Mike & Karen Ch. 15

Another student raised his hand and Mike acknowledged him. "Sir, my family is religious, and I believe myself to be. But... isn't this sin?"

There were mutterings amongst the other students, but Mike put up a staying hand, indicating he would handle this. He gave the young man a kindly smile.

"Terry, I've always known you to be a kind young man, and certainly don't consider you any kind of bigot. Your question is completely ethical and deserves an honest answer," he began. "I'm not a member of the Theology Department, but they consult me occasionally, since my knowledge on these matters runs deep. Nowhere in any version of the Good Book does it say that an avunculate marriage is immoral or taboo. There are, in fact, several examples of men being married to their nieces without censure."

Many of the students murmured and nodded at his words. The young man, Terry, listened intently.

"However," Mike continued, holding up a finger. "There are pretty much no examples of aunts marrying their nephews. Now why would that be?"

Silence for a few moments before a girl held up her hand.

"Erica?"

"Patriarchy?" she suggested.

"That is the generally accepted answer," Mike confirmed, while the whisperings continued. "Let's face it, it makes no sense, morally, for a man to be able to marry his niece, but an aunt to not be allowed to marry her nephew. The common reasoning is that marrying your niece didn't compromise lines of succession, or interfere with inheritance, whereas marrying an aunt might."

Everyone listened intently, and he pushed on, knowing that every single one of them wanted to hear what he truly thought. Even Terry was hoping the professor could help him justify his inclination to reject what he believed was a moral position.

"We don't live by those rules any more, do we?" Mike pointed out. "Society, on the whole, is rejecting patriarchal precedent about inheritance and lineage. It no longer matters. You've all met my wife; how many of you think she's the docile and submissive type?"

Many of them chuckled or laughed.

He looked at the student named Terry again. "Terry, no one is asking you to turn against Biblical precedent, because there actually isn't one. If you speak Greek, there isn't even a precedent against homosexuality, only against pedophilia. Translations are a bear to deal with."

Mike turned his gaze around the room again. "I knew my younger brother was gay back in the Eighties, and my family fought hard to get the laws changed. But to be honest, it wouldn't have mattered if the person involved was my kin or not. Once Alex and my sister-in-law laid eyes on one another at the airport earlier this summer, it was over. They didn't have a chance, folks. If you could have seen it..."

He shrugged. "What I can promise you is that if Karen and I had thought this was a bad idea, we would have been against it."

"Are they going to have a tough year here at school?" asked another girl. "Socially, I mean."

Mike smiled. "Back in October, my wife and her sister went out to Quebec City to meet their paternal family, the Blackwells. Now that was a war. Trust me, dealing with campus drama will be a walk in the park."

More laughs.

"Did you know Alex was gonna make that announcement at the Christmas concert, sir?"

Mike shook his head. "Nope. Caught both my wife, my sister-in-law, and myself flat-footed. But I trust his judgment as surely as my own. So if he announces Alli is his wife, then who am I to say no to that?"

He let the question hang, before gesturing with his palms low at his sides. "If you feel the need to support them, then do so vocally, and show them. They will no doubt appreciate it. If you don't support it, well, at least be civil, and you might actually enjoy asking questions or debating them. Go for it."

He looked around the hall. "Anything else, folks? Because I want you focusing on your studies and your own lives. When I'm in here, I'm devoted to turning you into the physicists of the future. You can always talk to me afterwards, if you like..."

Only Terry spoke up. "Sir, thank you. I'll do my reading again, and I look forward to finding out you're right. Thank you, I feel much better."

"My pleasure," Mike said, nodding and rising up from his casual recline against the station. Despite the fact that this room was constructed like an amphitheatre, with the seats slanting on a gradient, everyone still felt like they were looking up at him, dominated by this titan man. The awe would stay with them all year.

"So, shall we look over the lesson plan and how we're going to tackle it? This semester is mostly devoted to explaining how Kahler Manifolds are building blocks of, well, almost everything else, and also how the math is actually very simple once you know what to expect..."

