All of that time with Nicora has really improved Otto's stamina, which could prove troublesome for the doe. She's been stuck in the Skreek's room for.. she doesn't know how long. There've been ten to twenty minute nap periods between bouts of all-out rutting, but at the rate things are going the rat won't stop until he sprains something or suffers a heart attack. He seems to subsist just fine on Lapi-milk, but the doe can't be certain he's actually enjoying anything anymore or just being driven by Gorphat's curse of a blessing. Taahira needs to find two more of Gorphat's faithful before she can change form again, after all, and if Otto never lets her go that will be pretty difficult. She's also a bit sore as well, especially her rear from the times Otto flips her onto all fours so he can really go at her harder.
The doe waits until the rat has fallen over again to rest, then takes off in a four-legged run for the door! Even with a fogegd brain, she knows she has to get out of there!
Otto twitches a bit once the doe slips his embrace, but he'll probably be grateful for the rest later! That still leaves the doe with a choice of where to run to.
The doe, for whatever reason is known only to her animal brain, darks through the dank passageways, heading for the lair of the Hoshim. Maybe it is Nicora influencing it since she likes the insects for some strange reason.
Things look different from the perspective of a doe. The Horribs are more scary, certainly, and the Queen seems bigger as well as she hang-sits on her thrown. Aside from them, however, are five other creatures. Four of them are the size of adolescent Eeee already, and have more Eeee-like features but also several hybrid ones. They come out from behind the throne, curious at the new arrival. Further back is a smaller figure, the still-growing Bargorphat, Hoshuosin. The older Hoshim are the ones that come to meet the doe patting her with hands and claws and clicking and hissing with their odd mouths.
The doe suddenly thinks this may have been a bad idea. She hunkers down on the floor and makes sad little chittering sounds. Her ears still hurt, too, and here are more bugs. And yet there are the nagging urges to hike her rump to them anyway. Or even to the queen.
The Queen has a somewhat commanding tone, as she says, "Dud-a-Chick, Chum-Chum-Did-a." The Hoshim either know what it means, or they just decide to act together. The doe's arms are grabbed first, and she's hauled up onto her feet, before being sandwiched between two of the creatures. Their hybrid nature extends to their genitals as well - while being the same size and shape as an Eeee, they are still armored with overlapping scales. This works fine going in one direction, but not so much in the opposite. With one going in through the front and other through the back, it's certainly a unique experience, especially since they don't even try to synchronize with each other.
It's not that comfortable! But, the body wanted something and this seems to satisfy those urges regardless of the pain that comes along with it. This of course means the doe makes all sorts of sounds, from pleasured grunts to crying whines as she's taken so haphazardly! Still, it could be worse, and even in her state of mind she realizes that.
It becomes apparent that the Hoshim are just practicing.. they may not be fully mature enough yet to accomplish more than get aroused. But the other two also join in, so that the doe is pinned from all sides, even if the second pair are just rubbing against her a lot. Their mouths have lips and teeth.. but also mandibles. This means their attempts at kissing or licking seem to always end in a pinch. And the doe is getting pinched all over. The one behind her nibbles on her ears as well.. or may be trying to eat the centipede restraints.
This leaves the doe, well, crying! Her mental state is maddening enough that she will endure much to get it satiated, but this means it won't help anything. Not to mention the constant pinching! It's utterly awful, and worse ... frustrating.
The bug-men don't react to the noises of distress, but the Queen does. She issues another string of commands - they seem to carry a lot of information for having a five-syllable vocabulary. Three of the Hoshim back off, leaving just the one in front. It lowers the doe to the floor and tries to do more than just shake itself - the Queen seems to be giving him actual instructions, until it's almost like being with an Eeee (chitinous armor aside). It isn't long before the Hoshim is doing things without instruction, and possibly even enjoying it.. it's difficult to read his expression.
The doe wraps arms and legs about the Hoshim this time. Her hisp can now move in time, and hope, that it helps make it somehow work. The bug aspects are soon forgotten as the doe is back into full-born rut and she's trying to satisfy that overwhelming urge deep within ... and that means trying to actually pleasure the creature somehow.
