Spending the night with the Lapi family was a lot of fun for Nicora, as well as providing a very comfortable sleeping arrangement. In the morning, however, her first thought was at the lack of discomfort: being in Inala's temple meant that Gorphat's counter-blessing was suppressed - and for some reason that caused a pang of guilt in the Eeee woman.
The Yodhgorphat handling 'reception' today is different from the previous one, so doesn't recognize Nicora. She also doesn't seem to notice anything special about like the last one did - but such talents probably vary widely among the Yodh anyway.
It also helps Nicora doesn't feel horrible today and thus probably looks a little better. She feels good enough that she had time to think about what happened, and figured perhaps kenning that mutated Eeee might grant her some insights into things to watch out for. Of course it also means having to deal with that creature again, but ... it's no worse than having to indulge Vorg to get information. "Good morning," Nicora says to the 'receptionist', "I have come to 'serve', so to speak. The Bargorphat, that is. It cured me of the pains I had, and thus I have come one more time in honor of him and his Mother."
"How did you want to serve?" the Yodh asks. She seems a bit young, even younger than Phlagaea. "Do you wish to take on a new blessing?"
Nicora waves her hands. "No, no, I came to ease his own suffering for a time," she claims quickly.
"What?" the girl squeaks. "Uh.. I thought he was always suffering? Are you sure you're up to that?"
"Have you ever tended to him?" Nicora asks curiously while she tries to decide if she's really up for it or not! The shadow did much to ease him, so maybe it would make it less, well, nasty.
"I have to clean out the old straw," the girl says, a bit bitterly. She must be the lowest on the Yodh totem pole.
"There are far worse duties, I am sure," Nicora notes. "I take it no one has ever asked what I have before. To see him again?"
"Not after just seeing him.. I think," the girl notes, then shrugs. "It doesn't matter, so long as you aren't bringing any weapons or intend to hurt the big guy. You aren't, are you? 'Ease his suffering' doesn't mean stabbing him in the head or anything?"
"I have no intention of stabbing him or in any way harming him," Nicora confirms, including a nod of her head. "That would be great offense to his Mother, and that would be foolish."
"Okay then," the Yodh says, hopping down from her stool. "I have to escort you though; it's the rules."
"As you wish. I promise to not offer you to him," Nicora says with a straight face.
"I think only the High Priestess can do that," the girl notes, in a matter-of-fact tone as she leads Nicora through the familiar maze to the barred and bolted door. The Yodh listens at it for a moment, then says, "He sounds calm enough. No crying this time." Then she opens the door to the dimly lit cell for Nicora.
"I am sure I could convince the High PRiestess to offer you were I sufficiently motivated," Nicora claims as she steadies herself to go into that horrible cell again. "I will call when I am done," she claims after about a minute of preparing herself. With that, she walks into the cell. Worst comes to worst, she could just immobilize him with the shadow.
The door is closed and bolted behind her again, and Nicora's eyes adjust to the darkness. The Bargorphat is huddled in a corner, next to a food bowl, and begins sniffing the air with his oversized nostrils.
"Hello again," Nicora calls out to the strange creature. "Are you feeling better?"
The Bargorphat seems to recognize Nicora - either by scent or voice, and lurches over to her, where it squats and makes a gurgling noise. It's 'normal' arm reaches out to pat at the Eeee's clothing.
Nicora takes a step back and eyes the creature to check if he's, well, wanting or just being friendly!
The creature is probably just reacting to the clothing. The curses make it always wanting, after all, but there must be some cue that it's learned from the Yodhgorphat for 'don't touch' - otherwise they'd have to fight the beast off every time they came in to feed it.
Unsure of exactly what to do, Nicora ... pets the creature's head. "One moment," she tells it as she actively starts to disrobe. She needs to get it to go to sleep somehow, which means wearing him out, probably.
Now the creature acts up, once it catches the scent of blood. It starts licking the source, and grabbing at Nicora's legs.
Nicora acks! "Hey, now just wait a minute!" she complains as she tries to push him back for the moment. "You have to give me some time to get ready!"