***

Karen was wearing a crisp grey business jacket and skirt over a white blouse and her habitual stately glasses. She didn't need them, since her eyesight was perfect, but she enjoyed the effect the visual had on people. She stopped now, pulled her glasses down slightly along the bridge of her patrician nose, and let her startling golden-amber eyes focus directly on the sassy young man who had asked such an impertinent question.

The boy, new to her class this semester, suddenly felt very singled out as everyone stared at him, many of his classmates whispering about how stupid he sounded. Didn't he know who his professor was?

"Allow me to sum up, if I may," Karen said in a firm but quite voice that everyone could still hear as she walked over to the young man, her gaze never leaving him. "It is your assertion, Mister Shuter, that the situation with my son and my younger sister somehow impairs my judgment and ability to perform my duties here in the mathematical physics department, am I correct?"

The young man said nothing but swallowed and almost shrugged. The hall was dead silent.

"I prithee, young master, please elucidate," she continued, standing over him, her arms folded in front of her, and her torso turned slightly to the side. "Let's treat this as a hypothesis you want to lay out for the rest of us. We will need premise, evidence, and supporting equations."

He remained silent, having not expected to be confronted so directly.

"Since you have no Biblical grounds to work from, let's work on other notions, shall we?" Karen continued, still looking down at him with those unnerving eyes. "Let's go with the obvious, inbreeding and the resulting possible complications. An avunculate relationship resulting in offspring has a roughly twelve and a half percent chance of passing on any congenital defects of either parent. Just over ten percent. Two unrelated people having children have a nine and a half percent chance of doing the same."

She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "What's the percentage difference?"

"Th- three percent, ma'am," he stammered, feeling very warm and sweaty.

"Math skills, good," she replied, nodding. "You'll need them in this course, I assure you." Several students snickered at the jibe. "Do you know you have a higher chance of passing on your childhood scarlet fever than Alex and Alli do of any congenital conditions they don't actually have?"

The student's eyes widened. "How- how did you know I had scarlet fever?"

"I can tell by your complexion," she said simply. "It may never bother you again, but you'd best be mindful of your future children."

More whispers.

"Another question for you, Mister Shuter," she continued, adjusting her glasses slightly. "You're from the States, are you not? Your accent, it's from Middlesex, New York."

Stunned, the student nodded.

"My husband, head of theoretical physics, as you no doubt know, is a rather large specimen of humanity," Karen mentioned. "In your archaic imperial measurements, he is six-foot-eight, and three hundred and twenty pounds."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked directly into the back of his skull. "Would you have been so impertinent as to speak to him the way you just did to me? Or am I just dealing with misogyny and some uppity male who thinks he can intimidate a woman?"

The student barely shook his head, his features sweaty and pale.

"Good," Karen said, not letting him off the hook yet. "Because I don't have the inclination to file reports on these sorts of incidents, they're a hassle. When you're in this classroom, sir, you are here to learn and absorb everything you can. I will not have you bringing down the class average with these distractions and idiocies. If you have questions, ask after class, I'll freely answer."

She now leaned forward on his desk and looked directly into his eyes, her bronze hair rippling around her beautiful face. "Am I achieving clarity?"

Shuter nodded, so intimidated that he couldn't even look down her blouse at her visible bust.

"Wunderbar," Karen said rather dryly as she stood up and looked around the room. "Any other questions? We really should get this out of the way before we continue. We have a lot of math to do."

"Professor," said a girl, standing up from her seat. "Thank you, for everything. I think the vast majority of us support your sister and your son, and by extension, you and your husband. If you two think this is right, it's really damned unlikely to be wrong. We're with you!"

"Thank you, Sylvia," Karen said, nodding and smiling. "I appreciate it, but make sure Alex and Alli know, that's where it really counts."

Two hours later...

The students were all filing out, but the girl named Sylvia was still at her desk. Karen was leaning against her station absently, looking at her tablet, when the girl sauntered up, smiling. Karen looked up and returned the smile.

"Hey, prof," the girl said rather coyly. "How was the holiday?"

"Enjoyable, of course, and rather busy," Karen replied, putting aside her tablet and resting her hands on the wooden surface she leaned against. "And your own?"

