Like Otter, Like Son

09:02, 26/1/2, 15 XP

International Ward 001, Vapor Furnace Prime

System Pijong, Planet Pijong Prime, Geosynchronous Orbit

---

"Well holy shit, if it hasn't been a while!" Iolvin strode over to the concierge's desk of the Bloom Hotel with outstretched arms. "Fleur! You're looking good, girl!"

"Ouait your turn, floofy shahrk." Fleur fought to keep her composure as she gave a bunny woman a packet of information. "Zhis should ourk for ze time being, mademoiselle. Eef you need anyzhing elze or ze recommendations do not satisfy, please allow ze 'otel to make eet right." The woman smiled and said her thanks, walking away to surface the elk's true feelings. "Okay, Yoyo. I 'ave time for a chat, eef you can behave."

"Sorry, Fleur. You know I get excited to see family." Yoyo lowered his stance and offered a more polite pawshake. "Nice to see you again, hon. How's the business been going?"

"Great, aczuelly." Fleur grabbed that paw and reeled the larger otter down for two kisses on his cheeks. "And don't treat me like ze stranger, Oncle Yoyo. Coum 'ere, you big oaf."

"At'ta girl." Yoyo gave his niece a hug and a similar kiss before making room for his mates. "Brought the whole bunch with me this time. Think we can get a nice deal?"

"You know my papa pays for your stays, oncle." Fleur exchanged polite kisses with Adrian and Zoë before correcting her suit from leaning over the counter. "So very wondehrful to zee you again, ma famille."

"Always lovely to see you, Fleur." Adrian nudged his snout to the crowded hotel lobby. "Congratulations on the booming business. Living your dream feels pretty nice, huh?"

"Zhis ees my dream? Non." Fleur gracefully pointed to the adjoined pub restaurant, finding one of her twin sons tending to the bar. "My leetle ones, zhey ahr ze dream."

"He's so handsome!" Zoë leaned against the counter with her arms crossed as she fawned over the elk buck. "Last time I saw those two they were half that size, and now you've got them running a pub? Which one is that behind the bar, Fleur?"

"Bouk Junior. Ze poub and café was 'ees dream." Fleur shifted her head about and pointed to her other son, dressed in an equally fine suit and tending the patrons. "Ah, zhere. Chevalier manages ze establishment. For zheir age, zhey take quite ze responsibility. No?"

"You're teaching them well, Fleur. Working so close to your family must make it that much sweeter." Dee latched onto his husband's arm and groaned. "Now I want to see our boys and grandwhelps."

"Well that's part of why we came to you, Fleur." Yoyo gave Dee's forehead a kiss and tossed an arm around his shoulder. "Last we heard, our boys and their family were holed up in a room at your hotel. They still here? Think we could get a room nearby?"

"Ah, oui. Zhey joost arrived ze ozher day. Un moment..." The elk zipped her fingers across a hologram modeling the whole hotel in 3D, highlighting the suite the otters occupied. "Eh... Ah, bonne chance. Zhere iz a suite open in ze ozher corner ouf ze same level."

"Awesome, hon. Book it and we'll owe you one."

"Non, zhis iz for famille." Fleur expanded the room in question and filled in a stored profile of Yoyo's Slate ID. "Joost ze zhree ouf you?"

"Yeah, it's just us. I'm off for a few weeks and Adri... well, you know his schedule is always open."

"And so is my wallet. Put the room on my account, please. In fact, put my boys' room on there as well." Dee flopped his head against Yoyo's arm and stared up into his inquisitive eyes. "Don't gawk. What's the point of being filthy rich if you can't help out your whelps?"

"I think it's a nice gesture, that's all." Yoyo pulled his mate into a short hug, then grinned as an unexpected guest strode through the carousel doors. "Speaking of... Arty! Hey!"

"Dad?" Artemis quirked his head sideways at the sight of his father, then tugged his arms interlocked with the two blind wolves at his sides. "Bit of a detour, guys. My dad's over this way."

Blizzard seemed to perk up the most at the information. "Uncle Yoyo? He's actually here?"

"Snowballs! Damn, you're getting big." Yoyo reached a paw out and snapped his fingers, the wolf understanding the sign to shake it. "I think you gained an inch or so since a few months ago. If there's one good thing about being a teen, it's that."

"From what Ari says, you had all the girls drooling over you at that age. Pretty sure there's more to it than just growing, sweetie." Dee glomped onto the wolf and then his twin sister. "You, on the other paw, look so much more like your mother every passing day. Things working out with Arty, guys? School too?"

"Yeah, it's really fun with Art around. He's a sweetheart the way he offers to help us around." Glacier reeled the potter down, felt for his jaw, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "School's fine too, even if everyone thinks I'm dating a college boy. It's fun to hear the gossip though."

"I'm surprised you're even going to highschool. Our combined IQs probably equal yours." Zoë smiled at the sweet gesture and silently chuckled just for Art. "Why not join the university next semester? I'm sure Arty would help you two get up to speed."

"I would, but I'm not sure they even want to go at all." Art found the café and nudged his snout to the entrance. "Blizz wanted to come here to scout a job, actually. The Starside Terrace sounded nice and has an ad out for a cook."

"Yeah, I'm hoping to find a break but you can't get a gig as a head chef with only home cooking experience."

