[b]Pool Party and Pushing the Limits[/b] Spring had finally come, and with it a brief reprieve from daily classes. Since Mrs. Hope worked through most of the night and slept through much of the day, Sarahi’s mother was never quite comfortable with her going to visit Oro’s place much before dinner, so Oro ended up coming to visit them instead. Sometimes Nayeli joined him, which always delighted Sarahi, but the Rabbit’s foster-sister didn’t seem to mind giving them time and space together. It was Wednesday when Mrs. Swordbright dropped the pair off across town at the gate of Diya and Kylan’s home, carrying totes containing towels and bathing suits. The twins had invited them to an afternoon pool party, assuring Sarahi’s mother that [i]their[/i] mother was home and would remain so for the entire visit. Mrs. Runepaw even came to the gate to greet them and invite them in, though she had her ear stuck to a phone for the entire exchange, alternating between smiling at Mrs. Swordbright and the kids and speaking sternly to whoever was on the other end. “Okay,” the older Lioness whispered to them with one hand over the receiver as they got through the front door and into the foyer, “This call is important, so you kids have fun, but keep it down. I’ll be in the study if you need me, of course. Diya and Kylan are already out by the pool, right through there,” she pointed to what looked like a glass wall on the other side of the great-room, which was in turn through the arch formed by a double grand-stairway leading up to the second floor. “No, that is absolutely [i]not[/i] acceptable,” she hissed in a much louder voice, speaking to the phone by her ear again as she marched off down a hall to the right. Oro looked the place over with a suspicious frown. “Did [i]you[/i] know it was a fucking mansion?” Sarahi shook her head, staring around at the impressive decorations and pristine polish of the floor. The twins said their mom stayed busy, so they must have some pretty expensive maid service on hire to keep the place this spotless. A whistle drew their attention back to the great-room. One of the panes of the glass wall had been slid aside, and Diya was waving to them through it. Oro slung the tote over his shoulder and followed Sarahi through the huge house into the back yard, where the twins were waiting beside a full-size pool complete with beach chairs, shade umbrellas, and a separate pool house. “Glad you could make it!” Kylan giggled with a wink. His delight quickly turned to concern as Oro got close enough for a good look at his features, though. “Oh gosh! What happened to your face?” That made Sarahi cringe, and the Rabbit smirk as he jerked his thumb at her. “Don’t underestimate her, and don’t ever piss her off.” “Wow...noted!” Kylan nodded, openly admiring the fresh scars running down the right side of Oro’s face. Sarahi grit her teeth, not exactly proud of that accomplishment, and changed the subject. “Thanks for inviting us. This...uh...is a...side of you I haven’t seen before,” she smiled, trying to be tactful. The twins both spun into a synchronized curtsey, lifting the hems of their matching sundresses just enough to show equally matching single-piece bathing suits underneath. “I did tell you we don’t risk mom’s reputation in public,” the male of the pair reminded her, “This is our house, though, and you’re the only company here today, so we’re not holding back. Here, I like...well, things like this,” he finished with a shrug. Sarahi nodded her understanding. “Well, if that’s what you like, then I’ll confess you look pretty cute in a dress. Heh...maybe I’ll try some boy-clothes sometime,” she winked. “Hey,” Diya tapped Oro’s arm as the Rabbit was glancing around from place to place, “You okay? You look a little...scared,” she admitted with genuine concern. The Rabbit was frowning again, but Sarahi recognized it as his customary expression, so hadn’t been paying it any mind until Diya asked about him. The Rabbit’s lip curled up in a mild sneer. “Your entire fucking house feels imminently breakable. Every instinct I have is screaming with the desire to smash it. I swear, if I find a bat lying around somewhere, you had all better run.” “...Oh,” she blinked, then pointed back toward the house, “Would you rather just go to our room, then? Maybe that will be a little less...tempting.” “No,” Sarahi answered for him, firmly, “I’ve been looking forward to a swim all week, and I am going to enjoy it!” Realizing that came out a little more insistently than she’d intended, she put an apologetic hand over her mouth. “Er, that is unless...you want to do the ‘other thing’ first,” she added more quietly. The twins shook their heads in a perfect mirror to each