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"You... are kidding, right?" I looked back at Daledonne incredulously, gesturing with my hand at the long table and the dozens of Tiaileng already seated around it. Daledonne, though, only shook his head slightly. It wasn't the response I was looking for, and I certainly couldn't leave it at that.

"Okay, I know it's based on your data or whatever, but you can't seriously think this is the right time to bring this up. I mean, we're only to the point where I can just barely tolerated literally the least amount of sexual contact I can possibly have had with you guys, and even then crazy, unpredictable things happened as a result. Luckily it turned out to be beneficial somehow, and luckily I was in the one single state where being wrapped up in a giant ball of Tiaileng didn't cause me to absolutely lose it, but any one of those moments could have been dangerous. It was only a few hours before that when I got overwhelmed, and almost really hurt someone by accident."

I paused, looking around the room, realizing that even though it was Daledonne's comment, he was far from the only one I was addressing. "I'm really trying to make this work, you have to know that - and after getting through stuff today, I started to have some hope that maybe, just maybe, I was going to get there, maybe not instantly, but that over time it might actually be possible to be with all of you in a way that I can handle. And you really think this is the right time to add even more people? I'm already at my limit and just hanging on, and I know you have to understand that right now. Putting even more pressure on me... how can you think that's a good idea?" It ended up being more blunt than I'd intended, but the earlier revelations about Daledonne's scientific plans had already put me on edge, and the latest development just about pushed me over. Daledonne, apparently oblivious to that point about the effects of his statement, looked considerably taken aback, after a moment even looking somewhat ashamed.

"Well, you see..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "No. I have a feeling that you're not just looking for an explanation here. And you're probably right - before I even get to that, an apology really should be in order. I'm not entirely sure what I can say about our immediate reaction in the aftermath of your, ah, 'energetic incident,' and looking back on it now in a fully cognizant way, I can certainly understand the risk of extreme backlash that it could have potentially contained. In that moment, though, I don't think any of us, myself included, were thinking things through particularly clearly, or perhaps even at all. I don't even know quite how to describe it, but as soon as your climax hit, and the energy flowed through me, I just felt... inexplicably drawn towards you, somehow. I probably should have tried to assess the situation immediately upon regaining my senses, but the energy output was still compelling enough that I lingered before taking action. For that, and for failing to adequately anticipate and head off the other troubling encounter during the day, I do apologize. But as for the other numbers, and my reasoning behind them, please do at least hear me out. If you want to protest or refuse or get angry afterwards, you'll certainly have both the right and the opportunity to do so, but will you hear what I have to say first?"

Daledonne's apology didn't really do much to keep me from being on edge, but then again I wasn't really angry at him, or at any of them - as crazy as it had been, it had resulted in me feeling the best that I had in several days, at least for a while. "Yeah... I can do that. And I'm not mad, I'm just... frustrated. I know it hasn't exactly seemed like it so far, but the more I get to know you guys, the more I want this to work, and I just... don't want to face a situation so daunting that I can't even imagine handling it."

"I don't think any of us want to see that happen. And, while I can certainly see why you might have jumped to a certain conclusion, I certainly don't have the intention of doing something like doubling the Tiaileng population here overnight. After all, you're still getting used to the current group, and I don't think it makes sense to add any more until you're comfortable with dealing with them. However, I am quite optimistic that you will be, perhaps even in only a matter of weeks - and once you have grown comfortable with things as they are, it would then be appropriate to gently ramp things upward, for example by introducing perhaps one or two new Tiaileng a week, carefully monitoring the situation both to ensure that you don't reach the limit of what you can handle, and to examine your outputs as things ramp upward, both to gauge how you adapt and measure what your top energy transmission limit is. In fact, given that this won't be an issue until we can tackle several more pressing ones, we can certainly discuss an approach much more at length when that time comes. Perhaps I was premature in mentioning such plans, but at the same time, it's better that we're all aware of such a possibility, whether it is implemented now or at some point in the future. For now, I would simply like to ask that you keep it in mind, as well as keep an open mind about the potential for other such changes going forward. As for right now, I think it's at least fair to say that such a goal may someday be reasonable, right?"

"Um... well, maybe. I mean, there's still a lot that we've gotta figure out. For one thing, the stuff that happened earlier, the bad stuff... I kinda get why it happened, and maybe what I need to do, but I don't know if it's gonna happen again, or if I can prevent it if it does. Emotions are... emotional, I don't know how else to put it, and those basic ones, like fear, sometimes they just happen if I get into a situation I can't handle. They're not always under my conscious control. The only things I can control are the things that feed some of those emotions, like my environment or my stress levels, stuff like that. I can't just flip a switch and be happy, or not anxious, or whatever. And maybe it's a little better, but it's still a struggle not to feel kinda overwhelmed every waking moment right now. And it's not just you. I'm in a totally new environment for me, with a bunch of people who are still near-strangers, even if they are very nice ones. All of a sudden, there are pressures on me, for sex, for closeness, that I've literally never had before. The house itself is unsettling, and so big and convoluted I can literally get lost in it and not know how to find my way out. Even if you took away the other issues I have, even if you took the sanest and most level-headed person out of their normal lives and just plunked them down in here, I think even they would have trouble adjusting. So, if you ask me, right now I need more of certain things, true, but not more Tiaileng. I need more quiet. More time to myself. More parts of my normal life that I'm used to, like hanging out with my friends, who I'm missing already, and my... ah, crap."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"My parents... I did let them know I was okay, basically, but... not much more than that. Everything's been so crazy that... well, I guess I didn't want to deal with it, but it's already been too long without talking to them. I, um... I'm allowed to talk to them, right?"

Daledonne cocked his head strangely for a second, but then nodded. "Of course. We're not seeking to sequester you here, exactly. We simply want to make sure that your initial... acclimation, so to speak, isn't interrupted in a potentially negative way. While I am certainly aware that you may indeed be missing them, and while I think that talking would be good, I would ask that you refrain from having them visit in person for the time being. However, the nice thing about that advanced teleconference system is that you will be able to visit with them, at least virtually face to face, with considerable definition and clarity. In fact, I will ensure that such a conference is set up after dinner - this is, in fact, something we planned for, and I believe that as we prepared things here today, a separate team was installing a similar telepresense suite in your original family room. In any case, though, you've already been through a long and eventful day so far - I would encourage you to relax, eat, and replenish your energy before engaging in that particular interaction. All right?"

"All right..."

"Excellent. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll verify that everything's set up - besides, I believe that tonight's chefs are already waiting eagerly to present their first proper dish to you..."

Daledonne hurried off as the rest of the Tiaileng filtered in, and the few empty seats remaining were quickly explained by the half-dozen Tiaileng filing in and holding a pair of dome-covered silver trays amongst them - apparently, they had tracked down some of the fancier serving things that the previous owner had left. It was admittedly odd, I realized, that the tech guru had given the place over to the Tiaileng while leaving just about everything - furniture, art, even the dinnerware - in place. It was however, hardly the oddest thing about the place, and really no more surprising than the Tiaileng lifting the covers from the platters to reveal an absolutely massive T-bone steak on one, and thick-cut vegetables, wild rice pilaf with exotic mushrooms, and a twice-baked potato. It seemed that, with their newly acquired ingredients in hand, the Tiaileng had decided to go all out - it was the type of thing my family usually only ate on special occasions, and even then usually at a restaurant with white tablecloths and leather-bound menus. In fact, as I looked over the food, I realized that there was probably enough contained on both trays to have fed my entire family, given that only three of us ate actual food. Still, I resolved to eat as much as I could to thank them for their effort. And once I dug in, I found it was all pretty decent. Sure, the steak was well-done, probably because they hadn't been quite sure about cooking it and wanted to be on the safe side, and there was also a decided lack of seasoning - which made sense, when I thought about it, as the Tiaileng couldn't actually try what they were cooking, and so would find it impossible to season anything to taste. Still, it was far better than anything I could have done, as my level of culinary expertise stretched just about to the point of making slightly fancy grilled-cheese sandwiches. I ate as much as I could, making sure to profusely thank the Tiaileng who had cooked it, all of whom had somehow found a way to be seated nearby, and watched me unceasingly and a little nervously as I ate it.

