Hybridization

Chapter 183 – Usual Antics

“Old habits die hard, as they say. Orc’s like to wander, elves like to read, dragons like to collect, and dwarves like to dig and fortify. Can’t blame us for a genetic predisposition to certain things.” – Benjamin Hammersmith, explaining things to his human wife.

Kurt and Rindi followed Kristi and Val to the main house of the Hammersmith estate. Both couples were still walking hand in hand though Val was being a bit more clingy to Kristi than Rindi was to him.

“So why are we dressing up?” Kurt asked. “I didn’t think this was going to be that type of event.”

Val turned to look over her shoulder, trusting Kristi to keep her on track. “Well, while you and this hot piece of ass were off having some hammock time, I was talking to the other gals.”

Practically hearing the eye roll from Kristi, Kurt made a logical guess. “And they all decided to look nice tonight, so we are now doing it to fit in?”

“Hm? No.” Val looked a little confused. “I told them that I was going to stuff you into a silk shirt and they said ‘bet’.”

“So, we are the only ones wearing actual outfits?”

Kristi shook her head. “No, they all thought it was a good idea and promised to get the rest on board. Apparently, they brought nicer clothes in case they went into town one evening.”

“SO, YOU”RE TO BLAME FOR THIS!” A familiar voice called from behind them.

They stopped and turned to see Na and Alec coming up from the lower-level patio, using the outside stairs. Both of them were dressed up as well, almost more than Kurt’s group.

Na was dressed in a shimmering green top and a pair of black jeans that looked like they were painted on. As usual she had in her facial jewelry but added a few more bangles to her arms and a couple golden hair pins to her jet-black hair.

Alec was wearing a nice pair of tan slacks but managed to still wear his flip-flops as it was pointless to wear shoes since they would take them off inside. The odd part was that Na had convinced him into a dress shirt and vest. The vest matched the slacks while the shirt was a royal blue in color.

“Looking good, bud.” Kurt said as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Shove it.” Alec grumbled then turned to Val. “And I got a bone to pick with you, fox.”

Na rolled her eyes with a sigh and slapped him on the back of the head. “Knock it off. You like the way you look, and I remember several comments about my pants and how you were going to ‘peel me like a banana’.”

Kristi snorted and covered her mouth while Val outright chortled. Kurt saw his friend go a shade redder than normal as he rubbed at the back of his head.

“Yeah, well… once in a while isn’t so bad I guess.” Alec admitted. Na smiled in victory as she walked past him and his eyes tracked her rather pert ass as it sashayed along next to Kristi and Val. “Damn.”

“Damn.” Kurt agreed looking at Val’s own jean clad butt, framed as it was by her swaying tails.

“Damn.” Rindi muttered causing both men to look at her, though she didn’t notice.

“Damn?” Kurt asked, looking up to see her eyes also locked on Kristi’s backside. He then looked back to Val. “Yeah, damn is right.”

They quickly got their own butts moving, having to hustle to catch up to the others. As they walked, they came across a few of the other couples and singles making their way along the sidewalk in the hazy half-light from the cloud covered sky. Already it was dark enough for the lights along the driveway to come on and the wind wasn’t showing any signs of letting up.

As the others joined them, they all chatted about the change in dress code. Most of them seemed rather amused at the idea of dressing up to stay in for the evening. It seemed that the idea might stick around as a regular thing at future gatherings of the Hammersmith clan.

Kurt felt that a pajamas night might be a better choice for a themed dress code but also knew how that could be taken out of context and certain boundaries pushed. He wouldn’t put it past the dwarves to show up on only underwear and saying it was how they slept.

The procession reached the front door of the main house and walked in, storing their shoes in the numerous bins that lined one wall. After that, they made their way into the spacious main room.

The main room of the building, on its upper level, was a massive living room under an open rafter ceiling. It was so large that it actually had two separate fireplaces, one at each end that acted as focal points for the seating in those areas.

To one side was a dining area that had room for eighty people at four long tables. Beyond that was a wall that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Opposite of the dining area was a long hall that had a number of bedrooms, housing many of the current occupants who were there for the weekend.

Along one wall was a large staircase that descended to the lower level that had a walk out onto the back lawn. The group descended that set of stairs to find themselves in the ‘rec room’ as it was called by the family. This portion of the house was divided lengthwise down the middle. Mostly for supporting the structure above but also acting as a divide for the various types of entertainment that were offered.

The lower living room had its bar that Kurt was familiar with and the majority of the casual seating. The fireplaces were replicated on the lower level just as they were above though the brick was painted a bright white on the lower ones.

Opposite the load bearing central wall was a series of smaller areas. One of which had a variety of classic bar room games such as billiards, throwing darts, and shuffleboard. Another had various arcade games that were all modified to run without coins. There was also a separate room for modern games, another room set up like a movie theater and even a virtual golf room.