other, like they practiced this kind of synchronicity. “Nope!” Kylan assured her, “You’re our guests. It’d be rude to ask you to indulge us right off the bat.” “Besides,” Diya added, “I’m going to need energy for swimming, and who knows how much I’ll have left after [i]that[/i]. I’d almost rather be tired before we start.” Sarahi breathed a relieved sigh, and smiled at them gratefully. “You can pull the curtains closed and change in the pool house,” Kylan suggested, seeing Sarahi begin looking around for a place to take her tote, “Or there are a couple of bathrooms around the side, with the showers.” The Sha'khari thanked them again, and availed herself of the pool house to be sure her large body had plenty of space. Diya ran up and caught her hand just before she closed the door. “By the way,” the little female whispered conspiratorially, “We kind of told Mom about your...preferences for comfort. We maaay have also lied just a little, and told her your mom is okay with it, but just inside the house. So if you’d rather go completely bottomless...feel free. I won’t even nag you this time,” she grinned. Seeming to remember something else, Diya quickly added, “And I swear on...well, on the book of blackmail material you already have against me,” she giggled, “That I will [i]not[/i] ogle you. I meant what I said last time, and I won’t do it again.” Sarahi blushed in embarrassment, glancing around to be sure Oro hadn’t been within earshot (he was already around changing in the bathroom), and chewed her lip thoughtfully. Then she leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Diya’s cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered back, then quickly disappeared into the pool house and closed the curtains. A few short minutes later she emerged to find Oro already reclining in the water at the edge of the pool, almost free-floating with eyes closed and hands folded on his tummy, except that his head rested on the ceramic rim to anchor him. He was wearing a simple set of swim-trunks that almost looked as if his hoodie had magically transformed itself to fit a different part of him. The twins were returning from inside the house with a tray of cold snacks and a cooler of drinks for them to enjoy while they played. Oro opened his eyes when a shadow came between him and the warm sun. He found Sarahi leaning over him, smiling smugly as she loomed above his head. “You look cozy,” she remarked, keeping her arms crossed over her tummy and letting him fully indulge the view he had of her breasts, hanging low in their cups just above his eyes. For her long body, a two-piece was almost mandatory. The watermelon-design of her bikini top bobbed teasingly above him, while a similarly patterned sarong was tied loosely around her hindquarters. The long, gauzy fabric did almost nothing to disguise the lack of any other clothing underneath. “You look hot,” he answered, and Sarahi blushed for a moment in flattery before remembering who she was talking to...a little too late to escape being seized by the arms, just below her shoulders. With a strength no one would believe he possessed, Oro hauled her whole body forward in one heave, flipping her over his head and onto her back to splash down in the cold water. “...[i]I will kill you[/i]!” the Sha'khari roared as soon as she got her head above water again...not difficult, given that she could stand taller than the deep end if she reared up on her back legs. Oro just flashed a devilish grin and kicked off for the far side. He was surprised to feel her catch his ankle before he’d quite got a hand on the ledge, though. “Fun fact,” she mused, churning the surface of the water with her front paws as she reared up on her back legs, dragging him inexorably further from the safety of the ledge, “I am a [i]great[/i] swimmer.” She splashed down on him with her full body, driving him all the way to the floor before she let him go, and made him practically climb up her bestial belly before he could come to the surface again. The twins tossed their sundresses over their heads and dove in to his rescue, but Sarahi had already made her point and chalked it up as a win for her. They splashed and laughed and raced and did laps around the pool. Oro hoisted Kylan on his shoulders while Diya stood on Sarahi’s back...and her four legs proved much more stable in this contest. They sipped lemonade and ate sandwiches and politely ignored how clearly the tight swimsuit showed Kylan’s anatomy when it was wet and just as politely looked the other way when Sarahi took a moment to enjoy floating fully on her back...which she did exactly once, after warning them, because she had never had the freedom to do it before. Afterward, she admitted