Scourge provides its own light, as it follows the spiraling tunnel down from destroyed Diphath shrine above. Sussing reveals a pink, worried mind ahead, just beyond the end of the tunnel, but no sign yet of the familiar alien awareness of the shoggoth-hybrid, so it may not have hatched yet.
Soldano bar Drelickus - captain of the Shadowdrake and unwilling servant of the General - huddles in the darkness until the glow from Scourge's markings falls upon him. The man nearly shrieks, and reaches for his knife. "Are you one of her minions, checking up on me?" he demands a bit shakily.
"No, I'm an agent of the Barsunala, mostly. I can cope with the chaos those .... things you brought create," Scourge replies, "So you do not need to reach for your knife." It shakes its head, then adds, "I know. I look worse than I am. I am not sure how to prove it to you, though."
"Well.. you do seem more.. symmetrical than the General's creatures," Soldano admits. "And you have the mark of Gorphat on your head. What.. what do I need to do?"
"It ... depends. Should I examine you first, or should I deal with your ... cargo first?" Scourge asks the nervous Eeee. "Where did you put it, anyway?"
Soldano points deeper into the cavern. "There was a bowl of sorts," he says. "I put her.. it.. in there. How are you going to examine me?"
"By eating you?" Scourge jokes and smiles. When a strange dragon smiles ... it's a bit creepy.
"Is that.. are you serious?" the bat asks, pressing himself back against the cavern wall now.
Scourge sighs. "No. It is more metaphorical," the creature claims and shakes its head. "You need to relax; I am not here to harm you. If I was, such would have already happened."
"I get to keep my pants though right?" Soldano asks.
"Why? Do you really need them? Or would you prefer the Barsunala examine you?" Scourge asks.
"Sorry, I've never.. been metaphorically devoured before," Soldano says, forcing a grin. "I'll try to relax." And then he closes his eyes and.. probably thinks of someplace nicer than this.
"I promise to be ... gentle. I'll even kiss you afterward," Scourge claims as it moves closer to Soldano. Or before, since Scourge has to ken the Eeee with his tongue. It's literally licking someone from the inside out once his tongue is out, split, and wrapping around the other Eeee. More disturbingly is Scourge is enjoying this a lot. Nothing like tasting someone ... handsome? It also knows that it should be pleasant at least for Soldano; others have always enjoyed a deep shadow probing.
There's extra flavor this time. It's not just kenning, but sussing as well, so Scourge gets a sense of Soldano's mind. There is some resistance however, something that moves away and tries to hide. It can't, in the end, but instead it spreads itself out - mostly through the blood.
Scourge holds Soldano firmly and tries to focus on that strange ... thing trying to spread itself thin. "Now, how do I deal with you, hmm?" it wonders. "What entices you...?"
Right now, the thing seems to be reacting in fear. It keeps trying to hide! It doesn't want to be kenned, certainly - and possibly can't be, since it's not 'alive' in any reasonable sense. It's barely even matter at this point. It should be possible though, with some practice.. to try and herd it somewhere.
Scourge continues experimenting. He tries to herd the thing into one of Soldano's limbs to isolate it. He doesn't try to herd it to a place that could be quite embarrassing for Soldano, no matter how tempting that is...
The entity seems to prefer the left wing, for some reason. Maybe just because it's a larger space to thin itself out in.
And so Scourge tries to herd to that wing. "Come on you annoying little pest, I only want to lick you," Scourge thinks as it methodically blocks off escape routes as it herds the 'creature' along.
It looks like the thing is trapped! And then.. it twists out of the way, somehow.. going from the left wing to the right foot without passing through the body.
Scourge almost growls! It has to change the direction of kenning quickly and try to catch it ... or failing that, just saturate the Eeee!
Is the thing getting smarter? Now it appears in both hands and the feet.. but Scourge gets no sense that it has split itself in any way.
Scourge's brow furrows and it tries to just saturate the Eeee with shadow and blanket-catch it. It apparently isn't going to be examined easily, so ... nothing like brute force.
It makes for a thinly stretched shadow - so much of it is used in Scourge's own body after all - but eventually there's no place for the thing to really hide anymore. It pulls itself into one place: Soldano's heart. It's slippery, that much is certain - like trying to catch soup with a fork.
Scourge contracts the shadow in quickly around and through Soldano's heart. He doesn't try to stop it from beating or damage it ... just catch this thing and ken it quickly.
Even captured, the thing resists kenning. But if Vorgulremik knows about these things, then there must be a way to eat them, and kenning is the first step in that. Finally, with force comes progress: it tastes horrible. Inside-out and rotten and dead. But it does have a flavor, and even though none of it makes sense Scourge begins to ken the shoggoth seed.
