scientists in the 1990s, putting a Get More Purple gene attached to a harmless plant virus into an already purple petunia: please get more purple
the petunia, sensing an apparent honest to god Get More Purple Disease, using the previously undiscovered RNAi antiviral ability to shut down all other purple genes along with it just in case: you put VIRUS in petunia? you infect her with the More Purple?? oh! oh! her children shall bloom white! jail for mother, jail for mother for One Thousand Years!!!!
You know, looking back at my young days living in a Christian home and going to a totally-not-an-evangelical church every Sunday, I never realized how much my church and my Christian summer camps were grooming us to be Christian nationalists when we grew up, because we were told that every Sunday, we had three pledges of allegiance that we needed to say...
The first one was the pledge of allegiance (not sure if this is an exclusively American thing, but that's cute I'm a big dumb American lol) which goes
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice to all
The next one was the pledge to the Christian flag. Yes, this is a thing. No, I didn't grow up in the South, but you'd be amazed how much there's crossovers... And this one goes
I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One savior, crucified, risen and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe
The last one I had to say was the pledge of allegiance to the bible. Yes, this was/is a thing, and it's just as cringe as you might be thinking...
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's holy word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I will wear it's words on my heart so that I might not sin against God.
Yes, these were actual things that I had to say on a regular basis, I had to keep a Bible next to my bed so that I can do the Bible pledge every morning when I woke up and the flag pledge was said at school. Of course, I was also "encouraged" (told) to participate in the national flagpole day, where all Christian children were supposed to do their duty as good Christian soldiers (eye roll) and go out and pray at the flagpole for America because apparently Christians are *SO* oppressed...
It's only looking back from the perspective of a former Christian and current skeptic that I can see just how much I was groomed from childhood not to follow the teachings of Christ, but to put nation first and to bend belief around politics. I suppose that many of these teachings were responsible for how I was when I was younger, but when I started to pay attention to everything happening, the veil of extremism slowly left me. I wish it would happen to others.
So it’s 2020 and I’m drawing Hannah Montana again but like what if She Ra AU. Miley Stuart finds a magic microphone to turn into Hannah Montana ok. No I don’t take constructive criticism.
BESTIES IM SO ELATED i thought i lost them all while moving but i just found one of my Yajima charms i drew and custom made for myself long ago pre-covid while i was still doing artist alleys
my scrunkly Yajima..... you're my phone charm now, chu-chu ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Taking a little break from all the tinkering involved in making a game to stretch my prose-writing muscles - and explore a couple of the characters in the game a bit while I'm at it, why not.
It's Pan and Ty from @fawnduu's Big Cats comic! Love these two.
This is shortly after Ty was uh... 'recruited'... I guess? Are we calling it that? She's still completely green and useless here - and utterly pissing Pan off for it. Worse is the way Boss looks at her. Worse even still is the way she looks back. So Pan decides tonight's the night she oughta set the idiot straight about a few things if she's gonna be sticking around.
Nothin' At All - A Big Cats Fanfic (AO3)
Ti-ger.
Smilin’ like a damn idiot.
Ain’t no Big Cat on Earth smiles that stupid.
But there she was, smilin’ away fer the Boss’s kindness, light in her eyes that she couldn’t hope to hide, fallin’ stupid and soft fer the woman who saved her.
Panther kept her own eye glintin’ in the evenin’s fire to hide her watchful gaze, tippin’ her bottle back, countin’ with mouthfuls of whiskey just how many of Boss’s fingers touched on that soft baby Tiger’s coat – a playful rufflin’ of the hair – a hand on a thigh that squeezed so assurin’ly – a clap on a shoulder that turned into a little grabbin’ at the scruff of the neck. Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen – on and on until she’d gone through a whole bottle-and-a-half, and the others had all stumbled away laughin’ and sayin’ good-night through drunken smiles.
Then, at last, only a Panther and a Tiger remained – with low, cracklin’ embers between ’em, and a canopy of milk and glitter watchin’ above.
“Yer awful quiet t’night,” called the Tiger across the circle, still wearin’ that childish blush on her cheeks Boss’s attention had put there. Barely any whiskey in her to justify it, too. Embarassin’ fuckin’ child of a woman. Can’t drink. Can’t ride a horse. Can’t tie a calf. Can’t barely start a fire. Sure as hell can’t cook – whole camp nearly threw up from all the salt she put in the last breakfast she did.
And she surely sure as hell don’t know how good she’s got it, from that stupid look in her eyes fer Boss. Fawnin’. Fawnin’ ain’t gratitude. It ain’t reverence. It ain’t respect like the Boss’s owed.
As Boss’s number one, Pan had a sworn duty to keep her from makin’ a mistake that’d hurt the girls, and this Tiger was fixin’ to be just such a mistake.
Panther grinned to herself and stood, swayin’, teeth bared and mean, to round the circle and settle in next to the newest member of the family, slingin’ an arm ’round her neck and over her shoulder, lettin’ her hand dangle there over Ty’s heart.
She shoved her half-empty bottle in Ty’s hand and told her to tip it back – and if she had the stupid idea to stop before Pan’s say so, she’d be lickin’ boots clean until the sun came up – “Heel-to-toe,” Pan added, with her fangs bared.
Ty didn’t see the danger in it. Just did as she was told. Such a good girl. No wonder Boss loved her so much, despite how much of a mistake she was.
Just as Pan figured, Boss’s newest acquisition here sure as hell wasn’t used to takin’ liquor. Just a kid, wasn’t she?
When Ty was about to give up – tears wellin’ in her eyes from the fire in her throat – Pan curled her fingers ’round the back of Ty’s head to hold her still, and wedged the tip of a finger under the bottle to keep it tipped high.
“Good girl. Swallow it all fer me now. No chokin’.”
Ty was practically whinin’ for Pan when the last few fiery drops crawled down her throat.
While she was coughin’ and gaspin’ fer air, recoverin’ after takin’ the whole bottom half of the bottle in her all at once, Pan admired the empty glass in the firelight.
“How’s it feel?” she asked, lazily, meanly, puttin’ the squeeze on Ty with her arm ’round the girl, hard enough to get a little groan outta her. “—Her hand takin’ the scruff a’ yer neck like that?”
“…How d’ya mean?” Ty asked, hoarse and dis-orientated.
“What ain’t clear? I’m askin’ ya how it feels to be caged, Tiger. How’s it feel havin’ the most powerful woman in the Great Basin tyin’ a leash ’round yer neck and smilin’ the whole time doin’ it?”
“She ain’t… trappin’ me… Wh-what’re you…?”
Pan laughed hard and clapped Ty’s shoulder.
“Didn’t say it was a trap. Just wanna know if you appreciate it. What it means to belong to a woman like that. To have her eyes on ya – t’have her care fer ya.”
