Contact with the Enemy (NSFW) [MGE] - LGBT Themes - Complete

[The_Letter_K]

I was holding the necklace, staring at Faust, not much more than a shaking pile on the floor. Her body was still responding to the things I'd done to it, and I… I felt… Well, I felt a lot of things. I was angry, at the violation of my body and my trust. I was hideously embarrassed, for obvious reasons. I was worried, because knowing now what she was going through, it was obvious she was starving herself, that I had been starving her, too. I was scared, because I wanted to slip that fucking necklace back on, and finish what I'd started, satisfy that urge I'd been ripped away from before I could even learn to appreciate it properly.

Mostly, I was horny.

That one, at least, I thought the two of us could solve. Doing so might help with the others, too.

"Faust."

She wouldn't look at me, too busy masturbating, but also avoiding my gaze on purpose, I thought. Well, yeah, you fucked up sweetie, but… Fuck if I could have done any better than you in your situation. I might be furious, but… I can't actually hold it against you. I'll calm down, and when I do, things will be mostly alright. But… how do I communicate that to her?

"If you aren't going to fuck me, at least let me eat you out, you jerk."

She paused, and looked up at me, eyes glistening, "Oh, Lyle…"

"And hey, if you want, we can do it upside down, and you can suck my cock while I eat you out. Just a thought."

She giggled, sniffling. "And if… If I were, by chance, interested in that sort of sickening depravity…?"

Instead of replying, I stalked over to her and picked her up, carrying her to her bed. I threw her down onto the mattress, and not too gently. I was still a little upset.

"Oh my. Such beastly behavior… Perhaps even… Monstrous…" Oh my God, Faust, will you just shut up already? Rounding the bed, and crawling over top of her, I left my wrapping in place. If she wants to go that far, she can make the choice herself. I didn't care. I was still hungry.

I slid my arms underneath her, grabbing and holding her cute, plushy butt in my hands. Maybe being slightly chubby was kind of ironic for a Lich, but it worked for her. It wasn't as though she was out of shape, exactly. She could have kept up with me even before Monsterization took her physical abilities to new heights. She was just… pudgy. It was cute. I licked and teased at her hips and thighs until she spread her legs wide, inviting me in. At the same time, I heard her excited breathing as she fumbled with my wrapping.

"This… this doesn't count; you know?" What? For fuck's sake, Faust. "We aren't having sex. Not yet. You're not ready. I'm just… having breakfast. Yes. It is the most important meal of the day, Lyle, skipping it would be foolish."

What the fuck ever.

"Of course, Faust, whatever you say, my love."

My father had mentioned, when he'd gone over a man's social and religious duties to satisfy his wife, that there might be unpleasant flavors, or smells, that cleanliness was important, all sorts of details I'd forgotten in my haste, but none of it seemed to apply here and now. I was truthfully beginning to believe Mamono might just be better. Regardless, Faust's… vagina… was really good. Amazing, honestly. It wasn't that overwhelming pleasure, that sensation that had gripped me, heart and soul, only moments before, but I could spend my life here, I realized. Between her legs forever, loving her and being loved, making certain she was satisfied. The flavor was complex, salty, her skin and sweat, syrupy sweet, her cum itself, and warm, both in temperature, and the way it made my body come alight, like alcohol hitting the stomach too fast, leaving a pleasant buzz and a desire for more. There was an undertone of fruitiness, as well, though I couldn't place it, so not one I'd had before. Trust Faust to flavor herself after something obscure.

After savoring and familiarizing myself with the taste, I went to work. I'd expected not to get much out of this, but the taste being so desirable was a nice surprise, so 'work' may have been the wrong word. As her legs wrapped around me, 'trapping' me, I found the thing that surprised me the most was the way her flesh tensed, clenched, relaxed, and loosened in response to my ministrations. When I'd been occupying her body, I hadn't had time to focus on the little nuances, the realities, of the entire process, but here… Well, I hadn't imagined kissing something motionlessly lying there, but I was surprised by the vivacity of it. To compare it to a kiss, as I'd done earlier, was inadequate. Like comparing a-

Oh my Demon Lord.

Holy fuck.

"Faust… that's wonderful~… MMmmm" I lost myself in the sensation of her tongue, her lips and cheeks, wrapped around me in a way I'd only dreamed about. I forgot entirely about my own activities, until her hips began bucking, drawing my attention again. I got back to it, much less finesse, but with much more fervor. Where did sweet, innocent Sally learn to… Mmmm… I slowly rocked my own hips, helping her reach the lengths of myself, something I remembered too late I'd been told not to do, too much risk of choking her, but… She didn't seem to mind.