that it felt wonderful and relaxing. “Mmm...not to rush anybody,” Diya remarked from the steps at one point, “But it will be dinner time soon, so we should probably get showered and changed if we want to do anything [i]else[/i] today,” she winked. Sarahi, resting with her upper half on the sun-warmed tile by the poolside and her back half floating languidly in the cool water, chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it’s about that time. I’ve had more than my share of fun. Thank you.” “Any time,” the little female smiled brightly. She and her brother quickly collected a pair of baskets from beside the beach chairs, containing their towels and clothes, while Sarahi and Oro sloshed out of the pool behind them. “We’ll use the shower on the right,” Diya informed them as she and Kylan started around the pool house arm-in-arm, “So you two can use the one on the left.” Sarahi blinked at them as they started to disappear around the corner, still linked like sisters in their childhood. “A...at the same time?” she asked aloud, perhaps a little more skeptically than she meant to. Diya quirked a brow at her. “Of course,” she answered, like it should have been obvious. Realizing a moment later why the Sha'khari was surprised, she giggled with a sheepish grin. “Ah, yeah, we do this all the time, ever since we were little—er. Littler...you know what I mean!” she rolled her eyes at herself, nudging her brother to get moving toward the showers again. Sarahi had not been prepared to learn so much about these siblings as she had today...but here they were, and it seemed to her than an opportunity was calling. Chewing her lip, the Sha'khari almost hesitated too long. “Would it bother you...then...if we...also...?” She turned to give Oro a questioning look, realizing she hadn’t even asked how [i]he[/i] felt about it, and that ought to be the more pressing question. “Of course,” came Diya’s call again, “That’s what I sa—oh, wait, I get it,” she giggled, poking her head out from around the divider between the showers one more time. “Look, it’s just us here, and we’re all neck-deep in each other’s embarrassing secrets already, so stop worrying. You won’t give us weird looks, we won’t give you weird looks, and whatever happens in this house [i]stays[/i] in this house. Fair enough?” Sarahi felt her cheeks burning. “...Yes,” she answered clearly, though she was still looking at Oro. “So...um...do [i]you[/i] want to...?” He was already moving toward the shower, and just gestured for her to follow. “Come on,” he sighed, not sounding half as excited as Sarahi had for some reason hoped, but not sounding especially put out either. More like he was annoyed she kept asking everyone for permission to do everything. “The forgotten gods know I’ve seen your goods often enough,” the Rabbit grumbled as she padded along behind him, passed the little bench where his tote still sat after he’d changed in here earlier, “It’s only fair for you to get a look at mine for a change.” He disappeared behind the curtain that separated the shower stall from the dressing area, and a second later his sopping swim-trunks came flopping out from underneath it, fetching up under the bench. The water hissed as he turned it on. “You coming?” he growled. Sarahi wasn’t sure why she was hesitating, given it had been her suggestion. Probably it was because it was her first time seeing a boy...in that state. To say nothing of being seen like she was about to be. He had already made her point for her, though: somehow, at some point, she had gotten pretty comfortable removing her skirt even with him in the room. On the other hand, she could honestly say she’d never caught him deliberately looking at her...which was a large part of [i]why[/i] she was so comfortable with it. She very much intended to feast her eyes on what was waiting on the other side of that curtain, though... She could hear the twins giggling about something, already mostly through rinsing the chlorine out of their fur, no doubt. Reaching back to untie the string of her top, she let the modicum of fabric join his trunks, put her hands over her belly-button instead of covering herself...and slipped around the edge of the curtain. “Were you afraid I’d be bigger than you after all?” Oro rolled his eyes as she finally joined him, standing near the back of the stall and working the soap up his long ears. He was facing her fully, as if anticipating what she was curious to see...and she was not disappointed, to be honest. “You’ll have to find a nice Bull or Horse if you want something bigger than what you’ve got...and a well-hung one at that.” Her anxiety evaporated in an instant, replaced by annoyance. Drawing the rest of her long body fully into the stall, the first thing she did was slap him. Right across the face. He stopped moving, as if stunned, but didn’t actually look surprised. “Would you [i]please[/i] stop talking about my...