“Pan what’er you goin’ on ’bout…? You had too much t’drink…”
“Hey.” Pan grabbed Ty’s chin and forced her to face. “Hey. You shit. You look at me when I’m talkin’. —I’m the boss when Boss ain’t around. Got it? You watch yer tongue, or I’ll put it to work polishin’ my leather.”
Ty’s face turned flush a breath when Pan said it, before she replied, real soft and quiet and like she knew she had to: “Yes, boss.”
“Good girl. Now answer the question.”
“…Feels… nice. I guess.”
“Nice.” Pan laughed hard at that: “Ha! Feels nice. That all ya have ta say?”
Ty blushed and looked away. “Ain’t got anythin’ else t’say on it,” she said, like a liar with plenty more t’say on it.
Pan squeezed her again. “Lie to me again and I’ll put yer tongue—”
“—What d’ya wanna hear, Panther?”
“I wanna hear what that stupid look in yer eyes fer her is sayin’.”
“Sayin’ thanks!”
“That ain’t thanks. Watched you all night lookin’ at her and I didn’t see one breath a’ thanks in ya.”
“Well thanks is what it meant. How the hell else’re ya supposed to look at the woman who saved ya like she did?”
“She saved all a’ us, Ty. You ain’t special. Sooner you realize that, sooner you’ll start fittin’ in ’round here instead a’ lookin’ like an idiot every time she says yer name – and lettin’ everyone down doin’ it.”
Ty scowled and swore at Pan, askin’, “Fuck’s yer problem?” and rollin’ her shoulder hard enough to knock Pan’s arm away.
Pan wasn’t to be knocked away though. She dug a tight set of claws curled ’round the back of Ty’s neck to remind her that, then explained it real fuckin’ clear:
“My problem’s I got a spoiled brat on my hands who ain’t pullin’ her weight – who thinks she’s gonna ger her dick wet just ’cause her Boss is bein’ kind to her—”
“—I ain’t! —It–it ain’t like that!”
Pan gave Ty an incredulous deadpan glare to tell her how goddam obvious a lie that was.
“Yer’ red as a tomato, Ty.”
“From… From all that… that bourbon!”
“…That?” Pan lifted up the bottle. “That’s plain whiskey. The weak shit, too.” Pan paused a breath before she sighed and asked Ty to scold her. “What d’ya think’s gonna happen, Tiger? You look at her soft enough and she’s gonna spread her legs fer ya?”
Ty stood up in a rush and scowled at Pan. “I ain’t gotta listen to this… I’m goin’ t’bed.”
“Sit yer ass down. I ain’t done fixin’ you.”
Pan wasn’t sure if it was obedience or just because Ty was suddenly stumblin’ drunk and stupid, but the girl did have the sense to sit back down when commanded.
She went on pokin’ at Ty to try to put some good sense in her head:
“You think yer’ the first one she’s ever smiled at so sweetly?”
Ty’s eyes fell when Pan made the obvious clear for her. Her fingers started fiddlin’. Her gaze wandered over to Boss’s tent and back.
Then she asked a damn stupid question:
“She… She does that fer everyone?”
“Aw damn, Tiger, you really did think you were special, didn’tcha? No one ever touched you all nice and soft before?”
“…She was that close with you?”
Pan’s grin faltered a breath, rememberin’ just how close and tender Boss’d been with her when she was first brought on.
Maybe ‘nice’ was right – the way it felt, bein’ hers. Maybe there wasn’t a better word for bein’ touched with kindness fer the first time in yer life.
Boss made her scars feel like treasures, when Pan was laid up and recoverin’ from that first bullet she ever took fer the gang. Was like she was tracin’ a curious map, tenderly crawlin’ her fingertips over the rough and ugly landscape of the hills and valleys carved into Pan’s back and shoulders. Boss blessed ’em all, and swore vengeance for each and every mark with that silent, bitter, tooth-grindin’ fire in her eyes.
Close.
Could call that close.
…Could even call it close when Pan got a chance to drink in the perfume of the tequila-sweetened-sweat of Boss’s bush, from her shovin’ Pan’s nose in it fer hours, that one good-and-reckless night – that one good-and-reckless night that turned into a… good-mornin’ with a clap on her shoulder that meant, “That was a fun nothin’-at-all.”
Before Pan could answer the question about just how close she’d been, Ty seemed to take an answer from the silence, and kept on askin’ more – soundin’ soft and sweet and wary in a way a Tiger never oughta sound:
“Does she ever get… closer?”
Pan grinned at her. “Why ya askin’ so scared like that?”
“Don’t wanna disappoint the most powerful woman in the Great Basin’s all. After all she’s done for me. …I want to… to pay her back… To make her… smile nice like she does. She deserves that.”
Panther’s grin broke then. She rested that empty bottle on her thigh. Her eye took that earnest Tiger in, lookin’ softer after her than a Panther ever oughta look at her prey.
“You can disappoint me, Ty, the way you fumble and fuck around. Disappoint the other girls, too, if ya ever run scared, if ya ever make ’em carry yer weight when you oughta do it yerself. And ya sure as hell oughta disappoint yerself if y’ever let any of us burn to save yer own ass from the fire. But you ain’t ever gonna disappoint her. That ain’t how she is.”
“…You know that ain’t what I meant.”
Panther clapped Ty on the shoulder again with a chuckle. “You meant how’s a useless fumblin’ virgin like you ever gonna make a queen like that moan yer name. That it?”
Ty looked away, blushin’ and frownin’. “Ain’t a… a damn blushin’ belle, Panther…”
“Yer’ blushin’ though.”
“Ain’t been with a woman’s all. It’s… different.”
Pan laughed and jabbed at Ty, “How d’ya know it’s different if y’ain’t tried?”
“I know I ain’t ever heard a man complainin’ ’bout a lady in his bed. And I don’t fancy bein’ complained about like all the ladies do of them in return. —And how’m I s’posed to try, huh? Can’t exactly put a sign up sayin’ I’m lookin’ to find a woman like… like that. Get strung up fer it. …And never mind even findin’ one when all the good women’re taken by the worst men I ever met.”
“Ain’t ever heard of a brothel?”
“…I ain’t eager fer payin’ to be lied to ’bout how the dick I ain’t got’s bigger than anyone around.”
“Oh, they ain’t all like that. I can introduce ya if yer’ shy.”
“I ain’t shy,” Ty said, blushin’, like a liar.
Pan grinned at her, showin’ her canines off. “Y’know, you don’t gotta find a woman who wants you, Tiger. Or even pay one to pretend at it. You just gotta show ’er she’s already been wantin’ you every lonely night a’ her life. Don’t need to worry about who’s taken when they’re givin’ themselves to ya.”
“Yer’ dreamin’.”
“You think I’m a blushin’ virgin, Tiger? Thought I told you to watch yer tongue.”