Aside from the chefs anxious for my evaluation, though, interestingly enough the other Tiaileng weren't actively staring at me as they normally did, instead only glancing over occasionally as they talked animatedly amongst themselves. Of course, even without them staring at me, it was obvious the the thing they most wanted to talk about involved me - or, at least, what I had done earlier. Thankfully, they weren't talking about what had happened with Erilanna, but on the other hand, hearing snippets of conversation between people about how awesome my own orgasm apparently was did cause my to blush more or less constantly throughout the meal. Soliaveren and Meccione, of course, were the ones peppered with the most questions about what had happened, but everyone who had been in the room with me, save for the absent Daledonne, had those around them raptly following their accounts. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to know exactly what being with me, even in an albeit peripheral fashion, had been like. Oddly enough, while a couple of them looked over at me like they wanted to say something, none of them did - they would, at least, allow me to eat in peace, although what they would do once I was finished was unclear.

Once I was done, eating a good amount but not nearly all of it, I explained to the Tiaileng who had cooked that I hadn't finished it simply because it exceeded the capacity of my stomach, a response that they seemed to feel was compliment enough. One of them whisked the rest of the food away to be stored for later, and Daledonne quickly returned in her place, apparently finished with making the required arrangements. He stood next to me, standing and waving his arms, a motion that to my surprise seemed to capture everyone's attention from their side conversations and return it to him. Even if he wasn't the leader of them all in fact, his stature did have at least some effect, as they seemed to heed him attentively as he spoke.

"I know that it's about time for everyone to get back to their various assignments for the evening, but there is one important topic that I need to bring up regarding this afternoon's events. I realize that for some of you, the specific energy release, while welcomed, was also surprising and to an extent inconvenient. Now that we know about this phenomenon, then, I think it makes sense to modify our initial schedules somewhat. We will still keep the scheduled times and places for sexual activity in general. However," he said, patting my shoulder, "for whichever one he decides to go to, I will send out a message to your phones detailing the time and place chosen. While there will still be a limit to how many people are in the room with him, when you receive that message it will be recommended that you take a break as well, and if interested you can congregate in a nearby area to ensure that you can take in the energy that results - if there is one thing this place doesn't lack, it is bedrooms, so I think we should be fine in that respect. That way, as many as possible can partake of that energy, and everyone will be able to be appropriately disrobed at the proper moment to avoid any resulting discomfort. Sounds good?"

One of the Tiaileng raised their hand, and I looked over to see that it was Aleresca. "Okay, but... what if he wants to do something and it isn't at a scheduled time? I mean... we're still fine with that, right?"

"Hmm... I see your point," Daledonne replied, looking around the room. "Right, then, let's do a show of hands. If that were to happen, would you all be all right with taking in that energy unexpectedly, even if it meant an accompanying, unexpected discharge and the necessary cleanup and wardrobe adjustments along with it?"

Unsurprisingly, all of the Tiaileng raised their hands. It probably made sense, though; for them, the energy was paramount, and I also knew by now that they were capable of shaking off just about everything that I myself would have found intensely embarrassing.

"So, such a thing would be acceptable, then. Although, for the moment at least, I don't think that's going to be much of an issue - I feel that such things probably won't be taken on spontaneously any time soon." He glanced back down at me. "Of course, correct me if you do, in fact, feel differently."

"No, I... I'm still getting used to, ah, it in the first place, and after what happened earlier with something unexpected... yeah, I think sticking to the, ah, schedule is probably good."

"So, I wouldn't worry about that right now. And if we do get to that point later on, we'll probably be able to send out a quick text before getting started, regardless. I am quite confident that, in such a situation, you will all be more than capable of taking a momentary break from your other priorities and engage in some mutual enjoyment. If that's settled, though, we should probably get going on our other tasks - after all, there are still many more things to prep before we can really begin to call this our home."

At that, the other Tiaileng nodded, and most quickly rose from their seats, heading quickly towards the exits as they continued to talk amongst themselves. Soon, as it was the night before, the only people left in the room were Daledonne, myself, and the rest of my daily entourage, Erilanna now once again part of it. While they had tagged along later, Aleresca and Telanelei had left again to do something else, leaving Arathlin, Redalei, Lucrannon, Nessaoreth and Miruvona as the remainder of those accompanying me. As they stood up, looking between me and Daledonne to apparently see what was planned for the evening, I realized that when people were getting ready for the meal, a few of them had ducked out and changed - while Redalei and Lucrannon seemed to be wearing the same thing, Arathlin had swapped to a uniform that was accented in blue instead of green, and that seemed to have both a foreshortened skirt and blouse, displaying her fluffy blue-green midriff in between. Miruvona and Nessaoreth, though, had opted to cover up a little more - evidently tired of running around all day in nothing but their swimsuits, they had both augmented them with a pair of tight khaki-colored shorts. Their clothes were still unique enough, though, and even if they had changed more, I had to admit that, bit by bit, I was getting familiar enough with their faces that I felt fairly certain I could differentiate them by that alone. In any case, as odd as the getups were, I was getting used to them - well, all except for Daledonne's admittedly discordant take on business-extremely-casual.

It was Daledonne, though, who quickly turned to me, and I hoped he hadn't noticed me staring pointedly at his clothing - he seemed fairly oblivious to it, though.

"So... the call, then?"

Of course. The call. Which, admittedly, brought the situation with the clothes into focus - after all, the call was probably going to take place with all the Tiaileng in the room next to me, still wearing their outlandish, and honestly kind of fetishistic, outfits. The conversation, I knew, was already going to be awkward enough, and I really had no idea how my parents would react to seeing the Tiaileng like that. What if they thought I'd put them up to it? Well, okay, I was fairly sure that there was no way my parents would think that - they knew me as well as anyone, and also knew that generally speaking, about the most I was capable of asking a woman who wasn't either a family member or already a friend was for the time, or perhaps what they thought of the recent weather. That, and Tiaileng weren't exactly always conformists when it came to clothing, anyway. I thought of asking if they would be willing to change anyway, but the group was already in motion and a good ways down a hallway by the time I considered that, and it seemed silly at that point to bother. If anything, in fact, it might help to drive home the sheer absurdity of my situation.

We made it to the conference room, and Daledonne had us sit arrayed at one end of the table, myself in the center, with Daledonne and Erilanna flanking me on either side. In front of us was the large, widescreen display, the impressive bank of cameras hanging down from the ceiling just above it. Daledonne fiddled with a remote, and the display awoke to a sea of skittering static, quickly resolving into a list of various destinations. Most of them bore the names of local-area schools and community colleges, but there were a handful at the bottom that hadn't yet been labeled, only assigned seemingly arbitrary numbers. Daledonne scrolled down to one labeled "203957", selected it, and the screen flashed the large blue letters of "CONNECTING" for several seconds before resolving to the scene of a very familiar-looking, and somewhat unexpectedly crowded, living room.

