Chapter Nine: Intimacy
#10 of Tales of Ippon
Thunder raged and heavy rain pounded the soaked earth as the storm roared its
fury overhead. Wind-whipped, white-tipped waves battered against the oaken hull of the
ship, the hollow craft groaning with the strain of staying afloat amidst the storm. The sails
long shredded to useless wisps of canvas as the ferocious storm chewed at the vessel. The
entire craft was empty, save for a single sailor. Huddled under a thick sealskin coat, oiled
and sealed against eh rain, burning crimson hair flying with the appearance as if the sailor's
head was aflame. Blistered, bleeding hand strained to hold the ships wheel steady as the sea
churned violently.
"You'll not take me yet, damn you!" the captain roared against the storm, her
throat hoarse from yelling orders at her vanished crew. Every last one of them had been
taken by the typhoon, washed over the gunnels and carried out to the abyss by black waves
of roiling death. As she growled against the storm, roaring her defiance at the elements that
challenged her life, a blast of lightning split the sky, obliterating the aft mast and bringing a
mess of the rigging crashing down to the quarterdeck, forcing her to dive away from the
wheel to avoid being crushed. The impact sent her off balance as a wave punched the stern
of the ship, sending her careening headfirst into the gunwale, knocking her out before she
could even make sense of what had happened.
How much time had passed? She didn't know. But she was warm, dry, and alive.
Blinking as bright sunlight filtered through a small window onto her face, she sat up, wrapped
in fine silken sheets, and dressed in a wisp of gossamer robe. She blushed and covered
herself, thought the room was empty. Gathering her wits she surveyed the room. Dark-
stained, polished redwood flooring showed not an ounce of dirt or mud on it, and the walls
were fine plaster, painted an off-white, without details or embellishment. Two of the walls,
opposing each other seemed to be made of a paper-covered lattice, sectioned and set into
gaps so that the sections could slide along the 'track'. Footsteps caught her attention and she
turned quickly as the wall to her left slid open, and a small wolfess shuffled her way in,
carrying a small tray of food. She blinked at the new arrival and eyes the tray hungrily, as
the voyage at sea hadn't left much time for eating during the storm. The wolfess smiled and
set the tray down, bowing her head and shuffling back to the door. The door came open and
a younger male came in. he was reptilian, with brilliant red scales and gold eyes. He wore a
robe similar to the wolfess and looked at her, speaking as if confused, "Shidomori-sama ja
nai! Dare desu?!"
The wolfess ducked her head and whined, "Demo, Ano Kaou."
The Male frowned and eyed her again, her shock and confusion at the strange
language apparent. He sighed, "Wakateru... Toriaisugu, tabesa... soushite, shabete ippongo.
Ore te ga..." he trailed off turning away and speaking softly.
She looked to the tray and examined it. A bowl of steamed white grains, and a
charred fish on a flat plate. She licked her lips and looked to the wolfess with a smile, "Thank
ye for this, I'm right starved." She took up the fish and practically sucked the meat off the
bones, making the wolfess wrinkle her nose at the eating habits.
"You did WHAT?!" Aoi's shock and fury caused her friend and Lord to step back in
fright.
"W-well, I didn't really do anything," Usuyami stammered, blushing under her
scales.
"You could have stopped him!" The Kyujin paced angrily, wringing her hands and
barely containing the snarl on her lips.
Usuyami perked and eye ridge at that and smirked slightly, "And how would I
have done that?"
"I don't know! You could have pushed him off you?! You ARE stronger," Aoi
wheeled to glare at Usuyami, who was suddenly right in front of her, smiling softly.
"Aoi-chan," she purred, sliding her arm around her friend's waist, "Why are you
so upset?"
Aoi frowned and stepped back, but her legs caught before she could lift them, a
scaled tail curled about them gently, keeping her close to Usuyami.
"Are you.... Jealous?" Usuyami tilted her head, smiling at the woman in her arms.
Aoi huffed, "Stop, you're not going to make me any less angry at you for doing
that with a child."
Usuyami pouted a little, "You know... we were his age when we first started
learning about things like that."
