Black Pearls - Yrkala

Underneath Lily's breasts but above her stomach, wooden ribs grew out, curved and positioned like normal ribs. They were of grey wood, like the ship was, and pale skin stretched between them. They joined together at a panel right at her sternum, which slid and fused into her body. She wasn't skeletal, nor unhealthy-thin. Those wooden bone had simply been raised out of her.

Was this why Lily was nervous and lonely? Was she cursed, like Shella was? Yrkala didn't know. She barely registered Lily's raised purple tits as she stared at the ribs and protruding sternum-like plank. Yrkala's hands released Lily in shock.

Lily dropped the lantern, metal falling apart and a glowing hunk of coral spilling out of it as it hit the floor, and her arms covered up her breasts. Not her bones, her breasts, Yrkala dully noted. Lily ran off, rushed footsteps oddly silent on the wooden deck.

Yrkala watched her leave, a protesting hand stretched out. Useless. Yrkala groaned and covered her face, curling up in the hold. She had made a mistake.

Standing up, Yrkala made her way to the room she had slept in before. She shut the door, covered the coral, then hid her face in her hands and curled up. How? Where? What had she done wrong?

Was it gawking at those bones? What was Lily exactly? Yrkala thought back to the clothed humans of her old home. They sometimes referred to their inanimate ships as female. It made little sense to Yrkala. But Lily smelled like the ship exactly, no difference because of sweat or fish or water or even humanity. Maybe it was that Lily was some sort of ship's spirit, keeping it clean. Would that explain the bones?

Maybe it had simply been because Lily was shy? She trembled when Yrkala looked at her. Yrkala knew that she was so much larger than Lily, but it shouldn't hurt her. Yrkala would not hurt Lily. She just wanted to explore Lily, make her feel good, know her more, maybe claim her!

It was entirely possible that Yrkala had misread some sign of Lily's reluctance. Yrkala had snapped and bitten plenty of would-be suitors, giving them scars on their arms and hands. Lily would never be able to put up such a struggle. She didn't seem capable of so much as growling her discontent either. If she had some other way of indicating that she didn't want it, then Yrkala hadn't understood it. Yrkala fell asleep, wondering where she went wrong.

* * *

Body slightly stiff. Yrkala stretched out her body. Still wrong. Did not make Lily happy. What to do about it? Maybe gifts? Wouldn't it be buying Lily's happiness? That didn't sit right with Yrkala.

What about Shella? Shella had experience, right? Shella could tell Yrkala how to make it better. Maybe she could approach Lily without ruining everything.

Yrkala stood up, and ducked through the doorway and hallway. She wanted to make herself smaller, just because she failed last night. The deck was empty, the sun rising higher in the morning.

Yrkala padded over to the double doors. What could she do to get Shella's attention? A simple knock. She'd seen it done by those clothed humans if they wanted attention. Her fingers formed a fist and slammed on the door a few times. It was louder than she expected.

A few moments later, and a clothed Shella opened the door. Before she could talk, Yrkala said, "I want to learn more about loving women."

Shella looked up at her, shrugged, and let Yrkala in, closing the door behind her. "What's this about?" Shella asked.

Yrkala covered her face and sat on the floor with a room-shaking thump. "How do I approach women? How do I get them to not run away? If I want to make them happy, how do I start?" Yrkala asked in a confused flurry.

Shella walked around her and sat on the bed. Arms crossed, Shella looked at Yrkala intently. "Did you try and do somethin' that didn't work?" Shella asked after a while.

"I approached Lily. Wanted to make her feel the joy you taught me," Yrkala replied, low and almost growling.

Shella sighed. "You're going to want to have her approach you. She'll disappear on ye if you try to force it," she said.

"She did approach me!" Yrkala protested.

"Then she musta changed her mind! I don't know half tha things that go on in that girl's head, so don't ask me. The best thing is to let her lead," Shella snapped back, standing up abruptly.

Shella breathed out to calm herself, then continued. "Was there anythin' else you wanted to talk to me about?"

Let Lily take the lead? That sounded weird. Wasn't this about Yrkala approaching Lily, not the other way around? It seemed to be counterproductive. Besides, Yrkala was a strong hunter and fighter, she had the tattoos to prove it! That meant she was the one who led! She got the girl, not the other way around!

