LA2 Park Picnic

ideas

• regan (pic) Addison (pic pic) Luna (pic)

  • early reference to "arn't you going to carry him?" (he can walk, he likes it), after Regan carries and teases him, he asks Luna to carry him (to protect him from regan)

  • goals?

    • talk to another husband/wife couple

    • size comparison with a horse

    • size comparison with a dog

    • learn more about equal/protection/claimist female worldviews

    • no sex chapter

    • introduce concept of luna being interested in poly

Ash looked out the back-seat window as they pulled into the parking lot. Luna was next to him, smiling from ear to ear about their first weekend outing since she'd ascended. Ash wanted to go alone, but she'd insisted they bring Regan and Addison, and seeing Regan at the wheel, with the two of them in the back, did bring back a memory of normalcy. Though now he was the only one in a car-seat.

As Regan pulled into one of the few empty parking spaces, Ash and Addison looked out at the park. It was a large sprawling grassy landscape, with curling paths and trees surrounding a small lake. A few brown structures and a playground were visible, spread around the grounds, and autumn leaves colored the trees and the ground. The scene was beautiful.

Luna, on the other hand, was still just watching Ash, enjoying the way his hand wrapped around her index finger. By the time the car stopped, she had already unbuckled her seatbelt, and she rushed around to open his door.

Before Ash finished pulling his arms out of the car-seat straps, he was already being hoisted out of his seat by his wife. "This is going to be so much fun! I'm so excited!" Her dirty blonde hair fell over a cute aqua sundress, covered with a rainbow of animal shapes, and flowing just past her knees. As she settled him to the ground, Ash felt overdressed in his jeans, tshirt, and fleece. However, he needed the clothes to stay warm in these nippy autumn temperatures, while like all ascended, she wouldn't get cold easily.

"Excuse me you two." Addison squeezed between Luna and the neighboring car as she headed for the trunk. She was dressed more weather appropriate, with very light blue jeans, a tight fitting thin tan sweater, and some kind of black lacy sash wrapped around her waist, tied, and dangling down her left leg. Something about sash handing in front of his face making Ash want to reach out and pull on it.

Luna reached for Ash's hand, and led him towards the sidewalk. A parking lot was not a very safe place for anyone small to be walking around, man or child, because they couldn't be seen over the cars. When she'd been tiny, she never even wanted to walk in them, preferring to be carried.

• Ash waited, his arm dangling from a grasp of two of Luna's fingers. A minute later, Addison came carrying a large folded blanket, while Luna had a backpack over one shoulder which he assumed was filled with their picnic food. "Which way?" Luna asked, as the four of them stood, facing each other.

• Ash wasn't listening. Looking up, he found himself distracted by one of Regan's typically sexy fashion choices. What in the car had looked like a simple camoflauge miniskirt, topped by a short but drab tan tank top turned out to be anything but. The skirt resting high on her hip, which was almost six inches above his head, put the hem almost at his eyeline. If he was standing next to her, he could probably look up it without even bending down. Then there was her top. Regan was extremely busty, moreso than Addison, and significantly moreso than Luna. Her drab tan tank top barely covered the front of her breasts, and didn't make it back to her belly, leaving a large clear opening at the bottom. An opening Ash was currently looking up, admiring the curve of her breasts, and the fact that she obviously wasn't wearing a bra.

• Ash was finally shocked out of his distraction when Regan leaned down, smiling her typically sinister smile at him. "Well, what do you think? Do you want to ride a horse? It would make for some really good pictures of you and Luna."

• Ash realized he hadn't heard several seconds of their conversation, so he simply nodded and agreed, "sure, sounds good." The woman then all headed to his right, and he followed, towed along by Luna. A sign at the head of the park trail declared, "Park open dusk til dawn. Men must be accompanied by a registered Guardian."

• As they made their way, Luna did the best job of staying at his pace, her aqua dress flowing as she walked, occasionally wafting into him. Regan and Addison had walked their normal pace, and were already waiting at a brown clubhouse next to a fenced dirt ring. As they got close to it, Ash could see it was a horse ride, for little kids. He pulled sharply on Luna's fingers. When she looked down, he merely shook his head, not wanting to voice his resistance in earshot of others.

• Luna could see the look on his face, and it was one she was familiar with, albeit from a different vantage point. Despite a lifetime of car-seats, carriers, and other care-taking by Guardians, Ash would occasionally throw a fit. Usually with Regan. She was determined for things between them to be different. She squatted down beside him. "What's wrong, honey?"

