System Overclocked 2 -Ch 28-

Wrench shivered, grunted, then shifted forward on the bed. Reaching out he found Tickaht and drug her back into his chest. Slipping his arm between her upper and lower breasts he hung on tight to her.

She let out a series of soft clicks and pushed back into him. Then she snatched up the blanket at their hips and pulled it up and over them to the shoulders before going still.

Except Wrench was now fully awake.

The blanket that was now covering them had prodded his brain into activity.

That and the feeling of the sleep wear Tickaht had put on to get into bed. He had no idea where she’d gotten it from either.

Both items had combined together to push his mind to a wakeful disposition.

Because they were most certainly not in the tank but were in his pen. They weren’t on the rebel ship anymore.

He barely remembered clambering into the bed with Tickaht, then passing out with her. Neither of them had even mentioned having sex but had simply gone immediately to sleep.

Sex hadn’t even been a consideration.

They’d ate their fill, and honestly then some, after arriving just before dinner. Wrench and Tickaht talked to everyone since he’d been missing again, then went straight to sleep.

Tickaht followed him into his pen without saying anything about it. She’d only paused to change her clothes while Wrench stripped down to just his boxers.

Rolling to one side he glanced to the clock beside his bed.

I slept for… fourteen hours.

Holy crap.

And that was after eating at least four-thousand calories in a single sitting.

That and the Patch crammed me full of vitamins and other things. For a Mender she’s too quiet. It’s almost like she doesn’t exist.

Though she did make Tickaht take a bunch of things, too. I hadn’t realized that Mender’s could actually tender to Grae, but that’s a good thing to know.

I wonder whatever happened to that Mender Greedy mentioned.

We could use them right now given how many Hume Goodie is caring for. Patch is practically going from Hab to Hab to help out.

Sighing, Wrench realized he needed to get up.

He didn’t doubt for a moment that Gadget and Swifty had probably taken care of everything from a Fixer side of things. That they were handling the Hab well.

Except even if he knew that, he still felt weird.

He wasn’t doing his job.

“It’s time to get up?” mumbled Tickaht, her clawed hands pressing to the back of his arm.

“Yeah. Seventh and Stripe were happy to see me last night but they both let me just eat, then pass out,” he said. “I owe them time and I need to make sure they’re alright.”

“Well that’s good to hear. I didn’t push because I knew you needed food and sleep,” said Stripe happily.

Blinking, Wrench sat upright in bed, partially pulling away from Tickaht, and looking to the other side of his pen.

Seventh and Stripe were on a bed of their own.

The Brawler was sleeping quietly, one leg dangling off the edge of the bed. Stripe was sitting up on her side of the bed and watching him.

“Uh,” Wrench said. He hadn’t noticed the bed their earlier, but he hadn’t really been paying attention either.

“We moved it in here after you vanished again,” Stripe said with a casual wave of her hand. “Dusky wasn’t sleeping in here without you and Seventh and I felt better being in here while you were gone.

“So… I’m sorry, I know almost seventy percent of your pen is beds but… I’m not sorry, either.”

Stripe shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.

Only now did he notice that she was sitting in her bed with nothing on but a night gown. It did nothing to hide Stripe’s very impressive bust.

Something he hadn’t actually gotten a really good look at given how often she hid her figure. Right now she looked incredible.

She clearly noticed his awareness of her attire, her cheeks slowly turning red and catching her lower lip between her teeth. Her hands crept upward and drug the edge of the blanket up past her remarkable endowments. Covering herself up.

Though she hadn’t done it swiftly, and her revealing it had clearly been intentional. She was still clearly nervous and bashful, though obviously more open to moving forward now.

“Your breasts are amazing, Stripe,” Tickaht blurted out. “Your chest is very impressive. Very. I’m envious of them. I think Wrench will want to fondle you a lot.

“Please make sure to tell him to fondle me as well if he ends up only fondling you. My breasts are very sensitive, especially my lower pair. I really like when he plays with them so… don’t be greedy. Please, Stripe?”

“I-uhm-ah-nn… yes? Yes. I’ll-yes. I’ll keep that in mind,” sputtered Stripe, sounding shocked, confused, but maybe also a touch pleased.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Are your boobs sensitive?” Tickaht asked.