"Ze noble battle, oui. I zhink zhis oud ourk out for my children, zho." Fleur tapped a few hologram buttons and connected a two nodes, her Slate coming to her ear after to speak with her child. "<Hello, Chevy. Remember that advertisement you placed on the Lattice? I may have a favor to ask regarding that.>"

"<Always to the point, mother.>" Chevy stepped out of his café to be polite and found himself staring at his mother's guests. "<That's Yoyo and his family. You want me to hire family instead of the right fur for the job?>"

"<No, never. Quite the opposite, actually. Why not come over if you have a moment?>"

"<The late breakfast crowd is light enough today... Sure.>" Chevalier turned off his Slate as he closed the short gap, exchanging a hug and cheek kiss with his mother when they met. "<So what's this favor you want?>"

"<Your ad was for a cook to help your chef. What if... How should I put this without it sounding like a demand?>" Fleur flicked her eyes between her son and Blizzard. "<Would it be more accurate to say you don't favor the food coming out the kitchen in general? Or are you missing something, perhaps?>"

"<All of the above. Our chef is a bit limited in scope, slow, and quality is down. The easiest short-term solution is to hire a helping paw. Long term though....>"

"<Good. I think I have a solution to both.>" Fleur held out an unseen hoof to Blizzard. "<This young man wishes to start an early career much like yourself. You're the same age, even. I've happened to taste his pastries as well and... ouf, such talent. What he really needs is a safe place to hone his skills and your plight sounds like just the opportunity, no?>"

"<I see where this is going. You want him to be our new chef eventually.>" Chevy gave the wolf a quick inspection and slowly nodded. "<Well we are planning to replace Giorgio eventually after all. If the kid fits the bill... sure, I have no complaints. Just remember that I have no qualms firing family nor a blind guy. What's this guy's name again? Something related to snow?>"

"<Blizzard is your distant uncle, technically. Show him some respect, please.>"

Chevy nodded again in apology as he offered an unreturned hoofshake. "Good morning, and long time since we last saw each other. I'm Chevalier if you don't remember my voice. I heard it down the grapevine that you were looking for a job, Blizzard?"

"O-Oh. Yeah, I am." Blizz reached for an expected shake and met it with a helping nudge from Arty's hip. "I'm looking to make tasty things for a living, so I guess that means becoming a cook since we don't have a culinary school on the Furnace."

"Right. I can relate with business school. I had to forge my own Path as well and I think we both might benefit beating down the same weeds." Chevy snickered at the rough feeling of the Arctic wolf's tough paw, showing signs of countless kitchen disasters. "How about a tour of the service side to the Starside Terrace? Giorgio won't mind a little intrusion this time of day."

"Really? What about business, though? I'm hearing a few people eating still."

"You can hear that? Impressive. Actually, those guests are at the bar, which is more my brother's domain. It'll be fine." Chevy gave the others quick cheek kisses. "I hope you don't mind me stealing him away for business. We can make it up with an early lunch afterward."

"Go ahead, kids. We're not your parents or anything. Live how you like." Iolvin stretched and cracked his robotic shoulder, then started moving to an open area of the bar. "We'll just be testing the quality of your alcohol replicators."

"Divine Spirits... I'll have you know that we only use the finest of imported, real liqueurs." Chevy offered a hoof to guide his blind guest but Arty kept leading the two. "Please watch yourself. Buck knows how to cut someone off even if they fight it."

"Well good for me then, because Adri and I could enjoy the whole of your liquid stock before that would happen." Yoyo gave the elk a slap on the shoulder and split ways for an open stool. "It's more for the taste than the stupor, Sir Chevy. BJ won't mind us."

"Now I remember those silly nicknames. Well thank your nanites and enjoy yourself, uncles." Chevy took a special pause in his path to give Zoë's hand a gentlemanly parting kiss. "Profitez du moment, mademoiselle Zoë."

"Such a charmer. Merci."

"Time for some hooch!" Dee giggled as he hopped into the stool beside one mate and offered another to the other. "What time is it...? Nine-ish? Bring on the mimosas."

"I knew I married you for a good reason." Yoyo tossed his arm around Dee's shoulder and further rested his paw on Zoë's. "Ouh, single malts. Hey BJ, pick your favorite for me."

Buck Junior eased over from a sink and set down a fancy tray of nuts. "I'm only sixteen, so you know. I do recommend the Laphroaig however."

"I know your mother's much like ours with these things. Don't tell me you haven't drank some here and there."

"Wine and beer, sometimes. I don't need to drink to taste though." The elk polished a tumbler, placed it upon a napkin, grabbed the bottle of whisky, and uncorked it for first his and then Yoyo's sniffs. "I happen to know Carbon, and he prefers the more pungent Isla region Scotch whisky brands. Being like minded, I can only recommend the same."

"I think this was dad's favorite. It smells like the sea..." Yoyo tapped the brim of his glass and received a neat pour that barely settled before it went down his gullet. "Leave the bottle. Now I'm drinking for two."

"Iolvin..." Adrian slumped against his husband's arm, pulsing his grip tightly. "I miss him too. He was a good man."

"He would drink me under the table, just so someone was keeping an eye on me. He had a tough demeanor, but dad was really a softy of the highest order." Iolvin grabbed a tumbler from behind the bar as two mimosas settled expertly upon napkins. "I don't care what you or your brother say, we're having a drink." Both tumblers gained fresh whisky, though one was definitely lighter than the other. Yoyo lifted his glass and hinted to the other. "To my dad Vasily, the hero that earned that title through love of everyone else."

