Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Afterglow

Callie

Bright lights stabbed through my shut eyelids, pulling me from my peaceful slumber. I shut my eyes tighter and buried my head deeper into the soft, warm pillows. The rising and falling of said pillows caused me a moment of confusion and then I remembered what had happened last night.

 

Oh.

 

Did I really–

 

Alexis and I?

 

I replayed the events in my mind. I had been so incredibly nervous yet determined to tell Alexis how I felt. Her sitting there, stuttering her way through telling me about the bed she’d set up for me, caring about my well-being – that had been the moment that I had remembered Selene talking about how they approached relationships. Say what needed to be said. Everyone gets nervous, that’s okay. You don’t have to do things perfectly. So be direct. No need to dance around your feelings. 

 

Still pretty goddamn hard, all things considered. But my nerves had faded away as I kissed Alexis, her soft lips on mine, wrapping my arms around her. She was so warm, so soft. (Abs of steel though, that was smart work on my part.) 

 

The strangest thing is how easy it all was now. Sex and intimacy with Selene had been a struggle, my body refusing to feel as everyone else said it should. We’d spent years navigating the labyrinth of my feelings, finding the little joys we could have in each others’ company, veering away from the intense reactions of discomfort. I’d always felt guilty, no matter how many times Selene had told me it was okay, for not feeling things the way I thought I should. That was all gone now. The disconnect between my body and myself. 

 

What a wonderful thing I had been missing out on for so many years. My body had responded in new and exciting ways to touch, to feel, to arousal. I sat up in bed and looked down at Alexis, her chest rising and falling with the simulated breath of her proxy body. Sleep was, strictly speaking, optional – however, it looked like she had indulged after last night’s activities. I moved carefully so as not to disturb her, noting the little half smile on her lips as she snoozed. 

 

The light that had awoken me had been the lab’s, the power fully restored. I washed my face and thought about what Selene would say. We weren’t exclusive, never had been. I’d have to tell them on the next check in, which was soon. Would they be happy? Probably. I think Selene had always felt a little concerned that they had another partner and I just had them alone. Not like Rosa or Celica ever made me feel unwelcome. Far from it. Still, that gulf had been between us. 

 

Well, it was rather exciting to think about how different things might be from now on. A new home, a new me, a new girlfriend to add to the mix – wait, I should probably clear that up with Alexis. Sex is one thing, friends can have sex, but being partners is another thing, something we should probably establish before I just go start slapping labels around. 

 

Alexis stirred in the bed and my heart fluttered as I looked at her. She was so incredibly beautiful. I sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at her. “Sleep well?”

 

She nodded. “Yes, actually. Another new experience in a whole night of new experiences.” Her blush told me she too was reflecting on our other activities. 

 

I couldn’t help but giggle. “I had a really good time. For the first time, really. Never had much interest in sex before–” I gestured up and down, emphasizing my curves. 

 

Alexis sat up and nodded thoughtfully. “Ah, yes, that makes sense. I’d never really had any opportunity of course and it is rather hard to simulate things with no first hand experience. There were a number of games and movies but – ah! I mean, er, well, the thing is…” She cleared her throat, thoroughly flustered. “I enjoyed it too.” 

 

We sat there for a little while, enjoying the morning silence and the comfort of each others’ presence. I shivered a little bit as air from the vents flowed over my bare skin and I caught Alexis staring at me in a way I found very pleasant. I started to gather up my clothes to get dressed and then caught a whiff of what I smelled like. Not the worst smell, but I probably was due for a shower. 

 

I turned back towards Alexis. “It occurs to me, my dear Alexis, that you have yet to experience the transcendent bliss that is a nice hot shower.” 

 

She tilted her head. “Oh, that’s alright, I can wait. You can have the first shower, it isn’t a bother at all. I can check the lab systems and whatnot, sync up with the network.” Her hands fidgeted as she looked away. She was being so considerate, it was very sweet. 

 

I had other plans, clever plans. She looked up in shock as I took her hand and pulled her gently out of bed, her frame looming over me as she stood. I hooked my arm in hers and began to walk towards the shower with a smug grin on my face. “I think you misunderstood me, this shower is large enough for two~”

 

“Oh!”

