Warmth.
It carries Nicora away. Away from the irritation and the noise. She's floating, drifting.. and then she feels grass beneath her. There's something hazy about the air, both in sight and sound, as if felt and seen through a gel or gauze. There are trees, and vines and flowers all about, and tiny sparkling things with diaphanous wings flitter and play throughout it all. And there's also the sound of music; a lute, or mandolin.
"Is this a dream?" Nicora asks the air around her, pausing to rub her eyes to see if the haze clears. And as with all fears about dreams, well, she checks to see if she is wearing clothing or not!
Apparently.. not this time. She can also see that she isn't Nicora, precisely. The body is not Rose's, but her own, if she had been born a female.
Nicora feels oddly proud of her female body, good curves, well-shaped hips, and not flat. She shakes her head, though, clearing her mind from such silly thoughts and flicks her ears now, trying to find the source of the music in this strange place.
This.. seems a problem. She hears it coming from deeper in the forest.. yet also hears it as if it's right in front of her. And then the singing starts, in a definitely elfin voice:
/Come take my journey into night
Come be my shadow, walk at my side.
And when you see all that I have seen
Can you tell me love from pride?/
Nicora's ears splay. "I don't understand?" she calls out to the unknown voice. "But ... love and pride are very different. True love is without demands, whereas pride has requirements. Or something like that? It is hard to explain."
The voice doesn't answer.. it's still too.. distant? But right in front of her too. It must be coming from deeper in the wood.
/I have been waiting all this time
For one to wake me, one to call mine.
So when you're near all that you hold dear
Do you fear what you will find?/
Nicora looks both worried and curious somehow. Since standing here seems to not find her any answers ... she just starts walking. Ahead she goes, following the easiest, most clear, path through these strange woods.
The music and singing seem to be clearer now, or closer together in space according to her ears. It's definitely Kaira's elf-form voice too!
/As the dawn breaks through the night
I move on forever longing for the home
I found in your eyes./
"Kaira? Is that you?" Nicora calls out, "It's me, Alptraum. Well, female version, but I'm mostly the same." She continues walking forward, completely confused as to what is going on.
Everything gets clearer, and Nicora glimpses.. the back of an elf? There's still a strange echoing from the sound though.
/I will be listening for the drum
To call me over, far away from
My tender youth and the very truth
Showing me what I've become./
"Kaira?" Nicora calls out one more time, voice growing softer, perhaps a bit worried. She isn't afraid exactly, it's more like she expects something sad to come now. Forward she continues, reaching out to touch the elf ... yet holding that touch until this odd story-song ends.
/As the dawn breaks through the night
I move on forever longing for the home
I found in your eyes.
Your voice saw me through the night./
As Nicora reaches Kaira's back, she notices just who the elf-dragon is singing to: a nude, black Eeee male, sitting attentively on the grass, who looks up at Nicora with Silver eyes.. and Alptraum sees Nicora through his own eyes as well. For a moment, it's like standing between two mirrors! Kaira puts down her instrument and looks behind her. "Oh.. I was wondering if you were going to show up as well.." she says.
"Wait, what? What is going on?" Nicora asks as she presses her thumb and forefinger to her forehead, both disoriented and confused. "How can he be here and I be here? We're the same person. She goes over to the male Eee and waves her hand in front of his face.
It's annoying having a hand waved in front of your face, and Nicora-Alptraum if having that happen, even if he-she is doing it. It's very disorienting, although Nicora still feels more 'in charge' than Alptraum.
"He's dreaming too," Kaira says. "Or rather, your tail is dreaming too. I think this is because of something that happened in Worms."
"Urf, that makes me queasy," Nicora admits as she stops waving. "Dreaming," I'm just me. How can I have two different dreams? What does Worms have to do with this? We're the same person," Nicora insists.
"Well, try doing something with his body then?" Kaira suggests, her instrument across her lap. "He hasn't done much but drool.."
Nicora squints and concentrates; namely on that odd feeling of double-vision and focusing more on the Alptraum-view. And what she tries to do, is get the male Eeee to stick his tongue out at Kaira.
Alptraum sticks his tongue out at the elf. Nicora feels.. well, like Alptraum, as her 'focus' shifts to his body instead, so that the female body feels more like an echo.
