In a very private back room of The Potted Ptera - one with an separate entrance of its own, but definitely not used for smugglers or illegal purposes according to Cricket, who used a somewhat sarcastic tone when claiming so - Alptraum gets comfortable while the Yodhbarada goes to fetch a certain Vartan. The room has a cot, which actually doesn't look as if it gets much use, and a table and chairs, which do look like they've gotten a lot of use. There's a single candle in the center of the round table providing light, which makes for flickering and lurid shadows - lighting that is more beneficial to Eeee than to Vartans.
And Alptraum reclines in his chair and the shadows flicker ominously over him ... which suits him just fine. "Ah, if the walls could talk, what stories they could tell. I wonder how many deals have been brokered back here by power players in the city," he mutters to himself in Sylvanian. He also practices smiling spookily, just because. At least he isn't cackling.
The door finally opens. It's got the special 'nobody can sneak up on you' creaky hinges that have always been popular in Babel. "So what kind of herb he want?" comes the rather raucous voice of Shredda, muted only slightly by having to pass through Cricket's wings as she leads the Vartan into the room. Shredda is carrying the big hookah-pipe. "Oh, that's a good question," the smaller Eeee squeaks, and closes the door behind the Vartan. Shredda sets the water-pipe on the table, and squints. "Too dark. Dark should come from smoke, not from too little light," she complains.
Alptraum leans forward slowly so that light creeps across his face. That's about when he smiles, wide and with copious display of fangs. "Good evening," he says to the Vartan as he now steeples his fingers together. "Welcome to the shadows."
"I like the accent," Shredda says, checking the burner for the hookah before she really looks at Alptraum. "Gah! You try to be spooky? Sound like the narrator for a shadow-play 'bout monsters and such." The girl pats down some of her feathers that poofed out. "Soo, what sort of buzz are you looking for, Mister Spooky Voice?" she asks, seeking courage in the familiar.
Alptraum rolls the fingers on his left hand and the shadows around it move rather unnaturally. "Maybe I just want ... you," he remarks, that smile still playing upon his lips. "But ... what are you offering, hmm?"
"Oi, I lugged the rig here and want a tumble instead?" Shredda asks, with some mock indignity. "Well.. what are you offering?" she counters with, rubbing the thumb forefinger of one talon together in the universal sign of coinage.
"Money generally isn't a problem. Though few usually charge me. Bad luck to try and bill the Reaper, you know," Alptraum claims and spreads his hands a little. "What do you have for your little thing here and what does it cost, hmm?"
"Well.. what I got depends a bit on what you pay.. but.. uh.. wha's wi' the Reaper bit?" Shredda asks, before removing some pouches from her apron. "I've slo-mo, rainbow-rocket, beehive-buzz, lost-day, Lapi-lovin' and actual normal smokies and feel-goods."
"You really have no idea who I am?" Alptraum has to ask. He reaches up with his right hand, and the shadows reach further to cup her under her beak. "I am the Barsunala," he says matter-of-factly. "Everyone in Babel gets to know me, eventually."
It takes a few moments before Shredda reacts. "Sooo.. can I make a donation to the temple o' Sunala to get out of this?" she asks a bit shakily.
"Relax, I'm not here for your soul, just your body," Alptraum says with a wink, then pats his lap. "Come, sit, and tell me which of those you have are the most fun? For example, what is lapi-lovin?" he inquires.
Once Shredda has seated herself and managed to not wiggle out of reflex, she explains, "They each do something different. Lapi-lovin gives those who smoke the ability to make love for hours. Or... at least feel like it's going on for hours. Most of these mess with perception, you see?"
Alptraum rests his chin on her shoulder and wraps his arms about her waist. "Do you have a particular favorite?" he inquires as he taps claws on her belly. "I can offer you quite an experience unlike any you've ever had," he says, "Can you do the same?"
The Vartan shivers, which has an interesting sound from all the feathers involved. "Rainbow-rocket," Shredda admits. "It make you see shiny sparkly colors on everything. You ain't talkin' bout death, right?"