Sylvia shrugged. "I've had better and worse, to be sure. I missed the Christmas concert, but I'm told your son made an announcement."

"Indeed, and he threw us all for a loop," Karen confirmed, nodding. "But I trust his judgment as if it were my own. We'll see what happens."

"Don't worry, I'm already starting a shipping network," Sylvia said, winking. "I'm just hoping you and the big man don't forget us little people who are on your side."

"Sylvia Weber," Karen said in a quiet voice, looking amused but trying to sound chiding. "Am I to infer that your support comes with the expectation of favours?"

"I've enjoyed favours for three semesters now, ma'am, giving a little back somewhere else is never a bad thing," the student purred, drawing closer. She loved how Karen smelled, the hint of roses that followed her everywhere, and was on her breath.

"Close the door, Miss Weber," Karen instructed, pointing to it. "Maybe lock it."

The student wiggled over the lecture hall's door and closed it, turning the lock. She turned around to come back, but Karen had followed up and now took her by the hand and gently twirled her around until her back was against one of the walls, with the sultry professor directly in front of her.

Sylvia was already breathing heavily as Karen pressed her body to the student's, having removed her grey jacket, and pressing her breasts into the young woman's. Her fingers gently but firmly held Sylvia's cheeks and Karen smiled into her brown eyes. The student shuddered in wet excitement.

"Even if you weren't shipping them, my dear, I'm pretty damned certain our understandings would continue," Karen said in a voice barely above a whisper but touching Sylvia in her core. She could feel the professor's large breasts squashed against her own, their hips touching. She felt like she was melting as this goddess held her in thrall.

Karen leaned in and whispered against her lips, making Sylvia whimper. "And I'll make sure my husband remembers this as well..."

Karen then stood back from her student and smiled pleasantly. "Now let me prep for my next class, you tramp, and we'll arrange a play date soon."

Sylvia shivered, her eyes glued to Karen's. "Yes ma'am."

She leaned in and gave Karen a brief, but wet kiss, and then hurried out the door, leaving Karen to sigh and look at the ceiling before crossing herself. She went back to her station and continued browsing her tablet for the information she required.

***

It was Alexa's first class, and she found herself holding her breath as she walked through the door. Everyone in the Linguistics course stopped talking and looked at her, including the professor. She paused and gazed back at them all, remembering to smile.

A girl at a desk rose to her feet and began clapping. She was followed by another student, and then several more. Seconds later, most of the room, the professor included, was applauding, while several students whom she knew rushed over and began congratulating and hugging her. As near as Alexa could tell, only two of her fellow students were sitting in their desk and stoically not expressing approval.

She wiped a tear from one of her sapphire blue eyes, and smiled at the girl who had started the applause and was now hugging her. "Thank you, Donna. You have no idea how much this means."

"Probably not, but you've got an army, just so you know," the girl said cheerfully, her arms around Alexa's shoulders. Lots of people were patting her on the shoulder. "Count on it."

"Ladies and gentlemen," the professor interrupted; he was one of her favourites. "As much as we all wish the best for Miss Blackwell, I- do I continue to call you Miss Blackwell, my dear?"

Alexa smiled and nodded. "For now, sir. I'll change my name when it's official. Until then, still Alexa Blackwell."

He returned the smile. "While I am pleased Miss Blackwell has your support and devotion, let us make sure our class time is used to learn the material. You can be her honour guard outside these walls. Back to your seats!"

Alexa was not surprised when she found herself herded to the front and center of the seating, where everyone could keep an eye on her. While the professor laid out the semester's course material, she found that endless notes and small cards were being passed to her. She didn't doubt what they said, but she dutifully waited and did her best to pay attention to what the professor was saying.

It was hard to read the words on the chalkboard when her eyes stung with tears.

***

Alex, on the other hand, was finding himself jostled back and forth by his friends like a pinball, all of whom were cackling and punching him in the shoulder or high-fiving him.

"You goddam lucky dog!" one guy called loudly as he tried to put Alex in a headlock and noogie him. "You're the luckiest sumbitch on campus, except for maybe your dad!"

