0 comments/ 150937 views/ 16 favorites Home From the Sea By: Tattletale I put my full weight on my mother and felt the convulsions rippling through her beautiful body as my cock pried another orgasm out of her. Next to us on the bed, my father was having just as much success pleasuring my sister Joan. Neither of the women made much noise. Aside from her convulsions, the only outward signs that my mother was cumming were her bared teeth and her rapid breathing. Joan was panting and gasping as my father used his thick poker to stoke her lust. The Kegel spasms in Mom's pussy came in waves as she went over the edge. She let out a long groan and bucked up hard against me. Her legs, which I had pinned back with my arms, strained to uncoil. I knew that if I prevented it, she would cum even harder. My biceps bulged as I struggled to hold her sleek legs in place. The grin disappeared from my father's handsome face as he came down the homestretch. He looked over at me to gauge how far along I was. He and I always competed to see who could last the longest. The challenge was never spoken but was always implied. Sweat broke out on Dad's forehead. His panting became deeper and more rapid. With a bear-like growl, he shot his load into his daughter's pussy. I had beaten him again, but not by much. By the time he went limp on top of Joan, I went over the edge. Mom loves the feel of semen spurting against her skin and I love to watch, so I pulled out at the last minute and sprayed her tits and belly with my sex juice. One spurt was so strong that it struck her cheek, narrowly missing one of her sparkling blue eyes. I inundated her with ten healthy spurts, then rolled aside and lay gasping for air like a fish out of water. Dad was on his side, his head propped up on his arm. The broad grin had returned to his face. "Nice work, Son," he said. "That was a helluva cum-shot." Mom honestly believes that semen nourishes and beautifies the skin, so she began scooping up my load and rubbing it into her face. Even though I am skeptical of the value of cock juice as a skin emollient, I must admit that Mom did have a beautiful complexion, so maybe there is something to it. I helped out by scooping up a thick rope of cum from her belly and rubbing it into her forehead. How did I happen to be in bed having sex with my parents and sister? Perhaps I should have started at the beginning. I'm a deck hand on a fishing boat sailing out of a New England port. It's hard, dangerous work, but the pay is good. When we go to sea, we don't come home until the hold is full of fish. It usually takes four or five days, but on one trip we managed it in only two days. It was the most fruitful trip we had ever had. Each time we pulled our net from the water it was full of fish. With no more space in the hold, we headed home early. If not for that fortunate turn of events, there probably would not be a story to tell. As soon as my chores were done on the boat, I walked the short distance home. I still lived with my parents. I spent so much time at sea that it didn't make sense for me to get a place of my own. I always went into the house through the back door, and as I walked down the driveway toward the back, I passed the window of my parents' bedroom. Something caught my eye, and I paused to look through the crack between the window-blind and the sill. I got the shock of my life when I saw my mother and father having sex with a woman. They were all naked on the bed. My mother was sitting on the woman's face and my father was squatting at the woman's ass with his thick cock planted in her pussy. Both of my parents had broad smiles on their faces. Mom ground her pussy against the woman's face while Dad skewered her pussy. I had seen the same act performed in porno tapes but had never imagined that I would see my conservative parents indulging in the perversion. Dad seemed to be completely in charge. As he pulled his cock free, it bobbed all the way to his belly. I was pleased to see that it was only average in size, whereas mine is a little over eight inches. Although I couldn't make out what they were saying, I got the gist of it from their actions and gestures. Dad told Mom to get on her back, and it was only then that I realized that the extra woman was my sister. The shocks just kept coming. Joan mounted Mom sixty-nine style and began to lap at her pussy like a cat grooming itself. My grinning father stroked his cock and watched for awhile before stuffing his cock back into his daughter from the rear. With each of his thrusts, his clackers slapped against Mom's forehead. I wouldn't have been human if I hadn't pulled my cock out and started masturbating. I was