Erasure and Affirmation (Hypernaturals 11)

Lesson

Jessica waved around the tables of a community center of New Ninovan, where people are clustered in family-like sub-units, chattering away happily, waiting for the picnic-style dinner to be ready. "Look at what you have here. People that flow from relationship to relationship without obvious friction. Situations such as how Angel's father dies are the exception, not the rule. As an outsider, especially a Vampire coming here from the Poly world we have in the Vampire world, it appears ideal. Gender balance and preference and such are not issues. Even here at this table: Tala and Simi both have children with the same Vampire father, and there is no jealousy. No rage. You love each other and your children."

Jessica looked around again at the Ninovan's around us and gave her head the tiniest of negative shakes. "It seemed to me like the perfect place to solve our family problem. It is a no harm, no foul kind of place, right? The same way that, these days, Vera and Angel solve their gender issue."

"Hey!" Vera exclaimed. "I don't have any gender issues. I love me my Angel."

"Not that one, goober." Jessica shot back. "You solve the fact that you are Hetero by bringing Kevin into your bed all the time."

"Oh. OK. Yeah: That's true." Vera allowed. "I do like me some Kevin. I love me some of your hubby too. I saw him first."

"And you are such a dingbat, I got to keep him. Shush. Moma's telling a story here. Anyway, before the SiroSuccubus butted in I was talking about her relationships. Kevin, being from Ninovan is accustomed to relationship fluidity. They call him up, he comes over. They call him up and say that Adrian is spending the night in their bed, or they are going out to a bar to hunt because Vera wants some strange, Kevin has no issue with that. Why would he? It's win-win-win. It is not serious. It all works, and it's the Ninovan way."

"She does like a stranger man now and then, though truth be told she would be happier these days with more Adrian, and less hunting." Angel noted.

"So would you." Jessica said with insight.

"I would be happy never having sex with people outside of the ... let's see... 10 of us. 11. Counting Denise." Angel agreed.

Vera smiled. "I would be too. Danny and DeWayne are yummy lovers."

"You would still go off the farm from time to time for your strange." Jessica said to Vera. "Let us be honest."

"I could stop." Vera shot back.

"Anyway: As I was saying: I was so instantly envious of Ninovan's setup. All these men with no serious relationship baggage. Gender balance out the ass. When a girl wants some guy, they are there. A smorgasbord of dude. Most of them good people, even. Most."

"Tala: I know you like or at least tolerate Alexander for some reason." Jessica said, regarding the Astral seriously. "Angel says you have a blind spot about him. He is Kimberly's father. Angel knows all about relationship blind spots. See Nakoma's sperm donor for details. Long story."

"We talked. Mom knows about Andrea. She knows what I think about her blind spot. We get past it. Mostly." Angel tossed out.

Tala chuffed. "You and Nakoma. My granddaughter has been clear on it too."

I laughed at that. "Nakoma does that to Denise as well. My daughter the Astral."

"I did good." Angel said.

Jessica regarded Angel, then Tala again. "I am not complaining as I got Nakoma out of the deal, but in all honesty, that situation with Andrea was worse than Alexander as a crap father. He never pulled that kind of shit with Kimberly. Say what you will about Alexander, and I will, at least he is not a child rapist, or in Andrea's case, the enabler of one."