The clouds are wispy and blown into teasing curves above Alptraum when he opens his eyes. The bed of flowers he's lying in is surprisingly comfortable, and a group of colorful Creens serenade him from atop the ring of marble lintels above. The air is fragrant and clean, and the burbling of the waterfall is very relaxing as well. There is also the sound of someone moving about in the pool.
"Glorious days! I have fur! And teeth, and I can see! And, and hear! Whoo! I am so going to fly until I fall asleep and plummet to my death," Alptraum cackles as he reaches skyward and waves his hands around like mad. He even kicks his feet like a child.
There's an answering childlike giggle from the pool.
Alptraum freezes. He wasn't expecting to have company! Of course he probably should have, but he was just so excited. So ... he sits up and looks towards the giggling pool.
There's a young, tan-colored Eeee girl there, probably around thirteen or fourteen years old. She's tending to an older, white-furred woman by crushing flower petals and rubbing them into her fur. It is of course Barada and Inala, enjoying a bath.
"Argh, not you two," Alptraum says, "And here I thought I was going to have a good time." He even blows them a raspberry.
"And what would be a good time that doesn't involve me?" Inala asks, parting her hair to look at Alptraum with a coy grin. "Or would prefer one of the demons, perhaps?" she asks, gesturing towards a statue of an Eeee-Rugrhat hybrid.. except it's female and quite pretty, with the wool working to accent its features and the big ears flopping down to the sides. She also has extra breasts.
"Ah, no, I think I'll stick with you if it's all the same," Alptraum says with a smirk. He rolls to his feet ... but only so he can take a running leap into the pool! He makes quite the undignified splash!
And when he breaks the surface again.. he feels different. Not a lot different.. just a bit smaller. Younger! He's back to being a teenager now!
"You splashed me!" Barada complains, and splashes Alptraum back.
"Argh! I'm a kid! I blame you," Alptraum squeaks and points accusatory at Barada! He splashes her right back, too!
"Hey, you can't blame me!" Barada counters, and tries to tackle Alptraum, going for a headlock.
"Rar!" Alptraum counters. War is declared ... and he's soon wrestling with a young girl. Well, relatively; they're about the same physical age at the moment! He fights dirty, trying to tickling and bite to avoid the headlock.
"Hey, no biting! I'm calling it!" Barada is pretty wiry, and tries to throw Alptraum off-balance by licking his nose!
And Alptraum counters by snogging her. Tongue included!
So Barada goes with that.. but then grabs Alptraum below the belt. "Hah, I got you now!"
"I'm not complaining," Alptraum growls playfully at her. He reaches around the young Eeee, grabs her butt, and pulls her up against him. "Love the forehead rune," he remarks now that he's nose to nose with her again.
"I have the best forehead," Barada claims. "Because I'm the smartest. And the best butt too I bet!" Inala is still nearby, and clears her throat a bit warningly at that last comment.
"It is a divine butt, but not the divine butt," Alptraum has to agree. He looks over Barada's shoulder and comments to Inala, "I didn't know you preferred kids..."
"I inspire their creation and development," Inala notes. "And such things really don't matter to deities. Barada is not a child. I have taught her much.. even the secret techniques."
"Or maybe she taught you them," Alptraum remarks. He's then playfully nibbling on Barada's ear. "So, why am I here?" he asks between nibbles.
Inala comes up behind Alptraum.. well, presses up against his back.. and says, "I missed you. You spend so much time and effort on Gorphat. And now you take on a child for her.. again. If you wanted children, I could provide you with all of the experience you desire. Even your own birth."
"I don't need to know how I was born, I already know enough to know it was probably awful," Alptraum points out as he, well, he's youngish at the moment, so he's shamelessly groping Barada. "And this time with Gorphat it wasn't exactly a choice ... and I have to keep her happy."
Barada keeps giggling at it all, and wiggling around too. Given her nature, she isn't likely to have many worshipers interested in her this way - not without risking giving up all of their secrets.
"You want to make me happy though, don't you?" Inala asks, kissing the back of Alptraum's head. "I don't force you.. I just make it pleasurable for you to serve me."
And this, of course, makes Alptraum grope Barada all the more; fingers even explore in sensitive places. "And I do have to admit, that, well, I do enjoy being female," he adds, "It has all sorts of interesting places and reactions that a guy just ... lacks. We're simple. And of course I want you to be happy; it's you who taught me how great it is being female!"
Barada squirms and laughs more, and tries tickling Alptraum in retaliation. Despite Inala's claims to Barada's lack of innocence.. she still acts like a young girl.
Alptruam laughs from the tickling and his groping does relent a little bit.
"Then will you be my Yodhinala at times?" Inala asks Alptraum, nibbling on his ear. "People have come to the Temple to worship me.. but alas, there is no one to tend to them. Unless you could convince your Sphynx companion to be more outgoing.."