apalled, but also very excited. Dad leaned forward and reached underneath to fondle his daughter's big, beautiful tits. How I envied him! Mom's tongue roamed all over Joan's pussy and made occasional side trips to Dad's cock and balls. Joan's tongue and lips were all over Mom's hairy pussy. Occasionally, Joan would open her mouth very wide and completely cover Mom's pussy. I couldn't see what was happening, but my guess is that she was fucking Mom with her tongue. Although I couldn't be sure, both women seemed to be enjoying multiple orgasms. Dad shouted what sounded like "I'M CUMMING," and then pulled out and ejaculated directly in Mom's face. It was a perfect porno ending. As I watched Dad decorate Mom's face, I shot my load against the siding. I was disappointed when they reached for their clothing. Even though I had just pumped out a hefty load, I was still horny enough for more. I couldn't go into the house then or they might have suspected that I had seen them in action, so I walked the short distance to The Pilot House Bar. As I nursed a beer, I played back the incestuous threesome in my mind. My jacket across my lap concealed the hard-on straining at my pant leg. "Hi, Son, what are you doing here?" I felt the blood draining from my head as my father took the stool next to mine. I had to think fast. "Hi, Dad. We had a great trip, filled up the hold in record time, so we got in early. I thought I'd stop off here to celebrate a little." It was weird sitting next to my father with a hard-on caused by thinking about him fucking my sister. We talked sports over a couple of beers and then went home. That night I laid in bed and masturbated as I thought about what I had seen. I wanted in on the fun, but wasn't sure how to go about it? Mom and Joan were the prettiest women in town. Mom's pretty face was framed by curly brown hair. Her cantaloupe-sized tits were always hanging half out of her dress. Her long, flawless legs had none of the blemishes that afflict many women her age. Joan was a younger version of Mom. The two were so alike that they were frequently mistook for sisters. I shot a load and imagined it was flying into Mom's face, then I drifted off to sleep. I went down to the kitchen the next morning for breakfast and found Joan sitting at the table doing her homework. She was in her second year at a nearby junior college. She was wearing a short, loose-fitting robe that showed off her lovely legs and the tops of her round tits. "I saw you with Mom and Dad last night," I blurted. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wanted them back. I was surprised by her reaction, or, more accurately, her lack of reaction. She dropped her pencil and her jaw and looked at me in disbelief. "I peeped in through the window and saw you." The corners of her mouth began to turn up and she soon had a big smile on her pretty face. "What did you think of our performance?" she asked. "It was the hottest thing that I have ever seen." "I'm surprised. You've always been such a prude." "I'm not a prude. I like sex as much as the next guy." "This isn't just sex, it's incest." "I could handle it." "I guess it was just a matter of time before you found out. We only play our naughty games when you are at sea. You're always gone at least three days, so you caught us by surprise last night. So I guess you'll want in on the fun and games, huh? We talked about inviting you to join our little club but decided that you wouldn't go along with it because you are so up-tight. So you think you could fuck your own sister and mother? I'll talk to Mom and Dad tonight, then." Joan turned back to her work as though nothing had happened. I went down to the boat and made repairs on the nets all day. The mindless work left me free to think about what might be in store for me. I worried that I might not be able to go through with it, or, if I did, that I might not be able to get an erection. My greatest fear was that I might humiliate myself by ejaculating prematurely. Everything seemed perfectly normal that night at the dinner table. Mom talked about her plans for a vacation that summer. Joan talked about hers for attending the State University. Dad didn't say much, and just nodded his head in agreement to everything the women said. After dinner, I went to my room and stretched out on the bed to watch TV. There was a rap on the door and Dad came in wearing a robe. "Get cleaned up and come to our bedroom, Son," he said. I rushed through a hot, soapy shower and took care of my personal hygiene, then I slipped into a robe and went to the master bedroom. I almost backed out a dozen times before I reached their door. I slowly opened it and heard my father