Xenoth gently separated Urzan’s kropek knot, Urzan letting go of the coding so his weave fell out easily under Xenoth’s prodding. It was an extreme privilege to be able to touch another being in so direct a manner. Their direct relationship as brood-brothers allowed Urzan to relax under Xenoth’s ministrations.
Quite simply, Xenoth could not hurt Urzan. They were tied through bonds of family loyalty which prevented such acts of violence. To hurt Urzan was to hurt himself, and Xenoth would have rather yanked out all his kropek by their deeply-embedded roots before he harmed his little brother.
Xenoth spread cream smoothly between Urzan’s locks and the bigger male sighed as its healing properties kicked in on his stretched and itching scalp.
“I used to do this for our sister, you know,” Xenoth told him quietly.
“Hm? Our sister?”
“Do you remember Y’asilli? She was older than I, transitioned before you were born, but she visited from time to time. She adored you, though she rarely let it show, especially when our mother was present. Y’asilli was Dammed by Queen Z’arteth, so mother wasn’t overly fond of her visiting with us. She put up with it since Y’asilli was a favorite of our fathers’, and she and I grew up nearly as one, despite our different Dams.”
“Was she the one who used to bring me the star fruit jam that father Ilzith used to complain about me smearing on the domicile walls?”
Xenoth laughed, “I had forgotten about that! And yes, that was her. She brought that jam for you every time just to make Ilzith mad. I never understood why until she confessed to me one day that star fruit jam was what her mother used to bring him before she had died. Ilzith was never entirely lucid after her death, but when Y’asilli visited, he remembered somewhat who she was. She wanted to make sure he never forgot her entirely, even if it meant annoying him every day until her Ascension. She loved him a great deal.”
Xenoth’s voice grew quiet, his fingers pausing for a moment as he remembered all of the family he would never see again.
“Could I see her?” Urzan asked softly, his head resting on his knees. “I don’t really remember what she looked like.”
Xenoth held out a kropek, its end opening like a flower, offering the living port to Urzan. Urzan’s kropek joined and Xenoth shared a few moving images of their sister, their fathers, and one or two of Urzan as a wikwik. They were just images, not the full memories, but they were enough.
Urzan detached, his voice shaking slightly as he admitted to Xenoth, “I’m not ready.”
Xenoth lay a gentle hand on Urzan’s mane. “I know.”
“I’m…I’mmadat Y’arza.”
“I am, too.”
“I…I know what she’s doing is important, but she should behere.We’reimportant, too!I’msupposed to be important to her! I’m notreadyto be a female yet! I’m supposed to be hermale. HerPrimary. Not whateverthisis! I’m…I’m all mixed up inside, Xen!”
Xenoth leaned forward, giving Urzan a rare full-body hug. He wrapped all of his kropek around the larger body of his little brother. Where once Xenoth could have thrown Urzan’s fully grown form over his shoulder, now Xenoth would be lucky if he could pick him up at all.
“Urzan, I want you to know, no matter what happens or what form you take, until you tell me otherwise, you will always be my little brother.”
Urzan’s shoulders shook with tears.
???
LONG NECKS & LONGER THOUGHTS
“You’re really gonna go, ain’t you?”
Chet’s voice was low, coming from the dusky shadows surrounding Sally’s trailer. She jumped slightly, surprised to find him sitting out next to it. He had his own place, parked right next to hers, but she didn’t often see him outside. He wasn’t a fan of the heat.
Chet reached down into the cooler next to his lawn chair and fished out a longneck for her.
“Lone Star?” he asked, popping the top without waiting for her reply.
Sally plopped into the rickety folding chair next to his and took the cold beer gratefully.
“Thanks,” she said, downing half of it in one go. “What are you doing lurking out here?”
“Ain’t lurkin’, just havin’ some ‘me’ time,” Chet replied amiably. He took a pull from his beer, then fished out a pouch. He held it up so Sally could see. “Smoke?”
“Not a whole one, but I’d take a pull if that’s what I think it is.”
“You’d be right.”
