Tales from the Stream Ch. 15

Author's Note

This one's a strange little slice of life story on board The Black Prince, complete a little light bondage and a bit of food porn. Try to keep an open mind.

*

Chapter 15: Marmite

On board The Black Prince, in the stateroom.

Captain Jade pushed up with her palms and then lowered herself onto her elbows so the length of her body hovered a dozen centimeters or so over the towel on the floor. She supported herself solely with her forearms and toes. Beside her, Reg laid his pincers on the floor and pushed up on his rearmost pair of legs. The two held this pose.

Jade raised her head. Projected on the wall in front of her, a woman clad in neon green spandex and sporting a short blonde pony tail did the same.

Jade blew out a long breath.

"Last one, everybody," said the woman. The driving beat of last decade's number one dance hit underscored her words. "Looking great. And remember, if it gets too intense you can drop down to your knees. Perfectly fine. No judgments here."

"Never," mumbled Jade. The perspiration on her brow coalesced into a single bead that grew in size as it trailed down her forehead to stop just over her left eye.

Jade blinked. She turned to look at Reg. His back legs began to quiver. "You can do it, buddy," she said.

"Looking great," said the woman on the wall. "Five more seconds."

"Come on, Reginald me boy," said Jade through gritted teeth. "You can do it."

Reg quivered.

"Three... Two... One..." said the woman on the wall. "And take a break. You've earned it."

Jade dropped to floor, cheek flat on the towel with arms and legs spread out over the edges. She reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow. Reg collapsed onto his belly, with eight legs loose at his side and pincers askew.

"Great job everyone," said the woman on the wall, as she pulled herself up to standing. The dance beat accompanying her instructions continued. "Now's a good time to grab a sip of water and get ready to roll onto your back. Next up... And I know it's your favorite... crunches."

Jade groaned as she pulled herself up to seated and stretched to reach the pouch of water atop the nearby dresser.

As she sat sipping, Jade caught a glimpse of Amaliya tearing down the corridor, her feet pounding on the deck and hands waving in the air above her head. "People!" she hollered.

Reg turned his eye stalks to Jade. Jade shrugged.

"Alright, everyone," said the spandex clad woman on the wall. "Hope you all got a chance to hydrate. Here we go."

"It's people!" This time the words were uttered by Emily as she ran past. Emily waved her arms as well.

"Let's get down on the floor and get comfortable," said the woman, over the driving beat, "Roll onto your backs and let's get in position for crunches. We'll start easy with a set of ten. Everybody ready?" The woman crossed her arms over her chest.

Beside Jade, Reg flipped onto his back.

"Soylent Green is people," hollered Amaliya as she came running past the doorway, this time from the other direction. Her hands were still waving frantically.

"People!" replied Emily. The sound of her running feet joined in with Amaliya's. The pounding faded as the two of them ran toward the conn and then increased as they circled back aft.

Jade waved her hand at the wall. The woman in spandex froze, mid-crunch.

"So glad we got the gravity back on for this," mumbled Jade. "What the actual--"

"Soylent Green is people!" The blur of Amaliya and Emily streaked by the open doorway once again.

"People!"

Reg rolled his eye stalks in a semicircle. Jade reached over and helped him get himself upright again. Reg reached out with his pincers toward Jade and she scooped him up to perch on her shoulder.

"Nice form on your planks," said Jade.

As Amaliya and Emily ran giggling down the corridor, Jade stuck her head through the doorway just in time to catch their tail ends of as they reached the conn. "We have have workout videos, you know," she called out after them.

Amaliya and Emily reached the conn and turned around.

"Joan gave me a whole stack before we left," said Jade.

Amaliya and Emily ran back, arms waving, and stopped outside the doorway where Jade and Reg stood. They lowered their arms.

"It's people?" said Amaliya.

Emily covered her mouth and snickered.

"Do we need another stopover?" asked Jade. "Too much time in space?"

Amaliya shook her head. "It's people."

"People," said Emily.

"Whatever," said Jade. "You two are goofy." Jade setting out into the corridor. "I'm going for tea."

Jade turned her gaze to Amaliya then Emily. "Anyone care to join me?"

"It's not tea, it's... people?" said Amaliya and then, looking at Emily, broke out into hysterics.

"Whatever," said Jade, and walked on down the corridor.

* * *

In the lounge.