Four glasses clacked together with thoughtful smiles guiding them. "To Vasily."

Later That Afternoon

11:12, 26/1/2, 15 XP

Recreational Ward 007, VFP

Pijong, Pijong Prime

---

"Holy crap. Don't tell me you guys are multiplying too." Artemis chuckled as he approached his brothers and their family, giving their quadruplets hugs. "You four were in diapers last time I saw you. You guys getting along well with each other?"

"We grew up fast. No time for fighting... much." Sprig nudged his brother's head, the conjoined twin nuzzling back. "Pretty hard to hold a grudge with yourself in any case."

"Yeah, the boys get along fine. It's these two that have all the spats." Phoebe placed both paws on his daughters' heads. "Every time they find some handsome guy they fight over him."

"Never become a parent. Check." After giving his brothers pawshakes, Arty latched onto Rose and smothered her cheek with kisses. "You're looking cheerful as ever, Rose. You used to be so moody, too."

"I gave up on my work and started being a better mother." Rose flicked her fingers lightly on Arty's snout to end his assault. "Apparently I take to it better."

"Well you're glowing compared to last time I saw you. Whatever you've got going for you, keep it up." Art took a moment to scan the area, taking in the bright warmth of the surrounding artificial beachfront with a smile. "Nice spot for a family outing. So why did you call me out of the blue after so long? Just want to catch up?"

Themis tapped the camera dangling from his neck. "We're technically working, just with a chance to bring the family along for once. The Ems ordered a brochure piece, and we actually haven't explored this station much."

"I've been wanting to update my study on the progression of the Furnace. Every few years I like to take notes for that project." Pho pulled a notebook from his back pocket and tapped it a few times. "I figure it might make a good documentary piece. Might even win a few awards."

"Well if you're hoping for a tour, I've only been here a few months. I just barely got done a semester at the Academy."

"Art, excuse my mates for being daft. They're poking and prodding after a rumor." Rose latched her eyes to the closed chemical lantern dangling from Arty's belt, her expanded vision allowing her to spot an aura around it. "Yoyo might have let it slip that you're friends with a djinn. Also we don't know if it's boasting, but there may have been mention of having his dick in it at some point. I always take his stories with a grain of salt once dicks get involved."

"Probably not the worst policy." Artemis noticed the stare at Cherenkov's lantern and slowly pulled the guard shroud down. "Well you heard the truth, most likely. Cheren, could you come out? No need to hide around here."

"I wasn't hiding; I was regaining my strength." The light blue glow flowed from the filling valve of the lantern, the resulting wisps of gaseous energy coalescing into the form of a cheetah woman. "Hello. My name is Cherenkov, and any friend of my master is a friend of mine."

"Master, eh? Interesting. We've gained that title ourselves recently--well, Rosey did actually." Em hesitated to shake the djinn's translucent paw, instead choosing to politely bow for her. "Nice to meet you, er... Cheren? Or do you prefer we use your full name?"

"Cheren is fine, thank you." The genie checked nearby ponderously. "So you've earned the companionship of another djinn? Might I meet him or her? It might help my causes."

"Oh, my charge isn't a djinn. Ilse is a human slave we're rehabilitating." Rose gave a similar curtsy for the genie. "Let's just say... my home country made a few bad choices after the last few wars. I didn't know the djinni had a concept of slavery though."

"They don't." Pho nudged his head to a gaming center and led his children to have some fun while he brought up work. "Please correct me if I'm wrong here, Cheren. The djinni each have a task to complete for the collective, but sometimes they hit roadblocks. When they can't perform their desired task, they occasionally find someone who could and choose to support that person fully instead."

"That is fairly accurate. If a djinn cannot further her origin she uses her efforts to support a master. Her reason for existing is her origin, and that now is entrusted to the master. Thus, her life is now her master's to command, within reason." Cheren held out a paw and counted on her fingers. "No murder, no suicide, no needless crime, no detracting from one's origin, and most importantly one should break bonds with one's master to find a new origin once completing an existing one. The last part is more or less important to each djinn, but the generally ethical choice is to return to helping the collective."

"That's... maybe the most detail I've heard on that topic to date. Thank you, Cheren." Pho jotted down a few notes in his log and paused to tap his pen. "Would you mind if I used this in my research while quoting you?"

"I--" Cheren looked to Arty quizzically. "Master, should I...?"

"It doesn't help or hurt your cause, so I'll leave it up to you. Ditto anything else you'd like to share with my brothers."

"Thanks, Arty. I've been dying to find a cooperative source. Most djinni are too hyper-focused on their origin to even give me the time of day. Now my pet project might not take a century to complete."

Cheren placed an ethereal paw on Phoebe's shoulder, calming his tensions with its surprising solidity. "I can relate to that plight. I might have forgotten my origin, but I still know the stress of such a lengthy task weighing upon you."

"Thankfully we've learned to accept our lengthier lifespans as a gift in that sense." Themis snapped a photo of the shoulder touch, then another of his quadruplets as they smiled over a quiet joke. "I can't speak on behalf of the kids, though. Youth and hormones cloud all of that. Speaking of..." Em walked over to his kids and tapped his Slate against Blossom's own unit. "There's twenty thousand pips, guys. Go have some fun in the arcade, and be sure to share."

Arty shook his head and checked his own Slate for his substantial bank balance. "I'm still getting used to that. Back in Wildebrooke we still use dollars and coin. Pips are worth so much less..."