say, "Come on in." Mom and Joan were lying naked on the bed with flirtatious smiles on their faces. As I gawked at their beautiful bodies, my cock began to rise. That was a relief. I stood at the foot of the bed and had my best look yet. I took in all of the little details that I had missed while watching their threesome. I had a perfect view of the full bush that covered Mom's pussy and the narrow strip of hair that did little to conceal Joan's cunt. Joan had inherited her mother's perfect breasts. "Which one do you want to fuck first?" Dad asked. I was faced with a dilemma. If I chose one, the other might be offended. Thinking fast, I came up with a solution. "I can't choose, Dad. You choose for me. "Why don't you fuck your mother first? They don't need any foreplay. I took care of that for you. You probably won't have to work too hard to satisfy them." I dropped my robe to reveal my soaring erection. They laughed and applauded when they saw the big fucker bobbing in front of my belly. I crawled onto the bed and half-mounted Mom. Even though I wasn't obligated to perform foreplay, I couldn't resist taking a few quick sucks on her big nipples. She grinned down at me as I nursed on her. "It's been a long time since you had my teat in your mouth," she said. I slid higher and searched for her fuck-hole, but I was so nervous that I couldn't find it. Joan grabbed my cock and lined it up, then said, "PUSH!" I slid most of my cock in with one smooth stroke. Mom's pussy was much tighter than I expected. Dad had done a good job getting her ready. She was almost too slick inside. Mom quickly figured out that I had not had much experience. She placed her soft, cool hands on my ass and tried to teach me how to move. Dad coached me from the sidelines. He was sitting naked next to the bed with his cock in his hand. "Keep her guessing, Son. Vary your strokes so that no two are alike. Speed up and then slow down. Drive deep and then shallow. Come in from the top and then the bottom. Use your cock like a crowbar to pry at the walls." I glanced over and saw Dad masturbating Joan with one hand and himself with the other. He took his hand away from her pussy and moved it up to her beautiful tits. As he went back and forth between her most sensitive erogenous zones, she began to moan softly. I was trying my best to follow my father's advice, and, judging by Mom's pants and gasps, it was working. Dad whispered something to Joan and then she was on top of us grinding her pussy against my ass. I couldn't believe my good fortune! I was sandwiched between the two most beautiful women in town, my mother and my sister. Mom was huffing and puffing in one ear and Joan was panting in the other. All of my senses were overwhelmed. Even my sense of smell was titillated when their two different perfumes mingled to produce a new scent. We ground our bodies together and suddenly we were all cumming. The two lusty women bounced me back and forth between them. As I was shooting my load into Mom, I felt Joan's pussy juices run down the crack of my ass. I glanced at my father and was shocked to see his jism spilling down over his hand. Mom went limp underneath me and Joan rolled to the side. "Come and fuck me, brother. If you put your cock to work right away, maybe we can keep it hard." I worked my twitching cock into my sister's very tight quim. She bucked up against me, impaling herself on my cock. A few thrusts and she was cumming again. I was shocked to see my father eating Mom's freshly-fucked pussy. After five minutes or so, he mounted her and we fucked side-by-side. Our moans and groans grew so loud that I feared the neighbors might hear. Then we were all cumming together. Nothing was said for a long time as we recovered from our orgasms. Then Mom said, "Well, we're really a family now." Home from the Sea I had been gone on a cruise for the Navy, for six very long months and today we were returning home. I was looking forward to my reunion with my wife, Kim, since the day we left, and it would happen today. The ship pulled in, and after all of the usual "Pomp and Circumstance" involved with a Naval ship's return, the crew started leaving. From the rail I could see Kim on the pier, holding a "Welcome Home" sign. She looked great, she was wearing a tight form fitting sweater, that clung to her 38D breasts like a second skin. She also had on a short black leather skirt that would leave nothing to the imagination if the wind would slightly gust. Her outfit was finished off with black lacy nylons and a pair of 4 inch heeled "catch-me-fuck-me pumps. Once I was off the ship and able to meet with her, Kim dropped her sign and jumped into my arms, giving me