"Hi Lúcia," Jade said, pausing in her journey to the galley. "Aidoru."

Lúcia gave a little finger wave. She was completely naked, lying flat out on the Megacomf sofa, ankles crossed. Her wrists were crossed as well and tangled up in one of the recently installed hot pink seat belts. Aidoru, with all three of her bodies loosely clad in black silk robes and hovering over Lúcia, shot a glance over her shoulders and blew a kiss in Jade's direction.

"You girls being safe?" asked Jade.

"Yes, of course, captain,

"Lúcia is in control,

"I serve only her," said Aidoru.

"And you're okay with this?" Jade let her eyes linger on the bar code tattoo on Lúcia's wrist before settling her gaze on Lúcia's face.

"We have had a discussion and came to the agreement that Aidoru may only kiss me," said Lúcia, "and only above the waist or below the knees."

"Sounds reasonable," said Jade.

Lúcia tugged at the pink seat belt securing her wrists, arching her back over the cushions of the Megacomf, before turning her half-lidded eyes to Aidoru. "Tu as ma confiance. Aujourd'hui, je suis à toi."

"That's fucking beautiful," said Jade. She turned to look down the corridor. "Amaliya, Emily, you're really missing out on some beautiful shit here with all your running around."

"It's people!" shouted Amaliya from the aft end of the ship.

"People!" followed Emily.

Jade shook her head.

Aidoru grinned. "Lúcia's pleasure,

"Will result in orgasm,

"If I am successful."

"Kissing only, huh?" said Jade. "I like your sense of adventure."

Lúcia sighed. "My safe word is Soylent."

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but stopped short.

From Jade's right, Amaliya and Emily came tearing down the corridor, swerving at the last moment to avoid bowling her over. "Soylent Green is people!" they hollered.

Jade turned her eyes to Reg, on her shoulder. Reg turned his eye stalks to Jade.

"What's with this Soylent thing, anyway?"

"It's people!" hollered Emily as she ran past, feet pounding on the deck.

"People!" Amaliya followed on her heels.

Aidoru turned her backs on the chaos and fixed her gaze on Lúcia. She reached out with one index finger to touch the bridge of Lúcia's nose.

"Lúcia my love,

"Your orgasm is certain,

"As the spring blossom."

Aidoru pulled her finger down the length of Lúcia's nose. Lúcia shuddered.

"Fucking beautiful," said Jade. She looked at Reg and back to Lúcia and Aidoru. "Absolutely fucking beautiful."

"Soylent Green is people," hollered Amaliya and Emily in unison as they ran past.

"And now the moment's gone," mumbled Jade. "For fuck's sake, what's with this Soylent Green sh--?"

Aidoru turned and pressed her finger to her lips. She turned her attention back to Lúcia. The two locked eyes.

The Aidoru on the left side of Lúcia shrugged her robe off one shoulder, exposing her chest on one side. She let her head loll back and reached into her robe with a single outstretched finger.

Lúcia held her lower lip between her teeth.

Aidoru drew a lazy circle around her own nipple. She locked eyes on Lúcia while tracing out an ever tightening spiral, until her index finger lay at the peek of her stiffened flesh.

Lúcia shuddered, straining at the seat belt that held her wrists.

The Aidoru on the left looked toward the lounge's entertainment system and nodded. A single snare drum, tapping out a liesurely rat-a-tat beat, issued forth from the overhead speakers. It was soon joined by a solo flute.

Reg turned his eye stalks to Jade.

"Ravel's Boléro," she said. "Not my favorite, but I'd say it works well in this situation."

After the music started, Emily and Amaliya made their way down the corridor, walking this time. Jade turned and pressed her finger to her lips. They tiptoed the rest of the way.

The trio stood in a semi-circle surrounding the Megacomf where Lúcia lay.

All three Aidoru turned to Lúcia. The center Aidoru reached out to lay the tip of her finger in the little groove below Lúcia's nose. She tugged downward, taking Lúcia's lower lip with her.

"Lúcia, chérie," said Aidoru,

"Tu ne pouvez pas le nier

"La fleur, elle s'ouvre."

Lúcia sighed. Her eyelids fluttered.

Aidoru leaned forward with her center body, lips slightly parted. She came down sucking a breath, with only her finger separating her lips from Lúcia's.

Lúcia shuddered.

Aidoru pulled her finger free and slipped her tongue into the space it once occupied.

