In the rear hold of the Shadowdrake, atop a blanket covering straw and surrounded by crates, Nikky the Tail begins to wake. With a yawn, she stretches out arms, her legs.. her other legs.. and her tail. It's warm in the nest, thanks to the body heat from Temis, the Fnerf that sleeps there. Something feels a bit off though, for Nikky..
"Mrogh?" Nikky mubles as she stretches out. Even in the grogginess of the morning, she figures she might be starting to shift back ... so she start checking over her body slowly as to not wake the fnerf next to her.
It takes a few passes with her hands before it really sinks in: she's been Fnerfed! She definitely has Lucy's body, covered in black fur save for the star-shaped patch on her chest. Her upper chest, that is, since she's got two now. Temis's tail thumps against her rump as the man dreams.
Nicorina blinkblinks. "/Ut-oh, this is not so good,/" she realizes, along with, "/Well, I could now sleep with ... nono! Focus here! Gotta turn back to skreek before he wakes up." So ... her thoughts go to Kaira and the hidden dagger. "/Oh Kaira ... something is a bit of that needs fixing .. quickly!/"
"What is it?" Kaira replies in Nikky's head.
"I've ... fnerfed! While I slept! No more skreek! Granted it's nice feeling big but I'm supposed to be under cover!" the former skreek thinks as she tries not to panic.
"Hold, I didn't change you," Kaira notes. "Let me figure out what happened.." Of course, Temis is rubbing against Nikky now - still apparently dreaming, but definitely reacting to her presence.
"Bad timing! Calm down, Temis, calm calm calm..." She inwardly pleads as she holds still so as to not encourage him!
"/Ah, I think.. it's Mave's fault,/" Kaira concludes. "When you were in here, along with the Barsunala, the shadow may have reacted to that arousal enchantment. Are you next to a Fnerf by any chance?/"
Yes and he's getting all excited! Now, while I would normally love to satisfy him ... I can't ruin my cover!" Nicorina thinks as her ears twitch, annoyed.
"Hmmm.. tricky," Kaira says, and then is quiet for a bit. "You need to make the shadow 'let go' of the form first. Can you move away from the Fnerf?"
"I can try, hold on," Nicorina thinks as she starts to move her much larger body away from the other fnerf. Given she's not used to having this many appendages, well ... this isn't something she can do fast, or easy.
It takes a moment for Nikky to get to her feet, since she has more than she knows what to do with. The big tail must be used for counterbalancing the second torso, but in the now confined space there's no choice but to sweep it across the sleeping Temis - who then stretches, and grabs Nikky's forepaws with his own. "Nunmm.. butter.." the larger foxtaur mutters, still asleep.
Nicorina freezes there awkwardly. "Aw ... dagh," she thinks, terrified he'll wake up. So ... there she waits until it seems like he's drifting deeper again before she tries to slowly free her forepaws. "Just sleep and let little Nikky go..." she thinks.
One of the side effects of Mave's enchantment is that Nikky smells aroused all the time, and Temis subconsciously (or unconsciously) picks up on that. He reaches up and tries to pull the other Fnerf down onto her side. While snoring.
"Eek!" Nikky thinks as she looks over the fnerf and wondering if he's ready while sleeping?
Since such things are hard to miss, it's pretty clear that Temis is aroused as well, and pretty strong as he tries to drag Nikky down - possibly to spoon with her (which is pretty involved for centauroids).
"He won't let go! And he wants meeeeee," Nicorina thinks to Kaira. "What do I dooooo?"
"Well.. if you resist he might wake up," Kaira cautions. "Better just go with it, and if he wakes up tell him it's a dream."
"This is going to feel so weird...." Nikky frets as she allows herself to be pulled down. She's aware enough of the body's anatomy to try and help position herself on her side so that, well, if his fore and hind limbs grab just right they might be able to find what they want.