a deep kiss with her tongue stuffed half way down my throat. After grabbing my gear we headed for our car and home. As soon as we had left the base, Kim had her hand in my pants, pulling my cock loose. "Boy, have I missed this" she said as she knelt in her seat and deep throated my rapidly growing shaft! I glanced over at her, and realized that what I thought were nylons, were actually a pair of crotch-less pantyhose. While she was sucking my cock, her bare ass was in the air, giving every passing car a great view of her ass and bald pussy! But with the attention she was giving my cock, I couldn't care less!! After being away for so long, it didn't take long for me to shoot a huge load of cum into Kim's hungry mouth. She just kept sucking until I was dry, looked up at me, grinned and gulped down the entire load. After that she sat up in the seat, and realized that she had been giving the car next to us quite a show. She just gave the driver a mischievous grin, blew him a kiss and waved as we drove by. Kim then said "I'm so HORNEY I can't wait to get home and give you a good proper welcome home FUCK!" She then raised her skirt so I could see her moist snatch, put two fingers into her mouth to get them good and wet, and proceeded to masturbate right there next to me! It was so hot watching this I could barely stay on the road, Kim had never done that in front of me before. She had those fingers going in and out of her wet pussy so fast, they were a blur. She was moaning and groaning, her face was flushed, and her nipples seemed like they were about to rip through her sweater. Then she started yelling "FUCK, I MISSED YOUR COCK, I WANT YOUR COCK, THIS IS ALL I COULD DO SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE, OH FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!!" Then she started to shake, and she exploded in an orgasm, shooting pussy juices all over the inside of the car. She took the fingers she had be masturbating with, and sucked her juices off of them, then dipped two more fingers into her sopping cunt and offered them to me. Boy, she tasted sweet We were about at our freeway exit when Kim looked at me and said "I NEED YOU TO GET ME HOME RIGHT NOW, AND FUCK ME UNTIL I CAN'T WALK!!!' When we pulled into the driveway of our house, and before the car had even stopped completely, Kim was out of the car, running to the door, and shedding clothes along the way. By the time I caught up with her, the sweater was off and on the lawn, she was running up the walk with her huge tit's bouncing like crazy! We got into the house, and I laid Kim on her back across the dinning room table. I dropped to my knees and dove my face into her still dripping pussy. Kim's legs were flailing around in the air as I stuck my tongue deep into her cunt and jabbed two fingers deep into her ass. She was grabbing my head, trying to pull my head deeper into her. I came up for air, gave her a sloppy, juicy kiss, still working my fingers deep into her ass, she had tears of joy running down her face, she was gorgeous. I went back to work eating that sweet wet pussy, and started taking my clothes off at the same time. About five minutes later, Kim was deep into her second orgasm, and was yelling loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear "OH GOD, I'M CUMMING, I'M COMING AGAIN!! FUCK ME, FUCK ME, FUCK ME NOW!!" I stood, gave her another messy kiss, rolled her over onto her stomach and asked her "Are you ready for a god hard COCK NOW?" she answered, again screaming "FUCK ME NOW, DAMN IT, NOW!!" So I did, I drove my hard cock all the way into Kim's sopping pussy in one hard stab. I pulled all the way out and did it again and again. Kim wasn't talking now, she was just making noises, grunting, groaning and oh'ing. I took the two fingers that had been up her ass, and offered them up to her mouth. She hungrily sucked them like a little cock. Once they were good and wet, I stuck them back up her ass while still slamming my hard cock deep into her cunt. She started to yell "I'M CUMMING AGAIN, OH GOD YES, I'M CUMMING" and she flooded my crotch with her juices. Since she had sucked me dry in the car earlier, I wasn't done yet. So I pulled my fingers out of her ass, and while still pumping her spasming pussy, I leaned down and asked "Kim, How would you like my cock in your ass?" Her response was just what I had been hoping for. She had never been into anal before, but tonight she said "Yes, God yes, Please do my ass!" So I left her right there. I quickly went to the kitchen and returned with some vegetable oil. I spread some on my cock and rubbed some into Kim's ass. Then I slowly started my cock in, just the head at first. Kim