 

****

 

Sex had been good. Shower sex had been even better. My mind wandered as I entertained a fantasy of Selene and Alexis both in the shower next time, shivering with delight over the possibilities. Definitely putting that on the ‘to do’ list. Or was I the ‘to do’ list? I giggled as I stepped out of the shower and began drying my hair. 

 

Alexis followed me and I watched the moisture evaporate off her body in a steamy cloud, her dark blue hair shedding droplets as it took on an oily sheen before returning to its normal brilliance. I wondered if I could configure the nanites so I could do that as well…definitely something to explore later. Especially since I was discovering that my tail and ears were somewhat harder to get dry than my hair. 

 

I jumped a little when Alexis took another towel and began working on my tail. The feeling was a bit surprising, but after a moment it felt very good and I began to gently purr. “You are such a treasure, Alexis. The jewel of Venus, they’ll call you.” I turned around to see her smile and blush. 

 

“Oh, it’s nothing really, I just thought I could help. You really are too kind to me.” 

 

“Nonsense. It is only to be expected that I lavish praise on such a considerate woman. Definitely girlfriend material!” I paused, realizing what I had just said. “Errm, well, that is if you want to be girlfriends?”

 

She stopped and stared down at the towel. “I–” Alexis was silent for a bit and I realized she was crying. I turned and put my hands on her shoulders, looking up at her as she wiped her eyes. 

 

“Too soon? I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you, I just wanted to make sure I knew what you were comfortable with. Please, don’t worry about it, it was a silly question, forget about it–” 

 

She interrupted me by taking my hands and smiling. “No, no, I was just a little overwhelmed. Of course I want to be your girlfriend, Callie. I would like nothing more. I just…emotions are a lot stronger now! It took me a moment to process, that's all!”

 

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her hard before pulling back. “I’m very, very happy to hear that. Let’s get dressed and get out of here. I have an idea of how we can celebrate.” 

 

Alexis grinned. “I honestly don’t know how I could be happier or what could be more of a celebration than this, but I am very eager to find out.” 

 

****

 

It took us a little while to get out of the foundry despite the power being restored. Alexis commented that syncing with her primary core went smoothly, though it was a little surreal to have memories of being both happy and worried sick during last night. Her primary instance had been able to connect to my drones and repair the wiring, but it looked like the storm had impacted much of the colony’s remaining infrastructure, not just the foundry, so it took some time to get things up and running again. 

 

I made sure to run some diagnostics when we returned to the ship to make sure Alexis’ new body was functioning as it should, especially given the recent exertions. (I wasn’t blushing, shut UP!) Checking my own health was also important; I still wasn’t entirely sure how far my changes ran, but if the possibility of becoming pregnant was a thing, it seemed like a good idea to keep an eye on that. Folks back home had a variety of options to prevent that sort of thing: medical implants that could prevent pregnancy at-will were very popular in an era of artificial wombs and rebuilding. The nanites, as far as I knew, had given me no such option. 

 

Alexis watched me as I went through my own scans, her own results showing on a nearby display. When she noticed some of the specific things I was looking for, she embraced me from behind and spoke softly in my ear. “I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble with some of my choices with this proxy body. You aren’t mad about that, are you?” 

 

I snorted. “Alexis, I’m a big girl, you can use the word penis around me. I’m a trans girl at that, you don’t have to dance around the subject.”

 

She was quiet before continuing slowly. “I’m just worried that having one would bother you, not in the sense that girls can’t have one, but in the sense that I’m claiming something that is the domain of trans women.”

 

I shrugged and turned to face her, looking her right in the eye. “Maybe before Climatefall, but things back home are much different these days. The medical field has made great strides in bodily expression. It isn’t perfect yet, I’m sure that some of the doctors back home are going to be ecstatic when they find out what the nanites are capable of, but genitalia is one of the things that everyone tends to pick as they like these days. I’m pleased with the equipment the nanites have given me and I know plenty of cis girls who’ve opted for something else just as much as trans women do.”

