Diary of a Teenaged Mimic

Dear Diary,

I'm getting married today!

After spending yesterday afternoon talking with Loki and Sigyn about my nerves, I'm no longer panicking about it, either! I mean, I'm now getting exactly what people mean by 'eustress', and the fact that it is, in fact, stressful, but somehow I think a little bit of 'euphoria' is kicking in to combat the worst of that.

Weird. Maybe that's another maturing thing too. Or maybe it's a mental health thing, like I'm now healthy enough to recognize that I'm under stress, accept it, and move on, without immediately falling into another panic attack. Honestly, it's probably a little bit of both, but not too much of either as to make too much of a difference. Equally honestly, I'm just glad that I'm coming into this day neither manic nor depressed, neither panicked nor apathetic. Externally I'm waiting with bated breath for an absolute chain avalanche of awesome things to happen, but internally I'm bouncing up and down and squealing with glee.

Okay, I might be humming and occasionally making little whiny squee noises on the outside, too, but anybody judging me for that can fuck directly off.

So last night Saffron and I made dinner. Kinda funny to think that after watching Marie do stuff for like a week, plus all the other times I've shadowed her just to spend more time with my Murder Mittens, I think I'm better in the kitchen than Saffron. Like, she's not incompetent or anything, because I can't see her being incompetent at anything at all, up to and including 'deliberate humility', which was kind of a shocker when I saw her let go during her Penance sessions, but her kitchen skills are mostly 'put stuff together as instructed' not 'head chef'.

At one point when I told her to braise something and she gave me a blank look, I asked, "Didn't you used to work at Drivers'?"

She smirked at me and replied, "as a waitress, Goof. Surprisingly little of the prep school or Academy testing involves food preparation."

"Fair point." After that we kind of settled into a routine where I handled anything that she hadn't done. So I did most of the cooking while she did the plating. When I finished with the last of the food prep and bopped an Academy Maid's uniform onto her for serving, she rebelled just the tiniest bit, though. "What's good for the goose is, in fact, good for the taller, hotter goose."

Standing there in my own Maid's uniform, I snorted. "Agree to disagree on the hotter." She stopped, balancing a tray of plates on each hand, and just stared at me. At first I thought she was gonna argue or something, but she just stared while her eyes unfocused a little, and she worked her mouth like it'd gone dry. "You okay, Kitten?"

"Forgot how hot you look like that."

"Wanna sneak off while we serve?"

She shook her head, snapping out of her horny trance and smiling at me. "No. Absolutely not. The next time any of us has sex in any way, shape, or form will be on our wedding night."

Without even intending to I slow blinked at her. "Y'know, I could just rush the sun through the sky and shit."

"Tabitha Diaz! Don't you dare!"

I smiled at her as I scooped up an embarrassingly small number of plates compared to her. "Nah. I'm looking forward to the wedding. Can't wait to see Marie in that dress."

"I hear you." Saffron led us out into the dining room, where we delivered plates to Grandma and Marie, who had Siobhan watching over her to make sure she didn't get out of her seat. We wound up putting most of the plates on the serving table, then going back for the rest. By the time we got back the serving table had been mostly denuded by the women and children of the Homestead who'd decided to eat with us tonight. Everybody seemed to like what I'd come up with, which was a really weird kind of steak drenched in gravy on a long roll, with some vegetable fritters on the side. I was glad for the plates, since the sandwiches turned out way messier than I'd thought they'd be.

At that point, before I headed back to Marie, I stopped Saffron. "Hey, where'd the plates come from?"

"Early wedding gift from the Drivers'."

"Huh. Neat!" I hadn't really thought about wedding gifts, or what form they'd take. I guess if I had, I might be bummed about getting a set of dishes, but with the complete lack of thought came a complete lack of expectation, and any gift when you're not expecting one is pretty cool.

When we got over to Marie and started feeding her, at first we tried to be careful not to dribble any of the gravy onto her, but she got a kind of pouty look at the tiny bites. I shrugged, muttered, "bath time after this anyway," and held up the whole sandwich for her to nom bites out of, while Saffron handled the fritters. "So, Kitten, this remind you of your stint in food service?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "I did not hand feed the customers at Drivers'. Nor did I steal any for myself," she said, doing just that with a bite of fritter, then blowing air in and out of her mouth. "Spicy."

I shrugged. "The veggies looked a little too wilted to have much taste, and flour just soaks up flavor, so I might have been a little on the generous side." I took a bite myself, and yeah, I'd overdone it. Not bad tasting, just on the spicy side. A quick glance showed me none of the plates had complete leftover fritters, so I guess everybody here could handle a little spice.

At that point Saffron got a look in her eye that hinted at a different kind of spice. "Of course, one thing is missing. Normally I'd say it's something I loathed about the job, but for some reason I'm missing it right now."

"What's that, Kitten?"

She grinned at me, then turned that grin full force on our fiancée and said, "customers getting handsy when they thought the Drivers' couldn't see."

Marie asked a question with her eyes, and I'm guessing Saffron answered it, because a moment later a big old claw wrapped itself around my ass, fondling first one cheek, then the other, then settling in to alternate as we fed our smug Maenad. Saffron turned her own smug grin back on me, and I kinda breathed out, "I thought you said no sex until wedding night?"

"Not."

At Marie's declaration, Saffron smiled and whispered back, "our lovely fiancée is as wise as she is beautiful, love. This isn't sex. This is foreplay. Teasing." She turned to stare me straight in the eye and finish with, "building up such a fire in you that when we finally get to the bedroom, you leave everyone within ecstatically devastated."

"Hey," I quietly whined. "I don't want to do all the work."

She chuckled. "Oh, you won't, rest assured. But you are, my love, the strongest of us. And after all, it is you who our Marie has requested her first child by."

"Children." Marie corrected. Then her head swiveled just the slightest bit to focus fully on Saffron, who jerked like she'd been goosed. "First?"

"You don't want more than one litter?" Marie's eyes got a little bigger, but not in any kind of bad way. "I really hope at some point you'll allow me that honor as well." Marie's tongue poked out of her mouth, and she nodded, her expression one of silly joy.

That expression remained all the way through Bath time, when we scrubbed her clean. Before we towed her to the Bath proper, however, she stopped and shook her head. "Sisters."

I didn't get it, but fortunately my Kitten's brain is fast as fuck. "You wish to spend this night with your sister Maenads?" Marie nodded, worry clear in her eyes.