groaned a bit, then whimpered "More, give me more" So, I started in deeper and deeper until I was all the way in her ass, and my balls were rubbing her cunt and stopped. No Kim shouted "Fuck me, Fuck my ass now!" So I started thrusting in and out, fully into her ass. I was pounding her so hard, her feet were leaving the ground with each stroke. Next thing I know, I felt one of her hands underneath us, she's fondling my balls and then started to finger her pussy again. By now I'm on the brink of cumming again, and told Kim that "I'm close." I ask "where do you want it?" and she says "I want to taste my pussy, my ass and your cum, I want to swallow it all". So I pull out of her ass, and kept her spread on the table, I quickly came around to her head, and fucked her pretty face, she took my cock all the way down her throat till my balls were on her chin, and I kept pumping her. She had her eyes opened wide and was staring into mine. After about three more pumps into her throat, I pull my cock back so that just the tip was in her mouth, and let go with another, even larger load. This time Kim couldn't catch it all, and some runs down her chin and collects on the table. After she gulped my load down, she sucks the leftover off the table and swallows that as well. I stood there, looking at my beautiful wife, hot and sweaty from wild sex, and asked "if she's ready for some sleep?" She smiles at me and says "Sure, but you'll have to carry me, you certainly did what I asked for, I don't think I can walk!!" Home from the Sea Welcome dear reader, to the newest story in my erotica collection! This story contains the fetish of tentacles, although it's different than most other tentacle erotica I've come across. Most of what I have seen is women being ravished by tentacles attached to some mindless alien or beast, or brutal rape ala Urotsukidoji, and neither of these sub-genres of tentacle hentai appeal too much to me. I've looked far and wide for tentacle hentai that appeals more to my specific tastes, and it has been rather limited, so I thought it would be nice if I wrote my own tentacle erotica, since I am certain that there are others out there who would enjoy this particular flavor of tentacle porn. I like tentacles attached to a sentient being, instead of just a mass of writhing tentacles attached to some unseen source, or some beast/alien/monster just trying to sate its base urges. This story, and more in the future if people really like this one, feature a race I have created, called the Teuthians. My primary inspiration for this race are the Eldritch from Lovecraftian lore, as well as Illithids/Mindflayers from gaming lore. The name I chose came from the scientific term used to classify squids and some of their relatives - the order teuthida (of the class cephalopoda, which includes octopi). The Acuans are humans, although not mere mortals, the Acuan race resemble the peoples of the Mediterranean in coloring - typically olive skin with dark hair. They can breathe underwater, though they cannot handle any more pressure than an ordinary human would, so they cannot go any deeper than a scuba diver could. I really hope you enjoy this story, and if you did, please don't forget to leave reviews/feedback, as an author who takes her craft seriously, I like to know what I am doing right, and what I might improve on or fix. Reviews are my lifeblood. Special thanks goes to Randy. Oh Randy, you make me oh so randy. o0o The afternoon sun shone brilliantly, its light infusing the sea with brilliant shades of emerald, aquamarine, and teal, the breeze carrying in the scent of the water that was long familiar to the residents of Acua. It was early spring, so there was still a slight chill to the air, but that did not prevent most Acuan citizens from being out and about in the city, and the trading center was no exception, especially on a trade day with the Teuthians. Nesaen did a cursory look over the load of supplies the Teuthians had brought to trade, taking note of the more valuable items. Whether it was because of their magic, or their unique biology - Neisae suspected it was a combination of the two - the Teuthians were able to plumb the deepest abysses and trenches of the ocean, being able to survive pressures that would crush even the hardiest of Acuans. As she'd done so many times in the past, she inspected the merchandise, quickly marking down the quantity of each item on her stylus. One delicacy in Acua was black seaweed, which only the Teuthians could harvest. Rarer still was a seaweed that had a phosphorescent glow in the dark, and was best consumed fresh. Said seaweed sat in jars of seawater to maintain their freshness, and