I might have felt pathetic for letting loose into her so soon, if she hadn't sounded so satisfied with the results of that lack of endurance and control. That her energies seemed to be sustaining me for another round was a balm to my ego as well. If I can go as many times as she wants, if the time we can set aside for each other is the only limiter, isn't faster honestly more, honestly better? It certainly feels better. Less than a minute passed before I came again, but I was drinking her own cum down just as fast, lapping it up, unwilling to let any run down her body and get trapped in the sheets. There was no shame in satisfying each other, was there?

It was only after the fifth time that I collapsed, unable to keep myself up, in either sense. Neither of us moved to disengage, though, enjoying the contact. I still had to curl a little, to make our heights match, but she used her own hands to support me, so the effort was minimal. I still kissed and licked at her idly, from time to time, just reveling in her scent, and she seemed content to simply hold me in her mouth, perhaps enjoying me in a similar way. We stayed that way for a while, before I was overcome with an urge to look at her, to see her beautiful face, and I rolled off of her, despite her protests, shifting awkwardly and uncomfortably until I'd spun around, putting my face near to hers.

She was so pretty.

I pulled one of her pillows under my head, leaving room for her own next to mine, and when she shifted to match, I pressed my forehead against hers. Speaking to each other would feel a little crass, but sharing our personal space like this was nice. My body having just woken up, I was in no danger of falling asleep, even like this, but we both fell into a sort of quiet state, just holding each other, and being nearby. Occasionally, one of our hands would quest across the body of the other, drawing out a soft moan, or a pleasured laugh, but there was no urgency to it.

She took care to position a blanket in between our hips, and I rolled my eyes at her, and kissed her on the nose.

It was nice.


Afterwards, with Faust choosing to luxuriate in bed for a bit longer, I went to Beepatrice's door, knocking.

"Beeps, may I come in?"

"Enter."

I looked her over. I'd had a very sexual morning, but Beeps' form was intriguing for other reasons at the moment. Well, sort of. She'd been patching herself up, covering herself over with flesh-tone panels that were somewhat different than the ones I was used to, not only did they cover more of her body, hiding her mechanical nature better, the false flesh was smoother, more glossy, and there was also more… detail, especially in a certain area. Before, Beepatrice had hidden that she was… 'fully equipped for pleasure' with a sort of sliding panel, but now, that panel was nowhere to be found. In total, there was much less exposed in terms of gears and machinery, only where her joints came together, but the overall effect seemed to make her more naked, not less.

"Looks like you've been busy…"

She nodded. "Repairs."

"I didn't know you needed anything like that. I'd have helped you get it done." Maybe. Probably not, actually, if I knew what they'd involve. I've changed a lot already, haven't I? "How did you get… Um, injured?"

"Self-inflicted." This was said with the same disinterested tone she said everything in, but I became concerned, for obvious reasons.

"What!? Why?"

"Undercover."

Whaaaaaat? Are you, like, a secret agent for the crown? Is that why you're so good at everything?

"What do you mean? Why were you under cover? What were you pretending to be?"

She blinked at me. Twice. "Asexual."

Oh. Right. Yeah. Okay.

"I uh, yeah, that makes sense." She turned back to her tools, working on some mechanism too small and complicated for me to appreciate. "Listen," She turned back to me, and I got the feeling she knew I wasn't done, that she'd turned back to her work specifically to underline that I was interrupting her as I continued, and drew her attention away from it again, "I was talking with Faust… about… um… spirit energy requirements…" Her whole body shifted to face me now, rather than just her upper torso, and I noted she opened her legs, her posture highlighting her new paneling's detailing. Uh huh. Now you're interested.

"I was just wondering if you felt like… maybe you could use some more? I assume you've been gathering some through service over the years… but, if that's not really effective enough…"

Beeps took a moment to compose her answer, her fingers tapping the desk as she considered how she wanted to put it.

"Inefficient," she allowed. Not directly accusatory, but still highlighting there was a problem. Yikes.

"Well, once you get yourself up and running in top condition, let me know, and keep me informed. I'll, uh… put in the effort to make sure you stay fueled up, okay?"

She stood up, and put her hands on my shoulders.

"Thank. You."

