Breakfast and the seed of a plan

After the moment subsides you feel Abigail sigh as she looks at the perky little Nita.

"Abigail." You say. "About what you said last night, about a human woman not standing a chance. It's not true. I just wanted you to know that."

She gives you a suspicious look. "Yeah right."

You press her to your side. Just then Nuru bounds through the door, her short black hair still wet from the swim. She looks at you and Abigail standing in front of Nita in her super hero pose and showing off her wood.

"Am I interrupting something? If so I want in!"

You shake your head. "Nah, Nita was just showing off."

Nuru smiles. "I could just eat that girl up she's so cute." She grabs a cloak and throws it on.

You hear Nita say. "Mrembo."

Nuru's eyes brighten. "Yes, that's right. 'Cute.' That's you. You are cute."

"Huh?" It takes a moment to realize what was going on. You kept forgetting that Nuru wasn't speaking English, that the collars took care of the translation automatically between the humans. When she spoke you only heard your own language. With Nita not having a collar she heard things as they were actually said. This was going to get confusing. Confusing but...an idea takes seed in your mind.

"Let's eat." Says Abigail. The four of you each take a stool around the small table. As she looks around at the group you see Abigail's eyes positively sparkling. She was having a moment. "Ummm..." She reaches out and stops Nuru from eating. "...umm...would you guys mind if...uh...if we say grace?"

"Grace?" Nuru looks at her friend like she's lost her marbles. "Why?"

"It's been so long...it's just so nice to see a full table. With a man at the head of it." Underneath the crazy Zoo stuff that she's had to adapt to Abigail was a very old fashioned girl at heart. You were guessing she was probably picked up sometime in the 60's, and judging by her slight drawl you were guessing she wasn't from a big city. "Would you mind?" She is asking you.

Isn't that the host's duty? The head of the household? You didn't know, it wasn't something you ever did at home.

"I'm not really the religious type..." You start to give an excuse.

"Me neither." Abigail says flatly. "Not anymore." There was a story there, no doubt. How could anyone keep faith in this place? She continues. "Still, it would be nice...it just feels right, ya know...oh forget it." She was starting to feel stupid for suggesting it.

"Hold on." You say. "I'll do it. I'll do it." You take Nita's hand to your left, she takes it but is confused as to what was happening. Reaching right you take Nuru's, who rolls her eyes but goes along with it. Abigail takes their hands from the other side, she is beaming. As you all sit there hand in hand you clear your throat and think. Grace, it was about being thankful you thought. You've been kidnapped, imprisoned, sexually assaulted, and **** into **** ownership. What the hell was there to be thankful for? You could only thing of one thing.

"Ahem. I'm...uh...thankful for my new friends. For Abigail's kindness and patience, for Nuru's humor and optimism, and for Nita's...er...for Nita's..." You were struggling since you didn't actually know anything about her. "...for Nita's.."

"Tight little tushy." Nuru offers.

Abigail is not amused but you chuckle. "Sure, we'll go with that for now." You finish the grace on a serious note. "And I am hopeful that we will find our freedom soon. Amen."

This brings the mood down as Abigail and Nuru glance to each other knowingly. They were likely thinking that you were being naive and foolish, but that you'd learn some hard lessons soon enough. "Amen." They both say together.

Nita joins two seconds later. "Amen."

You release hands and begin to eat. The blue cube feels like a wet sponge in your mouth, your teeth slide through it like dense moist pound cake. Despite it's squishy sound as you bite into it it isn't actually damp to the touch, it kind of feels like heavy plastic foam. It's flavor was a bit bitter and medicinal. It wasn't horrible but it sure wasn't good. As you eat you can actually feel yourself being reinvigorated. It is awakening you body, mind, and libido. 'Interesting.' You think.

Nuru notices you concentrating on the food cube. "Get used to it. It's all we get unless we are gifted something. Keeps us healthy though." Nuru then remembers something. "Hey, I meant to tell you guys. We are the talk of the valley! You have really gotten the tongues wagging Happy." She claps you on the shoulder. "You've definitely stirred things up. More than they've been in a long long time."

You stroke your chin and hum. "Hmm. That's probably not good. We should build some bridges, make friends. We don't want the whole valley hostile to us." You look at Nita with concern. "Or to her."

"Yeah, they really aren't happy about Nita. And Abi..." Nuru looks at her friend. "...they aren't too happy with you either. They think you tricked the male, ensnared him with your feminine wiles one might say."

Abigail looked pale with worry. "That's not really how it went." She mutters.

"Says you." You give her a wink, she isn't sure how to take it. "Listen we have to calm things down in the valley. The others need to know that I'm staying here with you two and that Nita isn't a threat and that she's here to stay. We need things calm until I can figure a way out of here."

Abigail looks across the table at you. "Happy, about what you said about freedom, about getting out of here. It will take you some time but...you have to come to grips with this. The sooner you do..."

"Not yet." You say firmly. "I might have to eventually accept...this..." You motion toward the glass wall and the gawking aliens beyond. "But not yet. I've got something you guys didn't when you got here."

Nuru glances down towards your crotch. "If you think that's going to get you out of here..."

You shake your head. "No. I've got her." You motion toward the futa. You all look toward Nita who has just finished her food in three huge bites. Her mouth was able to expand impressively, she really was like an anime character come to life. As she notices you all look at her she begins to fidget, her left ear flicks and she nervously bites her bottom lip. "Once I teach her English I've got a translator. Once I have a translator I can start speaking to the visitors."

Abigail and Nuru look at each other. It was obviously something they hadn't considered. "What good is that going to do?"

You purse your lips, you hadn't figured that out yet. "I don't know...but surely that is something we can use to our advantage."

Abigail reaches across the table to take your hand. "Happy, Micheal died trying to escape. So have others. They look after us, especially the male, but they will put us down if they have to. Can't you just be satisfied...here?"

You hold her hand but shake your head once more. "Not yet Abi. Not yet I can't. I have to try, something, anything, I have to try. For all of us." You squeeze her hand in yours. "And if I can't...well, at least I know I have a place to call home."

"Home." Nita mimicks.

You, Abigail, and Nuru give each other a warm look.