was one of the most valued items among Acuan chefs due to its unique flavor, and of course, the fact that it glowed. She counted the jars, bags, and crates of various items that the Teuthians had brought for trade, checking the contents of each, something that she knew her Teuthian counterpart was doing to the items that Acuan merchants had brought for trade. "Everything is as we have agreed upon," she finally pronounced as she turned back to the several Teuthians that stood near her, observing her calmly. Many people found the Teuthians unnerving, due to their height and appearance. The average Teuthid stood one to two heads taller than an Acuan, with a frame that was generally a bit more lanky in comparison. With their height and tentacles, it wasn't hard to see why one might be unnerved by them, especially coupled with their usually calm and scientific demeanor that made people feel like they were being studied. "Do we not always meet our agreements satisfactorily?" the leader of the trio asked. Due to the fact that their mouths were structured differently - tentacles in place of lips - their speech took on an accent that affected the way they said certain letters that primarily depended on lips, like 'b' and 'f'. Nonetheless, Neisae understood them with ease, having worked as a trading liasion for over a decade now, long used to their speech. She was also used to their blunt manner of speech. Teuthians were generally seen as dour and humorless, with what seemed to be an almost non-existent grasp on puns or sarcasm, among other things. "Yes, yes we do," Nesaen said quickly. "I'm just making a truthful statement." The tall, green-hued Teuthid stared at her for a moment with eyes as black as a moonless night before he nodded. The hem of his robes fluttered a bit in the breeze. His companions were attired similarly, all wearing robes of dark colors that covered all but for their heads and long-fingered hands. A fourth Teuthid, the one who had been inspecting the Acuan goods, rejoined his brethren, giving the leader a nod. Certain fruits and vegetables could only be grown in the sunlit realms, so they were desirable to the darkness-loving Teuthians. There were herbs and spices, along with plain bolts of silk, linen, and cotton. "We find satisfaction in our own arrangement, as well," the fourth Teuthid stated as he looked at Neisae. She nodded, long used to this routine, having worked here for over a decade. "Is there anything you require? Are you in need of refreshments?" she inquired. It was not normally something she would offer to traders, but Nyarlathothep was a regular, and it was best to keep the Teuthids happy. The green-hued Teuthid stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "We will accept whatever refreshments you wish to offer." There were several tables in the center that merchants could use to display their wares, or count money. The table closest to her was set with an array of wines along with fruits, vegetables, and some breads. She'd made sure there was no milk or cheese, for she noticed that the Teuthians didn't eat them, much less traded for them. Whether for personal taste, or their bodies being unable to process such food items, she was not sure. Though she didn't stare, she was well aware of how the Teuthians ate. They used their tentacles just as much, if not more, than their hands, the appendages deftly picking up pieces of produce before sliding them into the portal that lay between all these tentacles. Larger pieces of food would be broken up with their hands before a tentacle completed the task of feeding. Usually, when an Acuan saw this, they would feel revulsion, or at least discomfort, at the strangeness of this mode of eating compared to their own, but Neisae wasn't the least bit bothered by it. She might even call it fascinating. Out of ten tentacles that each Teuthid had, eight were shorter, a little longer than the distance from their mouths to their elbows. The last two were twice as long, and from what she had seen, was used to reach for and handle items, while the shorter ones seemed to be mainly foe eating. Once she was sure that her trading partners were satisfied, she turned back to the items that they had procured, taking a piece of chalk out of the pocket of her smock and making marks on the boxes and jars, designating who, and where they would be going to. Generally, merchants preferred to do their own training, whether with other Acuans, or humans, but the Teuthians unnerved many, and their speech could be difficult to understand, so she was happy to serve as liaison. o0o Ralthid stood at the table with his companions, partaking of the fruit and enjoying its sweet