This time it seems to work. The Hoshim are young still, but apparently capable of some version of sexual release, even if nothing seems to actually be produced. This also means they don't have a recharge period, but in practice they seem to stop after twenty minutes. Or it's because the Queen wants them all get a turn. At least they don't try to suckle. The rutting urge fades after the second solo Hoshim.. but that leaves two more still.
The doe breathes a sigh of relief, grateful her brain is less fogged and she can once again form a thought that doesn't involve being rutted. She looks a the last two and gestures to them. One to approach her, well, head, and the other to approach the more traditional route.
The sharp edges are a bit harsh on the tongue, so care has to be taken. The one going the traditional route isn't having as easy a time as his brothers did either, since the other aspects of Gorphat's blessing is starting to kick in, making things tighter. While these makes it more painful for the doe, it means the Hoshim is stimulated faster at least.
The doe's eyes still run with tears from the pain down below, but she continues on since she invited it. The oral approach takes a lot of care, but at least it also involves tongue so she can stimulate things in unique ways there. So, hopefully she will be able to satisfy the two with, well, one pass. "Why do I do this to myself?" the doe has to wonder as things ache, especially when the overlapping plates tug on their pull-back.
The one below finishes, but has trouble pulling out. The Hoshim bits aren't pneumatic, but always rigid due to the partial exoskeletons. At least the boy doesn't panic. But there's some tearing as he works his way out, that's almost lost in the general post-coital pain. The other one clicks and clacks as if unsure what to do, and remains very still.. but there's a twitch - some sort of involuntary muscle spasm that the doe can feel through her tongue, so he's probably free to be released as well.
Taahira cries out when the one below works its way out, doing some damage in the process! Damage there is nothing new to her at least and she will recover. Then she lays there quivering a bit before she eases her jaws off the bits of the other. Then there she lays, panting softly and clutching at her burning nethers.
Still, it's a bit of rest. Between throbbing ears and other sore areas.. well, it's just a lot of throbbing. But it does fade a bit - and she hasn't reverted to Nicora! So maybe Gorphat is granting her a bit of leave.
The doe eventually shivers. Some of Nicora might be bleeding through because the doe rolls to her stomach and shuffles backwards, closer to the queen. She then hikes her hindquarters, offering herself to the queen of all things by presenting her swollen attributes! Or maybe because she's Gorphat's servant and pet she does this? Hard to say why she offers herself to the monster, really, only that she does.
The Queen actually picks up the doe and sits her in her lap, hugging her against the softer symbiotic torso-larva-thing. The great insect makes 'soothing' chitters, as if the doe were an infant.
Taahira leans back against the creature, feeling oddly calm. Probably because she's not thinking too hard on it, or looking back to see what is holding her.
The Queen doesn't pet the doe's ears though, thankfully, but it does knead her where it can. Once it's clear that Taahira is producing milk, she calls over.. everyone, turning the doe in her lap so she's exposed once more. The Hoshim all come to suckle, which results in more pinching, and then the Sacred Horribs get their turn - a challenge since their mouths don't really produce suction, so the Queen has to squeeze and knead hard enough to squirt the milk to them.
This causes all sorts of whimpers from the doe, but it isn't actually painful most of the time. So ... she doesn't mind it so much. She leans her head back and breathes slowly as her chest is worked over and she feeds Nicora's menagerie. "Okay, this isn't so bad and for once I am feeding my children." the doe thinks, that part definitely echoing Nicora.
There's a shuffle, and Hoshuosin timidly takes his place. He's still small enough to sit in the doe's lap, and since most of his Horrib traits are on his back (including having a stinger-tail) and scalp, with a just few other patches on an otherwise Eeee body, he's much softer and gentler to deal with. And his mouth is fully Eeee, even his tongue, so when he nurses it's not painful at all.
This creature gets ... petted, for the most part while he nurses on the doe. The doe even coos at him, ruffles his cheeks a little, and otherwise generally fusses over him, right down to ear-pets. "Good little one," Taahira mumbles.