The Bargorphat immediately covers its head with it's mismatched arms and hunkers down, as if expecting a beating.
Nicora uses the respite to put her clothes safely out of the way and undo the chain she wears (lest she find herself hurt by something pulled out!). Once all of that is out of the way, she pets the poor creature's head. "There there," she tells it, "I only needed a minute or two. It's okay now."
The chimeric creature tilts its head back up, sniffs.. and promptly tries to pull Nicora down to the straw-strewn floor.
Nicora squeaks! But this time she lets the bizarre Eeee pull her down. "I feel sorry for him," she admits to herself. "He's like ... I'm not sure how to describe him!"
It doesn't take long for the Bargorphat to get Nicora's legs up once she's on her back, and then it's lots of thrusting and grunting and unfortunately drooling due to the huge underbite. Nicora has to think of something to keep her mind off the discomfort and pain.. but even that is hard to do beyond 'what do they feed him?' as the sacred monster's breath makes it difficult to breath.
"Ow, ow, ow. He's huge! He hurts!" is all Nicora ends up thinking about during the next several minutes. She also uses this time to try and figure out how to sneak the shadow in place to make him 'capable' and thus wear him out quicker!
Thinking of the shadow brings something else to Nicora's attention: her limbs (and especially her arms) feel very heavy. Everything does. And the breath is really getting to her, because it seems like the walls are moving outward as well.
"What the dagh is going on?!?" Nicora thinks as she starts to look around in a panic. She tries to lift those heavy arms and legs and figure out what the heck is happening!
Looking around doesn't help, because.. the room is gone! Or rather, the walls and ceiling are so far away as to be nearly invisible. Her back is cold, as if resting against bare stone, and trying to move her limbs causes resistance. But she can see hazy forms now, holding onto her wrists and ankles; vague, mummy-wrapped Eeee. What's worse, the Bargorphat is starting to have another form superimposed over it; one that barely seems Eeee at all, given the amount of chitin on display. Most disturbing, probably, is that her fur and wings are falling off, revealing smooth alabaster skin - with colorful designs on it.
It's full-on panic time! Nicora strains at the forms seemingly holding her arms and legs! "Let go!" she thinks as her body arches upward as much as she can to lift it from the stone. She feels the form of Snow coming to her while what she fears is the Barsunala itself taking her body! As she struggles, her eyes focus on the creature on top of her, trying to verify its exact identity! If it's not the Barsunala ... is it one of Gorphat's own servants?
The double-vision fades, revealing the horrible truth: the Bargorphat has been replaced by the demonic Hosheb - half-horrib, half-Eeee and sacred monster of Gorphat (according to some legends). And she herself is completely changed into Snowcora, her sensitive skin almost burning where the monster's pincers and mandibles brush against it. If the Bargorphat felt unpleasant inside of her, Hosheb is at an entirely different level! The Yodhgorphat holding her down to the stone altar struggle to keep her limbs under control - except for the one holding her left hand. That one is unmoved by Snowcora's struggles, possessed of supernatural strength as she brushes the back of the hand affectionately against her bandaged cheek (which feels both damp and sticky).
The pain is ... ungodly. It's huge, hard, scraping, and scratching and she can feel it! She can feel it inside her and as for what it is doing, she has no idea ... but the legends sure give her some horrific mental images. "Let me go," she pleads at the creature and at those holding her down. Her head and eyes now move around, trying to avoid looking at the creature violating her. And so this time she turns to look at her left, fearing that it is Gorphat herself holding her down and encouraging this!
"But you asked me for this," Gorphat says in her phlegmy voice, and turns Snowcora's hand to expose the green tattoo on the back. Something else is brushing against that arm now too: the long, stinger-tipped tail of Hosheb. Gorphat clutches it in her free hand, then kisses her mark on the back of Snowcora's hand.. right before plunging the stinger into it! The tattoo doesn't just glow, it rises up like veins and throbs as the paralytic poison flows into it!
