James's Descent Ch. 06

No need for her to say anything. Just smile. Yeah, she saw the reason for that. Let her get it out of her system... have some fun, but be gentle on her. But Pam also noticed that little gap in the word of the outsider.

"What do you think about people being with more than one person?"

"I think it doesn't work. Maybe if they are made for the stuff and it goes in all directions... I mean, if we'd have this, it's not gonna be me just treating both as lovers, I'd want you two to have a similar love. Otherwise, it feels like a competition or something. But, most of the time... I think it doesn't work. Someone's gonna be second place, someone's gonna be forgotten or they're using the system to abuse it. Like how women in my world essentially get one guy to support them while they fuck around, but need that one to not have to work. I mean, they don't really love them... they don't really love anyone, just want the attention, validation, and sensations. And neither do those men who get harems. Just curbing the competition. Only I can fuck that one, and that one, and also that one."

Pam thought those ideas were an abuse of the system indeed. But the man was thinking about loving them and giving them the same... and knew he couldn't. She thought that might be one of his most noble qualities. He didn't lie to himself.

"You thought about that a lot."

"Well, I thought about that on the walk from the genetics lab over here. Yes, all that."

"Fi does the same. Seems like you two think more in a minute than others do in hours."

"She can keep up with me. I like that. But that doesn't mean I'm considering an upgrade. There's no upgrade. We've had things that you just don't replace. I do love her... as a dad, maybe I could love her the other way if you suddenly died of cancer or something. Which you won't. But, this heart seats one."

"The dick has room for more." She teased him. "You didn't tell her."

"No, and maybe that would be one thing why we would not be as close. And others. I'll tell them all when I get here. Heck, maybe they'll find out from it."

"I keep feeling like it's gonna be tomorrow." Deep inhale. "Got a lot to wait."

"For me, it might be tomorrow unless I spend a lot of time with you here. And I'm gonna come over for a more extended stay again. But no more fucking with time for this one."

"Good."

"Oh, and..."

The man paid attention earlier. Where was that button? Ah. He reached towards her to find that discrete bump in the armor to press, the chest plate flipping forward to reveal her bust, even if it was covered by the uniform. James came closer to engage in a kiss with plenty of breast-squishing. The fire was still there... she'd let him do this eagerly. Maybe there was a bit of insecurity in pursuing this experiment... but she had faith in him and herself to pull through.

Just that... a kiss. They needed nothing more. It felt like sex was removed from it, secondary... something you just do, but might gain an extra angle with someone you love. He'd let her finish her work and... if she wanted to... come over to see his other experiment. Since the great hall was used more often, he'd go to the throne room. They had a piano there as well.

Pam still felt she got the perfect guy.

*

Oftentimes, Anna wondered what was about these thrones that gave that focus. What other nobles she spoke with claimed that it was an internal reflection on their own greatness to give the confidence to request those effects upon the world, as if regaining authority over it that they rightfully had and needed a short moment to remember it. Others claimed it was a connection to their emperor, the strongest psycaster there was... offering that power to those who serve him well. She felt none of those... at times thinking she was just masquerading as a noble. The woman had a great measure of self-questioning which she felt absent in many nobles.

She had spent some time on the throne meditating on the outsider and the world. This room, required by others to grant a new status, was unquestionably the most aesthetic of them all. Her throne was massive, fit for a stellarch, with steps appearing so she could sit higher than the height of people. Gold and jade combined to make this piece of furniture the most luxurious one they could have... one that seemed to boost that focus. The room was eleven by eleven, with the throne on the west side and facing east, six runed pillars and a couple of cloth drapes filling the rest of the wall, a couple of braziers beside the throne, that grand piano in the south-east corner and a few small tables were around, these ones ornamented with gold. This was the fanciest room they had by far.