 

“Really? I… huh. I suppose I assumed that things had largely remained as they were when the archives were made. The colony never really changed in that regard, especially given Founder’s attitude towards queer people.” She looked down at me thoughtfully. “I guess I have a lot to learn about Terra as it is now.” 

 

My ears perked up a little. “Y’know, I hadn’t really thought about it, but there really is so much I can share with you! And the rest of the polycule, they are going to love you!”

 

“Really? Oh, fuck, is Selene going to be mad that we are dating?” 

 

“Don’t worry about that at all. The only way Selene would be mad is if I didn’t tell them. I’ve got a check in with them tomorrow and I think they are going to be thrilled. Selene loves having metamours and if you aren’t careful, they will probably ask you out too.” I blushed a little bit and made a careful study of the ground in front of me. “We, um, have very similar tastes in women.” 

 

Alexis blushed. “Oh, oh my–”

 

I continued hastily. “That is if you are open to polyamory! No pressure! I know it isn’t for everyone, but–”

 

She placed a finger on my lips and smiled. “It’s not that, I’m totally okay with that, it’s more that I was overwhelmed by the idea that I not only have a girlfriend, but other people might be interested in me as well.” She chuckled nervously. “I’ve spent so long alone that I’m…afraid of messing up around others, driving them away. But knowing that you not only accept me, but you’re my girlfriend–” A little shiver ran through her body as she looked away from me before composing herself and looking back, continuing in a steady tone. “Honestly, I feel like I can handle anything so long as I have you.”

 

A jolt of joy and a wave of warmth spread through me. She really liked me! She liked the real me! Which, yes, of course I knew that already, but I don’t think I would ever grow tired of hearing it. Inject that feeling right into my veins. 

 

I hadn’t realized that I had spaced out for a bit until Alexis shook me gently and looked at me with concern. I shook my head and returned her look. “Hmm? Wha?”

 

She grimaced. “Sorry, that was too much, wasn’t it? I’ve upset you and I’ve ruined it–”

 

I hugged her tightly and stopped her with a kiss. She melted into it and we pulled back slowly. I traced my fingers along her back as I spoke as sincerely as I could. “Alexis, it’s okay. I wasn’t upset, you weren’t too much. I was just very happy to hear you say something like that. It felt…really good. If I ever have a problem with you, I’ll tell you, okay?”

 

She nodded into my shoulder. It was a little surreal to be in this position for once, usually I was the one being comforted when my anxiety ran wild. It was rather nice to be able to help someone else. I pulled away with reluctance and made my way towards the kitchen as Alexis followed. 

 

I dug around through the pantry storage, taking stock of the remaining foodstuffs. Without the colony’s potatoes and such augmenting it, I had burned through most of my surplus in the days…weeks? Has it been so long? It was hard to keep track of time with the extra sleep the nanites had put me through and all the exciting events. Still, Alexis was capable of tasting food now and I wanted to take her on a nice picnic date to celebrate. 

 

She gently scratched my ears as she spoke. “Anything I can do to help?”

 

“Mmm, that feels nice – ah, I’m trying to find something tasty we can make so we can have a picnic. I’ve been wondering how nice the beaches are here ever since I landed. But supplies are a little short unless you want to eat more potatoes.”

 

“Well, if you want to relax on the beach, then I think I can catch us some seafood to enjoy. We are going to need swimsuits unless you want to start up Venus’ first nudist beach.” 

 

It was suddenly very hot in the pantry, very hot indeed. She knew exactly the effect she had on me now and it was gratifying and frustrating how well she was employing it! And swimsuits! I hadn’t even thought about all the cute things I could wear to the beach now. Yes, definitely needed swimsuits, save the nudist beach for later. 

 

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“That’s quite alright, the ship’s fabricator can make us some suits and other outfits besides! I’ve got some leftover clothing material from converting my wardrobe, how about you go make us some nice suits and I’ll finish figuring out what we will eat.” I buried my face in the shelves, poking around for breadcrumbs as Alexis chuckled behind me. 