The growing boy makes happy sounds back, switching teats as needed to get the last of the milk. He clumsily pets the doe right back. Since he's more Eeee than Horrib, it's likely that he'll develop slower as well.
Taahira helps him switch teats and realizes at least the doe is probably a lit nicer to nurse on than Nicora would be ... well, flavorwise anyway. She continues the gentle stroking and encouragement. "I hope no one treats him like a freak, though," the doe thinks. "His appearance will be hard to hide in some cases and may not always be welcome."
The future Bargorphat will likely have a pretty comfortable life as the Temple mascot - and his ultimate purpose will be to produce more generations of Yodhgorphat. Hopefully, Penance will be able to raise him properly, since he's technically her son.
Taahira is fairly confident Penance will be able to raise him. She is generally intelligent, after all and not nearly as broken as Nicora is. There the doe sits, letting the child nurse for as long as he wants.
The milk does run dry eventually - surprisingly! But the doe has fulfilled her blessing, and is returning to normal-ish, aside from having her ears turned into convenient carry handles. Hoshuosin lets out a burp, and starts to climb down from the doe's lap.
Taahira helps the child down, then starts to get out of the queen's lap herself. "If you ever need a host, you can use me," she tells the queen as she slips out of its lap.
The Queen nods her head, the hard pieces rearranging to make it look like she's smiling.. and pats the doe on the head. Which results in the Hoshim all wanting to pat her on the head as well, even though they're still a bit shorter than her.
Taahira ... lets them, then slinks her way to the door to escape. This place still creeps her out severely.
As a doe, the smell of blood is a bit unsettling - amid all the other unsettling odors in here. There are sticky black spots on the floor, and still quite a few flies. There's also a piece of paper on top of the bed.
"Ew," Taahira mutters as she tiptoes around the yuck to get to the bed. Once there she picks up the note to read it.
"C is looking for you," the note reads. "Also, you need a maid. A maid with no sense of smell. You owe me a tongue-bath. T"
"Ah, ever the diplomat, eh, Tulani?" Taahira mutters to herself and folds up the note. That means Alptraum is required, which means going to the secret entrance. Probably easiest as doe or buck. Hm, buck, no pinned ears that way. Then shift-back once at the gate. Being Alptraum inside the temple might be tempting fate.
There's no easy way to dispose of the note, other than burning or eating it.. or just carrying it out.
BEfore venturing into the darker passages, the doe first shifts to the buck, so that he will have use of his ears. Also, breasts, but those aren't debilitating. Then it's taking the note and heading to the secret entrance.
There is still some awkwardness to the buck.. an odd craving to go visit the worm pool to 'feed' for instance.. but nothing overpowering enough to side-track him. There are a few tricky spots to negotiate without having prehensile feet, but the route has been traversed often enough now that it isn't really an issue.
And there's the problem that the buck keeps feeling up his own chest; it's novel to have squishy above and hard below. It's also a good distraction from the odd feeding urge. But eventually he makes it to the exit and can sit down hard. Time to return to just being the ordinary bat, and that's usually a fairly easy shift, especially when starting from am male base anyway.
It's good to have wings again.. and not be oozing or gushing or having any other distracting issues. Alptraum feels strong as himself, as well, which makes it at least a bit pleasant.
Alptraum grabs his clothing from its hiding place and dresses. He'll have to go to the nest and verify the note with Tulani, and which version of himself Cyprian really wants. The tongue bath will have to wait.
"You got my note?" Tulani asks when Alptraum arrives at the hidden bunker. She's wearing her 'rugged' sailor-type clothing which is fairly stain-resistant. Mave is nowhere to be seen, but Alptraum senses her off in another section, which might be her private area.
Alptraum holds up the note between two fingers. "Which C? Cyprian or Cricket? You need better abbreviations," he remarks dryly. "Also, Nicora accepts your application to be her maid."
"Hah!" Tulani squawks at the maid offer. "And Cyprian of course. I guess the initial isn't enough?"
"Not when you know more than one person with a C name," Alptraum points out. "And are you sure? I bet you look cute in a gallesian maid dress."