My parents were there, of course, sitting together on one side of the large couch, Tiaileng and human ones interspersed. Arrayed around them, though, were a half-dozen others: Emma and Mirracai cuddling together on the floor in front of the couch, Zalman and Tessekori squeezed in next to my parents, and Will and Ingotheen perched together along the couch's back. And as the teleconference link finished up, they were all suddenly looking back at me, most of them with the same sort of unbridled curiosity that the Tiaileng here had shown when I'd first showed up.

"Um, hey, guys..." I said, not quite expecting the packed room in front of me. "I didn't realize all of you were gonna be there..."

Emma was the first to respond, even before my parents could manage to get a word in. "Hey, you didn't expect us to just wait around for you to show back up, did you? As soon as Will told us he'd made contact, we wanted to go right over to wherever you were, but when we got back home there were these other Tiaileng at all of our houses, talking to our parents and telling them we couldn't! What's up with that? They said the best they could do was talk like this, so of course we're gonna be here!"

"I... they kinda told me the same thing, that no one's supposed to visit right now while everything gets figured out, but... seriously, though, I can't tell you guys how glad I am to see you."

Emma's eyes still showed some indignation, but her reply was a little softer. "Yeah, us too. It's been weird, you know?" She paused, leaning forward towards the camera and appearing to scrutinize something in front of her. "Actually, for that matter, it's still weird. Seriously, who gets assigned fifty Tiaileng? Plus, I can only see six of seven of them..."

"Ah... may I jump in for a moment?" Daledonne said from off to my side, and I nodded, grateful to have a moment to think about what I wanted to say to everyone on the other end of the connection.

"Very well then. Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Daledonne, and I am the one generally in charge of coordinating your friend's unique situation. The reason that there are only several of us at hand is that, in order to make sure that our presence does not feel too overwhelming, the group of us that accompany him rotate on a regular basis. I can assure you, though, that there are indeed fifty of us present here, and while such an assignment is indeed quite rare, it is in fact not entirely unheard of, or indeed even unprecedented - well, maybe not to this extent, but at least as far as assigning more than two or three is concerned. That being said, I understand that it is rare enough to cause some questions, which I will be happy to answer as completely as I am allowed to. However, I don't think that you're here to listen to me, yes?" Daledonne nodded back in my direction. "Although, with so many people, perhaps it does make sense to decide the order in which people would like to speak before we begin..."

The group on the other end looked around for a moment, until Ithonwiy, my Tiaileng father, reached behind him and came up with one of the couch's decorative cushions, the one in question embroidered with a pattern of wide-eyed kittens. I'd never been much of a fan of that one, but my human mom had a thing for designs like that.

"Okay, I saw this on a reality show and maybe it's a little silly, but I think we can just make it so that whoever's holding this is the only one talking. When they're done, whoever wants it next waves and they toss it over. Good enough?"

The rest of them nodded, and Daledonne did as well. For the moment, though, Ithonwiy seemed to ignore Daledonne's presence for the most part, looking clearly over in my direction, or at least it appeared that way on the screen.

"Then, let me begin. I know that your other parents, Lindsay especially, are a little... perturbed that you only sent us a brief text instead of directly contacting us sooner, but I will let them express that sentiment themselves. I'm just... glad to see your face. More than that, I'm glad to see that it's not full of fear, or anxiety, or desperation. I won't deny that I was worried. I know how you are sometimes, around people, and when I heard that you would be around so many, even Tiaileng, I... I truly didn't know how you would react. To see that you're okay, that you're at least okay enough to show that slight smile you have when you're doing well enough..." He paused, looking around him, his ears dipping a little as he realized he was probably going on a little too sentimentally in front of my friends. "That is to say... I'm just glad to see that you're doing okay."

He held the pillow up, and as soon as people noticed he'd stopped talking, just about everyone else in the room was abruptly waving for it. He tossed it over in a gentle lob toward where my human father was sitting, but before it reached him, Ingotheen shot out an arm to grab it mid-flight and quickly tucked it into her chest, looking at me curiously. I looked back, surprised - while I knew her basically because of Will, I didn't really know her all that well, and as she looked over at me, I realized I had absolutely no idea what sort of thing she would want to say to me.

"So..." she said, glancing over at the others quickly before continuing. "I don't know if it's my place or not to ask this, but somehow I feel like it would be super awkward for anyone else here to ask you this, so I'm going to do it because I don't care about that. All right?"

"Um... okay?" I replied, trying to figure out what sort of awkward thing she wanted to ask about, and probably blushing slightly as I came up with a few guesses.

She nodded, grinning in a slightly unsettling fashion. "Oh, it's nothing so bad. It's just that I know how you are, and how Will tells me you are, which makes me wonder. Are you letting them, well, take care of you? I won't say it more directly than that, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about..."

If my face wasn't red before, it certainly became so as I realized the question was just about as embarrassing as I'd anticipated. My initial response was little more than a halting, incoherent stammer, but Daledonne noticed immediately and quickly stepped in again.

"It did take us a short time to earn his trust in that matter, but we have made great recent progress on that front. In fact, as of this afternoon, the majority of us have felt his presence in that manner."

All of a sudden, ten very surprised-looking faces were looking back at me, and I blushed even further as I realized how Daledonne's words had sounded. I knew what he was talking about, of course, but it was far too easy to interpret that much differently.

"Um," Ingotheen replied, looking especially confused. "You've only been there a couple of days, right? I have to say, just by looking, I wouldn't have thought you'd had it in you..."

"I-it's not what you think, really! It's not like I, I, did it with everyone, not like that..."

"Oh, really?" Ingotheen said, grinning even more enthusiastically. "I think we're all eager to hear the story behind that, then..."

I stammered again, trying to figure out how I would even begin to properly answer it, especially as I didn't fully understand what had happened myself. How was I supposed to get anyone to believe that I could somehow transfer my own orgasms to someone else? Daledonne looked like he was about to step in, possibly with another less-than-helpful explanation, but before he could my human mom, who had been looking increasingly mortified by the line of questioning, reached up with a quickness anyone who didn't know her would probably be surprised at. Before Ingotheen even realized what had happened and looked down to notice it missing, the pillow was already tucked neatly into my mother's lap, with her hands flat against it to hold it in place. Daledonne continued trying to speak for a moment, but she cleared her throat loudly enough, and with enough clear intent, that he quickly relented.

"And that, of course, is nobody's business but yours," she said, once everything had quieted down, taking a moment to glare back at the others, especially the Tiaileng, who seemed to be of a different opinion. "You know that I feel the way Ithonwiy does, that we all do, that we're glad you're okay. And he's right about what I'm thinking, too. I know that Tiaileng can make a habit of keeping you busy, but don't tell me you didn't have time to give us a quick phone call!"

"Um, well..." I replied, feeling rightfully ashamed, but my mom seemed to brush right by the point and kept going.

"Yes, I know, we're talking now, but I am going to hold you to it. Every night, I will be expecting your call. I really don't think that's too much to ask. However... I know the situation is a lot for you. Being away from home like this, around so many people... that you're sitting there talking to us calmly, looking as good as you are right now, it does take a weight off all of us. And you know that we all love you, and that whatever you need, we're all going to be here for you. At least, to the extent that we're allowed to."

My mother turned her head slightly, apparently to look over at Daledonne, her gaze seeming to harden as she did so. "Speaking of that, I do need to have some words with your companion over there. Mister... Daledonne, was it? I do, in fact have a question for you. Where, exactly, do you get off saying that we're not allowed to see our own son? We are his parents, his guardians, and it is absolutely absurd that there are people here telling us that this is the closest we're allowed to get to him!"

If Daledonne was perturbed by my mother's harsher tone, it didn't carry over into his reply. "Actually, if I may clarify a point, most assignments are completed at or around the time of the person reaching the age of majority. In this case, as that age has already been reached, he is no longer officially under your guardianship, but an independent global citizen, with his current location now officially assigned as his place of residence, and all of us as his assigned companions."

