A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 54

"What was that for?" he smiled.

"I just felt like doing that, and I also want you to know that I feel for you and Jerrthi."

They paid for their meal and left, looking for things for Jayne. As soon as they'd made her first purchases, she dumped everything that she'd been wearing into her 'hoppy sack' as she called the knapsack which she carried with her.

She was so pleased to be able to wear some of the things that he'd bought her out of the store. Jayne knew that she wasn't anything to anybody, but really, she felt as though she only wanted to be everything to Bronn, though she doubted that they could be more than friends. She'd felt the earnest compliment from Jerrthi and she was a little proud to have it said about her by such a beautiful creature. But she knew one thing beyond all doubt.

As of right now, she was so done with cute.

When they'd found another store which was open, Bronn found himself alone as Jayne was off getting the food that they'd decided on so that they could stretch what his ship had in supplies. He was amazed, actually. To him, walking into a place like this was a little overwhelming. There were goods of every description, and he knew that he'd likely never find what he wanted without having to ask someone.

Yet Jayne flitted everywhere as though she knew the layout of the store somehow, even though she'd never seen the place before. As he watched, he suddenly noticed that he had three females in front of him. It was a little unnerving, since he wasn't really prepared for it, though he did his best. It was just that his preparations for this had assumed that he'd be moving through throngs of people, not really interacting with them this much. Some of their questions were a little pointed, such as where he was from.

He'd asked very politely why the one who had asked him this wanted to know and she told him that she knew everyone in the area and she knew that they were strangers right off.

Bronn was a little stuck then, but Jayne saved him as she came back, having heard some of the talk and knowing the way that humans tend to listen in on the conversations of others.

"Hi," she said as she walked up with a shopping basket full of the things that they needed to purchase, "I'm Jayne and this is my husband, Bronn."

A different woman smiled, "You're new here aren't you? Peggy was just asking where you live and -- "

"Oh, we're just passing through on our way back from Oakland, "She smiled brightly, "We're on our honeymoon and heading home to Lozenjellis, but it's such a nice town here. I was just thinking that we ought to look into staying here. Not right away or anything, since we both have jobs in the city. But it's so nice here and all that I was kind of having the thought, you know?"

A few more minutes of idle chatter and they were away, headed for the front counter. Bronn was astounded. "How did you do that?" he asked, "I was really stuck there, not wanting to say the truth."

"Well, you'll need to learn a little of the art of small talk," she smiled at him, "for now though, you've got the perfect teacher in m-"

"My wife?" he smiled down and she smirked, "Well that's a nice thought, I think. I'll just keep that one floating in my little head for a while if it's ok with you, honey." She'd purposely dragged out the last word and Bronn had to grin then. And of course, she had to ask why.

He looked away as he answered, "You are not alone in wanting to hold nice thoughts, Jayne."

She was mindful of the fact that Bronn didn't have bottomless pockets and so she only bought things that she knew they needed.

Like a few forks, and a cheap coffeepot, along with a bag of roasted, ground coffee.

Even so, there were a couple of items ...

He looked at her when she placed a hair brush, a small and elegant straight razor on the counter as well as a cheap clay mug and a puck of shaving soap along with a shaving brush and one small mirror. She leaned in close to him and whispered, "I happen to know that most people like what you look like aren't as hairy as the average blonde person. Some don't need to shave at all. Even as you were last night, I could see that you don't have any hair on you other than your head and eyebrows. You don't really have to shave, do you?"

"No," he said, "so what's this fo-"

"Shh," she grinned, "Please allow me this. I promise that we're almost done."

She amazed him again when she began to haggle with the clerk over the prices and she was successful in getting the costs of a few things lowered. But then the clerk caught them off guard in the nest instant.

"I heard you say that you came from Oakland," she said, "You must have left before the massacre."

"Huh?" Jayne asked as she tried to show some ignorance of recent events, "What massacre? Where? We left late yesterday afternoon."

"We've been hearing reports from some people who just left that there was a huge killing in the old stadium there. There have been plenty of them all around here in the bigger places. Huge flocks of large demons show up and then they kill everyone, I've heard."

"We don't know much about them, and we didn't know about last night. We rode all night, so we must have just been behind the folks you were talking with. I guess it's a good thing that we left when we did then. There have been a couple around Lozenjellis, but I've never seen one," Jayne said , with just the proper look of horror on her pretty face.

They walked off down the road and after less than a block, he felt her hand seeking to find his. She hoped that she wouldn't need to explain it to him, but she felt a little pride to be seen with a man like him. As they headed down the hill toward the docks, there was a shout from behind them and as she turned, she saw a large wagon, pulled by two large draft horses. They were galloping in their haste to stay ahead of the wagonload of beer casks on the wagon behind them. The driver was trying manfully to stay with them as they thundered past, though it had been his shout which had warned Bronn and Jayne. Bronn pulled Jayne up off her feet and across in front of him. He sidestepped a little more to keep her out of harm's way and she laughed a little to find herself in his arms again.

"I want you to know that I do enjoy this ," she grinned, "but let's not make a habit out of this all the same. Thank you again, Bronn."

