Page 99 of Emerald

I trust zha, and there is something about the purple of zha’s skin mixed with the thrumming green of zha’s mating signal that is very exciting. Zha gently moves zha’s soft, deliciously clawless hands into my bottom nostrils and I let out a long, chittering moan.

“The top ones are tight, Kroaicho,” she whispers in manticorid. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” I click back, falling back to my native language in my excitement.

The pressure against the slits of my upper nostrils increases, and then my whole snout is throbbing with pleasure as the tips of each of zha’s fingers find the edges of my expellent flaps.

“Yes,” I hiss out, then lose the ability to communicate.

Zha has found each ridged edge and is stroking in long, slow glides. Zha’s skin is slightly rough and it's making me let go of my tight control. Not long after, enough expellent leaks to help each stroke of zha’s fingers glide in a smooth, continual oval.

I hold my segments rigid and pull zha’s soft body closer to me, tucking zha tight to me as the pleasure builds in stronger and stronger streaks of feeling from my snout down the the end of my last segment.

Zha increases the speed of zha’s stroking, zha’s own breath coming fast as I keep my flaps closed tight, but revel in the warmth of zha’s hands and zha’s scent as my breath bellows in and out along the upper reaches of each flap.

I never thought a scent would be pleasurable, but with each stroke and each deep drag of breath, my segments get continually tighter. When each flap finally seizes, sending waves of pleasure from my snout, I lose control of my flaps and on the next exhale I flood my expellent into zha’s face.

My segments are quaking as Olivia lets out zha’s delicious sounds of pleasure and zha’s body writhes against me.

As the pleasure settles into a contented thrum along my skin, I shift my body so zha can lay against me. Zha’s pleasure has made zha sleepy and it’s not long before I can no longer see the pink glow of zha’s eyes.

I’m still awake, eyes roaming over zha’s beautiful, treasured features when zha wakes up again.

“That was amazing, Kroaicho,” Olivia whispers to me.

“It was,” I agree.

“Aren’t you glad you get to do that more than twice?” zha teases.

“I am,” I agree again. “Now let’s sleep so there is some time before the sharing of stories.”

Zha laughs. “You and your stories. That would have normally freaked me out. The idea of being out there with a group, I mean… but I’m looking forward to it too. For now, just hold me?”

And so I do.

34

Olivia

Myskinislitup like an orange Christmas tree when I sit in the center of the buildings Rannek built. I hadn’t noticed the lovely benches before and it’s soothing to run my fingers over the carvings of odd, alien animals on the sides of them.

It’s almost too much to take in at once, so I focus on the details.

I glance over to the big, shy purple furred male, who is still actively whittling away at a bench across from me, using a combination of sharp rock and claws.

I just meant to take a walk down the shore, but the artistry drew me in. When I glance down, I see a long, thin piece of shale in the dirt and drop to the ground, inspired to draw anotherta moko.

I get lost in the process for a while, thrilled with how fun this is with two right hands, and as I finish up I realize that Ree is seated on the bench behind me.

“Oh… hi. Uh, have you been there long?” I ask, feeling self-conscious.

“Yes, but don’t worry,” she says in a light tone. “That’s beautiful. Is it tribal? Oh, right. You’re from New Zealand, aren’t you? Maori?”

“That’s right,” I say, still keeping my eyes downcast, embarrassed for someone to see my art. “I am… uh, half that. Maori, I mean.”

It’s the first time I’ve told a human and it feels good to claim it.

“Olivia…” Ree says, trailing off and then speaking again. “Not to sound rude, but are you autistic?”

---