"I'd look cute in anything," Tulani claims, crossing her arms and giving Alptraum an 'I dare you to say otherwise' sort of look.
"Even Nicora's traditional bandages?" Alptraum offers to see if Tulani balks at that.
The Sphynx thinks about it for a moment. "I think I'd be much more approachable than an actual Yodhgorphat if I dressed like one," she claims.
Alptraum snorts. "So, which me does Cyprian want to see? Me, me, or naked human snoggums me?" the Eeee has to ask. "And for what?"
"Oh.. well.. I don't know," Tulani admits. "He's just been sort of showing up at the Altar of Beauty. So probably body-art-mcsnoggums?"
"Ah, so up at the altar, then," Alptraum agrees and rubs the back of his neck. "I suppose that can be arranged. Is he showing up every night?"
"Well he showed up last night," Tulani says. "And he usually keeps showing up until you show up."
Alptraum rolls his eyes. "Right, so, guess I'd best sit and molt. Also invert things," the Eeee remarks as he sits down on a crate. Then he gets right back up and undresses first. It would be bad to shift to the human while clothed given her skin issues.
"Maybe I should wash these, too," Tulani says as she collects the shed clothing. "And I won't shrink them."
"You better not. Remember, I bite," Alptraum points out as he closes his eyes so he can concentrate on shifting.
She does dig out the Lapi-fur cloak though. It smells clean.. but there are obvious reasons for that needing to be washed after each use, generally.
Alptraum disappears into darkness to become some frail, yet colorful and mostly bald creature. Also known as Snowcora.
There are sounds of washing by the time Snowcora emerges, but her cloak is hanging right next to the entrance.
Snowcora grabs the cloak. "I'll be back in a bit," she calls out. "Don't do anyone I wouldn't do!"
Tulani just laughs from deeper in the Nest. And once outside, Snowcora's Shrine Maiden senses work again, at least as far as being able to tell when someone is around. There are some people on the mountain, but they don't seem interested in approaching the Temple - likely rogue shepherds, since they're not on the city facing side. There's no indication of anyone waiting at the Altar of Beauty - but that isn't necessarily telling, since Cyprian can hide himself.
Snowcora wraps herself in the cloak and starts the slow walk up to where the altar is. It's mostly slow because she has to go barefoot and the ground isn't that comfortable to walk on after all. "This better be important!" she thinks.
Nobody is lurking in the shadows when she arrives, but the sun is just dipping below the horizon. Which means a good part of the population is just waking up. It's something Snowcora can actually sense, if she extends herself.
Snowcora sets her cloaked butt down on the altar and swings her legs slowly. She does close her eyes and just listens to the city through all her senses. It's probably best, otherwise she might go look for Rugharo to pass the time or ... something.
It's easy to pick out the flyers from the others. And the more she works at it, the more she can begin to sense actual buildings by the movements of people inside of them. There's a lot of activity, so she doesn't notice the flyer approaching the Temple until he's nearly there.
Her eyes open again. She hopes this is Cyprian and not some agent sent to kill her, or steal her virtues. Well, if she had any left; she'd bedded just about everything. Feeling a bit impish, though, she flops back on the altar, splayed and droopy as if she was sacrificed.
The flyer drops in through the hole in the roof, landing lightly and splaying his wings out before himself to form a little tent on the ground. He stands up straight and the wings seem to blend into his black cloak before they fold up behind him. He then hurries over to the altar and puts two fingers to the side of Snowcora's throat to check her pulse, while setting a sack down with his other hand. "Are you teasing me?" Cyprian finally asks.
"Who, me? Would I do that?" Snowcora asks, opening her eyes again and smirking. The human sits up and says, "I hear you have been looking for me? Does that mean you prefer me over my spooky friend? Many seem to find him irresistible."
"I have no other way of contacting your 'spooky friend' except through you," Cyprian says, gives Snowcora a kiss on the cheek. "And I'm not sure I would want another means of doing so. But I do have news to pass on to him, when you have the opportunity."
