- Four days later -
- June 10th, Friday, 4:12 P.M. -
- Ila residence -
Over the school week, Tamika and Teeka\'s friendship quickly grew. Tamika introduced Teeka to her own friends, much to the excited Nex\'s happiness as Tamika\'s friends happily greeted and welcomed her into their little group. Each day, Tamika and Teeka spent their lunchtime together, getting to know each other more, leading to each of them to discover they shared a few things in common, such as what kind of TV shows they liked, Earth food and sports.
By the end of the first school week, because of the sudden closeness the two had developed, both were on the receiving end of playful teases by Tamika and now Teeka\'s friends. While the teases brought a shade of color to their cheeks, Teeka didn\'t seem too bothered by it, though Tamika was quick to comment, “We\'re just friends.” not quite ready to label themselves a couple. Which only seemed to imply to their friends that they were a couple.
Now the beginning of the weekend, it was the most convenient time for the two \'friends\' to meet the others parents, along with their own parents meeting. It was decided that Tamika and her parents would go to Teeka\'s home, so after a few minutes drive in the middle of the day, the Brown family arrived at the Ila home...
-
Dressed in a yellow tank-top and white pleated skirt, Tamika stepped up to the front door to the house with her parents, whom both dressed lightly for the warm weather as she rung the doorbell, which their were quickly answered with Teeka\'s child-like voice on the other side excitedly declaring...
“They\'re here!”
And rapid footsteps following, bringing a slight blush to Tamika\'s cheeks from Teeka\'s excitement, which grew brighter with her mother commenting with a smile.
“That her?”
“Yeah.” replies Tamika, before an older, but still quite young-sounding voice behind the door commented...
“Ok, ok, you don\'t have to get so excited.”
A giggle followed before the familiar sound of the door unlocking began and the door opening, which Teeka, Kadalina and Tevia greeted them, Tevia on the left, dressed in a light pink spaghetti-strap sundress; Kadalina on the right, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jean skirt; with Teeka in the middle in front of them, dressed in a T-shirt and skirt.
“Hello.” greets Tevia warmly. “Welcome to our home. I\'m Tevia.”
“And my name is Kadalina.” states Kadalina. “Please, come in.” she offers, with the two older Nex stepping aside.
It was easy to see, both of Tamika\'s parents were more than a little surprised seeing the three Nex, though in an effort not to be rude staring, the two adults quickly regained their composer and answers...
“U-Uh, thank you.” replies Susan. “And hello to you too, I\'m Susan.” she adds, before walking into the home.
“Hello.” greets Oscar. “I\'m Oscar.” he adds, following his wife in, before Tamika entered last.
“I must say though...” states Susan, turning to face the two adult Nex\'s. “I hope I\'m not being offensive, but you\'re not at all what I expected. You look so young.”
All three Nex shared a brief chuckle, before Tevia answered.
“That\'s not offensive at all, don\'t worry, we hear lots of the same here on your planet. I can assure you, we look young, but we are very much adults.”
“We can provide proof if you like.” offers Kadalina.
“Oh no, you don\'t have to do that.” replies Susan.
“Are you sure?” asks Kadalina. “We don\'t mind at all.”
“I\'m sure, it\'s ok.” replies Susan.
“Very well then.” states Tevia, before gesturing to the couches in the living room. “Well let\'s sit and talk, would you like anything to drink?” she adds, as Susan and Oscar head to the couches and sit, before Tevia and Kadalina join them on the second couch, with Tamika and Teeka standing next to each other.
“I wouldn\'t mind some pop.” replies Oscar.
“I\'ll get it!” declares Teeka suddenly, raising her hand and rushing out of the room to the kitchen, bringing blush not only to Tamika\'s face, but Tevia and Kadalina\'s as well, though Tamika does join her parents on the couch.
“If you don\'t mind...” starts Susan. “Would you tell me how old you two are?”
“We don\'t mind at all.” replies Tevia, before Teeka returns, handing Oscar a can of Mountain Dew, who thanks her and Teeka sits with her parents, though the young girl\'s wings catch the two adults attention. “I\'m thirty-six.” answers Tevia.
“And I\'m thirty.” adds Kadalina.
“Wow, really?” asks Oscar, both he, Susan and Tamika clearly appearing surprised, before Susan adds...
“You two don't look in your twenties at all, it\'s amazing. You look like your in your early twenties.” the woman comments, placing a hand to her daughter shoulder briefly.