flavor. Clad in a dark stone-gray robe and black pants, he had felt the warmth of the sun absorbed through the dark-hued fabric as he'd waited for the inspection of goods to be complete, and was happy to go into the shade to partake of the refreshments. Unlike the Acuans, the Teuthians felt more comfortable in cool places, shying away from fire and sunlight, though neither were particularly harmful to the race. As he took several pieces of vegetables from the bowl of salad in front of him, he eyed the Acuan he'd shared a long acquaintance with. Neisae was clad in a loose blue dress under her beige-colored smock, the linen hugging her curves when the breeze blew against her. Her thick, curly black hair was tied back and off her neck with a sash of a matching blue, highlighting the curve of her neck. The sunlight brought out a healthy glow to her olive skin, and Ralthid let his gaze follow her as she went about her business. He'd met her almost a decade ago, when he started coming with Nyarlathothep on these trades. Unlike so many Acuans, she seemed to have an easy understanding of the way his race spoke, and he'd also noted that she showed no shyness around them, although of course her manner was respectful. Several younger Teuthians were already loading the fruit and fabric onto the carts they used to transport the goods back to R'lyeh. Once their carts had been loaded, the young Teuthians were then permitted to partake in the refreshments, and Ralthid stepped back, having sated himself. He hesitated for a moment before he approached Neisae, easily dwarfing her with his height even though Neisae wasn't a short woman. "Good day, Neisae," Ralthid started. Although he had a better grasp on the nuances of Acuan language than most of his peers, he still had a bit of a hard time with small talk, for the Teuthians saw no value in idle talk, preferring to talk to share matters of import. He spoke in a low voice, to ensure privacy from both his kin and the assistants that were at the moment loading up the goods the Teuthians had brought into their own carts, divvying them up as the trader instructed. She turned back to him with a small smile, and he was gratified to see this expression of friendliness. "Good day to you too, Ralthid. How are you?" she asked. The gray-purple Teuthid wondered why he should feel so awkward, as this wasn't the first time he'd personally spoken with her. "I am doing well," he responded evenly, his hands folded in front of him. "I trust you are well, also?" "I am. It's a lovely day, isn't it?" She glanced away for a moment, giving a command to one of the workers before she turned back to him. "I hope you enjoyed what I had put out for you." "Indeed, we did. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome." "Ralthid!" He heard Nyarlathothep's voice from behind him. "Our provisions have been secured. It is time for us to leave." Ralthid wanted to stay longer, but there was no reason he could give that seemed logical. The notion of 'socialization' was almost lost on the Teuthians, who preferred to use whatever interactions they had with others to accomplish practical goals. He looked back to Neisae, regarding her with a slight bow of his head. "I will see you on our next trading sojourn," Ralthid said, looking forward to that occasion. "Yes, you will. Enjoy your provisions." "We always do," he shot back, and saw a flicker of a smile on her face before he turned away. o0o Neisae knew that others would think her weird for it, but she enjoyed trading with the Teuthians, and looked forward to the trading days. Usually, the center was populated by humans that sailed from various cities along the coast to trade with the Acuans for such rare items such as deep-sea pearls or even salvage from sunken ships, which only Acuans could harvest due to their ability to breathe underwater, or potions and unguents wrought by the skilled healers and magicians of the island city-nation. Humans were superstitious and fearful creatures - not that Acuans were never susceptible to such foibles - and for most humans, a Teuthian was simply too much for them to handle. Therefore, the Acuans traded with both races separately, and even though the Acuans were more accepting of a race that had a radically different appearance than them, many were still ignorant and fearful. It was even said among humans, at least the few that had any knowledge of the Teuthids, that to gaze upon one would cause one to become insane. Such as Nikos. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the young man approach her, looking relieved that the Teuthians were gone. The tall, curly-haired man stood at her side, a faint scowl on his face. "We give them a fair trade, why do you offer more than that?" he demanded. She slowly turned to him, crossing her arms. "Isn't hospitality one of our tenets?" Neisae shot back. "They're traders, not guests," Nikos replied almost petulantly. "They give us stuff we can't produce or get, and we do the same for them. Nothing more, nothing less. That's how it's always been." "Are we suffering from such mean provisions that we can not offer a bit of our bounty to them? It's not as if anyone in Acua is going hungry for it." "It sounds like you're trying to... be friends with them." The very thought seemed to repulse Nikos, and Neisae had to make a conscious effort to not roll her eyes. Most of the people who worked here were at least polite and indifferent about the Teuthians, keeping silent about any criticisms or distaste they might harbor for the alien-looking race. She could understand being discomfited by their physical appearance, at least in the beginning, but as far as she could remember, there had been no conflict between the Acuans and the Teuthians. "Would you rather their race be friends with ours, or enemies?" Neisae shot back coolly. Not much was known about the Teuthians, only that they were secretive, and harbored immense power. It was even said that if they so desired, they could rule the world, only they were either too intelligent or too disinterested to do so. The fact that no one had ever seen a female Teuthid only added to that mystery, with some saying that either the females were too repulsive to expose them to other races, or that the Teuthids were jealous guardians of their women. "Besides, you could learn to not be so cheap," Neisae added, biting back a smirk as Nikos glared at her. He was the son of one of the older merchants, and he and his father typically traded with the humans that came for trading. He was known to argue with human traders, going beyond mere haggling, and Neisae was sometimes called in to soothe ruffled feathers. Fortunately, Nikos's distaste for the Teuthians, and his frustration at understanding their accent, meant that he never tried to deal with them, and Neisae had the feeling that Nyarlathothep and his ilk would react much more poorly than an irate human merchant. "It's not about being cheap, it's about... boundaries. What do we know about them? Next to nothing! We don't want them getting too close to us!" "Perhaps you don't want them getting too close to me," Neisae shot back, not biting back her grin this time. Nikos considered himself a ladies' man, but in all the time they'd been acquainted with one another, she had never felt the least bit inclined to respond to his good looks or what he considered his charms. "That's not... funny," Nikos sputtered. "Well, I think it is. I have work to do, and I am sure you do. Aren't we expecting a shipment of gold tomorrow? I hope you have the pearls ready for that, I would hate to have to step in again." Nikos glared at her for a moment, his lips twisting as he tried to decide whether he should say something, but he spun around on his ankle and stalked off. He was probably thinking about how women should be 'kept in their place' or some such nonsense. At least the Teuthians seemed to show no preference or distinction to the genders of the Acuans they traded with. o0o Ralthid gingerly picked up the shell, examining it as he gently turned it around and over within his long fingers. He hoped that Neisae would like it. It was a shell he'd found many years ago during one of his explorations, and kept it even though he'd had no practical use for it, because he'd found the shape and color of the shell striking. Perhais Neisae would, as well. Twuthids were not in the habit of giving out gifts to one another, much less Acuans or anyone else, but he understood from his studies and observations that giving a gift was a way of showing one's esteem for another, especially if careful consideration went into the item. Ralthid enjoyed going on the trading excursions for a variety of reasons - change in setting, the chance to observe others, and gain more knowledge and experience. And of course, there was Neisae. He hadn't been aware of it at first, of course, because generally, Teuthians did not discuss emotions - they felt that something not based in fact and logic was not an overly relevant topic for study, or personal expression - but Ralthid had come to the inevitable conclusion that he was attracted to the Acuan. He looked down at the hell again, running his fingers along the smooth spines of it. o0o Well, boys and girls, I hope you enjoy the start of this new project. As always, feedback is more than welcome, and always much appreciated.