The doors at the end of the room open, and a blue dragoness wearing a belly-dancing costume sashays in. Lord Kazuhiko sits upon the bed, his elegant kimono fanning out around him. Although for some reason, the Jadaian Kirin is now a rather dark-furred, white-haired Eeee.
"The scarves make your butt look big," the be-kimono'ed Eeee remarks with a bemused smirk creepy across his lips. "And since you're my servant, I can say that without fear of repercussions!"
"Oh, is that so?" Kaira asks, hands on hips. "And here I was gonna dance for you and everything, since it's been so long since you've visited.." The dragoness tries to pull of a convincing pout, but it isn't an expression that comes easily to a dragon.
"Hey, you can still dance," Alptraum says and even twirls his right hand in emphasis. The Eeee can't help himself now and practically barks a laugh. "It's nice to see you. Things have been crazy lately on the trip. I haven't had much time to do anything except keep from panicking," he admits just before lounging on one of the pillows.
The dragon does attempt to belly-dance. It's pretty similar to what Alptraum did for the real Lord Kazuhiko, including the shedding of veils. "You've been in dragon form, so you shouldn't feel panicky," she suggests.
"No, it's that small part where Gorphat proclaimed me her new Shrine Maiden, then Inala followed and claimed the same," Alptraum notes as he relaxes, and for the moment, enjoys the show. "And having to keep an eye on Tulani and her urges to rampage, of course."
Bending over backwards and looking at Alptraum upside down while clanging her finger-cymbals, Kaira notes, "She needs to have a proper Rage, so that she is not distracted by draconic urges all the time. And I take it you are not succumbing to them then?"
"Not yet. I seem more prone to the urges of Lust," Alptraum notes with a fangy grin. He also uses Kaira's backwards posture as a chance to demonstrate by sitting up, leaning over, and licking her chest.
"Eeep!" Kaira squeals, and falls over backwards into Alptraum's lap. "Are you going to blame the gold rings, or Inala's influence?" she asks - not even hinting that the thought that she might be accountable in way has crossed her mind.
"I blame you," Alptraum teases and tickles Kaira's nose with his fingers. "I mean, you designed a dragon body for me that's perfectly compatible with you..."
After a bit of squirming, Kaira replies, "You'd rather have some ugly old Steel Dragon body then?"
"If I wanted that, I could just visit Vorgy," Alptraum teases.
"Oh, is that where your female half is now?" Kaira asks teasingly, and repositions herself to be sitting in the Eeee's lap. "Now, what's all this about being a Shrine Maiden? You aren't exactly a maiden.."
"I have no idea where the female aspect is," Alptraum admits, "And I'm afraid to swap and see. As for the maiden part, it has something to do with Snow's body-pattern and the tattoos on it. Where each Goddess mark is, these egg-like jewels showed up in a dream of sorts and they do not come off." He shrugs. "And I wasn't even drinking that night."
"Hmmmm," the dragon ponders. "That form does seem different than the others. Was there anything unusual that triggered these dreams?"
"Well, I did visit their Temples. Gorphat's was worse. She had her demon-thing make love to me then sting me," Alptraum says with a shudder. "I could show you if we can find my female aspect later."
"Where were you stung?" the dragon asks. "And.. I didn't know your goddesses had demons as well? That doesn't seem very goddess-like.."
"Well, monster-servants," Alptraum says. He holds up his left hand and wiggles his fingers. "On the back of this hand."
"Where the odd artist tattooed in green?" the dragon asks, just to confirm. "You didn't have any mystical experiences while he was doing that, did you?"
"Where he tattooed her mark, the wound. As for when he did it? No. It was just twenty hours of straight sex and pain," Alptraum says. "Very good sex, mind you."
"Well, that could count as a mystical experience," Kaira suggests. "Was Gorphat there? Or Inala? Or both of them?"
"When the tattoos were done? No. In the dreams recently, yes? Inala's addition was right here," Alptraum says as he leans forward and pokes Kaira in the area between her navel and vulva.
"But I guess tattoos count as disfigurement while sex counts as pleasure, so maybe that's a link?" Alptraum suggests.
"Was it shiny?" Kaira asks, looking at the spot.