Wow. Two words? What have I been doing to her all this time? And… how the hell am I supposed to have this conversation with Blackberry? Maybe Faust will have some ideas, we can't push the poor girl too fast, but if she's starving too… I… I don't know. Am I even going to have any free time left, between all of this? Would it be so bad if I didn't?

 

[Thelxiope]

I am way too strung out on caffeine and doom anxiety and mortal terror and I only have the mental bandwidth to effortpost in one thread now and it's not this one but I promised I would comment on every new chapter so:

We stayed that way for a while, before I was overcome with an urge to look at her, to see her beautiful face, and I rolled off of her, despite her protests, shifting awkwardly and uncomfortably until I'd spun around, putting my face near to hers.

She was so pretty.

I pulled one of her pillows under my head, leaving room for her own next to mine, and when she shifted to match, I pressed my forehead against hers. Speaking to each other would feel a little crass, but sharing our personal space like this was nice. My body having just woken up, I was in no danger of falling asleep, even like this, but we both fell into a sort of quiet state, just holding each other, and being nearby. Occasionally, one of our hands would quest across the body of the other, drawing out a soft moan, or a pleasured laugh, but there was no urgency to it.

She took care to position a blanket in between our hips, and I rolled my eyes at her, and kissed her on the nose.

It was nice.

Click to shrink...

Dorks.

Stop being adorable.

 

[The_Letter_K]

Back in her bedroom, seated on her mattress, laying back flat, one of our arms each under the other, I had brought the question of Blackberry up with Faust. She had some suggestions, some rooted in her frustrations, I think, with Blackberry's retained innocence. After some discussion, though, she suggested a plan I immediately hated, even as I knew it was probably our best chance at doing this in a natural, gentle way.

"Lyle, I understand your reluctance, I truly do… but I make you this promise, it will work much better this time."

"Faust, that necklace reduced me to nothing but a drooling sex monkey within five minutes. Five. Minutes." That was perhaps an understatement. I hadn't been focused on keeping an accurate clock throughout the situation. It might have been thirty seconds or an hour for all I knew. "Putting aside that that's not how I want to live my life, Blackberry shouldn't be treated that way."

"There were a great many factors that contributed to your… state, Lyle. Most of which do not apply, not when Blackberry is on the other end of things rather than myself. She lacks many of the… enhancements I have undergone. My body is as finely tuned to respond to yours as I could yet make it, placing you inside that without precautions was a mistake."

"You can say that again," I growled, my fingers unable to keep to themselves, brushing against her, flitting across her form with a casual sexuality I had not ever previously expressed. Most of my memories from my brief stint in Faust's body were already fading, her every perception had been modified too much, more than my own mind could properly process for the memories to remain undistorted. It was a bit like the opposite of having memories dim. Trying to consider them, rather than looking into a blackness, was like staring into the sun. The smells too potent, the sights too vivid, the whispers too raucous, and the sensations of self not properly mapping to anywhere on my body, with an intensity too powerful to properly recollect.

I had already been on the road to Incubization, a broadening and amplification of my sexuality, but those few minutes were like learning to sprint where before I'd been crawling. Even having slowed back down, my journey had been considerably hastened. It was exactly the kind of pacing we'd ostensibly been trying to avoid. My libido had swelled, and while the levels of resting lust were lessening all the time, returning to normal quickly, I had a suspicion that my innocence, what little I'd had left, had fled my body before I could return to it.

"It was a mistake, my love. I am truly sorry for how it happened."

"Not that you did it, though." That was a lot of her actions, lately. As per usual, when I didn't have a chance to vet her ideas, things had spun wildly out of control.

"Lyle… Would you prefer I lie to you? To say that I regret the revelations you seem to have had, that they were not my aim to achieve? That I do not believe that such understanding was worth pursuing, even if you might not have appreciated the necessity? It would be untrue. It would ring false."

I grunted. I certainly wouldn't have assented to such a thing, not without a lot of convincing. I still thought that should have been my choice to make, but I wasn't blind to the notion that my choices affected more than myself, especially these days, and that this choice in particular would have been far more… dire than I'd have likely perceived, even after spirited argument. I always tried my best to be understanding, but I hadn't really understood.

I certainly had a better picture now, for better or for worse.

"But… had things gone as I'd foreseen, you and I might have simply had a romantic evening, perhaps taken a walk around town… Sat under the moonlight… A beautiful prelude to our shared undeath…" She sighed, her fist clenching, "It matters not. I am sorry things unfolded as they did."

