Claimings 5, chapter 4

I don't write as much smut anymore, do I? And I definitely don't write as much tail smut because I am out of practice. But hopefully I lived up to the original books.

Chapter Four

The Grandmother stared as Ondry finished explaining their concerns with the homeless children.  Her eyes were wide, and she was artificially still.  Several other Grandmothers did not even bother to hide their twitching tails. Unfortunately, they could not tempt poverty to attack them so they could beat it to death.

Prarownt had poverty.  It was impossible to have a large group of individuals without someone having less.  The Rownt had eliminated excessive wealth, but nothing stopped poverty.  Most farmers had little extra, and a few lived with jek status their whole lives because they could not donate even a token amount to the temple.

A few suffered even more dire poverty, and they had the choice of begging the temple for help or starving.  A Rownt who turned to the temple would lose all status and become little more than an eggling in an adult body. The rare Rownt in that situation usually chose to starve instead.  The need for status was as deeply ingrained in Rownt as the human instinct to explore the universe.  Even human babies would crawl about and shove their fingers in places because they needed to know what was there.

That was Rownt with status.  Liam was grateful that such cases of starvation were rare, but it happened, and more Rownt lived so close to that end that they could not donate more than an egg to the temple as a token to retain some status.

“Will human authorities act?” the Grandmother asked.

“If they do, it will make the children’s lives worse,” Harry said.

“How?” A different Grandmother demanded, her voice a deep growl.  One wrong word, and these Grandmothers were going to charge out into the city and grab all the children to bring back to the ship. Protecting children was another Rownt instinct, only even the Cy had learned to fear. In a battle between superior technology and Rownt instincts around children, Rownt instincts won.

“Human authorities will prioritize the children’s hunger. They will take the children from their current guardians and place them somewhere that food is available. But removing children from guardians who have created a home for them, who clearly care for them, would damage the children.” Liam paused, struggling to explain human behavior to creatures not wired to understand.

“Do you remember the ship that requested my assistance because they had found human children? The adults had all died trying to repair an engine that leaked radiation into the ship, but the children had been in a shielded nursery.”

The Grandmother’s nostrils turned to slits. The whole incident still upset most of the Rownt.  “The adults died as Rownt would have, fighting to protect the children, but the radiation left no adult to care for the children and those Grandmothers were unfamiliar with humans,” the Grandmother said.

“Yes,” Liam agreed.  Ondry’s tail curled around Liam’s leg, although Liam didn’t know if he was offering comfort or seeking it. Ondry had been just as distressed by those orphans.  Their adult family members had gone into radiation soaked engine rooms to try to repair them. They had put the children in the most shielded space in the ship while the sole survivor had spent her last  hours sending out distress calls, hailing a Rownt ship filled with confused, inexperienced Grandmothers, and coughing up chunks of blood and lung.

“When the Rownt ship called us, the children were traumatized and terrified. The Rownt could provide food and safety, but they could not replace the children’s social connections.”

“You told us those children would form new social connections if we sent them to more distant genetic relatives,” the Grandmother said.  She was paling now.

“They would have,” Liam agreed. “Those children knew their parents had died trying to save them.  That would make it easier for them to emotionally connect to new relatives.  But if these children are taken, they will be ripped from parents and social connections they want. And they will be given to people who are paid to feed them, which will make the children feel unwanted.” Liam had no idea whether the government still ran orphanages or if, fifty years after the war, the number of orphans had decreased to the point they could be placed in homes.

“Surely humans understand human social connections,” a younger Grandmother said.  She was barely taller than Ondry, and she looked at her fellow Grandmothers, eyes wide in confusion.

“They value housing and food over social connections, but we must find a way to honor all three needs,” Liam said.

“Is that possible?” Ondry asked.

Liam took a deep breath.  “I know there are charities that assist families, but I don’t know how effective they are.  Right now, the best solution I have is to support their parents.  The parents have provided a roof and safety from weather.” Liam was overstating that a bit. He doubted an abandoned recruitment center had any electricity and solar panels would be both obvious and expensive.  However, someone had arranged for the younger children to have babysitters. Someone had arranged for chores to be done, like the laundry.  It seemed as if whatever adults these kids had, they were doing their best.

“We can provide food,” Ondry said. His voice had more than a little growl in it as well. If the Grandmothers charged out of the ship to rescue the children, Ondry was going to be one step behind.

“I explained that Rownt approve of egglings who steal food from the plates of elders. I explained that you will see this as a sign that they are maturing and attempting to provide for themselves.”

“That will not feed the younger children who cannot yet steal from an elder’s plate,” a Grandmother said.

Liam could feel the danger like static electricity in an engine room, ready to discharge.  “Feeding the older children will allow the parents to spend precious money on the younger ones.  And I saw no signs of starvation. They were all well-fed and curious.  Those are signs that children have healthy social connections and feel secure.”

Those words seemed to calm the Grandmothers, and several tails slowed their twitches.

“We shall eat on the street you have identified,” Eldest Grandmother said. “At least one of us, each day.”

