Basin Town was a place that woke up in waves.
The first businesses to open up usually were the ones that sold food; the exceptions being of those restaurants whose forte were the midday, afternoon and night dishes. The early mornings were filled with smells wafting from right, left and center. Banging pots, cutlery scraping against plates and the sustenance finished waking up the early workers.
Next would be the stalls at the market that sold vegetables, fruits, staple food and basic stuff to cook. The area became alive with sellers arranging their wares, shouting out what they were selling and the usual bargaining arguments with possible costumers. Some big stalls silently packed up the previously paid-up ingredients for some small restaurants that opened up mid-morning.
Finally, the rest of the town woke up. Businesses that sold other miscellaneous things opened up: be it furniture, shoes, clothing, accessories, stationary, etc. The school opened up its gates to receive the first students. Office workers, in their immaculate clothes, also made their way to the respective administrative buildings. The Commissioner, the Mayor, and high-ranking soldiers could also be already found shuffling through paperwork in their offices.
Morning displayed its usual busyness.
A jaw-splitting yawn made its way out of Ginna's mouth as she walked towards Mrs. Attile's shop. She had woken up before the crack of dawn because she had to cook breakfast at home and even do the washing before she could hit the road. Sometimes, she envied her sister, Vera, who woke up whenever she wanted and forwent chores because their mom wanted her to get a good catch.
How could she do it if she was sleep-deprived, had rough hands and did not look her best?
After all, Vera had inherited the best of their parents: the seductive eyes and the tall and slim figure from their father, the plump lips and soothing voice from their mother. She was not the prettiest girl in the village, but was among them. It was no wonder their parents, especially their mother, doted on her and let her do whatever she wanted.
Ginna, on the other hand, was among the average-looking girls. Instead of seductive, her features were kinder, pleasant, yet nothing to write home about. The old ladies chattered that her only redeeming feature were her wide hips, the same as her mother's. All in all, the perfect person to dump all the chores on.
Sometimes, she argued with her parents that she also wanted to settle down (even if she was not actually planning to) to get more attention from them. It never worked. The chance of settling down was given to Vera. Ginna wondered, with no small amount of bitterness, when her parents would realize Vera always let good men go to hook up with wastrels; no intention of settling down.
A few years ago, Vera started courting with a guy in their village. All villages had their own fair share of hard-working people, and this guy was the epitome of hard-working, being the bread winner for their family, even so far as to send his little brother to school. The guy was committed to marry her sister, yet she threw it all away to give her first time to the village's crook.
In hindsight, that should have been the first hint for Ginna and their parents to realize the type of reputation Vera would garner; affecting not only her but Ginna, too.
Once the crook tossed her aside for another woman, Vera set her sights on town men, managing to charm the younger son of a family who had a stall at the market. It was the best option for a village girl who barely knew her a's and b's. Hearing Vera grumble too much about the guy asking her to help around the stall was enough to tell Ginna that her sister would mess up her relationship yet again.
Lo and behold, she was caught snogging a handsome, travelling minstrel who swore to high heavens that he would take her around to know the world. In the end, he took another woman who actually knew how to play an instrument, unlike her sister.
In between all the messed-up relationships, Ginna witnessed how Vera seemed to have devoted herself to bed anyone who looked her way. Married or otherwise.
Ginna was no expert, but she came to the conclusion that perhaps her sister was the type of person who constantly needed attention, special attention. She basked in men adoring her, lavishing her with empty words to get they wanted. Their parents had fed upon that need by spoiling her, and that was why she believed she deserved only the best.
Hence why she ruined her last decent relationship. Good looking, hard-working, willing to accept her faults, committed, good in bed (according to Vera). Ethan had all the characteristics of the type of man her sister was drawn to. His only downfall was that he was poor.
Ginna accepted that she contributed to that relationship ending, though obviously most of the fault laid on her sister, but she was tired. Tired of being treated as a servant in her own home; tired of being compared to 'sweet and perfect' Vera; tired of Vera not appreciating the good things she had in her life; tired of being jealous.