"When did I ask you for this?!?" Snowcora pleads to the horrible Goddess. "I never asked..." Her plea stops short when the stinger comes up then goes into her hand! "No! Stop! Please stop!" she cries out when the throbbing begins. She can feel it throb, but she finds she can't move that hand!
The pain is.. divine. And it contorts the hand, making the tendons and muscles bulge. The fingers strain in frozen effort.. but the nails change. They become longer, sharper.. and glow green. The edges of them seem wet as well.. and then Gorphat removes the stinger. The pain stops.. all of the pain. Hosheb has delivered what he needed to, and it wasn't in the expected place, so he pulls out and away from Snowcora. "You cannot be Yodhgorphat," the goddess claims, and licks at the wound-on-the-Wound, causing it to heal. "You cannot be Bargorphat. But you can, alone among all in this world, be my shrine maiden and champion both. And not just mine, as you will learn."
Nicora's back arches when the creature abruptly pulls away from her. The sounds she makes ... it's hard ot say if it's pain or not. It's so ... contorted in its sounds. Her poor left arm shakes as the muscles twitch uncontrollably and her breathing, well, it's rapid! And there she lays for a moment, trying to fully grasp what Gorphat just said. It's now that she tries to lift that left hand if Gorphat permits it, and at the very least tries to flex it; not to mention look at it. "I will be your shrine maiden?" she ask of Gorphat in horror. "I ... don't even know what your maidens do."
"You are bound to replace what you've taken from me, my beloved Phlagaea," Gorphat says, suddenly sitting atop Snowcora's hips. "As for what you do? That remains to be revealed. I've never had a shrine maiden before. But Hosheb likes you." By now, Snowcora's hand has returned to 'normal', save for the sharp green nails.. and a slight bulge under the mark of the Wound. "For now, you will embody my presence, as does Inala's maiden."
The restraining Yodh release Snowcora, and recede back into the darkness.
Nicora can't help herself and runs the bump on the back of her hand to feel if it moves, or worse. "Hosheb likes me?" she asks with a sinking feeling in her gut. "I am to be his ... lover? And your complete servant?"
"You are not my Yodh," Gorphat replies, and places her palms on Snowcora's belly, where she traces some of the designs. "You serve me, but I do not command you. Does Sunala send you on errands?" she asks.
The bump is still soft, like a swollen insect sting on a large scale, but not irritated.
"Not directly," Nicora admits as she looks up at Gorphat in, well, probably error. "And what of the blessings you have given me? I assume they will remain as markings of my ... place?"
Gorphat slides forward, groping Snowcora as she does, so she can lean down closer. "They have brought you closer to me, so surely they are no burden to you," she claims. "And now you carry another, as proof of your bond with me; the kiss of Hosheb. Be careful who you scratch with your sinister hand."
"But they hurt every cycle," Nicora says in a soft and weak voice as she finds herself almost eye to eye with Gorphat. "They hurt every time I make love to another." She swallows a big and flexes her left hand again, trying to feel the claws with her palm without scratching.
At the moment.. they just feel like normal fingernails. Maybe she has to want to use it, or learn how too summon it like the shadow.. "Pain is the price for living, my dear," Gorphat explains, as she leans in even closer.. and gives Snowcora's chest a squeeze as well. "Pain is your friend, your teacher, your reminder that there are things even the strongest of mortals must be humble before. Where would you be without it? Perhaps taking pleasure and the miracles of the female form for granted?" She's close enough now that Snowcora can see the Wound glowing through the dirty bandages around the goddesses's forehead.
"So you will keep adding to what I bear to keep making me stronger?" Nicora asks as that sinking feeling goes deeper and deeper. And of course her body betrays her a bit in that as she is being 'felt' by the Goddess, she has an incredible urge to kiss Gorphat now that she's so close.
There's certainly something sweet and cloying, even to Snowcora's nose (which isn't quite on par with that of a vampire Eeee's). "If I am feeling generous," Gorphat says huskily. "Perhaps when we meet at my Temple in Babel.." Her breath.. it's like the Bargorphat's, and along with her presence it's making Snowcora's head swim.. and then the Bargorphat's head moves away from her face to rest on Nicora's furred shoulder, his spasms and desperate thrusting finished. And Nicora didn't even have to use the shadow on him this time!