• "It's a ride for little kids." Even squatting down, he had to look up, Luna's head being a foot above his. "I don't want to do it."

• "Honey, I read on the website, it's great for young kids, men, and tinys." Tinys being the slang for unascended women. "In fact, I'm jealous I can't go. I would have loved it. Plus, you and I need some new pictures together, and this will be a great one."

• Ash knew she was right. He was being over-sensitive. It was just a horse. He was already nodding, when he saw motion in his periphery, and turned to see Regan's leg plant next to him. Hands slipped under his arms, and then he was airborne. Her voice was simultaneously sassy and direct, "he said he'd ride the horse, he's going to ride the horse." As she spoke, Ash felt himself dexterously twisting until she placed him on her hip, mid-stride towards the end of the line. "Arn't you, Ash?"

• "I already agreed I would." He settled into Regan, one arm behind her back, his body hugged into her chest, his cheek against her shoulder. Feeling her substantial chest bounce in step teased him. Looking down, contours slightly showed through, and reminded him how her the bottom of her breasts was exposed, well within his reach. He felt himself stirring, some part of him hating how much Regan got a rise out of him.

• As they reached the rear of the line, Ash wasn't happy. He didn't intend to spend the first weekend out with his newly ascended wife being carried around by Regan. He tried to turn and reach for his wife, but Regan turned herself away, blocking his attempt. "No, no. I haven't seen you much this week." Luna just giggled. "Besides, it's a really short line." She was right, there were only three riders in front of them.

The commotion had drawn some attention, as the woman in front of them turned around. She Luna's height, shorter than Regan, and wearing a tight short-sleeve gray sweater and jeans. The Healing made it impossible to tell a woman's age, but she looked every bit as young and pretty as Luna. Below, the daughter looked to be over six feet tall, so Ash judged her to be four-years-old or so. The mother's eyes lit up when she saw Ash. "Ohh, look at this, sweetie," she picked her daughter up off the ground, "they brought a man. What's you're name, sir?" The little girl was already grabbing for my arm. "Gentle, Katie. Always gentle with boys, remember."

• Girls had a tendency to be a little too hands on, one of the reasons Ash preferred not to be around them. At least grown women knew how to treat men appropriately. Once the woman had her daughter's hands under control, he answered, "I'm Ash, this is my wife Luna, and this is my Guardian Regan."

• "Ooh, I'm Cynthia, and this is my daughter Reece. She's almost four." Then she waved her hand as if to fan herself, "you ladies sure have a handsome one there." Her out-dated mannerisms telegraphing that she was a good bit older than the rest of them.

• The girl tugged at her mother's sweater-top. "Mommy, he's almost my size! Can I hug him?" The mother put on a puzzled expression and looked to Regan, and then remembering who was his wife, to Luna.

• "That would be so cute. I think that would be alright," Luna had her hand to her mouth, trying to cover her giggle, "wouldn't it Ash?" Ash glared back at her. She knew he didn't like ascended girls. Yet it was now so impolite to refuse, he really didn't have a choice.

• "Sure, of course." Regan and the woman both slipped them down to the ground at the same time. With his feet planted, he came face to face with a four-year-old child six to ten inches taller than he was. She was also a little chunky with baby fat, and looked to have at least 60-90 lbs on him.

• Reece looked down at him with a silly grin as she put her arms out wide, and awkwardly squeezed and ran into him at the same time. To Ash, it didn't feel like much of a hug, her arms wrapped over the top of his shoulders, his forehead jammed against her chin. He did his best to squeeze back, wrapping around her soft midsection. After several seconds, Reece hadn't let go, and tried to jump.

• "Whoa, whoa," her mother stepped in, separating them as she squatted down and stared into her daughter's eyes. "Reece, boys are smaller than you, you need to be very gentle with them." Then she turned to me, "thank you so much, Ash. We'll be talking about this day for a long time." She put her finger to her mouth, as if she had something more to say, then continued, "do you think we could...get a picture with you?"

• Luna felt a blush of pride. It wasn't the first time someone had asked to take their picture with Ash, but her perspective on the world had changed. Plus, it was the first time she was going to be carrying him in it. She scooped him up off the ground before Regan had a chance. "Ohh, of course you can!" The woman picked up her daughter, and they moved together. Regan took the hint with teasing sour face. She accepted the woman's smartphone, and snapped a picture of the four of them.

• Their little distraction had taken enough time that the riders in front of them had already gone. Cynthia started to step up, then stopped and turned, "That was so nice of you to do. You go ahead of us."