"No," Alptraum coos, "I'm talking about making every fiber of your being quiver in ecstasy, inside and out." He runs a claw slowly up her belly now as he says, "And if you're willing to trade a little of that rainbow ... I think both of us will have a new experience. I will even offer to show you first so you can decide if my trade is fair..."
"Trade?" Shredda asks, some of her shrewdness returning. "It worth a lot, hard to come by," she claims. "So.. this ex-stacy better be pretty good.."
Alptraum smiles evilly. "Oh birdy, you have no idea," he coos and presses his palm flat against her stomach. That that's about as normal as it gets ... because it feels like his hand doesn't stop there as the shadow is now flowing into her body, starting at her belly. It's slow, deliberately, so that Shredda can feel it creep through her body, feeling out and licking over every part of her as it spreads out within her. Eventually, it even starts so seep out of her pores and coat her in what looks like shiny oil from the neck down. It's only when her entire body is covered and she is undulating and squirming from the inside out, does it creep up her neck.
The woman makes lots of random squawking and chirping sounds after the initial shock, right up until she's completely covered. Alptraum was warned that the rush from this could become addictive, and Shredda has a bit of extra kick from whatever else she might have in her system at the moment - it takes higher doses of alcohol and other things to really affect a Vartan after all.
And Alptraum leaves Shredda in in this state for a while. It feels good to him too after all, It's like sex in many ways, and in some ways even more intimate. And he is making sure she feels all of it, so that she experiences a moment that seems like an eternity of bliss. But eventually he does have to withdraw for her safety and his. Well, save for some tendrils that remain inside her down, ah, below ... that undulate and expand randomly. "Now, I doubt you've ever felt anything like that before, hmm?" he whispers to her.
Vartans can't really drool, but they can go into 'shiny-lock' sometimes. Shredda remains in a glazed state for a bit, and when she comes mostly back to her senses, Alptraum feels a talon on his pants. "Hmm? Wha?" Shredda clacks.
"I guess you enjoyed?" Alptraum asks in a rumbly sort of laugh. "I can do it again". And he does, just a little, but not enough to fully put her under.
"Rocket.. time.." Shredda gurgles, and fumbles for the right packet. She manages to set up the hookah without leaving Alptraum's lap or even leaning very far, possibly all with muscle-memory. It's also possible she's had to do this in varying states of lucidity before anyway. "G' ting I dinna wear undies.." she chirps before taking a few puffs on one of the pipes to prime things, then handing a second one to Alptraum.
Alptraum accepts the second pipe. He also fully withdraws the shadow. Although how is a bit ... creative. He sort of balls it up inside her down below, and slowly pulls it out, as if she were, well, laying an egg.
This causes more feather poofing. But even in the dim light, Shredda seems a lot brighter after a few puffs. It's not the same as seeing an aura, since it looks more like she's being lit from within, with each glowing feather outlined in multi-color sparks. Occasionally the sparks will fly off and further explode into little flowers of color like fireworks. It's fairly mesmerizing, and for a Vartan it must be downright hypnotic.
And Alptraum enjoys. He draws are slow and savoring ... and it also keeps him from tormenting Shredda any more with the shadow; it would be downright dangerous in this state of mind! So, he mostly contents himself with fondling and caressing the vartan as he relaxes and just enjoys it.
His own right hand looks amazing, the normally dark surfaces looking like oil on water, the colors swirling constantly. It doesn't look.. well.. dead.. under the effect of the drug. Shredda leans back against him. She might nuzzle, but Vartans can't really do that, and she can't exactly close her beak all the way either (although the nip of her pipe is clearly meant for Vartans, so she can come pretty close to closing it).
Alptraum leans back and just continues to caress and play with the vartan lazily as he floats in this sort of odd and colorful space. This is even better than the one time Hexen insisted they try some of those glowing mushrooms back in the swamp. At least this time Hexen isn't screaming that his head fell off. At some point, though, Alptraum does set the pipe aside for a bit and he goes about really playing with Shredda in earnest. In fact, he's of a mind to take her right then and there.