Poor Nicora is in too much shock at first to register that the Bargorphat just, well, enjoyed her without help. Which also means she's carrying his 'seed' again. "Oh dear Gods," she says in a whisper towards the ceiling in complete horror at what just happened! It was probably just a dream, she figures. An hallucination from the creature's breath that pins her down.
The Bargorphat tries to purr, or something, but it's more of a wheezy gurgle, followed by a release gas from the far end that once more forces Nicora to wonder about his diet, once her eyes stop tearing.
"Ugh," Nicora complains at the smell and brings her hands up as best she can to cover her nose. This causes her to remember ... so she examines her left hand for any swelling or, well, green claws.
It does look normal in the dim light.. but there might be a small bulge in the center, where Wound would be. Or it could be an overactive imagination as well.
And so Nicora tries to feel that spot to see if there actually is a bulge there.
She can feel the bones of her hand, and... some soreness? But then everything feels sore in general, as if Gorphat's curse were spread out through her entire body.
Nicora gently tries to ease the Bargorphat off of ... and out of, her. "I think you're starting to like me. But, whatever you eat gives me terrible dreams," she murmurs to it.
The creature is heavy and awkward, but does roll free with a grunt.
Poor Nicora now sits on top of him, feeling, well, impaled for lack of a better word. She doesn't lift off just yet, instead she pets his cheek as she tries to coax him to go to sleep.
There is more unsettling gurgling from the creature's abdomen, but luckily it isn't followed by another malodorous eruption. It doesn't take much to get the Bargorphat the rest of the way into sleep; some chest and neck stroking is all that's needed.
And once the creature is asleep, Nicora painfully and slowly eases herself off of the creature. "That had to be a dream of some sort," she mutters to herself now that she kneels beside the creature and flexes her right hand before placing it on the Barggorphat's shoulder. "Now, this won't hurt a bit," she tells him as she slowly oozes out her shadow to encase him, taking it slow in case there is any resistance.
The shadow spreads out, and Nicora gets an actual 'taste' of the Bargorphat - sour! The wrongness of the creature can actually be felt - or else in this place, Gorphat's pleasure-curse extends to kenning as well.
Some dark part of Nicora's mind - or perhaps it's the Barsunala spirit - notes that transforming someone into such a creature would be an excellent form of punishment or torture.
Nicora actually frowns as she kens the creature. She thought at least this would give her some pleasure, as letting it rut her sure didn't. And if it wasn't a dream, well coming here even made things worse. Still, she does cover the entire deformed Eeee and ken him from the inside out. But ... that little evil thought might prove useful in the future. There are a few she could see herself using it on.
The encounter with Hosheb causes Nicora to briefly flash back to the ill-fated raid on the Tower of Babel, what seems like a lifetime ago. The Bargorphat beneath her might easily have come from one of the 'eggs' where the sacred monsters were being incubated. The shadow begins to withdraw immediately after the kenning is complete, as if it too doesn't want to maintain contact any longer than necessary.
Nicora now sits back and eyes the poor creature before her. "I feel as if I should ... help you somehow, but ... I would earn the wrath of this temple. I don't think I could anyway if you're blessed," she murmurs to it. So ... all she can really do is spend a little time tidying him up while he sleeps ... and give him odd dreams by playing with his 'curse'.
The Bargorphat kicks out its legs a few times from the fiddling, but otherwise remains asleep.
Nicora even licks sensitive places on the poor sleeping creature to get him to make all sorts of gurgling noises. But after about half an hour of teasing the sleeping creature, she comes to realize he probably won't wake up again. So, it's time to stand and dress. This also gives her time to check herself all over before slipping her chain, or clothing back on. "You're being paranoid, but," she thinks.
Aside from the sticky and matted spots and the gunk ground into her back, everything is where it's supposed to be and there aren't any serious bruises.
Her tail, however, tries to bite her when she checks it.