"I… I can't say I've forgiven you Faust, not if we're being honest with each other. But… I think I can, that in time, I will. I certainly understand why you did it, and I can't begrudge your reasoning. That said, I don't see how that translates to willingly repeating the experience, even lessened in potency." I was expressly ignoring the way my right arm, still clutching the necklace, had occasionally been twitching slightly, even tucked underneath Faust, was specifically pretending my eyes were sometimes slipping to look at her breast, rather than the matching necklace still around her neck. I think… I think now she would let me. I shuddered, and with deliberation, didn't try it.

"Honestly, I don't think it would even work. Blackberry would probably be a perfect gentleman while in my body. Even you were pretty well behaved."

"Even I? What precisely is that supposed to mean, dear Lyle?"

I scoffed, and continued; "I sincerely doubt she'd start anything, and if you're expecting me to use charm magic to talk her into it, then you should tell me now. It's not something I want to do, and if you think I'll be willing once the time comes, then your still-theoretical 'repairs and preventative maintenance' on the things won't have gone far enough."

She rolled over, sitting herself on top of my exposed stomach. "Do not ignore me, my darling." She started sliding herself back and forth, across my naked chest. At least I'd kept my pants on. "What precisely is that supposed to mean?"

I put my hands under her arms, lifting her to my lap as I sat up, putting our faces near to each other. Her eyebrow quirked up. "It means, my dear, that your sexual awareness and promiscuous prowess is unparalleled, and that I'm consistently impressed with your restraint, especially in such a situation."

"Hmmm… Your skillful ability to disarm a situation with words… you should have been a bartender, my love, not the Sheriff."

"Hey, I was an amazing Sheriff!"

"You had precisely one qualification as a Sheriff, Lyle, and her name was Beepatrice."

"Beepatrice was my Deputy," I cried, betrayed, "Why does everyone always get that wrong!?"

"I cannot imagine. Perhaps we should investigate? What is it you always say is the first step in an investigation, Lyle? 'Collect and consult the Deputy'?"

"Knowing how to delegate is an important managerial skill! So is listening to expert subordinates!" I protested, frustrated. "Beepatrice!" I shouted, "Who is the Sheriff, me or you?"

"Lyle," came the muffled answer, from the truest, most loyal Deputy a Sheriff could ask for.

I gestured towards the source of the noise, emphatically. "There, you see!? Beeps says I get to be, er… That I am the Sheriff."

"She would proudly declare you a banana if that is what you told her to say. It would not make it true, Lyle."

"Well, well… what about you? Huh? What does the town Librarian even do , Sally? We probably had five books between the lot of us!"

"I kept inventory! And I managed the general store! …When anyone bought anything, that is. …Sometimes I cut hair, as well?"

"Wow, all those bald men, needing their twelve hairs cut short, I'm so impressed. And what did that teach you about being Sheriff, huh? Bupkis, that's what." I began grumbling to myself, incoherently. "…great Sheriff… not the Deputy…very useful…"

There was a knock at the door.

"Lyle, Sally, can I come in?"

I looked to Faust, it was her room.

"Come in, Blackberry," she said, gently.

She looked very unsure as she squeezed in through the regular sized door frame. She was tapping her hands together nervously.

"Lyle, are… are you really a Sheriff?"

Faust opened her mouth, presumably to deny it, but I covered her mouth with my hand, and even though she licked my palm, I did not relent.

"I am, Blackberry, why do you ask?"

"Do you… maybe need a loyal steed? Someone to help you chase down no-good dirty rotten varmints?" Whaaaaat? Cute~

"Of course not," I said, and her expression fell. "No steed could ever outrun my beautiful bride when the purity of our love brings strength to her gait."

Her head rose back up from its droop, and her eyes began to sparkle, "Do you mean it?"

"Of course!" I looked at her, 'slyly', one hand hiding my lips from Faust "You know, I had to take in Sally a number of times, public nuisance charges, avoiding curfew, that kind of thing… If you watch her carefully, you might catch her in the act, and we can ride her down together."

Faust did her best not to look displeased when Blackberry was obviously so enamored with the idea, but she flicked me on the ear when Blackberry ran out, presumably to tell Beepatrice and Amy about her promotion.

Worth it.

 

[Radmelon]

I'm a little late but that bit with Beeps saying two words at once gets me every time. Best robot.

