Erasure and Affirmation (Hypernaturals 11)

So Ready

I sat down next to Danny and Lori. I scented trouble in the air.

"Hi, guys. Thanks for coming. Also for getting into the spirit of the thing. I know naked is not your thing." I opened with, to see where that took us.

Danny shrugged. "No thing man. Already used to it."

"I am going to all the beach trips from now on!" Lori enthused. "This is amazing."

"For Vera and Angel, I think it is perfect." I said. "You guy's wedding will be very different."

Ahh. I hit the problem. I saw the unhappy looks between them. "Uh oh." I said, not even trying to maintain a pretense I did not see or scent the sudden change. "What's wrong?"

"Our wedding just seems so boring after this one. That song. Everybody naked and having fun. People sneaking off to make love. We have a wedding hall. And clothes." Lori complained. She opened up her arms to the cove. "This is glorious! The sun on my bare skin. The wind. The only thing missing is Tamales!"

"I saved those for YOUR wedding." I said.

"I appreciate it. I just want our family and friends to have as much fun and be as free at our shindig as at this one. Vera and Angel did it right."

Lori has always been the freer spirit of the two of them. She is really embracing this. Danny looked and scented as less thrilled. "Danny. What is wrong? You are among family and friends here. Why the down face?" I asked.

"I don't know." Danny said. Lying.

"Danny and I talked about kids last night. Usual conflict. That started it. Now he is here and everywhere he looks he sees skin. Ladies. He thinks that he is being a dude because he wants to fuck some of them." Lori said.

"I don't want to fuck any of them... Danny started.

"Fine. Make love with. In your head, it's fucking because it's not me." Lori said.

"You are half Astral, I think." I told Lori.

"I know my man." Lori said.

"None of my business, but about the number of kids you are planning? I was planning two. Maybe three. I have four. Now Vera and Angel want kids. Denise wants three kids. Morgan said she wants another. The would have stressed the fuck out of me a few years back. Now I realize that with any luck, I will live thousands of years and that many kids will be nothing. Danny: You want to be able to have quality time with your kids. You and I are in total agreement about that. You are not seeing the long-term point of view. Once you turn so that you Can have kids, you will have centuries. You could have one every ten years for centuries, have a ton of kids, but never have more than two at home at a time, more or less. Unless your kid goes to medical school like Nakoma is planning and then it's a lot longer. I am in no hurry for her to grow up and leave. I am already struggling with the fact that my daughter is old enough to be having sex if she chooses." I stopped there because that is a lot to unload on Danny's denial.

Danny looked over at Nakoma, stretched out on a towel, and talking to her Aunt's up the way. "So weird to think about." Danny said.

"We live at Casa de Gato! Our problem isn't having a lot of kids. Out problem is Jessica taking over and having all our kids think she is the main mom!" Lori said.

"Angel complained about that to me once too. Regarding Nakoma. Jessica is Gaia. You also have Morgan and Helen to contend with there. Angel and Vera. Lots of parents. If you follow the rule that says you should never have more kids than you have hands, then you are fine for a while. Nakoma's hands count these days. My parents. Morgan's parents. That's who has Diana, Rachel, and Laura right now in fact. Lots of hands. The reason to not have lots of kids is not a question of will they get enough love and attention and guidance. It is the planet is too small to hold all of them. I keep telling Victoria we are going to have to leave it."

"Makes sense dude. Too many people here already." Danny agreed.

"So... have some kids now, and more when we are in space? Is that what you are saying?" Lori asked.

"More or less. If you are going to live as long as we think you can, even if it takes 1000 years to get there, you'll be young in Vampire terms. Hell. In 1000 years, we'll have figured out the genome and the treatments enough that how long you live will be utterly up to you." I said.

"I don't want to wait a thousand years to have kids!" Lori said.

"I am not saying you should. I am saying there is a compromise between what you want and what Danny wants. Some now. More later. Maybe a raft-full later. Some new planet that needs a lot of kids or something." I said. "Not trying to butt into your family issues. You are my family too, and I do not like to see you two at odds."

"Lori thinks we should all be naked at our wedding too." Danny said.

"Now I really am butting out." I said.

"Look at all this wonderful skin on all these wonderful people! How could you NOT want that?" Lori said.

"Yeah... Well. See..." Danny stumbled.

"See? He freezes up when he has to admit he enjoys seeing naked women other than me." Lori told me, in confidential tones, loudly.

"I have that T-shirt too. Mine was over Jessica when Helen joined, but the same idea." I said.

"You are not shy about looking at me." Lori told me.

"Lori. Not Danny's point. What I like does not count. You are marrying him, not me." I scolded.

"See, Danny? Adrian thinks I'm a hot babe." Lori told Danny.

Not even what I said.

"You are." Danny said.

"Do you think I should quit bleaching my hair?" Lori asked me. "Naked, like this, which I am going to be a lot from now on... Well. You know."

"I never thought you were a real blonde before I saw you naked. This is not the first time for that either." I said. That seemed a safe road to steer.

"Oh. You think I have bad bleach jobs?" Lori accused.

"I am a Vampire. One with a hypersensitive nose. I can smell the chemicals a mile away. It's not about how you look blonde or dark-haired. Look around the beach. Do you see any Vampire here that uses any hair coloring? Any hair products at all? Not a chemical in sight. When you turn, you will hate it too."

"Oh...." Lori trailed off, looking around.

"Every hair length and color. Every texture. Many of the possible skin colors. All-natural for a reason. Do I prefer natural? Sure. I did before I turned. Now it is a requirement." I said.

Lori looked at Danny. "You going to be OK not being married to a blonde?" she teased.

"I am going to be OK being married to you, even if I have trouble keeping up with you sometimes." Danny said.

"You better believe it buster." Lori told him.

"Lori: Other than Vera perhaps, I never saw someone so ready to be a Vampire." I said.

"You bet your Vampire britches, mister. If you had any on. Which you don't." Lori agreed. "Nice ass, by the way."