Questions:
By TerraMGP
Becky paused for a moment at the door. The whole house was familiar, even if she didn’t come over much anymore. It hadn’t been that long, but it felt like ages. Wandering in though the front door, snagging a can of pop out of the crisper drawer, making her way up to the spot where the doors to the basement and the garage met. She cast her eyes down the basement a moment. Grinning somberly to herself. Reveling in childhood memories that already seemed too long ago. She then pulled the door open and stepped into the garage, the scent of motor oil and sheet metal slamming into her nostrils and clinging to the back of her sinuses.
“Hey big cuz.” Becky chirped, pulling the door shut and slumping against it. Justin sat haunched down over some cheap blue camp foam. Leaning between his car and the work table, carefully tracing out lines with mathematical notation Becky wasn’t really clear on, though she assumed it came from some shop class or another.
“Well hey, look who it is.” Justin smirked back, shifting his weight to keep from sitting ass first on the cold cement. “Was wondering who was rummaging around in there.”
“um, shouldn’t you have been worried? Both your parents are gone.” Becky muttered as she looked out into the empty driveway
“What, you think someone’s dumb enough to walk their ass out here and try to steal our food? Come on, Becky. If someone was gonna try stealing from a house around here I’d think… well just about any other house would work better. Most valuable things we have are dads tools and I’m right here with em.”
The irresponsible comment would have had Becky snapping at most people. Justin wasn’t most people. At this point she’d come to expect it from him. After knowing someone long enough, sometimes you just have to accept them as they are. And hell, there were far worse in their family all things considered.
“So what brings you around?” Justin chuckled “I thought you were working on your demo reel or something.”
Becky shrugged her shoulders softly and looked out of the garage door. “I was. Kinda hit a block. Honestly figured I’d take care of a few other things first, wanted to talk I guess. I donno, creative shit is hard.” The badger girl sighed and pushed some frizz from her face trying not to let her anxiety slip out.
Justin shook his head at that and gave her a look she took to possibly be one of understanding. “Hey if you need to hang you’ve come to the right place. Well I mean assuming Hui and Esme are still busy. Which given the play and, well, Hui’s parents…” he trailed off “Ya know if you gimmie a bit I’d be happy to head into the storage room and bust out the legos after I get this buttoned up. You know, for old time sake. Or if you’re not feeling that we could always just play some smash and order pizza.”
“Wait, really?” Becky blinked “Uh, sure. I guess. Kinda broke right now.”
“Oh bullshit. Like I’d make you pay after offering. What do you take me for, a degenerate scumbag? You know damn well I’m as generate as scumbags come!”
“No. You’re not. You’re really not.” Becky sighed “And I hope you know I blame your girlfriend for my now knowing what that word means. Gruntled, too. Did you know that’s a word? Jeezus but Hui likes to info dump…” The badger took a swig of her pop and let the can slump down into a loose grip, taking another breath of the air as her lungs screamed. November hit like a brick to the teeth, and Becky found herself pulling her trusty vest in tight to help protect her midsection.
“I keep telling you people, wear a coat.” Justin tugged proudly at the thick leather that near-perpetually covered his frame. The otters grin growing a bit crooked in something that was probably meant to be slyness.
Becky rolled her eyes and sighed, pulling herself up more on to the cement steps leading from the garage into the house. The warmth seeping though the door wasn’t much, but it was enough for now. “So you hear about Thanksgiving?” She muttered softly.
Justin shrugged casually and lulled his head back with an audible pop. “I unno. Maybe. Mom says a lot of stuff. Usually I don’t pay too much attention.”
“Sounds like a big hunk of the family is doing it together this year. I guess now that Ryan is gonna be a dad, and they have the old house, everyone wants to start doing it there again like when we were little.” Becky could feel how flat her words were. She felt a touch guilty at her own lack of enthusiasm at the prospect. The big old farmhouse had been in the family for over a century, renovated and updated time and again. Yet for her life the badger couldn’t feel much more than just flat passive apathy at the prospect.
Then again, if Justin felt more he wasn’t showing it. The otter slumped back and gnawed the butt of his sharpie between his back teeth while watching the foam as if the force of his will could stop the layers from curling in on each other.