"I don't have a Yodhinala body," Alptraum points out, "But of course I would be your daughter. I enjoy being, well. I enjoy all forms of physical pleasures now. And more."
"I am pleased to hear this," Inala says. "Leave the rest to me."
"The rest of what?" Alptraum has to ask. And to Barada, he has to ask, "And, er, do you want another Yodhbarada or somesuch...?"
"Oh, I still have my daughters," Barada notes. "I have more in Babel than just Cricket.. and Tulani is partially mine as well. Even back in Draco County, there is Lilith.. and others."
"So ... you don't want me?" Alptraum asks Barada. He's even pouting ... a bit.
"I didn't say that," Barada teases, wiggling up against Alptraum. "I serve you, as we all do. I want to make a good impression. The more time I spend with you.. the firmer my place in the future you will bring about. But I don't need to make you into my image. I don't have that little hangup that certain others do.."
"Maybe I like being made into an image," Alptraum says and grins widely. He also takes the slack in Barada's defenses to grope her again!
The youngest Sister squeaks and splashes as a result. "But I like you as you are.. well, now. Playful! Nobody ever plays with me you know!"
Alptraum makes sure he has a firm hold of Barada, because, well, those fingers are in the poor, er, Goddess. "I play with everyone. Even myself! Er, wait, that sounds weird," he comments, then giggles to himself. He also leans back and looks up, then notes, "And you haven't answered how you will take care of the rest of stuff."
Inala says, "Well, you may not trust me.. only Barada deals in trust, after all.. but you already do possess a Yodhinala form. It just needs to be altered slightly.. subtly.."
"And you'll have me wear it when you need me to, is that it?" Alptraum asks, grinning a bit. "What is the downside?"
"Downside?" Inala asks. "I don't do downsides," she claims. "Any of those you experience are because of Gorphat's jealousy."
"So I'll just be an ultra-fertile, ultra-horny, perfect Eeee girl?" Alptraum asks with a straight face. "And when does this happen?"
"And Gorphat will not likely be pleased," Alptraum notes, "But I will find a way to manage it."
"When you need a break from being a slimy, goo-filled monster-brood-mare perhaps?" Inala suggests.
"See what I mean?" Barada whispers to Alptraum. "They're all so complicated and covetous."
Alptraum laughs, "So, most all the time?" He does pause there to tickle Barada a bit, then adds to Inala, "But I do enjoy being pregnant, and I don't know why."
"Well, if women didn't enjoy it on some level then we wouldn't have many children," Inala points out. "It is a privileged state of being. The time when a mortal has the power of a god."
"And regardless of the form, you do know I will have that ... worm growing in me, yes?" Alptraum asks.
"Not a worm, a queen," Inala says. "They are different. Anyone can host a larva.. but queens are special. Otherwise the skies would be thick with horribs. It will not effect your functioning as a Yodhinala."
"Being a Yodhinala could get you into some interesting households too, if necessary," Barada whispers, and wiggles around Alptraum's fingers.
"And it does not offend you that it will be within me?" Alptraum asks, "I am a bit worried about how it'll react when I am male. Anyway...." His attention returns to Barada and he, well, snogs her, again while his fingers wiggle, tickle, and rub. "So could being a young girl or boy," he notes to Barada, then winks.
"Or a Savanite," Barada reminds, but is too giggly to keep up the whispers at that point. "How can we do this without Inala joining in? You know how she is."
"Aww, and here I'm trying to encourage you to help me get a form fitting of you," Alptraum complains. "As for her joining in ... well, I have my tongue, and my ... other bits! I can work with both, we just need to get out of the pool..."
"She'll want all the attention," Barada pouts. "Promise to tend to her afterwards, so it will be just you and me."
"Inala ... do you mind if I tend to Barada for a bit in private?" Alptraum asks Inala, leaning back. "Once she is satisfied and happy, I can focus all on you."
"Hmmm," Inala considers. "I should be allowed to go first.. but I will wait. After all, Barada is my favorite Sister.."
"Ah, but if you go last, I will have no distractions," Alptraum points out. Then he's cackling in Barada's ear, "You're stuck with me now..."
"That depends on how sticky things get," Barada teases back.
"You have no idea how sticky I can get," Alptruam notes, then licks the glowing sigil on Barada's forehead.
"Carry me then, to a bed of flowers?" Barada asks, sweetly.
Alptraum at least doesn't pick BArada up with how he's currently holding her. IT's awkward, but he does manage to lift the smaller girl up. It's also weird, being, well, this young again. But, out of the pool he goes with th E Goddess. Over to one of the pools of flowers he goes, then he gently lowers her down to the bed.
Barada almost immediately curls up into a protective 'you can't tickle me now' posture, and bites one of her fingers playfully.