Aoi was about to shout at her friend, but her words caught as she found that she
couldn't argue the fact stated to her. It was shortly after she'd been assigned to serve
Usuyami as her maid by the Lord Hakkichi that the two girls had been a bit more than
slightly curious about their differences. Curious enough to spend several nights exploring
each other to no small end.
Usuyami smiled and spoke softly, "you DO remember..." she smiled and
purred, "Maybe you remember that time when you were coming out of the bath?"
Aoi blushed more and retorted, "That was- !" She was cut off as Usuyami kissed
her fiercely, deft fingers unraveling the heavy Obi on the kyujin's waist in a matter of
seconds. Before Aoi could fully voice her complaint on the matter, Usuyami had the obi
across the room, and the under sash already untied and falling, "Sh-Shidomori-san..."
Usuyami frowned a little, "You're not really going to call me that now, are you?"
she purred sweetly and slipped her hands under the silk of Aoi's kimono, scritching through
the fur on her sides playfully, making the pale vixen squirm slightly.
"Nnn... I... but you're..." Aoi stammered, blushing and fidgeting as she was teased
and tickled.
Usuyami leaned in and dragged her forked tongue along Aoi's neck and
ear, "Mmm... I'm your Liege Lord? Not right now I'm not..." she smiled and slid her left hand
up, cupping her friend's breast gently, "Right now... I'm the girl who grew up with you for so
many years." She kissed at Aoi's neck and pulled her even closer, the hand on the Kyujin
breast squeezing and caressing lovingly. "And we both know what you love to call me..."
Aoi blushes brightly through her fur and nodded softly, whispering faintly; "Usu-
chi..."
Usuyami giggled, rather girlishly, at that and hugged her half-naked Kyujin
maid, "Remember that time after your bath?"
Aoi barely held her smirk in check, "I remember how mad I was at you the next
day." She squirmed a little as Usuyami's fingers squeezed her breast slightly.
"Well a day of you being angry is worth it then," Usuyami laughed a bit and kisses
Aoi's lips this time, making the Kyujin tremble and tense. A slow moment passed as the
forked tongue teased and slid past Aoi's lips, flicking over the roof of her muzzle as
Usuyami's tail tightened about her legs slightly. After the kiss broke, Aoi blushed and panted
slightly, and then her lips tightened into a frown.
"There's something not quite right about this," She narrowed her eyes on
Usuyami.
Usuyami blinked, "you're not supposed to be angry with me until tomorrow..."
Aoi laughed and shook her head, "I'm not angry... but I will be if you stop now."
Usuyami laughed too and nodded, "I have no intention of stopping... but I think
we'll be needing a futon, yes?"
Aoi sighed and nodded, "Well, YOU can get the futon then, and I'll tell Tani and
Kima that we're not to be disturbed."
Usuyami laughed and nodded, "Alright, but close your kimono first. I don't' want
those girls getting any ideas about you."
Aoi shrugged and pulled her sash closed, stepping out of the inner room for a
moment.
Usuyami quickly whipped the closet open and dragged out the largest Futon she
could find, pulling the silk coverlet out as well. With a push of her arm, she had both laid flat
in a matter of seconds. She looked down and pulled her kimono open, leaving the sash at
her waist loosely tied. Satisfied with the result, she lay herself on the futon, kimono riding up
her legs, with the coverlet pulled just barely over her, leaving little to the imagination.
Aoi stepped back in and looked down, seeing Usuyami laid out like an overeager
courtesan, she giggled and sighed, "And I'd thought Lord Hakkichi trained you in the arts of
subtlety."
Usuyami purred, "Have I ever been subtle in my feelings for you?"
Aoi rolled her eyes, "no... thought you have been negligent."
Usuyami gasped and pressed her fingers to her chest in mock offense, "Me?
Negligent? Well if that is the case, I suppose you'll have to come here so that I can make up
for my failings."
Aoi smiled and sighed sliding down to the futon and looking up at her friend, lord,
and lover, "you haven't really been negligent... There have been a lot of other things that
have gotten in the way..."