"Which doesn't change the fact that we are his parents, and you have no right to deny us." She turned back to me, for a moment looking ever so slightly uncertain. "You do want to see us, right? I can't imagine that changing..."

I nodded. "Of course I do. And I'm sorry about before, not calling, it's just that all my energy was kinda tied up just trying to come to terms with everything that was happening..."

"I understand, hon. And we will find a way to see you." She glanced back at Daledonne. "Well? What justification could you possibly have for keeping us away?"

"I admit, it's not one that I can easily explain, and ultimately it is not directly my decision - it is a directive that originated at a higher level in the hierarchy of my organization. And, to be clear, it is not an indefinite restriction, but one that will be limited in duration, likely no more than a month, and perhaps much less - it should only be in place until the situation here has been more clearly analyzed and your son's relationship with us stabilized. Until that time, the issue is that having more people present may in fact make it more difficult for him to adapt, and having other humans present until we have a clear baseline established could adversely affect our scientific readings. For those reasons, access is being restricted temporarily, and those restrictions will be lifted once we are confident that they are no longer necessary - once they are, you can visit whenever he would like you to. And, of course, you can converse via this connection regularly until that point. I trust that this addresses your concerns?"

My mother still looked a little skeptical, but nodded. "All right. One month. But just so you know, I will hold you to that." She glared at him for another moment before turning back to me. "Just remember, we're here for you. Any time, day or night. Even if there's nothing wrong, even if you just want to talk, you can call us. Just keep hanging in there, and we'll see you before you know it. And even if they won't let us see you, I will get them to send you some care packages - I've known Tiaileng for long enough to know how Tiaileng cooking usually is, so I'm going to make sure you get at least a taste of home to go along with it."

"Well, I've said what I wanted, so..." she concluded, suddenly flipping both hands up from her lap and sending the pillow flying into the air, touching off a mad scramble as all of my friends tried to reach for it at once. Will managed to grab it, and tried to press me some more about some of the more... intimate aspects of what it was like being around fifty Tiaileng, but my mom's glare was just as effective at shutting him down. The rest of the conversation was basically routine, with Daledonne answering a few minor questions, and dodging by way of scientific-sounding obfuscation the few, more pointed questions about just exactly why I had been assigned fifty Tiaileng in the first place, and why, as he had intimated earlier, they were studying me. The conversation wrapped up with another expression of support from my parents, and promises from my friends to text me later, probably with the questions that my parents had actively discouraged from being asked in front of them. Then the connection clicked off, the screens went blank, and the illusion was over - my parents, my friends, were still some distance away, and wouldn't be showing up any time soon. Which left me, of course, back where I was - in a convoluted mansion overrun with fifty fuzzy people who were all too focused on me.

As the call finished and the screens turned off, the Tiaileng present rolled their chairs over, clustering around me, although Daledonne again was the first to speak up.

"You know, I think that went... well, overall. Er... although, I guess I didn't let you guys get a word in edgewise..."

"Fine with me, at least," Redalei replied. "You want to be in charge like that, taking the heat from his parents, that's fine by me. Just as long as you remember that you're in charge of the situation, and not us."

"Of course," Daledonne said, nodding to acknowledge her before turning back to me. "Speaking of organizing things... I suppose we do need to figure out what you'd like to do for the rest of the evening. I suppose we could watch a movie again, but if there's something you'd rather do..."

"Hmm, well..." I replied, trying to think it through. More than anything, after the events of the day, I just wanted a quiet, solitary evening - something that didn't involve loud, rumbling theater-style surround sound and Tiaileng draped all over me. "Er... do you think a place like this has anything like a private library?"

Daledonne paused for a moment, thinking. "Hmm... I don't think so, at least not specifically. In the list of amenities, though, I think I recall seeing a list of several different lounges, including one with a reference to a reading room. Let's see..." He retrieved his phone, paging through it with a series of precise swipes. "Ah... here it is. East wing, first ancillary corridor off of second primary perpendicular corridor south... well, I'm sure we'll be able to find it eventually. It does feature, apparently, a cozy ambience with an actual fireplace, an automated book pillar, several armchairs, and a collection of rare... cigars? Not entirely sure what that has to do with reading, but I assume those are not relevant to your interests..."

"Um, no..."

"Right. Aside from that, though, is that the sort of thing you're looking for?"

"Yeah, that's... pretty much exactly what I want."

"All right, then. Shall we?"

A few of the Tiaileng didn't seem entirely pleased with the decision, although all that really meant was that their expressions were less enthusiastic than normal, so it was hard to tell precisely. No one protested out loud, though, and after ten minutes or so of wandering around slightly lost and Daledonne consulting the mansion floor plans on his phone several times, we made our way to the room in question.

Like most of the other rooms in the mansion, it took its general theme and went ridiculously over-the-top with it. The room itself seemed to be going for a representation of some sort of hunting lodge, complete with actual sections of tree trunks attached to the walls to give it a log-cabin look, along with a wood-paneled floor graced with what might have been an actual bearskin rug. However, the antique muskets and animal trophies affixed to the walls contrasted rather oddly with the modern-looking, polished granite fireplace and an array of couches flanked by a pair of regal, high-backed armchairs, each of them upholstered with pristine white leather and framed in rich, polished wood decorated with gold leaf. Behind them, as advertised, was a gleaming glass pillar, stretching floor to ceiling, with a small cutout in one of the sides at chest height. Lucrannon found the small remote sitting on a shelf nearby, and once he activated, a carousel of books seemed to rise out of the floor unsupported, neat circular columns of volumes swelling and twirling into view. Upon closer examination, the books themselves were on a series of finely-formed glass shelves, tempered and treated so as to be almost invisible. It was an impressive display, to be sure, but was as out of sync with the room's walls as the rest of the interior decor. To say it was an odd-looking room was an understatement, and that was before I realized that a few of the "hunting trophies" on the wall were actually sculptures, based on the tech guru's own profile stretched and molded into the furred, animal-muzzled visages of both a twelve-point buck and a bengal tiger. I was sure that any psychologists who might have visited must have had a field day with that particular display...

None of the others looked particularly perturbed by the room's ideosyncracies, but Arathlin was already looking at me skeptically as I settled into one of the armchairs, trying it out for comfort.

"You... do know the whole point of this is to do something together, right?"

"Um, well you asked me what I wanted to do, and, well, I just wanted to do something calm, like sit here and read..."

"Yeah. In an armchair. By yourself."

"Well, I..." I paused, realizing that my attempt at relative solitude was already failing, but there was no reason not to try and salvage it nonetheless. "I don't think that's true. I mean, we would all be here, in the same room, right?"

"You know that's not the point." She walked over to me, reached down to grab onto my wrists, and had me out of the chair and pulled back onto my feet before it even occurred to me to resist. "You can't possibly be so clueless not to know what we mean by now when we say together."

She paused for a moment, gesturing at the other assembled Tiaileng before me. "Look. A couple of... anomalies aside, you've barely had any real contact with us all day. We've been in the same room as you, but that's about it. In separate chairs, by ourselves. Even the time during the day when we were supposed to be the most intimate was mainly you watching, and the only time we really had contact with you was the one time you weren't able to choose otherwise. Now, I know we haven't been shy about telling you what we need, so now you need to tell us what's going on with you. I know you've got some issues, but I think we all want to know why you're going to such lengths to avoid contact."

I hesitated, gulping nervously as the nearby Tiaileng all seemed to be looking expectantly at me again. More than being nervous, though, I realized I felt kind of, well... not exactly pissed off, but not exactly in the mood to hold back, either.