 

“Yes, ma’am!” 

 

I called back as she walked away. “What kind of seafood we talking here?” 

 

Alexis’ mischievous laughter echoed back to me as she replied. “That will just have to be a surprise, won’t it?”

 

****

 

Purple waters crashed against the shore as wind whipped my hair and sundress back and forth, my nose full of the salty smell of the sea. My ears flicked periodically as I took in the sound of the surf and the whisper of the grasslands behind me. It was pleasantly cool and everything around me still held that clean feeling that follows a storm. I reveled in it as Alexis spread out a large blanket and set our picnic basket upon it. She’d opted to come in her swimsuit, a bikini top and swim trunks, and I have to admit my gaze was occupied with taking in her muscled abs and back as she worked. 

 

She must have caught me staring because she started going through a series of very unnecessary stretches, maintaining an expression of innocence. I was going to have to show her my appreciation later. In the meantime, I occupied myself with unloading the basket and starting prep on our meal. Not knowing what kind of fish she was planning to catch, I opted to bring breading and oil for deep frying. Can’t go wrong with that. Unless all she came back with were crabs, I had no idea how to cook crabs. 

 

Not for the first time, I lamented that I hadn’t paid more attention to Celica’s cooking back home. Ey was a magician in the kitchen, whipping up meals from cultures all around the world. I’d asked once why ey knew so many recipes and ey had talked about being unable to travel as a child, so food became eir outlet for experiencing the world outside of what ey knew. 

 

I, on the other hand, was a very utilitarian cook. Fending for myself before Selene took me in and then somehow becoming the one in charge of our meals during late night work sessions as we grew up, I had always focused on filling meals over taste and variety. Preparing whatever Alexis caught would certainly be a challenge. But I found myself excited, rather than anxious, about the idea. New experiences, new joys to be found. 

 

Alexis stopped her stretching rather suddenly, her eyes fixated on the sea as an absolutely massive fin breached the surface of the water. She licked her lips in anticipation, her expression becoming positively feral and I felt a little jolt of delight at the sight. How the fuck was she so incredibly hot??

 

Before I knew it, she dashed across the sand and leapt into the air, jack-knifing into the surf and vanishing from sight. I felt a momentary twinge of fear for her safety before reminding myself that her new body was sturdier than my spaceship. The sea creature vanished beneath the waves and I saw a surge of bubbles from where Alexis had dived in that sped towards its last location with inhuman speed. 

 

There was a massive geyser of water as she resurfaced, her mighty arms wrapped around a serpentine form covered in spiky frills and a wedge-shaped head full of sharp, shark-like fangs. Alexis was perched atop its head, her legs wrapped around its neck and her arms venting steam as she grabbed its maw and pulled it apart. The creature thrashed and roared so loud my ears stung and I missed the moment where they disappeared beneath the waves as I shut my eyes and covered my ears. 

 

The sea grew calm as the bubbles faded and I felt panic surging up within me. No bubbles was a bad sign, right? Wait, Alexis didn’t need to breathe, so maybe she’d won? Or had the monster? I decided right then and there that I didn’t like surprises anymore. She was okay, right? She had to be okay, if she wasn’t okay I don’t know what I would do, I just–

The serpent breached the surface once more, bloodied and with great rents in its hide. It roared again before growing still and sinking beneath the waves. Another few, long minutes and Alexis walked out of the sea, her pseudoskin covered in tears and leaking silver fluid, carrying her prize on her broad shoulders. She flashed a smile at me as her wounds closed and she tossed the carcass on the sand in front of me.

 

“Told you it would be a surprise. I spotted signs of this creature from the orbital satellites while we were trapped in the foundry last night and I thought it might be a great addition to your picnic plans.” She placed her hands on her hips and beamed at me, very pleased with herself.

 

My fear and anxiety had vanished and been replaced with unmitigated lust. The pastel water droplets sliding slowly off her gleaming muscles, her unbound hair sticking to her head, and her incredible smile captivating me entirely. A warrior goddess striding forth out of legend, a force of nature incarnate – my body moved before I was aware of it and I leapt into her arms. We tumbled into the soft sand as I kissed her deeply, coming up for air after long, passionate pauses. 