But maybe Yrkala did need to retract just a bit. Perhaps she was too big, too fast, too hurried. Perhaps she should have gone slower. Yrkala had made a mistake, it was just a matter of finding that mistake and correcting it.

Shella still stood there awkwardly. "Ye got an answer yet?" she asked impatiently.

Yrkala's thoughts turned to Shella and her options. It kind of felt like that if she let Shella teach her more, she'd get farther away from Lily. It was uncomfortable, establishing oneself with a partner that one did not intend. Once was once, twice built up something.

And yet, she could learn more. More than just teat-rubbing and slit-rubbing, something to make it interesting. The possibilities of what she didn't know taunted Yrkala.

"I want to learn more," Yrkala said after taking time to think. "I want to learn more about how to make women feel good."

Shella smiled with something Yrkala guessed to be relief and unbuttoned her shirt. "Hey, I've got a silly idea for this time. Lay down on the bed, legs spread," she said as she shed more of her clothes.

What? That sounded so...so stupid! Yrkala couldn't argue, though, Shella had years of experience with her.

Yrkala climbed on to the bed and lay down on it as if she was sleeping. Almost as an afterthought, she spread her legs. Her hips were close to the edge of the bed, and her feet hung off of it.

Yrkala felt a hand grope her buttcheek, making her squeak in suprise. What was the purpose of this? She fealt the hand rub around her buttock as her unasked question was given an answer. "I'm guessin' you don't get wet by just ditchin' clothes. So, I'm seein' what else gets ya wet," Shella said. "Other women get wet from different things. Ye'll want to know how to love 'em, and not use 'em."

Yrkala buried her burning face in the sheets, hoping to cover any kind of non-ferocious moans she may make. She tried to focus on the way the flesh of her buttocks was being groped, similar to how her breasts had been teased, her skin pressed and jolted. It wasn't as good as her breasts, but there still was that warm feeling seeping into her.

She focused on her loins. Not hot, not swollen, not wanting - yet. It was getting there, slowly and surely, as Yrkala felt the desire to feel pleasure grow inside her.

Yrkala nearly squeaked again as she felt a warm, wet paddle drag itself upwards, starting from where her clit had yet to grow out of and ending near her anal hole. She felt her cheeks dye a shade deeper. It wasn't like this last time! Last time she could see, and stop if needed, what was going on! Here, everything was behind her!

"Oh, an' another thing ye might have at your disposal; yer tongue. Nice an' wet," Shella said from behind her. Yrkala removed her head from the sheets and poked her tongue out. It was pink, triangular, and barely long enough to get past her teeth if she stretched it. Not visible, and not useable. She wasn't going to eat her partners!

Yrkala's groin was hot and wanting now, not as much as when Shella touched her breasts, but enough. She heard Shella chuckle from behind her, and felt two fingers drag themselves across her open slit. Tingles of warmth dug into her.

Yrkala felt Shella's tongue drag itself across her hot slit, the dexterous paddle digging into the folds of her flesh. Sweet delight sunk into her, perpetrating her body and mind. Her embarrassment was slinking away, replaced by that increasingly-familiar joy.

Shella's tongue danced up and down Yrkala's entrance, playing into and separating folds. The wet, warm member was licking at her as skillfully as those fingers, and Yrkala could feel more delight pour into her, her throat rumbling in approval. Pleasure jolted into her as Shella licked at her hard clit.

Shella's tongue built up speed, darting around Yrkala's folds faster, dipping into her interior occasionally. With it, the ecstasy flooded in, driving away doubts and embarrassments. Yrkala found herself groaning louder, her moans of lust escaping the bed-sheets she had re-buried her head in.

She could feel Shella playing with her clit, diverting time licking up and down to rub over that hard button. Even a cursory pass sent pleasure coursing up her spine. It was marvelous, feeling how soft, wet flesh hugged her clit and rubbed it, pink tongue against pinkish nub.

The delight that sunk into Yrkala was utter bliss. Each wag of the tongue added to the massive mound of numbing heat growing inside her. Each dig into a fold added pleasure, each glide across wet flesh added raw joy, each touch upon her clit a burst of delight. Yrkala found herself unconsciously spreading her legs, trying to make it all easier for her to feel.

Without control, it overtook her. Mind turning to happy white noise, her stomach pressing towards the ground, Yrkala groveled in lust. Her sound of release was a roar, a moan, a primal cry of lust formed by a predator. Her hands squeezed and her toes twitched. Distantly feeling something loose itself from her loins, Yrkala slumped further forward.