Alptraum rolls his eyes and sits down beside her. He doesn't even tickle, he pets the curled up Eeee. "Having fun?" he teases.
"Yes," Barada admits. "I should make you chase me! Or dance! Or.. something else fun! What did you do for fun as a gypsy?"
"Weeeeell, usually get rejected by the girls we were stalking," Alptraum admits.
"So was the rejection the fun part or the stalking?" Barada asks with a big grin.
"Well, mostly the stalking was fun," Alptraum admits, then pounces, trying to pin Barada down before she gets a chance to run.
"Aww!" Barada squeals and laughs. "Ooooo, I think you got me!" she admits.
"Yes, I do. And I could just sit here on you and do nothing. Just to drive you nuts," Alptraum teases and waggles his brow.
"How would that drive me nuts?" Barada asks. "Sitting on people turns them into Blakat? That explains so much!"
Alptraum rolls his eyes. He then gets an evil thought. He leans down and bites Barada's neck! Enough to actually draw blood, even ... just to see what happens.
"Ow!" Barada protests.. at first. "Oh.. oh that's new.. why does it feel nice?" Alptraum has never tasted the blood of a girl this young before, so isn't sure if it's the same as a normal girl might taste - but Barada tastes sweet. And a little salty. Kids have terrible diets.
Alptraum actually rumbles while he suckles ... and uses this distraction to impale the Goddess, again, with another part! His hands, well, then feel, fondle and massage.
"Ooooo!" Barada wiggles and giggles giddily. "It's been like.. well, never like this!" She doesn't do anything.. well.. godly. Not like Inala would. And she's actually normal, unlike Gorphat. And not insane like Blakat. It's easy to think of her as an actual girl.. if one that's a bit naughty.
And oddly, this encourages Alptraum to be slow and sensual about it. The drinking plays a large part; he times blood draws when hip rolls. Hands clench and squeeze when bodies press tightly too. And yes, he's in absolute control at the moment; young or not!
This approach seems to confuse Barada. She's not used to anyone being 'in control' at this age - and despite her experiences, she's still stuck as a young teen. She wants to go wild, or wrestle, or do other things appropriate to an age where there still isn't that much of a strength difference.. but she keeps getting shut down! It's like having grown up sex. "How are you doing this?" she manages to squeak.
"Because you like to learn stuff," Alptraum claims around his bite. So, he keeps it slow and steady for a while longer yet ... and once it seems like Barada is going to explode, well, he quits controlling her so much and lets things go a bit teenage wild!
That's when Barada tries to exert more dominance.. although at that point her fuse is pretty well burnt. The explosion comes before she really seems ready for it, with causes her to look very surprised. "You.. pulled an Inala on me," she gasps.
Alptraum waggles his brow. "Hey, you said you were going to serve me," he reminds her, then winks, "And I want a younger form ... just for you. It's kind of fun."
"Can't you just remember what you were like at this age?" Barada asks, and licks her lips. "You can be any age you want, right?"
"I was a dork at this age," Alptraum points out, "And lonely. What you see now is how I wished I could have been. Not how I really was."
"I want to see what you really were like then," Barada claims. "The secret you."
"I don't want to see me that way again," Alptraum says.
"Why not?" Barada asks, tilting her head a little and reaches up to rub Alptraum's shoulders. "Who you were made you who you are, after all."
"I ... just don't? I'm nothing that important, or special," Alptraum inssits.
"We think differently," Barada notes, and pouts. "You aren't doing this just to make me more curious are you?"
"Would I do that?" Alptraum asks.
"I don't know.." Barada admits. "Which annoys me. I want to know all of your secrets!"
"You want to control me in other words," Alptraum points out.
"Noooo... it's just my nature," Barada claims. "Unless you want to change me?" she asks.
"Nah, I like you as you are right now," Alptraum claims.
"Mischievous," Alptraum notes.
"I don't cause mischief though, you know," Barada claims, tilting her chin. "I just keep a record of it. You now.. I bet you were just full of mischief as a youngster," the goddess claims, grinning again and wiggling her (barely noticeable) hips. "You must have peeked in on all the girls. You and your best friend. Because there's always a best friend to talk into .. or talk you into.. these things."
"Or you stick hot pickles down his pants in revenge," Alptraum adds to that, smirking. "Of course I had a best friend. And yes, he ended up dancing around with a hot pickle in his pants. Kind of backfired on him; he wanted to impress girls...."
"Gypsies like pickles then?" Barada asks, grinning again. "Wait.. is this.. ah.. the one Tulani frightened?" she asks, squinting in concentration.