I pulled her into a hug. "That's fine, Mittens. I'm gonna fantasize about you all night though."

She very pointedly grabbed my hands, nodded to my crotch, and said, "No."

I laughed, then smirked at her and said, "no Reveling for you tonight then!"

She rolled her eyes, but laughed. Then held up two fingers with a tiny space between them. "Ouzo." Then she spread them a little further apart. "Singing." Then maybe a full Marie knuckle width apart. "Dancing."

I pulled her down to me, pulled Saffron in next to us. "Just make sure none of that dancing is the horizontal mambo metaphoric kind that ends in the orgasms you're gonna be having tomorrow night."

She just grinned that blepping grin and said, "Foreplay."

The thought of a Marie revved up by all her sisters like some kind of apocalyptic sexual power wheels almost broke my resolve and had me jumping all of us to the Bedroom right then and there, but I held on by my fingernails and let out the excess tension with a chuckle even I felt the heat from. "Perfect." We shared a long, slow hug, Marie pulling Siobhan in when she wandered by, then Marie stood in preparation for leaving us for the night. "One last question?"

Marie looked at me, impatience to be off warring very obviously with her own desire to get on with the Bedroom activities. "Ask."

"When we get to the Bedroom?" She nodded. "Your dress. Banished? Carefully removed? Or ripped off of you to get at what's under it?"

So fucking fun watching Murder Mittens blush. Didn't even think she would at that, but maybe the wedding had her feeling herself. She pulled the three of us together, squishing me between Siobhan and Saffron, made sure she understood her words were for all three of us, and said, "Choose."

"Even me?" squeaked Siobhan.

Marie looked at us, her eyebrows raising just a little as her nostrils flared with anticipation, then nodded. Then she was gone.

At that point Saffron rounded on Siobhan, smiling as she scooped her up and headed for the Bath with me trailing along. "Even you?" she mocked gently. "Silly Siobhan." She stepped into the Bath, lowering Siobhan gently into the water. "Darling, you are now and forevermore part of this family, no matter what Titles you may have. Please don't forget that."

Siobhan blushed, although I couldn't tell if it was from the heat of the water or her response to Saffron's words. "Yes, Mistress." Saffron dunked her under the water, then pulled her out and stared at her expectantly. "Yes, Saffron." Saffron dunked her again, grinning. Finally Siobhan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them, letting most of it out, her face had that eager puppy dog look that went so well with the collar that even in the Bath she hadn't taken off. "Yes, Kitten."

Saffron smiled at her, nipping at her ear before handing her to me. "Much better. Now, I'm off to make sure the children don't overwhelm Grandma."

"Oh! I made sure Vickerson and Karen will be there tomorrow to help with that, and Karen will hang around on Saturday. Maybe Sunday too."

She just snorted. "Sunday? You destroyed me in only a few hours when you'd much of the day sating yourself on Siobhan and Karen. With how we've been working each other up, I doubt even Marie will last until Sunday." Then she leaned over and kissed me briefly, a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you for thinking of it though, love. I'll let Grandma know. In the meanwhile, remind that one she's one of us."

"What about the no sex thing?"

"You have fingers. As for her, like she's ever not been ready." Her smile took any possible negative meaning out of her words, and she swanned off to Grandma and the kids.

I pulled Siobhan to me, very carefully keeping our positions incompatible with any shenanigans. Any her on me shenanigans. As to the other... "So. Since you absolutely are one of us, what do you want?"

She snuggled into me and smiled softly. "Oh, so many things. Some of them entirely contradictory."

I snorted. "C'mon. Reconciling contradictory things is a specialty of mine. Hit me."

She giggled. "First?" I nodded. "Before anything else, I want you to know that tomorrow, on your wedding night? On the wedding night of the three people who mean the most to me in all the world?" I nodded again. "Anything. Any tiny whim, any burning passion, anything at all any or all of you wish of me, wish me to do, wish to do unto me, I Consent."

My mouth dropped open a little, not just at her offer, but at the simple, pure intensity of it. "You sure?"

She nodded, very clearly terrified to the point that even the heat that engendered wasn't enough to nullify it, but resolved nonetheless. Her next words came out in a whisper that wouldn't carry past the two of us over the sounds of the children playing. "Should you wish to take turns dipping me into your Maw until I am no more, I Consent. I am yours, yours and Saffron's and soon to be Marie's, and I will do anything at all to make your wedding night as Gloriously memorable as it possibly can be."

I smirked at her, pulled her to me, and whispered back, "not gonna lose you any time soon, Darling. But... Even if Marie gives up eschewing Shapeshifting and the three of us go full on boy mode to put you in a three horse hitch?"

I'd meant to tease her, but her fear ramped up, even as her resolve firmed to hold it at bay. She nodded. "Anything, love. For you? For the three of you? For... any one of you?" She looked a question, and I just nodded and smiled warmly at her. "Anything. Even that. Take me all at once, take me one at a time, make me watch in the mirrors as you do. Anything."

I snuggled her to me, kissing the top of her head. "I... don't want to hurt you, Darling. None of us do, I think. Not, y'know, outside of the spicy kind of rough play. Something like that might hurt you in a way that matters, so I can't see any of us wanting that for that, but... if anything even related to that comes up?" She just watched me, fear subsiding. "I will absolutely be asking you again to confirm you Consent to it, and you absolutely have every right to decline."

She smiled at me. "I won't, though."

"Aren't I supposed to be the Goof?"

She just laughed. "I would literally die to please the three of you. Die without hope of an afterlife. Why do you think I wouldn't accept a little trauma to do so?"

I rolled my eyes again. "Yeah, but I don't think that's who any of us really want to be." She just shrugged, smiling, as if to say she was ready and willing to please whoever we wanted to be. Because, I realized right then, she trusted us. All three of us. Even me, the completely bonkers batshit untreated ADHD Goof. "So. About tonight. Maw drop?"

She shivered and smiled, but shook her head. "Am I really one of you?" I nodded. "So shouldn't I be waiting?"

I chuckled a little at that, then replied, "as you wish, Darling. But if you're one of us?" She nodded, smiling eagerly. Slipping surreptitious tentacles beneath the surface of the bath, I curled them around her arms, her legs, her tummy and her shoulders. Never letting them go quite still, never touching anywhere that might lead to unintended climactic consequences. "You really ought to be just as worked up with no release as the rest of us too, right?"