"Shh," Usuyami put a finger to Aoi's lips gently, "no talk of that. Right now, it's it
only you and I. the world does not exist."
Aoi's eyes turned sad and she rolled away, laying on her side, facing the
wall, "if... if only that were always true..."
Usuyami blinked and draped her arm caringly over the vixen's waist, "Aoi-chan?"
Aoi sighed and continued, "... there's always ore shipments, the week's financial
reports, some traveling lord to entertain, requests from other lords for special swords..."
Usuyami silenced Aoi with a kiss to the neck as she untied the vixen's sash
again, "And never enough time in the day to show how much you mean to me."
Aoi blushed and murred, her tail sliding along those shapely legs behind her as
Usuyami continued, "You, who have always been there to help me in my troubles, who
makes me smile more than any other. The one person I would surrender my life to defend...
My friend, confidant, and first love. My Aoi."
The world was silent for a breath before Aoi rolled back over and clung to
Usuyami's chest, sobbing and sniffling happily, "Th-that's... that was the first time... you called
me 'Aoi'..."
Usuyami smiled and lay back, gently cuddling her companion, "should I have
called you anything else? We're not children anymore... there' no need to explore now. We
know each other as we know ourselves, yes?"
Aoi blushed and nuzzled at Usuyami's soft neck scales.
"Like...this spot on your back," Usuyami slid her fingers down and dragged them
up the small of Aoi's back, just near her spine.
Aoi's eyes went wide and she gave a moaned gasp, "Ahh... n-not there!"
Usuyami giggled and teased the line along Aoi's lower spine more, "... and how it
drives you wild."
Aoi whimpered and squirmed against Usuyami, "Ahhnn... Usu-chiiiii..."
Usuyami smiled and flicked her tongue over Aoi's neck, one pair of fingers
keeping the attention on that place on Aoi's spine, as her other hand caressed lower, cupping
the back of Aoi's thigh and pulling her leg upward slightly as the Kyujin murred and moaned
in delight. Usuyami gave a little reptilian chirp and slid down a little, wrapping her lips over
sections of Aoi's furred skin as she kissed her way over her lover's collarbones, then down
the middle of her chest pausing to stray to the side to give the squirming vixen's breasts the
attention they so richly deserved.
"Ahh, It's been.... So long," Aoi sniffled as she clung to Usuyami's hair a little,
hugging her head as her squirming brought her onto her back, with Usuyami laying atop her.
That made the suckling jirajin stop, "Aoi... don't tell me you've been neglecting
yourself all this time?"
Aoi blushed and nodded timidly, "I couldn't... with anyone else."
Usuyami took her turn to get a little teary-eyed and she smiled, "I see... well
then... that settles things."
Aoi blinked, "Eh?"
"From now on, my bed is yours," She smiled and flicked her tongue over a stiff
nipple, "I can't have you not being taken care of..."
Aoi frowned a little, "If that's the only reason..."
Usuyami cut her off, "There's also the fact that I've wanted to share my bed with
you for a long time... but being in my position, I couldn't because of 'appearances'." She
sighed and then smiled at Aoi, "but now, I don't care. Nothing means more to me than you."
Aoi bit her lip and then pulled Usuyami in for a tight hug, making the jirajin give
an 'oof' at the suddenness of it, "usu-chi!!" she yipped happily and clung to her lover.
Usuyami found her snout stuffed in the valley of Aoi's breasts, her nostrils
smothered by the sweet swells, and her jaw clamed shut by the force of the hug. "Muee...
mmm mn't brfff!"
Aoi gasped at the mumbled protests into her bosom and blushed as she let
Usuyami go, "Ah, s-sorry."
Usuyami laughed a little and cricked her neck, "It's fine... just... let me move my
head next time..." She grinned, "then again..."
"Eh? Aoi blinked, but she gave a squeal as Usuyami gingerly squeezed Aoi's
breasts together a bit as she stuffed her snout in between them, licking the furred flesh in
the middle furiously as she chirred and swished her tail happily. "Ah! Th-that!"