Alptraum surges forward and Barada finds herself eye to eye with Alptraum. Those pale-silver eyes might actually be terrifying to many. So would the Eeee that bears them when he draws back. It's Alptraum; and he's young, but he's ... more gaunt than he was a minute ago, and even a bit patchy in fur here and there, possibly due to nutrition issues from a hard winter. His hair is white, though stringy and a bit matted from having gone a while without washing. It's held under control with a thread worn bandana. The rest of his clothing isn't in much better shape; lots of patchwork and rough-stitched tears. "People were afraid of me when I was younger," he says, those adult fangs more prominent in a younger body. And truth be told, yes, he looks like someone that would inspire others to keep one hand on their coin purse.
"Oooooo, I like it!" Barada declares, and puts a hand on Alptraum's cheek. "You were a bad boy.. waiting to be tamed."
"What would you have done if you'd met me back then, though?" the goddess asks.
"Depends," Alptraum answers and shrugs.
"On?" Barada digs, now that Alptraum is really acting the part. "If I were a curious town girl, instead of someone in your troupe?"
"Again, depends. On how you were acting. In if you looked like you had money, and on how long we were going to stay," Alptraum ticks off, clicking along each of his claws as he does so. "I wouldn't force myself on you, if that is what you are asking."
"Money?" Barada asks. "So.. you'd only be interested in what you could charm out of me, but not offer to take me along with you or anything? Did that ever happen - kids running off to live with the gypsies?"
"Well ... again, depends," Alptraum continues, grinning a bit ferally. "If you weren't scared I might've flirted, yes. I couldn't exactly ask you to leave with us unless we were about to leave. Villagers have torches and pitchforks, after all. And no, it didn't generally happen. Not unless they were orphans. We didn't steal children."
"So.. never met a girl worth risking the pitchforks for?" Barada asks. "What if it was a girl like.. this?" And then Barada is.. just as scruffy and skinny as a Sylvanian dirt-farmer's daughter.
"I didn't say I never did," Alptraum notes, "But Sylvanians are superstitious. Look at me. Sylvania has monster problems."
"In Babel, the monsters look like everyone else," Barada points out. "You don't seem much like a bardiphath of legend though.."
"All gypsies are believed to be vampires or were-creatures of some sort," Alptraum counters and rolls his eyes. "And besides, the troupe had a family of dancers we could lust after, the Radovah sisters."
"What?" Barada asks. "So.. you'd overlook me for some dancing girls? I bet they got fat and had lots of children."
"Nooooooo. They still have quite slinky butts," Alptraum admits, "And I never said I would overlook you! Quit assuming. If you showed interest, I would have probably risked it."
"Oh?" Barada asks, sitting up. Now she's wearing a loose, hand-me down nightgown, and the brightly lit grotto is now a dark, rickety barn. The flowers are replaced by hay that smells strongly of.. hogs. "Will you take me away from all this, even if.. just for a little while, dark-mysterious-stranger?" she coos.
"Aaaaahhh, I get it! You want me to be someone you can play with," Alptraum says with a bemused smirk. The ratty Eeee grabs the lower hem of the nightgown and rips off a strip! That is quickly wrapped around Barada's eyes. "Bu' of cour'" he hisses in her ear, his accent much thicker than it has been in a long time. "You vill see suh' sights and experience de wonders of de worl'. Vou trust me, avralie?"
Barada clasps her hands together, and squeals. "Yes! Away from all this dirt and decay, to all the bright places and the dark places. A life of romance and adventure and never being bored and lonely. And where I'll have a pony!"
And of course being a younger guy, Alptraum's hands come around and hold up what small bit of chest she might have. "Oooo, such a strong heartbeat," he claims. They squeeze, then she's swept off her feet! ""Oop, time t' go. I hear stirrins'!" Off he runs!
"We'll bloom together, like.. like.. uh.. black roses of the night.. yeah.." Barada cackles.
"Yeah, it sounded jus' as bad and dumb back then," Alptraum giggles, stumbles, and falls over laughing. Poor Barada goes rolling!
She does pull the blindfold off, and giggles. "So you never fantasized about doing this?" she asks. "What did you and.. Hexen.. yes, Hexen.. talk about doing with those dancing girls?"
"Things we would have no idea how to actually do. Lemme tell you, young guys don't know squat," Alptraum points out. "And things like how we would make love to them all night. If we would make it past five minutes now that would be a record."
"I wonder what fantasies the girls had then," Barada says. "I never got to have a best friend like that! Where there ones where you were swooping in to rescue them from.. evil townies or something?"
"Nah, we were looked at as the evil people," Alptraum points out, "But now and then we were considered interesting, I guess."
"Did you get to curse anyone?" Barada asks, pulling her knees up to her chest as if expecting a spooky story. "Or kill anyone. Not you personally I mean, but your troupe. Or fight real monsters in the wilderness?"