"Just when I thought I couldn't find something more disgusting, I manage to. Go me," Scourge thinks and is rather glad he doesn't have a stomach to get upset by this. "What are you...?"
It isn't alive. It isn't dead. It isn't immortal and it isn't mortal. Or it could be all of them, mirror-reversed somehow. Unmortal.
"Almost like the shadow itself. Now, how do I get you out? What do you want?" Scourge wonders as it continues to examine this ... thing; trying to understand it enough to deal with it.
Just as it retreats from the shadow, it doesn't like being too close to the skin. The taste says that it can't exist.. at least, not under normal circumstances. It needs something to anchor it, to protect it from the harshness of external reality. It needs a body.
"So, you have to infect someone else, then. Like me?" Scourge thinks as it continues examining a bit longer. He has no idea how to lure it out into someone else.
It's hard enough holding onto it in the first place. It has a habit of twisting itself into an impossible direction that gets it somewhere else in the body.
Scourge tries for a bit longer to see what more he might be able to learn. Maybe it can force it into someone elses body; such as being more 'normal', then using the shadow to corral it across a wound to someone else.
That would likely require opening a wound on Soldano. And while Melusine might be adept at disconnecting pieces of anatomy and reconnecting them later, it isn't something Scourge has attempted yet. But.. the creature needs living tissue, apparently. Blood would count, among other fluids.
"Or I could just transfer it with sex," Scourge thinks, "Snowcora could entice him easily enough."
Soldano is starting to feel a bit.. wet.. from being held in shadow for so long. Can shadow slobber exist? The sensation of being kenned is pretty pleasurable though.. and the bat has been going through that this whole time, plus whatever could be felt of corralling the shoggoth.
"Pity, I like holding a handsome person in my tongue," Scourge thinks, amused, as it finally relents and starts to let Soldano go. But, before it completely releases the Eeee, its tail whips around and once there defftly swipes Soldano's pants. Why? Why not?
"Uuuuuuuu," the bat moans as he is finally released. "You didn't warn me I would be melted.." he bemoans, and tries feeling around to make sure he's still solid. "Where.. where are my pants?" he gets around to noticing.
Scourge holds up its tail, upon which the Eeee's pants hang. "Are you complaining?" it asks, "Was it not enjoyable?"
"It was.." the bat begins to say, then seems to stumble. "Memorable," he concedes.
Scourge's brow ridge arches. "It was not enjoyable?" it asks.
"I'm still shaking," Soldano says. "It.. was a different level of pleasure, certainly. But.. I feel.. like I've been stretched out and made see-through and snapped back together and why do I feel like my stomach has been tongued..."
"Because it has," Scourge notes. "What is within you is going to be ... difficult to remove. It may require being transferred to someone more resilient."
"Would that cause problems?" Soldano asks. "I mean.. if it was before the time the General thinks it will happen?"
"Well, the sooner it is out of you the better. But, probably not much before the time expected," Scourge admits, "Otherwise she will get suspicious. I will have to check you every time to make sure you are not in danger yet. So, you will be licked again."
"I'll remember not to eat anything first," Soldano promises. "I don't feel crazy - does that mean the monster hasn't hatched yet?"
"Who says you were not crazy before?" Scourge asks as it smiles toothlessly. "Look a what you are talking to."
"Uh.. what are you?" the mans asks. "You aren't one of the Sabaoth Seven are you?"
"I'm different. An agent of the Barsunala for the most part. A new weapon and trick for an old foe, you might say," Scourge claims.
"Do you have a name?" Soldano asks.
Scourge draws in close until it is snout to Eeee-nose. "You can call me Scourge," it says.
"Ah.." the bat says. "Don't suppose it would be wise to ask if you're a boy or a girl would it?"
"Why, interested?" Scourge asks, its head tilted so that it is looking at Soldano with one eye. "Do you have a preference?"
"Just.. just like to know.. because you took my pants and haven't given them back.." the bat babbles.
"I'm neither. Feel free to check under my tail if you want," Scourge offers. It also offers the pants back after it withdraws.
Clutching the pants, Soldano asks, "I'm supposed to stay until you're finished, aren't I? Will it take long to.. do whatever you do down there?"
"Hopefully not. I only have to rip out the core of the monster. Not pleasant, but it must be done," Scourge notes. "And you didn't answer if you wanted to check." Apparently Scourge is amused by the nervous Eeee.
"I'll trust your word," Soldano says. "I've heard that supernatural creatures should be trusted."