And so Alptraum rolls his jaws and has to qipe off the drool. "This is really ... strange," he now says, "And since you're my expert on all things well, bizarre, what is going on?" He then grins and adds, "And don't think being a naked elf will distract me from discovering the truth."
"It's Melusine's fault," Kaira claims. "She separated out the male part of your spirit in the tail. So, when you visited here before it was only as the female part. But I suspect Inala did something in Worms - something to wake up the male part of your spirit. And then she didn't bother to put it back to sleep, or something. You can't trust gods to clean up after themselves, you know."
"Wait, so you're trying to put me back to sleep?" Alptraum asks. "I really can't keep my male part awake?"
"And dagh, I make a sexy woman," Alptraum adds as he looks at Nicora from ears to toes.
"What? No, why would I do something like that?" the elf asks. "I was just singing you a song. You seemed happy to see me.."
"I'm always happy to see you," Alptraum claims, "Well, except when you've strived to annoy me! And why the elf? Are you ... worried I don't find you attractive anymore?"
Kaira strums the strings of the lute, and raises an eyebrow. "Can you see me trying to play this thing with dragon claws? The strings would snap."
"Yes, but being nude isn't required to play strings," Alptraum points out. He even wiggles his own claws at Kaira and adds, "And I can play instruments while having claws." He draws a breath, then adds, "And I guess I may seem on a good mood, but this trip is weighing on me. A lot. I find it harder to be cheerful as days pass."
"Are the curses getting to you?" Kaira asks, setting aside her lute and coming to sit next to Alptraum, while the faeries or pixies or fireflies flitter about.
"Which ones? I only have one I know of for certain; Gorphat's gift of extreme discomfort after sex," Alptraum admits. He stretches out one leg to grab hold of the lute and draw it to himself. "I just ... I don't even know anymore. I feel lost and alone in this. Mave is a companion, but she isn't company. She isn't one I can joke with, or be completely honest to."
"And admittedly, Gorphat could have done much worse to me. The pain is ... managable and does fade," Alptraum adds as an afterthought.
"Who would you prefer?" Kaira asks. "If not me?"
"Just about anyone? Rose would be my first choice, then Snow, then Phalgaea," Alptraum says as he strums the strings of the lute. "And do I really have more than once curse? Is it something you can tell?"
"I didn't know the first curse had worn off," Kaira says. "I can't sense them. They don't exist in this.. state of being."
"I don't know either. I don't know if they ever wear off or have to be removed," Alptraum says and shrugs. "I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut."
"Women often find difficulty with that," Kaira suggests, gesturing to where Nicora is sitting on the grass and watching. "At least you only surrender your will to dragons, and not goddesses."
"A small blessing, I guess? I don't think I've ever really surrendered me will to a dragon, either," Alptraum claims as he continues to strum at the instrument. "I feel like such a mess."
"Well, at least.. ah.. you weren't there for that scene with Vorgulremik, right?" Kaira asks.
"No, I was with Inala. What exactly happened?" Alptraum asks, "Did I actually let him ... spear me?"
"Well, he was going at it with Nicora's body, that's for certain," Kaira notes, shaking her head. "Good thing your head was elsewhere. With the pleasure-magic of that place, it's best that you don't remember your most intense moment of sexual ecstasy being linked to Vorgulremik.."
"Wait, it was that good?" Alptraum asks, looking up from the lute he was tinkering with. "I thought they were supposed to be horribly painful." His brow furrows, then he says, "The old story about not feeling pain or illness in a dream? It's wrong. The thought of having any part of that dragon in me ... and leaving things behind is just. Blegh."
"Well, pain is turned to pleasure there, it seems," Kaira notes. "Besides, dragons are the best lovers! Aren't we?" she asks, a bit pointedly.
Alptaum's lips twitch, then he says, "Well, Melusine is an amazing lover..." He also wisely adds a few seconds later, "Joking! Yes, you are an amazing lover."
Alptraum also thumbs towards Nicora and adds, "And I have to admit when you took that body that one time ... it was pretty amazing. I can understand why elf women throw themselves at dragons."
