It is two frustrating days before Penance's contraction change from ones of ardor to those childbirth. And even then, Bucktraum has to keep servicing her until her water breaks (which was quite messy). At that point the Hoshim clustered around and clicked and hummed and 'gently' made it clear that the green Lapi should give them some room.
The lapi hasn't even looked at himself in the past two days. But, not that he's being ordered away ... he does back off and use the brief moment to check himself ... and debate on changing to some other form.
Things are still oozing, so it isn't clear if it's the coating of slime that makes things look bruised and purple, or if the flesh really is bruised and purple. It might just be old blood too, although there's a horrible flash of worry - what if the only thing still holding it all together is the worm, assuming it hasn't completely replaced the original tissue by now..
The lapi frowns and tries to clean off the goo and make sure the flesh is actually okay. "Gorphat may have gone too far," he frets, ears twitching.
Things aren't exactly numb, but there's certainly a pins and needles sensation there. And as soon as the film of goo is wiped away, it is quickly replenished.. but not fast enough to avoid revealing the real situation, which is that it's not just purple and black but there's a quite a bit of green as well. Hopefully that's just things following the general green theme of this body now..
"Owwwww!" Penance moans as the Hoshim try to hold her up into a sort of squatting position. The Eeee's own legs may be numb as well, along with other parts. "I need.. I need my bunny!" she calls out when another wave of pain hits her.
The lapi tries to hurry and clear the goo to really, really try and be sure. His ears keep twitching, and in frustration he tries to get it to flower, grab the flower, and pull the thing out!
Wiping shows that the 'flower' parts are laying flat against the skin itself now.. the tips might actually be embedded. One of the Hoshim turns to follow Penance's pointing finger, and chitters at Bucktraum.
Bucktraum has to give up on this, though, and to to the Eeee. At least he can worry about her and not himself and his issues. He heads over to the Eeee, ears erect. "Uh, what?" he says rather lamely. Guys are not known for being good at midwifing!
Penance grabs unto Bucktraum's chest fur when the next contraction hits, and the Hoshim nearest comments, "Dud! Bun-a-Chum!"
"Owww!" Bucktraum squeals! Pulling fur hurts! Of course he does know the kinds of pain she's going through ... he isn't sure how to help. "Easy for you to say!" he grumbles at the Hoshim.
"Bunny.. this gets better right?" Penance asks between contractions. "It's not going to eat its way out, is it?"
"Well ... that depends..." Bucktraum thinks to himself. "Oh, no, it'll just come out your hoohoo," he explains, "After it stretches this big. He even shows it with his hands. This is probably not a good idea, but ... guys do dumb things. "It stops hurting once it is out."
The girl's eyes go nearly as wide as the buck's gesture. And then the next spasm hits.. and her hand slips. Despite the lubrication, she gets a good grip and squeezes as she grits her teeth.
Bucktraum goes up on his toes and goes, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!" "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow," he thinks as he tries to extract himself. He may lose that bit of himself anyway, but having it ripped off is not a good way to die.
"ARRRRRRR!" Penance replies. The contraction isn't ending, and the Hoshim have her legs up in the air now and are.. reaching into her. This must be it!
Bucktraum's eyes are watering! He's surprised he isn't being made to reach in, but he's a little distracted by the grip! And worse, what if what comes out wants to eat a bunny?
After an agony of minutes, something cries. One of the Hoshim uses a scythe-like claw to snip the umbilical cord while another cradles the infant. It looks like an Eeee! Mostly. The scalp and back are still covered in chitin armor plates, which also extend over the shoulders and upper arms and legs and the first spar of the wings. It goes further than the spine of an Eeee should however to form a tail with a bulb-and-curved-stinger at the end.
The crying causes Penance to release her death grip, and start breathing again.
"Woah," Bucktraum gasps now that his pain is released. It almost looks normal for a weird mutant child! He's ... honestly surprised. It may even be able to think normally. And of course, curious, is it normal gendered child, or some twisted bug-gender thing?
The newborn is carried to the queen, who cradles it against her pale breast so it can suckle. There's no telling what gender the thing is yet, with the tail curled up. "He's very pretty," Gorphat whispers in Bucktraum's ear. "The Bargorphat, Hoshuosin."
"It looks a lot more normal than I would have thought," Bucktraum thinks, trying to not twitch or panic. "So, male. And you already have a role for him."
"He will sire the next generation of Yodhgorphat," Gorphat explains. "Eventually there will be a High Priestess of his line. I do hope the stinging tail will be passed down as well."
"That might scare people, you know," Bucktraum thinks, ears twitching. "But I suppose it does make it easier for the current Yodh to move on."