[i]mine[/i]?” she hissed softly, “You know I don’t like to think about it.” The Rabbit nodded, though he was frowning at her. “And I told you to get used to it, especially if you’re going to fight.” He turned to the side, stepping into her and shoving her hindquarters aside with his hip, where he could dip his head under the spray to rinse the suds off and out of his ears. “I’m not making fun. I’m just not pretending you don’t have something you do, or do have something you don’t.” “Oh yeah?” she huffed, cupping her hands under her breasts and lifting them slightly, “Then you’ve noticed I have [i]these[/i], too. Why don’t [i]they[/i] ever get any remarks?” He quirked a brow at her, wringing the water from his ears. “What? Who the hell talks smack about melons? Either they’re soft and full like yours, or cute and petite like Diya’s. There’s no such thing as a bad set, so no one makes fun of them.” Her head cocked to the side, like she had just noticed something behind him, though she was still looking directly into his eyes. “...How on earth do you make it seem so easy to break my brain? I don’t even know whether I should be flattered or insulted by what you just said.” “Be whatever you want to be,” he growled, lathering up his hands again, “Personally, I always assume I’m being insulted. Want help?” She blinked at the hands he held out to her, at first thinking he was about to brazenly grope her breasts. After a second, she realized he was offering to soap up her back, where she had trouble reaching...and then she felt a little insulted that he [i]hadn’t[/i] grabbed her breasts. Sarahi put a palm to her forehead and turned her back to him, taking him up on his offer. “You make my head spin so much, I don’t even know what I want anymore.” The Rabbit took a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow exhale as he lathered up her shoulders, back, and her [i]other[/i] shoulders and back. “That...I can’t help you with. I am what I am. I know not everyone else is like that...but I don’t know why not, and I don’t know what to expect from those that aren’t, which pisses me off. So figure it out. Then you’ll know what you want, I’ll know what to expect, and we can both be a little happier for it, at least with each other.” Her heart skipped a beat. He made it sound so easy...or at least simple. And at the same time, he made it sound like something from her dreams. Why, oh why, did she ever get involved with this Rabbit...and how, oh how, had she ever gotten by without him? Sarahi cleared her throat and tried to change the subject to something less...confusing. At least internally. “...You’re not small,” she told him, glancing over her shoulder as if to reaffirm it, “You don’t look it to me, anyway. Sure, maybe not...as big as me,” she sighed, hating mentioning herself, “But you look pretty well hung for a Rabbit. I like the size.” “Gee, thanks,” Oro rolled his eyes, handing her the bottle of soap so she could lather up her own front, “It’s a great topic for male-bonding, comparing carrots. Whose field you looking to plant yours in?” Sarahi gave him a narrow look over her shoulder. “Are you gay, or am I just the one unlucky girl you [i]will[/i] not take a compliment from?” “Oh, I am so attracted to tail-holes that I became one just so I could meet bigger tail-holes,” he growled, rinsing the last of the lather off of his hands. “In fact, if they’re in the mood after I’m done tanning their tails, how about [i]you[/i] fuck Diya and [i]I[/i] fuck Kylan, so we each plow the field we prefer?” Someone cleared their throat on the other side of the curtain, causing Sarahi to jump in surprise and cover herself. “We might not mind being in the middle, but not of a lover’s feud,” Diya remarked calmly, sounding more amused than offended. Oro threw the curtain aside with a glare, to reveal the twins waiting patiently on the bench outside the stall. They both waved sheepishly, wearing matching dresses trimmed in ribbon and lace. “You going to be done soon?” the little female asked, as if to remind them they [i]were[/i] on a little bit of a clock, and time would eventually run out. “Yeah,” huffed Oro, reaching into the tote beside her to fetch his towel. “Ah,” Sarahi called for his attention softly, doing her best to hide her breasts behind her hands, though in light of everything else that had happened up to now, it was probably meaningless if they [i]did[/i] see her nipples. “I...forgot my tote...in the pool house,” she informed him with a blush of embarrassment. Oro