"Curse? No, not really. Well, not unless you count the time we spiked the well with some mushroom powder becuase they wouldn't let us camp nearby. It gave most of the town the trots for about a week," Alptraum admits as he draws his right leg up and hugs his knee. "As for monsters, avralie, we did fight enough of those. Knew some people killed by actual revants. Had to form a fire ring around the camp all knight to keep them away. A couple of the older members died during the setup; grabbed and torn limb from limb. Not something you want to see."
"Didn't you have magic and stuff to fight them?" Barada asks, wide-eyed. "Witches or wizards or sacred relics?"
"No, no magic relics or any sort of help like that. We just had to fight them off. Though I have to wonder if we did survive a few times because of me," Alptraum says and shrugs again. "They never came after me."
"Maybe if you'd known, you could have smote them," Barada says, and cocks her head as if listening to something. "You could now. Inala is pestering me. Do you like playing like this?"
"What? Being a kid? Like I said, my life wasn't all that easy. There's the fantasy version, and the real one. The real one wasn't so happy," Alptraum says, "Maybe ... I'll let you see a memory sometime. A full one."
"I'd like that," Barada says. "The only childhood stuff I know is.. from Babel."
"You seem to be okay with ... not being a Goddess. If you really want to know what it was like, you'll have to be willing to let that part of yourself go, for a little while," Alptraum says. "Can you?"
"I'm the youngest, and by most accounts weakest of the Sisters," Barada says, and stands up. She brushes down her nightshirt, until it turns into a nice pair of robes. "Unlike the others, almost all my 'power' resides within my Yodh. I'm not much of a goddess, really. It shouldn't be that hard."
"See, that's the thing about being 'weak'," Alptraum says, "Strength isn't always in what you can do physically, or how much you control, or even what you know, necessarily. It's what you can endure. It is that you survive."
"I survived the Purge, although I lost my Temple," Barada notes. "My Yodh carry on without it. I may live in the shadows now, but.. I'm still relevant, I think. At least for a little while longer."
"And I'll tell you something Hexen once told me when I was feeling particularly glum about being an odd vampire," Alptraum says, then switches back to an accent, "Ey, wha' vou are no matter so much, it be vho vou are dat matter. An since I be so awesom, I couln' possibly haf a frien vho really be some horrble monster, ya? So, vou gotta be awesom too! Don' make me beat awesom into vou, dat jus' be sad."
Barada holds her hands to her mouth and giggles at that. "It's hard to separate 'who' and 'what' when you're a mythical being, I suppose. But if anyone can teach us how to do that, it will be you, Alptraum."
"You have more faith in me than I have in myself sometimes," Alptraum admits. "Everything seems so ..." His arms flail. "Impossible. But I don't really have a choice. I have to stop Diphath. I have to make a future so that my own children will have a future too."
"Sometimes gods need someone to have faith in, outside themselves," Barada whispers, and holds a finger to her lips. "It's a secret. You see, half of being a god is believing the lies you tell about yourself. It makes us short-sighted, vain.. defensive. We need to put our faith in someone like you, every so often. Either to give us new lies, reinforce the old ones.. like the Royal Mages did.. or make us face the truth."
"See, I don't want to destroy you, because aspects of you are good. Not warped, not twisted. You give the people something to believe in, and belief will get you through some very dark nights. Even lies can be important, because if you believe them enough, you can make the lie real," Alptraum says, "Like the one I once told Yodhsunala Nekara; one person could change the world though enough small acts. Inspire others to also be willing to do the right thing for people, not just for themselves."
"Even what Gorphat puts me though ... helps. If I am suffering, it makes other things I have to face less scary. It makes it ... easier to face," Alptraum explains, "So those horrors even have a place."
"So you would not wipe us all away, or place us back in chains?" Barada asks. "Even though, honestly, most of us Sisters deserve that. The real reason I am the weakest: I can't really lie to myself. Neither can you, it seems, but you underestimate yourself as well."
"I would not make you a slave, no," Alptraum says, "If I have the choice, I would want to find you new paths, new ways. And for, well, times you need to have an outlet for darker urges, I am a good outlet for it; I can ... endure. A sacrifice for others."
"I cure others, Gorphat makes me suffer," Alptraum explains, "As an example of that."
"I don't have dark urges," Barada claims, chin held high. "At least, not yet. I do know all the knots though, and what they can be used for. Do you think I have a dark side? A beneficial side? I want to be involved too."
"I've never seen you as dark. You collect secrets, but I have not heard of you using them in any way other to get more. There is some benefit to that, it can help keep some people in line if they have some dark secret they don't want exposed," Alptraum notes, "Of course it can also be used to force good people to do bad things."
"Even good people have dark secrets," Barada agrees. "And now that I have no Temple.. there's no way for people to bring tribute to keep their secrets secret, or bid to expose those of their enemies. I only care about my Yodh now. I don't want them hurt, or destitute."