"Fear is fickle," Gorphat says. "So easily transformed into awe. But I will not leave my daughters defenseless again. Besides, there are many types of people living in Babel. Nobody will mind a few guardian gargoyles here and there."
"True, but instead of giving me a singer you gave me this," Bucktraum thinks and gestures at his oozing and mutilated bit.
Gorphat stand in front of the buck now, between him and the passed-out Penance. "You were given a challenge, and you surmounted it," Gorphat says with a damp grin. And then she's kneeling down, and her cool tongue is completely wrapped around the bruised appendage, which then vanishes completely into her maw.
Bucktraum's eyes go huge and he gasps! And while he knows Gorphat may fix a few things, there is no way she would undo ... everything. That's just not her way! Still he dare not risk moving ... and worse, he actually coos because in spite of it all, the buck is conditioned to like any touch by Gorphat.
And besides... it can't be any worse than what Melusine did that one time. But then the suction starts, and it hurts at first. There are some tearing sensations involved.. and the goddess is sucking out the worm..
"Oh dear God, she is removing it!" the lapi thinks, quivering like mad. Now he's worried what she might replace it with.
There's a lot of it to remove. It was coiled up in the swollen punching bag (at least, that what it felt like after two days of bouncing and impacts). It isn't entirely painful and also not entirely pleasant to have it removed, either, since it feels like it might be more than just the worm that gets pulled out if Gorphat doesn't ease up eventually.
Bucktraum's ears flick and twitch, his tows flex and wiggle. "Oh Gods, oh Gods," the poor buck thinks. He has to actually stabilize himself by resting his hands on Gorphat's shoulders. And the buck knows even once that is out; Gorphat will surely do something else.
The last of the worm is removed, and Gorphat pulls back.. so that Bucktraum can see what comes out next. There's been a lot of backed up fluids, and they're all mixed together along with an alarming amount of blood. And some it seeps out through the 'pores' the worm created - there's no telling if those will ever close back up or not.
"Ugh," Bucktraum gasps out, shuddering as his legs feel like jelly. "Ow," the poor lapi whimpers as he looks down at his mangled flesh. "I thought you were going to leave that in me," he admits.
"Oh no, that wouldn't do," Gorphat says, and wipes her lips. "You would have had internal hemorrhaging if it stayed in much longer. It was already getting ready to release its spores after all."
Bucktraum winces. "So, what is going to happen to me now?" he asks weakly, ears quivering.
"Hmmm," Gorphat ponders, and runs a finger along the still oozing (but at least now it's more like puss than slime) flesh. "Your little flying-cat friend is waiting in the High Priestess's chambers," Gorphat points out. "Do you think she'll let you enter her like this? Is she up to the challenge?" The Goddess's grin is downright wicked. "I need to appear to Penance now. She is a full Yodhgorphat in my eyes, and so is worthy of meeting me."
"No, I shouldn't meet her like this," Bucktraum admits. "You really aren't going to stick something else in me?" he asks. The buck sounds honestly surprised.
"Once you've earned it, perhaps," Gorphat says. "But I need to tend to my newest children first. Although the Hoshim are nearly to full development.. the will need someone to practice on soon enough."
Bucktraum bows, "I will leave you to them, then." The lapi backs out of the room slowly. He doesn't return to the High Priestess' chambers, though. He goes deeper to find an empty room and change back into Nicora. Only as that will he go back to the High Priestess' chambers and meet with Tulani.
The next empty room is the one that has been assigned to Penance, which so far just has a cot and some candles in it.
Bucktraum sits down hard on the cot and closes his eyes. Relaxing, he breathes out and pushes the shadow out at the same time. He's glad to be losing this body and returning to Nicora. That's a scary thought, but it is true.
The change.. is difficult. When the shadow finally retracts, Nicora still feels worn down below.. and there even some blood. She has trouble just moving, and there is a terrible hunger in her belly. It's been some time since her last charge-up, and she's been busy. It may be that using the projective aura as Nikky used up energy as well.
"Ugh. I really hate me and what I have become," Nicora mutters as she makes herself get to her feet, "I'll be glad when the time comes for Tulani to kill me." She makes her way out of the chamber and while using the wall, makes her way back towards the chamber of the High Priestess.
Tulani is there, trying to talk to the scarred Grok. She does notice Nicora's arrival though. "Oh, there you are!" she says, getting up. "You look terrible!" she points out, and comes to help take Nicora by the elbow.
"I look just fine. I feel terrible," Nicora claims as she accepts the help. "What brings you here?"
"You're past due for your feeding," the Sphynx notes, helping Nicora to the bed. She then draws the Light of Nala most of the way out of its scabbard, so the Eeee can touch the blade (with her left hand) to get some energy.