"Well, the elf men can be boorish," Kaira notes, and looks between Nicora and Alptraum. "Hmmm."
"What are you thinking? It worries me when you go 'hmmm'," Alptraum remarks.
"Just wondering how to fuse you both back together if needed," Kaira notes. "Maybe you just need to touch? In case it has to be done before you can have Melusine do it, or in case you need to be Alptraum and really feel masculine."
"It's not like I feel that different as Nicora. Well, except for a few differences in body, biology, attraction ... I see your point," he says. Alptraum sets the lute aside and scoots over to Nicora. He pokes her lightly to test and see if that does it.
Alptraum feels the poke, and for the duration of it he jumps back to being fully Nicora.. who just got poked!
"Touch doesn't do it," Nicora complains, then concentrates to restore the viewpoint back to Alptraum. Alptraum now takes the chance to feel Nicora and see if this female body has the same pouches that the Rose-body does.
This goes beyond feeling weird. In the dream world at least, the pockets don't exist. But Alptraum also feels half-Nicora, half-Alptraum also, with the focus wobbling in the center somewhere.
So ... Alptraum stops quickly. "Okay, lesson learned, don't grope yourself in here," the Eeee remarks. He scoots away from the other Eee and focuses on the naked elf. "So, how are you feeling? We haven't talked for a while. It isn't because I don't want to, things have just been realy busy."
"Well, I wasn't too thrilled about showing up in a nightclub full of monsters with My Worst Half in tow," Kaira notes, and then gives Alptraum a narrow-eyed look. "Nor that you were letting him get to you.. and into you. How do you feel about him, anyway?"
"I hate him?" Alptraum offers and holdds up his hands, "Even if he is good in bed, I thankfully don't know. And besides, he's utterly evil and has no concience or remorse. If I had the choice, I would always prefer you in me, than him. So to speak."
"What I mean is: is he getting to you?" Kaira asks. "Are you going to feel bad about his extermination?"
"Any time I even begin to feel sympathy, I just have to think to all the worlds I saw him destroy and that feeling goes away quickly," Alptraum answers. "Will destroying him bother me? Probably, but then killing anyone does at some level. That doesn't mean I won't, just that I do not delight in it."
Kaira seems to study the bat's face, then relaxes. "Okay, I just.. wanted to be sure," she says. "Where are you, anyway, in the real world?"
"In a Chevalier's home. Someone I ran into a long time ago. He's a jerk, but Mave insisted. She and his fiance are off debauching, I'm in a bubble bath," Alptraum explains. "My condition makes it hard for me to 'join in the fun', as it were..."
"You'd want to romp with a poodle?" Kaira asks, looking surprised.
"Dagh no! I can't stand them, and being stuck with one would be a nightmare," Alptraum says, looking ill about it.
"I have some standards," Alptraum claims.
"So.. what's the fun you're missing out on?" Kaira asks. "Unless you mean turning someone into a Lapi for yourself. I still don't think you should be kenning people , you know."
"I don't ken people that often. I've been good," Alptraum insists, looking hurt as he does so.
"Mmm-hmmm," Kaira notes, and presses up against the bat. "So, if you could ken me, would you?"
"Well ... maybe," Alptraum admits and can't make himself look at the naked elf.
"Well, since you're here, any special requests?" the elf asks.
Alptraum hmms. "Any sort of request? Do you need help with anything? And ... since my body is female, should I return to that to avoid confusion when I wake up?" he asks and thumbs towards Nicora.
"Well, that's an interesting question.." Kaira notes, looking at Nicora. "Would it matter which one you woke up as? Hmmm. As for help.. I'm fairly good right now. Things are relatively stable, and Vorg is.. pacified.. for the moment."
"Vorg is pacified since he was able to diddle my female body?" Alptraum asks, then sticks out his tongue.
"Well, should I consider that the next time he acts up?" Kaira asks with a big grin.
"Only if you want to console me after each time," Alptraum counters, grinning right back. "Do you have any wants?"
"I want to make sure things go smoothly in Babel," Kaira says. "I can't of course, since I won't be out there with you. But I'd like to spend more time with you before you arrive there, if possible. Remember, you can always summon me if you're lonely or want to talk."