“Ain’t ever heard you talkin’ ’bout showin’ a woman how lonely her bed’s been all her life.”
Panther bared her teeth and slammed her bottle on the log beside her. With a snarl, she darted her hand out to grab a tight fistful of Ty’s shirt, half-standin’ to stare the arrogant brat down. “Now yer’ pissin’ me off.”
“Hey, come on, I’m just teasin’—”
“I told you what’d happen, Ty.”
“Wha—?”
Ty’s stammerin’ confusion was cut short by a shout and a grunt when Panther yanked her hard to drop her to her knees.
She stood tall in front of Ty and nudged Ty’s cheek with her knee, then presented the toe of her boot.
“Fuck off, Panther, I ain’t gonna—”
In an instant, Panther’s fingers had a tight fistful of Ty’s greasy, scruffy hair – to correct the girl:
“When Boss ain’t around, I’m the boss. Now what d’ya say to yer boss, Tiger?”
“…Yes… boss.”
Pan shoved Ty’s head down with a sneer.
“Good girl. Now lick the dirt off real nice. Make ’em shine and I’ll even give ya somethin’ nice to wash it down.”
Pan watched with smug satisfaction while Ty lowered her eyes, face all flush red with shame, knowin’ her place. And she couldn’t help the grin spreadin’ across her face with every inch Ty sunk toward her boot.
Tongue out.
Furious.
Obedient.
Pan bit her lip in anticipation. Somethin’ stirred in her. A rush of heat and need.
There might be some use for the brat after all, if Pan could whip her into shape.
So she thought, for a moment.
But then, in a blink and a yelp, Pan wasn’t lookin’ down on an obedient little kitten of a Tiger anymore. Instead, Pan was shoved and stumblin’ back off her guard, and suddenly facin’ off against a stubborn snarlin’ beast with her fangs bared.
“Ty. You get back in yer place, on yer knees fer me, now, or I’ll beat ya black and blue until yer bruises remember yer place for you.”
“No. No. For her? For what she did? I’ll eat fresh shit outta the pasture. But I ain’t grovelin’ fer you.”
Fightin’ words thrown. Nothin’ for it then but to fight.
Pan lowered her stance and raised her fists with a sneer. “I warned ya.”
Pan was supposed to be in charge here, but Ty’s eyes were damn intimidatin’, Pan couldn’t pretend they weren’t. Especially all lit up from below by the flame – and set a couple inches closer to the stars than hers. But Big Cats don’t back down, no matter how tall and terrifyin’ whatever they’re facin’ might be.
And she’d never live it down, limpin’ away from a brat like Ty.
Both of them were swayin’, but Ty was worse, lightweight kid she was. Her first lungin’ punch swung wide, leavin’ her stumblin’ forward, facin’ wrong. Pan’s counter, though, tryin’ to bury a fist in Ty’s exposed kidney, ended up with her stumblin’ forward too. Her knuckles slipped right off Ty’s back, and she ended up holdin’ herself up clutchin’ at Ty’s shirt, while Ty tried to twist herself out of Pan’s grasp.
In a mad scramble, Pan tried to get Ty in a headlock, but Ty managed to duck out of it and scramble away herself, turnin’ to face off again. Both of them were already pantin’ from the poundin’ of their hearts and the rush of the fight ahead.
A grin crawled across Pan’s face. She ain’t had a good bout in months.
Ty’s lips curled into a grin herself.
Pride.
Arrogant fucker.
“You fight like a pissy little drunkard,” Pan teased.
“You too.”
“Say that when yer’ winnin’, Tiger.”
“You think yer’ winnin’??” Ty laughed hard at that before she charged Pan, aimin’ to bury her shoulder in Pan’s chest, tryin’ to topple her. But Pan’s feet were planted too well, and Ty’s were still stumblin’ – like a pissy little drunkard.
Pan scrambled to grab the back of Ty’s shirt, tryin’ to pull it right over her head, but the two of them ended up just spinnin’ ’round and ’round, grabbin’ each other’s chest for balance, barely keepin’ their boots out of the flame, tearin’ seams and poppin’ buttons off into the dark and fire – until their swellin’ chests were bare in the firelight, tits out – and all their scars on display for the milk and glitter above. And – hunched forward there, breathin’ heavy, a lifetime of beatin’ and abuse on display and still standin’ strong and spiteful despite it all – Ty was startin’ to look a lot more like a wild beast than a spoiled kitten.
Pan couldn’t help admirin’ ’em – her scars. The map of her upbringin’. S’posed to harden ya up, gettin’ cut so many times. …So how’d she end up so damn soft and useless? What was all that spite for if she wasn’t gonna use it to serve the gang?
Pan grinned mean at her and jabbed at her with a sharp tongue: “Ain’t you got just the prettiest tits, princess. Bet you whine like a needy little bitch when yer’ gettin’ milked.”
“Shut yer mouth.”
“Am I right? Yer’ just a needy little bitch? All this talk of makin’ women swoon fer ya and all you want’s to get put on yer back like a precious little lady—?”
Ty’s canines glinted bright in the fire. She was practically roarin’ when she charged Pan again, harder than ever, but still stumblin’ so drunk and stupid. Girl really needed to learn to hold her whiskey.
Pan managed to get behind her again, and managed to get Ty’s neck nestled snug and firm in the crook of her elbow this time.
While Ty struggled, desperately graspin’ at Pan’s arm, tryin’ and failin’ to pry herself free, Pan whispered cruel in her ear, “I’m gonna make you beg, princess.”
“Fuck off,” Ty hissed, breathlessly.
Pan just tightened her grip on her prey, though, silencin’ her proper, makin’ her flail, before she dared to reach around with her other hand and steal a fistful of Ty’s dignity.
When Pan pinched her nipple between her knuckle and thumb, Ty shuddered and stiffened up in an instant.
“Oh you are a needy little bitch, ain’tcha?”
Again, Ty hissed breathlessly, desperate now, thrashin’: “I’ll kill you.”
“Whine fer me, bitch,” Pan said with a cruel grin, before she squeezed Ty’s tit like milkin’ a cow and slid her tongue up the back of Ty’s neck, lickin’ up the sweat of their fight, puttin’ a rush of heat in her own guts for it.
And Ty did whine so nice fer her.
Pan pressed her crotch into Ty’s ass to grind on her a little, to satisfy an itch, but that itch was gettin’ unbearable fast with every writhin’ moan and shudder she was milkin’ outta her prey.
She loosened her hold on Ty’s neck just enough to let her breathe easy before she whispered, sultry and cruel in Ty’s ear: “I’ll show ya.”
“Show me what…?”
“What you’ve been wantin’ every lonely night a’ yer life.”
“Fuck off, Pan, I ain’t… I ain’t no bitch fer you to fuck…”
“You wanna know how? How ta make her moan yer name all hot and sweet and slow as molasses?” Pan lowered her voice and snarled the rest: “I know.”