Anna found it excessive. An indulgence. A lot of self-control was needed to not give in to what all of this suggested... an entitlement to this. She worked side by side with the others and discarded the notions of nobles. It seemed that their only noble aspect was taking from others or having others who did that dying to leave it all to them. She was not like them... and maybe that was one thing that should go away. Though it was a difficult question of how to be rid of inheritance... everyone leaves something behind, people affect the world and those consequences are what you leave behind. She'd think long and hard on it, but if she knew one thing to make her children better... the ones she saw now joining the workforce as full adults, strapping rifles at their backs and ready to face the world... is that they were not entitled. Those three were ready to take it all on.

The door to the throne room opened and she turned to see who it was. A mild surprise came over her to see James walking in... when she did not call him. Ah. Pam was being herself again.

"I see you've found how to bring yourself over without my help."

"Yes, just needed to sacrifice a child for it. And you didn't even notice them gone."

Both of them were joking and it was obvious. She'd descend the steps to offer the man a hug, one he took eagerly, even if it had been only a few hours for him. He needed to make up for a lot of missing hugs. Just a few minutes of relaxing before she'd see where her boy had been. Okay, she knew, but it was worth asking. So many just wanted to hear the question... and answer it.

"Doing your best out there?"

"As good as I can. And I could tell you guys that. You three are starting to shine. Well, had to after three years in this place."

"I barely even care anymore when I turn the raiders into parts. They just keep coming, do they? Any reason why we are insulting the Indians?" Those were the medieval kingdom that would be permanently hostile. James cracked a smile.

"They send the most people AND have equipment we can melt down. Lots of bodies means lots of organs. Nathan's been decimating them with that Bulletstorm. I expect we're going to see something stronger now that I made him a warlord."

The Bulletstorm was an ultra-tech weapon that fabricated its own ammunition in the device, with complicated systems inside to automatically gather those materials. It was also a weapon with an utterly insane rate of fire and quick target acquisition that could turn a person into a mobile defense turret. Technically, it did not have a burst fired every few seconds, rather it fired one bullet with a very small pause between the shots. A distinction for the game of what was a full-auto weapon. Its only weakness... compared to the rifles they were using... was its range. Nathan would either have to leave the bunker and get up close to hit anything or wait for them to come closer, but by that point, they might be decimated by traps. The one warlord power that James absolutely wanted him to have was the eagle eye one, which would give him... for a very short time... the ability to fire at double the range and with perfect accuracy. Combine that with the adrenaline rush power that doubled the damage, the one that reduced firing cooldowns by 80% and he could put fighter planes to shame.

"I see. We've been selling so many organs that the price has started to fall."

"Yeah, you weren't supposed to be able to harvest them from dead ones, but... I like this option. BUT, I am here because I want to try something. I'm expecting Pam to come around, but you can listen in."

"Another test of your powers?"

"Possibly. And a whim. I thought that the game doesn't have musical skill so I should be able to play these songs that I know. Still annoyed I can't take my phone with me here... but not like I'd have internet over here. My provider is not THAT good."

It was not like they didn't know what music was. They had heard plenty over the radio... some good, some terrible, some they might find fitting. Indeed, there was no songwriting in here, no stage or place to record them. It was a place of survival. The piano in her throne room was more decoration and the one in the great hall was considered a toy, where they'd try their hand at it from time to time and manage something half-decent. But James was about to change that.

He sat on the chair before this beautiful instrument, considering how he had never even touched one... let alone learned how to play one. The only idea of music were classes he took long ago, and those were... at best... just to make him not tone deaf. The first test was to play the thing with some songs in mind, getting the melody right. As soon as he started the desire, his hands knew where to go, a smooth, jazzy tune coming out of the instrument. Now, that WAS music, but it kind of went nowhere. It was just a tune to relax to.

"Hm. Seems to work. Any requests or shall I go with my recommendations?"

Pam arrived in the middle of the woman's sentence to see them like this.

"Something to fit you? Maybe a song to give us so we know to say it is for the outsider?"

"I have like a dozen songs... though, arguably most just fit partially. I could say that if you think hard enough, every song could fit anywhere... or at least good ones."

Anna had seated herself at the table on the south side. The outside was just three meters to her right. Her girl came to sit right beside her. Now, that she'd like to hear.