“I don’t… know? I’ve never-I don’t… I don’t know,” finished Stripe in a subdued and anxious voice.

Tickaht snorted, honked quietly, then slunk out of the bed. Slithering through the sheets and getting out of the bed.

She stood up and stretched, tilting her hips one way and then the other. It gave him a great view of her.

With a grunt, Tickaht relaxed and let her posture sink. Then she smacked her lips.

“I’m going to go get ready. I need to go get everyone together and start training them on Hume,” Tickaht muttered, then huffed. “I’ll brush my teeth and shower before I go. You said you like those things.”

“Don’t… chew the tooth brush. Your teeth are fun but you’ll wreck’em,” warned Wrench as Tickaht scooted between the two beds and began walking to the bathroom.

She let out a snickering laugh and changed her direction. Heading his way instead.

Leaning down she kissed him quite warmly, then leaned down and grazed her serrated teeth along his throat.

Patting his cheek and she sauntered off.

“You know you long for my teeth and what I can do,” Tickaht proclaimed before shutting the door to the bathroom behind her.

“She’s… very… direct and yet indirect,” Stripe declared, her smile was nervous yet amused at the same time. “It’s somewhat hard to get a read on her.”

“It’s because she’s not Hume. Seventh has many similar traits to her, but Tickaht is distinct as well,” Wrench suggested. “So… hi… Stripe… I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Wrench,” murmured Stripe. She looked to Seventh, the bathroom, then got up out of the bed. Her eye-catching figure was visible once again and she was trying to cover it with her forearms.

Getting into Wrench’s bed she quite literally laid down in the spot Tickaht had been in. Then she pulled the covers up to her chin and looked to Wrench who was partially propped up.

“I missed you a great deal. So much so that… that I told Dusky it was okay to let her deal with you be ended,” Stripe whispered quietly. Her left hand had come out and was resting atop his. “I’m sorry… I’m really sorry… I just-I just lost my mind for a moment and told her it’s fine.”

“You did?” Wrench asked with a smile. Laying back down in the bed he turned his hand over and slipped his fingers into Stripe’s. He held to her hand, then slowly moved closer to Stripe.

Stripe began to breathe heavier as he did so. Her hand trembled slightly till her fingers tightened on his.

Nodding her head, he heard her inhale, hold her breath, then let it out in a soft whoosh. She forced a smile and held his gaze.

“I did! I didn’t think… that… I talked to the School Hume. Almost all of them. They were all really happy with how they were being treated in the Hab. All of them were very happy,” Stripe said quickly though quietly. “So I spoke to Dusky… and… well, all of the School that were here to be your woman, that is. It was surprising there were so many of them.

“Dusky, Starlight, Duchess, Sparkle, Jitter, Pistol, and Popsicle. Though the last two aren’t School but-but you get the picture I’m sure.

“Everyone was happy. Even those who were supposed to be yours. They were annoyed that they didn’t get to share a bed with you often but were happy otherwise. No one’s unhappy at all.

“The Brawlers you’ve brought on have all been quite kind and do the tasks the Admini or Fixers assign them. They don’t bother anyone. Everyone’s happy.”

“Okay… about Dusky though?” Wrench tried, grinning. Stripe was obviously flustered and lost in her own thoughts. It didn’t help he imagined that he was slowly inching closer to her every so often. He was close enough that her morning breath was potently washing over his face.

He really didn't’ care at the moment though. He was closer in this moment to Stripe than he’d ever been previously.

“Uhm, uh… that-” Stripe’s gaze had moved from his left eye, to his mouth, then to his right eye. He got the impression she really wanted him to kiss her at this moment. “I told her I’d take her place? That she didn’t need to do anything more. I told it to all of them. That Seventh, myself, and Tickaht would take their places. That they didn’t need to worry about it anymore.”

The last was said in a breathy whisper. Stripe’s face was bright red now and she was breathing much faster. Her hand was practically clenching his own.

“Thank you, Stripe,” murmured Wrench before he leaned in, closed his eyes, and for the first time, kissed Stripe on the mouth.