Tevia and Kadalina smile at the comment, before Tevia asks...
“I hope our appearance isn\'t disturbing to you.”
“Oh, no, your appearance isn\'t disturbing at all.” replies Susan, smiling. “I\'ll admit it\'s a little weird, but it\'s not disturbing.”
“Well that\'s good to hear.” states Tevia.
Oscar soon after lifts a hand briefly and commenting...
“If you don\'t mind, could I have a closer look at your wings? I forgot about them until I saw your daughter\'s.”
“I don\'t mind.” answers Kadalina, removing herself from the couch and walking in front of Oscar and Susan, turning her back to them and lowering herself to her knees to give the two, along with Tamika, a closer look at her wings, which she lifts and spreads, revealing to them the slight rainbow-ish reflective pattern they had.
“Can we touch them?” asks Susan, as she and her husband examine the delicate-looking foot and a half long appendages.
“Oh please do, it feels good when our wings are touched.” replies Kadalina, before Tamika adds...
“Teeka said it\'s like a massage for them.”
Susan and Oscar chuckle at the comment, before each of them reach a hand out and carefully touches a wing, moving along the length of the appendage.
“It\'s smooth.” comments Susan.
Oscar gently grasps Kadalina\'s wing between his thumb index and middle finger.
“Wow, their soft, I thought they\'d be rigid.” he comments.
“And their warm too.” states Susan, gripping the wing she had much like her husband.
“Their appearance reminds me of the wings of a dragonfly.” comments Oscar, to which Tevia on the couch asks...
“What\'s a dragonfly.”
Tamika answered, “It\'s just a really big insect with long wings.”
“Hey Tamika...” states Susan, drawing the teens attention. “Why don\'t you feel her wings?”
“I\'m good, Teeka let me feel her wings.” answers Tamika.
Kadalina soon gave a brief gasp and flinch when Oscars hand reached to the exposed joint where the wings emerged.
“Oh, I didn\'t hurt you did I?” asks Oscar.
“Heh, no, you didn\'t hurt me, that spot is just very ticklish for me.”
“Oh, ok.” replies Oscar, before pulling his hands away. “Well I\'m satisfied.”
“So am I.” adds Susan.
“Thanks for the little message.” replies Kadalina, standing and heading back to the couch.
“There\'s something I\'m really interested to know.” states Oscar.
“OK.” replies Tevia. “Ask anything you like, nothing is off limits to us.”
“OK.” states Oscar. “Your race is one gender right?”
“Yes it is.” answers Tevia.
Tamika\'s face quickly reddens at where she assumed the topic of conversation was headed and wanting to avoid being in the middle of a sexual discussion with her parents, she quickly comments...
“H-Hey, how about Teeka shows me her room?”
“Ok!” quickly answers Teeka happily and standing, followed by Tamika, before Teeka looks to Susan and Oscar. “It was nice meeting you two.”
“You too.” replies the two adults, before Teeka takes Tamika by the hand and leads her up the stairs.
After the two teens leave, the adults turn their attention back to each other and Oscar asks...
“So how do you reproduce? To be honest, my primary concern is Tamika possibly getting pregnant. My wife and I are pretty lenient on our daughter when it comes to her having a sex-life, she\'s only interested in other girls, so as a father, that eased my worry of her getting pregnant.”
“I see.” comments Tevia. “We understand what your saying, we also don\'t want Teeka getting pregnant before she\'s ready.”
“To answer your pregnancy concern though...” adds Kadalina. “While we can impregnate females of other races, humans included I\'m sure, the pregnancy never goes full term. The non-Nex partner becomes ill and has a miscarriage just a few months in. So we have no reason to try to reproduce with other races at the moment. So, does that ease your concern?”
“A little...” answers Oscar. “The fact that you\'re still able to impregnate outside your race bother me.”
“It makes me a little happy though.” comments Susan, smiling. “You said that you have no reason try and reproduce with other races at the moment, but is it being studied to see if a half-Nex can be born?”
“Yes it is.” answers Kadalina, before looking to Oscar and adding. “But don\'t worry, Teeka wouldn\'t purposefully try to get your daughter pregnant, knowing that it wouldn\'t work and she\'d get ill, we would also be against it as well.”
“Well that\'s good to hear.” states Oscar.
“About our own reproduction...” starts Tevia. “Would you like a detailed explanation or simple one?”
“Simple would do.” replies Susan.
