CH 198: A Little Reassurance
Claire dropped Jasmine off at her house with the promise of her getting some true sleep and relaxation. She exited their house, running into Daphne and the Carpenter sisters. Lyn was holding on to Daphne’s arm while Jessie was walking behind them.
Claire smiled at the trio, “Try to be quiet. Jasmine genuinely needs time to relax.”
They gave her sly smiles, and Claire noticed one of Lyn’s hands was firmly grasping Daphne’s butt.
Daphne spoke, “I’ll make sure she does.”
“Thanks, Daph,” Claire said. It was the first time she really used that nickname, so it felt a bit odd. “She really needs it before we leave again.”
“She’s needed it for years,” Daphne responded with a warm smile. “She’s far more relaxed now than even a year ago.”
“That is…” Claire couldn’t quite find the word for it. Not quite comforting, but better? Just knowing she was far worse made her heart ache. “An improvement?”
“Mhmm,” Lyn chimed in. She had a nostalgic smile on her face. “I was sure she never slept when Daph and I started dating. She’d always catch me sneaking in.”
“You have loud footsteps, my love,” Daphne replied.
“That she does,” Jessie added. “We all knew when she was visiting Daphne.”
Lyn turned and hit her sister’s shoulder. “Coming from you? You shake the entire house when you get up.”
“You calling me fat?” Jessie replied with a chuckle.
“Maybe these,” Lyn slapped at her sister’s bigger breasts, something she’d always teased her sister about. The two sisters paused for a moment, and a new sexual tension hung in the air. Lyn gulped as she watched her sister’s breast jiggle.
She wasn’t the only one. Claire and Daphne’s eyes were also glued to the older sister’s breasts.
“It’s funny,” Jessie said after clearing her throat. “You’ve hit me there since I started growing them. It’s only now that it felt… phenomenal.”
Lyn closed her mouth and shook her head. She looked to Claire and gave her a small, nervous smile. “I have you to thank for opening my eyes.”
Claire chuckled nervously. She wasn’t sure just how much her aura affected the way they thought at the time. Part of her still felt guilty, “I don’t know if you should really be thanking me.”
All three protested at once. They stumbled into “no’s” and shook their head. Lyn grabbed Claire’s hand with both of hers.
“It was our decision,” Lyn insisted. She looked back at Daphne and Jessie, “We said yes. Even if it was quite tempting, we could have said no.”
“That is reassuring,” Claire gripped her hands. “I fear my Goddess does not quite understand human consent. Like when She had you build that church.”
Both sisters looked to the ground, taking a moment to think. Jessie was the first to respond. “Like we said before, it felt more like inspiration. We were compelled to do so only because it felt right to us.”
“Um, like a painter seeing a serene sunset,” Lyn added. She let go of Daphne and picked up one of Claire’s hands in hers. She grasped it tightly, “Upon seeing it, an artist would throw everything to the side to capture the beauty.”
“Yeah, like that,” Jessie agreed.
Claire took a deep breath. “If you say so…”
“And they do say so,” Daphne insisted. “I was worried at first, too. Lyn seemed so fanatical and passionate that she came across as crazy.”
“Hey!”
“But, she’s been more inspired since calming down,” Daphne continued. “I freaked out at you mostly because I was still worried about her.”
Claire nodded. “Need to teach Her more about being human, then.”
“Speaking of!” Jessie spoke up. “We would love to see what She really looks like. That statue and Her depiction left us so unsatisfied.”
“Well, that is what She looks like,” Claire explained. “She doesn’t have a full form yet. Her current form is an amalgamation of Her “mothers,” or my lovers.”
Their smiles dropped as they digested the information. Jessie mumbled, “That sounds so…”
“Different,” Lyn finished for her. “Like nothing we were taught.”
Claire nodded her head. “Lily found quite a bit about the truth of history and how different that was to what we were taught. This could be the same.”
“I never paid attention in class,” Daphne admitted. “Especially theology.”
“Neither did I,” Claire also admitted. “It’s why it was so shocking for me to become a Paladin.”
“I don’t know,” Jessie tilted her head. “She probably saw you as a blank slate. Someone not bogged down by preconceived notions or dogma. A fresh pair of eyes.”
“That was surprisingly elegant,” Lyn raised her eyebrow at Jessie.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about it on and off for a while now,” Jessie retorted. “I was the one to help Claire with her Theology class, remember?”
“Maybe you are right,” Claire admitted. She worried that her lack of knowledge or memory of theology would hinder her as a paladin, but She didn’t seem to mind. “Anka said She was far different from the Others. Far more human.”
Her words left them in silent contemplation. The two sisters were deep in thought, and Claire worried that she had killed the conversation. Daphne was the first one to speak up after nearly two minutes of silence.
“Hopefully, the good kind of human. We need someone with an actual heart.”
Lyn nodded in agreement. “We lived so far from the oppression that it was easy to forget what men and boys go through. Ryley and the boys you rescued were a stark reminder.”
Claire relaxed her shoulders. It was good to know they didn’t hate her or her Goddess. In contrast, they seemed to be quite hopeful for what She represented. “Well, I’ve distracted you long enough. Enjoy yourselves.”
“You know we will,” Jessie said with a sly smile.
“I’ll make sure they don’t distract Jaz,” Daphne assured Claire.
“And I’ll make sure Daph doesn’t get distracted from that,” Lyn smiled after letting go of Claire’s hands.
Claire watched the three enter the house, a mixture of laughter and sly glances, while they did. She could feel her own arousal growing within her pants at the thought of what they could be doing, but she decided to ignore it.
And the sound of someone being pinned to the wall the moment the door was closed.
She wanted to talk with the other Jessica, the twins' mother. She needed to thank her for taking care of the boys on such short notice. Then, stop by the mayor’s to divert her share of the rewards to the tavern. It was the least she could do for all she’s put that woman and her daughters through.
She walked away from the sounds of kissing and slams against furniture to the tavern in the middle of town. She wanted to make the most of the last few days she was here and spend them with her mothers.
Even if She tempted Claire the entire time.