With a fierce growl, Ty surged with a burst of rage and managed to drive a hard elbow into Pan’s ribs, sendin’ her reelin’ back clutchin’ at herself and swearin’.
And Ty didn’t even have the kindness to give her a breath to recover before she shoved Panther right over one of the bench logs, topplin’ her over, flat on her back, and knockin’ her hat clean off.
Ty stood there swellin’ with rage, her back to the flame, tauntin’ Pan to get th’fuck back up and fight her. Pan couldn’t see her face, makin’ it awful hard to tell if she was grinnin’ for the thrill of it, or because she was ready to kill.
Pan, though, was very much grinnin’ for the thrill of puttin’ such an arrogant piece of work in her place.
She cautiously approached, fists up, heart poundin’, tauntin’ Ty fer her childishness:
“Ya jealous Tiger?”
“Ha!”
“Yeah. Yer’ right. Ain’t even a competition, is it? Outclassed in every way, ain’tcha? —You don’t have what it takes to make her happy.”
Ty laughed cruel at that and taunted Pan right on back. “And you do? That why yer’ sleepin’ alone every night, Panther? ’Cause you make her so damn happy?”
Pan scowled at her and bared her teeth. “Shut yer mouth.”
“Why don’t you try an’ shut it for me.”
“Oh my pleasure.”
Pan stepped up on Ty to take up that generous invitation. She dodged a hook by duckin’ and planted a tight fist in Ty’s gut – a tight fist that oughta’ve sent Ty stumblin’ back, but that ain’t what happened. Instead, Ty stood firm as an oak and dropped an elbow on Pan’s shoulder that nearly knocked her to the ground.
Pan quickly lunged at Ty from far down low, grabbin’ her thigh and hoistin’ her up, tossin’ her back on her back, givin’ herself a little space to breathe and recover from the daze of bein’ hit so hard – and hittin’ so weak.
Her arm was tinglin’.
Ty got back on her feet and came back swingin’ again. Pan barely managed to block the first couple hits, takin’ em hard in her forearms. The third slipped through, heavy, like a damn horse’s kick, and cracked her right in the lip, sendin’ her back dazed and tastin’ blood.
Pan wiped it off with the back of her hand and stared at the bright red stain for a second. When she shook her head in a bitter fumin’ fury, a few more drops of blood dripped off her chin, stainin’ her tits through her tore-open shirt.
“…You… fucker…”
With a renewed fire in her eye, Pan charged at Ty, endurin’ another couple blows to tackle her right to the ground, before gettin’ herself planted on Ty’s hips and startin’ in on beatin’ the shit outta her face.
But she could barely land more than a couple grazin’ hits through Ty’s blockin’, and it was only a matter of time before Ty was swingin’ back.
She even managed to snatch Pan’s wrist durin’ a sloppy punch, and Pan managed to catch Ty’s just the same, forcin’ the two of them into a gruntin’, sweatin’, swearin’ grapple that neither of them could get any headway on.
Pan tried her best to smash her forehead right into Ty’s face, but that damn brat managed to raise her own forehead up to meet her, and the two of them ended up glarin’ each other in the eye, shovin’ each other’s faces this way and that like two bucks tangled in each other’s horns.
Even though she was pinned useless under Pan, Ty started grinnin’ like an arrogant little fucker, tauntin’: “This how you fucked her? No wonder yer’ sleepin’ alone.”
“I’ll show you how I fucked her, you bitch.”
Then Pan snapped her head back and forward again to crack Ty’s skull, dazin’ her enough to lose her grip on Pan’s wrist – enough for Pan to bury a couple shots hard in Ty’s diaphragm to make her crumple limp and useless under Pan’s weight. And just as Ty was graspin’ at Pan to stop, Pan took Ty’s wrist – both of them now, and hoisted them up over her head like a tied deer drainin’ out.
But even defeated like that, fully defeated, Ty was still squirmin’, smilin’ mean, buckin’ her hips, tryin’ to throw Pan off – but all it was doin’ was rilin’ Pan up even more than all that spilled blood and steamy sweat was doin’.
The force of it shoved Pan around until, once again, Pan found her forehead pressed hard into Ty’s, fiery eye-locked, pinnin’ her to the Earth, breathin’ heavy, tastin’ the sweet dew of whiskey on Ty’s breath with every inhale.
Made her smile thinkin’ about lickin’ it off her prey after fillin’ her with it herself.
Smilin’ mean to herself like that, she spotted somethin’ in the fire of Ty’s eye. Must’ve been the same thing Boss saw in her Tiger:
Somethin’ fierce, but soft. Wild, but… tamable, she knew it. She could feel it in the dwindlin’ of Ty’s buckin’ hips under her. All that fire could be hers to control. But that fire wasn’t for Pan to take. Ty wasn’t for Pan. Ty was for Boss.
…Which made it feel all the more… precious… when Pan took her first, smilin’ so cruel and possessive over her prize…
Ty fought back a few breaths, but every time she tried to pull away, Pan caught her lip between her teeth, trappin’ her and grinnin’ mean at her.
She forced her tongue past Ty’s teeth and took her whiskey-flavored fill of the little brat, who got it in her head that she might find some victory wrestlin’ tongues with Pan, but she was just a blushin’ virgin after all and she didn’t stand a chance of fightin’ back. Couldn’t even force her tongue past Pan’s lips.
That fightin’ Tiger’s muffled growls dulled into pathetic, mewlin’ little hums when she finally submitted to Pan’s intrusion. The squirmin’ in her wrists slowed until Pan could feel her fists flexin’ in a steady rhythm. And those buckin’ hips started grindin’, all achin’ and eager up into Pan’s crotch.
When Pan retreated for a breath, savorin’ the tickle of Ty’s tongue chasin’ after hers, she teased, “You fuckin’ virgin… You want it so bad you look stupid for it. When was the last time you fucked yerself, huh?”
Ty looked away, and that was answer enough.
“You ain’t…” Pan laughed hard. “Jesus Ty. You shy or somethin’? Precious? Stop actin’ like a fuckin’ tourist. It’s pissin’ me off. This’s yer home too, you fuckin’ princess. Make a mess a’ yer own sheets if it’s drivin’ you stupid.”
“Would you… just… stop fuckin’ teasin’ me and take what you want already. You won, you don’t gotta fuckin’ rub it in.”
Pan grinned mean at her and let one of her wrists free so she could crawl her hand down under Ty’s belt to feel just how pathetic her prey was for her.
Girl’s cunt was slicker under Pan’s fingertips than a chicken marinadin’ in oil.
“Oh, I’m gonna fuck you so stupid, Tiger.”
She slipped a finger inside Ty’s tight little hole and got a writhin’, un-Tigerly whine out of her.