"Had to be dream, then," Nicora decides. Back her chain goes and on her clothing goes. She also takes a few minutes to try and pet her tail to calm it down before she goes to the door to announce she's done. "Calm yourself," she tells the tail. "Everything is fine and we have a new way to get people to ... talk."
The door opens a moment later, and the young Yodh gives Nicora an odd look. "Huh.." she goes, and looks around to check that the Bargorphat is still breathing and not bleeding or oozing anywhere it shouldn't normally be oozing.
"What? Is something wrong?" Nicora asks the Yodh. "I did not hurt him."
The girls comes back out, and starts to say, "Well, how did you add that.." She stops mid-sentence and stares at Nicora again. "Must have been a trick of the light or something.."
"Do what? Is something wrong with me?" Nicora asks, eyes narrowing.
"I thought I saw a lock of green hair on you is all," the girl claims. "But there isn't any dye in the room, so I figured you did it yourself.. but it's gone now. It's all white."
"Do you have any mirrors. I want you to show me where you saw it," Nicora requests of the young Yodh.
"Mirrors? In here?" the girl asks in surprise. Her own face is obscured by bandages - more so than the other, senior Yodh in fact. "I don't think we have any. But it was on your left side, running back just over your ear. Except it wasn't, because it's not there."
"I think you are trying to make fun of me," Nicora remarks a bit dryly, "But no matter. Shall we leave this place?"
"Follow me," the girl says, leading Nicora back towards the entrance. "Should we be expecting you back tomorrow?" she asks once they arrive.
"I do not know. There is much I still must tend to. Why, do you want me to return?" Nicora asks as she follows the yodh back to the entrance.
"No, I was just curious, since you came back a second time," the acolyte notes, then turns and hawks up a huge mucousy glob into a nearby bucket full of similar.
"I can teach you how to satisfy him if you wish," Nicora offers with a faint, and perhaps evil, smile.
"If he's to be satisfied, then it will be Gorphat's will and She will grant me the knowledge," the girl notes. "Besides, he gets that enough from others. There's always a desperate girl with an unwanted pregnancy, after all."
"Not something I have to worry about," Nicora notes and really doesn't want to think about how they solve that sort of problem. She ends up bowing to the Yodh and saying, "If there is nothing you wish to ask of me, I will take my leave. May you always find challenge."
"May you always overcome it, by Gorphat's grace," the girl replies solemnly.. before having to turn and hack something up again. She doesn't seem inclined to ask Nicora any questions at that point.
Shaking her head slightly, Nicora leaves. She really wants a bath ... and a mirror.
Back at the Temple of Inala, Nicora is free to get her bath.. and a cord pull should summon a servant that she can ask about getting a mirror.
As Nicora tests her bath water, she absently reaches back and pulls on the cord to summon one of the servants to ask for a mirror. It'll probably be the doe, but you never know.
Sure enough Cinnamon arrives, and politely wrinkles her nose at Nicora's state of dishevelment. "I am here, Mistress," the doe announces. "What is your bidding?"
"I am going to bathe. I would also like a mirror so that I may properly preen myself back into a respectable state," Nicora announces. There's this pause, then she follows up with, "I look the same to you, do I not? Outside of the mess, that is."
"Yes, mistress," Cinnamon replies, then looks the bat up and down a bit more thoroughly. "Perhaps the mirror in the Sanctuary of Contemplating Beauty would be most suitable. It is quite large."
"Then please fetch it and all the proper implements so that you may groom me," Nicora actually commands.
"I.. It does not move, Mistress," the doe says, bowing her head. "Please forgive me, but you would need to go to it. However there are bathing and grooming supplies at hand there.."
"Ah. Very well. Take me to it," Nicora tells the doe as she grabs a robe to wear on the walk over.
The Sanctuary is not far from the garden. The room is circular, capped with a stained-glass dome depicting spring flowers. Even the marble walls are covered in flowering vines and creepers. At the center is a low fountain, surrounded by a broken ring of marble benches. Each bench faces an ornate mirror, but only one faces one held by a statue of Inala herself. As the only guest present, Nicora is seated before that particular mirror.