It's certainly different, being held with that many limbs. It seems to calm Temis back down, at least for a few minutes, until the pheremones switch his body into automatic. It's probably best that Nikky hadn't changed back to a Skreek at this point, since the sleeping Fnerf doesn't hold back at all. The problem with the position, though, is that it's causing Nikky's head to bump against a crate over and over again.
"Ooo .. ow! Ooo .. ow! Ooo .. ow! Ooo .. ow! the poor former skreek thinks as her body becomes the outlet for the dreaming fnerf. It sure feels odd ... and he still feel s big, even in this form. It's also during this she remembers stories that certain species get stuck together for a while afterward. "I think you did this on purpose," she even at one point thinks to Kaira.
"No, I'm pretty sure it was your body reacting to its urges without any conscious prompting," the dragoness claims. There's a momentary reprieve, until Nikky is rolled onto her stomach. At least there's head-room now, since Temis holds her upper torso back against his chest and reaches around with his arms. He's also biting the back of Nikky's neck, but nothing is banging against anything else. At least, nothing inanimate is.
Nikky discovers a rather interesting instinctual reaction to the bite, her head arches forward and dips her chin down to make his grip easier. Her hind and forepaws even shift some to better stabilize her position, along with pushing back when he pushes forward! Her hormonal situation makes her body do things she can't even stop! Still, it does feel so gooood, not to mention she was fond of him. She really, really, wants to argue and complain more at Kaira, but it's becoming rather hard to even think coherently.
By the end, Nikky is laying on her back(s), with Temis stretched out on top of her, face buried in her chest.. and still asleep. He's not moving, but not really disengaging either.
Nikky's lower torso twitches a bit and tries to pull away ... and finds he moves with her! "He's .... stuck! Nikky complains to Kaira. "Now what? I have to wait this out?"
"I suppose so," Kaira notes. "You seem satisfied enough for the shadow to let go, but.. probably not the best time to change you, right?"
"Well, until I can ease him at least halfway out, changing me would be really, really, bad!" Nikky thinks. "But ... at least he's a good fellow. He's one of two I've gotten to like on this ship."
"He's not on top of you, is he?" Kaira asks. "Because you'll get squished if he is."
"Yes, he is," Nikky complains. "I'll roll in a bit. Just ... better wait quietly."
Rolling at least gets her and Temis back on their sides.. and then it's another ten minutes or so before male Fnerf fully 'relaxes' so that Nikky can get free.
"I'm just an idiot, a complete and total one. I shouldn't have done any of this to myself. I probably could have just made it to Babel as Alptraum by traveling alone, Nikky thinks to herself as she slowly extracts her fnerf form from Temis' clutches. "Not that I'm sorry I've met certain people .. but it probably made all this harder than it needed to be."
"You don't learn anything without trying new things," Kaira says sympathetically. "Do you want me to change you back, or feel like trying it yourself?"
"Is it even possible for me to do it myself?" Nikky thinks. "I thought you had to do it because I wasn't in complete control."
"You've been practicing though," Kaira claims. "Not on yourself, but others. And it seems the shadow can respond to need on its own, so you're probably ready to practice changing yourself. At least, while the Barsunala is still a bit docile."
"I don't even know how to begin on myself. Others it is easy, sort of, but myself?" Nikky points out in thought.
"Well, when you start on others.. what's the first step?" Kaira prompts.
"Extending the shadow around them, of course," Nikky the Fnerf thinks. "But if I do that to myself, I'm sort of in limbo."
"Hmmm, Melusine doesn't do that when changing you, does she?" Kaira asks.
"Sometimes she does when she's trying to not hurt me. When she keeps me awake, it feels pretty ... not painful, but it is uncomfortable," Nikky notes.
"Well, when you're awake during the changes, is it too distracting to think?" Kaira asks next.
"Depends on the changes. If it's slow it probably won't be too distracting," Nikky notes.
"And how about when you change your forearm?" Kaira asks. "You manage that on your own."
"A small part of myself isn't that distracting, though," Nikky points out. "But I guess I could try."
