Settled

The following three days were interesting. Yril’k kept a close watch over who spent how long in Trea’k’s company and where, fussing over the larger woman like a mother hen. Assuming of course that a mother hen was thin, covered in chitin plating and equipped with a pair of bladed arms several feet long. In any case, she had worked hard to ensure that the Vex’ess envoy was never alone with anyone nor seeing much more of any one person over the others for those crucial first days. It was while they were all in his ready room at lunch on the third day that she had walked around to Trea’k, leaned in and sniffed much to Dustin’s bemusement.

“Her pheromones are stable’k. Your dangerous time is past my queen’k.” The warrior bug said, earning a regal looking nod from Trea’k. “My thanks Yril’k. You have done so much to keep me as I am; I will not forget this.” Then, turning to Dustin the envoy smiled. “Thanks to you as well captain. I woke this morning sure of what my…” and here she hesitated, before ploughing on “…friend has just confirmed. I had read stories of envoys and how they are sometimes treated, so despite all I had learned during the travel to meet the overqueen I will admit I was nervous.”

Yril’k was staring at Trea’k with a shell-shocked expression. “Fr… friend’k?” She said at last, drawing the other woman’s attention back to her. “Yes, Yril’k. What else should I call you? We are both officers on this ship now, but you are more to me than just a colleague. And I am no longer your queen - you are like myself under Dustin’s command. I hope I did not presume…” her words were cut off by the scraping sound of chitin on chitin as Yril’k launched herself into a hug. When at last the two disentangled themselves, Yril’k was beaming. “I am’k so happy’k to be your friend’k.” She said, before seemingly realizing where she was and spinning to face Dustin. “Apologies captain’k!”

Dustin waved away her concern idly. “Don’t worry Yril’k. I’m glad your happy. I do want to just reassure Trea’k though; I can fully understand why she was worried.” Then, turning his attention to the other insect woman he gave her what he hoped was a comforting look. “It’s all to easy to see how some species might take advantage of the opportunity to imprint on someone who could become brood-crazy as a result. Hell, there’s humans that’d do it. But I just want to see those with me happy. As far as… that matter is concerned, we’ll take the time to get to know each other properly okay? I know it will still be important to you regardless just not as important and…”

Aware that he was rambling, he closed his mouth and scratched his head before trying again “I want you to be happy on board ship Trea’k. Let’s work towards that.” The insect woman nodded, at which point Meli slid a tablet across the table to her. “What’s this?” The Vex’ess woman said, picking it up and glancing at it. “The current schedule, as well as a list of things for you to think about over the next few weeks.” The Velca said. Judging by the grins on Rye and Emely’s faces, Dustin was pretty sure the “list of things” was her way of asking the envoy to outline her fantasies; he was well aware that Emely had already added her own list to the ones created by the other two women. Not that he’d had a chance to view any of the compilations - he idly pondered whether he should ask Meli for access (and whether he’d get it if he asked) when the Vex’ess woman tapped the tablet and asked a question.

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked, sitting forward. “I said, is there a reason I am included in this rotation for date nights with our captain when we are not intimate? My studies of human culture and discussions with Emely indicated that these were a way to ensure all members of his intimate group had personal time with him.” She said again, looking at Meli with a puzzled expression as she did so. Dustin’s fiancé gestured at his other two lovers as she replied. “We had a discussion about the matter the day after you arrived back on board in your evolution pod. How best to treat you during the introduction period; we’d been speaking about how we were going to handle the addition of a Queri to our relationship for when we get to their space anyway and I thought it best to do the same here.”

Meli paused for a moment, glancing up at the ceiling before she continued. “It was Emely who suggested integrating new members of our family into date nights prior to any intimacy. Rye and I agreed - it makes sense that if new partners are working out how they fit with Dustin, they should have time just with him to do so. And of course, it lets the rest of us plan our timing so that nobody is surprised by a delay to their date night caused by a new lover joining our bed. You’ll also note the secondary schedule; that one is just for you during the time you are integrating and was Rye’s idea.”

The bunny girl leaned forward at that point and grinned. “I figured it’d be a good plan for new girls to have a more ordered structure to spending time with the rest of us while Dusty’s busy. Up until now, it’s just been whichever two of us are free either do our own thing or hook up, but given we need to keep the ship flying, the more of us there are the less that’s gonna work. Can’t just be like ‘lets have an orgy’ every time Dusty’s off making one of us feel special. So I suggested a rota so that anyone new gets to know all of us equally well, and then once they’ve gone through that we can just see who feels like doing what naturally.”

The insect woman ran her four eyes over the tablet again. “I see. This is… more formally organized than I had expected. I was under the impression that relationships in other species were a more messy affair.” Meli’s ears flickered with mirth for a moment, but her voice was calm - Dustin guessed she was trying to keep things professional for the Vex’ess. “They usually are - but my li’ah’a wants us all to be happy and in a growing polycule that involves a certain amount of scheduling. It’s mostly spreadsheets if I’m honest.” Emely giggled at that, her bubbly voice cutting in with “or spreading on sheets, although we don’t do that as much because of how the ambassadorial bedroom is set up.”

While Dustin groaned internally at the joke, the other women chatted happily - he was worried Yril’k would have felt like a third wheel when Trea’k was ready to begin moving closer to his lovers and himself, but a quick glance at her showed that she had cleared away her plate and now was contentedly humming to herself while running through cleaning and maintenance on one of the stun guns they’d be using on their next mission. She seemed to have picked the habit of tinkering up from Rye, and he wasn’t entirely sure it was a positive thing - but she seemed happy enough judging by the clicking of her mandibles so he left her be.

Turning back from looking at Yril’k, he was just in time to catch Meli saying “…and of course the schedule has been updated. I did that as soon as Yril’k said you were safe to be alone.” Glancing from one to another, he raised a quizzical eyebrow. Trea’k explained. “Captain, it seems the chief science officer has moved the schedule around so that I am next; based on this and my understanding of how she wishes for me to utilize the scheduling, I wonder if you would be free this evening? We will be arriving at the mission site tomorrow, and I would relish the chance to talk to you alone before we have to work together for the first time?” Well, what could he say to that. “Of course. If you’re next in the list for a date - what and where?” Trea’k tapped her chin thoughtfully, then her expression brightened. “Dinner is traditional for humans to discuss things over is it not? Then let us have dinner together. As to the where, I have yet to look at the counselling rooms in person but I understand from the schematics that they could be considered cozy. That seems like a good place, if you are amenable to the suggestion?” With a nod, Dustin indicated that he was.