"You should be more fun," Scourge claims as it sits back. "Here I am trying to get you to relax."
"By stealing my pants and licking my stomach and asking me to examine you?" Soldano asks. "Are you certain you are not a Babelite demon?"
"Well, I had to act as you would expect me to," Scourge points out. "It would have been stranger if I brought flowers and wine."
"Yes, but only because nobody has ever brought me flowers and wine before," Soldano says, as he gets his pants back on.. uncertain of which end to face Scourge with, so he stands side-on. "I don't suppose the Barsunala has given you the next drop point I am to bring a.. package.. to?"
"No. You can discuss it with him in person after I deal with the monster. HE thought you would wish to speak with him in person since you seemed concerned you were just dreaming," Scourge notes.
"Where do I meet him?" Soldano asks. "Is he here?"
"He will come once I leave. You only need to wait," Scourge claims as it turns to go down to where the Eeee-mother-thing is. It also flicks its tail up, demonstrating that it, it indeed, neither!
Soon the baffled bat is swallowed by the darkness, as the mobile light-show that is Scourge moves onward. The bowl is familiar when it's reached, and sitting at the bottom of it is a white-eyed, all but motionless Eeee woman. She's breathing, at least.
"Even knowing you're not really living anymore ... how can I kill you?" Scourge finally asks the Eeee at the bottom of the bowl after several circles of the thing. "Even after everything, killing is not easy. But, that is a good thing. It means I am not losing myself."
The blind woman suddenly turns her head to look at Scourge. Just before she explodes. Except her parts are still connected, by strands of goopy can't-quite-look-at-it-without-going-cross-eyed filaments. In the center of it all is her child, which cries out soundlessly and lashes violently at the world around it. Stone is twisted, or turned to water, and the bowl gets a bit deeper as the hybrid begins to expand to fill it.
"Okay, soo thanks! Now I can kill you," Scourge says, its tone sardonic and final. The dragon's eyes narrow, it crouches, and it leaps into the bowl! At least it knows how to kill these now, rip out the 'child' part!
Something smacks Scourge across the snout! It's.. an intestine. The mother's intestine - something real. The hyrbid is lashing out with the bits.
Scourge pulls its wings up and in, trying to use them as shields against the thrashing. It lashes out with bits of its own; it's multipart tongue! The goal, rip out its core before the thing grows any further!
It's disturbing, for certain. The newly born creatures are definitely more feisty than the older ones. The non-body-part-wielding tendrils pass right through Scourge's wings - and body - leaving a cold, curdled sensation in their wake. And like the hiding larva inside Soldano, the core tries to turn itself inside-out or sidestep through the fourth dimension - but it's an anchor, and has to behave like one, ultimately. It screams out its 'Teki Teki Teki li!' gibberish right into Scourge's head. But really.. it isn't all that different than moving through the Sea of Souls, just slightly weirder. Except that the fetus does manage to bite Scourge's tongue before it gets a good grip..
"And how many of these are there?" Scourge thinks when the grip begins to settle and the bite actually hurts its tongue! Scourge's tail thrashes about in the bowl; bashing the corporeal parts violently ... and unfortunately suffering from the coldness of the parts that are not. It's not pleasant for Scourge, but at least the violence makes it somehow easier. It requires less thinking about what you are doing and more, just ... doing. Once Scourge thinks its grip is strong enough it jerks its head back hard and tries to draw its tongue back as well!
The scream is real this time, and the otherworldly placenta much more violent. When the fetus comes lose, the abandoned chaos goes nuts. It takes on horrible forms, and even tries to reassemble the mother in a desperate bid to survive the toxic reality around it. It vomits out horrible psychic images of.. well, if space had guts. It can't win the fight, however, and burns itself out.
Scourge spits the remains from its mouth up and out of the bowl. "Why do you have to keep getting worse?" the dragon actually asks the room. "And why would anyone want to create things like you. Just ... madness." Scourge ends up spitting over and over to try and get the taste out of its mouth and mind.
The 'core' sits there and.. well, doesn't do anything at that point. It's just a dead thing, without a glimmer of mind left.
Once Scourge manages out of the bowl, it goes over and stomps on the remains to make sure it is completely dead. The squish makes it shudder and grimace at that. Glad once more it cannot easily get nauseous, it heads back the way it came.
There's a lot of retching sounds coming from up ahead - Soldano must not have been at safe distance when the creature let out its death rattle.
"Are you okay, Soldano? Did it affect you?" Scourge calls out as it seeks out the retching Eeee. It needs to check him for any changes.