Lúcia moaned and tugged at the seat belt. Ravel's Boléro began to swell.

The two Aidoru flanking Lúcia moved in until their lips were within millimeters of Lúcia's earlobes.

"Is she purring?" whispered Amaliya.

Emily nodded. "I think so."

Jade pressed her finger to her lips.

Lúcia uncrossed and crossed her ankles three times in quick succession, all while moaning and straining against the seat belt.

Aidoru closed the gap with three tongues extended.

Lúcia squeezed her eyes shut and let loose a long, low moan. She arched her back. Aidoru pulled away on all fronts, leaving Lúcia straining on the Megacomf, digging her shoulders and heels into the cushions.

Lúcia opened her eyes with a flutter. She locked her gaze on Aidoru, her lips parted.

All three Aidoru smiled and licked their lips.

The center Aidoru reached into her robe and pulled forth a clear plastic pouch labeled 500ml and filled with something brown. She held the pouch upside down over Lúcia.

Aidoru added her humming to the melody of Ravel's Boléro.

Aidoru squeezed the pouch.

Lúcia's tummy quivered as the goo was forced out by Aidoru's pinching. As a blob of brown hit just above Lúcia's navel with a wet splat, Lúcia lost her battle with the Megacomf and its seat belt. She collapsed flat out.

Amaliya and Emily's eyes went wide. They spoke in unison. "Soylent--"

Jade dashed her finger to her lips.

Still humming, Aidoru in the center moved her index finger to the blob and drew a slow circle while Lúcia watched. The goo contrasted with the pink flushed skin of Lúcia's chest.

Lúcia shivered.

Aidoru followed the same trail with her tongue while Lúcia's shivering turned to a full body shudder.

The Aidoru flanking Lúcia each cradled one of Lúcia's ankles and raised it up off the Megacomf. Lúcia pointed her toes toward the ceiling. Her eyes began to waver.

Aidoru leaned forward, opened her mouth, and pulled Lúcia's smallest toes in, one at a time. Her cheeks sunk as she sucked. Simultaneously, Aidoru sent her fingers walking up and down the length of Lúcia's calves.

"Ohh." Lúcia's mouth hung open. She shivered anew.

The center Aidoru finished chasing down the trail of goo on Lúcia's tummy and raised her head to smile.

Lúcia's eyelids fluttered.

The center Aidoru wiggled her way up Lúcia's quivering body, extended her tongue and plunged it into the center of Lúcia's mouth.

Lúcia arched her back and moaned. Her cheeks sunk as she sucked at Aidoru's tongue.

The flanking Aidoru pulled back and puckered, popping Lúcia's toes free one at a time. She pulled her tongue free at the same time.

Lúcia jerked.

The center Aidoru plunged her tongue, deeper this time, pulled back, and plunged in again. She did this three times in quick succession while the flanking Aidoru blew on Lúcia's moistened toes.

Lúcia went rigid. She strained against the seat belt around her wrists as Aidoru struggled to hold her calves while she kicked.

Ravel's Boléro reached a crescendo.

Lúcia shut her eyes tight and squeaked.

The center Aidoru sat up and trailed her fingers over Lúcia's shoulders. The flanking Aidoru lowered Lúcia's legs to rest on the Megacomf and did the same. Aidoru smiled.

Lúcia sank into the cushions of the Megacomf.

"Spring is here, chérie,

"And the blossom has opened,

"As I said it would."

Jade turned to glance at Reg. She turned back to Aidoru and Lúcia and began to applaud.

"Gorgeous," said Jade. "Fucking gorgeous."

Amaliya and Emily joined in the applause.

Aidoru leaned forward to untangle Lúcia from the seat belt. She surrounded Lúcia with her bodies and snuggled up close. The center Aidoru reached out to brush a stray clump of hair from Lúcia's face. The others pulled their robes to cover Lúcia's body.

"Darling Lúcia." Aidoru in the center moved Lúcia's hand to her chest.

"Tu sens mon coeur, ma petite?

"It's beating for you."

Lúcia sighed.

"I'd ask how you're feeling," said Amaliya, "but I think I already know."

"That was..." Lúcia sighed. "Mmm."

* * *

In the galley, several hours later.

Amaliya and Emily popped their heads into the galley. Jade met them before they could step through the door.

"Either one of you starts in on that Soylent Green shenanigans again and you're out of here. Got it?" said Jade. "Reg worked hard on this."