The Deme let out a quiet almost imperceptible chirp, her full lips meeting his own. It was a very soft and tender kiss. So soft that their lips hung together more similar to fallen leaves stuck on a branch together, than actually being pressed to one another.

If this had been Seventh or Tickaht, he’d have put a hand to their rear and drug them up to himself as he kissed them. With Stripe, it was an entirely different story.

Their lips came unstuck slowly. To the point that he could feel just how soft hers were as it happened.

“I… you’re welcome,” she whispered, staring at him through lidded eyes. Her cheeks had a full and red blush to them and her breath was coming out in quick, soft, huffs. “I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I had to stake my claim. It felt like an opportunity to do so with how long you were gone, too.

“Realistically, you, I, and Seventh are the Head of the Hab. Any of us can order it, and it’ll happen. Mostly because Goodie always talks to us as leaders. And… and… ah…”

Stripe had been rambling along. As if a steady stream of words would keep him from kissing her again. Some type of last defense against what was inevitable.

Except in the end, she gave in. She moved forward herself and kissed him this time. Her free hand coming up to tenderly rest her fingertips against his jaw while kissing him.

The unmistakable soft chirps coming unendingly from Stripe as they kissed only made him think of small adorable creatures. Even as her fingers brushed as light as a breeze against him, her lips determinedly stuck to his.

It was a very long kiss.

Though it was only a kiss.

Wrench was quite happy with that.

That was progress that he couldn’t measure with any tool in his tool-belt.

***

“So, we’re going to talk to all of the Grae, Tickaht will translate, and I’ll be just like the Tongsta,” paraphrased Seventh. She’d woken up when Tickaht had come back out of the shower.

The Brawler had been gently shaken awake by the Grae to ask for help with fashion. She had a similar build to Tickaht comparatively to Stripe.

“Yes,” Tickaht confirmed with a nod of her head. She was walking beside the Brawler. “Then you and I are going to wrestle later. I think other Grae will want to Wrestle, too. Once we can all talk, that is.”

“I did, I did. We’ll wrestle,” Seventh agreed with a laugh, looking at the Grae. The two seemed to find one another to be friendly. “You promised to tell me about everything that happened on the ship start to finish though. At lunch?”

“Yes! Lunch. I feel so much better today. All the… uh… lethargy. All the lethargy I felt is gone. I feel much better in my head. Patch gave me pills to what Wrench gave me I think. She said it was a deficiency and it would help,” Tickaht mused.

“You kinda looked sick, Tickaht,” Seventh admitted, shaking her head. “Really sick. You’re normally pale, but you were kinda turning yellow.”

Wrench couldn’t argue that. She was certainly looking sickly when he’d gotten a look at her under normal Hab lights. Patch had been quite concerned about her.

She’d been there when he needed her and he’d return the same kindness to her if he could.

“I know. But I was where I needed to be,” Tickaht said with a hooting laugh. “You would have done the same.”

“I would’ve… yes,” agreed Seventh.

Exiting the Skybridge stairwell and moving out into the area beyond it.

Tickaht and Seventh came out behind him, though the former ran right up to the edge of the Skybridge. Looking up to the canopy above them.

She wasn’t wearing shoes or gloves and he got the feeling she wanted to swing up into the branches.

“Could you go ask everyone to come out?” Wrench asked, walking up behind Tickaht and putting a hand on her lower back. “It’d likely be better if you went up there and asked them in person.”

Tickaht had turned slightly and stepped into him as soon as his hand came to rest on her. Her shoulder pushing up into his armpit.

Her head tilted forward and her black and red eyes stared into his face.

“Okay. I’ll do that,” she murmured, gazing into his face. Then she grimaced at him, showing off that odd Grae smile.

He grinned at her, then kissed her once.

“Go, I’ll look at you. Long for you,” encouraged Wrench, patting her on the back.

“Yes? Yes. Okay,” Tickaht said, her cheeks rapidly turning a deep dark red. Apparently her mind had fled toward the bedroom in that moment. She bounced in place a moment, only to leap off the edge of the Skybridge.

He watched her as she quickly swung into the trees and vanished into the depths.

“I like her,” Seventh stated, coming to stand beside him. “A lot. She’s a good addition to our group.