"In the dream? Ina;a's was. And hard. When I woke up they weren't there, though. So it might have just been hallucinations," Alptraum admits. "Why does shiny matter?"
"I could try to show you the body in here if we go find my slutty half," Alptraum notes with a bemused smirk.
"Hmmm, how do you propose to find her?" Kaira asks. "I'm not sure how you switch between them.."
"Well ... we could chain this body up and then I try to switch to her," Alptraum suggests. "That way this one can't run off on me."
"We've just got the scarves," Kaira notes, sweeping a few of them up with her tail. "So just lie back and let me take care of everything.." she coos.
"But of course," Alptraum suggests as he lies back on the bed. "And I'll take care of you later in the form you like..."
Soon enough (or not, depending), the bat's wrists and ankles are tied to the bedposts. "Okay, do your switch and call to me, and I'll try to drag your other half back here.."
"No tickling. I have to focus," Alptraum remarks right as his eyes close. His breathing now slows as he focuses, trying to find his other half by feeling for her, well ... odd desires. He half-suspects she's with the dark-elf men ... or even the women! It's unlikely she would be with Vorg, at least.
The scene is a familiar one: the hot spring pool within the dark elf volcano, where Alptraum first appeared as Snow before shifting through various forms to escape. Snowcora, however, can barely feel the water, surrounded on all sides as she is with dark skin. Her aura is unleashed, like it was in Inala's Temple, and the elves are going crazy with her and each other, male and female alike!
And Snowcora doesn't call for Kaira quite yet. She can't help herself and indulges her body at least a little with the elves, male and female alike. At least long enough to really get them going before she pulls herself away from a woman and two of the men, then waves her fingers teasingly. "Ta. I'll be seeing you later," she teases. It's about then she tries to mentally reach out to Kaira!
There's some twisting of the world, and Snowcora finds herself on the bed with Kaira and Alptraum. "Hmmm," Kaira goes, looking the woman over. "Usually you split into Alptraum and Femtraum. I wonder if this means this form is now anchored as your female half?"
"Is that even possible?" Snowcora asks as she stretches a bit, then looks over herself, particularly where she was stung and where the gem was in Inala's mark. "Is it possible I have a definite female form now? Not just a copy of someone?"
"It's a spiritual thing," the dragon notes. "The various marks and additions by the Sisters could be doing it. So just as you are the Barsunala as the masculine aspect, you could be the Shrine Maiden for the feminine one."
"I never intended to have a permanent femanine aspect," Nicora remarks a bit dryly. She pokes and prods at the egg-shaped gem in the middle of The Flower, to feel how deep it goes and how much it moves ... and if it feels like it is attached to things inside her.
It's definitely attached to something, as pushing on it causes the symbol and connected tattoos to glow. It's also an erogenous area now!
Snowcora goes eeee and up on her toes! She pushes around it to feel if it has anything that goes deep into her. It's practically over her womb, so...
"You're putting out an aura," Kaira notes, as the bound and mindless Alptraum clearly reacts to it.
"Calm, calm, calm," Snowcora thinks to herself, trying to shut down that aura!
Like the shadow orb, it's a mixed sense of being connected but somehow.. not being connected. As if it's connecting to something inside of her other than flesh.
It's hard to control, and Snowcora wonders just what the real Snow went through to learn it - and recalls some of the training she saw in the Hidden Temple. It seems that taking deep breaths seems to draw it back in.
And so, Snowcora tries tat. With each deep breath im, she envisions pulling the aura back into herself.
The Shrine Maiden recalls the training session in Gormless now, where Snow was constantly 'draining off' Alptraum's arousal to see how much she could hold. It's about transferring it, just as the Barsunala can transfer spirits. It doesn't really go away though, just moves around. So drawing the aura back in leaves Snowcora in an awkward state.
Snowcora twitches. "This is going to be maddening. Any touch of that and I feel like I need someone in me," she complains as she paces around. "I need an outlet!"
Kaira blinks, and looks to the bound Eeee. "Can't you just dump it into him?" she suggests.
"I could, but when I switch back I'll be nuts!" Snowcora complains. Still, she does eye her bound form and focuses on him. Then as she exhales, she tries to push all the urges on him.
This time, it's like a river flowing out of her instead of a cloud, and it feels nice. Of course it leaves Alptraum twitching and drooling in his restraints.