She definitely had picked up the whole blep thing from Marie, because she did so as she nodded. She kept doing so when I Co-Located us to the damp heat of the Maw and lowered her, inch by inch, tentacles writhing around her covering everything a bikini didn't, down toward the surface. When she was a yard above the surface, whimpering, I said, "So. Want a haircut?" What do you think, Kitten? Short haired Siobhan for the service?

Saffron looked over to the two of us where we floated more or less innocently in the Bath, then looked through my eyes. Grinning at us from where she was combing David's hair out with her fingers, getting it to float on the surface of the water in a big old fan, she thought, none would see it under her habit anyhow. But do even the ends up, so she looks perfectly prim and proper. To contrast best with how she looks by Sunday morning.

"So, Darling. You heard Kitten. What's it gonna be?"

After a few moments to get her terror under control to the point where she could speak coherently, she said, "a woman's hair is her crowning Glory. As she said, please just trim things up that I might look my best for the three of you. But..."

"But?"

"Crowning Glory. For Dan, especially wealthy matriarchs, a sign of their status, their prestige, their place in society above everyone else, since they need not crop it short or tie it up to serve others." She paused, and I nodded, weaving hair fine tentacles through her hair to comb it all out, to straighten it as much as I could, so it would have the best chance of being even when it dried. "Tabitha? At some point in the future, when we have time to do this, all this, again?" I nodded again. "Debase me."

That definitely ramped things up a notch. "Right. Even things out now, then crop it short at some point in the future. You want a warning then, or just... surprise short haired Siobhan?"

She grinned up at me. "Surprise me, of course."

"You got it, Darling." At that point I gently lowered her until the tips of her hair dissolved away. I'm really glad I'd covered up her eyes, vaguely worried about the fluid from my Maw splashing up into them, because the taste, the smell, the mouth feel of her hair as I consumed it... I had a long moment where all I could do was struggle not to keep lowering her until nothing remained. I'd love to swear about the obese hyperchromatic orange tabby, but I'm really not sure some of it wasn't me.

I lifted her clear, settled her into my arms, and collapsed the two of us in the bath into the two of us over the Maw, then slipped us back into the tub.

As she settled onto me, smiling, she whispered, "I know I ought not, but... please take me, now now now?"

I chuckled at her as I kissed the top of her head. "Reminds me a little of you before our date. But nope. None of the four of us are getting any of that kind of release until tomorrow at sunset."

"What... what if it just happens?"

I stroked her hair gently, smiling down at her. "Did it?"

"Not... yet?"

I snerked. "One condition, then. If it does, you tell the three of us right then and there, no matter what else is happening." Show us, too. All without letting anyone else know.

Definitely felt some kinda way when she just kinda melted over me, relaxing without release. Yes, dear.

Dreamt. Oh, shit, dreamt of a silent Maw vibrating with anticipation, the flavor of that tiny nip of Siobhan's hair still suffusing me. I wondered at the lack of my ladies until I realized that the vibrations weren't just me quivering with excitement. As each of them showed up, faster than I could even perceive it, my tentacles snagged them and shoved them into my Maw. Then did it again, and again, and again. At first I worried, but then I caught glimpses of their expressions. Joy. Ecstasy. Humor. Even, and even on Tallulah's normally controlled countenance, silliness. The kind of expression you get when things were supposed to be Serious Business, but turn out to be so Gloriously fun and chaotic that you can't help smiling.

Woke up smiling, refreshed, and very early, with Tallulah, Karen, and Vickerson leaning over us, shaking us awake.

"The Maenads sent us," Karen explained. "We're supposed to get the three of you ready."

"Since you inexplicably do not have ladies' maids," added Tallulah.

Saffron just chuckled as she finished her boot up. "We normally aid each other in that capacity. An unexpected benefit of being a woman loving a woman; we know how our clothes are supposed to fit. Still, with three of us to prepare, not to mention the children, I suppose it's for the best. Let's be about it then!"

It took a while. Other than apparently Vickerson, who'd done a stint as a ladies maid back in pre-Undead Calverton, neither of the others had any experience with dressing someone. Okay, Tallulah sort of knew how to dress a kid, but none of us were kids. Vickerson finished with Siobhan first, what with her wearing nothing more than a much nicer version of the simple robes I'd first seen her in.

"I'll go help the kids then?"

Siobhan nodded her answer to Vickerson's question, then turned to the rest of us. "I'll go see to the altar and preparations. See you soon." Then she was gone.

That left me nothing to look at but Karen prepping Saffron, slipping all her accoutrements on one by one. Belt. Shoes. Cufflinks. Cummerbund. Bow tie. Hat. Jacket. Every layer somehow accentuated everything beneath it, and holy fuck did all of them accentuate what lay beneath them. When Saffron stood there before me, fully dressed in her tuxedo, holding her top hat under her arm, I had to swallow twice before I could get any words out.

"You look... good."

"Good?"

"Great? Hot? Smoking? Fu... For some reason I think if I say anything that even gets close to the things I'd like to do to you, we'll be late for the wedding wearing mauled tuxes?"

"Aww... You're so sweet, Goof. I..."

"Not sweet. Okay, maybe. Just... honest. Truthful."

She blushed a little at that. "Thank you. As I was about to say, I feel the same about you. I'm... hesitant to do even this much, but..." She held out a crooked arm, "shall we?"

I nodded, slipped my arm through hers, and stepped us to the Practice Yard.

She jerked away immediately like my arm had burned her, keeping her mouth closed but panting through her nose while she stepped to her spot at the far side of the altar from me, keeping her eyes closed for a moment. When she got herself under control, she smiled and looked over to me. "I heard what you said to Siobhan." After a pause to make sure I knew what she was talking about, she said, "the same goes for me, I suppose." Then her brows drew down. "And you, Miss 'Makes a Habit of Just Happening'."

"Hey, I thought you liked that about me."

"Oh, I do, and I would be lying if I didn't say some small part of me eagerly awaits your perceptions filing my mind at some inopportune moment today."

"What about Marie?"

"She's the bride. Brides can do no wrong on their wedding day."

I pouted "I thought we had that whole 'bride' conversation."

She huffed at me. "Fine. The one wearing the wedding dress can do no wrong on their wedding day."