“And we will as well,” Ondry said.  Other tuk-ranked Rownt might follow, but most of those in the ship had served the Calti fifty years ago when the Grandmothers had decided that Rownt presence on Earth caused too much distress. They would be slow to establish trading routes when they remembered the protests, the reporters, the fear that Rownt would turn out to be as treacherous as the Anla. The Rownt understood the fear that aliens would target children. Rownt egglings had been killed by Cy; human children were murdered by Anla. Both were slow to trust outsiders.

But the Rownt did not understand how quickly time moved for humans with their short life spans. All the people who had protested so vehemently were dead or far too old to walk the streets and block traffic. The adult humans alive today likely considered the Anla situation an event from history—unimportant outside a classroom. The Rownt would not ever comprehend how fast time moved for humans and how little weight history held.

Eldest Grandmother drew herself up and flared her nostrils, likely trying to control the aggravation and upset that had made her close them in the first place.  “I ask you to seek out places of charities and determine whether they are appropriate for the support of children,” she said.

Despite all their distress at the situation, Ondry darkened with pleasure at the idea that he had been given a task by the Grandmothers.  Most of the time, Grandmothers were capable of completing any tasks they needed done, so it was rare they sent others. But when they did, only the oldest and most trusted tuk-ranked Rownt were entrusted with the tasks. And Ondry was far from the eldest.  Even after fifty years, he was still the youngest tuk-ranked individual on the ship, and Liam doubted that many as young as Ondry had achieved the rank, even on Prarownt. 

“We will evaluate all possibilities,” Ondry agreed.  Then, in true Rownt style, he turned and left without any pleasantries.  Liam followed him back to their rooms. The corridors on a Rownt ship were huge by Earth standards, but Liam still felt a little claustrophobic. Ka and tuk ranked technicians and traders crowded the walkways around the ship’s temple, so many that Liam pressed himself to Ondry.

No Rownt would ever harm him, not even accidentally.  However, Rownt disliked crowds and Liam was unused to having so many large individuals press so close together.  He had lived with Rownt long enough to recognize that they were distressed. While they were trying to hide their feelings, Liam spotted a twitching tail here and a narrowed nostril there. He wondered if the story of the children had already spread to those with significant enough rank.

A few individuals loitered in Ondry’s path as though seeking to begin a conversation, but Ondry swept past and ushered Liam into their private quarters.

Their front room had a generous seating area that Ondry often used to display trade goods when they traded with other ship Rownt or visited Prarownt, which was the only planet where Rownt lived.  Curiosity and exploration might be instincts that drove humans, but Rownt did not feel the same. But many Rownt had moved onto ships.  Once the Cy had targeted Prarownt, taking both adults and children to serve as slaves, the Rownt had claimed space as theirs to patrol the way an adult might patrol the perimeter of his farm or a Grandmother might walk the boundaries of a town. The Calti traded with most of those ship-Rownt.  These Grandmothers had great status and respect, and that made other Rownt want to do business with anyone who called the Calti home.

Ondry removed his shoes and translator and set them on their designated shelves.

“It’s a great honor to have a Grandmother request assistance,” Liam said.  Ondry darkened again, and Liam followed him to their nest in their inner room.  These rooms were meant for highly ranked Rownt, which in Rownt terms meant older, enormous individuals.  The nest was deep enough that it seemed to swallow even Ondry.  He stepped down into it and held out a hand for Liam.

Knowing what a tangle of clothing they sometimes ended up in, Liam stripped himself and dropped the clothes on the edge of the nest. He’d tend to them later. Right now he had a mate to care for. It had been a very stressful day, after all.

“I wish the circumstances were not as dire,” Ondry said.

Liam stepped down and cuddled close to Ondry’s side.  He was grateful, once again, that Rownt did not run as warm as humans. It made cuddling more pleasant and less sweaty. “I feel the same. I don’t think there’s an easy solution. Sometimes we must allow difficult events to come about.” 

“We do not allow difficulties around children,” Ondry argued. He settled into the pillows and urged Liam to lay on top of him.

Liam slid his hand under Ondry’s shirt and pushed the fabric up as he explored Ondry’s strong chest.  “They have caring families. These are not  the sort of difficulties we can solve.” Ondry stripped off his shirt, allowing Liam to caress Ondry’s chest. Liam relaxed as their bodies molded to one another, one of Liam’s legs slipping between Ondry’s.

“The Grandmothers will not leave until they know someone will let the children steal from their plates.”

“I don’t think they’re hungry, or at least they're not starving.” When the war had been at its worst, Liam had seen people starve. He’d seen people volunteer for the front lines in return for the promise of regular meals. These children didn’t have the desperate look of those souls.  

Liam ran his hand up Ondry’s chest to his neck, fingers teasing close to the fora without touching it. “Do you think a Grandmother is going out to eat right now?” Liam asked, relaxing as the day’s stresses melted away.

“Without doubt,” Ondry said.  “I hope the children are brave enough to steal from such a large Rownt.”

“Children are fearless,” Liam said. “It’s one of the most terrifying things about them, and it’s something Rownt and human children share.”

“The young can dare what a grown Rownt cannot,” Ondry said, quoting a famous saying.