Nicora feels ... only nervous sitting before this particular mirror. Still, it is just a mirror, right? So, she leans forward and looks at her hair, particularly around her left ear.
It seems to be normal, bleached white. Behind her, Cinnamon produces ointments and cleansing oils and brushes and combs, and begins working on Nicora's hair. The gurgling of the fountain is calming, as is the grooming.
"Oh how I could take you, put you in chains, and keep you as my servant," Nicora teases as she relaxes before the mirror now that she verifies she looks fine. No green at all, so that Yodh was just messing with her.
The light in the room bounces between so many mirrors, and even those to the sides of the main one catch some of the reflection - but in those, Cinnamon's fur looks white - at least out of the corner of Nicora's eye.
"Cinnamon?" Nicora says nervously, just to make sure the doe is still there and it isn't Inala...
"Yes, Mistress?" the doe asks, pausing. Still, there's that flash of white out of the corner of Nicora's eye, in the next mirror over.
Nicora tries to follow that disturbing flash of white. "I keep seeing what looks like white fur," she admits.
This time Cinnamon leans over to be more fully in view within the mirror.. and it's clearly her, a light brown Lapi doe. "Perhaps it is just glare, Mistress, off of the dancing water?" she suggests.
"Ah, of course," Nicora agrees and tries to relax back into the grooming. Idly, she looks at her left hand, particularly the claws.
It still looks.. well, normal. The claws could probably use a manicure soon though; the luster is a bit dull.
"Mm, before I leave I should get a manicure," Nicora tells the doe. She looks back into the mirror at herself and sighs. She now wonders what Rose and Phlagaea look like all ... pregnant.
The thought of Rose and Phlagaea distracts her just enough that Nicora doesn't immediately realize her reflection is showing Snowcora now, and instead of Cinnamon cleaning and combing her hair, it is Inala. As soon as Nicora makes eye contact with the goddess.. everything flips! She's Snowcora, looking at the reflection of Nicora and Cinnamon. Inala is behind her, and.. her right hand is showing the green tattoos of Gorphat, while her left is black and silver with the shadow orb upon the wrist.
"Eeep," Snowcora literally says from the other side of the mirror. She lifts and eyes her right hand, including her nails. "Hello Inala," she says without looking back.
The nails are still long and sharp and colored green.. but in the colorful light, there's another glint. At the very center of the Wound is a small, glittering orb.
Nicora actually feels the orb, then tries to tug on it to see if it comes out.
"Hello? Is that all I merit?" Inala asks, sounding hurt. The orb, of course, does not come out.. and in fact it feels like there's more to it, just under the surface. As if it's only just started to emerge.
Snowcora feels along under the skin, worried, all around the orba nd along the silvery tattoo-lines. "Well, no, but I dare not disturb those out there by embracing you and making love to you in here, as mush as I wish to," Snowcora claims.
"I don't think Cinnamon would mind," Inala says, leaning down to whisper it into Snowcora's ear. The girl then feels the goddess's soft hand reach around and trace the rune of the Flower stretching between her navel and nethers.. and there's a 'bump' there right in the center. "You were mine first, remember," Inala says. "The night you manifested my power, do you remember it? Why.. it was just the other day.."
Snowcora twitches when she feels Inala's touch. She reaches down to feel along the rune that joins her pierced navel to her vulva. She also stands, if Inala allows it, so that she can turn to face the Goddess.
There's definitely another orb there - and probably a light blue one to match the green of Gorphat's and the silver of.. well, it may as well be Sunala's, given the powers of life and death the shadow has. Of course, facing the goddess now, Snowcora can't see her reflection or what's happening on the other side of the mirror. Inala's bottomless blue eyes gaze into Snowcora's silver ones as the goddess smiles.
"What are these?" Snowcora asks of Inala and even touches the emerging orb just above her 'Altar'. "What am I becoming? What have you and Gorphat done to me?" she asks softly. It's hard to be mad though, with how Inala smiles at her.