One of these specialty rooms was a little different than the others as evidenced by the sliding glass door on it. It also had lower air pressure due to the ventilation that ran in it to account for it being the smoker’s lounge.

That room was a favorite of Kurt’s because it was rarely used by anyone other than the older members of the family and of course, Na and her various hookah’s. Yet, he diverted from the stream of people going for the bar as he pulled the girls toward a cluster of furniture against the wall between the fireplaces.

“Let’s grab seats and then I can go get drinks.” Kurt said. “I don’t plan to stand all night.”

“Didn’t I say that already?” Val asked.

Kurt nodded. “Yup, I’m just backing up your brilliant decision and making sure everyone knows about your idea.”

Alec nudged Kurt in the side. “Smooth.” He murmured in a harsh whisper.

They easily found places to set up camp where they could see most of the room yet were still approachable due to the relatively low backs to the couches and plenty of ottomans that acted as mobile seats.

“Alright, who wants what?” Kurt asked the girls, panning his pointing finger over them. “I’ll make the bar run.”

“Old George. Make it a triple.” Val said.

Kristi and Rindi shared a look before the dragoness answered. “Beer for us. That IPA one we had after lunch please.”

“I’ll take a gin and tonic.” Alec said, piling on to the orders

“You’ll get your own.” Kurt retorted and dodged a throw-pillow that had suddenly become worth of its name.

Making his way back across the room, Kurt got in line for the bar. It was not quite like a normal public bar that you would see in any city nor was it like most in-home wet bars. This one was a mix of wet bar and serving lines, with a counter open at both ends.

The idea was that you could walk through, get your glasses, then the ice, followed lastly by the booze, mixers and garnishes. At the very end was a series of refrigerators that held the various canned and bottled drinks behind glass front doors. The counter that separated the wall from the rest of the room was what held the extra things that were often needed like rags, napkins, bottle openers and more.

Kurt shuffled along in the line, chatting with a few of the people he knew and fending off several pointed questions about whether he was the type of person to wear silk. Though those questions often came from the men of the family while the ladies just told him he looked nice.

Everyone he saw was dressed up to some degree, though split between garden party, clubbing and summer bonfire attire. It was interesting to see sundresses and polo shirts mixed in with the proverbial ‘little black dresses’ that some wore.

After retrieving the drinks for everyone, Kurt made his way back to the group. He found that a couple of others had joined his girls on the couches and they were talking about something. He was still too far away to hear what it was over the other groups, but found out as he got closer.

“… kind of work dangerous?” Asked Elisa. She was a human woman married to one of Alec’s brothers. Kurt thought it was his brother Benjamin, but wasn’t quite sure.

Kristi was leaning forward, her tail running along the seam of the couch they were sitting on. “Less so for us than others.” She leaned back and accepted the beer Kurt handed her as she leaned against Val who was on the end of the couch.

“Why is that?” She asked, looking around the group and leaning back so Kurt could slide in and pass out the drinks. He ended up sitting near the middle of the L shaped couch between Kristi and Rindi who had taken the corner and stretched her legs out over the rest of it.

“We heal faster and are generally more resilient.” Kristi answered while popping the tab on her beer. “Some of us are also more powerful magic wise than our pure breed counterparts.”

“Really?” Elisa looked around the group. “Ben was telling me that… well, he had said some very not nice things about Kurt once but has since apologized.” She gave Kurt an apologetic look. “Anyway, he said back then that it was unnatural. Is there something to that?”

Val answered this time as she nearly perched on the low arm of the couch. “No, just a stereotype. Many hybrids have internal and external magic which gives us an advantage over other races and species.”

“Magic? How exactly does that work? I never got a straight answer beyond it’s different for everyone.”

Benjamin arrived as she asked, drinks in hand and giving her a tired sigh. “Elisa, hon, it’s not nice to pry. And I told you, if you want to know about magic, we have the family library and Uncle Dave can tell you all about it.” He looked to Kurt and the girls. “Sorry.”

“No trouble.” Val waved him off and smiled at Elisa. “We were just chatting and she was asking what we do for work. One thing led to another and then you came along.”

“Alright. Just making sure.” Benjamin said.

They continued talking about the lighter side of their jobs. While everyone was curious about the gritty details, Kurt had found not many people had the stomach for it. It was the same thing with any martial career that involved copious amounts of violence.

Conversation moved to talking about Kurt’s enchanting and the girls’ hobbies a little, but the main focus ended up being cultural adjustments. Apparently, many people were amazed at meeting others with no concept of popular holidays.