Usuyami smiled and let go slowly, her body slipping farther down, her own
breasts rubbing deliciously along Aoi's belly and hip fur before her hands spread the vixen's
knees, giving her the perfect view of her goal.
"Ah, don't stare!" Aoi protested, squirming a bit.
"She says, as she makes mo effort to cover herself," Usuyami snickered and
leaned in her tongue fluttering over the snug petals, earning a gasp from the smaller vixen.
Usuyami knew Aoi had never had a man between her shapely thighs. And she knew why too.
She smirked and flicked her tongue a bit harder, passing the folds to get a taste of the sweet
flesh within, "Mmm.."
"Ah... y-you're so mean..." Aoi whined, hips rolling as she was teased and tongued.
Usuyami smiled and breathed lightly over Aoi's sex as she spoke, "Well, then tell
me what you really want..."
Aoi blushed and stayed silent...
Usuyami shrugged and licked her again, this time keeping her lips in contact as
her tongue slithered about over the mewling Kyujin's flower, the forked tips finding that
sweet little button of skin and lashing lightly against both sides of it at once.
"Ah! I.. I want you too," Aoi gasped suddenly, giving the woman between her legs
time to pause.
"Mmm... I thought so... well let's see if this works then," Usuyami smiled and
turned on her hands, moving her legs up over Aoi's head and putting her knees down just
above the Kyujin's shoulders. Aoi looked up and gasped at the sight of Usuyami's vent
before her nose, the aroused scent making her fur stand on end as she moaned from
another lick at her sensitive spots. "Go on..." Usuyami breathed softly, wiggling her hips
invitingly.
Aoi blushed and leaned her head up, but just as she reached with her tongue to
make contact, another scent invaded on her delight and a dripping shaft suddenly appeared
out of nowhere and speared her lover's sex before she could even get a taste. She snarled
and backed her head up, trying to see who it was but her eyes only saw red scales.
"Ahh!! Aoi?! What the?" Usuyami lifted her head and her eyes went wide in shock
as Rihatsu had a happy little grin on his lips as he thrusted away at her hips, driving himself
into her.
Aoi was livid. With a pull she slid herself out from under Usuyami who at the
same time swung her tail in a wide arc, literally slamming the lecherous boy against the wall,
a dazed look of shock on his face as both women stood before him, murder in their eyes.
"U-usu-mama?" he quailed, whimpering and his erection fading instantly.
Usuyami hissed, her tail lashing about, scraping the polished floor as it struck
several times, "How... DARE.... You..."
The doors opened, Shuji and Natsumi standing there. Shuji's sword was in his
hand and Natsumi was just behind him, looking worried.
"What happened?" Shuji blinked, seeing the spectacle before him and realizing
there was no real danger.
"This little whelpling interrupted our evening!" Usuyami hissed angrily, her eyes
locked on Rihatsu's keeping the poor boy rooted to the spot in fear.
Aoi was beyond words... She shook with fury and right as her control broke, she
leapt at Rihatsu with a roar of rage, tears from her eyes flying as Usuyami grabbed her. "No!
Let go! I'll rip it off! He's ruined Everything!!! AGAIN!" she struggled for a bit, but when
Usuyami wasn't letting go, she went limp and just sobbed, the Jirajin letting the distraught
vixen down to the floor slowly, kneeling next to her.
Rihatsu was beside himself, he was scared, confused, and slightly angry all at the
same time, and he had no idea what to do... but his compassion asserted itself and she
managed to stammer out, "I'm... I'm sorry... I thought usu-mama wanted.."
Usuyami cut him off with a glare and her nostrils flared dangerously as she hissed
with ice on her words, "Get out."
"But..."
"GET OUT!" Usuyami roared, the whole Inn waking up to it. "Everyone Get out!"
Rihatsu made to protest, but Shuji grabbed his shoulder and dragged the stunned
boy away, bowing for them both as he closed the door behind him.
Aoi sobbed without stopping as Usuyami sighed and gently hugged the crying
Kyujin, "Shhh... It's okay.... It's okay..."
"No... no it's not.. He did it again... he went and just did it again..." Aoi sobbed
covering her face to hide her distress.