"For what it is worth, I care about your Yodh too. They can always come to me if they need help," Alptraum offers. "Even to Nicora, when I am ... serving Gorphat."
"And to Sunala?" Barada asks. "Now that she is incarnate, it is seldom that I or the others can speak with her. Not that that isn't the way it's always been, but it's just a little bit harder now. I thought that her young friend might be a good candidate for my Order though.."
"I believe Sunala would help. I can always ask her to. She has extended her hand to the Yodhrinala, after all," Alptraum says, "And ... stay away from her young friend. Harming her in any way would be very bad."
"Is she another like you, then?" Barada asks, smiling. "She changed Sunala's heart. I thought only you could do that."
"That is a secret I cannot reveal, not to anyone, sorry," Alptraum apologizes.
"She is important, and she must remain hidden," he adds.
"Oh yes.. that secret," Barada says. "I will make sure my Yodh keep information about her buried."
"Then you already know it?" Alptraum asks.
"In any event, I consider her family as well. I will do everything in my power to protect her," Alptraum notes.
"I know a lot of things from the time of the great ritual," Barada notes. "More to the point, I know when certain information should be suppressed... just as once I was charged with spreading what was beneficial to all."
"What would you ask of me? What do you wish for yourself?" Alptraum asks.
Barada smiles. "A friend," she says. "A playmate. Someone I can confide in, maybe."
"That is all? That's easy," Alptraum admits, grinning. "Will I get a neat forehead sigil?"
"If I think of a good one," Barada says. "You won't get to see it though. It'll be a secret one."
"Aww. That's dull," Alptraum complains.
"But ... all you want is me like this to hang out with from time to time?" Alptraum makes sure. "I know I can do that."
Barada pouts and crosses her arms. "I gotta do something secret you know," she says. "Well, you could bring friends too I suppose, if you know any young ones. Sunala and her friend are young.. but I guess they wouldn't be the sorts for tea parties and such."
"Well ... at first I think I would like it to be just us," Alptraum notes. "Easier to seduce you that way..."
"And since you suggested being kidnapped," Alptraum continues. He even rubs his chin, trying to look diabolical.
"I like candy too," Barada points out. "And I want to ride around with you on your dragon."
"On Tulani?" Alptraum asks.
"Sure, she'll work," Barada says with a big grin.
"Or ... " Alptraum pins Barada again, only this time he's Scourge, and grinning at her toothlessly.
"Ahh!" Barada squeals. "I wanna ride with you though, not on you!"
"You liked riding me earlier," Scourge points out, licks Barada, then is in a blink back to young Alptraum.
"Or maybe Kaira. She'll get quite huffy if we ride her," Alptraum notes.
"But she'll do it for you right?" Barada asks. "Or do we have to subdue her first? With a magic sword!"
"She'll do it. Just grumble a lot about it," Alptraum says.
"What about the ugly one?" Barada asks.
"You will not go near him," Alptraum says quickly.
"He's full of secrets though," Barada says, and pushes her head forward to sniff Alptraum. "I can smell them on you."
"He is also full of evil and might try to twist you. So, no," Alptraum says, firmly.
"Alright," Barada agrees, rolling her eyes. "But the other one has to pretend to be evil and abduct me so you can rescue me and stuff."
Alptraum snorts at that. "Well, we'll see about that. That may take some convincing," he relents.
"Dragons are supposed to do that," Barada points out. "Tulani would do it. She's becoming very dragony, isn't she?"
"Well, she's a cat. She was already pretty close," Alptraum says and smirks, "I don't know what I'm becoming."
"The Sabaoth," Barada says. "It'll be interesting."
"I don't even know what gender I am anymore! I'm like, every gender," Alptraum adds and waves his arms. "Interesting is putting it mildly."
"Oh, it's gonna be really interesting when you walk through the barn doors," Barada promises. "Inala is waiting.. and she has a surprise. Though maybe it's just getting back at Gorphat a little..."
"Well, I had best not keep her waiting much longer," Alptraum says as he stands, "How can I find oyu again when I am ready to .. show you some real memories?"
"I'm always listening," Barada says. "My chibix are near.. just speak to me through one."
"Okay, but I will have to do it away from Gorphat's temple. She is quite jealous of me and who I associate with," Alptraum says as he leans down to kiss Barada on the forehead. He then turns and heads back to the barn.
The barn is already fading away, revealing the grotto. Inala is still in the center of the pool, her hair floating on the surface even though it's only waist deep. "I'm not used to being kept waiting you know," she says.
"Yes, well, Barada likes to ask questions you know," Alptraum explains as the reason as he heads back down into the pool to come up to Inala.
As he gets into the water, there are bubbles rising up.. and then figures following them. "What do you think of them?" Inala asks, gesturing to the seven beautiful hybrids. "I call them the Shrine Maiden Seven.."