That naturally led to the other big culture shock, food. The small gathering that had massed around Kurt and the girls had led to them asking Rindi and Kristi about various foods that they may or may not have had yet.

Many of the questions focused on the desert aspect of food and Rindi was delighted to tell them about her first taste of ice cream. In turn she learned about all the other sweet and creamy deserts that went along with the frozen treat or were made with it.

“Wait, you are telling me they make cakes out of it?” Rindi asked, looking at Kurt. She had slowly moved out of the corner of the couch and was now sitting right beside him. Their legs and shoulders now touched as she had pushed him to the side so she could sit more upright. He didn’t miss that if he tried to give her more room, she somehow remained touching him while filling the empty space.

Claudia nodded. “Yeah, they are pretty popular in summer for kid’s birthdays and such.” She said from where she sat cross legged on the ottoman.

“But how do they bake it? Wouldn’t it all melt in the oven?”

Val smiled, flashing her canines. “They don’t bake it sweetie. They just form it into a cake shape and it’s served cold.”

Rindi blushed a little and looked away. “Sorry, it’s just that I am only now learning about ice cream and the different shapes it comes in.”

“OH! I forgot you were an off-worlder.” Benjamin snapped his fingers when he remembered what had started the conversation. He then looked around the group. “Alright, what’s everyone’s favorite ice cream?”

“So far, it’s a milkshake. Chocolate ones are good.” Rindi said as he had been looking at her first.

Val went next. “Until they discontinued it, I always liked the Choco-taco. I tried to lick the ice cream out first and save the shell for last.”

Claudia made a face. “I like them, but I always felt a little dirty doing that…” She pantomimed the eating method Val had clearly needed to use.

“But that’s why I like them.” Val bounced her eyebrows at the dwarf as she leaned forward from her perch on the armrest. “And I am sure Kristi appreciates all the practice I put in with them.”

From beside her, Kristi’s open hand descended toward the back of Val’s head like a meteor that heralded the end times Nostradamus had predicted. “VAlllllUUU-ah!”

Kristi’s hand passed right through Val’s head, and the momentum carried it toward Val’s feet. The illusion had broken to reveal the kitsune was actually leaning back against the low arm of the couch rather than leaning forward on it.

“HAHAHAH! MissEEEEEEEEEE OOffffffUCK!”

Val’s celebratory wiggle dance was cut short when the very hand she dodged grabbed her by the ankles. Kristi then heaved upward, rotating Val backward over the armrest where she flipped upside down and crashed into the ground, flat on her back.

Fuzzy feet still sticking up and tails hanging limply over the armrest, she groaned. “Uuuuahh. Come on babe… that was a good one.”

“You’re lucky I don’t come over there and sit on you so shut you up.” Kristi huffed as she blushed heavily.

Kurt didn’t believe the setup that the dragoness had provided. He almost didn’t believe it as much as the quip that Val fired back without a moment of hesitation… or, apparently, thought.

“You are welcome to sit on my face any time. HHAAAA- ah Shit! No! Ahhahaahaa! STOP!! No EYEEEEEE-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHhhhh-EEEEEEE…”

Krist, still beet red everywhere that wasn’t covered in emerald scales grabbed hold of both of the fuzzy fox feet still sticking up in the air. She then began tickling them mercilessly as she held them in an iron grip. A grip so inescapable that the feet stayed still while the rest of Val thrashed around on the floor begging for forgiveness.

“Aaannnnd you are dating both of them?” Claudia asked, looking at Kurt with a mix of amusement and sympathy. It seemed obvious she was fishing for a reaction.

“Anyway, I really like cookie dough flavor, but my favorite novelty treat is the classic drumstick.” Kurt answered instead, knowing better than saying anything about the girl’s behavior.

*****

After a few hours of drinks, socializing, games and more, the group began making their way back to the rooms. The storm that had been coming earlier had finally struck and the windows were pelted by driving rain and wind. That gave Kurt the opportunity to show them the alternate paths that ran under the ones they took earlier.

“Well, that was fun.” Val said while hanging off of Kristi as they walked back to their room. She was being rather cuddly and affectionate with everyone. That is to say Kurt, Kristi and Rindi while she kept a polite distance from anyone outside the team.

“It was nice to sit and socialize with the ability to get up and wander.” Rindi commented.

She and Kurt were walking behind Kristi and Val through the relatively narrow underground pathway. It was clear that she was using the narrow, domed tunnel to do some snuggling of her own. She was walking in the middle due to her height and Kurt needed to press into her if he didn’t want to scrape the wall on his side.

Kurt wasn’t put out by it and took the unspoken invitation for what it was. He walked with her, arms looping together after they had bumped and brushed against each other several times.

