“The Holy Annoyance: Yenae’s audacious story is told!”
“Booo-ring,” Yenae drawled, yawning and stretching her arms. Neither the pilot of the Dauntless nor its mousy owner were to blame for the lag in activity: it had nearly been three weeks since the incident with Franklin Hill, and nobody had been willing to go anywhere or do anything afterward, not for a long time at least. Even so, at least half of the crew was used to a fast-paced life full of adventure and excitement— and danger— so even though everybody was still recovering from the ordeal, flying around the emptiness of space with nothing to do was like Hell for those innocent few.
“What’s the matter?” Kyrie said sharply as she walked past the restless Changeling. “Do you actually miss risking your life for pointless treasure? Let’s not forget all the freaky people we’ve run into, some of them even worse than me! Oh yeah, and what about all the dangerous worlds we’ve seen? I for one am glad that we have a reprieve.”
“Not me,” Yenae grumbled. “Taking a break is fine, but letting it drag on is irritating. We don’t even have a destination, do we? If this Origin person is really a problem, we should be looking for clues!”
“It’s not like we know where to start,” Kyrie gestured. “Listen, why not keep yourself busy with a hobby— and I don’t mean chasing after that catgirl.” Yenae sighed.
“She’s taking a bath right now and didn’t want me to join her. Maybe I’m going about the whole seduction thing wrong. What do you think I should do?”
“About Alala?”
“No, about all this boredom! At least you have your gadgets.”
“That I do. I would ask if you wanted to help, but a novice like you would only get in the way! Besides, Eve and Herut are perfectly sufficient. If you need some suggestions, why not look through the Tome of Treasures for a new destination?”
“Don’t you have any?”
“Only one,” she grinned. “I asked Aseria to take us to Vulcannis, my homeworld. I’ve been meaning to go back there for some time and catch up with my family. Hey, if I’m not mistaken, Maisa is on the way there!”
“So it is,” Yenae murmured. Maisa was her homeworld, but she hadn’t visited in years. She had been restless and eager to explore the universe all of her childhood, and now that she had the chance, she wouldn’t go back for anything, not even if it meant her life. She had severed her ties and burned her bridges— there was no going back for her. Kyrie dismissed herself, saying she needed to get back to work, leaving Yenae to listlessly stare at the wall. She decided to go to the gym and work out; maybe she’d catch a stray TV transmission. Along the way, she ran into Alala, who was furiously drying her silvery hair. Unfortunately for Yenae, she was completely dressed and dried off, but at least she smelled nicer and had a certain glow to her. Yenae’s mood perked up and she waved for joy.
“Hello, kitten! You’re looking fine today! Did you get yourself good and clean?”
“Buzz of,” Alala yawned. “I’m having a late lunch and you’re not invited!”
“That’s not nice,” she pouted. “I thought we were friends! Let me join you, please? I’m lonely and bored.”
“So go bother somebody else.”
“No one’s as interesting as you!” she gushed, throwing her arms around her beloved. Alala squeaked and almost fell over; she pried Yenae off with a snarl.
“Why the hell are you so ANNOYING?!”
“If only I had a gold coin for every time I’ve heard that,” she chirped. Alala glared at her, but a thought passed through her head that changed her mood.
“Say, how did you get that nickname of yours? The ‘Annoyance’ part I can understand, but what about the ‘Holy’?”
“It’s because I’m such an angel,” she purred seductively. Alala rolled her eyes.
“A fallen angel, maybe! But seriously.” Yenae leaned forward and smiled.
“Invite me to dinner and I’ll tell you all about it. We’re approaching my homeworld anyway, so I’m feeling nostalgic.”
“Oh yeah? Where is it?”
“Somewhere between here and Vulcannis. I haven’t been there in ages.”
“Don’t expect me to follow you down!” she snorted.
“That’s all right: I don’t think I’ll be going down either. Just passing by is good enough. So how’s everything on your homeworld these days? I’ll bet Dionne and Calliope are looking forward to that baby.”
