your little performance routine, Kestrel? It’s just us right now, no guys to impress.”
“You really don’t want to ever see me being myself,” Kestrel replied; the sultry tone was underlain with something far darker and more threatening. It scared Christine, but it angered her even more.
“And maybe you won’t like me when I’m pissed off,” Christine said through clenched teeth. She gestured with one hand, and Kestrel flew against the nearest wall; she remained stuck there, held immobile by a steady stream of telekinetic force. Christine stepped right up to the immobilized super-skank. Kestrel struggled, but however strong she was, it turned out Christine’s power was stronger. “You are going to cut it out, Kestrel. The bullying crap stops right now.”
Kestrel struggled for a few more seconds before giving up. She smiled. “I guess you got more than a good fucking from Face-Off. His attitude’s rubbing off on you.”
“I don’t need a guy to teach me to stand up for myself,” Christine said. “And I’m sick of your attitude. You don’t get to push me around just because I’m not a total bitch. So stop it.”
“You have grown up. Okay, Christine, I’ll play nice. You know, now that you have me all helpless, maybe you’d like to have your way with me.” She thrust her hips towards Christine, as much as the telekinesis allowed, which turned out to be quite a bit. “Play with me while I can’t move. Bite my…”
“Unbelievable.” Christine let Kestrel go with an exasperated sigh.
“Sorry.” For a second Kestrel looked contrite for real. “Can’t help myself sometimes. Okay, let’s be friends.” She extended her hand, and Christine warily shook it. “Call me Melanie. I’ll lay off you and Face, a little bit at least.”
That was probably the best deal Christine was going to get. “Okay, Melanie.”
“Good. Believe it or no, I’m happy that Face is hooking up with someone who isn’t a stripper or a skank.” Pot, kettle , Christine thought but diplomatically kept to herself. “Just be careful with him; he’s a romantic under all the bullshit.” Her expression and emotions changed again, became a little sad. “I know I hurt him, even if he’ll never admit it, even to himself. And he just lost Cassandra. If you hurt him, it’s going to be bad for him.” Her expression changed, became cold and threatening. “And I’ll stop playing nice with you.”
Holy crap, I just got the whole ‘Hurt my ex and I’ll hurt you’ bit from a super-powered uber-slut. “Okay, got the message.”
“Good.” Kestrel – Melanie – headed downstairs, probably to whip up something for breakfast, pun definitely intended. Christine looked after her for a second, and shook her head. Well, at least she had stood up for herself, instead of just freezing up and withdrawing like she normally did. She was either growing up as a human being or getting ornery in her old age.
She went back to the bedroom. Mark was sitting up. “There you are,” he said. Either he hadn’t heard her and Kestrel going at it or was pretending he hadn’t. Either possibility suited Christine just fine. She didn’t want to discuss Kestrel with Mark.
“Missed me already?” she said lightly as she got in bed with him.
“Missed this,” he said, making a face and kissing her. No morning breath from him, either, since the face was all nice and new.
Her doubting second-guessing bitchy brain went away for a while.
Janus
Star System 9183, Milky Way Galaxy, Year Fifteen (Personal Frame of Reference)
Cassius hovered over the desolate ruins and despaired.
The second planet of Star System 9183 was a gas giant in close proximity to a red dwarf star. It had a large moon only slightly smaller than Cassius’ home planet, and it was there that life had arisen, evolved and given birth to a sentient species. That species had learned and built and grown in power, until an unimaginable disaster had rendered it
“You really don’t want to ever see me being myself,” Kestrel replied; the sultry tone was underlain with something far darker and more threatening. It scared Christine, but it angered her even more.
“And maybe you won’t like me when I’m pissed off,” Christine said through clenched teeth. She gestured with one hand, and Kestrel flew against the nearest wall; she remained stuck there, held immobile by a steady stream of telekinetic force. Christine stepped right up to the immobilized super-skank. Kestrel struggled, but however strong she was, it turned out Christine’s power was stronger. “You are going to cut it out, Kestrel. The bullying crap stops right now.”
Kestrel struggled for a few more seconds before giving up. She smiled. “I guess you got more than a good fucking from Face-Off. His attitude’s rubbing off on you.”
“I don’t need a guy to teach me to stand up for myself,” Christine said. “And I’m sick of your attitude. You don’t get to push me around just because I’m not a total bitch. So stop it.”
“You have grown up. Okay, Christine, I’ll play nice. You know, now that you have me all helpless, maybe you’d like to have your way with me.” She thrust her hips towards Christine, as much as the telekinesis allowed, which turned out to be quite a bit. “Play with me while I can’t move. Bite my…”
“Unbelievable.” Christine let Kestrel go with an exasperated sigh.
“Sorry.” For a second Kestrel looked contrite for real. “Can’t help myself sometimes. Okay, let’s be friends.” She extended her hand, and Christine warily shook it. “Call me Melanie. I’ll lay off you and Face, a little bit at least.”
That was probably the best deal Christine was going to get. “Okay, Melanie.”
“Good. Believe it or no, I’m happy that Face is hooking up with someone who isn’t a stripper or a skank.” Pot, kettle , Christine thought but diplomatically kept to herself. “Just be careful with him; he’s a romantic under all the bullshit.” Her expression and emotions changed again, became a little sad. “I know I hurt him, even if he’ll never admit it, even to himself. And he just lost Cassandra. If you hurt him, it’s going to be bad for him.” Her expression changed, became cold and threatening. “And I’ll stop playing nice with you.”
Holy crap, I just got the whole ‘Hurt my ex and I’ll hurt you’ bit from a super-powered uber-slut. “Okay, got the message.”
“Good.” Kestrel – Melanie – headed downstairs, probably to whip up something for breakfast, pun definitely intended. Christine looked after her for a second, and shook her head. Well, at least she had stood up for herself, instead of just freezing up and withdrawing like she normally did. She was either growing up as a human being or getting ornery in her old age.
She went back to the bedroom. Mark was sitting up. “There you are,” he said. Either he hadn’t heard her and Kestrel going at it or was pretending he hadn’t. Either possibility suited Christine just fine. She didn’t want to discuss Kestrel with Mark.
“Missed me already?” she said lightly as she got in bed with him.
“Missed this,” he said, making a face and kissing her. No morning breath from him, either, since the face was all nice and new.
Her doubting second-guessing bitchy brain went away for a while.
Janus
Star System 9183, Milky Way Galaxy, Year Fifteen (Personal Frame of Reference)
Cassius hovered over the desolate ruins and despaired.
The second planet of Star System 9183 was a gas giant in close proximity to a red dwarf star. It had a large moon only slightly smaller than Cassius’ home planet, and it was there that life had arisen, evolved and given birth to a sentient species. That species had learned and built and grown in power, until an unimaginable disaster had rendered it
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