"True, but that's by design. The idea was to keep whole numbers everywhere. Software even has strict rounding rules for it." Rose noticed the odd Sense device stuck to the base of Art's neck and pointed it out. "You've been to Elliot's lab, I see. Why not ask him or our dad one day. I think Adrian had more to do with it, but they came up with the system."

"Actually... Ashe invented it. After finding that out I... don't have the heart to bring it up again."

An awkward passage of silence overtook the five, with a substantially subdued cheer breaking from Rose. "I take it you've met her? She's a fun girl when she's not bogged down with being the universe's greatest librarian. I've heard she helps students make their studying fun. That fits the way she treated knowledge from before... things."

"She would have made a great teacher. I'm pretty sure I'd have failed my first calculus test if not for her."

Cheren slung herself around her master's shoulder and poked his side. "You don't make it easy the way you ogle every pretty lady that crosses your path. You're doing great on you own, just Ashe makes you focus."

"I'm not ogling. I've got you if I ever need to have some fun." Arty sighed as he tried to clarify his point without embarrassing himself. "I'm just looking for a certain friend. I promised her a coffee."

"Oh, so there's a certain someone you've got your eye on then?" Pho crossed his arms around his chest and contentedly chuckled. "Good for you. It's nice to hear you're looking for something serious, little brother."

"We're lucky to have found our perfect someone. Good luck in your efforts on that front, Arty." Em gave his wife a kiss and held her hand idly. "It's the best feeling in the galaxy."

"Don't listen to these silly rudderbutts. I'm getting an air of doubt here. It's probably for the best." Rose hugged her mate close and Pho joined the standing cuddle. "You've got our hopes and prayers, but don't force yourself. Now's as good a time as ever in your life to explore your love life. Don't commit early and make a big mistake."

"Yeah, I can appreciate that. I'm just... 'exploring' really is a good word for it." Artemis smiled at the sweet sight before him, but a certain silhouette behind his family quickly snagged his attention. "...Uh, searching is a start. Can you three... excuse us a moment?"

"We're going, Master?"

"Oh, um... You can stay with Pho a bit longer. I have a feeling I'll be right back." Art unclipped the lantern from his belt and gave it to his older brother before jogging off. "She's all yours for a bit."

"O-Okay."

Arty lost sight of his quarry, following her into a back alley near a security checkpoint. He checked around in the dark space and found Vixelynn fumbling with a maintenance hatch. "Hey, Vix? Is that you?"

"Eep!" The vixen jumped and stood rigidly straight, the hatch shutting with a loud klack that made her bushy tail flutter. "Wh-What are y-you...!?"

"It's alright. I'm not gonna judge when I've gotten into my own hijinx." Arty held his paws out to his sides and the fox calmed her nerves. "So what's up? Need some help with whatever prank you're pulling?"

"You're... the guy from the library. Art."

"In the flesh. I figure if we can share our little hiding spot we can share this secret too." Arty relaxed and leaned against a metal tiled building. "I mean, I was going to suggest sharing that coffee I promised you instead, but this can be fun too."

"I'm not... in the mood for coffee, thanks." Vix looked to her mysterious hatch and then moved a few paces away. "I'm not really doing anything. I was just... adventuring?"

"O...kay." Art closed his eyes a moment as he checked for odd electronics nearby, finding a few security cameras on the other side of the hatch. "That's a secure zone back there. You probably shouldn't mess around with that unless holding cell interior decoration is a hobby of yours."

"O-Oh... Thanks..."

"You already knew that, didn't you?" Arty walked over to the hatch and poked his head inside, using his electrical affinity to disable the cameras. "No wonder there's so many eyes on this. It bypasses the checkpoint."

"Don't do that!" Vix suddenly yanked Art back with a bear hug from behind, the two collapsing on the alley floor. "If you don't know how to move back there you'll get us both caught!"

"The plot thickens." Arty flushed blue as he felt Vix's chest against his back, immediately rolling himself over to fix the situation. "I know where the cameras are. It's fine. The question is why you would choose to use that path instead of the checkpoint, though."

"I... Uh..." Vix stood and dusted herself off while obviously buying time to think. "I don't want my parents to know where I'm going. They think I'm studying."

"Then why not just get the parental tracking disabled? You're old enough, I'm guessing."

"Because... they would get mad being cut off. Yeah."

"Right..." Arty sighed as he thought of a solution to this awkward scenario. "Well I can disable it without them being notified if you'd like. It's no cup of coffee, but I feel like I owe you something."

"It's... No, it's okay."

"It's no big deal. Just give me your Slate a second and it'll be easy. No fur off my pelt." Arty kindly held out his open paw, but something was pressing Vix further into a corner. "Are you alright? I can always just do it--"

Vix drooped her head and stared at her twiddling thumbs. "I... don't have a Slate."

"Oh. That's not too strange though. I can still change the flag on your ID block though, so--"

"I don't... have an ID... either..." Vix took a few steps toward the main street, but out of concern she was promptly blocked by the potter next to her. "Just let me go. I need to be alone."

"I go, then you'll come back and try again when I'm gone. No dice. I'm not letting you risk getting caught." Art nudged Vix's chin upward and let her see the sincerity in his eyes. "I'd like to help you. You can trust me with your secrets at the very least. Need to get something off your chest?"

Vix backpedaled into the alley defensively. "Why do you care so much? We don't know each other."