“And… look at her? Long for her?”

“Oh… uh… it’s like how I tell you that you’re beautiful Seventh. I think you’re beautiful and you have an incredible mind,” Wrench stated, catching Seventh’s eyes with his own. He smiled at her. Then he reached out and put an arm around Seventh’s hips. “That I genuinely missed you and thought of you often. That if you’re not against it… I want more than just sex. More than just maybe putting Eighth in you.”

Seventh grunted, stared at him, then slowly gave him a smirk.

“You said a lot to her in a few words. I think you told me more,” argued Seventh.

“Maybe I did. You didn’t answer me though.”

With a click of her tongue, Seventh hesitated, her mouth hanging open and her tongue pressing to her front teeth. Then she huffed, shook her head, and shuffled her feet.

All while never looking away from him.

“Pushing me into that place, huh?” she asked.

“I am.”

“Okay. Yeah. Let’s try that. I think I was heading completely into that direction anyways. You going their first makes it easier,” confessed Seventh.

“I mean, you have a bed in my pen, Seventh.”

Her grin grew wider now. She shrugged her shoulders and her cheeks faintly blushed.

“Yeah, okay. So maybe I was going to ask you the same thing and you beat me to it,” Seventh said. It looked like she was going to say something else, but she looked to the trees instead.

Taking hold of Wrench she walked him backward toward the door.

She must’ve noticed Grae arriving.

“—they saw us?” someone asked in a faint whisper.

Or she just heard them. Because while their words were soft and blended in with the sounds of the canopy, apparently the translator made it easy to hear Grae now.

“I don’t know. That one’s a female, right?” asked someone else. “She has breasts. But only one pair. That’s sad. Do you think they cut off her other pair or they’re too small?”

“No. I don’t think she has another pair. Her breasts are quite nice looking. If she had another pair they’d look the same. Hume are strange,” argued the other Grae. “Hey, want to fight after this? Tickaht said it won’t take long.”

Seventh grinned at that and chuckled.

“You know… I think I’ll like the Grae,” she mumbled. Then she cleared her throat. “I’d like to fight, you know? If you want to wrestle later?”

“It heard us. How?” the first hissed.

“What’d it say?” asked the second.

“She said she likes Grae and wants to wrestle later,” Tickaht asserted and dropped down from above and landed on the Skybridge. “Okay everyone. Come on over. First language lessons begins now.

“And… Sccsccc, please come over here. I promise I don’t want to do anything bad.”

Grae began dropping down from above, jumping out of nearby trees, and two even came out from below the Skybridge. Apparently they’d been watching from underneath.

A small and very big breasted Grae slunk out of a tree. She had thin features and had a lot less muscle than Tickaht did, though she wasn’t unattractive to him.

Ah fuck, she’s huge. This’ll be really damn hard not to stare.

Even when my Systems are pegged, that drive for sex is still strong.

The Grae that Wrench assumed was Sccscc watched Tickaht in a strange way and slowly came over. She slowly stood up to her full yet diminutive height to stand beside Tickaht.

Tickaht sighed, looked at Wrench, then the Grae, then back to Wrench.

“This is Sccsccc, Wrench. I harmed her wrongly,” Tickaht explained, then tilted her head to one side and bent her neck in an odd way. “I’m sorry, Sccsccc. I wronged you. I ask you for forgiveness.

“Wrench, please help me make sure Sccsccc is healthy and well so I may make amends.”

“What?” Sccscc asked suspiciously. “You… what? They’re just animals. They don’t understand.”

“Actually I do understand,” Wrench said. He’d thankfully remembered what Tickaht had told him, so he’d picked up a pill from Patch that would work to fix anything wrong with Sccscc from a long term point of view.

By this point, any harm Tickaht had caused, was healed or near permanent. Thankfully Patch was well supplied with anything she’d need from Goodie.

“I understand everything you said, Sccscc. As well as what Tickaht said,” Wrench said, pulling one of Patch’s pills from his pocket. All the while, Tickaht was repeating everything he said, just in her own language. “I understand your request, Tickaht. I’ll take care of Sccsccc and make sure she’s well. Thank you for taking ownership of your wrongdoing.”