"Yeah, I know, I've heard all you guys on that. But I still don't think you're hearing me. I literally just went on about how I barely held it together for even that. I don't know how else to put it, but this is really hard for me. I'm not great around people in general, except maybe my friends, but that's only because I've known them for years and years. And beyond that, I'm especially not great at having people touching me. I mean, I'm pretty sensitive to touch even normally, and Tiaileng fur is... really, really soft, so the feeling of it touching me feels amplified even more, to the point where I get oversensitive and then it takes every bit of effort I have just to handle it. The only people I ever really touched before this, on a regular basis... well, my parents, and maybe my friends. Up until a couple of days ago, the idea of even giving someone else a hug, let alone something more, would have been intimidating, not to mention trying to figure out if it was even appropriate or if it would piss someone off... I'm worried that I'm either gonna freak out again, or do something inappropriate that gets you angry at me. I know how to make things work when I'm not dealing with all of that, so... I guess that's why I keep angling for things like this where I don't have to face it, especially with all the other stuff today that I only just barely got through."

If Arathlin was perturbed by my response, she didn't show it. "Yeah, I get all that. We all do. But it doesn't change the fact that we have needs, too, and like it or not, you're the only person who can supply some of them. True, it's great that you can transmit more than we thought was possible at first, but it's still... quantity and quality, is the best way I can put it. There's a difference between what we can pull in from you over the air, so to speak, and what we can get when we're actually in contact. If it was enough just to have the first type, I can't imagine we'd have bothered with the whole entourage thing in the first place - the whole idea of it, you know, was to be around you in small enough groups that you wouldn't feel as intimidated about making contact. That's the same reason we've had all these discussions and made what concessions we could. Ultimately, though, you've got to get comfortable enough to make contact with us - not even sexual, necessarily, but physical. We all need to get you to that point, and the sooner, the better."

"And I get that, too, but... I can't just magically decide to feel, or act, differently about things. What am I supposed to do?"

"Hmm..." Arathlin paused, then abruptly turned and walked over towards the fireplace, fiddling with something, and a moment later it sprang to life - the wood itself didn't seem quite real, but the heat and crackling flames were more than real enough. For a moment, I began to worry about just what, exactly, she had in mind that required an open flame, but instead of doing anything with it, she walked back towards me, grinning meaningfully.

"Well, we all need this to happen. So, tonight, before we get down to reading in silence or whatever else you actually had planned, allow me to propose another activity: practicing closeness."

"Um... what?"

"You know... the basics. Nothing overtly sexual or intimidating - hugging, cuddling, that kind of thing. I get that it's not something you're used to, or that even comes naturally to you, so maybe we're going about it wrong trying to just talk it up and wait for it to happen on its own. Maybe what you need is some actual, formal training in exactly what we're looking for, and some practice to get you comfortable with it. Well, at least that's what I think you need..."

I looked around, noting that most of the rest of them were nodding affirmatively.

"R-really? Now?"

"Yes. Why not now?"

"Well, I just thought... I mean, I know you said it's not quite the same, but we just did a bunch of stuff before dinner, right? And people were saying afterwards that they got a ton of energy from me, maybe even enough for days, so... why is it so important to do it right now?"

"Don't you see? That's exactly the reason this is the perfect time to do it! After all, we get that you're kinda skittish when it comes to stuff like this, and if we're really desperate to get something from you, maybe we try a little too hard or get a little to close for comfort, and we all know now that what happens next doesn't help anyone. If we're all satisfied, though, it's the best time to practice, because even if you get uncomfortable and pull away, you don't have to feel bad that you're not giving us what we need, and we're not going to get frustrated and try to glom onto you. That makes it the perfect time to get a little more comfortable just being with us, with no pressure at all. Then, once you're more comfortable, when we really need you to be close to us, you'll be better prepared for it and there'll be less problems. Makes sense?"

"Um, y-yeah, I guess..." I said, my tone not exactly betraying enthusiasm. I wasn't entirely sure about trying to push myself more, after what I'd already been through, but I had to admit that what she said did make a lot of sense.

"Great! We'll practice... hugging first. Probably easiest. Although, if we're actually going to get you comfortable with it..."

She reached down, grabbing the bottom of her foreshortened uniform top with both hands, and quickly pulled it off over her head - before I could even get out a word of protest, she had already tossed it in a corner and had turned back to me, topless.

"Erm, ah..." I stammered, trying and failing to avert my eyes and trying to figure out what was going on. In return, Arathlin looked slightly peeved.

"Wait, are you actually trying not to look at me now?"

"You, you're... You're not wearing..."

Arathlin glanced down at her chest, and then back up. "Really? You, ah, do get that's not a big deal for a Tiaileng, right?" She brushed her hands across her admittedly flat chest. "No breasts, no nipples, nothing particularly sexual there at all. There's not any conceivable reason we should have to cover up any more than males should, and no one seems to have much of a problem with a Tiaileng guy showing off his bare chest in public. Besides, that's not the point of this anyway." She gestured again at her chestfur. "Part of the problem is being to sensitive to the sensation of the fur, right? Well, if you want to get past that, get accustomed to how we feel, you need to get used to the sensation of our fur against you first and foremost, and this way you can get close to it at your own pace, without worrying about having something awkward that might get in the way. In fact, it would probably work even better if you took your shirt off as well..."

I looked back at her, not quite panicking, but wondering exactly where she was going with this. Another look at her face, though, and I concluded that it wasn't some sort of game or hidden seduction - she was actually serious about this. Still, serious or not, I still wasn't sure just how much I was capable of handling at the moment, gradually or otherwise.

"Er... how about I leave it on for now?"

"Suit yourself." All of a sudden, she turned on her heel, presenting her back to me, and for a moment I wondered if I'd somehow offended her, but she quickly resumed talking in the same tone of voice that she'd used before.

"Okay, let's start simple, then. A basic, casual approach that should be even easier for you, so that you can give me a hug without worrying about receiving a return embrace. Just walk up behind me, wrap your arms around my waist, and we'll take it from there." She turned her head partway back, gesturing with her short muzzle for me to approach. "See? I'm just going to stand here, arms away from my sides enough so you can hug me properly. You're going to be the only one doing anything, which means that for you, there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You can get as close as you want, and back away if you need to, so there's no reason not to give it a try."

"Yeah, I, I guess," I replied, taking a tentative step closer to her. "Sorry, it's just... it feels a little silly, I guess. I mean, practicing hugging someone, it just sounds kinda..." well, childish, but I wasn't sure I wanted to say that out loud.

Even with her head turned around as far as she could, she still managed to cock it slightly to the side, a feat I'd certainly never seen a human pull off.

"But you're not practicing hugging someone, you know. Obviously you know how to do that. Like I said: we're practicing closeness. Hugging is simply the easiest way to get started with it. You can do whatever you want, really, as long as it ends up with both of us making significant physical contact. This is about getting used to the feeling of being close, without pressure or unpredictability, so you can focus on the aspects of it that feel good. The idea is that once you focus on the good parts of it, they'll start to drown out the discomfort, and then the whole thing rounds up to comfortable. I certainly don't think any of that is silly, and honestly, if us being wholly unserious about everything is what it took to get you comfortable, then that's what we'd do. I can talk until I'm... well, okay, I'm always kind of blue in the face, but all the talk in the world is only going to get you so far. If you really want to start getting comfortable in your new life with us, you know what you have to do..."