Snowcora takes the opportunity to bite him gently on the nose. "Dream of him and he'll find you," she suggests, "But I can pass on anything you want. I assume this about the spirits he collected?"
Cyprian rubs his nose, and pulls a bottle of wine from the sack. It appears to be normal wine, not haunted wine. "Yes, I assume he filled you in on all the details," the mage notes. "Mage Rostre has detected a link. While she hasn't determined the source, she does think she can devise a way to detect similar links."
"What he knows, I know," Snowcora claims, "For the most part, anyway. So, she can find a link, but not the source? Pity. The source is of interest to him. But, at least were she to forge others those could be detected I suppose."
"She is working on it," Cyprian notes. "Find the source, figure out how to locate other active links, and finally a means of breaking them. It's a quite a lot, really. And she refuses to wear a shirt."
"She's a naga, is she not? Not much to show on her is there?" Snowcora has to ask.
"For the time being, she is a Fnerf," Cyprian says, popping the cork on the wine. "I think she is faking the clumsiness just so she can step on people's feet or hit them with her tail."
Snowcora rubs her forehead. "He did that, didn't he? He always gives in and lets people experience some sort of fantasy of the physical," she complains. "I don't know why he likes doing that so much."
"When I first learned a spell to influence someone's choice, I performed card tricks for an entire Sphere, until nobody would play anymore," Cyprian notes, and waggles the bottle. "Care for a sip?"
"He does what people ask of him. He's powerful, yes, but he doesn't abuse it usually," Snowcora comments, then looks at the bottle. "Well, I would rather sip on something else, but that would do instead."
Cyprian actually holds the mouth of the bottle to Snowcora's lips, and deliberately tips it too far so that is spills down the woman's chin.
Snowcora is sly to this trick! But, she sips anyway and lets it run down her chin. "Subtle ploy to lick me, I see," she thinks, amused.
It's not that subtle, since he also pulls it away and pours it over the rest of her. "Oops," he says. "Sorry. I've been hit in the face by a Fnerf tail too often, I suppose.."
Snowcora smirks. "You are anything but sorry," she chides him and taps his nose. "You just wanted an excuse to lick me. Is Rostre enjoying her time, by the way? I can pass that on as well."
"She seems to be," Cyprian says, before taking a swig from the bottle himself. "She has conscripted a Life Mage to keep track of things, much to the poor man's discomfort. I'm uncertain if that's the part she enjoys most or not. She isn't usually the social sort."
"If she wants to stay a fnerf, it can be arranged," Snowcora notes before licking Cyprian's nose. "It just requires the use of the Light of Nala."
"You make it sound trivial," Cyprian notes as he disrobes and joins Snowcora atop the altar. "I wouldn't advise bringing such a powerful artifact to the Guild Tower though," he says, and licks the woman's chin. "The effects on other enchantments and spells could be unpredictable."
"You've already allowed Alptraum in, though, and he carries the Shadow of Amena with him," Snowcora points out as she arches her chin back.
Cyprian pauses licking at Snowcora's throat to say, "It doesn't seem to cause a reaction.. and he is in control of it." Another few licks, and then, "It is also a bit alien to our magic. The Light of Nala is a legendary artifact though, which can be used as a source of magic power."
"And you have no interest in examining it?" Snowcora asks, sounding surprised as she slowly lays back and lets the Eeee lick her.
"I've held the Scales of Rephath, and seen other divine weapons," Cyprian says, licking along the collarbone now. "I'm sure there is a reason only a chosen champion can use the Light. I have a healthy respect for the artifacts of gods."
"He can use the light, you know," Snowcora notes as she wiggles about. "And he's not even a cat. Granted he cannot hold it, but he can direct it."
"He's a demigod," Cyprian points out. At the wiggling, her brings his hands to hold Snowcora's breasts in place. He has to really get his tongue in between them to get to the wine as a result.
Snowcora wiggles more, now her back arching! "He's also lonely, you know," she comments.
"You don't keep him company?" Cyprian asks in surprise, before dipping back down. He's working his way down from the chest now, but still holding (and yes, kneading) Snowcora's breasts with his hands.