Nicora reaches out and places her left hand on the blade. She doesn't even say anything; she just feels like crap.
The life energy at least helps with that. She can feel things healing up, and the fatigue fading away. There's still the hunger though, but at least some of the edge is off of it. "The Temple of Inala is haunted," Tulani offers as chit-chat.
Nicora arches her brow. "What are you talking about? By what? If it was haunted, I would have known by now," she points out, sounding a bit snappish. "That is one of my primary abilities."
"Ghost Skreeks," Tulani says, and makes a wooooo sound while wiggling her fingers. "At least, according to Mave. She says they're children that show up in the bunker play with her costumes, then vanish whenever she approaches them."
"Ohhhhh. That," Nicora notes and snorts. "Not ghosts. Spirits created by Inala by manipulating Nikky. Eros and ... something," she adds, trying to remember.
"Twins? But why Skreeks?" Tulani asks. "Are they dangerous or anything? Don't tell me Inala has started breeding weird things now too!"
"Because Nikky squirted them out of her hoohoo," Nicora gestures and aves at her own ugly girl-bits. "And no, they shouldn't be dangerous. Mischievous, sure, dangerous no."
"Hoohoo?" Tulani asks with a raised eyebrow. "Where have you been learning such language? Or is the rat just leaking over into the bat now? So.. spirit toddler pranksters of love and whatnot, got it. How hungry are you?"
"Well, what would you call it?" Nicora grumbles. "And I'm ravenous right now. It's been a few days."
"Ravenous enough that I'll be passed out from you suck outta me?" Tulani says. "Because I'll go dragon if that's the case."
"You might. I honestly don't know," Nicora admits, shrugs, and finally sits up. It's amazing how Nicora can just be naked, and no one questions it anymore.
Tulani chews on her lip a moment, then nods and starts to take off her clothes for the change. Soon enough there a silver dragon woman, a bit bigger than Tulani but not her full-dragon form. The drop in temperature from the shift does make Nicora's bare furless skin feel clammier than usual though.
"Do you have to be cold about it?" Nicora complains and rubs her skin. She grabs a threadbare blanket and wraps it about herself.
"Hey, you don't complain about it when you're wearing scales as well," Tulani notes. "I'll warm up in a minute. I think this is the first time you'll have bit me as the Yodhgorphat. I won't get sick will I?"
"You might turn green for a few days," Nicora claims.
The dragon sticks out a long blue tongue. "I suppose that won't be so bad on a dragon," she notes.
"Who says it would be localized to the dragon?" Nicora adds with a smirk. "And you forget, we have good immunity. Our bites aren't generally nasty. Probably less so than a regular vampire." There is some truth to that, really.
Tulani lies on her side on the bed. "Neck I assume?" she asks.
"I could bite your hoohoo" Nicora offers with a toothy smirk.
"I'd rather you didn't, I might need it someday," Tulani counters and blows a raspberry. "Just be careful, scales aren't the same as skin so you'll probably have to bite harder.."
Nicora decides to behave. Mostly. She doesn't bite immediately, instead she feels Tulani up. Sensually. Surprisingly well, really. Seems she did learn a few things from Nikky after all. She's doing her best to try and turn Tulani on ... and then finally bites Tulani. The bite is firm and strong at the base of the dragon's neck.
"Gah!" Tulani yelps in surprise at the bite, as if not expecting it at that point. She's certainly warmed up, and blood has a tang to it from the arousal. "All that was just for.. flavoring.. right?" she asks with a bit of a rumble.
Nicora's answer is to keep using her hands and fingers on Tulani to really get her going. Maybe it was for flavoring, or maybe to just make her feel really conflicted about being turned on by a Yodhgorphat.
The rumbling gets louder. It's always safe to arouse a dragon after all. But at least she's got lots of blood! "Just.. I don't know if this room could survive a dragon-romp.." Tulani warns.
Did Nicora say anything about a dragon romp? No ... Nicora is trying to push Tulani to her peak just with skilled handwork while she drinks!
"Thisssss.." Tulani hisses, and starts squirming a bit. "Isssn't fair!" she concludes.
No, not being fair is when Nicora pulls her tail between her legs and uses that to rub Tulani in a sensitive place.
"Ahh! Has that thing got a tongue too?" Tulani yelps. Of course, handling the tail feels nice as well.. especially after all the soreness endured by the buck.
And on Nicora continues. She draws out her feeding so that she can really work on Tulani too. IT's weird to be certain, but sometimes may as well embrace it.