 

I pulled back after a time and then rested my forehead on hers, growling quietly. “You scared the absolute shit out of me!”

 

She grimaced. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to impress you, I guess.” 

 

I hugged her tightly and buried my head into her shoulder. “Well, you did, you incredibly wonderful and beautiful idiot.” A mischievous thought popped into my head. “Clearly, you’ll have to make it up to me later.”

 

“Oh y-y-yeah?” 

 

I pulled away and pulled a cutting board out of the basket along with some potatoes to chop. “I’ll just let that be my surprise.” Peering back up at her and the dead sea monster, it really sunk in just how absolutely massive the thing was. “You are going to have to clean and butcher that thing; its eye alone is bigger than me and I don’t think I could move that thing even a single centimeter. Really, how are we going to eat something this big? Is it even edible?” 

 

Alexis blushed and ran her hand along its scales. “It is rather large, isn’t it… I guess I just didn’t want you to run out of food and – erm, well, this is a little embarrassing. I wanted to show off how strong I am.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Girls are into buff women, right?” 

 

I looked her up and down appraisingly, making sure she saw me do so and enjoying her deepening blush. “Oh, most definitely. You may have had me worried sick, but this?” I gestured with my knife at her and her prize. “This works for me~” My chest rumbled with a soft purr. 

 

Alexis coughed and hid her face as she held up a hand and her nails extended into glittering claws that vibrated with a whirring noise. Her talons sliced into the carcass with ease and she began to carve huge chunks of meat, letting them fall to the side as she marched into the interior of the beast. I hummed to myself as I prepped the potatoes to make hash browns and stole a peek now and again at Alexis as she worked. 

 

The serpent’s flesh was a ruby red color, similar in hue and texture to images I’d seen of fresh tuna back home. Lab-grown tuna was all we had these days, the species nearly dying out during Climatefall and struggling to return in the centuries since. I’d always wondered what tuna sushi tasted like and I made a mental note to try some serpent raw in addition to cooking it. If it was safe, that is. 

 

Quiet moments passed as we worked and I enjoyed the almost domestic peace of it all. Before long I had the hashbrowns frying in the pan, the crackle and splutter of the oil providing a pleasant counterpoint to the steady sounds of the waves. I breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of the food–oh god, the serpent absolutely reeked! Hissing in annoyance, I looked over at the cavernous hole Alexis had made as she carved. 

 

I wrinkled my nose and pulled up my drone interface, calling my remaining construction bots over from the ship. They arrived and lifted the carcass as Alexis stepped back out in confusion, her body covered in dried blood and viscera. 

 

She looked at me and tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I know for a fact that you have a sense of smell now, how can you stand that awful stench??” 

 

“Well, when you’ve gone your entire life without smelling anything, every new scent is kind of exciting, even the disgusting ones!” The white flash of her smile contrasted in the most surreal and unsettling fashion with the dark blood covering her face. She looked so happy it was almost impossible to be annoyed with her, almost. 

 

“Back into the ocean with you and I don’t want to see you until you are squeaky clean. We’ve got plenty of meat already, I’m going to have the drones finish cleaning the thing and disposing of the remnants.” My tail twitched as I grumbled quietly. “I have no idea where I’m going to store everything, the ship is going to smell like fish for months after this.” 

 

“As my lady wishes, I’ll get clean right away!” She flashed a mock salute and dashed away, giggling with joy. The delight of a body you feel at home in and spending time with someone you love was a feeling I had seen often enough before that I recognized it clearly on her face.  

 

Watching her dive gracefully back into the sea, I let out a soft and contented sigh. She was such a dork, but she was my dork! The smell of serpent guts was quickly replaced with a subtle smell of charring and I turned back to my hashbrowns in panic. Focus, Callie! 