"I'd like you to," Kaira says. "After all, this isn't a transformation performed by Melusine or by me, so if the shadow could do this on its own, you should have a better chance of doing the same."
"What's the worst that could happen? I die? that's only a week or so away anyway," Nikky thinks as she pulls herself a little further away from the sleeping Temis. There she learns it's still awkward to sit in this body, moreso given her condition; and with her nose she can even smell the amount she's radiating 'in heat' so to speak. "Lets see how much worse I can make myself."
"I'll be monitoring and can take over if something looks like it's going to go badly," Kaira assures. "All the same, let me know what form you're going for."
"Well, I have to go back to Igorina for now until I get back to the actual cabin. Otherwise my cover will be blown," Nikky points out. "I wish I could stay like this for a bit, it is novel and would be fun to explore ... but I have to mind my safety first and not be stupid about things. Well, more than I have been." So, she rubs the back of her neck and concentrates to get the shadow-cloak to come to the surface.
That much is easy.. in fact, it's easier than it should be in a dagger-altered form. The second skin flows over the elongated, double-spined body in only a few moments.
Nikky really wishes she could stay like this for a while, but that's also basically suicide at the moment. So, she focuses on Igorina's body form in her mind. This she keeps in focus, then tries to slowly pull in the shadow-cloak to reshape what it contains until its outline is that of the skreek. Move some mass here, lose some there...
It's a lot like when Melusine does things while Alptraum is still aware of what's happening. And like that.. it feels interesting. Of course, it's much slower, since the sudden snapping of bones would probably wake Temis. Withdrawing the middle set of shoulders and legs is certainly unique, along with the internal shifts. But nothing is stopping it, and once it's going it isn't as if every little bit needs constant supervision. The body knows the form.
Nikky, for a disturbed moment, ponders seeing if she could make herself more compatible with Temis, even as a skreek ... but decides that it's probably best to not try to do things like that. So, she tries to just focus on duplicating the skreek body again in all its insanity and hormonal glory (as well as making sure the various bits of jewelry are in the right places).
As it completes, Nikky can feel the enchantment start to act again - it was effectively non-existent during the transformation, even though technically the tattoo and all the parts were still there the whole time.
Nikky grits her teeth and hisses when she feels things get all ... tingly, tight and a bit wet. "I must be back, because there's that feeling of wanting to pounce on every guy I meet," she thinks.
Still, the post-transformation 'glow' is enough that she's not immediately in need of company. "Congratulations on your first controlled transformation!" Kaira offers. "It won't always be this easy though, and some forms may be especially difficult to change."
"Like the dragon ones? Or what about Snow? I got to really like wearing Snow's skin," Nikky admits as she sits down and plays with her bare tail a bit.
"Of course I also really enjoyed with with that Eeee Mordecai. Even if he did cover me in tattoos," Nikky admits in thought. "I ... enjoyed it."
"Actually, I think any of the male ones and your base Eeee forms will be the hardest," Kaira claims. "The reason being that in each of those the Barsunala spirit is present to resist. I don't know what would have happened if the spirit had completely transferred into the Fnerf body."
"So, what you're telling me is it's just easier for me to be female," Nikky thinks and smirks.
"It's easier for you to control your form the further it is from that of the Barsunala," Kaira clarifies.
"You need the Barsunala spirit in order to protect you here in the dagger, but out there it vies with the shadow," Kaira says. "So when Melusine transformed you into Nicora, it had to be present but isolated. When I transform you, it is held within the dagger itself for safekeeping."
"Ah. Well, for the record, it is easier being female in some aspects! It's shown me how weird and awkward it is to have dangly bits between my legs," Nikky jokes in thought. "As for the Barsunala ... I feel bad about that. Isolating, well, part of me."
"He is the creation of a massive ritual, and has not been with you before that," Kaira notes. "He's foreign. Anything that happened before he latched onto you was your own doing - or at least something subtler."