• ---

• Ash found sitting on the horse a disorienting experience. It felt big and unpredictable. The operator had said to be gentle, or the horse could throw him to the ground. He also didn't have any control of the animal, as Luna held the reigns in her hand. Still, once she stood in the center of the dirt circle, and led the horse around her a few times, Ash kinda liked trotting along.

• Luna was having trouble containing her excitement. First there was the horse. She'd ridden a horse once, before she ascended. Then it had been a giant, dangerous animal. Today, it's head came up to her hip. In fact, it reminded her of a large dog, though it was pretty beefy. It might weigh as much as she did, maybe.

• Then there was seeing Ash on-top of it. She led them around her in circles, both the horse and her husband briefly feeling like a toy she was playing with. She pulled them a little faster, watching the horse start to bounce to keep up. She wanted to send it off and see if she could catch it. She bet she could.

Just then, the operator run the bell, signaling the end of her ride. And she hadn't even gotten a picture! She quickly pulled the horse next to her, squatting behind it, facing Regan. Fortunately, she had her smartphone out, like she'd been snapping photos the whole time. After Regan looked like she'd got the shot, Luna led the little horse over to the operator.

Ash was a little sad the ride was so short. He liked watching his wife, twice his height, spin herself around. Her skirt had flowed, and she looked like she was having lots of fun. When they got to the operator, Luna efficiently removed him from the horse, as he called out to the operator, "Thanks very much!"

• They exited the gate, and joined up with Regan and Addison. Addison hadn't been very into the whole horse ride, but she had been patient that whole time. The tone of her voice said she was ready to move on. "We ready? I have a spot picked out over there." She pointed to a grassy hill that looked down on the lake and would be a good distance away from the smell of horse droppings.

• Luna gave Ash her hand, knowing he preferred to walk. Moments later, she felt a tug at her two fingers. "Honey, will you carry me?" She looked down, feeling like a kid with her hands in the cookie jar. When she'd been tiny, she'd liked being carried, now that she'd ascended, carrying Ash was quickly becoming her guilty pleasure.

• "Ohh, of course." She picked him up, setting him against her left hip. His hand slid behind her back, his face half above her shoulder, as her arm cradled his body and under his seat. She noticed a look from Regan, and wasn't sure if it was jealousy or encouragement.

• ???As the women walked, Ash wasn't so timid about putting his hands around his wife. He leaned into her, hugging around the front and back. He tried to pretend it was coincidence that his front hand landed on her far breast. She didn't stop him, so he took it as permission to leave it there. Even before the ascension, he liked that Luna was more busty athletic - womanly curves, but not busting out of everywhere.The ascension had taken her shape and accentuated it in every sexy way possible. Through his heavy fleece, he could feel the firm muscles he was held against.

• Luna could feel him clinging onto her body, his hand hugging her right breast. She didn't mind at all, in fact, she really liked it. She also knew it was commonplace to see in public, about as common as tinys, which wasn't very common. However, she wanted to give him a little payback. She slowed her pace, letting Regan and Addison get a little ahead of them. Then she whispered down into his ear, trying to be soft enough that their even ascension aided ears wouldn't hear, "are you getting fresh with me?"

• Ash could tell from the breathy whisper that she wasn't exactly complaining. Instead of stopping, he reached further, pulling at the far side of her far breast, burying himself into her. This was carrying he liked. Held by the love of his life, hugging himself against her, feeling himself react to her. He was sure she could feel the stiffness in his pants, as her walking rhythmically bumped him against her hip.

• Luna reached across her belly, and wedged her fingers between them. She figured someone looking at them would probably think she was just reaching, or cold, or itching. She dug between them until she reached his crotch and rubbed the back of her fingers against him. It was the most risque thing she'd ever done in public, but she felt turnabout was fair play. She wasn't planning to take it anywhere, just tease him a little. Besides they were already at the picnic blanket. After a dozen strokes she removed her hand.

• "Took you too long enough!" Regan said, in mocking jest. Addison had already laid down the blanket, and the two of them were lying next to each other on one side, their faces looked like they'd been kissing.

• Luna set Ash down on the blanket, which made it look even bigger. She could have laid three of him end-to-end across it. Then she chided Regan and Addison, "seeing you two kiss is like torture, now that I can't kiss my husband without, consequences."