“Ty… Have some fuckin’ dignity. Y’ain’t gonna woo any women whimerpin’ like that.” Pan cruelly shoved a second finger inside to stretch Ty open for her. And she was so damn pleased to see her little protégé holdin’ her breath this time, to keep her voice in like she oughta. “That’s a good girl. Not a sound ’til I say so. Got it?”
Ty nodded – a drunken, blushy stupidity all over her face.
Awful fast, wasn’t it? Goin’ from fuck off to fuck me? And just fer the promise of a little tutorial – and a couple rough fingers provin’ the worth of Pan’s expertise.
She released Ty’s other wrist and immediately started tearin’ Ty’s belt and pants off, still breathin’ heavy herself, heart poundin’ furious, wary Ty might have the idea to start beatin’ on her again any moment. But no, she was scared straight and compliant at last, after Pan had beat her down to the ground.
Ty’s pants were ’round her ankles for Pan in a moment, layin’ on her back in the hot, packed dirt ’round the firepit, and spreadin’ her thighs so eagerly for Pan’s fingers to carry on fuckin’ her.
“God yer’ quite the handsome fuckin’ beast to look at, ain’tcha…” Pan said, caressin’ Ty’s trunk and diggin’ her claws cruelly into Ty’s abs – to feel her tensin’ up from those fingers sloppily churnin’ her insides up.
Her fingertips wandered about Ty’s tantalizin’ trunk, searchin’ out the ridges of her deepest scars, and tracin’ ’em with her nails to make Ty squirm, rememberin’ her wounds.
She cupped one of Ty’s tidy little tits in her hand and pinched her nipple between knuckle and thumb to see if she could force Ty to break her silence, but all it did was make Ty gasp and twist around. When Pan started drawin’ Ty’s stiff nipples to the stars, tryin’ to make her squeal, Ty started raisin’ her chest, desperately chasin’ after Pan’s hand as she tugged at her.
But still, not a sound.
“Good girl… You really ain’t anyone’s bitch, are ya?”
Ty shook her head no.
“Good. That’s what I wanna see. …Tell ya what, keep bein’ good fer me, Ty, and I’ll show ya the good stuff.”
Ty gave her a curious look, but still she kept quiet.
“How t’make her cum fer ya, I mean. Make her moan yer name and dig her fingers into yer skull. —Ain’t special to her, mind. It’s what all those women in town’ve been waitin’ for all their lives. I got it, Ty. —And you need it.”
Pan rushed to strip Ty’s pants all the way off and tossed them into the dark beyond the circle, leavin’ her naked from the waist down under the stars and next to the cracklin’ embers, handsome scar-pocked chest all exposed with her buttons tore open like they were, wearin’ nothin’ else but her boots.
Then Pan hoisted the girl’s thighs up on her shoulders and dipped her nose down to drink in the perfume of Ty’s bush. Sweat. Sex. Beast. Pan’s bed had been empty too damn long and Ty was too damn fuckin’ delicious a stolen treasure to stop herself.
She roughly sucked the salt and sweetness off of Ty’s cunt like she was a starvin’ toothless lunatic suckin’ the gristle off a bone – which set Ty buckin’ her hips wildly in the air and shudderin’ like mad, clawin’ out for Pan’s head to try to push her away.
But Pan wasn’t about to be kept from her prize. She trapped Ty’s wrists in tight fists whenever she got too close and just kept on. She dipped her tongue in that tight little hole of Ty’s and lord the heat of her insides was a savory treat Pan had forgotten how badly she missed.
The poor thing didn’t last one whole minute of Pan sucklin’ at her clit before she started crushin’ Pan’s head with her thighs nearly strong enough to kill her.
Pan was breathin’ heavy, wipin’ Ty off her lips and chin, when she teased, “Ya gotta work on that, Tiger. I was just messin’ around there. Damn embarassin’ fer you to finish that fast.”
Ty tried her best to taunt Pan back, but it wasn’t havin’ quite as much punch as she intended, through all the stutterin’: “Y–yeah? L–like t–to see how long you l–last…”
“Well, ain’t that a brilliant idea. —How about you get back on yer knees then, Tiger. Where you belong. We’ll see how you do.”
Ty only hesitated a moment before she did as Pan instructed her. Got sat on her knees next to the quiet fire, while Pan hastily fussed with the rattlin’ clasp of her own belt, grinnin’ at the girl the whole time – until her pants fell to the ground with a clatter for her to strut out of, right on up to Ty.
She took a playful fistful of Ty’s hair and shoved her nose right up into her bush.
“Deep breaths, Tiger.”
Pan barely kept a sigh in when she felt Ty’s sultry exhalations, all warm and heavy on her cunt.
“Good. Good girl. That’s the way. How’s that for ya?”
Ty’s eyes were taken over with a drunken haze that answered the question without a word. She was lost in her first taste of the heady musk of a woman. The little blushin’ virgin was born for this.
Pan lifted and dropped all the weight of one of her thighs on Ty’s shoulder and directed the girl’s mouth right where it needed to be – to lick up the fragrant juice of her cunt, just like Pan showed her to do. And she couldn’t help shudderin’ herself when Ty’s rough tongue dragged its way from her hole all the way up over her stiff, throbbin’ clit.
She was hungrily gatherin’ every drop on the way – and swallowin’ it down too, all greedy for more.
Pan grasped Ty’s head with both hands and curled into her more lick after lick, tryin’ to hold her breath – and failin’.
“Ffffuck… Good girl… Now how ’bout you wrap yer lips around that,” she said, shovin’ her clit right into Ty’s tongue as she passed over it, “and give it a good long lickin’… Your woman’ll thank you for it – and you can thank me fer that when she does.”
Ty gave her a jabbin’ sort of look for a moment. A terrfiyin’ sort of killer look. Then, before Pan could do anythin’ to stop her, she had the damn audacity to drag her teeth over Pan’s clit – with a silent threat to pinch it between them.
“Hey!” Pan whacked Ty upside the head for her stupidity. “No fuckin’ teeth!! —Or do you want me t’beat yer ass into the ground again??”
The moment the words left Pan’s mouth, she felt an uneasy flutterin’ in her guts, because the moment the words left Pan’s mouth, Ty’s eyes got that fire in ’em again – and Pan was in a very dangerous position there to be starin’ down two fiery eyes like that – standin’ preciously on one foot as she was – back to the cracklin’ coals – tender clit between that Tiger’s fangs – held up only by what little balance the beast was grantin’ her with those hands of hers wrapped around Pan’s ass and squeezin’ hard to keep her cunt right there where she wanted it. Trapped.
“Now… Haha… Now, Ty. Y-you behave now.”