glared at her for another minute, hurriedly drying his ears and hair. “For fuck’s sake,” he hissed, not even bothering to wrap the towel around his waist before stomping off to retrieve her things. As soon as he left, Sarahi pulled the curtain around herself for at least a pretense of modesty, and looked askance at the twins. Kylan held up a hand to cut her off before she could say anything, though, and followed it with a gesture imitating drawing a zipper across his mouth. Sarahi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Ten minutes of [i]very[/i] hasty drying and dressing later, the pair of guests were following the siblings up the grand stair and down the hallway to their room. Or rooms, as it turned out they had a small suite to themselves, including a sitting-room, bathroom, bedroom, and walk-in closet. “Wow...spacious,” Sarahi remarked, looking around the sitting-room as they passed through it. The decorations were...maybe a tad outdated. Many of the patterns still had knight and princess themes more suitable for younger children, like they hadn’t bothered to redecorate after middle-school. But the furniture looked comfortable, and the shelves and table and were loaded with books and games and a few, lingering, favorite childhood action figures. The twins hardly gave a thought to this room, though, and proceeded straight on through to the bedroom. The theme here had definitely been updated, lacking nearly any patterns except the contrast between the dominating colors of chocolate and rose. It was...tasteful, if a bit of an unusual choice. It gave Sarahi a subtle sense of decadence...the kind that hides behind silky words and flawless makeup, like a living product commercial. “You two need to figure out how old you are,” Oro said bluntly, “Your rooms are a mental wreck just to walk through.” He spun a little chair out from under the computer desk and planted himself in it without asking. They froze in place, not even turning around from where they’d been heading toward the one and only bed in the room, blanketed in a soft, down comforter in that rose-petal shade. “...Yeah, even we kind of forget sometimes,” Diya admitted with a sigh, “Maybe it’ll be easier when we move out.” Clearing her throat, she and Kylan turned back to the pair with small, sheepish smiles, rocking back and forth on their heels just slightly, again a perfect mirror to each other’s motions. “Will this be okay?” Diya asked. Oro just shrugged, thinking the environment was largely irrelevant to their intent, so long as it was private and had room for them all. Sarahi was still looking about, getting a feel for the location of everything. “It’s very...mature. Only one bed, though? I was expecting bunks or something. Or does one of you have a separate room?” That would make more sense, especially in a house this big...but the pair shook their heads together. “We share pretty much [i]every[/i] thing,” Kylan explained, “Clothes, toys, bed, bath...all by choice, mind,” he quickly tried to reassure them, lest they think ill of his and Diya’s parents. “Mom and Dad would convert one of the guest suites for me in a minute, if I wanted it, but I don’t sleep well alone.” Sarahi blushed at the implication, and realized this may go even deeper than she had dared to imagine. “Fuck if I care,” Oro grumbled, having magically reverted to his usual, heartlessly aggressive self in the time since they left the pool, “’S none of my business anyway. You don’t share a butt, so whose is first and what’s your apology?” With a fresh blush, the twins joined hands, their eyes falling just a little to stare with a strange mix of fear and affection at the hands that were about to...as he put it, ‘tan their tails’. “Mm, this isn’t so much an apology as a confession. It is pretty bad, though, so...well, you know,” Diya blushed, looking less ashamed and more worried about rejection, like a girl about to confess to the guy she liked for the first time. Her brother took her other hand in his, nodding encouragingly to her, and kissed her cheek sweetly. “I love you, Diya, and I’m really lucky to be your brother. I’ll never love anyone as much as my sister.” “I love you, too, Kylan,” she returned the affectionate kiss, “It’s so wrong, but I’ll never love anyone as much as my brother, either.” This time their kiss was not on cheeks, but full lip-lock, and Diya wrapped her arms around her brother’s back to pull him closer, while he gently cupped his hands against her cheeks to feel the warmth of her blush. Sarahi covered her mouth with her hand, and once again was very careful to keep a certain part of herself hidden behind her front legs. She actually kind of regretted not putting her skirt back on. Oro looked just nauseous. “You definitely deserve a beating for making me watch all that,” he grumbled. “...Bed, or chair?” Kylan broke the kiss to ask, but didn’t open his eyes. “Bed,” the Rabbit declared quickly and firmly, and the pair of Felines turned to bend themselves over the edge of the mattress, still holding hands between them. Kylan pushed himself back up as Oro got up from his chair, though. “Oh...