As the mental haze cleared away, Yrkala thought that she should be able to hold on for longer. She should pay attention, and catch herself lest she shorten the mating.

Yrkala looked at Shella. She was wiping her face off with a spare sheet. Something nagged at Yrkala. "Shella," Yrkala said, "I do not feel like I am learning. I am becoming aware of my body, but I do not think I am learning."

"Well, it's about exploration," Shella replied, dabbing at a few final spots and tossing the sheet away. "You learn what you like, you learn what your partners like. There's a few things that near everyone likes, but some folks like certain things. I'd recommend exploring yourself when ye feel like it."

Exploring herself? Before Yrkala could ask, Shella walked down the stairs into the pool room. Yrkala did not want to have to deal with the trouble of walking backwards up stairs again.

She was exhausted, but Yrkala made herself move anyways. Padding outside, she dwelled on her thoughts staring out into the endless waves. There was no point in doing it by yourself. Shella was demonstrating that it was better with other people!

Yrkala looked down at her body and her hands. She flexed the fingers, yet to truly touch somebody in a caring manner. Harpoons, nets, even hauling for the clothed humans back when she was younger. Not caressing, not doing what Shella had done to her. She was missing out.

Yrkala looked at her breasts. The teats were softening, and had been hard even without attention. She really liked it when they were stroked. Now that she was thinking about it, her nose was likewise. It thrummed and buzzed when it was stroked. Yrkala looked around, and went back to the room she was sleeping in.

Empty save for the poorly maintained bed, the sheets, and the glow-coral, the room was a kind of private sanctum. Yrkala sighed to herself, a kind of rumbling from her throat. That licking was good, but not as good as the first time. Yrkala wondered to herself just how often one could mate successively. She imagined herself entwined with a smaller woman, one she could protect and love.

Yellow lighting cascading on the tops of her breasts and shoulders, Yrkala covered up one of her breasts with her hand. She began to rub it gently, imagining that woman from so long ago, removing her dress to expose pale skin. Sheets of scalloped cloth would drift to the floor as Yrkala would take them off, one by one.

Fingers of warmth crept into her breast, and she felt her nipple stiffen and tighten into something harder. Yrkala began stroking her other breast, feeling the smoothness of her own skin, feeling her own slightly-coarse touch. Her teats hardened together. Yrkala smiled to herself, imagining rubbing the smaller woman's hardened nipples, free of cloth, and hearing her groans. Hands over white-tinted skin, feeling their softness, rubbing and nuzzling the smaller woman.

Yrkala's body was warming up. It felt sluggish and hazy from the previous mating, but it still responded. The wanting desire in her loins sprouted slowly, but noticeably, as she pinched her own tits and stroked her own skin. It blossomed, like an incomplete flower, under her belly. Oh, how she wanted a touch down there! She wanted that woman to be there, to be pinned beneath her seeking fingers! For Lily to be there!

Yrkala sent one hand down there, tearing it away from kneading her breasts and gliding it down her stomach. Her fingers grazed over her puffy mound, and slid over her wet, open slit, barely touching it. Shockwaves of delight bolted in to her. In her mind, she could see herself over Lily, skin sliding against skin, or even against those women from long ago, only remnants of their dresses on them as they groaned against Yrkala.

Shoulder against a wall to support herself, Yrkala continued to explore her body. Her fingers felt and pried apart her own folds of flesh, letting her moisture run down her fingers. She felt where her slit dove in deeper, and fingered the rim, feeling how it pushed back, and didn't push in farther. The thrill and pleasure filled her mind with warmth, making her growl in delight. She could almost imagine what another's soft skin felt like, and how wet they could be.

Yrkala's fingers ran over a hard button, and she nearly barked out from the flood of sensation in her. She had found her clit.

Dazed with mind-numbing pleasure, Yrkala sunk to the floor. Her fingers rubbed circles over her clit, moving flesh, rubbing sensitive skin. Numbing delight and joyous delirium poured into her, the sensation turning her pleased growls into predatory moans of lust. Her eyes unfocused and closed to bask in her own touch, her breathing heavy and hot. She could almost feel another woman's body with her.

Around and around, she felt the warmth spiral into her, tracing her fingers around and around her little button clit. Primal, pleasurable lust swam in her body, lighting it up with sensation. Yrkala's mind was irrelevant, thoughts vanishing under a tide of sensual joy but guided by the nude shape of a woman. Her legs were weak to the assault, her voice responding in unintelligible moans of desire.