So, she unrepentantly 'helped' when Vera voiced out that Ethan was a no-no and wanted to end things but did not know how. What with Ethan being desperate to score a wife. Any woman would do. Oh, how Vera hated to be the 'last resort', the 'better than nothing'. She was meant for grander things! A grand house! A grand row of servants! A grand husband!
The truth was, Vera was not getting younger, had no clear goal in life, had not managed to settle down or even score a job. She had nothing. All her other options were good-for-nothing scoundrels with women in every corner.
Ginna could clearly see it, so she was sure Vera saw it, too. And, with her sister's tendencies, it would not be surprising if she ended up becoming a mistress.
Well, whatever, as long as she left the house so Ginna would not catch her with a cock in her mouth whenever she entered their shared room. Again.
Ginna sighed and hoped the day would not be so hectic.
Unfortunately, there was no rest for the wicked.
Ginna's steps halted noticing the figure standing right outside the shop. Well, rather than the figure, the couple. Ginna heard from Mrs. Attile that the two finally tied the knot. Knots… Marrying four men was a clear sign of a destitute family; yet, somehow (and according to Mrs. Attile), the bride made it look as if she was the protagonist of one of those novels older women sometimes gushed about.
Isabelle… Edris.
Isabelle Edris who was going to be working at the shop from that day onward.
Talk about awkward…
And enviable…
Ginna had not liked Ethan as a person, but for what he represented. A dependable man. A caring man. A devoted man. Just someone one could easily and gladly marry.
Vera closed her eyes to that, Isabelle did not.
The couple stood very close to each other; her brushing locks of hair out of his face, him arranging her clothes. Was it not always the other way around? Ginna lowered her gaze and head when the two shared a kiss. Nothing to see, nothing to feel. She chanted as she made the final trek towards the shop. It was her duty to open up after all.
"morning…" Ginna carelessly threw at the lovers as she fished a key from inside her worn bag and unlocked the door.
The astringent smell of bolts upon bolts of fabric ensconced in a closed off space hit her. She sneezed and left the door open to let the room's stale air out. After a few words between the couple that Ginna was unable to catch, footsteps followed her in.
"Mrs. Attile will not come today?" The voice was soft, yet to Ginna it sounded as if a big stone splashed into water. Somewhat irritating and just… loud.
"Not until midday, got somethin' to do. You can do wha'ever you want." Ginna replied, her words coming out slurred; she was still sleepy and did not want to entertain the other while she worked.
Thankfully, Mrs. Attile had already cleared up the space where Isabelle could work, so she headed there. As Ginna cleaned around, she stole a few glances in the other woman's direction, seeing the latter fiddle with the wooden torso. The fabrics for the dresses had not been taken out, so Isabelle could not start working.
But that was not Ginna's problem.
She had enough by dealing with the store and its cramped storefront. She could not move a few steps without hitting or tripping with something or another. By the time the whole shop was cleaned, her toes were throbbing.
"Do you think Mrs. Attile would let us move a few things here?" Isabelle suddenly piped up, startling Ginna into almost dropping her breakfast: which consisted of bread and some watered-down porridge she bought on her way to the shop.
"Wha' fo'?" Ginna returned, mouth filled with food. It was impolite, she knew, yet the other woman paid no heed to it. Isabelle's composure was truly envious.
"The shop is a bit cramped. Do customers not complain about it?" Isabelle gestured around.
Irritation filled Ginna. Of course, it was cramped! Of course, people complained about the shop having no space! But she did not feel like admitting it to Isabelle; could not voice out the fact to Mrs. Attile out of fear that she would lose her job. Not everyone lived in a fairy tale where things always worked on their favor.
As Ginna was about to lash out against Isabelle for being too arrogant, someone walked into the shop. And yes, immediately, there was a complaint.
"What kind of shop's this?"