Amaliya and Emily exchanged a glance, turned back to Jade, and nodded. Jade stepped aside and they entered.

Reg stood at the center of the galley table, pushing himself up on his frontmost legs. He was wearing a small paper chef's hat and surrounded by a number of plastic trays filled with food.

"You make that?" asked Amaliya.

"Reg made it," said Jade. "All of it."

"I meant the hat."

"Aidoru," said Jade. "Apparently origami is a hobby of hers."

"Along with other things," said Amaliya.

"Like hentai and kinbaku," said Emily.

Jade pressed her finger to her lips.

Lúcia wandered in, wrapped up in one of Aidoru's black, silk robes. Her eyes were slightly puffy and her hair matted on one side. She stifled a yawn. Aidoru hovered around Lúcia, wearing matching crew jumpsuits.

Jade turned back to the plates arranged on the table. "So this is the Soylent Green you two've been going on about?" she said.

Amaliya nodded. "It just started coming out of the galley dispenser this morning. I thought I was getting tea. I got... I don't know what. A cupful of Soylent--"

"Shh!" said Jade. "Don't start on that again."

"I believe it is Marmite," said Lúcia. "At least that's what Aidoru's tongue tasted like when she was busy probing my tonsils. Distinctively salty."

Aidoru turned to Lúcia. She began stroking Lúcia's hair. Lúcia sighed.

"Okay," said Jade. "What's Marmite."

"It is a byproduct of the beer brewing process and a good source of B vitamins," said Lúcia.

"I could ask how a nun would know such things," said Jade.

"B vitamins are an important part of--"

"About the beer brewing and all," Jade continued. "But after what I just witnessed on the Megacomf earlier, I don't think I will."

Lúcia's face flushed pink.

Aidoru stepped closer to Lúcia, tightening around her and brushing up against her. Lúcia sighed again and rested her head on the Aidoru to her right.

Jade shrugged, picked up a pilot biscuit covered with brown goo and watercress from the ship's garden. She bit a corner off. "Hmm. Not bad," she announced.

"It's people," whispered Emily.

"It's Marmite." Jade took another bite.

"People," whispered Amaliya.

"People, my ass." Jade bit the end off the biscuit. "It's damn good is what it is." She turned to Reg. "You made this?"

Reg bounced up and down.

"My man." Jade held up her palm and met Reg's pincer in a high five. She reached out and picked up a cucumber slice decorated with Marmite.

* * *

In the lounge.

Jade, Emily, and Amaliya sat on one Megacomf sofa with plastic plates balanced on their knees. Each plate was filled with a different combination of pilot biscuits, slices of garden vegetables, and Marmite. Emily and Amaliya picked at their selections, nibbling a corner here and there, while Jade inhaled them.

On the other sofa, Lúcia was sprawled out. One Aidoru was feeding her bits of Marmite covered cucumber while another adjusted the pillow under Lúcia's head and the third rubbed Lúcia's feet.

Lúcia sighed. Aidoru offered her a sip of water.

"So what is this Soylent Green you've been going on about," asked Jade between bites.

"It's an old movie," said Emily.

"One from the collection Joan sent along," added Amaliya.

"It's supposed to be in the future," said Emily.

"But in some kind of alternate reality where they haven't discovered the stream."

"Anyway, the world runs out of food, and all they have left to eat is this Soylent Green stuff. Except it's made from soy beans and lentles like they say. It's actually made out of--"

Jade held up a finger. "You know what? I don't think I need to know."

Across from Jade, Lúcia shifted on the Megacomf, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

"Lúcia, my dear" whispered Aidoru.

"Rest your eyes if you need to.

"I will care for you."

Lúcia sighed and wrapped her hands around the arm of the Aidoru nearest her. "Je t'aime, Aidoru" she mumbled as she let her eyelids droop. "Je t'aime."

"Fucking beautiful," said Jade, turning to Emily and then Amaliya. "You two see that shit?"

While Emily and Amaliya turned their gaze to Lúcia and Aidoru, Jade reached out and snagged pilot biscuit with watercress and Marmite from Emily's plate. Sitting on Jade's shoulder, Reg followed the path of her hand with his eye stalks.

"Absolutely fucking beautiful," said Jade, just before taking a bite.

On the Megacomf, Lucia shifted and tightened her arms around Aidoru.