Usuyami sighed and whispered softly, "And look what happened... I knocked him
into the wall... nobody is going to come between you and I anymore... and if they try... you
saw what will happen."
"But..." Aoi sniffled, her sobs stopping a little.
"No 'but'... I'm going to talk with that little lecher in the morning and he's going to
learn manners," She smiled and nuzzled the crying vixen, "Or I'll castrate him."
Aoi sobbed a little smile and nuzzled back, "you'd take away all my fun then..."
Usuyami laughed lightly, "Oh, well then I'll hold him down and let -you-castrate
him."
Aoi giggled and sighed, "So then..."
Usuyami sighed and nodded, "I'm pretty sure you don't want to keep going after
he did what he did; and the mood is rather ruined too... let's just sleep for now, and we'll try
again soon."
"How soon?" Aoi nudged insistently.
Usuyami laughed and tackled the vixen to the futon lightly, "As soon as either I
get a bath, or we get back to Tetsumo."
Aoi nodded, "I think both would be good." She smiled and licked Usuyami's lips
snuggling her under the sheets and murring as the pair drifted into sleep.
"That was a pretty stupid thing to do, Rihatsu-dono," Shuji frowned.
Rihatsu, clothed again, sat on his kneed and kept his head down as he was being
reprimanded.
"What made you think to even try to do that?" Shuji perked an eye ridge in
curiosity.
Rihatsu spoke softly, "b-because Usu-mama smelled like she wanted to?"
Shuji sighed, "Well, I can agree with that... but she's not yours. You can't just go
up to any woman who smells ready and do that."
"Why not?" Rihatsu blinked.
Shuji was boggled. He blinked his shock at the question away and frowned
again, "Because it's impolite. Lords like us have to be extremely polite. If we don't behave,
then the people who follow us won't believe in us, and they'll probably have us killed."
Rihatsu processed that, and nodded, "So... I can't do that with Usu-mama?"
Shuji hid his embarrassment well, but some of it still came through, "ER... not
unless she asks you to."
Rihatsu pouted, "what about other women?"
Shuji groaned and rubbed his forehead, "They have to ask you too."
Rihatsu tilted his head, "Can I ask them?"
Shuji blinked and shook his head, "not until you learn the proper way to ask. For
now, you only get to do it if they ask you."
"Oh..." Rihatsu obviously didn't like that idea.
"Go to bed, Rihatsu-dono... We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Shuji
stood and went back to his room. He opened the door and blinked, seeing Natsumi sitting up
in the futon, looking at him sternly. He sighed, "okay, now what did I do to upset you?"
"You Staring at Usu-sama," she groused.
Shuji blinked and blushed a little, "It was a little hard not to. That was an odd
situation."
"Think you Like Usu-sama more than me," she frowned, her long ears flattened
against her head.
Shuji laughed at that and stepped over to the futon, "Now that's just silly. What
makes you think that?"
"Not stare at me that way," She turned from him angrily.
Shuji smiled. At least this was familiar territory. He grabbed the smaller lapine
and pulled her close, ignoring her squirming and pushes as he growled at her softly, "maybe
not, but I stare at you in other ways..."
She shivered at the growl and kept her frown, "How you stare?"
He smiled and licked at her neck, "I stare at you when you're under me... or over
me."
It took her a minute to process the terms he'd used, but when it clicked, she
blushed and went soft in his arms, but she kept her frown as best she could, "Shuji-sama
loves Usu-sama..."
"You're wrong about that..." he growled threateningly, but his caress and embrace
was as gentle as ever, "I Love you."
She shivered again and turned, snapping her sharp little teeth at him and pulling
away, "Prove it."
Never one to back down from a challenge, Shuji snarled with a smile on his lips
as he grabbed the bunny's shoulders and pushed her down to the futon. She gasped and
struggled against him, but he trapped her slim wrists in his hands and pulled them up above
her head pinning them under one palm while his other hand yanked her sleeping robe open,
baring her supple chest to him, "then I'll prove it." He made love to her long into the night,
the winds swirling about the Inn as the storm drew nearer.