"My mom taught me to treat people like I treat myself. As much as I hate to admit it, my dad taught me a few things about treating ladies well too." Art noticed he was intimidating the vixen and stepped to his side, a paw leading the way out to the open street. "I only want to make sure you're safe. If you really think you can handle whatever this is you're trying, I won't stop you. You just look like you could use a paw."

"You're... a weird guy, Art." Vix found a power transformer box and hopped into a sitting position atop it. "You really care? You swear you won't... freak out, or judge me, or--?"

"Not at all. My family's probably got more crazy in it than anything you could throw at me." Arty hopped onto the transformer beside the fox and relaxed a bit, hoping his actions might be contagious. "I'm all ears, Vix. Shoot."

"Shit... This is harder than I thought." Vix drooped her head and closed her eyes, her voice softening drastically after a sigh. "I'm an orphan. I lost my parents a pawful of years ago and... I was declared dead with them, but... Crap. You remember the Quaresh, when it clipped the Lunar elevator?"

"I... barely remember it, yeah. That was a while ago."

"Well I was stuck inside the wreckage. My dad sealed me in a storage container and... a salvage crew found me two weeks later." Vix curled her shoulders and started to shake. "They weren't exactly legal salvagers. They brought me here and sold me for... well, they sold me. Then I ran away. Now... I'm on my own."

"That's... terrible, Vix. Nobody should have to experience that." Art slowly slid an arm over the crying vixen's shoulder, persisting even as she tried to throw him off. "At least you've got your freedom back, though. Right?"

"If the station figures out who I am, I get to go back to that fucking bitch of an ox..." Vixellyn rubbed a small scar on her neck and through her spread fur Art could spot a dull blink of blue beneath her skin. "They tagged me with a fake ownership chip, right next to a major artery. I can't do anything without my biometrics reporting me as missing."

"Hence avoiding the checkpoint. I think I understand now." Arty focused on the device in the girl's neck and frowned at what he found in his mind's eye. "They wrapped that thing around your jugular. That's... easy to add and impossible to remove, I'd guess. I don't think I can even short the chip without risking the battery exploding. Shit, that's just evil."

"Yeah, tell me all about it."

"Don't worry; my uncle is a surgeon, a brain specialist to boot. With any luck, we can find a solution to that fucking thing."

"But I can't pay for--"

"You don't need to. If he even asks for money, I'll pay for it. You've been traumatized enough." Arty set Vix upright as he hopped off the transformer. "I'm here with family for lunch. Why don't you join us? My treat."

"I... couldn't impose..."

Artemis shook his head as he helped Vix slide off the metal box. "I wanted to share a coffee with you already. I'm just following though." He dusted off his pants, noticing a key detail as he did so. "Are you wearing the same thing as when we met?"

"It's... all I own."

"This is the nicest thing you own? Well I'm just thinking you got your pants dirty, so if you want to stop by your place first I'll help you--"

"No, I mean... this is everything I own. I don't have anything else." Vix averted her gaze to the ground and took a step back. "If I find an apartment, they'll scan me. If I keep things in my secret spot, the librarians discard them. I... only have what's on me."

"Then we'll have to fix that. I think we'll start with a new outfit at one of the stores around here." Arty offered a hooked arm to lead Vix around, though she instead chose to grab his paw directly. "Then after we're done lunch we'll pay my uncle a visit. We'll get you fixed up one step at a time. No more pouting, Vix. You're not alone anymore."

"I'm not... alone?" Vix hinted at a smile as she was led back to the light of the street by her new friend. "Art... Thank you."

"De nada."

That Evening

16:48, 26/1/2, 15 XP

Space Dock 003, VFP

Pijong, Open Space

---

"Trust me, this is the perfect place to stow an illegal." Iolvin carried his nearly-nude wife on his shoulders playfully but set her down upon reaching the Hermes. "Void has certain skills that'll make it easy for you guys to sulk around, at least until we get Lynny here set up with an identity."

"Thanks, dad. I really didn't know what to do for the night." Artemis guided Vixelynn to the docking hatch of the ship, breaking their joined paws to ring the buzzer. "Uh, hello? Hm, who should I ask for here again?"

"Sorry, nicknames. Vydr is the guy's real name, though his assistant Kino might be in charge right now."

"Kino, then? Hello?"

The panel lit up with a waveform hologram for an audio only response. "Ah, Iolvin. You brought guests? Or better yet for Vydr's sake, is this a client?"

Yoyo noticed a fair count of eyes on his mate and tossed his coat over her shoulders, providing more cover than her panties alone. "Bit of column A, bit of column B. Is Void here, Kino?"

"He's currently resting and I'm holding orders to keep Hermes sealed. I'm pretty sure he'll get out of bed for you though. One moment."

A short delay of static didn't bode very well, but the outer hatch soon opened unannounced. "Oh, hey. You bringing me work for once?"

Zoë hopped inside the airlock and shed her coat now that she was out of sight. "Evening, Vydr. Oh, and nice to see you again, Kino."

"Don't blame me if I'm sporting a chub, Zee." Rather than wait behind the inner hatch like Kino, Vydr blinked himself into the airlock itself. "Oh, and you did bring guests! Welcome! How may we be of assistance?"

"Ah... Vydr, right? My friend Vix here has a bit of an issue."

"Oh, one of those kinds of jobs."

"Maybe. Vix doesn't exist and we're working on fixing that." Arty pulled Vix forward but she seemed readily resistant to entering the Hermes. "Until then, she needs a place to stay where nobody will ask questions."