"Ooh, what about something that could talk about that world? And you trying to fuck off from it. You know, we never put that part of you in those gatherings."

"If you do, might want to stop saying so much about me. Only so long until people make the connection. And our colonists ain't stupid."

"Then we shall tell them when the time comes for you to arrive. But... I think that would be fitting. Do you know of one?"

He did. The man turned and silently asked for them to give the room. If he thought anything, it was that everyone should be able to share a song this way. Not playing it on a phone, but performing it... putting a bit of themselves in it. Songwriters and the first performers deserve their praise, but songs were something that humanity had almost as a core feature.

The man started hammering at the keys... a sad song beginning to play, one that seemed to hold back the oncoming intensity. First a build-up, then the release. It sounded good even with only this instrument. They needed more instruments... drums, guitars, and so on.

"Who's there knocking at my window?

The owl and the dead boy

This night whispers my name

All the dying children

Virgin snow beneath my feet

Painting the world in white

I tread the way

To lose myself into a tale

Come hell or high water

My search will go on

Clayborn Voyage without an end"

It would change with time... to suit him better. Just a bit. The virgin soil before him, creating the world anew. A mother and girlfriend guiding him back. And the world abandoned for a tale. The woman paused to listen, taken by the emotion they heard... it hurt. It was a reminder... what they were working for. Why this man deserved a bit more praise.

"A nightingale in a golden cage

That's me locked inside reality's maze

Come someone make my heavy heart light

Come undone

Bring me back to life

A nightingale in a golden cage

That's me locked inside reality's maze

Come someone make my heavy heart light

It all starts with a lullaby"

It was like they were back at the time when he taught the children. Frozen in place. Taken by him. Captivated. YES, that should be a song to sing of the outsider.

"Journey homeward bound

The sound of a dolphin calling

Tearing off the mask of man

The Tower my sole guide"

It told them who he was... not the grand force that others postulated to be, the greatest god that ever was, he who is never wrong, and so on. No... the outsider was...

"This is who I am

Escapist

Paradise seeker

Farewell, time to fly

Out of sight

Out of time

Away from all lies"

And then those points were repeated... yes, this was his song. This was a moment where they could no longer see all those human parts, they could see why he was the outsider. Something inside them hardened, ready to fight for him. He never asked, and that was just another reason.

"A nightingale in a golden cage

That's me locked inside reality's maze"

Pam had his measure right from the first moment. This was just a reminder. As the song stopped, James felt pretty proud of himself. That was a good performance, by his ear. His voice was destroyed by smoking and never particularly pleasant-sounding, but he could swear he heard it sound fit for the national arena. No applause. He turned to see those women just staring. It was only a tad intimidating.

"Okay, did you two have another moment of just... having minds blown or something?"

"Yep." Pam could say that.

"I bet you want to start putting this in official ceremonies or something."

He knew her thoughts. Anna smiled as her head came down a tad.

"We'll do so later. Still, that was beautiful. Don't let us stop you from offering more. This feels like a path to your thoughts that we rarely get."

"Still running low on ideas, any other requests?"

"Oooh... can you give one to me?" Pam had not yet heard one to identify with.

"Uh, a song to represent you or you want me to serenade you or something?"

"Both?" A shy smirk.

"I think it will take some skill to find one that both shows you and me and just you unless if the summation of your life is to just be with me. BUT, I have a good one to dedicate."

He spun around to give one more. The girl did not expect it to hit her so hard... already as the instrumental part began slow, but animated enough... then his words came.

"Strangers in the night

Exchanging glances

Wondering in the night

What were the chances?

We'd be sharing love

Before the night was through

Something in your eyes

Was so inviting

Something in your smile

Was so exciting

Something in my heart

Told me I must have you"

It spiritually floored her. She was brought to remember that first interaction... that moment of the girl just being herself, drawing his eye and being drawn by him. It was like the relationship was flashing before her eyes, having all those moments all at once. Her face looked sad, her eyes came wide open... and the girl began to tear up. Anna found this to be amazingly beautiful, just a hand on the girl's shoulder for support making her break and realize all that again.