I’ve actually been corresponding with my mother a lot more,” Alala said as she and Yenae walked to the dining room. Their tails entwined, an unspoken understanding between them that kept their bond solidified even if they quarreled, but they didn’t hold hands: Alala jerked hers away.
“That’s wonderful!” Yenae exclaimed. “I’m happy you and your mother are communicating. I really love her; I hope she becomes my mother-in-law someday!”
“Just as soon as we start having boys on Tigris,” Alala muttered— in other words, not a chance at all. Yenae laughed.
“Considering your mother’s pregnancy— and who knows, maybe she knocked up that wife of hers, too— that might yet come to pass! Hey, just think, you’ll probably have two little sisters in about a year!”
“That’s a little disturbing!” she exclaimed with a shudder. They were at the dining room now, so they gave Chandra their order and sat down at a table. “Hey, is it just me, or is Chandra a little ‘off’ these days?”
“Considering she didn’t make a pass at either one of us, I’d say there’s something wrong. But hey, if a lesbian pleasure unit isn’t flirting with women, maybe I’ve got a better chance than I thought!”
“It’s worth considering,” Alala muttered darkly. “So tell me about yourself. One of the most aggravating things about you is that I don’t know you very well.”
“Aww, do you wanna get to know me better?”
“Just think of it as morbid curiosity,” Alala grimaced.
……
As you might have known, I was born and raised on Maisa, a little planetoid that flew around a little sun. Who knows, it might have been a moon at one point. It’s a world covered in massive trees, where we lived, and stalagmites as large as mountains, where we built our main cities, kind of like termites. Most members of my kind are content to stay there and go about their daily lives, but not me. I spent every day dreaming I was somewhere else. And then one day…
“Booo-ring,” Yenae drawled, yawning and stretching her arms. It was just another day on Maisa, where the Changelings continued to build chaotic houses wherever they wanted and however they wanted; some even chose to live upside-down, just because they could. Those who did not build swung from the trees like monkeys, avoiding the few bridges made for the tourists who actually stopped there to look around. Yenae Marliir, child of two nameless faces in the crowd, had long ago mastered the giant forests and had explored every stalagmite-city she could find, but each day brought her even more restlessness. It was true that many Changelings felt this way, but they put their energies to work, creating bizarre cities that never lasted very long, destroying them and then erecting them somewhere else. The women gave birth, hunted, and prunes the forests; the men made the homes and prepared the meals. Yenae was given the freedom to be wild and anxious, so long as she remembered to follow her destiny.
“I’m nearly ready to give up!” she exclaimed to herself as she shimmied up the highest stalagmite-city. Maisa looked like a hairy pincushion from that height: the cities rising up as spikes from the dense greenery, and not a bit of surface area could be seen. Nobody had ever been to the surface and returned, and today Yenae felt like taking her chances. “Let’s face it,” she groaned, “I’ve been everywhere and done everything this stinking world has to offer! I’m not even 240 years old yet— don’t tell me I’ve accomplished everything already!” She had no audience to assure her; she despised the company of her relatives and had isolated all of her friends. Yenae was simply starved for something that Maisa did not have, and she ached to go out past the boundary of the sky in order to satisfy herself.
“I can’t go back to Laminas again,” she muttered, referring to her mentor.
Oh, right, I never told you. This filthy old hobo I ran into sort of taught me a few things about fighting. He used to be an assassin, but now he spent his time getting wasted in the gutter! I guess I sort of had pity on him at first— yeuch, he thought of me as his daughter or something— but I quickly got over him and went on to better things. I would say that I owed him, but after he tried to take advantage of me, I’d say we’re pretty square. Now where was I?
