri! Hey, I managed to make it after all!"

"You haven't answered my question, dear." Dee gave his husband a kiss, but refrained from a hug due to the sweat dripping from his damp fur. "And what's this about sex? I thought we would consult each other with new partners...?"

"I'm so sorry, Adri. It just came up all of a sudden, and it was my son..." Yoyo slowly deflated his happy demeanor and stood repentantly. "Adrian, it hasn't been all fun and games. I'm trying to keep my mind off... sadder things."

"So you fuck your son? Or... Gods, don't tell me you defiled Elliot's twins."

"I won't say those two have been completely innocent, but no. Turns out Arty here has himself a new personal servant."

"Gods... Like father, like son."

"That's what I said."

Elliot slowly walked over, his eyes looking down at the droplets of sweat all over his floors. "Could we maybe continue this after some showers and fresh clothes? Yoyo, you have a suitcase with you or should I have Corinth buy a fresh suit?"

Yoyo picked up his glass. "Can't I have something looser?"

"Fine, just a two-piece."

Yoyo groaned a moment, then he spotted Cherenkov leaving the bedroom with a wobble to her step and instead held out the his for her. "So she can walk straight. Cherry, you need anything? Water? A new pelvis?"

"This is her?" Dee moved over to help the poor girl, but she evaded him to latch onto Arty's arm for support. "She's a djinn. How the hell do you make a djinn your servant?"

"What do you mean? Is that strange?" Arty refilled his glass and offered it to Cher, the genie finally accepting the gift since it was presented by her master. "Cheren is the first djinn I've ever known."

Elliot interrupted as he gave the woman a quick examination. "Well that's interesting. Short for Cherenkov, I assume?"

Dee nodded and grinned. "Oh, yeah. Can't believe I didn't notice that."

"You... know me?" Cher nearly dropped her glass in excitement. "I-I'm trying to figure out my origin. Please, if you have any information--"

"Ah, sorry. We were just commenting on your name because of your glow." Dee pulled out his Slate and searched for the term, producing a few pictures of nuclear power reactors glowing blue in their coolant water. "Cherenkov radiation has the same appearance. Whoever named you knows their way around a reactor, if that helps."

"It... It's a starting point. Thank you."

"Adri, my son had a question and I'm dumb as a rock with this stuff..."

"Oh, sorry. Ellie?"

"Arty, djinni are hive minds. All of their cells are individual robots working as a whole consciousness. All djinni have a slight connection to each other, and they work to improve their entire race together." Ellie took a seat at the kitchen bar and reached for a box of coconut water on a shelf. "The 'origin' Cheren is referencing is her unique purpose. Each djinn is born out of a need the species discovers, and each one's origin becomes the reason they live. It's what they strive to accomplish for the whole--their jobs if you will."

"I think that makes sense..." Art looked to his stupefied father and snorted, the two perhaps also sharing a lack of affinity for high science. "So she wants to return to her purpose. Okay... but what about if that purpose is finished?"

"I... don't know. Rumor is that they just focus on another related task. Rarely they've been said to fall in love..." Ellie looked at the way the exhausted djinn clung to her master and couldn't help a smirk. "But honestly, I don't think I've heard of a confirmed case of a djinn without an origin. They're hard to study because they're so focused."

"The djinni were your starting point for the concept of Constructs, right?" Dee cooed at the sight of the coconut water and opened one for himself. "Wasn't Prisma the one that formulated all that?"

"You know my mother?"

The Rustfelt brothers looked to each other, with Elliot taking the question. "She's the system core of the Starbreeze, and a good friend. We were there when she was created."

"Then you do know her." Cher perked up for a moment, but simply didn't have the energy to stand without help. "I'm her first child. That's all I know, though."

"You're the first djinn? I know there were complications with the first few, but Prisma doesn't want to talk about any of that." Dee sipped his beverage and offered some to his mate. "Maybe Sprite knows something. They're part of a whole after all."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up. She's overworked these days." Yoyo waved away the juice and raided the fridge for two bottles of beer. He smacked the cap of one against the edge of the granite counter top to Ellie's dismay, giving the opened bottle to his son. "Have a beer with your old man, son. It'll put some fur on your chest... and keep your muscles from getting too sore."

"Thanks..." Art took a sip, the first swig not wanting to go down smoothly. Once the first had passed however, he found he enjoyed the malty flavor of the stout. "Not bad. It sort of inspires something..."