"Uuuh," Alptraum says nervously as he looks around at the rising figures and just what they are.
They are definitely female versions of the Sabaoth Seven.. given the Inala treatment. That means they're all pretty, and soft in the right places. There's less of the pointy, raspy nature of the originals, with chitin or scales showing up only where they'd be aesthetically pleasing, and the faces lacking the insect attributes most of them have.. although that doesn't stop them from having four eyes or multiple breasts and limbs. It just works somehow.
"Uhm, why exactly did you make them?" Alptraum has to ask Inala nervously. It's just wrong to be attracted to these things. Is Inala actively trying to mess with him?
"It seemed appropriate, now that there is a female counterpart to the Wraith," Inala purrs. "Are you unhappy with them?" she asks, as the seven begin to close in around Alptraum.
"No, I didn't say that, uh," Alptraum says as he looks increasingly worried. "You're mad at me, aren't you? About how, ah, Gorphat gets most of my time?"
"Not mad," Inala says, forming the eighth link in the circle. "Just wanting to remind you of what I can do.." And then they're all pressed up against Alptraum.. and rubbing up and down against him for some reason.
"Er, uhm, aheh, ah, heh, "I can try to have children for you too," Alptraum offers, fearing some sort of horrible fate here! He might get eaten alive!
Things feels odd for the bat.. his feet expand and dig into the floor of the pool, and his body seems to be inflating against the pressure from the bodies pressed to it. His shoulders.. he can't keep track of them! Because there are now eight of them.. the arms softening as the bones dissolve to leave behind muscular tentacles.. or are they tentacles? The Seven plus One are turning Alptraum into one of Nicora's alien-worm-tentacle children!
His head is also rising up on a boneless neck.. well.. several. He's got eight heads now too, on waving tentacle stalks! At least they're still his head though.
"What are you .. " Alptraum tries to say, though the whole experience is freaking him out and causing him to flail about! "Why are you turning me into this?!?"
Each of the demons (and Inala) grabs a flailing tentacle, and begins to kiss and lick and rub it against them. The sensation is certainly arousing! Is this what Blarf feels when it cleans Nicora?
"How else do you expect to pleasure all of us at the same time?" Inala asks innocently.
"You can turn me back right ... ugh, er," Alptraum demands at first, but his voice fades into a bit of distracted babbling. "I intended to focus on you" he tries to claim to Inala, "As any gender you wanted." His jelloy mass quivers now. It does not feel right not having any bones.
"And so you will," Inala claims. "For all of these Seven are also myself. I am certainly not limited to a single body, after all."
"I still think you're mad at me. I mean Gorphat has made Nicora so stretched and slimy she could take a Rhian without pain. Or pleasure for that matter," Alptraum complains half-heartedly as his jello-body continues to quiver.
"And Nicorina can take a Rhian without pain also, and then a Kavi with not looseness," Inala says, while the other seven suck on the ends of the their tentacles. "What she does to test you, I will turn to pleasure you. Alas, what I do to bring you pleasure, she will twist to bring you pain. But she cannot twist this, can she?"
"I don't know if she can!" Alptraum admits. His new 'body' is, of course, rebelling a bit as the tentacles are playing back against the seven plus one. They're poking, prodding, tickling, and trying to find places to enter. "I also don't know how long I'll be her horrib queen host."
"Do not think of such things now," Inala says, pulling down one of Alptraum's heads to her chest. "Don't think at all. Just.. enjoy my gifts."
And that head is nursing happily soon enough. And ... it's just nice to have teeth. It has only been a short while, but the loss of her teeth has really upset Nicora; she has to depend on the horribs for her basic needs now! But ... that's a problem for later, right now ... oooo! That tentacle just found an orifice. Which one? Don't care! It just feels nice, warm, and wet.
And there are eight of those.. and many more things to occupy even eight tongues and mouths. And since all of the Shrine Maiden Seven are really Inala, the intensity is magnified quite a bit! Is this what Rugharo's wormchild has to look forward to?
Right now Alptraum's eyes are closed, back into darkness where it enjoys the eight way nursing and the eight way penetration. So much sensation, everywhere and everything. It is wonderful! So, so much better than her life as Nicora, which is daily aches, urges, and pains. Here it is just bliss and enjoyment. Why did he give into Gorphat so? This is so much better.
"Gorphat uses you so," Inala commiserates. "So desperate is she. You will change her though. You must make her serve you.. as I do."
Alptraum isn't so she that Inala serves him, but ... well ... right now he doesn't care. It just feels so, so good! His deformed body torments the various incarnations of Inala ... and her milk is just a delight to consume; it warms his soul!
The Shrine Maiden Seven are so very responsive too. It's like they're puppets to his.. well, tentacles. Being sensitive and prehensile is certainly an advantage! "You will remember me," Inala says. "The future will not forget Inala."