 

****

 

Alexis dried herself with a flash of steam as she sat on the blanket next to me, looking with awe at the meal I’d prepared. Fresh hash browns, fried sea serpent, and some roasted vegetables I’d prepared back at the ship, reheated in the pan. The iron sky and lavender sea provided a wonderful view to accompany our meal and I was eager to see what the monster tasted like. But this was Alexis’ first meal ever and I waited patiently as she took her first bites, savoring each slowly and carefully. Her brown eyes grew wide and tears of joy rolled down her face as she nodded her appreciation at me, too overwhelmed to speak. 

 

Satisfied with her reaction, I carefully carved a piece of serpent and popped it into my mouth. The crunchy breading intermixed with the soft, tender meat that almost melted as I chewed. My annoyance over what to do with the rest of the meat vanished as I realized just how incredibly tasty this creature was. Whatever scientist had dreamed up that monstrosity, ages ago, they knew their work well. All attempts at conversation were fruitless in the face of our ravenous hunger as we made quick work of the meal. Before long, all that remained was empty plates picked clean of every crumb. 

 

I leaned over and rested my head on Alexis’ shoulder, watching the waves. She let out a quiet, embarrassed burp. 

 

“Sorry, I don’t know where that came from!”

 

“Well, I did model your system after humans, gas has to go somewhere, especially if you eat so fast.” I played with the edge of my dress as I continued. “So, tell me, how was your first experience with food?”

 

She turned towards me and I nearly fell on my face as she gestured excitedly. “It was amazing! So many stories have context now! Food is incredible! All the little components melding together for a singular flavor, a flavor I can now comprehend!” She grabbed my shoulders and looked at me with glee. “I’ve got plenty of recipes stored away, but I’ve never known what they actually taste like! I can try so many things! You don’t know what a wonderful gift you’ve given me.” 

 

I slid over and wrapped my tail around her. “Seeing how happy you are is all I need.”

 

“Awww, that’s so sweet!” She kissed my head and wrapped her arm around me as we sat and watched the clouds overhead roll in. After a while, she stood up and held out her hand to me. “How about we go for a swim?”

 

I let her pull me up and nodded in agreement as I slipped off my dress to reveal the swimsuit beneath. I didn’t feel bold enough quite yet for anything too daring, just a one piece and a sarong, but it was cute and Alexis’ low whistle of appreciation was very gratifying. She followed me as I walked slowly to the shore and let the waves wash over my toes, enjoying the cool sensation. 

 

She pressed on past me and turned around, splashing water in my direction as I yelped in surprise. “Oooh, you bitch, just you wait!” I waded into the water and splashed her back and we laughed as we played. The water was salty enough to float in easily and I enjoyed the strain as I swam, using skills I hadn’t used since I was a child. Alexis tapped me on the shoulder and together we dove down underneath the waves. I nearly gasped in shock as I looked through the clear waters as the vast forests of kelp teeming with fish whose scales flashed in the light. Stranger creatures swam near the ocean floor as it sloped away from us, some with the shape of turtles but with translucent shells that glowed like jellyfish. Seals with scales dove through schools of fish, taking their meals as they went. The seabed glowed softly with corals and anemones that possessed their own radiance. 

 

I fought with my urge to breathe, wanting to look more at the wonders, but eventually I had to resurface. Gasping, I turned to Alexis and she smiled back at me.

 

“One of the few areas where Founder let the colonists work as they liked was in the wildlife seeding program. Some of the union members were scientists he had lured in with promises of utopia and only after they finished some of their work and looked around did they notice the lies. The wonders they made outlasted him, at least.”

 

I tilted my head. “Union members?” 

 

Her eyes grew wide. “That’s right, I haven’t told you yet! Everything I found in the journals!” 

 

My curiosity grew, but I leaned back and floated, staring up at the sky. “You haven’t, but let’s talk about that when we go home. All I want to do today is float here with you.” 

 

“Of course.” She floated next to me and we floated in the gentle currents. “Callie?”

 

“Yes, Alexis?”

 

“I really love you, you know.”

 

I reached out my hand to take hers and gripped it tight. “I love you too, Alexis.”

 

And thus ended my first wonderful date on Venus.