“That is a great reason to keep children out of our nest,” Liam said as he curled his fingers around Ondry’s neck, brushing the fora.  This was where a Rownt in the egg connected to the yolk sac in the egg.  As Liam stroked it, the stiffness in Ondry’s body loosened.

Ondry claimed Liam’s free hand and kissed the palm, but that was a decoy, and after decades, Liam was not so easily distracted.  He had one leg hooked around Ondry’s hip, exposing himself shamelessly. When he’d been young, he would have hidden this urge to let his partner use his body, but now he revelled in it.

Sure enough, Ondry’s tail tickled up his thigh and then pressed against his hole.  Ondry, the master of covert lube, had already prepped at some point, so the tip slid in without resistance. Liam groaned at the familiar fullness. But he had his own task.  He ran fingertips over the fora, relishing the feeling of Ondry’s body relaxing into his care.

Ondry carried too much. He worried about protecting his status and defending Liam and making the perfect trade.  But Liam knew how to make him forget all of it.  He ran a tongue over Ondry’s chest, and tightened his legs before he teased the fora again, this time tracing small spirals that teased the edges of the fora.

The ilsil wasn’t quite recreational sex, but it was the closest Rownt came given that actual sex was painful for males. Ondry cupped the back of Liam’s head and pulled him close for a kiss.  He was an amazing kisser with soft lips and hands that wandered across Liam’s body.  Liam shivered as Ondry squeezed his ass.

“Hey, I’m trying to enjoy the ilsil,” Liam protested, his breath coming in breathy gasps.

“I like how you lose control of your body during non-productive sex.” Ondry gently stroked Liam’s cock, which hardened in seconds as Liam shivered. However, they had played this game for decades, and Liam was not one to lose easily.  He pressed his thumb to Ondry’s fora before gentling his touch and stroking his fingers over the sensitive skin.

Ondry stilled, his tail filling Liam although the pressure on his prostate eased.  Ondry blew out a long breath, and Liam took advantage of the moment to run his blunt nails across the fora before kissing Ondry’s neck.

Liam thought he had won, but then Ondry caught his wrists, pressing them together before holding them in one hand. He shifted so he hovered over Liam, pinning him to the pillows.  The power in Ondry’s form made Liam’s mouth go dry. He was strong enough to shelter Liam, yet he never made Liam feel smaller. No. Liam felt even larger and more powerful because it took someone as strong and with as much status as Ondry to be his chilta.

“You will always have the power to make me want you. Actually,” Liam corrected himself after a second, “I want you all the time. I just value my status enough to get out of the nest long enough to trade.”

Ondry’s nostrils flared and he rumbled in happiness.  Releasing Liam’s wrists, Ondry shifted so he crouched over Liam, pressing down on him. Liam ran his hands over Ondry’s shoulders and opened his mouth when Ondry leaned close for another kiss. The moment their lips pressed together, Ondry pressed his tail into Liam’s hole until Liam practically saw spots. Maybe that was the lust and maybe it was oxygen loss because he had stopped breathing. 

Liam sucked in a breath the moment Ondry ended their kiss. Then he spread his legs as much as he could with Ondry’s knees on either side of him, trapping him.  Ondry slowly thrust into him, each stroke torturing Liam with pleasure that threatened to overwhelm him.

Clutching Ondry’s strong arms, Liam writhed as the sexual frustration grew.  “Sometimes I think we should declare ourselves dalit and remain in our nest all the time. We have no need for status,” Ondry whispered in Liam’s ear.  A hard shiver left Liam clinging to Ondry as his orgasm crept closer and closer.  That was the nastiest, dirtiest bedroom talk Liam could imagine. Of course Ondry would never renounce status, but to hear him say he considered Liam worth as much or more than all his status was the sexiest thing in the universe.

“I would follow you anywhere, even to name myself dalit,” Liam said, trembling at the taboo of even saying as much. Heat gathered between them, and Liam’s balls ached with a need to come.  Ondry wrapped a huge hand around Liam’s cock, his hold gentle as he stroked in an almost delicate motion while his tail pounded into Liam’s hole, hitting his prostate every time.

Ondry kissed Liam’s neck in the spot where Liam would have a fora if he’d been Rownt, and Liam turned his head, yielding to his lover’s need to explore. Ondry sucked at his neck and tightened his hold around Liam’s shaft.

Liam raised his legs, wrapping them around Ondry’s hips and nearly screaming when the new angle and Ondry’s tail combined to drive Liam over the edge. Spurts of cum splashed both of them, white splatter decorating Ondry’s and Liam’s stomachs.  A series of shivers wracked Liam’s body, and Ondry moved to lay next to him, pulling him close so Liam was tucked under Ondry’s chin.

“You bring joy to our nest,” Ondry said quietly.

“You bring joy to my life,” Liam countered. Ondry was all he needed. He was all Liam had ever needed.  Liam should probably get online and start looking into local charities and government support services, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.  Laying in Ondry’s arms sapped all energy from him until the problems of the universe meant nothing compared to his chilta. 

Then again, Liam had never cared as much about the universe as he did Ondry.