“Ok, simply put, we have two vulva’s, one on our bellies were your navels would be and one between our legs...”
“Wow, two? Really?” asks Susan, she and her husband looking quite intrigued.
“Yes.” answers Tevia. “The vulva on our belly, we refer to as our secondary vulva, which leads directly to our womb. Our vulva between our legs leads to our reproductive organ, a Bothritis, that we can push out at will to insert into the Sealie\'s Secondary vulva, were we would release our DNA directly into the Sealie\'s womb.” explains Tevia.
“Wow...” comments Susan. “That\'s, certainly interesting... I assume Sealie is the term for a Nex couple?”
“Oh, yes, sorry about that.” replies Tevia. “Sealie is a Nex term for mate, similar to the terms husband and wife.” she adds, before Kadalina continues...
“When two Nex promise themselves to each other, following a brief ritual, they marry basically, they would be a Sealie couple.”
“So...” starts Oscar. “If two Nex are dating, they wouldn\'t be considered a Sealie to each other?”
“Correct.” answers Tevia. “It\'s a term reserved to Nex who are married, like we are.” she adds, placing a hand to Kadalina\'s leg. “And it allows us to have a child.”
“So your not allowed to reproduce unless your married?” asks Oscar.
“Yea.” answers Tevia. “It\'s an old custom, but it\'s still adhered to today.”
“It\'s it strongly adhered to?” asks Oscar.
“Generally yes.” answers Tevia.
“I have another quick question.” states Susan. “Typically here on Earth, in a married couple, the man is the head of the house. With your people having only one gender, how does that work, do you even have that?”
“We have equal share in the responsibilities.” answers Tevia. “Though I understand what you mean, living elsewhere beside our home planet, I take the head role when needed.”
“I see.” replies Susan. “And what decides that?”
“It\'s simply whoever wants that role.” answers Tevia.
“Also...” starts Kadalina. “Our race has split in two, one that prefers life on our home planet and follow the traditional ways, with living in the forest and off the land and one that prefers the \'modern\' lifestyle with cities and technology.”
“Is there some sort of conflict between the two?” asks Oscar.
“No, none at all as far as I know.” answers Kadalina. “There\'s really nothing to fight about, we Nex are very open to things. It\'s why we look forward to the day we can reproduce with others outside our race.”
“I see.” replies Susan. “It's nice to be open-minded.”
“But not so open your brains fall out, huh?” comments Kadalina, smiling.
“Hehe, right.” answers Susan. “I know we've been asking a lot of questions, but it you don't mind, I have one more.”
“Please, go ahead.” urges Tevia. “We came to your planet knowing we'd answer lots of questions, we're more than happy to inform others about us.”
“Ok then.” states Susan. “I'd like to know if Nex have some sort of religion or belief in a higher power.”
“We don't.” answers Tevia. “Though we Nex are very in tune with nature and the planetary bodies that we live one.”
“Oh, then what does that mean?” asks Susan. “You communicate with the planet?”
“Yes, well, I wouldn't say it's necessary communication, think of the planet as a living breathing entity, that has feelings and emotions. We Nex can feel those feelings and emotions from the planet.” answers Tevia. “It's an ability every Nex has at birth, though sadly, we modern Nex don't use the ability very much and are losing it.”
“I see, then can you communicate with Earth?” asks Susan.
“Yes.” answers Kadalina. “It's as simple as physical contact with the ground, such as going bare-foot.”
“What emotions are our planet giving you?” asks Susan.
The two Nex briefly look to each other, with an unsure look on their faces, though Susan asks...
“Not good, huh?”
“No, it's not.” answers answers Kadalina, sadly. “As far as we know, all planets with development such as yours as some degree of pain and sadness, but it seems tolerable.”
“But Earth...” continues Tevia. “You planet is in such pain, it was overwhelming.” she adds, sadly.
“I see.” states Susan. “Unfortunately, that doesn't surprise me, we humans don't treat out home very well.”
“There is still time to turn it around though.” states Tevia. “We've been to planets that we felt nothing from. The planet was nice outside, but silent inside, it was so sad.” she comments, looking quite saddened at the memory and Kadalina placing a comforting hand on her wife’s thigh.
“Oh, I'm sorry for bringing up a painful memory.” states Susan.
“Don't worry about it.” replies Tevia.
“How about we show you around our home?” offers Kadalina.
“Sure, we'd like that.” replies Susan, before the two couples stand.
To be continued