One harder press into herself, and everything that had built up overtook her completely. Her fingers twitched against her heaving bosom and hot mound, neck craning out and voice howling in lust fulfilled. Her body gasped and trembled, pleasure overriding it. Bliss consumed her, ate her up like a tidal wave, and carried her to shore.

The sense dying down, Yrkala's head was pressed to the floor, back curved. Her hands were between her legs, covering her slit. She smiled to herself, almost chuckling. Yes, she can please her own body. She can please another's, too. It was just a matter of exploration and time. But first, she needed something.

* * *

At dusk the next day, Yrkala pulled herself out of the water and on to the deck of the ship, a cloth bundle clutched close to her breast. She had slipped out after recovering from exhaustion, diving into the ocean depths to search. She was lucky the ship was anchored. A rusted chain connected the ship to an ugly metal hunk that rested on the seafloor. Having the ship move on her would be troublesome.

Yrkala snuck back to her cabin without being detected. She placed the makeshift bag on a cradle made by the glowing coral and turned to leave. The growing familiarity of a fish-human's scent, as well as their bodily hum, was outside, on the deck. Yrkala should have seen this coming. Traversing out to the deck, she was confronted by Shella.

"Where didja go to?" Shella asked. It sounded like she was trying to sound nice, but Yrkala could feel the fierce crackle of an angry hum from her body.

"I went for a swim. I have been on this ship for a few days. Felt my skin might dry out," Yrkala responded, drawing herself high and tall to tower over Shella. It was an act of intimidation, to get Shella to back off.

"It's dangerous to go away from other folk here. You could get lost, never meet another person ever again," Shella continued with a more coaxing voice. She was trying to keep Yrkala on this ship! Not that she minded, what with Lily yet to be claimed, but she found the attempt objectionable.

"I can take care of myself in this ocean. I would not doubt my directional senses if I were you," Yrkala snapped back. Shella was a teacher, nothing more.

Shella blinked and cocked her head. "How much do ye know about this place, really?" she asked. Much of that fierce hum subsided, instead now perking up as if something interesting was in front of Shella.

"People here are obsessed with mating. No-one bears children. No-one hungers. No-one thirsts. No-one hurts," Yrkala told Shella. That's what men kept on saying to her, at least. She hadn't needed to eat anything, but she would still love to have a fish just for the sensation of eating it.

"An' no-one meets each other ever again if they leave." Shella said firmly.

"I swam back here," Yrkala retorted. Among all the silly 'no-one' laws in this world, that was the silliest.

"Yeah, but that was a one-time exception. Maybe this place is playin' nice with me fer swingin' you back here, but there ain't been another example of people seein' each other again," Shella told Yrkala.

"I have not found that 'no-one' law," Yrkala said.

Shella shook her head and said, "Sweetie, how many guys asked you out before I got here? The first one shoulda told you the rules I know they ain't written down, but it's word of mouth. No-one hungers, thirsts, sickens and dies, gets hurt, and especially meets another one twice."

"The 7 men who talked to me to try and mate with me all said this world's laws. The third one had approached me 3 times, each trying to use those very laws to mate with me. It was that last time where I left that island," Yrkala said. Without Shella on the edge of anger, Yrkala could calm down. Slumping her shoulders and slouching was enough to shrink her intimidation.

Shella twisted her mouth to the side, doing some mental math. "That guy stayed on an island through what, 4 potential partners? How determined was he?" she asked.

"Do not know or care. He asked every time he came back on his ship," Yrkala responded.

"Wait, what?" Shella blurted out as soon as Yrkala finished. Her hum had instantly jumbled up, tossed around as if in a storm.

"That third man had a boat he sailed far and wide on. Came back to island with women with feathers, women with horns, even the edible merwomen. Even if I was a man-lover, I would not take such a man," Yrkala stated. For once, she felt like she was the one in control by hiding things. It was good to be asked questions when you knew the answer.

"Where was this island? What was it?" Shella asked hurriedly.

"I do not know. I swam away from it without intention to come back to it," Yrkala said. "But it was an ugly island. Many ships had been placed on it, and those spilled into the ocean. Many flat platforms and men and women getting drunk and mating. I lived on opposite side, avoiding even the island's merfolk. I would not go back again."