She turned back, and I nodded, feeling a little chagrined. It was true that she, that they all, were doing everything they could to be accommodating. And really, was a hug all that much of a leap? Of course, I knew I could do it - I'd managed somehow the night before with several Tiaileng draped all over me, although I still couldn't quite figure out how it had been at least tolerable then but uncomfortable now. The question, then, wasn't whether I could actually hug Arathlin, but whether I could do so in a way that didn't lead to me freaking out, a way that was actually comfortable for both of us. If it was possible, though, if I could manage with something basic like that... well, it would add at least another bit of hope that this could all actually work out.

It took some effort, but I got myself to walk forward, my chest tightening a little with anxiety, but I moved nonetheless. It only took a few steps before I was right behind her, anyway, suddenly feeling supremely awkward as I felt the sensation of her fur rubbing against the fabric of my T-shirt. If the kids at school had seen me like that, just standing there stupidly as I tried to will my arms to do what they needed to... but they weren't there, and there seemed a good chance that aside from my close friends, I'd probably have no occasion to see them again. As for the Tiaileng... I glanced around nervously for a moment, trying to take in their reactions, but there wasn't an expression of mocking or ridicule among them. In fact, they all seemed to be watching intently, with a look of almost anticipatory interest.

It did make me wonder, at least, what exactly I was waiting for, and so I brought my arms up, leaned forward a little further, and wrapped them gently around Arathlin's chest.

As I slid my fingers through her soft fur, for some strange reason, the first thing I thought of was my Tiaileng mom, Aleganda. Before all the craziness with my parents that had caused me to pull away, before I could remember things in the form of words and descriptions, one of the first real memories I can recall having was the tactile feeling of Aleganda's fur against my cheek as she held me to her chest. I was sure that as a baby, I'd been with both, as there was only one I could have breastfed with, but I didn't really have any memory of that; just the feeling of Aleganda's fur, and the sensation of warmth and safety that it had brought. Over the years, that memory had faded as others had taken its place, pushed back by the general wariness of Tiaileng that had begun to develop, but something about being there, about embracing Arathlin so simply and purely, managed to bring it back, as vividly as I'd ever remembered it. It wasn't strange or uncomfortable, creepily Oedipal or even sexual at all, just an unadulterated feeling, a sense that somewhere, deep down, I knew that for everything else they might have been, that Tiaileng could feel... safe, too.

I hugged her a little closer, concentrating as much as I could on that sensation of safety and warmth that I'd managed to conjure up, and while the tension was still there in my chest, I could feel it relaxing, little by little. I did what I could not to think about the situation at all, in fact, just focusing my mind in on the sensations that were unquestionably good, how nice it felt to be close to her, the way her fur brushed against my fingers, and the sensation of gentle warmth beneath. I realized, after a moment, that I wasn't the only one starting to feel better about it - maybe she'd been worried that the gambit wouldn't have worked, but I could sense her noticeably relaxing in my embrace. And when she pushed back a little against me, snuggling in closer against my body with a soft but unmistakable purr, I just kept holding her. Despite her being closer to me than most other Tiaileng had been before, I was actually, for the moment at least, doing okay.

"Mmm, that's good," I heard her say as she rubbed her head back against the top part of my chest. "I'd ask how you're doing with this, but if you're putting out this kind of energy, I really don't think I need to..."

"I'm... okay, somehow..."

"Well, you're in control now, right? No one's trying to jump on you or put you in an awkward place. And maybe that's just how we'll have to go about it. I mean... it's not a matter of whether you can do it, right? It's just a matter of getting there in your own way. And feeling you like this, I... know. I know that you're gonna get there. Heck, you're already doing a lot better than I imagined - I thought you might get a little nervous and pull away after a minute, but here we are..."

"Y-yeah..."

"So..." she said, as I felt her shift a little more against me. "If you are feeling comfortable enough with how this is going... wanna try it the other way round?"

"Okay..."

Almost before I'd finished saying the word, she was suddenly twisting, and as I relaxed my grip she turned around to face me, her chest pressing in close against mine. It wasn't face-to-face, though, as I'd worried for a moment it might be, but the normal kind that you might expect from family - the bottom of her muzzle came to rest gently against my shoulder, and I could feel her headfur just barely brush against my ear. She was close enough, though, that I could almost feel as much as hear her speak.

"So... doing all right?"

"S-still okay, I think," I replied, even as a twinge of tightness in my chest partly belied that statement. Something about having her bare chest pressed against me was more intimate, somehow, than just her back, even if said chest was as flat as my own. Even though I knew, in that moment, that it didn't mean anything more than just the fact of her presence, it still began to drift into uneasy territory.

"And... would it be all right if I hug you as well?"

"I think so..."

I felt her arms wrap around my back, squeezing for a moment and pulling us especially close. In that moment, the feeling of her against me seemed suffused with an even more noticeable warmth than before, and even in the reasonably bright room, the tendrils of energy seemed to flare into life in my vision, several of them seeming to stretch and wrap around Arathlin like a series of shimmering, glowing veils, while narrower, fainter ones stretched out seemingly in all directions around me, some of them flowing into limbs of the Tiaileng around me, others fading away through the walls. I turned my head as much as I could within the embrace, curious to take in another glimpse of the strange phenomenon as it manifested itself, but as soon as Arathlin relaxed her grip, they seemed to drift away from visibility against the rest of the room's light, leaving only the slightest, near-transparent hints of their presence.

"And how do you feel now?" she said, more softly, her voice taking on a slight purring undertone.

"I, well..." I paused, thinking about it. The moment of curiosity and wonder had managed to shrug the burst of anxiety from my mind, and once it had gone, it hadn't seen fit to return. And in its place...

"I feel... warm."

"What else?"

"You, um... want me to actually try to describe what a hug feels like?"

"Sure. If you say it out loud, it'll help you focus on the good stuff, right?"

"Um, I guess, but..." I was going to say that it sounded even more awkward, but then again, the more I got to know at least these particular Tiaileng, the more I began to wonder whether they were even capable of feeling such a thing. "Well, you know... warm, like I said. Your fur feels really soft and good to touch, and... gah, I sound pathetic..."

"Huh? No, I don't think so at all," Arathlin replied, shifting subtly against me. "I didn't ask you to be romantic; I asked you to describe how you're feeling, and that's what you're doing, right? Besides, it's supposed to feel good to pet us. After all, that's what people are used to doing with things that have fur, and it's part of the reason that we were able to join with human society so easily. Well, that and the sex, but we're not talking about that right now. So... what else?"

"Hmm, well..." I replied, feeling my arms unthinkingly hugging her a little tighter. "I... really like the way you feel against me. Er, I mean, not in a weird way! I guess I just mean... I like how I can feel how you... are, if that makes any sense. I can feel how you're reacting, a little, and when it started feeling good and I calmed down a little, I felt you calm down too, and that made me feel even more calm... I'm not sure if that's a good way to say it, but just being able to hold you without freaking out about other stuff, being close enough to feel that, I guess I realized that it can work. That I, I can hold you like this, and I don't have to worry that something's out of control, or going wrong, I can just feel that you're okay, and then it starts being okay for me too..."

"That's... really great, actually. And don't worry, I get what you're saying. I know, maybe it seems silly, maybe it doesn't seem like much, but you know... it's been a few minutes, at least, and you're still right here. I haven't felt you try to pull away once. Say what you want, but compared to where you were, that's huge progress. And now you know, right? That sex and everything else aside, just being with us, that's a level of intimacy that you can handle, that you can be calm with, that you can even enjoy. So if you do want to think of this as a test or something, you've already passed with flying colors. Of course, that doesn't mean that this particular test has to be over - we can stay like this as long as you like. Or maybe even go onto the next level of intimacy..."

"I... think I'll just stay like this for now..." I said, a little of the nervousness returning at her suggestion, but fading quickly against the warmth of the embrace when she didn't make any other move to go along with it.