"I feel like I've been cursed again," Snowcora complains as she looks down at the flower embedded in her skin below her navel. "If I could wear clothing any touch on that would drive me nuts. Suddenly hands and knees is an almost required position for this body unless I want to go crazy!"
"Well, maybe it's just when you touch it, or because you're in a spirit-state now.. or that you're sleeping in the Temple of Inala?" Kaira suggests.. then leans across Alptraum's body and licks the glowing orb on Snowcora. It doesn't set the shrine maiden on fire but it's certainly comparable to being licked in other places.
"If you keep doing that I'm going to drag you to a bed right now," Snowcora says as she shudders and sounds distracted.
"What happens if you do the same to the orb of Gorphat?" the dragon asks instead, trying to change the subject.
"I guess this area has been officially designated by Inala as her altar, eh?" Snowcora remarks and sighs as she waves at the mark of the flower and its roots leading into her body.
Glad to try something else, Snowcora now looks at her left hand. Before it was just puffy-swollen from the singer puncture. Hopefully it doesn't look too ugly now.
At the moment, it looks a bit like the shadow hand in the sense that there's a fleshy ridge around the green orb, with some vein-like bulges spreading out - but not as pronounced as the right hand.
Snowcora pokes and prods at the green orb, testing its firmness, what sensations it causes, and if those veins move any.
Pressing the orb causes it to glow, and the veins pulse and extend along her fingers, until her nails glow with.. toxin? Disease? Who knows.. but if touching the Flower channels Inala's pleasure, then this must be Gorphat's... miasma.
"Have anything I can rub my nails on? I want to see what this is," Snowcora tells Kaira. Then curious ... she sniffs her nails.
They smell.. foul.. up close. "Everyone here is an immortal spirit, so.. other than your own body, I don't know what would be useful. You could try it on someone in the waking world of course.."
"Yes, but I would have to turn into ... this," Snowcora says and gestures at herself. "And I'm not sure I should scratch myself with these." So, she shakes her hand a bit and tries to see if she can focus and get the throbbing and glow to stop.
"Or ... would it be safe to try on myself in here?" Snowcora asks mid-shake.
At least Gorphat's essence doesn't require transferring or satisfaction like Inala's does, once invoked. Just flexing the hand a few times is enough to cause the veins to subside and the nails to stop glowing.
"Inala's powers do work on the Shrine Maiden body," Kaira concedes. "And while Gorphat appreciates suffering in others, does she allow it for herself?"
"I'm in ... well, some trouble, aren't I? I'm developing a defined, female, identity and form, right?" Snowcora also asks. She looks at her left hand again, then Kaira, and asks, "Want to find out?"
"You might be, I don't know," the dragon admits. "It could all be in the tail too, and the female form will be harder to take on without the Barsunala's masculine aspect being kept separate. As for try.. try on whom? Mister Twitchy-Drooly here?"
"I could try directly on this body," Snowcora suggests, "And use Mr' Drooly as my escape if it's bad."
Kaira thinks on this, and then asks, "Before you try, what do you expect to happen? That could be important, since Gorphat's power isn't specific like Inala's."
"Well, pain or an infection of some sort is one possibility. The other is it's like a horrib, and it's a paralyzing poison," Snowcora suggests and pokes the green orb again so she can examine it further.
Thinking of being horrib poison causes the edges of the fingernails to actually glisten a bit, as if they were coated in venom. The orb itself, while glowing, is also showing some differentiation: it's not a solid glow, like the shadow or Inala orb, but a sort of swirling, like a pot being stirred.
"And I may be completely immune to it," Snowcora admits, "If I'm her Phlagaea replacement." She then pauses and blinks. "Oh! It can gift any of Gorphat's afflictions. I just have to choose one. That's spooky."
"Her blessings tend to be non-fatal and temporary, I understand," Kaira says, lounging alongside the twitching Alptraum body and running a claw over his chest scar. "The duties of her Shrine Maiden are unknown though. They could be anything: Snow was a monster hunter of all things, as Shrine Maiden to Inala. There may be a certain martial role to fill."
"Maybe. I'm not a great fighter. And Snow captured monstures by luring them with lust and even sometimes bedding them," Snowcora notes and shudders. "And now I'm worried the other four will also claim a part of me over time. Can you imagine Zakaro's mark? Or Blakat's?"
