Page 125 of Tanin's Treasure
Alred claimed they were following him, yet it seemed he was lagging behind. Giving them something that he himself didn't have.
Until now. Until he held this little female in his arms. So sassy and brave and brash most times, but who became so soft and needy after she’d been properly fucked and pleasured. A female that could beat a male’s face in for daring to threaten her but got pale and queasy just from looking at a few drops of her own blood. A precious contradiction. A delight in every aspect.
The source of this newfound feeling of happiness.
And suddenly, all he wanted to do was celebrate it. To announce to the world that he found his female. That she was incredible. That she worked hard, she took care of others, that she was brave and sweet and tender.
And his. All his. And he was never going to give that up.
The final stop in their journey – before they reached the starship repair station – was a pleasure station that was highly trafficked and fairly wealthy. In other words, it was safe. There was no delivery there, but it was a great place to stop by and relax. A chance to get some good leave time off the ship.
The station, Tin-Fallow, was specifically designed as a destination location. You didn't stop by Tin-Fallow passing through to somewhere else. Tin-Fallowwasthe place you wanted to be. It was famous for catering to every kind of hedonistic desire or pleasure. It was a U-shaped station, with six different levels to it. All of which could be reached by docking tunnels all along the outside.
The levels were all stratified based on cost. The lowest level was the cheapest to visit and explore, while the highest level was reserved for the elite and the wealthy. The delights offered on each level changed accordingly. In the center of the ‘U’, out in the vacuum of space, there was always some kind of event ongoing. Sometimes, they held trikball games there – the vacuum of space was where the game originated, so it was like returning it to its roots. Sometimes, there were concerts there. Sometimes, they had holovids that showed 3D masterpieces.
Today, it seemed, the Twilight Troupe was there, performing a large, impressive zero-g play that was advertised all along the walls of the docking tunnel. Alongside those posters, there were more. Smoke bars, brothels, eateries, gaming halls – all of them were advertised in bright lights, cheerful music playing as the crew all came down the tunnel. Everyone except Sway who, as usual, opted to stay behind with Alred and watch the ship, and Goldie, who insisted she was fine staying inside for now.
Goldie very obviously was trying to make sure that Tanin and Garnet had some alone time, unlike when he escorted them both through the last station. Truly, Tanin didn't mind Goldie being with them. He appreciated that his female would always have her twin with her, and he was more than happy to make room for her in his ship and his life. At the same time, he was grateful for her foresight. She saw them off with a promise to explore the station later and made them promise to have fun together.
And maybe Garnet was thinking the same way, because she had packed a bag to take with her. Like she expected to stay out more than one day. She wore it slung over her shoulder, wearing a lovely, sexy, simple red dress that really made the hidden red of her hair shine. She approached him in it, smiling as she played with the end of the skirt. Teasing him before they ever left the ship.
The others were more than happy to enjoy station leave on the third level – which was where they docked. It was right around their price range, though they could go up or down one level if they wanted to save or splurge. Trove went off to find a brothel – his favorite shore leave activity included seeing how many females he could fuck at once. Rok and Vytln were going to find the fighting rings – Rok to watch, Vytln to participate. The twins vanished immediately, going off to do whatever they liked – Tanin didn't know, nor did he care, as long as they followed his rules and weren’t caught. What the males did on leave was their business alone.
As the others all walked away, Garnet slid her hand into Tanin’s, eagerly pointed forward at something that already caught her attention. He didn't resist as she pulled him deeper into the station. He let her curiosity guide them through. Far more interested in the way her skirt danced around her thighs than anything on the station.
This level was right around where the average person was able to enjoy everything freely without straining their finances. There was one section of the station where younglings and families could have a good time. On the far opposite side, there was a section reserved only for adults – that was where the brothels and drug dens were located.
Garnet kept them in the middle where everyone could linger and find something fun to do. The ceiling was decently high, and it was programed to alternatively display a fake, pale purple sky and advertisements for the various attractions, shops, and restaurants around the level. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern, making it easy to traverse, and also making sure that there was always at least one store front facing the road.
And you could buy anything here. Food, clothes, fun, liquors, drugs, smoke, love – if it could be sold, there was a store for it somewhere on Tin-Fallow for any budget.
Garnet found a bubble shop first. Similar to a smoke shop, there were booths around a bubble machine where you could purchase various flavors and effects. The ones she got for them tasted overly sweet, like candy, and sent Garnet into laughing fits. He understood, because he felt a bit giddy after blowing a few of the bubbles himself.
Or maybe that was his heart skipping a beat at the way she laughed and smiled, her cheeks flushed with joy, highlighting the darkness of her speckles.
Riding high on that fun, she took him to a gaming hall where he was able to blatantly show off his skills in a fight simulator. He won her a prize – a little toy stuffed doll that she clutched like it was a precious gem, before throwing her arms around his waist, kissing him happily.
After that, they found a restaurant that served the most disgusting soup he’d ever eaten. Garnet gagged at her first taste. Yet, somehow, even that was fun with her at his side. The restaurant they went to after was a lot better. She followed it up with a clothing store where she bought something but refused to show him what it was. Though she did give him a very sensual sort of smile as she waved the bag around while walking out, aiming for their next destination.
The rest of the day was like that. Wondering around, Tanin following whatever fancy crossed her vision. He’d been to Tin-Fallow before. But it was the lowest level, back when they first started their business and they could barely afford that. But after a long, hard life, he knew that they needed the break more than they needed the credz.
But that trip was nothing like this. It might as well have been a completely different station. A totally different world. Or maybe he was just a different person.
It was as Garnet was in one of the public privies, and he was waiting outside for her to be done, that he spotted them.
Honestly, he wouldn’t have paid attention before, if he hadn’t brought it up to Garnet in the past. He might have forgotten them completely one day. But the promise he made returned like a heavy blow as he looked at the familiar petals of that small, white bloom his mother once kept in a box in their tiny slum apartment in a dark, dank back alley on the ugliest station in the galaxy.
There was a flower shop across the street. Out front, flanking the doors, there were two crates that were full of flowers. An abundance of them in a variety of colors. The little white buds were almost lost in comparison to the other, brighter, bigger flowers. But there was a little bouquet of them right there on the lowest rack, tucked in the corner.
Tanin didn't even realize he had moved to cross the street until he was bending over, picking the small bouquet. It looked like it was intended to give to a child. A red ribbon was wrapped around the buddle, keeping them together. They freshly cut, dusky blue stems were sitting in a glass sphere that was filled with clear preservation gel. Inside that, the flowers would flourish even better than if they were still buried in nutritious soil.
“Are you having a youngling?”
Tanin looked up. The female who must run this store had stepped out and she was smiling at him happily. She was from a reptilian species, though he didn’t know which one off the top of his head. She was smiling at him with a mouth full of fangs, wearing a pretty dress covered in dirt stains that she was wiping her hands on as she approached.
“Those flowers are called sling prints,” she said, pointing to the petals. “Because of the way the petals are laid out, see?”
“Why did you ask if I was having a youngling?” He asked.