"Ugh," the man replies, dry-heaving more or less over with. "There was that.. voice.. and.. a million miles of entrails! Just.. entrails! Everywhere! Everything! Pulsating and squishing and.." The dry heaves start up again for a moment.
"Welcome to what I have to deal with. I wish you weren't here," Scourge admits. "Do you wish me to stay until you feel better?" Whatever the answer, Scourge goes to examine Soldano up close.
"I'm fine," Soldano claims, waving a hand. "I was expecting something like this. The sounds would been enough.. But I'm fine. Not insane!"
"I'll be the judge of that," Scourge insists. It at least pushes Soldano a bit to look it in the eyes before looking over his body for changes.
"What? Are you going to eat me again?" the bat asks, shaking a bit. He doesn't seem changed.. but there's something not sussing right: his mind is still pink-going-on-red, but there are glimmers of ultraviolet in his body. As if being near the hybrid excited the larva somehow.
"Hold still. This is important." Scourge insists. It sniffs Soldano, metaphorically speaking. "That which is in you was excited by the events. It may need to be removed sooner."
"What? I promise I'm not excited!" the bat says, putting his hands protectively over his crotch. "Don't bite anything off!"
"Not that. It would be a disservice if I did, anyway," Scourge says and sighs. "I don't want you dying; I'm not joking right now."
"Well, does it have to come out now?" Soldano asks. "Is it going to hurt? Will I be able to get the Srinalas to move if I don't have it?"
"No, I don't think it has to come out now," Scourge says, letting the Eeee go. "But, I will be watching."
"Is there anything I should avoid doing?" Soldano asks. "Am I contagious?"
"Avoid intimate relations unless authorized by myself or the Barsunala. It may be transmittable via body fluids," Scourge advises.
"That.. shouldn't be a problem," the bat claims. "Unless some vampire has a go at me.. too bad for them, eh?"
"Not all vampires are bad. The Barsunala is one," Scourge points out. "And speaking of him, I should go get him."
"I'm half.. uh, okay, so.. I'll just wait here," Soldano says. "In the dark. With a dead monster."
"It could be worse. Gorphat could be here with you," Scourge remarks a bit dryly.
"Being in the dark isn't so bad," Soldano notes.
"Are you sure? She can be fun," Scourge notes.
"No intimate contact without the Barsunala's approval, and all that," Soldano says with a nervous grin.
"He just might approve of that one," Scourge notes with an eerie grin. The creature then slinks off back the way it came. Near the entrance is where it stashed its clothes. So it is a shift back to Alptraum, dressing ... and going back down the passage. That is if it can manage the shift; it seems harder from Scourge for some reason...
There's always going through Nicora first.. but that could lead to distracting difficulties as well, depending on Gorphat's mood.
Scourge risks it to simplify the process. Nicora first, then Alptraum. Maybe the goal is to see how that body is doing right now.
At first it's normal. In the dark, she can't see her belly tattoo. But soon things start to tingle. Maybe Gorphat heard the comments to Soldano after all..
"No, bad," Nicora whines to herself when tingling starts. So quickly she's trying to shift to Alptraum!
Even becoming Alptraum once more isn't without a little residual tingle. Not enough to make anything happen, though - even though it usually takes some time for the bat to settle into being male after a change.
"Maybe Soldano likes men," Alptraum thinks, then shakes that out of his head. "Don't go there," he mutters, rises, then dresses quickly. He knows where the next one should go; and it is appropriate.
Soldano is still where he was left, from the sound of it. His heart is still beating pretty loudly.
"You need to calm down. You have several more of those to deal with," Alptraum calls out before he reaches the place where Soldano is; probably to warn him.
"Gorphat!?" Soldano barks. "Oh.. it's you! Finally, someone normal. Keeping calm is not something I do well underground."
"Few people call me normal," Alptraum remarks as he reaches Soldano. "So, going to try and stab me?" he asks the other Eeee and even spreads his arms.
"That depends," Soldano says. "Are you going to try and eat me like your pet?"
"Well, you do look tasty," Alptraum jokes and even waggles his eyebrows. "And cute."
"Ummm.. you were going to tell me where the next drop is, weren't you?" Soldano asks, clutching his pants. "That's what Scourge said."
"Oh come on, I'm not that creepy, am I?" Alptraum pouts, sighs, and rubs his forehead. "I'm just trying to get you to relax. And yes, I know where the next point is. An old shrine deep in the undercity; near a fresco to .... Diphath. I went there on my Birthday many years ago when I was given a tour by Yodhgorphat Phlagaea."
"Can you give me some specific directions?" Soldano asks, a bit warily.