The wagon finally ran out of hill and the driver got it stopped on the flats farther down to everyone's relief, the bar patrons included, and Bronn and Jayne walked off along the sand of the beach until they were out of sight. Unseen by anyone, he shifted and looked down at her from where he towered over her.

"I need to pee again," she said, "How do I do that so that it's not ... you know?"

"It wouldn't be," he smiled a little to put her at ease, "Where I am from, the one who must do that finds a place and moves a little dirt. Then they do what they need to and use the dirt to cover what was done to hide the scent of it from any followers who might be searching for a meal by killing them. The other one of the pair stays a little near and keeps watch so that they are not surprised. But it is not what you are thinking, Jayne."

"Well good," she smiled as she walked off the beach into the grass, trying to find a suitable bush or shrub.

She did find one, and after a moment, he heard her slightly sarcastic comment, "because there's not a lot of feeling comfortable and safe for me right here, you know."

They were gone a moment later, flying off to sea and as they neared the place, his ship rose out of the water a little to meet them and they boarded before it sank below the waves once more.

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They stood side by side with her holding onto his waist as they looked at a feed from one of the satellites. It showed the ruin of the stadium quite clearly, with qualms of thick smoke rising here and there out of it.

"Why would the demons start those fires?" she asked.

"They didn't unless something was knocked over to start one," he said, "I have seen this kind of thing before now. The fires are started by other humans to burn the bodies. They search through and seek for survivors. They burn the dead to prevent the spread of disease."

"But the demons never leave anyone alive," Jayne said, "They even look for survivors themselves just to kill them."

"I know, " he replied sadly, "But those humans there do not know this. I worry for what will happen when they have gone through all of the stadiums."

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Jayne found Bronn as he worked to practice the arts that he was claiming for his use in a lot of amazement. She watched what looked to her to be some form of rather deadly gymnastics as he practised, covered in a film of his sweat. The purpose of it and worse, the need that he do it was terrible to her, but she was a little thankful for the chance to see it.

His body was amazing to her, she decided. She'd never seen any human with the sort of muscles that moved over him under that perfect skin of his. It had quite an effect on her, really. Well it also helped the effect on her that he did it all while naked, she supposed with a little smile.

She watched as he shifted and began to try to expand on what he knew so that it could be applied equally in all three of his shapes. Jayne even knew why it was necessary to him. Well, she supposed that she knew.

The three shapes were all different sizes and she guessed that it must affect his balance or weight distribution or something like that. When she'd first seen him and didn't know anything about him, what he'd done was to rely on his weapons from a short distance. She guessed that now he was working to establish his balance and familiarity in the other shapes so that he could do the same things with the others from close-in.

He hadn't seen her and he didn't even look, but it was almost in answer to her thoughts when she saw him begin yet another round in the form of the larger demon. She watched his sweat pour from him as he drove himself even harder.

Jayne walked away then because she had to. It hit her just how much she did like all three forms of Bronn now. She snorted to herself a little as she walked.

Before now, she'd have been deliriously happy to have a male who possessed only one body like any of the ones that he had to choose from. It brought her to a stop right then.

What - really -- did she have here?

The answer to that was instant. She had made a friend and she looked forward to expanding that as they grew more familiar with each other. Since she didn't really know anyone anymore other than Bronn, she supposed that it might be said in truth that he was her best friend as well as her only one.

She knew how this would go if it had to.

Jayne was a female and these were at best, uncertain times to be a female. She'd been grabbed and assaulted a couple of times herself when Terry hadn't been around to protect her. She thought about it and remembered that almost every single girl that she knew had similar experiences. It just came out of living in cramped conditions such as in an old stadium. Sure, Terry had settled with the asshole who had grabbed her the first time, killing him, but at what cost?

She'd still been roughed up and had her clothing torn and she'd still had to submit and be pumped full of the goo from a walking human asshole. None of that had changed. Terry had come home looking more like the loser in the exchange. She'd even said nothing to him of one attack that she'd lived through. The bastard was huge and he stayed close to a lot of his friends. What would come out of her mentioning it to Terry back then? He'd only have died sooner, that was all.

Her thoughts went to Bronn and she smiled. The simple truth was that in the worst case, she'd do as countless generations of females had always done and make her body available to the one male who would protect her. It was about all that she had, and she wouldn't really mind, not with him. A girl like her could do a lot worse in a male.

But she found a small hope within herself that the two of them might have something more. She knew that she already cared for him a great deal. She just ...

She hated the thought.

She just would have wanted for him to not have to have been taken away from what he'd had with Jerrthi.

As it was, Jayne felt a little as though she was stealing another girl's man. She'd never done that before in her life and never would, she guessed.

But then she smiled a little at what they might have even still. Jayne decided then. It had been her plan to remain cautious and never declare to herself what she knew - that he wasn't hers -- that his heart didn't belong to her.

Well, fuck it, she thought, that boy is the best that a girl like me will ever get. He might always pine for Jerrthi and I'm sorry for that, but I'm the one who's here. I'm the one who will take care of him.

She decided that she'd make an effort to love him at some point anyway. That was what friendship was in a form. That was what she'd make do with.