I smirked at her. "Good thing Karen's not getting married today then, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "She has the good grace not to wear that to someone else's wedding. Unless she's officiating. At which point I hope she'll have the sense to wear Mimic's regalia instead."

I snerked again. "Unexpected benefit of going public, I guess." At that point I took a moment to look around. The sun had risen a while ago, and if the altar and the three of us, Saffron, Siobhan, and I, stood in the shade of the outer wall, most of the Yard had sunlight streaming through it. Seats covered most of the Yard, simple chairs set out in rows, with an aisle down the middle. They hadn't been jammed in, though; there was easily enough room to walk between them, although here and there some had been pushed together, or spread apart, to accommodate couples or individuals who needed more room or were too big for the chairs entirely.

Not too heavy, mind you. These were indestructible Academy chairs. But some people, like Mister and Mrs. Driver, didn't need them for the height, and I guess Mister Driver didn't want to sit across three of them or something. I hadn't seen him much except through the kitchen window, but seeing him sitting there with an arm around Mrs. Driver where she sat in front of him, leaning back against him, reminded me that he was basically a seven foot cube of pure muscle. I blinked a little when I saw Jarl Johnson spread across three chairs in the front row, until my eyes adjusted enough to realize that the shadow next to him wasn't from the wall, but from Domnu sitting as primly and properly as Tallulah, who sat in the row behind her next to Lenny Lancaster. That whole second row was filled with dignitaries. Mary and Orla Calvert, Ophelia and Ora Orange, Cailyn Crow and George Papadopoulos, who'd pushed their chairs together to sit as clearly coupled as any of the other pairings. Diplomatically I wasn't sure what that meant. Personally, I hoped it meant what I thought it meant. Mayor McCann sat in that row quietly talking with Svart, who shrugged at me as if to point out that he wasn't sure the floor would hold his baby mama. Didn't bother me in the slightest, she had important Queen stuff to do. He looked kinda good in formal clothes rather than his armor plates.

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Back to the front row, Johnson had positioned himself between the rest of the row and Domnu; I'm not sure who he intended to shield, or whether he'd even thought of it at all. Then again, he's a sharp guy, despite how goofy he looks, he probably had. On his far side Sigyn and Loki sat next to one another, her arm around him, her other hand holding his in his lap. I smiled as I realized that in his default Lyman suit she had like a good half head of height on him. Next to them, right on the aisle, Grandma Aetos sat, still and silent and, almost, maybe, if you looked at her just right, smiling at Saffron.

That kind of surprised me, Saffron's family sitting with mine, until I looked to the far side of the aisle and realized Maenads filled that entire front row. The only thing that distinguished one from another were their clothing and accoutrements. Sarah stood out at one end in her Academy uniform, her ramrod straight posture mirrored by the Maenad in the Maid's uniform on the far end. The ones between them, including Stheno and Euryale in the very center, all half slouched comfortably in their seats. Two of them were nursing kids who looked maybe a year old, and most of the rest held kids in their laps.

When I noticed the Lancaster nursemaids, I scanned the crowd and spotted Bonnie and Larry in the row behind his dad, a little to one side. She looked up from Lucas, who had no attention to spare for anything but breakfast, and waved at me. I smiled and nodded back, but stayed in the kind of almost parade rest I'd been in since Saffron and I arrived. I scanned the rest of the crowd, which despite all our friends and family, was mostly Cadets and Maids. I spotted Fred and Raven in separate parts of the crowd. I felt a tiny bittersweet pang at the thought that much like Olga, Bill and Angel now had duties to attend to that kept them away, even if they did send their dad in their place for diplomacy's sake.

Kinda weird that our wedding, my wedding, was a Diplomatic Event. I hadn't even clocked that before just then.

Right about then Karen arrived off to one side wearing her Academy uniform. As music started to swell into the endless round of the Wedding March, she nodded to Siobhan, who turned to the mostly seated crowd.

"Everyone, we're about to begin. Please take your seats." Most of the crowd were already settled in, but a few folks further back scuttled to their seats, and the folks closer to the front who'd been chatting or just vibing with their partners focused on the three of us standing up there in front of the altar. Kinda funny, but as I turned to focus on her I got a look at aforementioned altar. Totally not a repurposed Dining Hall table. Nope. Not at all.

That smile still hadn't left my face when the crowd went completely silent as Siobhan nodded to Karen, who stepped to the far end of the Practice Yard, where someone had knocked a pair of doors mirroring the ones Saffron had willed into existence into the short wall of the Yard. She Co-Located as she did it, pulling the doors open, then stepping away. I'm not sure where she stepped to, either, because my gaze had focused completely on the figures stepping through.

Did you have anything at all to do with this? I thought as fiercely as I could to Saffron.

Only in that as your Priestess Most High Above All Others and their soon to be mother, High Priestess Tallulah felt compelled to have me approve them as novices of Mimic, she thought back calmly. I think they look quite fetching. And they match us.

I stared, mind skipping and blanking, as Ria and Maze made their way down the aisle, side by side, each wearing a modest kid friendly version of Glowing Midnight. Kid friendly in that the skirts weren't slit anywhere near as high, they only draped down to their ankles rather than covering their toes, and from what I saw the boots had typical kitten heels. Also the neckline didn't plunge anywhere near as low. Not that there would be anything to show if they did.

Way too young! I could help it, the words rushed out of my brain of their own accord.

They're old enough to speak and listen and understand and request this for themselves, love. And they are novices, simply learning the Doctrines of Mimic until they're old and mature enough to progress further. Besides, Ora and Mary are already High Priestesses of Loki.

Those two are twice their age! Even as my brain struggled to express my reasons, or lack thereof, I saw how both of my Fae girls grinned from ear to ear as everyone turned to watch them pace down the aisle in time to the music. Each of them carried a small cushion held before them, two rings centered on it.

Ora is twelve. That's barely half again Maze's age. Ria is nearly as old as Marylin.

Maturity level!

The snark got really strong for a second as she thought, so you weren't qualified to be a novice either?

I took a deep breath, schooling my features to show nothing but my pride as the two got within a few rows of us. Because fuck me, but they looked so proud of themselves, of each other. Of us.

I'm overreacting, aren't I?

Only a lot.

Sorry.

Forgiven, love. I didn't realize our two oldest idolizing you so would upset you so much.

I smiled at them as they split apart, Ria coming to stand beside me, Maze moving to stand just beyond Saffron. Guess I better straighten up and fly right, to be a good role model for our girls, huh?