Alptraum digs in a pouch at his side and pulls out a map. "I can do better, I drew a map," he explains and offers it to Soldano. "And really, I'm not that bad. I'm just trying to cheer you up; you're going through a lot. I learned the best way to deal with such things is to laugh."
"I can laugh when I'm back up aboveground," Soldano says. "I promise to laugh! Just not down here. Not with the echoes.."
"How are you feeling?" Alptraum asks.
"Scared," Soldano admits. "I can't pretend that it was all a dream and that I'm just going mad. You're real."
Alptraum holds out his left hand to Soldano. "Not much different from you," he says. "You don't need to be afraid of me."
"I would much rather have a friend as an ally, than someone who does what I ask just because they're afraid of me. I don't want to rule over people, I just want to fix the city," Alptraum adds.
The other bat takes the offered map. "When should I.. deliver it? Tomorrow?" he asks.
"You tell me. When will you feel up for dealing with this again?" Alptraum asks.
Soldano takes a deep breath. "Tomorrow I will find the location, make sure I have a path that can be negotiated by the Srinala," he says. "Another day to make the move.. so nightfall, day after tomorrow?"
Alptraum nods. "Workable. Is there anything you wish to ask of me?" he asks.
The bat rubs the back of his head, and asks, "Can you get some messages to people, just to let them know Orca and I made it back from the Mists?"
"Depends on the people. Who do you want to tell?" Alptraum says.
"A Sphynx named Tulani," Soldano says. "She's black, with white wings and hair and has a white mark across her face. The other is Nicorina, a Skreek. Black head and white body, lots of jewelry - and I think she has a nose-ring too."
"Ah, them. Yes, I know them. The sphynx and the extremely crazy skreek," Alptraum says and laughs, "I've heard some scary stories about that rat. Yes, I can contact them and let them know you are safe."
"Thank you.. and.. can I ask a question?" Soldano asks.
"Of course you can," Alptraum says. "I just can't promise I can answer."
"That dream thing," Soldano says. "Does that mean I'm about to die? I mean, for you to have visited me like that? Is that the rule?"
"Oh. No, not at all," Alptraum says, "You're not going to die if I can prevent it."
"Ah, good to know," Soldano says, seeming a little cheerier. "Just wanted to clear that up."
"Now, if you're disappointed ... " Alptraum starts to say, then grins. "Joking!"
"Ah.. the Kindly Ones' sense of humor.." Soldano says, giving a nervous chuckle. "I suppose I can go back up now? I don't need to dispose of.. any remains or anything like that?"
"No, you can go. I can deal with that," Alptraum says. There is a pause, then he asks, "Would you want this Sphynx and rat to come visit you and Orca?"
"Well.. we're stuck in the Tower until this is all.. done with," Soldano says. "And I can't have any relations.. but I'm not sure I want the people here knowing about the girls, to be honest, much less having them right here for the taking."
"All right. I'll just let then know you and he are fine and that they should lay low," Alptraum offers. He then reaches over and pats Soldano's back. "It'll be okay. I am sorry you're in the middle of this."
"If it had been someone else, would you have known?" Soldano asks curiously.
"Probably. Why do you ask?" Alptraum asks.
"Just wondering if I have a guardian angel is all," Soldano says, and smirks in the darkness. "I'll head back up now. I may need Orca's help with the next delivery, but I'll make sure he isn't around for the birth."
"Oh, you're being watched. You have an Angel," Alptraum calls after Soldano. "That makes this easier. But don't worry!"
"Right," Soldano says as he heads up the tunnel. "Nothing to worry about at all.."
"Beer is your friend," Alptraum adds, then shakes his head. "Time to clean up, go home, and relax. That does mean returning to 'normal'." There's a pause, then he thinks, "Which may mean no relaxing at all. But at least I can put the jewelry back in."
"How bad is it?" is the first thing Alptraum hears on entering the hidden bunker, as Tulani is pacing back and forth at the entrance. Mave is also nearby, mixing something in a mortar.
"How bad is what? Soldano's monsters? Nasty," Alptraum admits and shrugs. "He also wanted me to tell you he was fine. And to tell Nicorina."
"He isn't being eaten alive or anything then?" the Sphynx asks, still looking antsy.
"Not that I can tell. It'll be difficult to get it out of him. It may be safest to get it to transfer to someone else. Perhaps Snowcora and then let Gorphat deal with it," Alptraum suggests as he walks in and sits down on a crate.
"You're working on a plan then, good," Tulani says, and lets out her breath. "I'm going to go stretch my wings - and do some shopping that Mave has been pestering me about since you left. I shouldn't be too long.."