The first cruel nibble made Pan yelp and spasm wildly, whackin’ Ty’s head again and demandin’ her to stop. The second one left Pan graspin’ Ty’s hair and yankin’ on it, but all that did was make Ty bite down harder and grind her teeth into Pan’s tenderness until her guts were twistin’ in knots. Got to the point all she could do was freeze perfectly still and pray Ty would do the same.
Without lettin’ up her torturous little tooth-pinch, Ty parted her lips to make her terms as clear as she could, considerin’: “Say b-lease.”
“I ain’t beggin’—Ah! Fuck!! Stop! Stop.”
“Say it.”
Pan swore to herself first, but she wasn’t in any position to continue fightin’ on it.
“Fine! You fucker. Please stop.”
Ty finally let go, havin’ the decency to speak properly this time: “That ain’t what I meant. Beg me for it.”
“For… For what…?”
“To make you cum like a little bitch.”
“I ain’t fuckin’ sayin’—No!! Stop! Christ. Okay. Okay. Fuckin’. Be a good girl for me and make me cum like a fuckin’ bitch, please. And thank you. And watch yer fuckin’ back ’cause I know where you sleep.”
“There ya go. Good girl.”
“You don’t get to fuckin’ call me tha—fff-uck…”
Pan curled into Ty again when she finally did as she was told and got her lips wrapped around Pan’s clit and her tongue slidin’ over it so fuckin’ nice. Pan was shudderin’ and shaky as a blushin’ virgin herself after that cruel, toothy assault left her so raw and tender.
And shit, Pan hated to admit it, but Ty was a little prodigy at it. Couldn’t figure out a gun or a rope after weeks of tryin’ at it, but her tongue work was immaculate – and relentless. Pan kept expectin’ the kid to come up for air at some point, but she just wouldn’t let up. No way in hell was Pan about to start beggin’ again, but she was losin’ her breath and shudderin’ and gettin’ weak-kneed for it.
When she looked down at Ty, those eyes were lookin’ right back at her sayin’, “Cum fer me,” with the fire in ’em. And Pan was awful sick of seein’ all that the ego. She grabbed Ty’s head real firm with both hands and started fuckin’ her clit into Ty’s mouth, takin’ control of the rhythm, keepin’ Ty there even when she tried to pull away.
“That’s the way… Swallow it all fer me… No chokin’…” she added with a mean grin.
Her cum was runnin’ all down Ty’s chin and neck and on to her tits when she was done with the girl, stainin’ her skin along with a fine sheen of sweat in the dim firelight.
Terrible job swallowin’, but damn if she didn’t look hot enough covered in Pan’s mess that she could forgive it just once.
Pan stumbled right on back to fall on her ass there, laughin’ to herself in a stupid daze from how good that was, takin’ Boss’s Tiger fer herself. That woman had good taste, pickin’ out a girl like that.
In her stupor, she didn’t realize until it was too late and Ty was already on her, forcin’ her down with a heavy hand on her chest, partin’ her thighs kneelin’ between them, and shovin’ a couple rough fingers in her hole to make her moan. Pan darted her hands out to try to stop Ty, grabbin’ her wrist, but she wasn’t goin’ to be stopped.
“W-wait! Wait. Not here. Yer gettin’ my ass all filthy, you horny fuckin’ dog.”
“Oh ain’t you fuckin’ precious, hey Panther? I’ve been down here in the dirt this whole damn time. It’s yer turn.”
“I ain’t… gettin’ a mess all over me… when yer’ not even fuckin’ doin’ it properly…” Pan glanced over at Ty’s tent and told her they oughta take it inside. “I can’t show ya how to do it right, fuckin’ rough on the ground like this. Need a good bed fer my lessons. —And I ain’t stainin’ my sheets fer a damn blushin’ virgin like you.”
Ty froze to consider it for a breath before she grinned and stood and yanked Pan up to her feet, shovin’ her towards the tent in a rush. And the moment Pan stepped over the threshold, she got shoved even harder until she tumbled onto Ty’s bed. Didn’t even have a chance to get herself righted before Ty was already rough-handlin’ her thighs and throwin’ her around into whatever position suited her.
Got Pan’s blood boilin’ again, bein’ handled so. She found the right angle to launch herself at Ty, surprisin’ her and pinnin’ her shoulders to her own bed. Takin’ a cruel fistful of Ty’s hair, she yanked the girl’s head into position to take a tongue-fuckin’ kiss that melted her right into the sheets – or at least it melted her as soon as she stopped wastin’ her time tryin’ to claw at Pan to get off.
Tastin’ herself on Ty’s lips and tongue was intoxicatin’, and she couldn’t stop herself from gropin’ at Ty’s chest and buryin’ her fingers back in Ty’s cunt to feel her hot, hopeless little protégé clenchin’ down on her.
“Yer’ a fuckin’ hot piece of work, Tiger, you know that?”
Ty didn’t respond any more than to moan and writhe around in Pan’s hands.
“Makes me wanna fuck you stupid. Which probably ain’t too hard, considerin’ yer’ already a fuckin’ idiot.”
“Wouldja shut it…”
“Pay attention now, Ty. Your woman’s gonna love this. —And try to last more than thirty whole fuckin’ seconds this time, wouldja?”
Ty clicked her tongue at Pan before spittin’ out a soft, breathy, and utterly sarcastic, “Yes boss.”
Pan’s technique was practiced and perfected on more women than she figured it was worth keepin’ count for. Most of ’em from the town nearby that last camp, before the trouble came and force them all to pack up and run again.
She stroked Ty’s bush tender for a moment before pressin’ her palm into her there, and slippin’ a firm pair of fingers inside with her other hand, gettin’ a cooin’ little whine out of her.
“Ty I ain’t kiddin’, you stay quiet or I’m quittin’.”
She nodded and covered her mouth, mufflin’ every grunt and moan for the rest of the session.
When Ty was sworn to silence, Pan got to work, feelin’ out Ty’s insides real slow and careful, pressin’ the tips of her fingers firmly through every tender nerve between Ty’s drippin’ wet hole and the sweat-drenched bush under Pan’s palm. She was seekin’ out that familiar, hypnotizin’ whine she loved to hear from her women whenever she hit just… the right—
Ty hissed a gaspin’ muted ‘fuck’ when Pan got it – that precious tender treasure in her. The perfect x-marks-the-spot that’d get Ty beggin’ just like every woman Pan’d ever taken since Boss showed her how.
“Good girl. Nice and quiet fer me now,” Pan said, then she dipped her head low to lick the juice off Ty’s cunt, lappin’ up what flowed outta her while her fingers worked her over at a slow and steady pace, churnin’ away at that secret nerve, gettin’ muted hums and groans outta her – despite her tryin’ her best not to make a sound.
Pan had to wrestle hard against Ty’s clenchin’ thighs, but she wasn’t stoppin’ until Ty got a proper lesson in what to do with her women. Boss deserved that much – a woman who knew how to treat her right without a whole fuckin’ hour of wastin’ time coachin’ her along.