It is hard to forget this, true! Nor the challenge to see how much of those tentacles he can, well, stuff into them! It's so wonderful, so delightful. He forgets that it is likely when he awakes, it'll be in Gorphat's temple and back in Nicora's body.
Waking and dreaming are hard to define right now. It is a mercy perhaps that each 'tentacle' finds its maximum pleasure and release separately rather than all at once. But then, they also don't have the limitations of refractory periods, and can keep going unto exhaustion.. which also seems a distant thing. The longer it goes on, the more Alptraum seems to fade into the strange body and sensations, melting into a warm primal glow.
Thoughts are gone by now. What was Alptraum is ... practically a mindless pleasure monster content with inflicting itself upon those around it. The glow is what matters, and the contentment.
Things begin to gel again, but it seems that his attentions are now focused on a single person.. and then it becomes clear that that person is Nicora, and she's just sharing Blarf's senses for a moment, much like she does with the horribs. With that realization also comes wakefulness.
"Ugh, right, I'm back in this body," Nicora says with her phlemy tone. She has to roll to her side and chigh for a bit to clear her breathing and voice. She doesn't move to dislodge Blarf, though; she allows hem to remain embedded in her and attached to her teats for now. She also reaches up to feel her eyes while the monster works on keeping her clean.
The 'mask' of hardened horrib glue is still there. And while her ears are also blocked.. she can clearly hear the chitter of a chibix nearby, as if her hearing were normal.
Nicora tries to summon her horribs, to see if they are in range. "Hello, Barada, I hear you," she remarks to the sound she does hear, "Thank you for the talk. It was, nice." She then licks her bare gums again and while wiping off the drool, checks her remaining teeth.
They haven't fallen out yet, and.. the gums feel tender still. Vision comes to her, as her seeing-eye horrib wakes.
"To me," Nicora tries to instruct the horrib, "I need you to tend to me a bit."
The horrible giant bug hovers over to Nicora's shoulder.
Nicora leans towards the bug, then taps her eyes. "Check and make sure they are still sealed as you wish them to be?" Nicora tries to tell the creature; unsure if it can understand her at all.
Through the monster's eyes, the stringy mask is still in place. Horrib glue is long lasting, after all.
Pondering something, Nicora does something crazy. She tilts her head, offering her left ear to the horrib, to see if it would fill it ... and what the effect would be on her hearing. "Should I give in completely to them?" she is wondering. She's also finally feeling her stomach a bit.
It gurgles a little. The horrib flies up and squirts something into the offered ear, deadening it further. It's a wonder they haven't cocooned her.. but then they don't really have the same instincts as normal horribs.
Nicora tilts her head, trying to determine how much less her hearing is with the goo in it. She can pick it out later, of course.
There's a difference between the unglued ear and the newly filled one. It makes the room seem lopsided, even with the dulled hearing she still has. She can't hear the buzzing of the horrib, even though it's right next to the plugged ear.
Nicora ... actually offers the right ear now. Maybe she's trying to test herself even more. Can she also learn to hear through her creatures as well? Worst case is ... she just picks out the goo later once it hardens. It doesn't stick to skin that well after all.
The horrib dutifully fills that ear too, restricting Nicora to a world of only low sounds.
"Disturbing. I wonder if I will be able to use their ears now?" Nicora wonders. It's now she starts finally detaching Blarf from her body, nice as it might feel. She needs to check on the queen, after all. That means she needs easy shadow access to that area.
So far, she just has vision from the horrib. Do they even have ears? They have antennae..
"Mother will be proud, I'm trying to push myself now," Nicora thinks while she now extrudes her 'shadow-tendrils to probe up into herself to check on the condition of her ... child. It had begun to root into her body last she sensed.
The egg.. seems less egg-like now. There's roughness to the texture, and it's growing. There might even be 'nubs' of future limbs starting to develop.
Nicora actually caresses it with a shadow tendril before withdrawing them. She then focuses, trying to summon all the other horribs!
Since they're nesting in the attendant's room, they are quick to arrive, buzzing about the room. The grok looks up and growls a bit at the disturbance.
And ... Nicora can barely hear it! What does the Eeee do? Sit up on the bed and lean forward. Her lips part, opening her mostly toothless mouth. She then holds still and watches the horribs through the one she can see through. She's .... inviting them to feed.
One by one, the horribs line up and extend their tubes to feed their 'mother' again.
and in a scene right out of a horror tale, one by one her mouth closes around each feeding tube and she ... drinks down the foul liquid they provide her. This life is ... disturbing. So very disturbing. But since she takes the brunt of the trials now, she can ease the suffering of others. That makes it all worth it. At least ... that is what she tells herself. And even with all the horrors, she feels strangely content. But then ... pregnancy does that.