"Can we leave my mom and dad out of that imagery?" Alex almost whined, knowing they all meant well, even if they were acting like horny guys.

"Dude, you've got the hottest girl on campus, and none of us knew it the whole last semester!" explained another. "How the Hell did you manage to keep that on the down low?"

"I'll be honest, it amazed me too," Alex admitted, straightening up and trying to fix his hair. "Either I'm an amazing actor and didn't know it, or you guys are all complete retards."

The guys all laughed raucously, still congratulating him as they accompanied him to his class, Language Theory. Only one of his companions was taking the course with him, and the others left at the door, loudly promising to find him later. He was no sooner through the door before he received yet another barrage of well wishes, with very few refusing to take part.

Once the professor had restored order, the class began, with Alex receiving notes much like Alexa had. He reminded himself not to get his hopes up about the reaction around campus being this easy, but he resolved to not worry about it, either. What did he have to fear?

Bring it on, world...

***

"Y'sure this is your extracurricular of choice?" Jeanie asked as she and Freja walked down the corridor together later in the afternoon. She was wearing a puffy jacket with a sweater underneath, and at least two sets of thermal underwear beneath her jeans. She was happy with the reception Alex and Alexa were getting around campus, but the weather itself was less than clement.

"I am thinking so, ja," Freja replied as she walked beside her wife down the hallway toward the gymnasium, wearing a long jacket and a rather intent look on her face "I had to forgo the opportunity last semester, since my residency was my primary focus, and I was wanting fewer distractions that were not you."

"I'm always happy to be your primary distraction," Jeanie said cheerfully. "And if this is what you want, then I'm behind it."

"That, and I do not want my skills to atrophy," the Danish girl added as they approached the big doors. "There is only so much practicing by myself can do, I am afraid."

Upon opening the metal doors, Freja was pleased to find out she'd been directed to the right area- within the vast, open gymnasium space, a few dozen students were dressed in martial arts outfits, with many performing katas and warming up, while others were sparring while wearing protective gear. She bowed at the door and then strode in. Jeanie paused, wondering what to do, bowed hastily and then scurried on. When in Rome, and all that.

Freja strode up to the largest group, and dropped the duffle bag she was carrying on the floor beside her. While most of the people here in the gym were male, she was pleased to see more than a few women as well. The people in the group all looked at her.

"You lookin' to join?" one guy wearing a plain white karate gi asked, assessing her. Several people were looking at her curiously. She didn't mind.

"I am," she replied, nodding. "I have had it explained to me that this is the place to train on campus, and the group to train with."

"Y'heard right," the young man said. "But y'know we're mostly a full-contact MMA training group, right?"

"That is what I am counting on, ja."

He tilted his head to the side slightly. "What's your name? And what's your training?"

"Kjaer. Freja Kjaer. And my base was Gracie Jujutsu."

The guy looked for a moment at Jeanie, who just held up her hands. "Nope, not me, just here to support my wife."

"So why do you wanna join us and fight with us?" he asked.

Freja smirked. "I have issues."

"Fuckin' right she does," grunted another student as he trudged over. He was decidedly taller than everyone else, and broadly built. His face was unpleasant and rather intimidating. The gi he wore was bright red. The other people in the group didn't seem to enjoy his proximity. "This one's friends with the two incest pervs traipsing around campus."

Freja's eyes hardened as she looked up at him, but she said nothing.

"Jerry, there's no need to be like that," one girl protested, distressed by his tone.

"Sure there is," he sneered, staring down at Freja still. "Y'let one type of deviant in, and before you know it, you've got all sorts of 'em all everywhere. Take a look, this little lezzie fag wants to join up with us, probably think she has anger problems or something. The Hell makes you think you even deserve to be with us?"

"Oops..." Jeanie murmured under her breath, stepping back slightly.

Freja slowly pulled off her long winter coat, revealing that she was wearing the top half of a gi underneath, and dark blue gym shorts below that. A black belt held the dogi closed at her waist. She had already kicked off her boots and socks at the entrance, where all the other footwear was deposited. The big guy named Jerry just sniffed, apparently not impressed.