“I can’t go back to Laminas again, and it’s not like I have any money to charter a spaceship. Rates have gotten worse ever since the Ozmunds ran into those Dark Star Stalkers, or whatever the hell they’re calling themselves. Of course, it’s not like a ship comes here very often…”
No, honey, I didn’t start out at the boring part. This is actually the moment when I decided to sneak aboard a ship and run away with it. You just ruined the moment! Oh, all right, I can see you’re impatient, but try to relax. I’ll get to a good part soon.
Yenae knew that if she got a job on Maisa, she would probably never leave, so she stayed unemployed, surviving by hunting in the forests. She was a natural tracker, thanks in part to the skills Laminas taught her, but somehow, survival didn’t appeal to her. She kept pestering the Tourist Center for information regarding incoming ships, until at last they banned her from ever approaching (and you know that whenever a Changeling irritates another Changeling, there’s something very troubling about them). Not one to be discouraged, Yenae visited the Maisa Observatory, the Air and Space Division, the Astronomical Watch, even the Ladies’ Amateur Rocketry and Propulsion Club— all of which she was banned from a few days later. Even a Changeling would have surrendered by that point and followed their dreary destiny, but Yenae was incredibly persistent, and followed whatever organization she could find that would get her one step closer to the heavens.
And then, one day, a tourist came to Maisa. She immediately snuck onboard, secluded herself, and flew away unseen, waiting for the ship to land somewhere else— anywhere, really. Once it made port (on a strange world called Mercury), she immediately swapped vessels, mostly because she didn’t like the looks of the place. That ship took her all the way to Silvanus, where she stayed for a few weeks before jumping onto another outbound vessel. To make a long story short, Yenae kept this wild pace up for two years, always jumping from ship to ship whenever she felt bored, always ready to confront new worlds and new adventures. Her dream had been realized at last, and yet she still felt unfulfilled. Something was missing.
And then came the Dark Star Stalkers…
……
It wasn’t unusual for one of Yenae’s ships to run into space pirates, especially if they wandered into Fringe Territory, which was not yet protected by UCM jurisdiction. It was, however, unusual for them to put up a fight. Usually they just fled, or were shot down, and Yenae would either have to escape or take out the pirates herself.
Don’t give me that look! One time I single-handedly wiped out an entire galleon of rogues! But since that doesn’t figure into my story, I’ll tell you about it later.
But to go toe-to-toe with the galaxy’s worst? That was something she had never seen before, and she admired her new friends for it, even if they were doomed. The battle was long and bloody, and both sides suffered great casualties, but in the end, the merchants simply stood no chance, and were overwhelmed. Yenae took this opportunity to cram herself inside an empty barrel, pack herself in, and seal herself up, knowing that a respectable pirate wouldn’t resist a good haul. After about an hour of cramped, impatient waiting, Yenae felt herself being jostled around— hoisted, carried, and put back down again, not without a few bumps and bruises. Once she was settled, she waited another hour, burst out of her cage, stretched her aching muscles, and went about her conquest.
“One ship’s as good as another,” she reasoned. All that waiting had paid off: the pirates had celebrated their victory with women, wine, and lots of food, so by the time she crept out and began slinking around their ship, all but a handful were dead asleep. She immediately went to the Captain’s quarters, expecting him to be shoulder-deep in whores and loot, but was mildly surprised when she discovered he was gone. The whores and loot were still there, so he must have just stepped out. Figuring that, after all that beer and beef, he would probably be in the toilet, she slithered past the drowsy women and approached the Captain’s private bathroom, which was locked. As soon as he came out, she snapped his neck, plundered his pockets, and sounded the alarm.
The crew was so drunk and disoriented when they came out that they accepted their Captain’s demise and his transferal of leadership with nothing more than a shrug. Yenae tossed his body overboard, and promised to lead her men with even more reckless enthusiasm than before, which garnered a cheer. Nobody sobered up until the next day, and when they learned what had happened, many of them chose not to be angry, and those that did were soon persuaded.