She sat down then and reached for the glass tablet. In moments she was re-reading what Jerrthi had written for her, only this time, she was slow about it. The message suffered from the occasional error. Jayne had no way to know, but the translational filters weren't absolutely perfect, though it did come to her that when one language was translated to another, then it had to happen that sometimes there might be things lost in that. The heading of the document contained a lot of coding that she knew nothing of, and there were errors in the body of it, though mostly, she could figure out what had been intended by Jerrthi. She read on after a deep breath, still not quite believing what she'd thought that she'd seen earlier in the day.

"My distant friend,

I have been so crushed by what has happened to Bronn and myself. I am sorry for needing to close the path when we saw each other. It grew to be too much for me then. You are very lovely to my eyes. The hardness of what I must face over this continues to hurt me. But now I rejoice a little to know that my male is not alone where he was sent.

I make an assumption here and if I am incorrect, then please forgive me. As I saw it, there could be a possibility that Bronn will not be alone there if you have each other to care for and with a little luck, it might grow into love as well if I have my wish. With this in my mind, I have prepared something so that you might know what a male of our kind is like. He would need to learn of your kind as well, of course, but I have my hope that you meet with success.

I first met Bronn while on a recreative journey period from my work. I went to one of the places which are preserved in an area where our dwindling kind were once plentiful. I took part in a transaction to rent a room there in a traveler section which allows pairs of people to go and live as our kind once did there and the facilities are kept for that purpose.

I did not go there with anyone. I went alone to feel what it was like there. I had decided long ago that I would either find a male of the correct kind for me, or I would remain unpaired. What happened was the finest fortune to us both.

Bronn had made a transaction with the same establishment and for the same chamber. It was an error which surprised us all, even the ones who ran the place.

In one moment, I knew that I'd found the one for me in Bronn. We mated only minutes later and this is something which almost never happens for us, our kind, being cautious in everything as we are.

But it cannot go on quite clearly, since he is there and I am here, and from what I know, he can never come back to me. If you find that you want someone such as him, then I tell you that you cannot make a better choice, Jayne.

You should know that our habits and ways are not like most of the people here and I must assume that they are not like your own to some extent.

Rather than try to explain each one, I send pictures of ones like us as they mate and it is my hope that the meaning is a little clear. I also sent picture of Bronn and myself when we mated in the same place the next cycle, since we always returned to where we first met.

You and I are both females. I wish that you see and understand.

Communications between Bronn and I must be brief, but if there is something -- anything which you need of me, then I want to help you both.

Jerrthi" At that point, Jayne had to set the glass board down on the table as she ran for the washing chamber for the towel to wipe her eyes. She felt even worse now.

But she did watch the videos intently, seeking to see what had been meant.

She saw demons like Bronn as they lived what looked to be simple lives, and in other scenes, she could see that both genders had been something like murderous spies in the ways which they'd been employed far in their past. Other than that aspect, she saw people living and loving the same as humans, pretty much and raising their children.

Her eyes opened wider as she began to watch one which had Bronn and Jerrshi in it. They were talking, mostly, but it was the way that they did it which was a little singular.

Jayne had been correct in her assumptions about Jerrthi's size. She looked to be very close to her own stature in the scenes where they were walking or doing anything where they stood together. Jayne liked seeing that and thought that they made a really nice couple. She saw them eat together and afterward, Bronn sat down in the little cave and Jerrthi came to him to sit on his thigh while they shared some form of drink.

It caused Jayne to smile, wondering if it was the beer that she'd tasted. As she watched, she saw Jerrthi reach for his hand and place it over her mound while they shared a kiss and then she reached for that nice piece of him that she hoped to get better acquainted with herself.

Jayne stared a little as the two of them just continued to talk and kiss, all while petting each other. She wondered how it could be done. Anytime that she'd been like that with somebody such as Chan or Terry, it was only the start and they moved on rather quickly after that part.

But the two Grotto Dwellers just sat there and enjoyed each other so much. Jayne thought about it again and hoped that she could hold off as long as Jerrthi could.

She watched Jerrthi closely, liking her so much and marveling at her beauty. Putting something like this together for somebody else to watch and worse -- knowing that the somebody else might now or soon want to own her male's fine heart must have absolutely killed the girl in this scene.

She watched a little farther on as Jerrthi was on her back before Bronn, still working his shaft languidly and still enjoying the way that his hand and fingers worked her as they talked together.

Jayne seriously doubted if Terry could have done it. He'd always been a little like a firecracker in bed. It took nothing to get is fuse lit and then there was the bang and he was done. What she saw that Bronn was like made her want to run over to where he was right now and ...

Well, it did, she thought to herself.

Then she saw it -- or thought that she did. She stopped the stream and got off the chair to move it a little closer to the screen. When she re-started it from where she'd backed it up, she almost stood up to peer at the display which hung there in the room.

The display moved then and Jayne looked up to see Bronn smiling at her. "You do not have to do anything difficult to make watching easier," he said, "Here. Is this better?"

Jayne nodded, wanting to say something, needing to feel as though she wasn't some kind of pervert, but Bronn just walked to pour himself a drink of water and then he turned to go back to where he'd been.