“So, uh. You and Hui use that a lot?” Becky felt herself shocked as the words came from her lips, cursing whatever horrible part of her back-brain had formed them.
Justin glanced up quizzically, then back down at the half made blade of foam and PVC resting at his feet. “Oh come on, you know my fair princess isn’t one to get physical like that. B’sides.” he chuckled “You remember the time I talked her into the batting cages at mini-golf? No way in hell am I going to see her that freaked out again.”
“No not the boffer, you dumbass.” Becky groaned, jabbing a finger at the pen in his muzzle “I mean that!”
The boy blinked in shock. It took him forever to properly trace her finger. Long enough that Becky had to wonder if he was doing it deliberately. Suddenly, finally, realization dawned on him. Justin reached up slowly and pulled the marker from his mouth, His eyes slowly raising up to his cousin.
Becky noticed the blush blooming on his face, and was suddenly just as aware of one rushing up under her own fur. She cast her eyes down on the rough fiber matt at the base of the steps and let her vision become a sea of her own copper red curls. Her mouth opened to say sorry, but nothing came out. Once again her brain and her muzzle betrayed her leaving her hanging in the worst situation possible.
“So, uh, Becky. Are you asking if I..”
“yeah.” Becky nodded sheepishly
“Ok so, uh… this is awkward.” Justin looked down at the marker and bit his lip, when he looked back at Becky she could see the silent screaming in his eyes.
“I thought you were creeped out by all this stuff.” The otter boy muttered. His attempts to snark it away falling flat.
“I am.” Becky affirmed “But I mean, we’re both adults here, basically. And it’s not like you two ever made much of a secret of it. The second she gets away from the house or school that damn collar you got her goes around her neck.”
Justin slipped down to one knee and pulled his box cutter out of his pocket again. He began cutting out the next marked blade segment to sandwich the foam sword in place, though really it was just his way of avoiding eye contact. “Collars are important. It’s special. I mean, I get it if it annoys you and I’m sorry. But it’s kinda like getting an engagement ring. Well, maybe a bit less than that. Or more? I donno it’s kinda subjective. But it’s important. It means something.”
“Means what exactly?” That was her out, and only when Becky had let the words slip past her lips did she realize it. The look Justin gave her didn’t help one bit. That odd mix of confused and smug that made her want to just smack it off of him and yank off that stupid jacket for good measure.
He ignored her at first. The slice of foam cut out, he sprayed it down with spray-glue and affixed it over the other layers, flipping the whole mess once it was secure to ensure things wouldn’t curl up on him. That done, he pulled the glass-and-brass vape out of his pocket and took a small drag. “It means that she has a Master, an owner. That she’s part of a relationship. It’s announcing to the world not only that she’s a submissive, but that she’s ‘someone’s’ submissive. I mean in the end it’s just the normal type of public show to let people know what is what. Make’s sense, right?”
“No.” Becky sighed “All of the no. But most of that is probably just my brain trying to tell me ‘no’ or something.” She smiled awkwardly and pulled herself up, taking a few numb-legged steps towards Justin and leaning up against the frame of the car. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I just… don’t get any of this shit, you know? It’s confusing. The way Hui looks at you. The way you two were at the dance…”
“Really?” Justin looked up and smirked at the red-haired badger “I didn’t think we were any different from how we usually are. Other than Hui easing up on her insistence that I stay in character, I mean. God I’m not looking forward to may. Acen’s going to be freaking insane again.”
“You really don‘t ever worry about anything do you?” Becky sighed.
“What do you mean?” Justin looked up and quirked his brow at her.
“I mean what I said. I‘m sitting here trying to bond, trying to get some answers out of you. There you are working on your car and goofing off. I‘m trying to ask you some real questions here. I‘m trying to figure shit out. And yet there you are acting the same way you always have, just not giving a single fuck about anything that isn‘t the next nerdy bullshit you‘re doing. Probably don‘t even know where you‘re going for college, do you?”
“The hell did this come from?” The otter boy stared as he tried to parse the sudden and random outburst.
“What I mean is, you graduate in May. No more high school. You have a part time job basically handed to you because your mom and dad are sick of you starting shit with people who can clearly take you. Your girlfriend is already narrowing down her safety schools, and so am I for that matter, and we‘re a grade behind you.”