"Not usually, no. He's always busy with this and that, or keeping to himself because most find him creepy," Snowcora claims as she squirms a bit.
"A bit like our Rostre herself," Cyprian says, before using the tip of his tongue to plumb the depths of Snowcora's navel.. which is very ticklish.
Snowcora goes eeeee at that! "Well, not as bad as the naga is, but perhaps a little like that," she concedes just before trying to tickle his ears. "Pretty morose, though. Expects he will be destroyed when the General is."
Cyprian actually kisses the navel and sucks, before tracing out the marks of Inala with his tongue. He does pause to note, "The Barsunala cannot be killed.. not in Babel.."
"There are ways he could be destroyed. Note, destroyed is different from killed," Snowcora points out and sighs. She also has to stop there and squirm about as what he is doing is very distracting. "He feels maybe it would be better if he was. One less monster in the world."
"It would require a shift in belief," Cyprian notes, licking the lower abdomen clean before moving into the wine-soaked Inala-marked areas. "The Kindly Ones are bound by the Lore. It is what gives them their power, because it is what Babel believes."
"Possibly. But what if the one in question was accepting of it? Could they make it so they would be destroyed?" Snowcora ends up squealing and squirming now!
"I don't know," Cyprian admits. "I'm not sure Babel would allow it, but he's still got free will, which muddies things up." He can't really talk after that, as he has to really work on the area were the wine soaked into things.
Snowcora can't talk much, either. She's squirming around too much to say much. Also squeaking, but not like an Eeee would squeak at least. She also feels rather bad, she corrupted the Eeee.
Cyprian takes his time there, and makes sure no wine got inside. Eeee tongues are really good for exploring nooks and crannies after all.
"You're so bad," Snowcora whines as she squirms and wiggles her toes. "I corrupted you!" She holds onto his ears, though, and keeps his head down there.
The bat probably mutters something unintelligible in reply.. but then does something Snowcora wasn't expecting: he pings her. And up close, in that sensitive area, she can feel it!
Snowcora's back arches and she shudders! And how did she feel that. To her core. It also strikes her as amusing that, well, one could get some odd results doing that to Nikky.
Having made the mistake of reacting, Snowcora is now subjected to lots of pings.
"Aaaaaah!" Snowcora squeals and squeezes Cyprian's ears in her hands! That triggered all sorts of pleasure waves all at once; it was like a cascading multiple orgasm! It also makes her sweat!
He has to withdraw his tongue, but he does ask, "Do you like that, or are you just trying to steal my ears?" His tone is oddly playful.
"I'm going to tie your ears in a knot!" Snowcora retorts with a playful hiss.
"With your hands?" Cyprian asks, followed by another deep lick. But the next ping comes slightly higher up, as he kisses above the vulva next, perhaps aiming for the cervix.
"You are so hateful," the human squeals as she tugs at his ears again! "I'm not a cave to spelunk!" She cannot sit still when he does that, the vibration is so funky.
Cyprian keeps searching for some sort of sweet spot - and finds it when he gets her pelvic bone to resonate!
"Waaah!" goes the human! She's positively thrashing about now from the over-stimulation! So much for dignity.
"Ow," Cyprian complains when his ears get dragged around as a result, but is finally got her distracted enough to slip from her grasp! Once free, he lunges forward, using one hand to guide himself into the bucking albino. "Now I have you!" he claims, and tries to do a maniacal laugh, but his tongue is still dangling a bit.
"Grrrr," Snowcora complains and grabs onto him with arms, legs, and well, down below! "When I think of an appropriate revenge for that, you are in such trouble," she whispers in his ear. "I could leave you with a permanent tentpole..."
"I would definitely have to avoid Rostre then," Cyprian claims, and starts trying to break free of Snowcora's grip! By struggling in the wrong direction!
Though human she may be, Snowcora can seem to hold on like a naga! "I know, I'll have Alptraum send a naga spirit to bed you some night for all your evil torment of me," she whispers darkly in his ear. She then nips that ear and goes about the more serious business of, well, enjoying the company. Will she actually follow up on that threat? Probably not, but it's a fun mental image.