"You have plenty of bare skin left," Kaira points out helpfully. "Barada is Secrets though.. would her mark be a secret one? Interesting thought, that.."
"Yes, hers probably would. But it also seems to have required getting their mark tattooed on me before they could finish the claim, so as long as I'm not tattooed any further, I should be fine, right?" Snowcora comments. She shakes out her left hand again, getting the 'poison' to subside.
"So you think you are 'safe' from the other Sisters since you only bear the marks of Sunala, Inala, Gorphat.. and Rinala?" Kaira asks.
"Safe from them making any claims on me. Inala said the symbols are what opened the gate for her and Gorphat," Snowcora notes and shrugs a bit. She eyes Kaira curiously. "I think you want to see what happens if each of them mark me."
"I'm just trying to think of a means for it," Kaira claims. "Mordecai gave you those tattoos, so I assume he would have to give you any new ones as well. And it's not like he'll be able to visit you in Babel, or you to magically appear in Rephidim for him to work on."
"Well, I had a dream where I appeared in that crystal chamber with him. But nothing could really happen to me there, could it? There's no way I was really there," Snowcora remarks.
"Though I guess I could try that by trying to go there while in here," Snowcora offers.
"Wait.. what were the circumstances of that dream?" Kaira asks, perking up a bit. "Did something specific trigger it?"
"I was Snowcora in the Temple of Inala ... and I excited all the men," Snowcora admits. "Kind of like all those elves back at the pool," she thinks ot herself.
"So.. you turned into a Shrine Maiden in the temple of a goddess," Kaira notes. "That could be the trigger then. You didn't change into Snowcora when you were dealing with Gorphat's pet though, did you?"
"No, I was just as Nicora and tending to Her son," Snowcora admits and shrugs.
"And when things became weird and it was the demon?" Kaira asks.
"Yes. I was being held on the Altar by Gorphat and her servants while her monster-thing, Hosheb, took my body," Snowcora says.
"So, you were Nicora when it stung you, or did you become Snowcora before that?" Kaira asks.
"I was Snowcora." Snowcora says.
"And Gorphat claimed I asked for it!" she adds.
"Well, you do have a habit of asking the Sisters for things.." Kaira notes with a grin. "You hardly ever ask me to do horrible things to you! And after the hallucination or whatever, were you still Snowcora, or Nicora again?"
"I was Nicora again," Snowcora says. "It was ... very strange. As for asking you to do horrible things to me ... you don't do that sort of thing! Or enjoy doing it!"
"Well, if you didn't physically change while in the Temple, then it isn't very conclusive," Kaira notes. "You'll have to experiment in Babel.."
"I have no desire to experiment more! I'll end up all disfigured!" Snowcora claims as she crosses her arms over her chest.
"You like decorating yourself though," the dragon claims, flicking a piercing. "Having built-in jewelry and glowing patterns should be even neater," she teases.
"And its pricetag is a lot of pain! The tattoos Mordecai did hurt. A lot. So did the piercings," Snowcora claims. She purses her lips. "So, should I try to see if I can visit him?"
The dragon thinks about it. "Not.. just yet," Kaira says. "We don't know what will actually happen. Did he say anything to you that could be a clue?"
"That somehow I called to him? I don't know," Snowcora says and shrugs. "We were kind of occupied. He was making love to me."
"And what was your body doing in the meantime?" Kaira asks.
"Making love to all the men at Inala's temple, one or more at a time. I think," Snowcora admits. She looks at the ceiling and coughs.
"So.. you weren't asleep, but it was like in here where you could move your awareness between two different bodies?" Kaira asks, looking curious.
"Kind of like that, yes," Snowcora admits. "It was like I really was there with him. I felt every ... bump."
"It may well have been a divine miracle of Inala then," the dragon supposes, then slides over and straddles Alptraum. "Or something related to your aura. This is all rather strange, so it may be possible for Mordecai to continue adding tattoos to you even though you're physically separated.."
"But that is highly unlikely, right?" Snowcora asks as she eyes the dragon straddling her male body. "How much more can he really add, anyway?"