 

[Thelxiope]

"I… I can't say I've forgiven you Faust, not if we're being honest with each other. But… I think I can, that in time, I will. I certainly understand why you did it, and I can't begrudge your reasoning. That said, I don't see how that translates to willingly repeating the experience, even lessened in potency." I was expressly ignoring the way my right arm, still clutching the necklace, had occasionally been twitching slightly, even tucked underneath Faust, was specifically pretending my eyes were sometimes slipping to look at her breast, rather than the matching necklace still around her neck. I think… I think now she would let me. I shuddered, and with deliberation, didn't try it.

Click to shrink...

Sweetie, you might want to spend some time thinking about why you're finding that necklace so tempting.

Or, for that matter, why you're trying so hard to pretend that you don't find it tempting.

 

[The_Letter_K]

Beepatrice had finished her paneling, and reported to me as requested, finding me still in Faust's room.

"Lyle."

"Hey Beeps. All done?" I cocked my head slightly to the side.

"Yes."

I got up to take a look, leaving my necklace on the bed. Her pink hair was mostly unchanged, still short, chin length, and she'd replaced some of her decorative brass gears and accents on her arms and legs, though the 'dress' she wore on formal occasions at her chest and waist remained absent, but immediately obvious was that her lightly tanned flesh paneling had been darkened, like she'd spent a lot of time tanning in the sun. My own was still naturally darker, but not by a lot. Strangely, whatever process she'd used, she had left tan lines, suggesting a particularly racy two-piece swimsuit, or else rather skimpy undergarments, like one might find on some of the Mamono walking the streets of Morningwood. The ones who weren't fully nude, anyway.

Since she was, as far as I knew, unaffected by the sun, that had to be deliberate. That it highlighted her new sculpted nipples and vagina made the likelihood nearly certain. It certainly drew the eye. Before I even considered what I was doing, my fingers found one of her comparatively small breasts, testing the feeling of the new features. Not her hard metallic paneling, this was much softer. Even her paneling had a gloss over it, now, coupled perhaps with some kind of "skin-tight" covering, which made her somewhat more comfortable to touch, but her body was still obviously metallic. These, her nipples, were something else. It was as I was considering testing the other addition I caught up with myself.

"Ah, sorry." I stepped back, but she stepped with me.

"Soft." She said, and her motion not only kept us from getting farther apart, but she leaned such that my hand never left her chest, despite my admittedly short efforts to retract it. She vented a little steam.

"Yeah." I replied, breathing it in. I loved that oily smell, good memories.

"Mine." She asserted, like that day in the field, and my body began to respond.

"Ahem. Beepatrice? I believe you owe me a week of service, my dear. My collection begins anon."

"What!?" "What."

Beeps and I spoke in unison, each shaken out of our reverie. Beeps looked between me and Faust, slowly.

"Hungry." She said, and it was almost plaintive.

"Faust, that's not fair." I said, hotly, although my outrage was not as purely motivated as I would have liked it to be.

"It is meant to be a punishment, my dear." She tossed Beeps a vial, corked shut. "I had prepared this earlier, when Lyle and I were switched. It was meant to feed him, after our date, as a reward for his dealing with my urges, in my body. His startling failure to do so left it unused. It will serve to satiate you instead. Drink up."

Beepatrice scarcely examined it before downing the contents, but I had enough time to recognize it for what it was.

"Faust!? You… you masturbated in my body!?" Not just once, either, by the looks of things.

"As did you in mine, my dear, as did you in mine. You have little room to complain, as you yourself admitted to me."

I growled, lightly. I didn't want to deal with this. I was horny, damn it. You interrupted! Again.

"Fine," I said, "But if you take advantage of her, Faust… You... You will not force her to have sex with you, and I want to hear you say it."

"Beepatrice, you are not now, nor will you be, required to have sex with me, put up with any of my sexual advances, or to pleasure me sexually in any manner. If I change my mind, and require something like that of you, consider yourself instead released from your punishment." I breathed out a sigh of relief. Thanks, Sally.

"Understood." Beeps replied, and her attention was on Faust. That was so strange. She was always looking at me, checking on me, keeping me in her peripheral vision, but… not now. It was unsettling.

"I… uh… I'll… leave you two to it, I guess." I patted Beeps on the shoulder. She didn't look at me, or respond. "I love you, Beeps. Be good."

I walked out.

Alone.






Amy approached me that night. I'd been making myself available in the central room, waiting for her to work herself up to a conversation. I could probably have had a talk with 'Fran' if I approached her out of the blue, but I wasn't sure how to handle that kind of attention yet, and something about this felt more genuine.

"Lyle… Um, would… that is, in the mornings, I like to go… running."