"Speaking of Babel, do you have any suggestions on how to cure the curses Gorphat has placed on me?" Alptraum asks. "And you really want me to spend more time with you? It isn't safe for me to dive in unless we're iin a secure place. So, hopefully once we're on the train and ships I'll be able to check in more."
"I can come out too, if you have enough energy stored up," Kaira reminds. "As for curses and Gorphat.. uh.. you must have asked Phlagaea about it already, right? She'd know; I'd only be able to guess."
"She was rather vague about it. It doesn't make me feel particularly confident that I'll be free any time soon," Alptraum admits, then shrugs a bit. "Maybe my delivery on behaolf of Phlagaea will placate her enough to release me."
"I wish I could see if I actually bear any spirit marks on my body that indicate the curses," Alptraum adds. "So I could be certain when I was cured."
"You mean like Gorphat's symbol?" Kaira asks. "Wouldn't it be.. internal then?"
"I don't know," Alptraum admits, "That's why I wish I could see. I suppose looking in here would show nothing, yeah?"
"Most likely not," Kaira admits. "You'd need some sort of device that sees through flesh but still shows spirit energy somehow."
"The thing that the crazy doctor and Igorina had, then," Alptraum says and nods. "But I guess all things being equal, the curses aren't that bad. The reproductive cycle shouldn't be an issue once I'm male again ... and the itch, well. It's temporary."
"When you get it, do you pray to Gorphat and apologize or whatever it is you're expected to do?" Kaira asks.
"I haven't done anything when I get it. I just try to endure it until it passes. The stories of her is that she inflicts blessings to make someone stronger. Going to her might not help," Alptraum explains. "She might even make fun of me for being weak."
"Hmmm, well.. I can't really offer much advice then, other than to refrain from the activity that causes the pain," Kaira says, "except where it won't cause pain, because it's not physical."
"Which means, I think ... you're the only safe person I can indulge urges with," Alptraum notes.
Kaira smiles, and asks, "Aren't I enough?"
"If you can bear the fact I'm physically female and tend to have urges in line with that ... then yes, you are," Alptraum says with a grin.
"Well, you're also male in here now if you want to be," Kaira points out, patting the bat's lap. "But it does depend on what you want, what your urges and mood and frustrations are. Which might also determine where - and as what - you show up as here, like the last time you dreamed your way in."
So, as to test something now that Kaira said that, Alptraum's brow furrows and he tries to 'summon' up the lapi male body he has, the back and white buck he kenned at the spa.
And.. his body ripples and shifts, just like.. well, like in a dream, naturally. Soon he has a fluffy tail, long ears, buck teeth and big feet! The thing is, Nicora changes too, into a Lapi doe!
Alptraum laughs! "I dodn't expect that body to change too," he says and points at Nicora-doe. "Think you can handle keeping both of us satisfied?" He even wiggles his ears at Kaira.
"At the same time?" Kaira asks, pointed ears perking upwards.
"Maaaaybe," Alptraum teases, "Or you have to tie up at least one of me at a time. The bat-buck then grins and shakes his head. "Or I might be teasing you."
Kaira sits up, tilts her head, and then puts to fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. A few moments later, more elves begin to appear, both male and female..
Alptraum blinks, then so does Nicora. "Ah, what is this about? Who are they?" Alptraum asks.
"My backup, of course!" Kaira says with a grin. "Although I might be able to round up some pookas, if you want rabbit heads.."
"I'll stick to elves and dragons, thanks!" Alptraum says and gestures for Kaira-Elf to come over. "Now come over here. I think it's time you replayed your roll in the great play 'The Elf and the Dragon'," he teases as he tries to summon up the dragon form he made for Kaira some time ago...
This of course causes Nicora to change as well, and not into a Steel Dragon form, but a cuter, more Kaira-esque version. Two of the male elves go to tend to her, and a few of the elf girls giggle and approach Alptraum along with Kaira. "Just remember, you're dreaming, so.. things could end abruptly."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take!" Alptraum declares, bares his large teeth, then pounces and pins Kaira to the mossy earth. "And I promise to be ... rough." he tells the elf, followed by a soft and scary rumble of enjoyment at overpowering her. A good dream does make up for being around poodles after all...