Ginna hurriedly put her breakfast away and scrubbed her hands with a clothe she kept under the counter to attend the newcomer, but Isabelle beat her to it.
"Apologies about the state of the shop, we are renovating. What can I help you with?" Isabelle's serviceable voice somewhat appeased the customer.
"Ah, well, a little mess can't be helped. I'm looking for fabrics to make summer clothes." The customer replied, looking around but getting frustrated at the stack upon stack of bolts that she had no idea where to start.
Isabelle clapped to get the woman's attention and get her out of her funk. "Perfect. We have some options in here. Cotton fabrics are the best; in here, we have Poplin." She pointed at the few bolts that she was able to see, as she was not aware if there were other colors at the back. "Then, over here, we have Gauze. This one we call Muslin, and finally Lawn. We have few colors for these two but summer clothes need light ones, so these will do."
The bolts she patted were indeed of light colors: white, soft pink and soft green.
Ginna watched the whole interaction with an astonished expression. She had been working at the shop since it opened for business, so she had been confident in knowing what the shop had in stock. Apparently, she did not know everything. A sense of crisis enveloped her. Had she been overlooking customers because she was clueless about what the shop had?
Now, Ginna had her own pride. She would not let anyone look down on her just because she was a villager and illiterate, nor would she let any man disparage her looks (even if they were not as astounding as her sister's). Deep down, though, she reluctantly (and in this case, gloomily) accepted when others were better.
In those instances, she would shamelessly cosy up to the person and ask to be taught. She would remain uneducated, yet not useless!
So, when the customer was packed up and gone, Ginna approached Isabelle. "What do ya want to move? I can help." And, if in that organizing endeavour she learned about fabrics… well, that was the point. Furthermore, with how high Mrs. Attile thought of Isabelle, then it was worth listening to her suggestion, right?
Isabelle blinked, not believing the other woman would easily accept her assistance. She thought it would be an uphill battle. More snide comments, plenty of arguing and days with no sign of doing anything productive. She looked at Ginna in a whole new light, teaching her that she should not jump to early and wrong conclusions about people.
Maybe she was too used to more stubborn, willful and prideful personalities.
Whose? She had no idea.
"Since people are starting to look for summer fabrics, we should have all the bolts out and displayed. Then, all those fabrics used for thicker clothes can be stored." Isabelle shared her idea, though paused and remained silent for a moment. "Maybe we can leave one out, as an example, and create a ledger with the different options available."
"How do we do that?" Ginna frowned. She understood the part about displaying the pertinent fabrics, but not about the stored ones and the ledger.
Isabelle just smiled and urged Ginna to start moving things. Ignoring her pride, which screamed at her to keep doing things like always, that there was no need for change, that Isabelle was the enemy, Ginna followed the other woman's instructions.
In between the renovation and attending the sporadic customers, the morning quickly passed.
At noon, Isabelle stepped out of the shop together with Ethan to have lunch, leaving Ginna behind to receive Mrs. Attile. The older woman paused at the threshold of her shop and looked around with a slackened expression. It was so spacious! What happened to the fabrics? The question was immediately directed at Ginna, who she found leafing through a ledger with dedicated intensity.
The younger woman explained what she had done together with Isabelle after yet another customer complained about the lack of space in the shop. The older woman went to the back, to the storage, and confirmed the rest of the bolts were there. Returning to the front, she snatched the ledger from Ginna's hands to also leaf through the thing.
"How wonderful." Mrs. Attile breathed. The ledger catalogued all the type of fabrics sold at the shop, and even had small pieces of each fabric as samples. The older woman instantly realized the shop's management became a lot easier as the ledger could also be used to know what was in stock or not by taking out the pieces of fabric.
Ginna nodded, begrudgingly impressed. And she had been part of that organization! Isabelle did have a good head with creative ideas. It was only left to see if Isabelle would be capable of pulling off the designs she came up with.