Once Pan had the rhythm set, she started in on suckin’ tender and sweet at Ty’s pussy lips, and ruttin’ the tip of her tongue around in her hood to free the stiff throbby bundle of pleasure for her to kiss real sweet and suckle at.
Ty was shudderin’ again. Too fast. The fuckin’ virgin.
“Ty you ain’t cummin’ fer me that easy again. Get yerself under control or I’m leavin’ ya like this.”
Ty shook her head wildly at Pan’s threat, then started takin’ deep breaths, holdin’ them, flexin’ every muscle in her body – doin’ everythin’ she could think to try to bind her body into followin’ Pan’s orders.
And to her credit, she lasted a hell of a lot longer than most of Pan’s women did the first time around.
Might be hope for her after all.
While Ty was quiverin’ and shudderin’ and stutterin’, Pan crawled up on her and started treatin’ her tits rough. Somethin’ so much nicer about another woman’s tits in hand than her own. The way they roll into it, silently beggin’. The way they need it so bad. The goosebumps. The buttery tender rouge ’round those prickly peaks, so sweet on her tongue once she was done suckin’ the day’s sweat off.
Pan buried her fingers back in Ty’s drippin’ wet heat to fuck her to another buckin’ climax while she milked the pleasure out of her tits. And before she could recover from that, she dropped another life-changin’ technique on the girl – fuckin’ her hard while rollin’ her thumb rough into her clit.
Pan made the right call pickin’ Ty’s bed. The sheets were a sweat-and-sex-drenched mess by the time she was finished breakin’ Ty in.
Before Ty could catch her breath, Pan kneeled beside her and impatiently clapped her palm into Ty’s cheek a few times to get her mind back.
“Come on Ty, don’t keep yer boss waitin’.”
“J-just… one m-minute…”
Pan grinned mean at her and took a fistful of the whimperin’ girl’s hair in hand to turn her lips up and keep her still. She leaned down and whispered mean in Ty’s ear. “There’s only two words you get to say back when yer boss tells you somethin’, Ty. How many times I gotta beat this into you?”
“Y-yes… boss…”
But despite her words, it sure seemed like Ty wasn’t gonna be movin’ anytime soon. Fuckin’ annoyin’ brat. Never fuck a virgin if you want any damn satisfaction out of it.
But Pan knew how to take her own satisfaction.
Still holdin’ Ty’s hair firm, she settled in on her knees, straddlin’ Ty with her thighs on either side of Ty’s head.
“Tongue,” Pan said simply.
And Ty dutifully stuck her tongue out in a daze. Looked like she barely knew what she was gettin’ into – especially from the startled cunt-muffled moan when Pan settled herself into Ty’s face.
Even weak and shaky as she was, Ty’s mouth still worked just fine.
Pan frotted herself into Ty’s chin and nose while the girl tried her best to keep up. She quickly got lost in the rhythm of it – and in the soothin’ warmth of Ty’s tongue. She got to grindin’ harder and harder into her, until Ty was drownin’ in her, tappin’ her shuddery thighs. She was pleadin’ for the air that Pan was greedily keepin’ from her – and that she wasn’t plannin’ to give up at all until those taps started turnin’ into desperate claws diggin’ into her and drawin’ blood for it.
She grinned mean at Ty when she mercifully lifted her cunt up to ration out a few desperate, gaspin’ lungfuls of air. She left a sheen of a sloppy mess of herself all over Ty’s face that shone so nice – even in the dim light filterin’ through the roof of the tent.
Lord she looked good like that. Under her. Servin’ her. Savorin’ her. Pan started imaginin’ makin’ a habit of all this, but then she remembered she was just stealin’ Ty’s first, gettin’ her ready, breakin’ in a wild beast for her owner. Put a shiver in her spine and another rush of heat in her nethers thinkin’ about it.
She teased Ty: “You ready to deliver now? Or do I gotta keep takin’ it fer myself?”
Ty nodded in response, tappin’ Pan’s ass meanin’, “Get th’fuck off me already,” by the gesture.
Snarky little brat. Even without a word.
…Somethin’ kinda scaldin’ Pan’s insides about that. Somethin’ growin’ on her. The feelin’ of shovin’ someone so… stubborn under her.
Ty wasted no time gettin’ her rough-fuck fingers in Pan, jammin’ ’em in at all the wrong angles, enough to make Pan slap her wrist and tell her to get it together.
“I showed you exactly what to do and you still ain’t gettin’ it.”
“What’d you do so special then, huh? Fuckin’ away at me.”
“I gotta hold yer damn hand?”
Ty gave her a stupid look with a shrug in it, so Pan did exactly what she said. Takin’ Ty’s hands in hers, puttin’ them right.
“Go slow until ya find it. I ain’t givin’ you any hints. You’ll know or you’ll be a hopeless virgin the rest of yer damn life.”
Ty got to rollin’ the tips of her fingers around inside Pan’s cunt, searchin’ and lookin’ consternated the whole time. “How’m I supposed to—”
Ty was suddenly interrupted by Pan gaspin’ and dartin’ her hand out to hold her wrist perfectly still.
She couldn’t help herself grindin’ into Ty’s fingers there, bitin’ her lip and whinin’ a little for it.
Ty put her weight into pressin’ into Pan there and her eyes lit up with revelation, watchin’ Pan writhe around for her when she got it right.
“Oh. Oh… wow… Lookit that…” Ty grinned stupid, slippin’ her fingers out and back in, firmly draggin’ them along right where they oughta go. She was pressin’ her hand firm into Pan’s belly to hold her still while she did it, which was drivin’ Pan extra mad not bein’ able to move. “You’re… damn needy fer it… ain’t ya? Practically fuckin’ my hand yerself like this…”
Pan was sick of all the tutorializin’, so she just wrapped it up sharply tellin’ Ty, “That’s what I told ya… This’s how ya—sssh-it. Ty. That’s… That’s real fuckin’… nice… Don’t you stop that ’til I say so…”
Pan was still holdin’ onto Ty’s wrist, fuckin’ herself into Ty’s fingers while Ty fucked her right on back so, so fuckin’ nice.
Wasn’t a minute of that before Pan started graspin’ after Ty’s hair, guidin’ her head down to start in on suckin’ her off properly. Hard to find anythin’ in life felt better than gettin’ sucked and fucked all at once.
Once Ty was makin’ Pan moan and writhe around for her, lettin’ her gushin’ cunt juice spill onto the sheets to mix with Ty’s, Pan closed her eyes and started fillin’ her mind with thoughts of who she really wanted to see between her thighs.
She squeezed her own tits rough, imaginin’ instead that she was handlin’ the tits of all the prettiest girls she ever had – until the roulette wheel of her mind settled on the fantasy that inevitably got her off every lonely night in her own bed.