"Strangers in the night

Two lonely people

We were strangers in the night

Up to the moment when we said our first hello

Little did we know

Love was just a glance away

A warm embracing dance away and..."

She started to cry. Full-on sobs, everything hitting her at once... it did fit. That uncertainty from before was just GONE. Her mother would pass an arm around the girl to hold, to let her have support in it. The man heard it. A tear tempted him. Neither noticed that little pause to not choke up. Yeah, he also thought it was so amazing.

"Ever since that night

We've been together

Lovers at first sight

In love forever

It turned out so right

For strangers in the night"

That instrumental at the end to wind it down... time needed to get emotions out. The girl felt it was storybook... and when he turned to look at her, she saw that wide smile to tell her that everything she had in her mind was shared. Maybe he was not as emotional as her, but seeing that smile, remembering how sad he used to be... yes, she did good. A sad laugh would come at the end. Love really was separate from sex.

"You look really pretty like that."

It was a tease. She must have looked like a mess. But it made her smile. So much that didn't need to be said. After this, they could wind down with some other songs that the man wanted to share, eventually drawing an audience. The explanation was that he had shared with them a means to do this and wanted to come and show it. Keep close to the truth. Singing nights would become a tradition for them... times to get their emotions out in such displays. And they had more confidence if they did it in a way that was entertaining for others.

James would share a dozen more songs with them, some serious, some not at all. He even had one to summarize the internet for them. He got a comment that he should have been a bard.

"Could I interest you in everything all of the time?

A little bit of everything all of the time?

Apathy's a tragedy, and boredom is a crime

Anything and everything, all of the time"

Pam did not forget that one song.

*

"How was it?"

There was a sense of freedom in the colony, a bigger one than usual since the first generation had loaded up supplies for a few weeks of travel and rolled out of the base. The younger ones felt like they were in charge, setting the rules. Phoebe was entertaining herself with a movie unfit for children playing on their TV. Her cock was out and casually being stroked before her friend. No doubt the tale of how Fiona fucked her father and mom at the same time was going to be good and she might blast rope over it.

"Oh, it was.... Everything. We started by giving him a blowjob together, first me and mom just went one at a time, but then we started putting our mouths on him together, almost kissing with his cock between us." A smirk from the girl. "And then we kissed without it there."

Fiona had also removed the chest part of her armor, one hand on her exposed boob and the other on her pussy. She was still heated up after last night. The girl didn't even let James go without a second, morning fuck.

"Reminds me of when me and dad traded blowjobs. Keep going. Bet you taught your mom a few tricks."

"Hehe... a bit. Though, I don't really know, most of the time I just feel myself around it. You just... sense it."

"Yeah, empathy. I get it. Most of the time I get it because I know how the dick feels and what it likes. Mom and Pam don't really have the same idea."

"Maybe we'll figure out how to give them some blowjob lessons. BUT! So, after that we got up closer to him, one on each side, dad was holding us with one arm each, reaching around to hold a boob.... Mmm, he's got good hands. He does this thing where he just rubs his palm on your tit and it goes nuts. And yeah, he said I had bigger boobs. Then had to give Mom this kiss to reassure her. But it didn't feel like mom was put out by it. She seemed really happy."

"She couldn't stop smiling after that song performance. Cool that we can now do any song. Gotta be something more since you can nail all the lyrics."

Yes, Pam was in that state where her face defaulted to a wide smile. Even now, as she drove down the mountain, negotiating passes in that pickup truck, she was still sporting a goofy grin.

"Maybe some sort of psychic thing. Right, so... after a bit of talk, warming up, us stroking his cock to get him ready again because we made him blow hard with that blowjob, time for the main thing. Mom let me go first on his dick. I thought she was just going to watch or help me with it, but Dad suggested she sit on his face while he fucked me. And.... mmmmhhh... he's so big. Got right in there. Maybe not the best. You can fuck better, but he's okay."