"We have the space, but this isn't a hotel. If you just need to hide out I can show you a little hole in the wall--"

Yoyo walked into the airlock last, the outer hatch closing to cycle. "Son, could you do this as a favor? It's for family."

"Family? You...?" Void checked his father first, then Zoë, than finally settled on the panther-otter hybrid making the request. "Wait, him? Who is he the bastard son of, exactly?"

"Me." Iolvin set a paw on each of his sons' shoulders. "You two are brothers. It might not look it but Artemis here has a few years on you, Vydr."

"Wait, he's my--?" Arty gave the otter captain a fresh inspection with the new information, indeed finding more than a few similarities to their father. "Why wouldn't you tell me this? The fuck, dad?"

"It wasn't my call. Your mom requested it." Yoyo sighed as the inner hatch finally opened and he was free to seek out his son's alcohol stash. "She thought it would be better if you had limited access to the rest of the family since we had you out of wedlock. Unfortunately for her my twins have a tendency to follow me for their own work." Spotting a bottle of rum, the otter snagged the booze and an empty glass nearby. "This is it though, I swear. Void is your honest to gods brother. Oh, I guess your cousin too if you'd prefer that."

Void shook his head at that last comment. "My mom is Ari. The idiot dumped in his sister one too many times."

"You realize you wouldn't exist if we used rubbers, right?"

"I... really didn't need to hear that." Art groaned as he found a seat near his father. "While I appreciate the mind fuck to contemplate for the rest of my natural life, I'm tired and my friend here still doesn't have a place to sleep herself."

"Right. Well like I said, I'm not running a hotel. I think I can make an exception to get to know my new brother though." Void looked over to the rearward passenger rooms and huffed a slight sigh. "I'll give you the standard treatment. Pay your way and you can stay until I need the space."

"And how long do you think that'll be? I'm not sure how long it'll take to get Vix on her hindpaws again."

"That depends. If you can outbid any passengers and their cargo you're free to stay." Void nudged his snout to the vixen in question. "What's your deal, love? You've been a might quiet. Why should I let you stay here instead of wherever you've been staying?"

"I don't... think I can--"

"It's alright, Vix. No need to feel intimidated." Arty guided the fox to a seat of her own so she could relax her nerves. "I'm curious though; where did you stay before now? Station security sweeps all the public areas constantly."

"I..." Vix froze up as she scanned the ship's interior, but eased up when Art held her paw and focused her attention on him. "I stayed wherever I could in... uh... Synthetic Ward One and Two..."

"That's not possible." Kino trudged over and sat in a spare seat, unsettling Vix yet again. "They drop atmosphere and heating to minimal during dark hours in Synth wards. The only reason they don't patrol there is because they'd need suits and civilians don't usually have access to them either."

"I can sneak into some of the... little houses or whatever they're called." Vix crouched into her seat as the captain joined the table. "Some of the androids get a little warm when they charge..."

"I think I've heard enough. Stop before I actually grow a soul, please." Void rested his head in his paw as he considered his options. "Oy, fine. I have a small room just next to the showers that's got your name on it. It's always a bit humid but it sounds like you aren't too picky. Payment's gonna be in coin to keep it off the books. Do you even have money, Miss ...Vix?"

"My n-name is Vixelynn T-Trotter..."

"It's alright. You're safe here, Vix." Arty moved his seat closer and clasped the vixen's paws with his own. "Put it on my tab. I'll pay for whatever she needs, at least until she's making her own way. I've got a ton of money laying around so don't worry about the rent."

"Arty, that money was meant--"

Art cut off his father and shot him a rare, protective, and stern look. "You gave that to mom and she gave it to me. I can spend it however I fucking please. End of story."

"At least you've got that Christian spirit like your mom." Yoyo shut his eyes as he remembered Cassandra's smile, nodding to her spirit wherever it rested. "She'd approve of you taking care of someone in need. Fine, you win. Just don't come complaining when you can't afford to go to college."

"I'm fine. I'd rather be a good person than a greedy one." Art stood and gave Vix a few tugs. "Come on, Vix. Let's go check out your new digs. I'm sure you could use some time to adjust."

"Y-Yeah. I could use s-some time."

Arty tapped a door controller and started stepping into the connected room, but stood aghast upon settling his eyes through steam and fog upon a pair of female forms meshing with each other. "Um... Wrong door?"

Vix yanked Arty out of his grinning daze and allowed the door to shut. "Art! What the hell!?"

"It looked like all the others! Who the hell forgets to lock the bathroom door?" Arty shook off his perverted smile and shuffled down the hallway for the next door, revealing a small room with a single bed and little else. "Here. Let's just... forget that happened."

"You do that, son." Yoyo moved to open the bathroom door again but had his paw slapped by Zoë. "What? Nadi wouldn't mind."

"I would. You've got a sexy, scantily clad wife right here." Zoë awkwardly yanked her taller husband over to another empty room further down the hallway. "Vydr, I'm borrowing a bed. That alright?"

"Clean up after yourselves and it's all cool." Void grinned as everyone found a room. "And don't be quiet! You've got a sexy voice!"

"Oh, Jesus. This family, sometimes..." Arty shut the sliding door to the Vix's room and rested against the cold metal panel. "Okay, so my dad and Zoë might be making a lot of noise in a minute. Let's see if we can't find a distraction."