• "You can kiss me," Regan offered, with a melodramatic sultry tinge. Addison sat up and patted her bare thigh as if to say 'bad girl'. Regan noticed the little man adjusting his pants, and decided to tease him about it, "Ash, I'm glad to see you finally asking to be carried, and it looked like you enjoyed the ride." Regan laughed, and Luna let out a short giggle before she caught herself and stopped. Luna sat down on the far side of the blanket, leaving ample room for Ash between her and Addison.

• Ash, on the other hand, was momentarily too distracted to care. He could not only see a solid black bikini up Regan's miniskirt, but he could also see into the bottom of her too-short crop-top. Her breasts sat up on her belly, looking ginormous. Addison looked equally sexy, her sweater pulled up to expose most of her belly. He could imagine how that had happened.

• Luna could see Ash was busy, so she let him be. It wasn't the first time or last time he'd be checking out Regan's huge tits. She herself had liked being carried up against them from time to time. She grabbed for the backpack of supplies, and started laying them out. "Roast beef on Rye. Turkey and Brie. Pastrami Ruben. And a small Chicken and Dijon Mustard."

• Regan was in love with Addison, but she still felt a very strong attraction to men. Especially because of what they could do, the Healing. Knowing Ash was checking her out made her want to spread her legs and invite him on; bury his head in her chest; then kiss and fuck him until he passed out. Only she wasn't his wife, and his wife was lying right next to them. She sat up, giving up her fantasy, but not her intent to make trouble for Ash at every turn.

• With all of them going for sandwiches, Ash knelt onto the blanket, reaching for his. His wife handed it over, but held it a little too tight, making him really pull to get it out from between her large fingers. As if to make a point. 'You're mine.' After handing out the other sandwiches, Luna spread her legs wide, fanning out her skirt and patting it suggestively.

• Ash took the hint, removing his shoes before crawling up close, and sitting in-front and beneath his wife. Her long powerful legs bordering his position. It was still surreal to him that a week ago his wife had been smaller than he was. However, he was starting to get used to it. As he unwrapped the sandwich, he felt her hand on his head. Then her fingers fell to his neck, and began rubbing like only she could.

• "This was such a good idea," Luna offered. They all nodded in agreement, while chewing bites of the sandwiches. As they eat, they look out over the park, watching the trees, the autumn leaves, and the people.

• --

• After they finished the sandwiches, Regan and Ash degenerated back into kissing and making out. Luna, resisting the urge to kiss Ash, resumed her gentle massage on his neck while they continued people-watching.

• A woman in a flowing red-sundress was next on the path. She had a dog with her that looked huge to Ash. Standing on it's hind legs, it would have been six and a half feet tall. "Wow, that is a big dog," Ash exclaimed. It's head was barely higher than the woman's knee.

• "Ohh? It looks like a little puppy," Luna teased. "Do you want to go pet it?" Her question was rhetorical. She knew he didn't. As the path brought her closer, she looked their way, then rubbernecked at Ash as she passed. Most of the women did, and it was no wonder why. With less than one man in one hundred people, if she would be lucky to see just a few a day. Not to mention the attraction.

• Speaking of attraction, Luna was feeling it. She had only been ascended for a week, and she was using every bit of her will not to turn Ash over, kiss him, and mount him for a Healing - right here and now. Making things worse, as his wife, it would be completely within her legal rights to do so. She bit her tongue and squashed the thought.

Luna was determined. Ever since they had met, they had been equals, and they would remain equals. She had no intent of forcing anything on him, let alone outside in a park. Seeing Regan and Addison was not helping her attempt at self control, as they softly kissed and touched each other.

• Ash looked to his left as non-challantly as he could, as if there was just a tree in the distance he liked looking at. His interest, however, was just a few feet away. Regan was lying half atop Addison, whispering to her. Her clothed left breast haphazardly smashed over Addison's own chest. Meanwhile, one of her hands was up Addison's sweater, doing something unseen. Regan brought her head up, tossing straight black hair before they gently locked lips.

• As she tossed her hair, Regan noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She had an audience. Ash was watching. She sank into kissing her wife, then thought about how to best cause trouble for Ash. She slipped her hand out of Addison's shirt, grabbed the bottom hem in her fingers, and lifted it up, until half of her breast was visible. She caressed the bottom of it gently, before she reached for the bottom of her own top, pulling it up.

• Ash had meant to take just a quick peek. However, he couldn't stop watching Regan expose and caress Addison. It was mesmerizing. Then she reached for the bottom of her own top, and pulled it up until she'd her entire breast was visible. It wasn't that he didn't see naked women all the time. He did. During any trip to the mall he'd see women in various states of undress in every store. Apparently modesty was not necessary in a society 99% made of the same gender. However, seeing sexual contact like this wasn't quite as common, and it was firing his cylinders. Regan pressed her hand to her breast suggestively and covered herself before dropping her kiss. Then, unexpectedly, she turned and stared right at him!