Saffron just smiled. Like you weren't doing that already.

Yeah, but I never thought they'd actually look up to me as one, y'know?

That got a chuckle out of her, followed by I trust you approve of these two?

I looked to the doors to see another pair walk through. David and Daya, both in their onesies, carrying baskets that had to be bigger than they were. Each basket had flower petals mounded as high as the basket would allow, and both girls ladled handful after handful of petals over the path between the doors and the altar. It reminded me so much of Menace I knew she had to be involved somehow, but I didn't see her anywhere. Yet. So I just watched the smiles spread across the audience as the two girls, David with wild, joyous abandon and Daya with serious, studious precision, coated the aisle with flowers. Also, thanks to David and aforementioned wild abandon, at least the first couple seats in either direction. Including Grandma, who tried to keep her normal sardonic expression in place, but couldn't help but smile the moment David's back was turned.

When they reached us, they split apart like their older sisters had done, Daya going just beyond Maze, David standing beside Ria.

Hey, I thought Menace was gonna... be... the...

I trailed off as an unmistakable figure stepped through the doorway, the top of her veil brushing the doorframe, even as the bulky figure beside her had no troubles fitting through. Some part of my brain registered D escorting her, but that was secondary. Unimportant. Trivial. Marie stood there, sunlight spotlighting her, gorgeous in that white wedding dress, every aspect of it tailored to fit her, to hide her, to display her, to amplify her beauty, her grace, her awe inspiring majesty as she stepped into the aisle.

The moment she did, an tidal wave of flower petals cascaded from the edge of the roof. Enough to blot away any sight of Dionysus escorting her, but somehow Marie's silhouette showed through. She stepped forward in time to the swelling Bridal Chorus, and as she did first her leg, then her thigh, then the rest of her emerged from the cascade. Only to be silhouetted piece by piece once more as the ongoing rain of petals followed her.

Speaking of flying right and someone to look up to...

Saffron's snark almost broke me out of the trance the vision of Marie had put me into. Enough to notice three gliders doing figure eights near stall speed, each dumping loads of flower petals into Marie's path. She strode down the aisle, Glorious, as she walked in beauty and an ongoing rain of petals. As the Bridal Chorus wound down its last cycle, Alex, Lindsey, and Isnomi all circled around, then zoomed overhead in a close flyby before pulling up and swooping straight up to the roof. I'm pretty sure somebody caught them. For all that I love my kids, would kill or die for them in a heartbeat, I could not wrench one iota of my attention from where Marie stood, her blush visible even through her fur and veil, as D stopped and turned toward her.

He put his hands on her shoulders, then slid them down to her upper arms. His voice caught as he said, "Marie... Marie, My Champion. My beloved. My favorite. I am here today to let you know that I am happy for you. That I support you in this, as you have supported me over the centuries in everything I have done. I will miss you, but I am so, so happy for you." He pulled her in, gave her a quick kiss on each cheek, then a big old bear hug.

Her arms went around his waist, and her wide smile softened her voice when she said, "Dramatic."

With that, he barked out a laugh as he let her go, then legged it for the end of Marie's row, where he looked more than a little surprised at Sarah's uniform.

Then Marie turned back toward us, and everything else ceased to exist as her smile went from 'wide and happy' to 'radiantly joyous'. I stared, smiling and slack jawed, as she stepped toward the two of us. The moment she got in reach, she reached out, handing Siobhan the bouquet she'd been carrying, then with one finger each pushed Saffron and my jaws closed before retrieving her bouquet.

The audience chuckled, then went quiet as Siobhan raised her hands. "We are here today to bear witness to and celebrate the joining of Saffron Aetos-Diaz, Archmage, Hero of Phileo City, Priestess Most High Above All Others of Mimic, Imperator of the Inter-City Alliance, Tabitha Diaz, Hero-in-waiting of Phileo City, Champion and Priestess High Set Above All Others of Loki, Patron Goddess of the Inter-City Alliance, and Marie, Head Maid of Phileo City Heroic Academy, Champion of Dionysus, and First Priestess of Menace in Marriage." She paused and looked around for a moment as everyone took in the assorted titles we'd chosen to have announced.

Isn't the most important person supposed to come first in the listing? thought Saffron.

She did, I replied.

Yes. Marie ended our quick aside, and we both almost subconsciously sidled a little closer to her, turning toward Siobhan.

"Who stands witness to the joining of these three?"

Before anyone else could speak, Maze's voice trickled out across the crowd, getting stronger as each word rushed from her. "I, Mazikeen, soon to be Aetos-Diaz, Novice of Mimic and daughter by choice and fortune of Marie, stand witness."

As the current of her voice went silent, Ria's voice rang out from behind me, cracking a little, but no less fierce for all that. "I, Ria Crow of House Crow, Novice of Mimic and daughter of Tallulah Crow, Overlord of Rich Man's Port, stand witness."

The moment the echoes of her announcement started to die down, a voice that echoed with steel and trumpets surged through the room. "I, Sigyn Solsdottr, Goddess of Victory and Marital Devotion, stand witness."

I hadn't even noticed her rising to her feet, but I did notice as Lyman stood beside her, his voice flickering coals that warmed the cool spring morning. "I, Loki Laufeyson, God of Hearth and Home, by my great fortune Husband of Sigyn Solsdottr, stand witness."

I kind of expected that to be it, but a moment later a great rumbling voice filled the Yard, a voice I'd only ever heard raised in celebration or anger. Somehow deeper, richer, and more commanding, it filled the Yard almost like this was the voice duBois tried to imitate when he used his parade ground bellow, only without being a shout or a scream. Just a firm, ground shaking command. "I, Dionysus son of Zeus, God of Wine, Divine Madness, and Rebirth, Heir to the throne of Olympus, and creator of the Maenads, stand witness."

Hmm... Aren't witnesses supposed to use their most important title last? pondered Saffron.

I knew a slow pitch when I saw it. He did.

Totally worth it to crank Marie's smile and blush up to eleven and break the knob off.

Then a single, quiet voice, almost inaudible over the wind, sounded from the front row of the audience. Not bellowing, not echoing, Barely a voice at all. "I, Anise Aetos, eldest Aetos of Camden Yards, Grandmother of Saffron Aetos, stand witness." By the end of Grandma's words, the entire audience sat silent, not even breathing. A moment later she muttered, "I'm not getting any younger. Get on with it."