“He wasn’t as pretty as this Captain is,” they’d say, or, “He never would’ve let us get away with that. She’s a bright ray in a gray world. That’s mighty poetic, that is. Yeah, she’s a good Captain. But I hope the last one rests in peace.” Yenae actually proved to be an excellent Captain, and for many years, she plundered, stole, and terrorized half the galaxy, earning enemies and colorful nicknames everywhere she went (but the only one that stuck wouldn’t come until later).
So that’s how I became a Captain. Now let me tell you what happened to the pirates, and how I got my nickname.
All those years of marauding and mischief couldn’t go on without repercussions, and Yenae was smart enough to realize this. Sooner or later, even the best pirates and criminals are captured— or killed— so Yenae began formulating a plan for this eventuality. One day, as her ship was just setting sail from the port in New London, a UCM scout ship alerted the armada of their presence, and a galaxy-wide hunt and chase commenced. It lasted nearly three months, with Yenae’s pirates fighting against their pursuers in skirmishes, or sending them on fool’s chases through asteroid fields and black hole clusters, until finally the UCM became serious and sent out its Dreadnoughts.
“That will be the end of us,” her men murmured. “We can do fine against a ship or two, but a Dreadnought?”
“I hear they’re starting to recruit ten percent of the entire armada to fight us,” another shivered.
“So why haven’t we been recruiting as well?” Yenae asked.
“But we have, we have— anybody willing to stand up against them! Why, the Dead Roses said they’d be meeting up with us somewhere around Centania! We also got the Green Eagles on our side, and we all know how much the pigs are afraid of them!”
“Okay, good— so why are we afraid?” The pirates glanced at each other ominously.
“Well, three reasons, Cap’n. First off, they got this military brat genius with em’ that’s been makin’ off with all our other allies. Whoever we can’t recruit, she captures and hangs, and I’m afraid to say that she’s worked faster than we have so far. Second of all, due to all this huntin’ their new fox has been undertaking, they’ve got numbers on us now. Finally, what I heard is that they’ve got solid connections with the Ozmund people, and they’re banding together to block out all the ports. They don’t have all of em’ yet, I mean, but they got plenty enough.”
“So their goal is to starve us, steal our friends, and intimidate us. Hmm.” This was actually a better opportunity than Yenae had hoped. Her original scenario would have simply led her to jump ship at the last minute, like she always did, but now that they had this high probability of losing… “All right, I’ve come up with a plan! So you say their new Captain is something decent, eh? Then let’s hit her with everything we have and take her hostage! Even if we are outnumbered, a blitzkrieg will at least turn the intimidation tables around. Sometimes a high morale is better than a strong ally.”
“That’s our Captain!” they shouted. “I knew she’d come up with a plan! Wipe out that bitch first and take her pretty head home! And who knows, we might have some fun with her!”
And as the days and hours drew closer to the decisive battle, Yenae couldn’t help but wonder what her old partner the Jackal would think if she were here.
……
Years of plundering and creating havoc across half the galaxy had its repercussions, but it also had its rewards. Yenae’s pitiful little band of outlaws had now grown into an entire fleet, thanks to years of hard work, negotiations, saving a few lives here and there, blood-oaths, and wild promises made (plus a few backs stabbed along the way). Realistically, they could hold their own against at least a fourth of the entire United Military army and armada, so when they sailed into battle against the new Captain’s ship, spirits were high and songs were loud. The fight started out as a skirmish, with both sides exchanging fire, Yenae’s flagship and the military newcomer locking horns in single combat.
“I gotta hand it to that Captain they found,” she purred. “For a recent graduate, she can handle herself well. I wonder if she’s that tactical in bed.”
“I sure do hope so!” her men sighed dreamily. Yenae rolled her eyes and pressed the attack. Any moment now, she was expecting the Captain to call upon her backup, just as soon as her knees were scraped a little. But that woman had more pride and skill than Yenae gave her credit for: even when the ship was crippled, she still continued to fight.
“Hahaha, give it up, bitch! Nobody can defeat the Preemptive!”
“Our Captain’s the best! She’s never been beaten and she never will be beaten!”