• "Luna, I think we should charge your man admission." Ash was mortified. He was often attracted to Regan and Addison. He hated when they noticed. It just encouraged them to tease, and carry, and treat him like a child. He remembered that now things could be different, now he had Luna to protect him. He put his hand on her dress-covered thigh.

• "Why would he pay admission, when the show is free?" Luna wasn't going to let them make fun of her man without payback. "Besides, you really can't blame him. That outfit is so hot I wish you could carry *me* today." She knew very well Regan had the hots for her, at least the tiny version of her. It was kind of true anyway. She reached under Ash's arms, lifting him and hugging him into her.

• Addison righted her shirt and sat up. She didn't mind that Regan flirted with Ash, and Luna, and pretty much everybody. She just didn't want to be a pawn in that game. If she was going to flirt, she would do it on her own. Just then, she noticed a blonde woman walking off the path, headed right in their direction. She was carrying someone. Yes, she was carrying a man. Addison tapped Regan on the shoulder, "sit up honey, looks like we have company."

• --

• "Hey, I'm Aspen, mind if I join you for a few minutes?" She woman was wearing a long red skirt, and a tailored white button down blouse. Her figure more petite than anything else.

• "Yes! By all means! I'm Luna, this is my husband Ash, the woman in the jeans is Addison, and the miniskirt is Regan." Luna failed to realize that her sudden excitement to meet another man was all too obvious. Ash doesn't mind though, he's always curious about other men. Plus, they are better than ascended girls. Regan is just as excited as Luna.

• Aspen nodded, gracefully swinging her man as she slipped onto her knees, sitting on her feet, then straddled her over legs. The whole motion was seamless, like it had been done thousands of times before. It had. She finished by placing a hand against his belly.

• "I like to get Lee exposure to other people when I can." Like most ascended, the woman could have passed for twenty five, but her man looked at least ten years older. "I'm one of Lee's six wives, and I think spending all his time with us gets a little... draining. Though he's so great." She briefly rustled his hair. "I really don't know how they do it. They spend their entire lives surrounded by women stronger, smarter, literally twice the human they are, who want just one thing from them, and somehow they still love us and make us happy." She smiled and paused, expecting her summary of the state of society was breaking the ice.

It had reached Regan, who agreed, and was amused by the woman. Addison was impassive, not able to relate without a husband of her own. Luna and Ash, on the other hand, were uncomfortable, still trying to deny the new reality between them. Luna had pledged to meet the challenges of being small with Ash, and now she'd abandoned him.

Aspen continued, "So Ash, are these your only wives? or do you have more?"

"No, no.." Ash instinctively looked to Regan. When she was his Guardian, she would field questions like this. She just smirked back at him. He was on his own. "It's complicated. Regan and Addison were both our Guardians, before... Last weeeknd...That's when my wife ascended, for medical reasons. She's my only wife." Luna gave him a little squeeze.

Aspen responded with surprise, her first sentence slow and separated, "you have only one wife? You must have a lot of free time on your hands."

This shot bothered Luna, but Ash was quick to his own defense. "Actually, I have a job. I write copy for SportsBox. Usually for the segment with Lanie and Tera."

• "That's so cute. You found a boss who likes to keep a pretty man around the office." The woman's voice was soft and gentle, like she had no idea how degrading her words could sound. "I'm sure you're worth it, to keep her other employees motivated." She turned to Luna, "As a new ascended, you may not have fully grasped how vital men are, how we need to share them. You will."

• Luna was ticked off. She felt the anger burning unexpectedly strong in her belly and struggled to hold it back. Was this how all her emotions would be, now that she was ascended? She tried to put on her most polite voice, "ohh, we both understand. Ash has served in the draft before, and if called, he will again. And I admit, since I was *induced*," her emphasis trying to flaunt the superior cache of induction, "and I've experienced what it's like for ascended women, I'm more open to us taking more wives. However, we'll make that decision together. And if Ash wants to continue working, I support it. Everyone should have a purpose."

Ash was happy for her defense, though their calm little picnic had suddenly turned into a gender battleground. It wasn't the first time he'd seen it. It seems the matriarchy had three prevailing opinions about how to handle the male gender. Equalists, like Luna, Regan, and Addison, treated men mostly as peers, except where the obvious superiority of women dictated otherwise. Protectionists, loved and cared for men as people, but felt it was in their best interest to make choices for them. While Claimists considered men so inferior they should be owned, bought, and sold as property.