Everybody in the Yard except seemingly Siobhan barked out a laugh at that. Apparently working with Grandma for over a year had inoculated her to offhand comments like that. "Saffron Aetos-Diaz, do you take Marie as your wife, to have and to hold, to nurture according to your nature, to love and never leave, no matter the trials and tribulations, for as long as you both shall live?"

Saffron smiled up at Marie and reached behind herself. "Now and forevermore, I do." As she said those words, she slipped a plain black wedding band onto Marie's finger, where it merged and joined seamlessly with the two already there.

Siobhan turned to me. "Tabitha Diaz, do you take Marie as your wife, to have and to hold, to nurture according to your nature, to love and never leave, no matter the trials and tribulations, for as long as you both shall live?"

A small yet insistent hand grabbed mine and pressed a ring into my palm as I reached for Marie's. All snark and wit abandoned me, and it was all I could do to say, "I do." I slipped the ring on her finger, my vision going blurry as it bonded against the one Saffron had just slipped on, becoming one with them.

My eyes still hadn't quite cleared by the time Siobhan said, "Marie, do you take Saffron Aetos-Diaz as your wife, to have and to hold, to nurture according to your nature, to love and never leave, no matter the trials and tribulations, for as long as you both shall live?"

Marie reached behind Saffron, lifting my Kitten's hand and slipping a wedding ring onto it. In that moment I envied them both so much. No jealousy, jealousy is dumb as shit, but oh, how I wanted to slip a wedding ring on my Kitten, and oh how I wanted Marie's ring on my hand.

Patience, love. Saffron's quiet whisper inside my head made everything else go still as Marie turned to me. "Marie, do you take Tabitha Diaz as your wife, to have and to hold, to nurture according to your nature, to love and never leave, no matter the trials and tribulations, for as long as you both shall live?"

My heart stopped, my breath stopped, at that moment only the color remaining in the world told me that Time itself hadn't stopped, as Marie slipped that ring on my finger and, as if were the most natural thing in the world, said, "I Do."

I'd like to say it was my blurred vision, or Marie still holding my hand, or anything else in the world, but the truth is Saffron proved yet again which of us is the impatient one. Even as Siobhan said, "I now pronounce the three of you married," Saffron darted in, dipping a totally startled Marie well past level with the floor, most of her hair and all of her veil crumpled on the pavers as Saffron claimed Marie's mouth as her own. I think I hyperventilated a little, a heady mix of affectionate annoyance and almost uncontrollable lust filling me as I watched the two of them.

You little...

You don't like the view? Saffron shifted to let me see them both in profile, both of them grinning through the very thorough kiss. Any lingering resentment was scoured away as I watched their curves press together, my eyes tugged toward the view of Saffron's ass where she bent nearly double to dip Marie so low.

I am gonna take you both right...

Ah, ah, ah, children are watching. As I spluttered internally, attention riveted to my brides, she thought, yes, my beloved Goof. I am absolutely cramming you full of every ounce of lust and hunger for our bride as I possibly can. Do you have any idea how overwhelming you'll have to be to keep a Maenad unable to walk for a full month?

Marie snorted into the kiss without breaking it. Sparagmos.

"Not..." The moment Saffron's lips slipped even the slightest away from Marie's, I struck. I scooped them both into my arms, rolling Saffron around until I held her back to back with Marie, then dipped Marie almost as low as Saffron had, and lost myself to her lips, her tongue, her teeth, the glorious experience that was my Murder Mittens kissing and being kissed without a single fuck to give about anything else in the world.

"This is most undignified," Saffron muttered.

But I can do this! I squeezed her breast and tugged her hips closer, pulling Marie's belly up against my thigh, never letting up on our kiss. The crowd started reacting, led by Dionysus and Sigyn of all people, calling out encouragement and some borderline lewd comments.

"Undignified," she muttered again.

Want me to stop? I asked, still fondling and kissing and losing all sense of time and place as all my remaining fucks fled in terror as was right and good and proper.

"Oh, hell no. Just... slightly gentler?" she whispered.

Why? I thought, doubling down on my kissing and my fondling as I realized I could grind Saffron's bodacious booty into Marie's tail in this position.

Hap... happen... Saffron whimpered, and I froze, my grin getting even wider.

"Oh, we can't have that now," I murmured as I stood, lifting Marie to her feet, only to have her scoop me up in turn, twisting herself and tugging the two of us around until she held us in front of her.

She leaned us together, both of us looking at her, hungry joyous idiot grins permanently etched onto our faces, until our foreheads bonked together. "Share."

Our hands seeking out each other's faces, we both caught her meaning the moment she spoke. Our lips met, and joy in physical form erupted from my lips and tongue as I tasted pure, refined Marie on my Kitten's lips. So close, she whimpered.

Hey, I'm gonna need help with this big wifey nerd. Maenad hips don't dislocate easy, y'know.

Both of us kinda lost control of our trains of thought when Marie thought, Break. My lips slipped back into action, drawn by the mixed tastes of my loves, only to slide to a stop when Marie thought, Shatter. We both tried again, but the kiss slipped to a laughing end when she carefully enunciated every syllable of, "Granulate."

Shaking my head as Marie lifted us until our foreheads rested against hers, I laughed out, "Mittens, you are absolutely too much."

Saffron finished my sentence. "And we absolutely love every bit of you."

At that point, the first time since Siobhan pronounced us married that we'd stopped necking right there in front of the entire Practice Yard, Siobhan announced, "I present to you Saffron, Tabitha, and Marie Aetos-Diaz."

The audience kind of exploded with cheers and applause at that point. Marie carried Saffron along the first row, introducing us to her sisters and them to us. Honestly, I caught name of the one in the Maid's outfit, 'Helen', but the rest were all a blur. Fuck, I even repeated them and they were still a blur. Probably didn't help that each and every one stood and leaned in to nuzzle all three of us. Pretty sure Stheno stole a kiss from Marie. Think Helen might have brushed her lips across Saffron's I know for damn sure Sarah grinned at all three of us then taste tested my tonsils. Marie just looked happier each and every time something like that happened, like her family was accepting us as part of their own. I guess maybe they kinda were.

Maenads. Gotta love 'em. What else are you gonna do?