“I-you-what? What?” asked Scsccc. “No. You’re an animal. You don’t understand at all.”

“I understand you perfectly Sccsccc,” argued Wrench. The way every Grae here suddenly stood upright, as if on alert, told him that they understood him this time. At the same time, Tickaht was of course actively translating. “Sccsccc, I’d like to take care of you. Tickaht has wronged you. Would you please take this? It’ll fix a great many issues.

“If there’s anything else wrong, I’d really like it if you could come with me to see a Mender. A Mender is a Hume that fixes people. I want to make sure you’re as healthy as I can make you.”

“You’re… you’re like me,” Sccsccc whispered suddenly, staring at him.

“Yes, Sccsccc. I’m just like you,” agreed Wrench. Then he decided to take a risk. A gamble. He wanted them to not just realize he was like them, but understood them. Just a bit. “Now… I admit I’m already involved with Tickaht, I long for her constantly and I’ve looked at her as often as I can, but Sccscc, can I say your breasts are incredible? They’re very large and firm looking.

“I would imagine you would have many males looking at you and longing for you. I find myself hard pressed to not look at you.”

There was an immediate change in the Grae even as Tickaht translated. There was an unhappy smile on her face and her eyes were narrowed.

As if a bell had been rung every Grae’s head snapped toward Wrench and stared at him unerringly. Each of them partially turned toward him as well.

Sccscc’s eyes flew wide open and a grimace flashed onto her face. She tilted her chin up and she watched Wrench.

She made the same tantalizing gesture Tickaht had to get his attention on her chest. Almost as if she hadn’t meant to, in fact.

Wrench did look, though he tried to keep his gaze brief and cursory.

“Why… thank you. Yes. My breasts are great. I’ve been complimented on them often. It’s a pleasure to know even your kind… Hume … think they’re grand.

“And yes, I’ll take your offer,” murmured Sccscc, taking the proffered pill from Wrench. Her clawed fingers had briefly touched against his hand as she did it, which was most likely deliberate given how Tickaht acted previously. Sccscc then popped the pill into her mouth, She swallowed and coughed once.“You may-you can look at and long for me. I… I don’t think I mind it. It’s flattering, in fact.

“Also you said I should see a Mender as well? They will fix my elbow? It doesn’t bend as well as it should. I injured it when I was young.”

“That’s right. A Mender. I’d like for you all to come down to the Hume area and see the Mender. Maybe some extra food, clothes if you want like Tickaht’s. Talk to some others. You’re all welcome down there with us,” pointed out Wrench. “You’re our Hab mates. You’re just like us. We’re just like you.”

Seventh took this as her cue and opened the door and held it open.

“If you don’t mind? It’ll help your understanding everything with more people talking, too,” asked Wrench, then did his best imitation of a Grae smile. Grimacing as severely as he could at the Grae and making his eyes as rounded as possible.

Each and every Grae returned the gesture to him, even Tickaht did.

As the Grae filed into the stairwell one by one, they all grimaced at Wrench while staring into his face.

Seventh followed the last Grae in as Tickaht stepped up to Wrench.

She looked partially frustrated, her nose was wrinkled.

He already knew what the issue was.

Leaning in, he kissed Tickaht and laid a hand to her cheek.

“I long for you, Tickaht. You are more than just a Grae to be looked at, though. I’m not only longing for you because of your body. Thank you for your help and understanding, as well,” he whispered, still cupping her face.

Tickaht laughed, her shoulders trembled, and then she gave him a nod. Her red pupils were pinpricks and bright.

“Yes. I long for you, too. I look for you and at you, Wrench. I know you admire me for more than my looks.

“I just didn’t realize how… tricky and far too smart of a Hume you are.

“I didn’t think you’d turn my fellow Grae into such docile creatures. All suddenly wanting to be looked at by you and complimented.

“I’ll need to be careful letting them around you. Especially Sccsccc. Though I’m glad she’s forgiven me,” purred Tickaht. Then she kissed him in return briefly, turned, and went into the Skybridge.

Perfect.

Job done.

Next is… relaxing for a time. Hanging out with Stripe.

Hopefully she’s calmed down enough we can talk again.