"I just... want to sleep, really. This is all a bit much." Vix sat on the edge of her new bed and pressed her paws into the soft mattress. "I don't... I don't deserve this. You really shouldn't pay for--"

"Don't start down that road, Vix. You deserve the same respect and opportunity as the rest of us. Just shut up and take my money." Arty smiled as he crossed to a desk built into the wall opposite Vix and leaned against its lip. "If you really want to pay me back, we'll get you set up with a job so you can have your own money to throw around. I won't question you if you feel like you owe me, but... that smile of yours is enough payment as it is."

"I still might... No, you're right. Let's see where this goes before I think like that."

"Well you're tired, so I should let you be." Artemis pushed off the desk and moved to the door, holding a moment as he searched for the controls hidden behind a cover panel. "Tomorrow we can go shopping for some clothes and other necessities. I'll be back in the--"

Vixelynn leaped from her bed and anchored down Arty's arm with all her weight. "No! D-Don't go!"

"What? Is something wrong? You're shaking..."

"Don't leave me alone... not on this ship..." Almost seeming hopeless, the vixen slid into a crumpled, sobbing mess at Arty's hindpaws. "I'm scared. Please d-don't..."

"I won't." Arty crouched down and cradled his friend's head against his chest, his thick tail reflexively coiling around her protectively as well. "Fuck, I forgot you were in that crash. Don't worry, Vix. I'll stay with you until you can handle yourself."

"P-Prom-mise?"

Artemis ran a single thumb over Vixelynn's eyes to futilely clean them dry of tears. "You have my word."

The Next Morning

05:33, 26/1/3, 15 XP

Hermes Custom Frigate, SD-003, VFP

---

"Ugh... My back..." Artemis blinked in the dark, his conscious motion triggering the lights to raise up to half intensity. He arched his back against the hard floor, trying to stretch his spine where his jacket failed to cushion him. "I'm gonna need a better solution if this keeps up."

"I can synthesize something if you provide the materials and molecular blueprint." Cherenkov rolled on the floor next to Art and cuddled into his chest. "Or you could just use me to get more comfortable, Master."

"We'll have to save that for later, when Vix isn't around." On cue, the vixen in question snuggled Arty from his other side. "Oh. What are you--?"

Vixelynn nuzzled into the fur of Arty's bare chest. "That bed is too soft, plus... you're a lot warmer than just blankets."

"We could just change the thermosta--"

"No. I like this better. It's... safer." Vix slid a paw around Art's neck to grip Cheren's shoulder, then her other paw tickled down his abs and started shoving down Art's pants. "I met your partner here and we've been coming up with a way to thank you."

"And admiring your growing assets." Cheren joined in shoving down her master's pants and boxers, leaving him bare beneath a shared, tented blanket. "I think you've earned a reward for being such a gentleman lately. We could go clean up in the shower if you'd like..."

"No, I want to help." Vix gripped one of Arty's two manhoods, her eyes widening upon noticing the other. "Uh... Art?"

"I'm built a bit different than most furs--" Arty snapped out of his sleepy daze and pulled Vix's paw from beneath the blanket. "No, you don't need to do that. Vix, I don't want you to force yourself to... please me. I'd rather be your friend."

"I'm not forcing anything... not really, anyway. It isn't like I haven't done this sort of thing before..." Vix trailed off, her gaze going to the dim void of the room as if something was wrong. "W-Wait... you're not gay, are you? I mean... I could just use my paw."

"No, I'm very much into women. It's not that. I just... don't want to cross those sorts of lines so easily. You're not just some toy to me, you know." Arty took a deep breath, then stiffened when Cheren's glowing paw resumed where Vix left off. "Cheren? I'm serious here. I'm not looking to--"

"You don't want to have sex with Vix. I heard you." Cheren straddled her master, keeping the blanket in place as she slipped the longer of two cocks into her drenched pussy. "I know what you really need though, and until you give me a hard 'No.' I'm going to solve your big little problems, Master."

"Oh God... Cheren, I don't think..." Art squeaked as Cheren reached her false cervix, then again in a more feral manner upon spotting Vix reaching into her own pants. "Ah, fuck it. Just make it quick, please."

"As you wish, Master." Cheren squeezed her thighs together and increased her rising and falling to a rapid pace. "Will this do, Master?"

Arty bucked his chest forward as a shiver of pleasure ran up his spine, then fell limp with his eyes rolling upward once Vix's scent reached his nostrils. "O~h yes. Shit, I'm... Oh God, I'm about to pop. Can you... go harder?"

"Oh, harder? Um..." Cheren gave up on hiding beneath the blanket and extended the range of each plunge into her sloppy sex, her ass audibly clapping in her master's lap on each repetition. "Th-That might n-not be enough, b-but--"

"Ah, n-no! It's perfect!" Art grabbed his free cock and pumped his hips upward to fuck his own paw, the extra stimulation quickly sending him beyond the pale. "F-Fuck, Cher! You m-might wanna get o-off!"

"N-Not a chance, Master." Cheren felt her master's larger manhood throb within her in a telltale sign of utter bliss. She took that as a cue to drop her hips completely, her master's cock spearing beyond her cervix to fill her womb outright. "So f-full..."

"You can't take all of it? I only thought horses were that large. Oh, wait..." Vix noticed Art's smaller, spined cock grew an ever strengthening flow of light blue cum and dove her muzzle forward to contain the spill with her lapping tongue. "I wondered if... you came from both... at once..."