"You chose to wear the body of a shrine maiden, and the Artist added the doorways to your skin," Inala purrs. "And our temples are the keys to unlock them. You are a shrine maiden.. a maiden who is our shrine. The first in a long, long time." She then touches the center of Snowcora's chest - the middle of the Tree of Life. The skin there is still smooth and unbroken though by an orb. "You are so special to us. To all of us."
"Will these ... manifest themselves on my actual body?" Showcora asks rather worriedly. "And I am your shrine now? I ... I am not worthy of such a gift!"
"These are not gifts, Snowcora," Inala says, running her finger all the way up to the human's chin. "They are weapons. Our weapons. You will need them all, and more, to save us.. and to betray us. But they are only one side of the mirror. You will still need to earn the masculine aspect from us."
At least that they won't show on her real body causes her to have some relief. Enough that after Inala's finger leaves her chin, she leans in and kisses Inala's cheek lightly. "How do I earn the masculine aspect?" she asks in whisper in Inala's ear.
"You will be challenged," Inala replies. "You must walk the path of Dronnel, and tame the Seven.. and become our true Sabaoth. Can you do that, for us? Only the Sabaoth can defeat the Corrupter. Only the shrine maiden can balance the Sabaoth."
"I cannot promise I can succeed; I do not know what lies ahead," Snowcora admits as she finds herself kneeling before Inala and looking up at the Goddess. "All I can do is promise to try."
"The final key will demand a sacrifice, but you must be willing to make it," Inala says, holding onto the fingers of Snowcora's hands. "You must save us, or all of Babel will fall to the Corrupter, who tempted us to our shame."
"I am fully prepared to sacrifice my own life to stop the Demon that now threatens Babel," Snowcora says with conviction. "If I do not, the fate of everything is at risk. I cannot allow that to pass."
"I did not say the sacrifice would fall to you," Inala says with a smirk, and then the clattering of a dropped brush forces Snowcora to look back over her shoulder. Nicora is kneeling before a stunned Cinnamon, and looking back. Silver eyes meet, and Nicora is looking at the reflection of her own back. Which also means her tail is staring at her as well. "Mistress? Are you alright?" Cinnamon is saying, kneeling down on the other side of the bench to be at eye-level with the Eeee.
"Yes, I am fine. Forgive my odd actions. I believe I drifted asleep, then started dreaming and acting it out," Nicora says as she rises back to her feet and shakes it off. "It has been a very long day."
The doe holds on to Nicora's upper arm all the same, in case she is about to swoon again. "Have you eaten? Perhaps you are weak from hunger?" she asks.
"No, no. I am fine. I was ... just dreaming of someone dear to me. That is all," Nicora claims as she shrugs it off. "Someone other than you and your husband, that is. You both treated me very well last night."
Helping Nicora back to her seat, Cinnamon says, "You are welcome to join us again tonight, if you wish." Once she's got her Mistress sitting down again, the doe resumes the interrupted grooming.
"I don't know," Nicora notes, teasing, "I am not sure I can satisfy your Husband's appetites. Were I a doe, I would be with child already."
"Your stamina is nothing to be ashamed of," Cinnamon claims. "The Eeee are very passionate, after all."
"Then perhaps I will join you this evening. After all, it will keep your High Priestess from worrying I will get into trouble," Nicora notes. "But, before then, I expect you to make me beautiful."
Note: go back and add the streak of green to Snowcora's hair on the left side above her ear to the initial reflection that Nicora sees.
Cinnamon smiles, and brings out the styling oils and finer combs. "Have you ever had your eyelashes enhanced?" she asks.
Snowcora had, but Nicora has not. "No, I have not. We do not often tend to matters of physical appearance," she admits. "But for you and your husband, I will agree to anything."
"I will make you look ten years younger then," Cinnamon promises, as she sets out her supplies and goes to work.
"Ah, but you best be careful or I will lure every male in this temple to my side," Nicora teases as she relaxes again to let the doe work. She has a lot more to worry about now and a short break before those worries return will be welcome. Never mind she has been declared a shrine maiden and what that may mean for her future and hopes of returning to being Alptraum full time. Right now, though, she's just going to enjoy the pleasures of this temple. And more often than not, likely .... on her back.