Ginna was very curious of the result and could not stop stealing glances at the woman measuring and cutting fabric. After her meal, Isabelle returned and was swept into Mrs. Attile whirlwind of enthusiasm, taking out bolt after bolt of fabric and chattering about the designs, inquiring which dress would be first made.
"The big one with the wide skirt."
Remembering the design, Ginna remained skeptical that such an effect could be created with just fabric.
Even on her way back home, she still mulled over it.
Suddenly, she stopped. "Ugh, knew I shouldn't have drunk that much tea." Ginna groaned when her bladder announced it was full and needed relief. Her village was just over the hill, but she did not think she would be able to hold it in any longer. Eyeing the bushes and woods by the road, she hesitated. It was already late and the sun had already dipped in the horizon, giving way to darkness.
What if an animal attacked her? Or worse, a person?
But the liquid almost coming out robbed her of her cautiousness.
She looked for the most secluded spot from where she could also see the road and her surroundings, and squatted. It took a while before her body was completely empty. Only then she got ready to continue her journey. Just when she was about to step out of the bushes, she heard footsteps and voices, making her hide once again.
"I don't think…"
"Doesn't matter what ya think! Today, you'll become a man… by watching anyway. Can choke the chicken a bit. She's loud as hell, won't notice ya there."
Ginna pursed her lips. Two men. If she came out, then she would be noticed as the two were right behind the tree where she was hidden at. Curse her bad luck, and slutty men and women who trysted in the woods. Then, another set of footsteps and a female voice appeared.
"Xavy?"
Of fucking course!
Ginna inwardly raged when she heard her sister's voice.
"Quick, behind the tree." Xavien, the youngest son of the Andre family, whispered to the other man, shoving him. Then, he turned and called out, "Here! Ready to be rammed, jo?"
Ginna cringed at the teen's words. Her sister was ten years older than the guy; how could both be so dissolute?
Wait a min…
Ginna had only a fraction of a second to realize who the other man might be when said man rounded the tree and locked startled gazes with her. The moment he opened his mouth, Ginna lunged at him. She had no idea how she moved such a big man with her puny frame, but she managed to push him against the tree and smack a hand over his mouth.
"I… I was just peeing… then you came…" Mortification filled her once the whispered excuse came out. She did not have to tell him what she was doing (either way, the lingering smell was enough to snitch her). He nodded, still baffled. "What…" Just when she was about to ask what they should do, moaning came from not so far away.
"Ahn, yes, touch me down there, too…" Xavien was right. Her sister was too loud. Maybe they could use that to their advantage and quietly leave…
Hands clamped down on her shoulders. "He's watchin'. Can't leave." Gloominess clung to the man's face and voice. Ginna stilled at his words, and then sagged.
Of course.
Who in the village did not know about the Andre siblings? Yezny, the daughter which made shrews look like saints. The eldest son, Xabat, a huge man who made kids cry with only a glance, even his own kids. The youngest, Xavien, a problematic youth that only knew how to fight, drink and shag. And the middle son, Xandre, a big and scraggly man who everybody thought was dull.
Even his own siblings.
It was no secret that he was the whole's family punching bag, the mule, the fool. So, for Xavien to humiliate Xandre came as no surprise to Ginna. Even though their situations were not exactly the same, Ginna could not help but feel sympathy for the man. The sympathy died a quick death as her sister's voice cut through the silence.
"Ai, ai, ai… your cock's… Nn… good…" The telltale sound of skin slapping told Ginna her sister was already getting rammed.
"Scream louder, slut… Cry like a bitch!" Xavien maliciously chuckled as he swatted the woman's ass, who in turn started whimpering as if she was truly a dog in heat.
Ginna grimaced and curled on herself. She tried to console herself in the fact that she was used to it, that her sister just enjoyed sex, but… Sometimes, she could see the leering gazes several guys and men at the village threw at her because of her sister's deeds.
She was not Vera!
Although Ginna was not completely innocent, she still had a modicum of self-respect!
She did not want…!