Justin slumped and glanced up at her, eyes narrowing. “You got a point to all this, ‘Gramma Lockheart‘, or are you just trying to make me feel bad?”
“Ok, that‘s a low blow. I am not nearly as bad as Great Gramma.” Becky groaned
“Sure you are. That‘s why you‘re her second favorite after Ryan. And considering how much time she spent watching him that‘s saying something.” The otter boy smirked smugly, then the smirk faded. Grew dark. Grew cold. His shoulders slumping as he took another deep, ragged breath. “Look, ok fine. It was a low blow. I get that you‘re not trying to tell me how I should live my life…”
“I‘m not. But I am wondering how the hell you aren‘t worried.” Becky noted. “Jesus. Don‘t you ever stop and wonder what‘s going to happen if Hui finally outgrows you? Don‘t get me wrong. The ‘prince charming‘ shtick has had enough legs to keep you guys going though high school. I‘m impressed. And, I guess, maybe a touch jealous.”
She waited for the verbal beat down. It was all true. She suspected Justin was aware of it, too. The older they got the harder it was to keep her muzzle shut with Justin‘s childish antics. The way he seemed to get off scott free with everything. Being an only child and not having to worry about any responsibility. He was kind of an asshole, but it wasn‘t her place to call him on it. Not any more than it was anyone else‘s. Especially not when she was there asking for help.
A paw rested on her shoulder and Becky all but jumped out of her skin. One ear perked and the other folded as she glanced up nervously at Justin. The insufferable ‘anime protagonist‘ smile plastered on his face almost made her feel sorry for her regret. Almost.
“Look, you wanna talk about me being a waste of life, cuz, you‘re preaching to the choir.” He sighed “Any day now Hui is going to figure out just what a fucking phony I am and find someone better. I get that. I‘m not good enough to justify going to college, and the only real job I ever had was handed to me by someone trying to be my mentor… and before that it was dad handing me off easy side projects for repairs because it builds character.” The otter boy snorted and ran a paw though his thick mop of brown-blonde headfur. “Well dad, here I am. Thinking about making my girlfriend write humiliating and sometimes racially insensitive bullshit on her fur before school so she has to think about hiding it and then painting minis or grinding in Phantasy Star like the loser basement dweller I am. Probably forgetting homework even though I tried like hell to pick every class I could without it. Spoiled fucking loser, just waiting for everyone to realize they don‘t want him around.”
“Justin, I didn’t-” Becky gasped
Justin smiled again and glanced at her sidelong though his glasses and a small rivet of tears forming at his cheeks. “Nah, this ain’t you Becky. You think I don’t realize this shit normally? Hell, Collin only hangs around me now out of… well he has his reasons, but the second we get past high school I already know he’s gonna bail. He’s got his shit figured out. Always has. And me? I’ll prolly just see if the boss lady will take me on full time, or give me a recommendation or something. Maybe see if dad can get me a job. Some good ol boy nepotism for the fake-smart lil edge lord, right?”
The two cousins just slumped back and glanced up at the ceiling. Neither one daring a word for a long time. Justin nearly pulled out his vape a few times, but then thought better of it. Becky fiddling with the snaps on her vest and trying hard not to comment on the tears.
“You know, you need to stop making excuses some day.” She finally muttered
“Excuses?” Justin scoffed “Pretty sure I was pretty open with how much I suck.”
“Yeah, but Hui doesn’t want you to suck. Your parents don’t want you to suck. Hell, Great Gramma Lockheart doesn’t want you to suck, even if she’s kinda set in expressing it oddly. Though it’s not like she’s any different to the rest of us.”
“But I do suck.” Justin snapped
“Then suck less!” Becky snapped back “Fucking figure something out. Grow up. Because this?” She gestured over him “Hui deserves better than this. And she still wants you.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not gonna-” he started
“She does now.” Becky grumbled “She does enough that I clearly think you’re doing something right, otherwise I wouldn’t ask for your god damn stupid advice figuring this stupid shit out!”
“Figuring… what out?” The otter blinked back his own emotions and turned to look Becky over curiously, wheels slowly turning behind his eyes.
Becky suddenly felt a blush starting to grow on her cheeks. Her hands were suddenly starting to feel a bit sweaty in spite of the chill of the room. “Look, ok. I… You gotta promise, not to tell anyone. At all. Like, fucking ever.”