Nicora's tail begins to act on its own before too long.. and it knows just where it wants to be. There's a bit of steam released from Tulani's mouth when the tail enters her. For Nicora, it might as well be an extension of her Orb of Inala.. and it's certainly the right size for the dragon! "I'll.. I'll get you back for this you know," the dragon moans, trying not to move too much.
This makes Nicora chuckle, which mostly means she vibrates against Tulani. So, sure, Tulani might. But, it is so worth it. Wait until Mave hears that Tulani was diddled by a Yodhgorphat.
Of course, Tulani grabs onto Nicora to hold her steady too. There's a rattle of something from the hallway, and Tulani says, "You there.. come tend to the High Priestess!" in a commanding tone of voice.
Nicora finally releases her jaws. "No not listen to her," she counters, "I am tending to her."
"Ummm..." the uncertain voice of Otto replies. "That's a dragon, isn't it?" he finally asks from the doorway.
"Probably," Nicora replies. "I am trying to teach her to relax."
"She needs to relax too," Tulani claims. "The Yodhgorphat lead by example, don't they?"
"I am perfectly relaxed," Nicora remarks, sounding ... mostly calm. She then looks directly into Tulani's eyes and switches to Sylvanian, saying, "I will stop on one condition."
"Stop?" Tulani asks. "Why would.. oh, what's the condition? Sure you don't want that big rat inside you at the same time?" she teases.
"That would get uncomfortable pretty quickly," Nicora explains, "And two, I want to go drinking tonight. Of course I also don't have to stop."
"Drinking? Oh.. you want to hit a bar?" Tulani asks in surprise.
Nicora rolls her eyes. "No, I want to go drink the blood of the firstborn child of every family in Babel," she remarks, still in Sylvanian. "Of course I want to go to a bar. I want to get out and pretend to be normal."
"And what do I get out of it?" Tulani asks back, no doubt adding to Otto's confusion that she and the High Priestess are conversing in some unknown language.
"I don't stop what I'm doing right now and leave you frustrated," Nicora suggests.
Tulani hmmphs. "I'd have taken you out regardless you know," she says. The uses a claw to make shooing motions at Otto. "It's alright, you can go.. don't tell anyone."
"Oh, I know, but I still know how to win an argument," Nicora says and smirks.
"And I may be ugly, but I still know how to make you see stars," Nicora adds as a whisper into Tulani's ear.
"Well then.. maybe I'm just less picky as a dragon, you never know," Tulani claims. "So.. we should get this done if we're going to make it to the prime drinking hour.."
"Then just relax ... " Nicora says and goes back to what she was doing ... both with her tail, her hands, and even her feet and wings. Bare skin can be interesting sometimes, even on a bat. And if nothing else, she is doing what Gorphat does after all, she's giving Tulani a challenge.
And it is a challenge. The dragon form tends to be rather passionate and.. rough. The urge to bite, claw and roll about is clearly being suppressed, and the strain shows on Tulani's scaly face. At least it only takes another fifteen minutes to really 'relax' the dragon, while Nicora gets her own hybrid release.
And that sort of release is ... weird for Nicora. But at least it doesn't cause her cramping pain inside like what would have happened with Otto. Yes, she still likes big guys, but after two days with Penance, she could do without pain for a bit in that area. Once it is all done Nicora withdraws tail and looks very smug. "See, I'm not so horrible. You liked it," she says, smug.
"Only because I was a dragon," Tulani claims. "And we need both need to clean up before mingling with the public. And what sort of public did you want to mingle with? There's a nightclub at Cenesta Plaza.. usually has a good mix. And I found a Vartan bar.. uh.. you wouldn't want to drink there as anything smaller than a Fnerf though probably. So did you have a preference? And who did you want to go as?"
"Alptraum," Nicora says simply.
"But I can be talked into other forms," she adds. And yes, she's still speaking in Sylvanian.
"No incognito then.. going to be open about who you are, or still need a disguise?" Tulani asks, looking.. wet. But that's just a side effect of her transformation back into a Sphynx.
Being furless means getting clean is a matter of wiping off. "I don't know. I'm a little tired of hiding, but I guess the true me would make everyone uncomfortable. Death is in the bar. I'll be on one end, everyone else will be sitting on the other," she says and makes a face.
"Only if you're recognized," Tulani points out as she gets dressed. "You've got an alternate Eeee form thoughn - Dar. Or you could be that big rat - I know you kenned him to fix him back up, right? Have you collected any others?"
"I do have the fnerf too, and Pierce," Nicora lists off. "I don't have a vartan yet, though. Disappointing."
"Do you want to collect one tonight?" Tulani asks with a smirk. "And you've also got me.. and the younger Mave clone.."