The answer, of course, was the big weepy drunk at the end of the row. He stood and put a hand each on my back and Saffron's, almost mushing us into Marie. "I... I am overcome with joy to see you so happy, m... Marie."

"But?" Her question hung in the air, and Saffron and I looked at each other, no words needed.

"But it hurts to lose y..." That's all he got out before Saffron and I, our hands tangled in his hair, shoved his mouth against hers. When we finally let him pull away, his arms around all three of us, Saffron darted in and applied just a little more liplock. Then we forced his head around and I lost myself for a little bit in beer and wine and maybe just a touch of madness. I was very, very close to happenings when Saffron pulled him away, both of my wives laughing at the two of us.

"Goof." Marie intoned.

"I can see where you learned the taste for such, lovely... wife." Then Saffron turned to Dionysus and, Mom Voice in full effect, said, "you silly man. You've lost nothing. She loves you as much as she ever did."

"Yes."

He smiled, the tiny pinch of sadness in no way hiding or hindering his growing joy. "But she loves you more."

Marie shrugged, blushing a little more. "Yes."

Saffron just looked at him, Pending Mom Disappointment lacing her voice when she asked, "would you deny her that?"

I am very glad that Saffron is a bona fide Phileo Hero, because his tree trunk arms went around all three of us, crushing us to him in a massive hug as he cried out, "Never!" Letting us breathe, giving us the tiniest bit of space as he let go with one arm, he still kept in contact with us as he turned to the long row of Maenads. "Ladies?" Every one of them, Maids and Maenads and would be Hero, all nodded in unison. His arm slipped from around us, but by the look on Saffron and Marie's faces, he groped their asses just as quickly and openly as he did mine before leaning back and bellowing in a voice that shook the pavers. "REVEL!"

Thankfully his time in Phileo had maybe mellowed D a little. The Revel started with dancing and moved into feasting when Herbert, his High Priest in Phileo, rolled in an hour or so later with an absolute shit ton of party food. The kind of little one bite tasty shit that would keep you dancing, keep you partying, keep you up and moving for as long as the party kept going. I got the first dance with Marie, then stood making really lewd comments about both of them leaning against D, who shared a few pointers and secrets about his favorite Maenad. I mean, I knew pretty much all of them already, but there were a couple, like secret ticklish spots, that I stored away in my brain for safekeeping. Or to forget until I remembered them at an inopportune time. This is me, after all.

Then Marie pushed the two of us together and had a dance with D. Funny thing, all of duBois' dance training had an unexpected benefit. I guess neither of us had ever thought of how being able to do all those fancy dances without thinking about it let you pay attention to, y'know, conversations and gossip when people thought you were focused on dancing. We watched as D got... not pushy, but definitely handsy, and Marie gently but firmly redirected him. After a while he sighed and slumped against her. "So shall I never have you again, my Marie?"

She snorted, then whispered, "After."

"After your wedding night?" She shook her head, smiling at him. "After the honeymoon?" She shrugged, then shook her head again, still smiling. "After when, then? I shall wait as long as I must, and I would never think of not sharing with those who bring you joy, but if it is not too much to ask, after when?"

I swear the big dude almost died of apoplexy when she leaned over and stage whispered, "Kittens."

Then his eyes got real wide. "Are you?"

She shook her head. Then, with a pointed glance at the sun, which then traced down to the western horizon, she said, "Yet."

"This is a thing you want?"

"Duh."

"This is a thing she can do? They can do? One or both of them can do?" I think I saw smoke coming out of D's ears at that point. Lovable dumbass, but still a fuckin' dumbass, incapable of holding too many abstract thoughts in his alcohol soaked head at a time.

Marie just smiled at us as Saffron nodded and I smiled back. "Yes!"

Dude's eyes lit up and he said, "may it be so!" Then he waggled his eyebrows and said, "I will assist in any way you need, of course."

Saffron gave me a little nudge mentally, and after we shifted to boy mode in sync, said, "Thank you, but..."

"...We're good on that front." I finished.

Dude did not bat an eye. Very Greek, I guess. "Offer's still open," he muttered, then spun Marie toward us, where we caught her and engaged in some more liplock while he trundled off to where Herbert had started setting up big beer barrels.

Of course, right about then Isnomi, perched up on the roof, called out, "MAWA!" All three of us looked up to see our insane little acrobat swan dive off the fuckin' roof. Marie stepped up onto the altar and caught her after she'd fallen maybe fifteen feet, swinging her around and yeeting her at me. I snagged our laughing little maniac and spun her around, gently tossing her to Saffron, who caught her, cushioning the impact with her built in front airbags. "You cawded me!"

I think that Primordial or no, Saffron might have throttled our kid right there, had Isnomi not thrown her arms around her mom in a big joyous hug. Then my attention was pulled away by first Lindsey, then Alex stepping off the roof as well. Marie leapt one way to catch Lindsey while I stepped over under Alex. As they fell, parachutes deployed behind them. Small ones, not enough to slow their fall very much, but enough that Marie and I caught them, swung them around, and tossed them to each other. "How did Isnomi convince you to do something so insane?" I whispered.

Lindsey shrugged, then smiled up at me. "It was fun."

I shook my head. "At least you guys had parachutes. Surprised they deployed so fast."

"Brother Conrad told us they would."

"He didn't give Isnomi one?"

Lindsey just snorted. "She has one." I turned to see a little Isnomi sized parachute backpack still firmly attached to Menace's back.

A few moments later, we had our three daredevils in front of Grandma Aetos. Saffron handed Isnomi over. "I'm sorry to trouble you, Grandma, but could you keep this one and these two," she nodded to Alex and Lindsey, "out of trouble? Karen will take you home, and she and Sheila will be around to help you keep them under control."

Grandma just stared at the three of us, assessing us one at a time, then did the same with the three kids. A few moments later Karen and Vickerson arrived carrying Daya and David, followed by Ria and Maze. "Goddess! I'm so sorry! Conrad," she growled his name out like a curse, "told us these four needed looking after, and that he would watch over the other three and keep them safe."

"We wuz thafe! Mawa an Mama an Ma cawded us!" Isnomi crowed.

I closed my eyes. They're in cahoots. Menace and the Smith. We're doomed.

Nonsense. I opened my eyes and stared at Saffron in disbelief. First of all, we have Grandma to assist us now. She kept me out of trouble for a decade and a half. Also... I stared while a grin crept across her face, and deep buried coals in my southerly regions flared up. For the next thirty six hours, they're all Grandma and Karen's problem.