“Run back home to mama! Or maybe you can surrender and we can have some fun!”
“Just settle down,” Yenae warned them. “She’s an excellent opponent. It’s poor sportsmanship to insult your equals, especially if they’re down. I take my hat off to her.”
“But, uh, Captain, you’re not wearing a hat.”
“I was talking metaphorically,” she groaned. The fight tottered in Yenae’s favor, until at last the enemy Captain called her reserve forces. Twenty Dreadnoughts, fifty galleons, a hundred police vessels, and countless fighters poured out of the darkness of space, having waited just for this moment. Yenae called her entire armada to bear, and one of the most intense space conflicts in recent history began.
This part’s actually pretty long, so I’ll gloss over it and move on. Well, you’ll find out who that enemy Captain was in a moment, but I think you already know.
After a titanic struggle, the United Cosmic Military was forced to admit defeat, which caused every soul in the pirate armada to let out a cheer. At last, their oppressors had been defeated, and the freedom and indulgence of piracy could continue until the end of eternity, unchecked and unchallenged. All of their names would go down in history, and would be feared for generations to come. Captain Yenae Marliir was not only a hero, she was a legend, and the other Captains unanimously elected her to act as their Supreme Commander of piracy. All of these praises and accolades would have satisfied anybody, but there was still something missing in Yenae’s life: she felt her calling was taking her somewhere else. She could not be an outlaw forever— it just wasn’t what she was looking for.
“Pardon me, O defeated Captains of the United Military,” she announced. “My name’s Yenae, and I’m sort of the leader of this salty bunch. I’d just like to say that you really gave us the fight of our lives, and we’ve enjoyed being your enemies over the years. I can’t remember the last time we’ve had this much fun.”
“What an ass,” the enemy Captain muttered.
“But since we’ve sort of reached the pinnacle of our career, I really don’t see any point in continuing. Besides, we’re badly damaged over here, and we only won by a hair! Therefore, I would like to surrender my entire armada over to your forces, and place myself in your generous hands. Thank you, and have a wonderful day!”
Both sides were so dumbfounded that the whole area experienced total silence for five minutes.
“Sorry, boys,” Yenae gushed as she left the bridge for the escape shuttle. “It’s nothing personal; I just don’t want to settle into this sort of life. You understand, right? Piracy was fun for a few years, but I want to experience more! Besides, you all seem to have something against women. It’s like a sausage fest every day for me, and— don’t take this the wrong way, brothers— I’m really not into that. But have fun in prison, okay? Just tell them Yenae the Angel of Chaos sent you! Buh-bye!”
They would never see her again.
“You’ll have to excuse me for the sharp greeting,” Yenae snarled as she held a knife to the Commodore’s throat. “I’m sort of under the impression that you’re going to arrest me and have me executed. I’m enjoying my life a little too much right now, so I can’t afford to get killed just yet. Why don’t we make a deal, and we can forget we were ever in this ticklish situation?”
The Commodore couldn’t understand why the leader of the pirate armada surrendered just when she had achieved victory— and a very humiliating victory at that, one that would be permanently erased from military archives— and he certainly couldn’t understand why she abandoned her crew just to sneak aboard his ship and strike a deal with him. The Captain in charge of this section, a shining new recruit called Chuunaru, rushed to the bridge as fast as possible once she heard the news, holding a gun and aiming it right at Yenae’s forehead.
“Drop him now and put your hands up where I can see them!”
“Oh please, spare me the hostage melodrama,” Yenae yawned. “Nobody’s going to kill anybody so long as my humble demands are met. Say, you wouldn’t happen to be the Captain of the Neo Yamato, would you?”
“I am.”
“Ah, so that was you! Well met, friend! Nobody’s ever given me that much of a challenge before, and I gotta say, if we weren’t enemies right now, I’d come over there and kiss you!”
“Annoying vermin,” Chuunaru snarled. Yenae sighed wistfully.