"Yes, but do you really want to go drinking with your twin?" Nicora has to ask.
Nicora then barks a laugh. "I just realized I could invert your colors and be your evil twin," she snickers.
"And just how would my evil twin behave?" Tulani asks, hands on hips.
"Seduce every guy in the bar," Nicora claims. "And steal your drinks."
"Wow, you think very highly of my ability to be seductive then," the Sphynx says with a grin. "In any case, form follows function - and function in this case is location and the sort of crowd you want. What's your poison, as it were?"
"What would be the most fun?" Nicora asks. "No pressure, no stress, no plots. Just fun."
"There's a club on the Plaza that's mostly young folks - that is, people my age," Tulani notes. "They just go there to party. I think party-bird goes there.. Myrtle? Works for your dad or the Coalition. She's a guide. I think she was assigned to 'Dar' when you were staying at the Tower."
"Are you calling me old?" Nicora asks.
"Well... older," Tulani notes with a smirk. "I've seen older guys in there though, looking for drunk girls.."
Nicora's eyes narrow. "You do know I can give you blessings from Gorphat, right?" she warns.
"You wouldn't do that though," Tulani claims. "You like me! And I feed you."
"If you keep calling me a young skirt chaser I might," Nicora warns.
"Hah! When have you ever chased after a younger woman?" Tulani asks. "And I don't count, because you didn't chase me! I'm all the young tail you'll ever need!" she claims, and turns and wiggles her butt.
And Nicora grabs it. "Anyway, that place sounds fun, or maybe the vartan place," she comments. "I will pick a form later when I have time to debate."
"Alright, let's hit the Nest first so I can get something better to wear," Tulani suggests.
"Oh good, I can tell Mave about what we did," Nicora suggests.
"She'll say you should've let the Skreek join in.. or ask us to do it again for her so she can critique it," the Sphynx claims, strapping the Light back onto her belt. "She'll probably want some one-on-one with you anyway."
"Oh, I'll spend time with her like this. No problem," Nicora says with an evil smile as she goes to fetch something to wear for the trip at least.
Once they get back to the hidden bunker under the Temple of Inala that they've dubbed 'the Nest', Mave greets them with a bit of reticence. "Do you have to wear that body when you come here?" the Yodhinala complains. "Not that there haven't been.. similar.. girls at the Temple in the past, mind you.."
Nicora's answer to that is to take Mave in her amrs, dip her back, and snog her. With tongue. "Don't worry, I will keep working on you," the Yodhgorphat claims after. "We're only here for a short bit. Tulani wishes to change, and I do too. We're going out."
"Like that?" Mave asks, apparently unfazed by the dip-snog. But then, she's been around. "Bring me back something."
"No, not like this. I am debating what to go back as. And no, I won't bring you back a boy toy," Nicora notes.
Tulani head back into the racks to find something more clubby - which probably involves garish, clashing colors.
"A bottle of something would be fine," Mave claims. "I've run through the stock we had down here already."
"Ah, one bottle of very cheap booze," Nicora says and nods sagely.
"Just make it a big bottle," Mave points out, wagging a finger.
"You're that stretched?" Nicora asks, straight-faced.
Tulani returns, wearing something she'd never try back in Sylvania, since it's clearly Babelite fashion. There are a lot of colors, since the outfit seems to be made of lots of gauze scarves. These form a loin-cloth-skirt affair and wrap across her chest in an X pattern, tied behind her neck and below her wings. She does a little twirl, and asks, "What do you think?"
"We didn't stash a lot of liquer down here," Mave says with a sigh. "Poor planning."
"Very colorful ... and skimpy. I don't remember you dressing so skimpy before," Nicora actually admits. "It actually makes me think gypsy. I am certain the Radovah sisters had outfits like that."
"Maybe I'll learn the gypsy dances then?" Tulani says. "I wouldn't be caught dead in something like this normally.. but it's what people my age wear to go clubbing. Going to go as a gypsy yourself? Might be exotic enough.."
"Might. I will have to think on it. After I return to normal ... Alptraum normal that is, and torment Mave here for a bit," Nicora says and gestures towards Mave. "Unless she rather I do not."
"Oh, just try to fend me off.." Mave claims with a grin.
"Oh, you know I could," Nicora claims as she goes to sit cross-legged in a pile of pillows (after stripping off the bandages). "I'll see you on the other side. You two don't get into anything kinky while I'm shifting, you'll just be disappointed anyway. After the time Tulani spent with me at the temple, she's spoiled on any other Priestesses..." And with that, into the shadow she goes! Who knows, that might have been enough to get Mave to ... try and jump Tulani. That would just be terrible.