[i]one[/i] small apology: I’m sorry I was rough last night, Diya. I got lost in the moment.” “I’m alright,” she patted his hand reassuringly, “I forgive you.” A firm hand on his back pressed Kylan back down onto the mattress. “As the one who actually apologized,” Oro warned him, “You’ll be first.” Kylan nodded, closing his eyes and setting his teeth as Oro flipped the hem of the dress up onto his back and rolled the flower-petal patterned panties down his legs. The little male’s excitement was showing between his legs, and this time Sarahi did not look away, figuring her eyes had been burned with the sight too many times today alone for it to matter anymore. “Just one question before I start this show,” the Rabbit growled, firming his grip on Kylan’s back and giving a glare to Diya that [i]dared[/i] her to try lying to him, “...You two are fucking. Is that right? Not just borrowing underwear and tongue-wrestling.” Even their cringe was a mirror expression of each other. “Um...depends on your definition?” Diya tried to squirm out of the worst of it, but the way he adjusted his stance behind her brother said she shouldn’t try playing semantic games. “We’ve been fooling around for a while now,” Kylan admitted under his grip, “Kissing...heavy petting...masturbating...” Diya hid her face in the mattress, but tucked her chin so he could still hear her clearly, “What he apologized for...last night...my tail...was the first time. [i]Never[/i] dick-in-pussy!” Her brother nodded. “...Twenty,” Oro warned as the first slap rang out on Kylan’s rump. Diya, still on her belly beside him, squeezed her brother’s hand and turned her face back toward him to offer a sympathetic look as he cringed and squirmed with the effort of holding his tush still enough to receive his punishment. It was hard work. Oro was talented at landing blows, even with an open hand. He gave the hand-print patterned cheeks a gentle pat when he was finished...and stepped over to Diya. Sarahi was no longer sure whether it was more polite to look away or to watch as he made the little female a mirror of her brother again, this time with tear-stained cheeks and a quiver in her lower lip. She had spent most of the last time with her eyes closed and head bowed, twitching a little bit herself each time his strong hand found a soft cheek. This time she made herself take in the full view as he patterned both butts. Oro shook the sting from his own hand as the pair continued to lay on the bed after he was done, recovering their breath and composure. Standing between the pair of up-turned tails, Oro rubbed each of their burning bums with a surprisingly light touch, as though concerned he might have gone too far. His fingertips teased the back of Kylan’s sac, which he had been very careful to avoid catching under [i]any[/i] blows, and likewise the cleft of Diya’s lower lips. “Mm...so warm,” Kylan sighed, wagging his tush slowly against Oro’s fingertips. “We heard what you said in the shower, you know,” he reminded the Rabbit in a soft voice, “I’m not going anywhere for a while. If you really want...you’re welcome...” He emphasized it by raising up on his toes, lifting his tush and tail to a slightly better height and angle relative to the Rabbit’s waist. Sarahi felt the blood drain from her face when Oro smirked, and trailed two fingers up between the little male’s cheeks to spread them, sliding a teasing circle around his tight tail-hole. She could practically see the feeling of power going to his head, coaxing him just a little further each second. “Mine, too,” Diya offered, following her brother’s lead, “For you...or Sarahi, either one.” The Sha'khari’s face felt like it was burning, and only got hotter as Oro slid his hand down the back of her butt to slip one digit between those lower lips, riding the part to a spot just above her pearl. Diya groaned with desire, her mouth hanging open with want, and Kylan’s breath was growing short and labored as one of those digits centered itself on his button, preparing to test his tightness. Oro’s smile was that of a cat with the mouse in its bowl, only deciding which end to start with. “You really want someone to put you to bed once and for all, don’t you?” he mused aloud, continuing to fondle their upturned rumps, on the verge of claiming one or the