Just like that Justin’s melancholic face turned a slight, mischievous grin. He leaned in and nudged his shoulder against hers, chuckling. “Ok… spill it.”
--------------------
If there was one thing consistent about Allison, it was her inconsistency. Even now as she walked down the old gravel path to her friends little home she couldn’t help but see her as the too-young looking bunny girl in the leather jacket and Tutu they picked up back in Colorado. What seemed like a lifetime ago.
Tabs paused and looked down at the motorcycles propped up in the shed, tarped up for winter and yet with bits of chrome plating and paint poking out for anyone to see if they were close enough. Tabs once again admired the diamond pattern and bombshell pinup girl of the DC character Harley Quinn which graced the side of Allison’s tank. The bike beside it showing a rather nice but ultimately uninspired three-tone flame job over the top. Something Tabs had always thought actually spoke a bit to the contrasts between Allison and her mate.
“Come all this way just to stare in my shed?” The familiar voice called out from what could generously be called her porch.
Allison herself was haunched over a small dinner tray jam packed with little odds and ends. Malachite, sterling silver, cheap leather thong and lots of copper. The bunny woman slowly bludgeoned these desperate parts into pendants and bracelets. Beading and stringing each bit while on her tablet came highlights from the game last night.
“Smoking substitute working ok?” Tabs snickered as she pulled up one of the finished necklaces and let the sunlight bounce off of it.
“Not really.” Allison groaned “Tempted to send (Husband) down to get me a pack. Keep telling myself it’d just be one more and I’d be through.” Even as she spoke the words Allison had managed to free the small trinket from Tabs’ grasp and put it back hatefully into the pile. Even when Tabs went for the pendant again Allison managed to swat her hand away just as easily without looking. If there was anything that could be said for the woman, age had not dulled her senses one bit.
“So what you up to other than freezing your ass off when you have a perfectly warm place to stay in, if I may ask?” Tabs tried to reign in her snark. She failed, but she tried. Her grin only growing further when her old friend shot her the look that each of them had given the bunny countless times in the past.
“Can’t smoke in the house, so I got used to the cold when I get the craving. I get into the cold, therapist says it helps kinda reward my brain. One of those Pavlov things I guess. Brain gets some of what it associates with the chems it wants and suddenly it’s all happy and will shut the god damn fuck up and let me relax for the love of fucking, gahh!” Just like that a handful of finished pendants flew out into the yard and thudded against the cold hard ground like a burst of bridshot.
Tabs was unable to keep the smirk off of her face. “Totally normal reaction.” She snickered, much to the bunny woman’s growing rage. “And here I thought you’d settled in to the nice ‘normal’ motherly role.”
“Phht, I‘m motherly as fuck. Grandmotherly even, or I‘m ready for it at least.” Allison muttered “Just don‘t feel like playing it up around you. Not when I‘m having nic fits.
“Right, sure. It’s the nicotine. That mean you were going though withdrawals in Tacoma?” Tabs snickered
“Yeah. Sure let’s call it that. So, whatcha need?” Allison muttered.
It took a while for Tabs to get the smile on her muzzle reigned in. “Well some advice, mainly. Probably something I shoulda brought up before I pissed you off.”
“You got smokes?” Allison grumbled
“you know I don’t.” Tabs replied tursly
“Yeah, I know.. Fine. I’m as pissed off as I’m gonna get right now. So may as well spill it. I mean the worst thing I can do is tell you to come back when the nic fits are over, right?” Just like that Allison’s odd, faye-like smile returned. Melting away the years that already barely seemed to touch her.
Part of Tabs was tempted to just not bother. She thumbed her phone in her pocket and glanced at her smirking friend racing though all the other things she could claim they needed to talk about instead. Just some normalcy. A chance for her to relax with her sister of steel. Something the wolverine was starting to realize more every day she flat out cherished.
That was running, though. She couldn’t run. She knew that all too well. The phone came out of her pocket and slid in front of Allison who snagged it up without a word. If tabs didn’t know better she’d have sworn the reflexive thumb twitch from the bunny was the start of keying in Tabs’ password. Not that she’d ever accuse her friend of anything. Who in their right mind would dare.