Before we left Grandma's orbit, Ria and Maze cornered me. "Papa, are you mad at us?"

I crouched down, pulled them to me. "NO! Why would you think that?"

"You looked angry when we first entered the Practice Yard," explained Ria.

I thought for a second, hugging them while I did. "I was surprised. All of my other Priestesses are older. Adults. Seeing you guys like that just... surprised me."

"Do you not want us as your Novices, Papa?"

I hugged them more, kissed them both on the forehead. "I am absolutely proud to have both of you. Surprised. But proud as... heck. Almost as proud as I am to have you as daughters. Confused, maybe. Why you'd want, y'know, me."

Ria cocked her head. "But... why wouldn't we want our mother to be our Patron? Or our mother's Patron, which you are as well?"

I kind of lost any sense of decorum and just hugged them to me, maybe crying a little bit. Eventually my inner gremlin raised its head and I muttered, "kinda surprised you didn't pick your sister the Menace."

Maze, her voice as serious as Ria's normally was, said, "Oh, no." Then a grin split her lips and she nodded to where Isnomi, Alex, and Lindsey all sat on their butts around Grandma's feet, the looks on their faces clearly indicating that despite her hands being in her lap, she metaphorically had each of them firmly grasped by the ear. "That's those two lunatics."

Loki and Sigyn surprised me by sticking around for the Revel. When I asked, he said, "my jailer has given me a day off for good behavior."

Sigyn just snorted. "Hardly. You're in for double time tomorrow." He turned to look at her, a comical look of betrayal on his face, and she said, "I'm thinking of expanding your torment. Waterboarding has an interesting sound to it."

"Waterboarding?" I hissed out, hoping I'd misheard.

She just nodded. "That's the one where you don't let the tormented breathe, right?" Looking at me, her face turned away from Loki, I saw the mischievous grin slip across her lips, and absolutely picked up what she was putting down when she glanced meaningfully down her own front. "I think I have just the way to occupy his mouth and nose."

"MOM!" I spluttered and laughed, because while I was now absolutely behind her plan now that I knew what it was, I did not need the mental image of her treating his face like a fuckin' saddle.

She sighed, slumping. "I'm afraid my captive has become completely unruly. I may need to add to his daily torture until he's more contrite and submissive."

I couldn't help it. I wanted to, I needed to because otherwise the image would wind up seared into my brain, but I couldn't help it. The inner gremlin took over and I muttered out, "Sleipnir is proof positive he's breedable."

Tabitha! You're supposed to protect me!

Dad? I replied calmly. When he whimpered at me, I thought, you'll be perfectly safe if you repeat after me.

But...

Do you trust me? He went silent, ready and waiting to speak. Yes, dear, whatever you say, dear, my life and punishment is in your capable hands, dear.

Lyman gulped, pulled Sigyn to lean against him, and murmured in her ear. You'd better know what you're doing.

We'll talk about it Monday.

Monday?

I'm gonna be sleeping Sunday, because of who I'm gonna be doing all. Day. Tomorrow. Starting at sunset and not stopping until none of us can move. Y'know, you might want to ignore any mentions of 'God' until at least Sunday. In fact, make that Monday just to be sure.

If I am dead by Monday, I will be very put out with you.

I stepped over to them, pulled him into a hug. "If you ever find yourself dead, whether it's because of me or not, you know I've got you. You won't stay that way. Y'know why?"

"Because I am your Patron?" I shook my head. "Because I am your father?" Another headshake, and I smiled at him. "Because I am your friend?"

I shook my head, pulled him into another hug, and whispered into his ear. "Because you're the best."

I... I don't know how to feel about the fact that my mom was horny on main and my dad was crying happy tears at my wedding. Then again, they spent the rest of the Revel slow dancing no matter the music, so it's all good in the hood.

Speaking of music, some time around midafternoon, right as Herbert's wine barrels and bar food arrived, Jarl Johnson managed to scrounge up half a dozen instruments and musically inclined Cadets. Prior to that the music had been kinda ubiquitous medieval party music. Jigs and fancy dance shit. Stuff that it turns out Siobhan and Karen were feeding to the bit of Apollo in me. Jarl Johnson had no such limitations, and apparently he'd recently given Domnu all his fucks, because he started playing and did not stop. He led and the Cadets followed. The freakiest thing, though, had to be Domnu acting as his stage dancer. Just right up there on the altar, twisting and writhing to the music. No hesitation, no clothes, no shame, not a care in the world except accepting the musical Worship of her most devoted fan and his impromptu band.

Saffron, Marie and I pulled Siobhan onto the dance floor at that point, although for the most part she just kind of swayed rhythmically. "I've not nearly the Endurance of you three, and," her voice dropped to a whisper, "I'm saving that for later."

Saffron pulled her into a spin, wrapping her up in her own arms, then handing her to Marie. "Do you think that will matter one whit as to your eventual fate?"

Siobhan giggled, and so did Marie. "Of course not," she said as Marie swung her through a dip, then lifted her smoothly and handed her over to me. "But it will make the journey there be that much longer and enjoyable!"

We kept dancing until I felt the sun nearing the horizon. I scooped them all up, Saffron and Siobhan in my arms surrounding and clinging to Marie where she blushed in the middle of us. "Okay, ladies. I think it's time for us to take our leave?"

"No." Saffron's tone did not brook argument, but I had to ask.

"Why?"

"Because, my beloved Goof," she kissed me, a quick brush of lips. "My lovely Wife." She did the same with Marie. "And my Darling Concubine," she pulled Siobhan around to kiss her as well. "Now that Karen is taking Grandma and the children home to the homestead, we are going to stay here, dancing ever more lasciviously, until none of us dare touch, smell, hear, or even look at any of the others, lest we all be overwhelmed and take one another right here on the pavers. Then and only then will we adjourn to the Bedroom and consummate our union with such wild, passionate abandon even our bride's sisters will stare with shocked and envious awe when she tells them of her wedding night."

My eyes wide, my breath quickening, I started swaying to the music. "You keep talking like that, that will not take long. Just sayin'."

Each and every one of Saffron's Grins formed up on her face, joining into an absolutely devastating mega-Grin as she absolutely leered at each of us in turn, then turned back to me, still Grinning.

"Oh?" Her tongue darted out as if to taste her next word. "Good."