"I do have a plan, yes. It may just be bad for me. Glad to see you don't care about that," Alptraum remarks a bit dryly. "So, shoo, go shopping."
"I trust you not to do anything too reckless," Tulani says, and gives Alptraum a kiss before heading up the stairs to the hidden door.
"It's just you and me now," Mave purrs to Alptraum. She's naked (but then she doesn't have much reason to wear things down here) and has a few blue marks on her fur. "Do you want me to help with your jewelry?"
"She trusts me too much," Alptraum remarks to Mave when Tulani leaves. "And yes, I do. I also need to turn back to .... normal. Nicora. Gorphat decided to give me a new blessing and I need to see how bad it is going to be, or if it is even still active."
"Ahh, it is more fun to put the rings on you though," Mave says, setting down her mortar and coming over to drape herself over the bat. "I can do it with my tongue," she teases.
"Well, if you really want to," Alptraum says with a grin. "By all means!"
Mave manages to get Alptraum's clothes off without him having to get off his seat. Then she begins with the earrings, using her tongue (and mostly mouth) as promised to set them in place. This entails a certain amount of ear sucking and nibbling of course.
"Okay, so I should have you do this more often," Alptraum murmurs as Mave ... works. HE mostly sits still, aside from the occasional caress of the white Eeee.
Once the ears are done, Mave takes out the nose-ring.. then cocks her head at Alptraum. "This one for last, I think," she says, and gets the nipple piercing pieces instead. Getting these in with her tongue and mouth is a bit more involved and drawn out.
"Why? The nose ring is fun," Alptraum teases. Of course he can't tease for long because the setting of the bars is very distracting. All he can do is manage a few happy sounds as Mave does her magic.
The Yodhinala gives Alptraum's nose a lick, and says, "Best for last, you know." She then.. ends up sucking on the tips of his wing-fingers, in order to get those rings on.
"Okay, that feels weird," Alptraum admits as he laughs and squirms about a bit. "Tickles."
Mave strokes the wing-vanes as well.. with her breasts. "Ready for the chastity rings now?" she asks.
Alptraum positions himself to make that answer clear. He then grins and comments, "Can't wait." And his body betrays that excitement too. The salon sure did make him bumpy.
Mave extends her tongue fully to pluck the first ring out of the box, then kneels down. Of course, it's one of the scrotal one first, which.. is a bit mixed, giving the pinchiness of the process along with.. well.. Maveness of it.
Alptraum leans back and looks upward. "Yes, this is different. But a good kind of different!" the Eeee thinks, grinning. The sounds he makes are also amusing; little squeaks! He also has to wonder what Mave wants or is up to.."
The final ring is takes a bit longer. And a lot more licking for some reason. But then Mave takes the nose-ring.. and puts it into her mouth. However she doesn't go for Alptraum's nose, but fits on the tip of his.. tip. Then she fits herself onto it.
"That isn't my nose!" Alptraum gasps, not expecting that at all. Not that it doesn't feel quite nice and he's fine where he is right now. He even hugs Mave.
"It can still sneeze," Mave notes, as she begins her 'dance' in Alptraum's lap, and rubs her nose against his.
"Not that I mind this, but ... what do you want?" Alptraum asks, grinning. He's moving around a bit too now, as much as he can. "Other than my ... sneeze?"
"I want to spend time with you, is that so surprising?" Mave says. "I need to worship Inala, after all."
"No, it's not wrong, but you usually show no real interest in this," Alptraum remarks, grinning. "I may need some help from you as Nicora, by the way. Gorphat blessed that form and it seems like it's now, ah .... extremely aroused and wanting; never satisfied."
"So if I give in and enjoy it, I suffer her curse of pain. If I resist, I'm ... well, it's hard. I feel the need to be filled," he adds.
"She is being competitive then, is she?" Mave asks, narrowing her eyes a bit.. and her grip. "Issuing a challenge to Inala, most likely.."
"What? How is that a challenge?" Alptraum asks, "It's frustrating to me."
"She is claiming that even Inala cannot satisfy this challenge," Mave says, and twists her hips a bit, quite suddenly.
Alptraum ends up gasping and soon wincing. "I'll show you after this; I have to change back since I can't stay this way forever," he claims, "Maybe Inala's demon can help?"
"You have to deal with me first," Mave notes, and starts to use her fingers to caress and prod at Alptraum, finding erogenous points where one might never expect.
And so Alptraum shuts up and does try to deal with Mave. He's quite energetic about it at that. He follows her guidance and sounds and tries to make her squeak and squirm as much as he is. He doesn't even know how much time passes now.