"Suit yourself. I'm sure we'll all enjoy it either way."

It took another few minutes before the hug began to feel awkwardly long, and enough anxiety, and oversensitivity from the fur brushing against my arms, managed to creep back in that I needed a break. I pulled gently away, and a moment later Arathlin slid her hands gently along my back, brushing against my sides so lightly that I could barely feel my shirt rustling at the contact as she pulled away. She didn't look even slightly disappointed, though, beaming towards me as she took a couple of steps back to a comfortable distance before glancing around at the assembled Tiaileng around me - a group that, I realized, had observed the entire 'lesson' in rapt silence.

"So, I take it everyone enjoyed that too?"

I looked around, watching as each of them nodded in turn. Of course they had - the tendrils, I guessed, had been a clear enough sign of that. Daledonne, especially, seemed like he couldn't have been happier.

"Yes, that was, in fact, quite an impressive idea - it is something, indeed, that we perhaps should have tried from the start. And, in fact, I think it provides an excellent follow-on idea for how we can spend the rest of the evening."

He gestured over at the group of couches. "Really, it's not much different from what you'd asked for in the first place. We can each track down a book that interests us, and then we'll all sit down over there, with adequate space between us." He looked back over at me, gesturing with his arms in an outstretched manner. "You, of course, can move about however you want, and when you would like some more contact, you can snuggle up next to one or more of us, and go over and read in one of the armchairs whenever you feel that you need a break. We won't go beyond any of that, beyond cuddling, that is, and we can all spend the evening relaxing as you get more comfortable with us. Would you be willing to try that? If you've had enough for right now, just say so, and we can all take a break and read separately - it's entirely up to you."

I thought about it for a moment - how it had felt with Arathlin, how I felt afterwards, just how comfortable it had actually managed to be. It would have been a lie to say that I felt absolutely sanguine about all of it, but at the same time, now that I had gotten past the anxiety, at least for a moment, it was impossible to deny that it did feel good, physically at least, to be close to them. Although, when I thought about it, I realized that wasn't the most important part. When I'd been with Arathlin, when I'd been so close, I had nonetheless still felt in control. Not teased, not driven to distraction, not at risk of losing the battle with my instincts and giving in crazily like my parents had. It had just felt the way that it was supposed to, nice and calming and warm, without lust or fear or anything else distorting what it was supposed to feel like. And if that was the case, it meant that the most deep-seated fears I'd had about them could, if not entirely, then at least mostly be put aside. Arathlin was right - even if it had been a little awkward, at least now I knew that important thing - that I could be with Tiaileng like that, and still be normal.

It was because of that realization that I nodded my head, smiling in a way that felt the most genuine since I'd arrived in their presence. "I can't promise how much, or how long, but... yeah, I'd like to try that."

"Great!" Daledonne replied enthusiastically, and suddenly the Tiaileng were moving briskly in a bustle of activity, rapidly spinning the electronic carousel and avidly flipping through the books that showed up as a result As they settled in on the couch, each of them with a small stack of books balanced on their laps, I went over to browse for myself. The remote for the bookcase was reasonably easy to operate, and I ended up sending it spinning over to the sci-fi section. One of them caught my eye for some reason, probably due to its brightly-colored spine, and I pulled it out to reveal a promising cover of what seemed to be the bridge of a science vessel and a handful of different species arguing over the stellar phenomenon that was visible on the viewscreen in front of them. None of them, of course, looked much like the Tiaileng, and it had certainly been true that once they'd arrived, first-contact stories had plummeted in first popularity, and then frequency. In fact, our entire notion of alien species had probably been changed. The book in my hand, though, looked like it dated from perhaps the late 1980s, before the Tiaileng had arrived, so it seemed like it might be an interesting read, just to see their take on pre-Tiaileng alien interactions.

I brought the book back over, looking between the various Tiaileng - Daledonne, Lucrannon, and Redalei were on one couch, Arathlin and Erilanna were on the other, and Miruvona and Nessaoreth shared the smaller love-seat in between. I believed that they were all true to the idea of not pushing anything any further, but even so, I still felt a little intimidated about snuggling up between two of the women, probably due to the memory of what had happened in the theater room still fresh in my mind. Daledonne, though, seemed like the last person who would try anything - and, I have to admit, I was a little bit curious as to whether it would be perceptively different snuggling with a male Tiaileng rather than a female one. Although, unlike Arathlin, Daledonne was more comprehensively clothed, so it would probably feel different - and, again, probably easier.

So it was that I decided to sit in the small area of couch between Daledonne and Lucrannon, effectively snuggled up automatically against both of them. Daledonne had set the sport coat aside at some point, and was wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt underneath, and Lucrannon's shirt was basically a tighter version of a T-shirt, so while it wasn't quite as much as before, I could still feel the fur on their arms rubbing against mine as we sat together, reading. The ambience, admittedly, was perfect, with the fire crackling gently in the fireplace, the rustic walls all around us, surrounded by the quiet warmth and comforting presence of the Tiaileng to either side. It was just... nice, and I happily dove into the book, letting the story it contained unfold as the minutes slipped by. When I looked back up again, the clock on the far wall, made from a perpendicular section of tree trunk, showed that close to two hours had passed, and that apparently both Daledonne and Lucrannon had given up on their own books, resting instead with their fuzzy heads nestled in against my shoulders. Well, more than just their heads, actually - they were fairly well snuggled up against both of my sides. It certainly wasn't surprising behavior for Tiaileng by any means, but the part the truly surprised me was that after a while I'd barely even noticed their presence, and at the moment I actually felt... comfortable, and not perceptibly disturbed or freaked out at all, even now that I was aware of it.

Daledonne seemed to notice my movement, pulling his head back up. "It was a good story, I take it?"

"Yeah... it's kinda weird, actually - what with classes and studying and everything, it's been ages since I've actually sat down and just let myself get engrossed in a good book."

"Ah. I have to admit that my own tastes tend to run more towards nonfiction and education, the pursuits of new ideas and advancements, but I have gotten lost in an intriguing tale every so often. Fiction is not a particularly Tiaileng activity, or at least it was not before our interactions with your planet and its peoples. The book I chose, unfortunately, was not particularly interesting, but nevertheless I am quite happy to discover at least one intriguing development."

"Hmm?"

"You see, I gave up on the book about twenty minutes in, and sidled up to you gently shortly thereafter. And yet, for this entire time, while your focus was so occupied with the story, you tolerated that contact perfectly - you didn't pull away, or give off anything indicative of general unease. In fact, you've been projecting a nice, subtle, energy the entire time, the kind that would seem to indicate that you are, in fact, happy and comfortable cuddling here with us. Which, I must say, is quite interesting when contrasted with your earlier reactions to similar situations, especially ones that took place in your normal emotional state."

"I... guess I was really into the book," I replied, although even as I said it, I realized that maybe there was a little more to it than that. "I think it could also be because you didn't, well, try anything..."

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by that... what would I have tried?"

"I just think that, well, like before, there was always some other component to it, you know? It wasn't just snuggling, but rubbing intently against me, or wriggling about on top of me, even just saying or implying things about sex or how things could or should go further. There was always one more thing that someone did, one more thing that pushed me over into discomfort, that reminded me of the way that my Tiaileng parents would tease and touch and cajole my human ones, just a little further, just a little more, until everyone lost control. This time, though... no one went beyond, no one implied things or pushed boundaries. We were just going to snuggle a little, and that's all we did. I'm sure being distracted by the book helped too, but because I knew what was going to happen since we agreed on it, and no one went beyond what I was expecting, it... was actually comfortable, actually okay."