Kristi, also walking in the middle, looked back over her shoulder. “I liked the indoor smoking room.” She said pointedly at Kurt.

“I will look into putting one in. Though probably with some magical filtration.” Kurt answered.

Rindi wrinkled her nose. “I liked the water pipe that Na had but not the cigars you and Kurt let me try.” She recalled her time in the smoker’s lounge. “The cigarettes just smelled bad. Like they burned my nose when the dwarves were too close.”

“Yeah, I don’t like them much either.” Kurt agreed while the girls in front nodded and made similar remarks. “The pipes were nice. Well, they smelled nice.”

“Much better than the stuff they smoke on Talth.” Kristi confirmed and they stepped through a threshold into the large, underground portion of the property.

“Where are we?” Val said, looking around at what looked like an indoor rec park.

Kurt separated from Rindi to walk to the front. “This is the Underhome. Or what passes for one around here.”

The space was indeed a rather large cavern with a tall, domed ceiling that looked more like the interior of a giant hangar than a basement. In the middle, poorly lit by backup lighting, was a large turf field that stretched for nearly three hundred yards if one didn’t count the ten yards of concrete that separated it from the walls on all sides.

Along those walls were several structures which had been built to blend with the curved ceiling, filling the gaps between green space and walls. Between the gaps in the structures there were more doors like the one they had come through, though all the lights to them were off, leaving only the three on their side illuminated.

“This is the square. Kinda the communal part of the Underhome.” Kurt began explaining as they paused to look. “There are other facilities in the other tunnels, but these ones lead to the above ground portions of the estate.”

Kristi looked around, Rindi following her as they walked over to the edge of the turf. “This is quite the undertaking. How long did it take them to make it?”

Kurt shrugged. “No idea but I know they are still working on it. Lots of the family have earth affinity magic that helps and they do a lot of reinforcement of the structure.”

“Must be loaded to have afforded this.” Val mused while wandering over to one of the empty buildings. “They could fit like hundreds of people down here.”

“That’s the idea.” Kurt said. “Come on, lets keep moving.”

He then steered them toward the left most tunnel, in relation to where they came out, that would take them back to their building. The order had changed slightly and now it was Kurt and Kristi up front while Val walked with Rindi in the back.

The second tunnel was much the same as the first. Long, mostly empty save for some pipe, electrical and the occasional vertical vent with a humming fan. It ran straight for a few dozen yards before having a turn to the left which became another turn to the right after only a few yards.

“The little turns there are for security.” Kurt explained. “They can be used to defend against attack but also collapsed if they want to cut off the outside completely.”

He spent the rest of the trip regurgitating what Alec had told him to the best of his ability. For the questions he didn’t know the answer to, he just said to ask one of the dwarves that was more friendly. Eventually they arrived back on the lower level of the Lofts and climbed the stairs to the upper-level balcony.

“Well, good night.” Rindi said as they stopped in front of their doors.

Just like the first night, Kristi stepped up to her. “Night, Rindi.” She gave her a hug. “See you in the morning.” She then turned and walked back into their room, flicking on the light.

Val went next. “Night, sweetie.” She said and gave her a hug around the waist before hopping up and giving a quick peck on the cheek, which she definitely hadn’t done the first night. “Sweet dreams.” She said before following Kristi.

Rindi then turned a nervous smile on Kurt. “Umm…”

Kurt held out his arms in the universal offering for a hug. “Come on. I’ll give you one too.”

When Rindi held her arms out, he stepped forward and gave her a firm hug. She reciprocated the embrace, and Kurt found himself with his face nuzzled into her fuzzy neck as she bent down to do the same.

There was a deep sniff followed by her hot breath on his skin which almost made him lose focus on her scent. It reminded him of rain that was on the way, the slight tang in the air before a storm with a hint of the ozone smell that Val had.

As he relaxed his arms, he felt hers tighten for a brief moment before she too let her hands slip from behind his back. They parted and each of them took a half step back, letting their arms slide over each other until they were holding hands. Her pupils went through their strange dilation routine as she stared at him.

Kurt looked up at Rindi, seeing her smile at him which he returned. “I had fun tonight.” She said.

“I’m really glad that you did. And I am happy that you came with us for the weekend.” He replied, being completely honest and trying to express that in his tone.

Rindi opened her mouth like she wanted to say something but shut it again, making her teeth click together as she glanced away. Kurt could see her jaw working but didn’t want to force the issue, mindful of what Val had told him earlier.

“Hmm. It’s ok, just save that one for later.” He said, not wanting her to think she needed to say something. “Good night, Rindi. See you in the morning.”

He walked away, passing Val in the doorway where she had been waiting for him. If he had turned around, he might have seen the fox flash a wink and a thumbs up at Rindi who blushed as she returned to her own room.