One thing becomes clear: the Vartan wench-top probably would be fine for Flewf, with the wing-slits just providing a bit of ventilation. It isn't hard to get off, not with Shredda helping. The skirt is simple as well. Vartan anatomy is confusing though - it just shouldn't work the way it does! Breasts shouldn't have feathers, and equine parts shouldn't seem so slender. If not for the single-toe hooves, they'd be more like unicorns than horses. The tail is definitely equine though, and tends to get in the way, especially with the beads and baubles woven into it to weigh down certain strands. It's wonder they don't try to braid the darn things for convenience.
And he's had practice with altering his own anatomy so he can make sure he, ah, anatomically will fit her; which will probably come as a bit of a shock to her when such happens! But, it does give him some clothing ideas, and gods yes, he's going to braid that tail when he wears it!
Shredda seems surprised when she's repositioned in Alptraum's lap. She also has to move her pipe so that the hose is going back over her shoulder and between her wings as she rests her arms on the bat's shoulders. It also lets him see fireworks launching off of the woman's nipples while the drug is still in effect.
And Alptraum's pipe goes back in his mouth, while his other one goes in the vartan! And ... he adapts his anatomy with the shadow to make him vartan-hung and filling her, before he starts to, well, rock her.
This part Shredda knows, and like working the hookah she doesn't have to really use her brain. Vartans tend towards more aggressive movement, after all, so soon there's a bouncing bird to deal with. And giving the emphasis on bounce that means the bat has to sometimes dodge his chin away from things to avoid getting boxed by a boob.
There are worse fates! Right now, though, this is quite enjoyable! One thing about being, ah, well built is that he can feel a lot getting caressed and squeezed, and it's nice! Pity he can't be naturally built that way all the time, but he'd have problems walking! And soon he solves getting boxed by just burying his face in her chest!
Apparently Shredda is making a lot more sounds than reach her beak, and Alptraum can hear them better now.. through his cheeks, apparently, as the chest-noises are somehow amplified by breast-fat. The Vartan's heart is like a drum, but not racing as much as his own. Despite the feathers and other avian features, they still don't have the same speedy metabolism. In that sense the slower beat is soothing. Of course, Shredda then uses her hands to push things together a bit more tightly.
Alptraum goes mmmmph! He counters by playfully nipping, then using hands to mush and caress those fatty, feathery, weird things! He also uses the heartbeat to, well, time his movements so that he's working in time with the vartan's heartbeat!
Timing things works wonders for controlling Shredda's heartbeat. And her breasts still feel weird covered in feathers, but otherwise work the same. The familiar flight-muscles underlay them, after all. The only issue so far.. is that the chair seems to be moving around the floor from the motion, but at least it hasn't broken.
And the movement is stilled after some creative work with is grabby, and strong, feet. They can lock onto rock for an Eeee to hang, after all! He's also not sure how much longer he can last as his blood flow is always affected when, ah, oversizing parts a little. So ... he decides to cheat with the vartan and use a little of the shadow to tickle her and see if he can get her to go over the peak, so to speak!
"Fweee!" It's an odd sound, but it does signal that Alptraum was successful! It also makes for a lot of strong muscles clenching, including those horsy thighs. The back of the chair protects Alptraum's sides from getting too squished though, even if it does seem to squeeze a bit more from him.
Then it's doubling down until he feels like this explode! And because of that smoke, he really sees stars and sparks when the rush and release hits him! He keeps himself silent by, well, biting down on one of those feather chest pillows!
That causes another squawk from Shredda, how thankfully does not live up to her name - she's been very careful with her talons, even while buzzed on rocket-smoke. "B'er not kill me til dis over.." she warns.
Alptraum's jaws relax and he chuckles softly. "What, it's not already over?" he teases.
"We haven't tried the Lapi-lovers yet.." Shredda claims, then leans forward to rest her head on Alptraum's.. and starts snoring.