“Ohhh. Ok. Some of the hard stuff.” Allison glanced up at Tabs over the top of the phone. Her grin only grew as she flipped though the pages of the PDF. Licking her lips slowly. “God damn it, Tabs. I figured you were into the softcore shit like Helga. These limp lil dildos are really getting it good.”
Tabs fidgeted uncomfortably back and pulled her jacket closer around her shoulders. She watched as Allison flipped from page to page of the comics, doing everything she could not to drool on the phone screen as she did.
“I confess, the whole ‘buy a sissy online’ thing is pretty interesting. This French maid one who lives to get punished? God, I gotta remember this whole setup for the next time me and the lil mister have roleplay night.” Allison began tapping around, clearly looking for more. Her ears had gone loppy. A sure sign that any advice Tabs was going to get would be half hearted at best.
“it’s not mine.” Tabs muttered glibly.
“Really?” Allison snickered “Looks like your phone.”
“It is my phone. And yes technically I bought the comics. Even though they’re probably free somewhere. Look, I didn’t know about this guy until a student brought it up. I don’t think she was meaning to, either. She was just telling me she saw some of this on someone’s phone, and looked it up…”
“And figured her gym teacher was the one to talk to about it…” The bunny muttered “Because I remember high school and I totally told my gym teacher all my fucked up fantasies. I’m sure mom and dad would have loved to know about busting one of my prom dates nuts. Even if the fucker was trying to push himself on me.”
“on you?” Tabs scoffed “What kind of brain dead hunk of meat would try that shit on you of all people?”
“A guy with one nut who never got to see how Night of the- I mean, how Jacob’s Ladder ended.” Allison shook her head and slumped back in her seat flipping though another panel. Her eyes twinkling brightly at the carnage she saw on the screen. “So what’s this guy’s name if I may ask?”
“Huh? Well no, it was a girl student. Like I said. She said she found this stuff on the phone of a boy she likes. Oh, wait, did you mean the boy?” Tabs blushed. She really didn’t wish to answer that if she didn’t have to
“I mean the artist.” Allison sighed “Nevermind. Found it. Sarath. Stored for later, and… ok. So what do you wanna talk about again?”
Tabs snatched the phone back and shoved it into her pocket, making sure to wipe the screen clean on her shirt before hand, lest whatever contaminants Allison left on it might spread. “I was saying, I have a girl who really likes this boy, and she wants to know about how to ask him out. She just found this stuff on his phone, and she’s apparently not turned off. So now I need to figure out how to explain all this D/s stuff to her safely.”
“And you can’t go to Helga?” Allison blinked
“Like you said, she likes things a specific way. Hell, ‘I’ like things more that way. If you’d have asked me I’d have said you’re the only person I know who gets into anything this dark. But, I mean, this shit’s pretty far out there for anyone. Let alone kids. If they’re going to get up to it anyways I’d like to make sure she’s at least being safe about it. Can’t imagine a hospital trip is very romantic.”
“It is not.” Allison affirmed “Docs and nurses all say they don’t judge. They judge. They judge a fucked up brand a whole hell of a lot. As for my advice… well it’d probably be she find someone she can legally learn this shit from without the whole teacher morality issues going on. Followed swiftly by figuring out if this boy likes her that way. You know, ask him out on a date or something. You know, the sane kinds of shit kids should be doing instead of tiptoeing around like one little mistake is going to blow their lives up.”
“Phht, look who’s taking.” Tabs snorted
“Hey, I bailed on Bolder of my own free will. Place was god damn boring. Besides I know how to be romantic. I’m plenty romantic. Fuck I’m the most god damn romantic bunny you ever saw. They need to cancel Easter because bunnies are now valentines day motherfucker!”
Allison’s tirade was stopped by a paw on either shoulder. Tabs snickered, but it was only to hold in the confused horror she felt welling up in her. Partially due to Allison being, well, Allison. But then Allison was also right. Helping Parker too much could cause a ton of problems. And anyone finding out she was with her little Kathoey could also cause problems. Put it together…
“A date. Ok fine. We can start there. I’ll figure out the rest later. So tell me, oh wise guru of all things kinky. How do I set a sissy and a wannabe sadist up on a date…”