"Y-Yeah, most times--" Art tensed as he regained his focus, craning his neck and reaching a paw to pull Vix away from his erupting erection. "Please, don't do that. I really don't want you repaying me like that, Vix."

"You were making a mess. I wasn't thinking about it like that." Vix licked a glaze from her lips like the act was commonplace for her. "At least you're clean though. Well... from one end at least."

"Oh, yeah. I think that shower might be in order." Arty slewed his gaze from his larger cock filling Cher through her translucent groin to stare into her earnest smile. "You didn't cum, yet you enjoyed the hell out of that..."

"I enjoy watching you orgasm, plus the feeling of you filling me so deeply is utterly unique. Don't worry about if I cum or not, Master." Cheren slowly raised her hips and fell to her master's side, pulling the blanket back to his chest level on the way. "You can make it up in the shower if you'd like. Or you can use me however else you'd like, Master. I just like being close like this."

"I'd agree if Vix wasn't ogling us the whole time. No offence, Vix." As Art's breathing slowed to a normal rate he pulled Vix into a shared snuggle with Cheren. "This doesn't seem like your first rodeo, Vix. I thought you might have been a bit inexperienced, actually."

"I'd say the same about you, but then I met Cheren. Who wouldn't tap that ass?" Vix crawled over Arty and rested face-to-face atop Cher, only to then disappear below the blanket and induce a giggling yip from the djinn. "I've had my moments, and I'm used to keeping things clean. Mn... Especially plugging leaks..."

"Vix, I'm... not sure how to take that. I won't lie and say I don't see you in a sexual light right now..." Art lifted the blanket and dropped it once he saw the vixen had her whole long tongue deep inside Cher's gooey folds. "Okay, so you've had experience. I'm not sure we should explore that personally, though."

"It's... alright. I've been having sex since I was--"

Artemis furled his brow at that slipped detail and pressed for the remainder. "Vix, you don't have to hide anything from me. I won't force you, either. However, I think this is something you might need to get out for your own good..."

"Y-Yeah... Maybe you're right." Vix returned to her position opposite Cheren and once again licked her lips clean. "I was maybe two days out of being rescued and my new owner had me servicing her... and then a few weeks later she started selling time with me to... strangers..."

"That's horrible. Vix... If I'd have known that--"

"No. You don't want me thanking you with sex, right? Well I don't want your pity. What happened, happened." Vixelynn rolled over so Art could only see her back. "I was nine when it all started and... twelve when I escaped the first time, I think. I spent years playing nice just to earn an opening. Don't patronize me and say I was lucky and shit. I made my own freedom possible."

"I would never dare strip that from you. Hell, that sounds brave as fucking hell." Artemis slowly rubbed his friend's shoulder and side, trying his best to ignore the trembles of her pelt. "Let me help you finish the deed. We'll get that tracker out of you so they can't ever control you again."

A silence in the room betrayed the vixen's quiet crying, even more so a sniffle. "Thanks, Art. You too, Cheren."

"Anything for a deserving friend."

Suddenly the door opened wide and a very nude, sweaty, and cum-shellacked Iolvin stood proudly. "Son! Are you and your new girlfriend done yet? Zoë is horny as fuck and wants to try those cocks of yours out."

"D-Dad!" Arty pulled the blanket higher over everyone and used his electrical affinity to force the door shut--without safeties. "Get out! Jesus, dad!"

"Ah, fuck!" The door shut hard, leaving the large otter locked outside and his substantial cock free-falling inside. "Well shit, Art. Some warning would have been nice."

Vixelynn's eyes shot wide open at the sight of the otter's manhood slapping the ground. "His fucking cock! Eek!"

"It's fine, Vix. Calm down." Arty nudged his snout to the dong and Cheren rolled over to retrieve it. "It's a prosthesis. He lost his real one in the war."

"He went with the dragon one today?" Cher held up the dong as it leaked cum from one end and nanite slurry from the other. "He's been fond of this one, huh?"

"I don't go regularly checking out my dad's junk so I wouldn't know." At a signaling sigh the genie thankfully hid the cock out of sight. "Thanks, Cher."

"Can I have that back?" Yoyo groaned impatiently through the door.

"After we're dressed. And tell Zoë... I might take her up on that offer, but only if it's just the two of us." Arty pulled his pants up and hinted for Cheren to manifest some false clothing for herself. "You can watch and all since she's your wife, but... Well, we can talk more after breakfast and a shower."

"Can I join? Been meaning to break in that pussy of yours too, son."

"No. What the fuck, dad?" Satisfied at everyone's state of dress, Art opened the door again and pointed to his father's cock. "If I did ever let that happen, you sure as fuck wouldn't be using that monster. Go keep your wife happy and I'll take a shower." Artemis leaned in close to Yoyo's ear and hissed one last remark. "But don't you dare touch Vix. If you break her spirit, I'll never forgive you. I'd rather we keep getting along like we have lately, dad."

"Gotcha. No paws on the girlfriend. Go clean up, son."

"She's not my girlfriend, dad--just a close friend. A sensitive one." Artemis walked a room down and checked the occupancy on the bathroom's display this time. "All clear. You coming or hiding in your lamp, Cher?"

Cherenkov happily skipped behind her master. "Coming!"

Vixelynn hopped to her hindpaws as well. "Me too!"

"No, you're not."

"Aw..."

"Not your girl, huh?" Iolvin smirked as he shook his head side to side, his mumbling really only reaching his own ears by now. "I remember thinking the same thing about your mom, Art. Like father, like son."