Authors Note:
I've decided to go through and clean up this chapter to (on the one hand) fix the gratuitous spelling and grammar mistakes that I originally overlooked (I originally wrote half of this on a phone because my computer was having issues, a lot of mistakes were just autocorrect auto correcting) and to bring the continuity up to a level consistent with the other chapters. Something that has long been overdue. Please enjoy this updated and fixed version.
Humaboo Anon
*****
Vakal K'shon Tashaiea groaned. Her eyes reluctantly opened to the sound of her alarm clock filling the air. It was morning again, and as always it came too soon. She continued to lay in bed, attempting to ignore the increasingly annoying tone as the haze of her post sleep state slowly began to dissipate. Eventually she couldn't ignore it any longer. Throwing back the sheets to her bed, she slowly swung around, planting her feet firmly on the ground of her apartment's bedroom. With all the effort she could muster, she pushed herself up and walked over, still groggy, to the opposite side of the room where her alarm clock sat blaring.
As much as she hated it, Tashaiea knew that this was the only way that she would actually get up in the morning. When it used to be beside her bed she would constantly and absentmindedly turn the alarm off in her half asleep state. As one could expect that of course that always lead to plenty of problems that she would have preferred to avoid. She taped the off button on the alarm and began to relax as the soothing sound of silence began to fill her ears. She was momentarily drawn to seek out the soothing and comforting embrace of her bed once more. Through sheer force of will she however pulled herself towards her dresser instead, stopping just shy to give herself a once over in the mirror.
As usual she had fallen asleep wearing nothing but her panties from yesterday. A light blue affair that seemed to clash with the tan/green mix of her skin. Her two slender legs lead down to her species inverted knees and then down again to her four toed feet. She noticed that she had to trim the nail tips on her toes or risk once again accidentally breaking one off. Sure they might have been an asset back when her species was in its primitive phase and hadn't worn shoes. However in the modern age they just seemed to cause more of a mild annoyance than anything.
She continued up her body past her navel and past her two symmetrical bare breasts, finally looking herself in the face. Her hair was a mess, a jumbled brown clump that gave the clear and correct message that she had just gotten out of bed. She grabbed the hairbrush laying haphazardly on the ledge before her (discarded and untouched since the previous day's morning routine) and started attempting to untangle herself all the while continuing with her morning examination. Her lips were slim and were a slightly darker version of her skin. She felt a yawn come on and allowed it to force open her mouth revealing her slightly white teeth and dark green slender tongue. After it subsided she continued up her face settling next on her nose, or what was considered a nose by her species.
It wasn't as big as most species but it worked the same. A smallish bump with two nostrils on the bottom which she flared to make sure there was nothing inside them. Satisfied she continued up until she was looking herself in the eyes. They were green with black pupils, which was very common color among her people, although hers were slightly more green this morning in keeping with the fact that she had just woken up. Her two round eyes continued to stare back at her, she blinked a few times to try and get some more moisture into them before once again returning to her hair.
It took a couple more minutes of brushing before the final tangle had been subdued. Satisfied with her work she put down her brush and began to fish through her dresser for an appropriate outfit. Finally deciding after a good minute of searching on a red and burgundy patterned top with light black formfitting pants. Content with her choice Tashaiea decided that she probably shouldn't wear the same underwear she wore from the previous day and subsequently to sleep as well. Slowly she started to remove them, taking a second to check her now completely naked body before picking up her discarded panties and balancing them on her foot.
With a kick she flung them through the air towards her clothes hamper, frowning as they fell just short and became one with the ever growing pile of clothes that had missed in a similar manner. The young woman had a thought that she should really go and pick them up dispose of them correctly before the pile got any bigger, but ultimately decided that was a problem for future Tashaiea. Picking out a new pair she began to get dressed. When it became time to put her top on she paused. She should really probably put on a bra no matter how much she hated those breast coffins. She understood the need for them, make the chest as small as possible lest they get in your way. It wasn't like she was nursing right now and needed them unrestricted anyways. Keeping them tight to the chest was just a practicality thing. That didn't mean she had to like it however.