"Hmm... so, we did indeed learn something intriguing about how you work, something quite important, in fact. We learned that when you have something else to focus on completely, you actually can be fairly comfortable with us - and readily at that, if we can manage your expectations, and keep our own more strictly regimented. It will require getting everyone on the same page, which may be more easily said than done - as much as I have some seeming authority among the others, aside from the chore assignments I can't actually command them to do anything. They will come together, though, if it is in the service of making you happy. Perhaps what is needed is simply a clarification, or more of a strict interpretation, of the scheme we have running already - we have a specific place and time that you choose daily for your sexual activity, and within that, Tiaileng will be free to make sexual propositions, but you will also know to expect and prepare for them at that one particular time. Aside from that, we will refrain entirely from any interaction with you that could be perceived as sexual - no groping, inducing, double-entendres or come-ons of any sort. We would guarantee that the contact we make with you would be only stuff like this, and would never progress to anything sexual due to our own actions. Of course, such limitations would not apply at all to your own - the fact of the matter is, we will accept as much sexual energy as you are willing to provide, and should you want to initiate such contact yourself, at any time, we will gladly and eagerly accommodate you. Apart from that, though, our contact with you will only be like this, just a nice, comfortable sort of closeness, and we will never let it drift towards sex or out of control without your specific suggestion. Do you think that could work?"

"Maybe... I really don't know how it would work in a different environment, or without something that I could focus on to the exclusion of everything around me. Or, for that matter, more... potentially awkward situations, with girls snuggled up to me instead of guys. It's true that I am attracted to guys, sometimes, and Tiaileng especially, but... it's more of a slow burn, I guess? I did okay with Arathlin, but only because I was concentrating on something else. If I'd been concentrating on her, on how I'm attracted to her, while it was happening..."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that... you don't seem to be all that worked up right now at all." The very familiar voice came from the other side, and spoken not quite into my shoulder. I glanced over and down to see that it was Arathlin, in fact, who was snuggled up against my other side. "Then again, I guess it was true that you were absorbed enough you didn't even notice the three of us that snuggled against you in succession..."

"Wait, really?" Somehow, in fact, I really hadn't noticed.

"Really. And that included Nessaoreth. And if you can handle a girl wearing a tight swimsuit and shorts cuddled up against you, I'm pretty sure you're doing a lot better in that respect. And that probably means you're right - it's not so much about us, but about what we - and you - are doing. I'd even guess that we could be naked, and as long as you were sure of what we'd do and had something else to focus on, you could even get used to that. Not that I'm proposing we actually test out that particular experiment! Well, at least not until we got to the point where we were sure that you could handle it..."

"In any case, there is, I suppose, one additional test of closeness to get through tonight," Daledonne said, as I felt him pulling away from my side. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, it is getting late, and I imagine many of the others are already starting to get ready to turn in. I imagine we should do so as well - some of them may become perturbed if you don't show up for one of the few parts of the day you're guaranteed to be in the same room as them. And once we can clarify those particular behavioral rules with them, I think dealing with the sleep situation should become considerably easier. Not that it didn't end up working last night, of course, but I feel much more confident that there won't be quite the same issues of distress, for any of us, tonight. That is... if you're ready?"

I nodded. "I... can't promise anything, but yeah, I don't think I'm gonna freak out like I did last night, at least. Plus, I know what to expect now, so it's not like I'll be surprised by any of it the way I was before. So, yeah, I think I'm ready..."

"All right, then. I suppose I should get the fire shut down and the books put away, but I'm quite sure the others can help you navigate the maze back to the bedroom area. I have just a couple other things to do, and then I'll be along shortly, but certainly feel free to brief the others on your progress and what we've learned this evening - I'm sure they'll be very pleased to hear it."

As Daledonne started gathering the books together, Redalei rested a hand lightly on my shoulder and guided me gently towards the door, the other Tiaileng clustering in around me. Now that they knew I wasn't going to overreact to just basic contact, they were more willing to touch me, even unbidden - but not, I noticed, in any overtly uncomfortable way. One or another of them would lightly pat me on the back, or briefly brush a hand along my forearm - just enough touch, it seemed, to reassure them of their connection to me, but nothing that lingered or teased or got me riled up. It was just... nice, really, calm and gentle enough that I realized, at least in a subtle way, it was reassuring to me as well. Whether it was meant that way or not, each touch showed their resolve not to push me beyond, or even close to my limits, and while I didn't say anything about it, inwardly I had to admit my appreciation. They really wanted to make things work, and, more and more, I knew that I wanted to do the same.

When we got back to the bedroom, though, and I was once again faced with a bed full of half-naked Tiaileng curled around and against each other, it quickly became clear that there were still plenty of hurdles to clear before I could fully and comfortably accept my situation. While I had, somehow, gotten at least slightly used to the provocative way the Tiaileng had dressed during the day, seeing them like that again, nothing but one bit of underwear to obscure their turquoise fur, left me feeling that particular mix of arousal and trepidation settling uneasily in against my chest.

Still, it was at least a little bit better than last night, although it spiked instantaneously once the others noticed my presence, and dozens of Tiaileng were suddenly and simultaneously fixated on me with that strange, almost unified stare. This time, though, it felt a bit less alien somehow, and I quickly realized why: now, I could actually pick out some of the faces, and know that it wasn't just a stranger, an unmet alien with unknown motives, but someone I knew at least a little, someone who had told me stories of their childhood, of their time at school, of pastimes and accomplishments and other things I could latch on to to tell myself that they were someone I was familiar with, someone who could and would probably be my friend as the days went on. And while maybe it wasn't much, it was enough to help me feel a little more comfortable with all those eyes on me. Eventually, I knew, probably even soon, I would know every single person on the bed at least to that extent, and while I didn't know just how much easier that would actually make it, it couldn't possibly do anything but help.

Arathlin and the others in my entourage hopped onto the bed with the others, relaying what they'd learned and agreed upon during the evening, even as they stripped down to a similar state of undress and cuddled in happily amongst their brethren. I looked on, honestly a little fascinated by just how easily they could do that with people they'd probably only known for a couple of days themselves, something that I had to work incredibly hard just to get halfway comfortable about. That was the Tiaileng way, though, and one which, haltingly or not, I was beginning to come to terms with.

Even with a bit more confidence, though, I still wasn't anywhere near ready to jump into a sea of half-naked Tiaileng, and while I didn't have the same sort of panicked refusal that I had the night before, I still took a number of minutes "getting ready" by myself in the attached bathroom, with most of that time psyching myself up to deal with the sleeping situation. I tried to tell myself that it had worked out fine the night before - but I also knew that I'd woken up inadvertently intertwined with a couple of Tiaileng women, and in that moment it nearly hadn't. If everyone knew, though, knew what I needed, what I could and couldn't deal with... well, maybe it would be okay.

And, somehow, it was - I ended up back towards the edge of the bed, feeling comfortable enough that wasn't stuck in the middle and could extricate myself if necessary, and again it was Daledonne and Serrivanne who quickly moved over to snuggle up against me. It was easier to deal with them, as I already at least knew what it felt like to have them close to me, relaxed and calm beside me in a way that wasn't designed to be provocative or overly stimulating. They also provided a buffer to either side so that I wasn't otherwise mobbed, although another Tiaileng I couldn't quite see from my position managed to somehow curl themselves around above me, encouraging me to nestle my head in against the soft fur of their abdomen as they rested one of their arms along the top of my chest, just above where Daledonne's already was. For a moment, I worried that it would be too much, but they weren't moving or brushing against me, just resting there, quiet and soft and warm. And after another eventful, exhausting day, I was more than willing to sink into that loose, gentle embrace, and sleep was upon me in moments.