The hands on her shoulders moved up and covered her ears, muffling the sounds. Ginna looked up, surprised
From up close, she could see why he was still single at his twenty-seven years. His hair was uncombed and knotted; the beard was uneven, giving him the scraggly look; he had droopy eyes, making him appear dim-witted; there was also his crooked nose and thin lips. Truly an unfortunate man. That was if one only paid attention to his outer looks.
Truthfully, no one had a bad thing to say about Xandre Andre. They all first mentioned his good qualities: hard-working, quiet, decent, kind to children and elders, and listened well to others.
How could such a person be mistreated by his siblings? Ginna sadly thought.
"Turn 'round."
"Huh?" Perplexed, Ginna leaned away from his sudden close face. What was happening?
"Turn 'round." He repeated. "I've to… Or he will…" He trailed off, unable to tell her. She was innocent in the whole mess. And he was just a fool…
He had peeked at the couple, trying to find a chance for Ginna to leave. What he found was his brother hard at work, thrusting at the woman from behind against another tree. Both were looking at him with twisted smiles. He hid behind the tree once again and grimaced. The two were in cohort to make a fool of himself. Sadly, it was working.
As someone who had not… tried the flesh of a woman, his body unconsciously reacted to the sight and sound of the act. He had been refusing to seek release all these years, but now, his brother was forcing him to. He threatened him… Threatened that he would tell. Uncover his secret.
He was a fool, but was still a sensible person. If he could avoid heartbreak, he would.
Seeing Ginna not react to his command, he once again grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. It was best to be done with the humiliation as fast as possible, then run away alone to carry all the shame. As long as she remained hidden, she would not be connected to him. Ever.
Hurriedly, he untied the strings of his worn shorts. And once they came undone, his shorts instantly fell to the ground. Looking down at his erection, he hesitated for a moment before taking it in his hand. He hissed, his knees almost buckling. It felt…
Mocking chuckles sobered him up rather quickly.
He was a fool, but how could he…
"Look at me." A hand gripped his jaw and lifted his head. "Just… look at me…"
Again, Ginna was no innocent woman, so she quickly guessed what Xandre was supposed to do as Xavien and Vera fucked like rabid dogs. What he was forced to do. She had no idea why she felt compelled to help him. Maybe because they were two unfortunate victims under their own siblings' schemes. As such, they would come out of it half-defeated but not totally broken!
Her bravado dissolved by half facing his voracious eyes. There was something in them that made her quiver, flustered her. Yet she clung to what was left of her courage when she discerned his pained expression. She would not let him face the unwillingness alone!
Xandre choked out a cry when she decisively grabbed his hard-on and started moving it up and down. The mocking sex behind him flew out of his mind, focusing solely on that hand, on her bashful yet determined expression, on how good it felt.
Ginna was conflicted. She was ashamed, a bit revolted and still had her own misgivings about what she was doing. She should have left long ago! At the same time, she was curious, recklessness dictating her actions and, most importantly, aroused.
What would it feel like to make him reach completion?
"Ah!" Xandre gasped. Her swift moves hurt a bit as she pulled more than she should, but he could not separate that from the pleasure. He was overwhelmed. It was taking too long for it to end, but at the same time, he wanted it to last forever.
Distantly, he heard his brother groaning that he was almost there.
There where?
The woman howled out as if she was hurt.
What…?
"I'm here… eyes on me." Ginna ordered, squeezing his jaw. Ah, he had wanted to peek, to know… A whimper of his own came out when she patted on his balls.
"Please…" He gritted out, begging her to make the indescribable heat building up in him disappear. Only she could. Ginna… Ginna… Ginna… His hips stuttered forward, searching for her contact. Just a bit more and… "Oh!"
His moan was as pathetic as he felt when derisive laughter boomed from Xavien and Vera, having perfectly heard the moment he came. Luckily, neither wanted to see the mess of such a pathetic man. "Got the house all fo' myself. Up for more? We can do the same to my sister." Vera wickedly chuckled.