"Quite right. Before all that I was a worthless nobody bat with no future or point for living," Nikky thinks a bit sarcastically. "Thank you so much for reminding me how unimportant I really am."
"You misunderstand," Kaira says. "You are the Barsunala, by birth. The abilities were always there.. they just didn't seem fully developed until the Barsunala spirit latched on to you."
"I remember you once told me I could do the things because of the spirit, not because it was me," Nikky points out. "Without that spirit I would have been completely useless to you."
"That's.. partly true," Kaira admits. "The spirit shields your own. It's why it is safe for you to enter, and extend protection to others in the dagger. Without it, you would have been too vulnerable. But you've told me yourself that there were odd occurrences around you as a child."
"Coincidences, probably. Three people who should have died didn't," Nikky notes.
"Twice is coincidence, three times requires another look," Kaira notes. "Are you angry with me?" she then asks.
"No, I'm mad at myself. Why?" Nikky thinks.
"It's hard to tell at times," Kaira quips. "I thought you'd be happy to have exerted some direct control of your own over the shadow."
"I just ... I think I could have made this whole trip in a much less complicated way," Nikky admits, "I seem to have a knack for picking the worst way possible just because I think it'll be interesting."
"Here's a secret: It's always the worst way possible, regardless of which path you take," the dragon claims. "Anyway, are you going to ken the bat guy or is that a moot point now?"
"Yes, but not every trip involves discovering you enjoy lifting your tail. As for bat guy ... which bat guy? There are several on the ship. If you mean Gotrekis, I have no idea how I would manage that without him knowing," Nikky thinks.
"Well, you could ken him, absorb the body and assume his identity," Kaira suggests. "That would cause a few other complications though. It may be best to wait until after you are all off the ship."
"Yes, yes it would. Besides, I do have a job in this ship," Nikky points out. "I fully intend to mess with Gotrekis, though. He's going to get a little tour of a place all traitors go next time he sleeps."
"Alright," Kaira says. "Remember, if you need a break I can impersonate either Nikky or Nicora."
"And you know ... it is really difficult to have a constant need in certain areas. Wow. I wasn't expecting the ritual to be this strong. I actually considered trying to modify this body to make it more compatible for Temis, if you can believe it," Nikky admits. "And yes, I know you can, and you may need to yet."
"You could get the enchantment removed though if becomes an issue," Kaira notes. "Or revert to Nicora, and use the shadow to numb things."
"I know I can. I just ... well, I enjoy it right now," Nikky admits and rolls her shoulders. "Plus, if I have to ... serve Gotrekis again, it won't hurt."
"Ah, be careful then," Kaira warns. "Although it shouldn't be the same as coming into the dagger, so your body wouldn't have a transformation reaction."
"I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for him or not. He's scared of the General, but he's also a cruel and abusive Eeee. Hard to think I should try to sway him away," Nikky thinks.
"There is no place in the Babelite worldview for redemption, is there?" Kaira asks.
"What do you mean? You often chide me for being too kind hearted and always trying to save people," Nikky points out.
"This will be Babel though," Kaira notes. "The Kindly Ones may not approve."
"Approve of what? Trying to save him?" Nikky thinks.
"Yes. They prefer revenge, don't they?" Kaira asks.
"Most of them do prefer revenge, yes," Nikky confirms. She finally gets up and stretches a bit. "And I should probably get back to my duties ... or look in on Mave"
"And try to get some real rest," Kaira adds. "And a recharge off the Light, too. And pancakes. See if you can get your rat friend to bring you pancakes."
"And ... is it wrong to find the big guys really attractive?" Nikky thinks as she saunters towards the ladder back to the main deck. She then inadvertently yawns. "I do really need to get some sleep."
Temis lets out a loud.. noise. It wasn't a snore, and came from the opposite end in fact.
"Great, now I'll just think of Arkold when I see him,/" Nikky inwardly grumbles. "/Time for some rest./"