Aspen sounded like a Protectionist.

"Ohh Lee here has a purpose, don't you Lee?" The sexy lilt in her voice making clear what she thought that purpose was. However, her innuendo wasn't enough. She lifted her pinky finger off his waist. Suddenly it became clear that despite her dignified posture, the whole time she'd been using it to rub his cock. Which was common to do in public, but not in such plain view. "Tell me, Lee. Would you rather be working all day than enjoying your wives?"

Lee was used to this kind of public tease, especially from Aspen, and he loved it. He hadn't cared what any of them were saying until she stopped. Then he felt forced to pay attention and answer. "Work? Why would I want to do that? I love spending time with my wives, especially Aspen," he rubbed a hand on her forearm, "she's my favorite." As soon as he'd responded appropriately, her finger resumed it's teasing motions against him. In turn, he immediately resumed admiring the women in front of him. They were all gorgeous. Especially the busty one, who's name he had forgotten. None of his wives were that busty.

Addison didn't mince words, so she called it like she saw it, "Looks like you have a man puppy there, not a husband." Just a taste of ascended saliva would make even the most unwilling husband happy for the kind of attention he was currently getting. This woman might be one of the good ones, or she might be holding Lee on a leash.

"What!?" Aspen was suddenly agitated. "I'm giving my man exactly what he asked for, exactly what he deserves. A day of loving touch at the park." At quickly and efficiently as she had sat down, she stood, only this time in a bit of a huff, Lee dangling over her forearm. "Excuse me for having bothered you, you all have a nice day." Her acidic tone negating the polite words, before she turned and walked away.

• Regan softly tried to scold her wife, "honey, you didn't have to be so mean. She wasn't doing anything I wouldn't do if I had a husband. He seemed to be enjoying himself."

• Addison didn't feel the least bit out of place. "I didn't like her. I see abusers all the time, and I'm telling you, there was something about her that just wasn't right. Anyway, she's gone. Let's talk about the elephant in the room." She turned to Luna and Ash. "When did you two start considering poly, and when were you going to tell *us*?"

• Ash felt blind sided, because it was the first he'd heard of it. Luna was glad she brought it up, she'd wanted to get her new feelings out there casually. She played that part. "We haven't actually talked about it at all. She just made me mad, and I blurted it out." She looked down at the top of Ash's head, brushing her hand over it, only part of her feeling it seemed too small, "though I do see things differently now. Now that I see what the Healing really is, I feel selfish having this guy all to myself. I just didn't want to bring it up so soon. It's only been a week. Everything is happening so fast."

• Ash knew how she felt, everything was happening so fast. He put an arm on her huge thigh, a thigh nearly two times taller, wider, and longer than his own. He tilted his head back, and she tiled her head down, so they could make eye-contact. "It's okay, Luna. We'll figure it out. Like everything else, we'll figure it out together." He felt the wind pressed out of his lungs as her huge hand squeezed him back against her body a little too hard. It felt good.

• Addison interrupted their moment, "alright, well let me go on record, that if you do go poly, we're the first two wives on your candidate list." Regan pushed her, as if to tell her to shut up. "No Regan, they should know. We both really deeply care about you and Ash. Obviously. We're also happy together, without a husband. But we've agreed we would do a marriage merger, if you two were interested.

• Ash again felt on the spot. Sure, he'd fantasized about it sometimes when they were both tiny, but this was much more than a random thought. Addison had basically just proposed to them, and Luna had basically said she was open to it. A week ago Luna didn't want to ascend and wanted to remain monogamous, though she supported the draft. His head was spinning.

• Regan saved him with some levity, "I can't marry Luna, I'd never be able to get my hands off her." She paused as they laughed. Then threw another stake in the fire. "You would sleep with the girls wouldn't you, if you went poly?"

• "Mmmmmm.... May...be.." Luna drew it out, fingering her chin in a humorous pose. Her reaction somehow simultaneously saying, 'i don't want to answer right now', and, 'you're damn right'.

• Regan quipped again, "Darn. Well in that case, put my hat back in the ring." Then she looked at Ash, "what do you think about all this, little man? You wouldn't have to pay for admission anymore." She made a show of pulling Addison's shirt up. Addison was not amused and stopped her.

• Ash was honestly speechless about all this, but he had to say something. "I have no idea. Though I will tell you, no future wife of mine will call me 'little man', and Luna and I have *lots* to talk about."