"I seem to have broken the vartan," Alptraum admits as he has to now get up, and her off ... then her onto the cot. It's ... not simple. She's heavy! Also, she's still impaled on him, and there is some uncomfortable bending of things as he uses the chair and works himself upright!
Of course, that wouldn't have been an issue if he just reverted to his normal size in that department. The weight is a surprise - Alptraum's always known Vartans were heavy, but never had to deal with their dead-weight (or sleeping weight) before. Without a tail, it's hard to balance - Eeee feet weren't really made for bearing heavy loads after all.
Alptraum grunts, groans, and complains a lot as he waddle-carries Shredda over to the cot and lets her sort of slide off. This gives him a chance to look down, and go 'egad'! "Don't ever let Inala see me like this," he mutters to himself as he quickly tries to revert things.
The door does its duty and creaks loudly to let Alptraum know it's being opened. "So, how'd it go?" Cricket asks as she peeks inside. "Is she gonna sit out a few shifts so you can impersonate her?"
"If she wakes up in a couple days I will be surprised," Alptraum admits and grins, still naked. "And yes, I can easily impersonate her now. Is Flewf here? Is she, well,ready to work too?"
"I've got things worked out with the owner to let her work here on probation," Cricket claims, grinning at Alptraum. "Will a Vartan beer-wench outfit fit the Fnerf? I'm surprised there isn't one here already.. I mean, is anything more beer-wenchy than a Fnerf?"
"It should fit her fine, and the wing-slits will allow for extra ventilation. I just ope Flewf doesn't mess this up. The mage inside her isn't exactly the most socially skilled sort," Alptraum admits and rubs over his face. He enjoys having lips while he can! And teeth, for that matter.
"I'll get Shredda's spare uniform, and.. hide her away," Cricket says. "Want to get started tonight? There's always a shift from the two airships here, and they always use the same tables."
"Yeah, I probably should. Now, you aren't going to make fun of me or mess with me while I'm a bird, are you?" Alptraum has to ask and eyes Cricket.
"I'm very small and fragile compared to a Vartan," Cricket notes. "Did you find out what all her smoke packets are? If not, I can explain them all to you!"
"More or less! I know their names and what some of them do. Can you explain again so I'm sure I know?" Alptraum asks as he plops down in the chair. "Well, after I bird-it." He flashes a grin, closes his eyes, and relaxes. Breathing slows, and in time the shadow consumes his entire body, taking him into that floaty-place. At least a vartan has the same number of limbs, so changes aren't too drastic, though weight is added, teeth are lost, and he becomes a real pecker-head...
Cricket gives a quick rundown of how the hookah works (including cleaning and other maintenance) and what each of the packets does. Slo-mo makes one feel like time is crawling - or that they're floating underwater. Beehive-buzz is the opposite, causing an excited buzz and sense of boundless energy. Lost-day apparently disables memory storage - that has some rather nefarious uses, from taking advantage of girls to performing clandestine things that you wouldn't want to remember afterwards. It's also used for people trying to forget recent traumas. The rest are standard things people smoke for flavor or mildly narcotic relaxation effects. Cricket also goes over what Shredda charges for each, and how it varies depending on the number of people using it (along with how to figure out dosages, which is fairly complicated).
Faux-Shredda tries to follow along, particularly when it comes to dosages. Too much could possibly kill after all. "Drugs really aren't my thing," she squawks to the small bat, then rubs her beak, as speaking feels weird. "But, they'll be drunk and I'm eye-candy, so I think I can manage this."
"When in doubt, don't offer unless they know to request it," Cricket says. "I don't think Shredda has any regulars that come in to smoke. She hasn't been working here all that long."
"Ah, good point. Serve beer mostly, then?" Faux-Shredda asks.
"And 'guide' your trainee, of course," Cricket says with a wink.
"I worry about her. I might have made a mistake. Not sure how she will react if a patron wants to get in the sack with her," Faux-Shredda admits, then grumbles about not being able to frown! "I feel like I'm throwing a yiffle in a naga den."