Takin’ Boss again.
Bein’ taken.
Gettin’ summoned again to serve at the pleasure of the most powerful woman in the Great Basin – like she never had been summoned again after that first and only nothin’-at-all – no matter how low and stupid and drunk Pan managed to get her.
Pan was more Boss’s than Ty’s by the time she started buckin’ and thrashin’ in the sheets. Made her laugh after, when she looked down at her proud little protégé there. The girl was sure grinnin’ ear-to-ear like she’d done all the work of gettin’ Pan to completion. Pan didn’t have the heart to tell her.
Instead, she gave Ty a teasin’ little grin and half a compliment for all her hard work there. “Good enough, Tiger,” she said, with a little pat on the head. “But if ya want to be ready fer her? You better keep on practicin’.”
“…What, right now? That weren’t enough for ya?”
Pan grinned at her and told her that a woman ain’t ever satisfied. “You don’t stop for anythin’. Not until she’s passed out, curled up, smilin’ stupid fer you.” Pan took Ty’s hair in her hands and guided her back to the unfinished meal of her throbbin’ clit and drippin’ hot cunt. “So. Go on. Knock me out if ya can, Tiger.”
Pan sighed dreamily when Ty sunk her fingers back in her. Wasn’t so bad bein’ taken by a woman like her after she had the right coachin’. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a mistake keepin’ her around. If that fumblin’ virgin could figure out a woman, she could surely figure out cleanin’ a gun and usin’ a fryin’ pan – with enough patience.
Pan hummed cheerfully to herself while Ty fucked her stupid. She even moaned the girl’s name a few times before finally fallin’ asleep, shudderin’ and buzzin’ pleasantly between cummin’ hard for the girl.
When she woke up, Ty’d already left, leavin’ her alone in the tent to drink in the scent of the reckless fun the two of them had. The evidence of it was all soaked into Ty’s sheets – and caked all stale and intoxicatin’ly fragrant to her own skin.
Looked like Ty even had the decency to leave Pan’s pants at the foot of the bed for her. What a gentleman that woman was.
In the light of dawn, Pan got to lookin’ around Ty’s tent properly, tryin’ to make what sense she could out of the girl from just the décor of her home.
But… there was no décor.
Tent was as bare and clean and tidy as the day Boss taught Ty how to put it up. The only sign Ty lived there at all was an extra shirt of hers, folded neat on the chest.
Wasn’t right.
Wasn’t a home like that.
And how the hell was Ty supposed to find her place here if she couldn’t even figure out her home was a home?
Pan got dressed and returned to her own tent to dig around her chest for somethin’ – an old belt with a fancy stolen buckle Pan never liked much but couldn’t sell since it was all scratched up. Had some luck in it, though. Served her damn well. Pulled ladies in like a peacock’s regalia when she used to wear it ’round town. And Ty… Ha… Well, she’d need all the luck she could get out there.
Pan gave the thing a little spit shine before sneakin’ right on back to Ty’s tent to hang it up on one of the posts inside.
It wasn’t much in the way of décor. But it sure wasn’t the nothin’ that was there before. Hopefully Ty’d get the picture without makin’ a big fuss about it.
Pan was comin’ back from relievin’ herself when she was stumbled upon by Ty on the trail – who was suddenly all blushin’ and scowlin’ and hidin’ her eyes with shame.
Pan grinned wide at her and told her good-mornin’ and not a word more about the night before.
Ty mumbled a little good-mornin’ right on back. Then she stood there, fidgetin’, holdin’ back, wastin’ Pan’s time.
“Ty get on with it. I ain’t got all mornin’, and I sure as hell ain’t missin’ breakfast over you.”
Ty rubbed her bicep uneasily, squeezin’ it real hard before she finally found the guts to speak:
“I ain’t… ready…”
“Oh. No, you surely are not. But at least you ain’t a useless virgin anymore, huh? There’s some hope fer you yet.”
“…You didn’t show me… I mean… I… I need ya to teach me the rest, Pan.”
“Well, ain’t you greedy. How the hell’d you get so spoiled, huh?” Pan tried to smile and tease it all away, but lookin’ Ty over, she just wasn’t gettin’ the hint.
Pan sighed about it and dropped the grin. Apparently, that good-mornin’ wasn’t enough to make it clear. Seemed like Pan’s blushin’ not-a-virgin needed a clap on the shoulder to set her right about what happened last night.
“…Ain’t got anythin’ left fer ya, Tiger. Y’ain’t half bad though. Ain’t half bad. Go find some lonely women to woo. Get yer heart broken some and break some hearts. If ya just keep on practicin’ at it, when the day comes that she comes for ya, you’ll be ready.”
Ty’s eyes fell then. Her nails dug into her palms. Lips parted lookin’ fer words that wouldn’t come, then closed again in a bitter grimace.
There wasn’t a thank-you in the gesture, not quite, but somethin’ in the way Ty turned away and walked off, kickin’ gravel like a spoiled child scorned, Pan figured she got the point:
That was all Pan had to give.
That was all Pan ever had to give.
Just afun little nothin’-at-all.
And if Ty had any sense in her – if she learned anythin’ from it – she’d give every woman she ever lied with the very same.
-
Couldn’t’ve been more than a month later that Ty managed to shoot all ten of her cans off the fence – and lassoed one of the slowest, stupidest, stolen cows in the corral. Was a start. And that stupid fawnin’ look on her face had been rarer and rarer, too. Turned into somethin’ else. Somethin’ proper.
Reverence.
Seemed like Ty had found her place. Stopped actin’ like a guest, and started carryin’ herself like she oughta – like she was carin’ for her home – a home that needed her even more than she needed it.
Was around then Pan heard the first rumblin’ of a rumor – while wanderin’ the market in town – about a mysterious woman with a rugged scar on her face and a big man’s buckle on her belt, just as scarred.
Seemed like she’d been caught by a gossipy servant while pleasin’ another woman – in that woman’s marriage bed – and better than any man in town, so the servant said, who apparently watched the whole thing while longin’ to be in that bed herself.
A Tiger in the sheets, they called her, while blushin’ and titterin’ about it and swearin’ to give themselves over to the Tiger’s claws should ever the opportunity arise.
Why take a woman when she’ll just give herself over to ya?
Pan couldn’t help smilin’, knowin’ at least that fun little nothin’-at-all of hers was bein’ put to good use.
And maybe, if she kept at it, Ty really could be ready when Boss finally came to call fer a taste of her nothin’-at-all.
A friend of mine from church is dying from cancer, for two reasons; 1. she lost her job (because of her cancer) and therefore lost her insurance. 2. Her paperwork was messed up in the Medicaid office.
Her cancer went from treatable to incurable because she went without insurance.
I want to say something like “this is another damning inditement against our healthcare system.” But it feels so gross. Each example is a life.