“Ah, if only I had a gold coin for every time I’ve heard that. Listen, Captain Sexy— ”
“It’s Chuunaru, scum!”
“Right, right, Chuunaru. Listen, drop the gun and the attitude, Chuunaru. I like you and I want us to be friends. You put up a great fight, and that’s something I can respect. I just want to negotiate with your superior, that’s all.”
“Drop him now and we can talk!”
“Now is this any way to treat the woman that handed over a third of the galaxy’s criminals and pirates? Your gallows will be stuffed for weeks! Show me a little gratitude, okay? Now, Commodore Puppy— ”
“It’s Wolfe!” he barked. He certainly looked like one.
“Very apropos,” she giggled darkly. “Commodore Wolfe, then— let’s make a deal. I gave you the pirates and I’ve got a knife on your throat. I like this new Captain of yours a lot: I can see her going places. In fact, why not make me a Captain, too? Sure, why not! Hell, I’ll even serve under you! I do have experience, after all.”
“You’re out of your mind!” Chuunaru snapped, brandishing her weapon. Yenae pointed to her and smirked.
“Ah-ah-aaah, that’s no way to speak to your new best friend, Chuunaru. I’d like to be in the military for awhile so I can work alongside my dear Miss…uh, what’s your first name, sweetheart?”
“Last warning, fool! Drop the gun or say farewell to your brains!”
“But aren’t you going to give me amnesty in exchange for all the information I’ve gathered over the years?” she purred. A malicious glow burned in Yenae’s eyes, and she gradually let the Commodore go. “That’s right: amnesty and a Captain’s position in your little club. Those are my demands. In exchange, the Commodore doesn’t get to have his throat punctured, and I’ll answer any question you have about pirate activity. I’m perfectly willing to cooperate if you will.”
“Lower your weapon, Captain Chuunaru,” Wolfe growled, rubbing his neck as Yenae released him. “That’s an order now. I don’t like it any more than you do, but if she’s willing to cooperate like that, we can give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides…” He pulled her close and whispered in her ear: “(If she’s under my command, or if she’s close to you, we can keep an eye on her. I don’t know if this devil-woman is a fool or a genius, but either way, somebody needs to watch over her. I trust you’ll accommodate her.)”
“If those are your orders, sir,” she muttered. The Commodore straightened himself up, turned around, and reluctantly saluted to Yenae.
“Very well then, we accept your demands. From here on out, you are Captain Yenae Marliir, under my command. And may God help us all.”
“Wonderful!” she squealed, throwing her arms around them both. “I have a feeling we’ll be great friends! I am, after all, the Angel of Love and Peace!”
“If that’s true, then you’re the holiest annoyance I’ve ever met,” Chuunaru grumbled. Yenae liked this comment so much that the nickname has stuck ever since.
……
“After I climbed up the ranks and honed my skills, I decided to leave the military and start my career as a freelancer. I was never bored, of course, but it just didn’t feel the same. After a few weeks of that, I read Amy’s cute little ad, and I felt like I had finally found my calling. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
Yenae’s story had dragged on for so long that the dining room was now closed, forcing Alala and Yenae to move to another room to continue. They hopped from the library, the gym, the research center, the observatory, and finally to the baths, where the story ended as they took a relaxing dip. Yenae had spoken with a mixture of pride, shame, nonchalance, humor, and longing, and she finally concluded it with a sweet, silent smile, aimed directly at her meditative audience. Alala honestly didn’t know what to think about it. On the one hand, she couldn’t help but admire Yenae for her swashbuckling and double-crossing— but this also caused her to distrust the Changeling even more. She realized what a crafty, manipulative, charming, and elusive creature had joined their ranks, and viewed her with equal amounts of respect and caution.
“That’s…some story,” she admitted quietly. She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Well, I’ve had some life. But even after all that, I’d like to think that I’m a generally good person. I just made a few powerful enemies along the way!”
“It’s a wonder that Captain Chuunaru didn’t try to capture you at the Race!”