other of them. Sarahi couldn’t find her voice, though she had found her feet, and was stalking up as quietly as possible behind him while the twins nodded and moaned with desire at the (thus far) unfulfilled promise of his fingers. She froze in her tracks when two more simultaneous cracks rang out through the room, and both twins squealed and squirmed on the bed. “Too bad, bitches,” Oro growled through a toothy grin that was a cross of something like amusement and anger. “No one’s getting so much as a nibble of this carrot before I give it to to the girl I want. We’ll see how open she is to sharing after that. Don’t hold your breath.” Sarahi’s heart skipped a beat, and the warmth in her cheeks spread up to her forehead and all the way down her neck to disappear into her shirt. Before she quite knew what she was doing, the Sha'khari was laying her front legs on the bed beside Kylan, resting as low on it as she could with her hind legs standing on the floor. “Oro,” she called softly, “...Me, too.” The whimpering siblings were too exhausted to even give her questioning looks, but Oro’s expression immediately turned dubious. “This isn’t your thing, remember? You couldn’t even stand [i]one[/i].” She nodded, looking at the twins, “Yeah, but...I really have something to apologize for. And I think I could stand to be dominated, just a little...as long as it’s you. Especially since you seem to like it.” “Mmph...I know the...feeling,” Diya panted, mustering up the energy to crawl around her brother’s head to where Sarahi’s paws rested. She patted one of the large feet. “You don’t have to do what we do, though. We like it. It’s...not really a normal thing.” Sarahi chewed her bottom lip, and nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry I can’t take it the same way you do. I’m sorry for constantly doubting you...and even judging you, just a little. I won’t do it again,” she promised, pulling the breathless female close enough to kiss the top of her head. “Last time, I promised I wouldn’t stand by idly and let him do as he liked this time, too. Yet...here I am. So I’m sorry for that, too. My promise now is that I won’t interfere, if this is what you want, or need.” Oro planted a hand on top of her haunches and leaned on it with a long whistle. “That’s a lot of apologies. I guess you [i]do[/i] need one. Three swats this time, no escaping.” Sarahi nodded, breathing heavily. Unlike the twins, there was not even one twisted way in which she looked forward to this, or could expect to enjoy it. She planned to endure it as penance...and a ‘thank you’ to him, though she didn’t say that part aloud. Not yet. He probably wouldn’t understand. Diya leaned against her and hugged her before the first blow fell. Oro was not going easy on her on [i]any[/i] account, and she could tell. The Sha'khari tried not to scream, realizing she would likely be far louder than either of the twins. Diya continued to lean against her supportively, and Kylan took to patting and kissing her paw encouragingly. On the third and final swat, she couldn’t choke it back anymore, and shrieked a brief but loud cry. Another voice answered, making her jump and cutting off the flow of tears that would have relieved her. “Kids, is everything okay in there?” Mrs. Runepaw’s voice asked from the (mercifully closed) door of the sitting-room. Sarahi’s eyes shot wide, all of them caught in variously compromising positions, two of them with their panties literally down. Diya saved them. “Yes, Mom!” she shouted back quickly, “We just dropped a board-game. The pieces are everywhere, and they’re really hard not to step on! Sorry for the noise!” “Oh, it’s okay. My meeting ended minutes ago,” her mother explained, “I just came to tell you dinner is ready. Be careful cleaning up, then come down to the dining room.” Oro’s ears twitched, counting each step she took away from the door until he was sure she was downstairs. “That was close,” the Rabbit grunted, triggering a collective exhale of relief from the other three. Diya patted Sarahi’s back gently, giving a worried look to the still wide-eyed Sha'khari. “You okay?” “...I really need to use your bathroom,” the blushing female confessed in a whisper, prompting a giggle from the smaller girl. “Yeah. This way,” Diya pulled her panties back up over her bright red cheeks, straightened out the skirt of her dress a little, and took Sarahi’s hand to lead her through the closet to the bathroom. They all took turns washing their faces and straightening out their clothes, and Sarahi made extra certain her skirt was across her back and fully fastened before they went down to join Mrs. Runepaw for dinner. Sarahi’s mother would be by to pick them up shortly after that.