Normally if she was just staying around her apartment she wouldn't wear one, or maybe wouldn't even wear a shirt at all. However since she did have to go out today it was probably for the best. After a quick search she discovered that the only thing she had (that was relatively clean) was an old sports bra that had always been a little too tight and never quite fit right. She deduced that all the rest must have been in future Tashaiea's dirty laundry pile. Sighing she squeezed the sports bra on and finished getting dressed.
Next on her priority list was breakfast. Tashaiea opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the main room of her apartment, quickly making her way to the kitchen. Upon arriving she opened the food storage unit to find the same thing as yesterday, which wasn't much. She sighed. Another problem for future Tashaiea. Grabbing a sealed package of some specially imported snack cakes, the young woman headed off back to the main room of her apartment, her main living room as it were. The room was covered wall to wall with posters and photographs along with several shelves full of figurines and other novelties.
It was the room of someone who should really learn how to prioritize her spending, a notion that became ever more apparent when she sat down at her computer terminal and checked her missed messages. Upon turning on the display screen she was greeted with the shirtless, muscle bound male Human that she used as her background avatar. Her eyes were instinctively drawn to its pectoral muscles and began to wander down past the abdomen where the edge of the screen suddenly and sheepishly cut the image off before showing anything else. It was little liberties like these which made her like living alone sometimes. No one to ask why she had a half naked alien greet her every time she turned on the screen.
Peeling her eyes away she thumbed open her message inbox where the first, and only message, was from her landlord. A female Voss who by the sound of it was getting increasingly annoyed at Tashaiea's increasingly late payments for this cycle. She let out a long drawn out sigh. They wouldn't be late if her employer would just pay her more for her damn pictures. Attempting to put her frustration aside, she finished eating her snack cakes and opened up the day's itinerary. Today was a fairly big day for the smaller, not quite backwater but almost, Voss colony that was Kerpzu'avi. A name that you really needed a set of Voss vocal cords to pronounce correctly.
It was the opening day for the Confederate Colonial Light Gravity Athletics Competition. A competition comprised of light gravity worlders from inhabitants across this sector of Confederate space. Which really only meant the Voss, but it was open to residents of other species so long as they met the muscle density requirements. Which meant that Tashaiea species, the Kai'ani, would not be invited as they fell just on the "too heavy" side of the muscle density spectrum. Not than any Kai'ani (with the notable exception of her) would be caught dead on a Voss colony world. Another grating reminder of her continuing stream of poor life choices.
With that notion still in her head she spun around in her chair to the opposite corner of her desk to where, she assumed, she had left her camera. As she correctly remembered, there it was, sitting next to her VR equipment. Tashaiea knew that if other people could see they would question why she used such an outdated technology. After all why wear all that equipment when you can just project a hologram of whatever you're watching? Well to those fictional people she would say it's the same reason why she uses a flat display monitor for her computer terminal. It was all about the experience.
You can't touch a hologram, there is no substance to it. Where with her VR rig she could get actual physical feedback. And sometimes all she really wanted was some physical feedback. Scooping up her camera she checked the battery. Still fully charged she saw, good. She picked up an extra battery and swapped out the memory card for a fresh blank one, taking a quick picture to make sure everything was working correctly.
Satisfied with the outcome she continued to pack everything she would need for the day into her small carryall. Camera gear, press pass, water, keys, snacks, moisture lotion and UV blocker... she mentally ran through the checklist as she threw the items into her bag. Before long everything had been packed. She clipped her translator into her ear and took one last quick look around her apartment before heading out the door.
Tashaiea had barely finished locking her apartment door and taken a half step down the hallway when her throat dropped in her chest. At the end of the hallway was her landlord. As it seemed, the older female Voss had yet to notice Tashaiea. As quickly and as desperately as she could she tried to fish her apartment key-card out of her pants, fumbling with the various loose items she keep in the same pocket in her frantic search. If only she could sneak back inside her apartment... the thought was cut short by a shrill sounding yell which was moments later translated to her as "Girl!".
Realizing she had been caught, Tashaiea put her keys back in her pocket and turned to see the now rapidly approaching Voss shuffling towards her on its six stubby legs. With an inward sigh she forced a smile and responded.
"Hello miss R'atun." Tashaiea said, mustering all the joyfulness she could.