“Or Becky, for that matter,” Yenae said. She smiled gently at Alala and scooted a little closer. “So does this change your opinion on me?” she whispered.
“Yeah, but I don’t know how. I mean, I don’t know whether to admire you or be afraid of you.”
“How about the first option?” she replied warmly. “I may be a mischievous little imp, but I’m not evil: I just set out to survive whatever’s coming my way. Just like you!”
“We’re nothing alike,” Alala grumbled.
“Oh, we’re more similar than you think. But you are smarter and cuter than me.”
“Thanks,” she grumbled. “But you said in your story you were almost 240 years old. Are the Changelings a long-lived species?”
“No, not by most standards. Maisa just orbits our sun very quickly. That’s the thing about ages: they all depend on the planet you were born on. On some worlds, I’m 245 years old, while on others, I’m barely three. According to galactic standard measurements, I’m twenty-five years old, more or less. Why, did you think an older woman was flirting with you, grumpy butt?”
“Knock it off,” she growled. “I still don’t know why you tease me like that.” Yenae smiled warmly and reached for her hand again, breathing deeply.
“You know…the only reason I do that is because I don’t know how else to show you I care. But if you want the bare truth, I can give it a try. I’m absolutely in love with you, Alala, and I’ve felt like that for a long time. Someday, I’d like to gain your trust.”
This made Alala smile, just a little. She looked Yenae in the eye and saw that, behind the crazed wildfire she was irresistibly attracted to, there was a genuine love that only came out for her. For all her maddening nuances, Yenae really did care; Alala just wasn’t sure if she could completely trust her or not. In truth, she badly wanted to give her heart away, but being rejected so many times before had made her bitter and wary. It wasn’t her fault: none of her past lovers ever felt they could measure up to her. Perhaps even Yenae didn’t consider herself Alala;s equal, but even so…
“Maybe. You know, you can actually be pretty nice when you want to.” And then for the third time they kissed, with all of Alala’s hopes being thrown in. She longed to savor Yenae for days on end— she wanted it, she wanted it, she wanted it so badly— Yenae drove her crazy and she loved it so, so, so much— but she couldn’t allow herself to trust, not yet, not yet. They broke off and she pointed at Yenae threateningly.
“Don’t you dare tell anybody I did that!”
“My lips are sealed,” she purred. Alala rolled her eyes and demanded that Yenae get out first, so she wouldn’t be able to ogle her.
“And what will keep you from staring at me, fluffy muffin?”
“Just get out! You’re relaxed enough!”
“True, true,” she sighed. Alala couldn’t resist a little peek, and washed her face so it wouldn’t look like she was dazed. Yenae frustrated her to no end, and she loved her for it.
But there was no WAY she would ever tell her!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Preview of next chapter
Kyrie: It’s all about ME next time on “Voyage of the Dauntless: Chronicles of the Heroic and Sexy Pyrosian!”
Eve: Shameless much?
Allegra: Well, we really don’t know that much about Kyrie neither. I guess every demon has her day…
Kyrie: Damn straight! I’m going home to visit my family! Mom and I sure do have a lot to catch up on! Wait until I tell her that I’m intimate with her college friend’s daughter!
Eve: NANI?!
Kyrie: Just kidding! But seriously, I’d love to do the horizontal mambo with you someday.
Eve: (stunned) Uh, maybe we should get to know each other first. I do have standards, you know!
Allegra: Jeez, y’all’re actin’ like a buncha horny toads! Kate n’ I are still just holding hands!
Kyrie: Wait, so you two are an item now? Never mind! I’m the star of the story next time in, “Burning Passion: Kyrie’s fiery home!” I also get to fight one of our arch-villains!
Eve: Watch out for a bald man in a dress.
Allegra: I thought you said he was weak against fire.
Eve: Oh yeah. Kyrie, please avenge Zeta for me.
Kyrie: Will you go out with me if I do?
Eve: …………I’ll think about it.
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