During one particularly acrobatic maneuver, Mave bends down double.. and comes up with the (rather damp) nose-ring on the tip of her tongue.
Alptraum grins, leans forward, and closes his eyes. He doesn't quit moving the rest of his body, though; he doesn't get to be a guy often after all.
It takes some time to get the ring in properly, and of course.. it has a very distinct Mave smell to it.
"Making sure I can't forget your smell?" Alptraum teases, "Not that I mind."
"It will help you keep calm," Mave claims, and wiggles warmly.
"Or excite me," Alptruam says. The Eeee then goes quiet, to finish his time with Mave and give her the, ah, sneeze she seems to want. So, time passes and two Eeee do things that are perfectly Babelite.
Afterwards, Mave purrs. "I have some rituals that I will need you for," she notes.
"Which me?" Alptraum asks warily. "And I knew you wanted something."
"You you," Mave says, then looks aside for a moment. "Mostly," she amends.
"When and who?" Alptraum asks as he rubs at his nose a bit. It feels odd to be ringed up again.
"I'll need Snowcora, and you," Mave says. "As for when.. that depends on how busy you are. Are you free tomorrow?"
"Yes. What are the rituals?" Alptraum asks as he stretches. "And can I shift back? I want your opinion on my condition as Nicora."
"We will definitely need to work on Inala's blessing of Nicora as well," Mave notes, a bit ominously. "Oh, the rituals are... nothing to worry about!" the Yodhinala says. "Now let's have a look at what Gorphat had done to you this time.."
"What do you mean work on? Tell me what these rituals are," Alptraum says. He's holding still; not shifting at all yet.
"Just some rituals that need to be done," Mave says. "With the Yodhinala gone, there is nobody to maintain them, so I will need assistance."
"Ah. Well, I guess I will have to trust you," Alptraum says as he eyes Mave again for a few seconds, then closes his eyes and lets the shadow engulf him. Shifting to Nicora is usually easy; it's more like releasing a tensed muscle and telling everything flow back to their 'natural' positions. As natural as Melusine left them anyway.
"I don't care for the tattoo," Mave notes, once the change is complete. "It seems to mock Inala and fertility."
"Mordecai did it in a dream, to commemorate my being a clutch host for horribs," Nicora remarks as she slowly sits up to check over herself and assess how she's ... feeling.
Yes, the urge is growing again. She even looks a bit 'puffy' there already.
"Gorphat is really trying to annoy me it appears," Mave says, and pokes Nicora right in the sensitive spot with a finger.
Nicora bends a bit to watch herself, worried about just how bad this is going to get. "Yes, the feeling is starting again," she complains to Mave. "It's ... frustrating! The poke causes Nicora to squeak loudly, then twitch.
"We must renew Inala's blessing upon your loins," Mave declares. "I will prepare the ritual."
"Why?" Nicora says in horror, "Won't it just make it all worse?" She's also now prodding herself to see how, ah, bad it is. "I'm going to go through a lot of underwear, I fear."
"It will bring you relief," Mave claims, as she gathers bottles. "Over and over again. Endless ecstasy! That will show Gorphat not to mess in her Sister's specialty.."
"Ah, I'm really not sure that is a good idea. At all. I need to function," Nicora insists as she gets up. "I'm going to, ah, go visit Rugharo first. He might be able to sate this."
"You're marked as Hosheb's concubine," Mave notes.
"What? How?" Nicora asks. "Is that a problem?"
"That depends," Mave says. "Is Hosheb the jealous sort?"
"He hasn't seemed so," Nicora notes as she rubs herself and twitches. "I just ... I need relief from this. I'm not willing to risk another ritual right now." She then sniffs the air and adds, "And I really stink."
"Hmmph," Mave goes, and pouts. "Quantity over quality is a poor trade, you know. But go on, even though your condition is one that denies relief for more than a short time."
"At least let me try. If I can't get relief I'll .... consent to a ritual," Nicora relents and rubs her forehead. The Eeee then heads for the stairs, naked and, well, a little drippy. It also means she has to waddle a bit; everything feels so ... swollen.
It doesn't make the trek down to the cemetery any easier, either. And there's the tingling at the back of Nicora's neck that makes her think she's being followed, as well.
Nicora pauses and looks over her shoulder. "Hello?" she calls out, then reaches to feel and rub the back of her neck.
There's a rustle as something rising up from behind a bush. It's very tall.. and the Procession light gleams off of its carapace and long skull. A combination of Eeee and a hunting grok: Gronegk!