"Fuck yeah!" Xavien crowed, tucking his flaccid member to follow the woman.
Their footsteps slowly disappeared, leaving behind fluids and silence. Behind the tree, Xandre closed his eyes defeated; he could no longer face her. Ginna stood unmoving, her hand playing with the sticky substance that shot out from his cock. Her desire reached a new peak, overwhelming her reason and caution.
"Let's do it…" Her voice came out raspy, making it almost inaudible.
Xandre opened his eyes, "wha…" and choked out on his words when Ginna started undressing.
"If my sister can fuck with your brother, why can't I with you?" The reasoning was wonky but honest. It was not pity; she did not pity herself or Xandre. It was a simple: why cannot they fuck? They should. They could. "You want to, right?" She threw at him.
If he wanted to… what? His brain stopped working for a moment before it sparked to life and said: fuck it! Let's do it!
Although drained from his orgasm, Xandre easily picked her bare body and pressed her against the tree. Arms coiled around his shoulders, legs around his waist, lips devoured his in a heated kiss and her breasts…
A moan escaped her lips as he tentatively groped her tits, the fire in between her legs consuming her insides, her throbbing intimacy rubbing against his stirring member. Her sinful enthusiasm made him weak in the knees. Not wanting to disappoint her, he thrusted his hips forward.
As his cock valiantly rose once again, he felt the head snag onto a small hole. There was a pause. Xandre looked at her, silently asking if that was where he had to go. Ginna gazed back, preparing herself for what was to come once she nodded. Both were afraid, excited, impatient and eager to see the matter till the end.
Finally, both jumped down the precipice.
Ginna keened, biting her lip to not scream out. It fucking hurt! Xandre felt as if breath completely left his body. It was so tight!
They could do nothing but wait.
Once her pain dulled to mere discomfort, she wiggled her butt, stopping when Xandre all but growled at her to not move. Then, with a sigh, he started pumping. The image of his brother's fast moves flashed in his mind, yet he knew he could not do the same. The slow pace was enough to make him explode, he could not go faster.
Squeezed between his broad body and the tree, Ginna had a limited range of movement. Her hips barely twitched to meet his thrusts, the feeling of fullness slowly turning into something else. Yet she needed more. Craved for more.
"…can you…" She breathed, a needy tone coming out of her.
"...yes?" Xandre paused and waited. His body was vibrating with some sort of desperation.
"Maybe… do it a bit more…" Frankly, not even she knew what she wanted.
Xandre hummed. A bit more… Perhaps… His hips snapped against hers, making her gasp. "Like that?" He asked, unsure if her reaction was good or not.
"…yes…" She whimpered her reply.
Clued into what she wanted, he repeated the process; slow at first, but then he found a good rhythm. The sound their bodies made as he pounded her was addictive and alluring. Ginna found herself rooted to the dragging, the impact, their sounds, his sounds.
Rather than words, she much preferred his quiet moans, his stuttering gasps and delirious groaning. She closed her eyes and basked in them until an electrifying sensation washed all over, making her breath sputter. Her body became taut, and everything just clenched in a silent scream.
The unexpected tightness and pulsing rapidly pushed Xandre to the edge, his pounding became rather fierce as he chased for that moment that would… "… ah!" He whimpered. His sensitive cock burying itself deep within her, twitching out the same viscous liquid that stained her hand.
Time seemed to stop, freezing their bodies into a tight embrace, united by their most intimate parts.
A while later, when breathing was not an arduous task, when their bodies stopped quivering, when their heads could coordinate a logical thought, when they realized what had just happened, they separated. Awkwardly.
What have I done?
The question flittered in their heads as they dressed, as they made it out of the bushes, and as they silently made their way back. Both were scolded for arriving late at their respective houses. Both did the chores the others left for them until late into the night. Both went to sleep when not even the cats were awake. Both could not stop thinking of what happened back at the woods.
Neither regretted it.