"Yeah, drink another few and those sketches of your will get really interesting."

"Sketches?" Elliot took a custom Sense device out his breast coat pocket and snapped it onto the port behind his neck. "Didn't you say Arty made you something, DeeDee?"

"Oh, yeah. Let me send it to you too."

"I sent him a copy already." Arty tried to connect to the prototype Sense unit, but it was too far away in the other room. "I... think I sent it in your mail stream. It's pretty large, so it might take a minute."

"I've got a turbocharged connection on this pod. Let's see... Oh, I do have a mail." Ellie tapped the imaginary controls with a paw and opened the message's attachment, his whole view blanking out to render the scene. "It's a 3D model? Oh, a model painting. You saved the whole process, I see."

"With the detail I put into it, I'm not sure it would save as a discrete 3D model without crashing. Saving it stroke by stroke always works, though you have to watch it be painted again when it loads." Arty noticed Cher eyeing his beer and offered her a sip, to which she gained a soured expression. "Not your cup of tea?"

"No. I'll stick to water, Master."

"Oh, you aren't kidding. This is... really good work. Maybe I shouldn't kid about hiring Arty for marketing..." The fountain was just now starting to come into full definition, suddenly sinking Elliot's heart into his chest. "You... made her monument..."

"Huh." Yoyo downed a mouthful of beer and watched Ellie's emotions unfold in layers. "Now just what did you make that's got Elle tearing up, Arty? That's rare."

"Dee suggested I draw the school library for him. I saw something a bit more inspiring, though."

"It looks just like her..." Ellie nearly swiped a paw to close the scene and save face, but he noticed another two figures being sketched after the statue was detailed. When his two children fleshed out, cheerfully celebrating their mother over her resting place, he crumpled into a ball atop his stool. "Arty... I... I don't have words..."

"Sorry... Was it too much? I should have left the twins out. And... I know the coloring is a bit rough--"

"It's _ wonderful , Arty. _Thank you." Ellie took a 2D rendered screenshot of the scene focusing on his twins, then passed the image to a spot on the refrigerator. "It reminds me of the way she always described things to me. I'll... cherish this forever, hon."

"You like it? Good, I... wanted to capture what I felt watching them. They're the opposite of how I--" Artemis nodded a few times, barely catching himself crying in time to cover the fact up with a return to his room. "Cheren, you look like you need some rest. Come on... You can take it easy while I change the sheets."

"What was--?" Elliot looked to the photo, then to his guest's room. "Was it something I said?"

"Crap, I never told you why he was here." Adrian sighed into his carton before taking a long sip of coconut. "Ellie, he just lost his mother. Remember how she fought off lung cancer all those years ago?"

"It... spread to the other lung, didn't it? Damned radiation." Ellie peered into the room, only to have his view cut off as the door shut. "That poor kid. Forget what I was saying on the ride over; he can take all the time he needs to get back on his hindpaws."

"Yeah..." Iolvin took a deep breath as he stared at the closed door. "Mind if I tag along for a while? I'll bum on the couch. I just... want to stay near my boy a while longer."

"Damn... I'm sorry, dear. I completely forgot you and Cassandra were... close..." Ellie wiped his eyes clean and stood to slap his brother in law on the back. "I'll have Corinth bring up some sheets and a pillow. Make yourself at home."

"About that..." Adrian gently grabbed his nude husband by the balls and rolled them around softly. "You need a shower. I need to properly reward you for being a good father. I think we can solve both at once, if you've left some juice in here for another round that is."

"Y-Yeah. Oh, hell yeah, babe." Dee's attempt to distract his husband worked like a charm, pepping him up for a romp in the bath. "Can we use the tub, though? My legs are sore."

"Hell, you boys really did fuck the ever-living shit out of that girl." Dee pulled his man along by his hardening manhood, leading him to the bathroom with a squeak. "Why don't you give me a recap?"

"Ugh. This is when it sucks to be alone." Ellie raised a paw to his muzzle and shouted, "There's lube under the left sink, baby brother."

"Seems like we'll need a helping paw with that." Adrian paused his advance for a moment, then took a few steps back to grab his brother by the his necktie. "Why don't you help us find it, big brother?"

"Really? You want to...?" Elliot fluttered his eyes for a moment, forgetting he was ever considered in such a sexy manner by his family. "Heeeee..."