Nicora blinks. "Oh, hello there," she tells the creature as it approaches. "I didn't expect to see you." She doesn't feel afraid right now because, well, this is an ally. "Is something wrong?" she asks of it.
"You sssseek the wrong companion, Mistress," Gronegk claims, and in a blink he's practically coiled around Nicora, his mouth full of crystalline teeth very close as he nuzzles the woman's neck. "A beast that caresss not for your satisfaction, only its own.. Rugharo would also find you.. less than desirable in your new, ssssmoooth state.."
"He would not touch me?" Nicora asks of the chitinous thing as she attempts to pet it. If it can feel her touch, she has no idea.
One of Gronegk's 'hands' rubs over Nicora's belly. "You are marked. Bug-wife, he would say. He lusts for the Shrine Maiden. Only I feel enough to try and please you."
"Bug wife? But Hosheb and I are not wed," Nicora points out and rubs her forehead for a moment. "Are you offering yourself to me again?"
"Choose me," the demon says. "No brute I. Gentle, attentive.. these are my qualities. I serve, I sense, I empathize. I am loyal and protective."
"But I most continue to ... satisfy Hosheb. Gorphat has ... bound him to me," Nicora admits and looks down. "But that doesn't mean than I cannot also accept you." Nicora then dlowers down to her knees, then leans forward to rest on her hands as well. "Can you accept an 'infected' reeking, oozy, ugly, Eeee?" she asks of him, then ... presents herself.
"I am not part of Inala and Gorphat's rivalry," Gronegk claims, and scoops Nicora up into his arms before spreading his wings. Soon the ground is flying past, as the demon carries Nicora off to.. who knows where?
Nicora squeaks! She did not expect this. "I didn't expect you to just ... fly me away!" the naked ugly Eeee admits.
"Fear not!" Gronegk claims, and suddenly they're on the ground, heading into a bower made of very tall grass stalks woven together into walls and ceiling. Nicora is laid down on a bed of animal furs: some of them from creatures she's never seen before - what could have purple fur with yellow stripes?
"Is this your home?" Nicora has to ask as she peers around curiously before her own condition reminds her. And she has to check herself again to see how swollen she is right now.
She's pretty ripe at the moment, and Gronegk says, "Yess, do you like it?" Then the bat finds herself positioned on her hands and knees, as the demon takes her. And true to his word, he is.. gentle.. without sacrificing passion. His tongue and hands are also busy, squeezing and kneading and 'kissing' Nicora. It is all vaguely reminiscent of.. Vorgulremik, really. Gronegk is careful not to hurt Nicora.
"I don't know why I like this position," Nicora thinks, feeling flushed. Or rather, it's about all she can think before she just gives into her body's desires. She's a good lover in return, trying to make sure that he too is enjoying it as she is and isn't thinking that afterward she may be in some pain. Right now her body is telling her this was what she needed. "I could get used to this," she murmurs at one point.
Proving that he is the most intelligent of the Sabaoth Seven, Gronegk changes positions every so often - and even lets Nicora be on top, giving her control. And while he doesn't have lips, he's very good with that long blue tongue, and his Eeee parts feel nice against her skin.
"You won't have eggs laid in me, right?" Nicora teases at one point as she sighs, back arched. So far, it all still feels really good. It isn't the worst curse in the world to have. Well, she could do without the pungent smell her body putts off; but the sensations are incredible.
Gronegk curls up, so that he's under her and over her at once, and says, "I do not lay eggss."
"Pity," Nicora teases. "It is not so bad being a bug wife and a bug mother," she coos; clearly lost in the moment.
"I am content to have you take me as a lover," the demon says, and experiments to find Nicora's other sensitive spots. He seems willing to go on until she tells him to stop.
Nicora focuses on the sensations and the enjoyment for some time; cooing and guiding the demon to make her feel wonderful. When she finally feels a tensing within her; the signal that she is about to feel really good for a few seconds to minutes, she murmurs to Gronegk, "Now. Please give me your ... gifts. Release your ... fountain."
With an odd howl, the demon gives Nicora what she asks for with quite a bit of enthusiasm! And when the after effects begin to hit Nicora, the demon tries to sooth her in other ways as Gorphat's other blessing causes her to painfully clench up.
Nicora's own cries come, first of amazing pleasure, then clenching /pain/. "Hurts so bad,/" she thinks to herself, "/But it will ebb and the urges will be gone for a while, right?/" She can hope that at least. And what is it with her and being attractive to insects? She now has /two/, and one she knows she will willingly carry eggs for, even at the risk to her own life! It's madness! It's crazy! It's ... /oh gods does that hurt/!