"Well, your shoulders, most of your legs, your breasts, face and ears are all untouched," Kaira points out, as she begins to rumble and have fun with the automatic-piloted body of Alptraum.
"You're not helping by doing that while I'm here. It's making me feel ... " Snowcora shrugs and sighs. "Surely he wouldn't touch my face, would he?"
"Well, that depends on which Sister would lay claim to it," Kaira suggests, as she nibbles on Alptraum's ears.
Snowcora actually turns around so she doesn't have to watch what Kaira is doing with her other-body. "I see how you are. You just like the body, not me," she complains.
"I'm just making sure he doesn't suffer," Kaira notes. "You did pump all of that lust into him, after all. You don't want to return to him in that state, do you?"
"Well, I thought I would just use it on you after I did," Snowcora admits and shrugs again. "And after hearing all this; maybe I shouldn't go to Babel. I'm a mess now and it might just get worse."
"Perhaps that's also where you'll clean up the mess," the dragon says. "It must all have a purpose, ultimately. Gods may seem random and capricious, but they tend to follow rules about such things, especially when granting their own abilities to someone."
"These are almost curses," Snowcora comments as she looks down at her pierced navel and the white gem growing out of her skin in the center of the Flower. "What if I end up, well, a woman forever?"
"I'm not sure your nature can be altered that severely," Kaira claims. "After all, the shadow can be used to change you into a male despite the manipulations of Melusine on your body."
"And ack, eventually I have to return to her and beg her to turn me back to normal! Thanks for that reminder," Snowcora grumbles.
"You like Melusine though, I thought?" Kaira rumbles, nosing Snowcora in the shoulder.
"She scares me! But she's been okay so far," Snowcora claims and waves her hand. "And should I leave you two alone for a bit?"
"You could always switch back and join me.." the dragon coos.
"After I send this body back to the elves," Snowcora notes a bit evilly. "I can use Inala's gift on them before swapping..."
"You're starting to enjoy power like a dragon, aren't you?" Kaira teases and winks.
"Yes ... plus if she stays here she might use it on both of us automatically," Snowcora points out. "And it gives you time to calm that body down if I go have some elf fun for a bit ... then come back to focus on you with a clear head."
"Well, I don't know how clear it will be, but just don't get carried away," Kaira asks. "This isn't quite the same as playing the flute for Alptraum-on-Automatic.."
"I won't! I just want to have a little elf fun and I'll be right back," Snowcora claims. So, she closes her eyes and focuses back on that pool in the dark cave.
Snowcora appears on a raft of bodies, which soon find her. However.. her aura isn't working yet! How does she turn it on?
Snowcora reaches down and gently rubs her fingers over the gem just below her navel. "Hello lovers," she practically purrs at the gathered elves. "Want to have some fun?"
Rubbing the gem (and maybe thinking about) triggers the glow and aura, immediately turning the elves from potentially hostile to amorously hostile. Snowcora is held down on a pile of women while the dark males satiate themselves.
It's an interesting experience to be, well, filled in so many ways. Snowcora does enjoy this for a good few minutes, giving Kaira time to calm the other body. So, eventually she focuses back on her other body, leaving this one to the 'mercy' of the elves!
It must have been a lot of lust pumped into Alptraum, because it's hard to think.. and the scarves aren't letting him really act either, being tied down. Still, Kaira seems to know he's 'there' again and so starts to do more than just distract him.
And what Alptraum can think of when he can, well ... he tries to become Draketraum. The best times are often with the same species, after all. "I'm baaaack," he murmurs at her while he concentrates.
The scarves don't hold, and soon Draketraum has the upper hand (and mass) over Kaira!
And soon Kaira finds herself pinned to the bed by the much larger drake! He licks her neck and rumbles, "You belong to me, you know. First and second most important of my harem. Rosalind is the first. But ... you are my best dragon," Draketraum rumbles to her. "And I intend to wear you out..."
"Oh, I'd like to you try," Kaira challenges, but certainly isn't resisting.
"I'll have you begging me to stop," Draketraum claims as his claws grip firmly, though not painfully, around Kaira's own wrists. His lips draw back in an evil smile ... and just before he gets into trying to wear her out, he does at least whisper, "And yes, I do still care about you. I am sorry for being absent so long..." And then ... he shows it.