"And you'd like it if I came with?"

She nodded, blushing. "I… wasn't able to go, this morning, because, well…"

Because the locals were causing you trouble, I remember.

"I… I think I'd like that. I need to get out for a bit. Do you mind if Blackberry comes along, though? I'm not sure I can keep up with either of you for long, but she can carry me if things fall apart."

She smiled, nodding. "I like her… she's nice, if a little scary."

"Ha! She's the one who scares you, not Faust?"

"Faust… I know how to… deal with that kind of attention. No one has ever been excited to be my friend like Blackberry, though."

That's… "Yeah," I chose to say, "She's a real gem. There is another problem, though."

She winced, "Oh?"

"Yeah, it's dangerous out there for me right now. You seem nice, and you're not the pushy kind… I'm not blind to our situation, it's pretty likely we get together, although maybe we don't, and I appreciate the space to figure that out organically, but… I'm sure you can tell, Blackberry's mana can support a few more Mamono, and some of those girls out there might not be so polite."

She looked downcast, "Yeah, that's… I get that. The city's mostly empty in the morning, everyone who wakes up next to someone has better things to do when they wake than to get out of bed, but…" she trailed off.

I picked it up, "But that means the ones who are out will be the ones on the prowl."

She nodded.

If only I had a dedicated battle maid who I could rely on to protect me from something like that. Gee. Where could I ever find such a thing.

Fucking Faust.

"Are… you okay?" Amy sat down on a chair nearby, leaving several seats in between us, not encroaching.

Oh boy. What a question. "Faust and Beeps… are bonding, I guess. For the next week or so, I'm not really welcome along. Those two girls were my whole world for a long time… Blackberry's pretty new, but I've known both of them, Sally and Beeps, for basically my whole life. I'm a little…" Am I really going to do this? There's really only one way this goes. It sounds like I'm begging for her company. I let the sentence hang, rather than dig deeper.

"Lonely?" She asked, and to her credit, she didn't look excited, more sympathetic. Maybe I should be more sympathetic. I'd had friends my whole life. She, until recently, lived in a box.

"I guess. I know how that sounds. Sorry."

"It's fine, Lyle." She smiled, "So you've known a Lich and an Automaton your whole life, but they've never interacted?"

"No, it's… well," I dithered. How to put this? Maybe best to go through the whole thing. "It's a lot more complicated. You got a minute?"

"Sure. Should I get us a snack? Maybe something to drink?"

I blinked at her, my eyes drawn to her chest. "Uh…"

Her eyes went wide, her face beet red, "No no! I didn't mean…! Well, if you want, but… I mean… Oh no…"

I laughed, and she shrunk into herself a little.

"It's okay, it's okay, that was my bad. Get us whatever you'd like."

She recovered, once it was clear I wasn't laughing at her, and she left for the kitchen. When she returned, she had some cookies, and other small snacks, which apparently our kitchen just… had? Maybe there were Mamono bakers supplying us in a similar way to the furniture? Hopefully it was actually edible… The taste was good, and I grabbed a glass of water from the tray. There was also a lone, small, glass of milk. Barely anything. Just a small glass, and only half full at that. It smelled amazing, but I wasn't sure I was ready for that. Not yet.

We talked long into the night, as I regaled her, and Blackberry, when she joined us, with stories from my days in town, and they both seemed to find the tales rather funny, for the most part. By the end, with both of them all caught up, I hadn't touched the milk. Amy drank it down without seeming discouraged.

I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but she seemed happy, so I guess we'd see how the morning went.

 

[The_Letter_K]

With the stress of everything, I only barely got this out. I *will* be doing a large reply post at some point, but I just... I'm mentally exhausted.

The next chapter may need a little editing to make things more clear for SV that I left implied on QQ, so it will probably come late in the day as well.

 

[The_Letter_K]

The next morning saw an interesting addition to my room, which I noticed only after I stopped dwelling on the fact that Beeps… hadn't come by to tuck me in last night. The new feature was an outfit, hanging on the rack in my closet. It took a moment to notice, as I'd slept in the main bed. I'd sort of hoped I wouldn't sleep alone, yearned not to, really, but Amy respected my space, Blackberry didn't know to try something like that, and… Faust and Beeps kept to themselves.

Damn it.

…The garment was black and dark purple, standard Mamono fashion faire, but it had odd pale yellow accents. It was surprisingly tempting, for all that. It looked sleek, easy to move in. I assumed the room had understood my plans this morning, and provided something it thought might help to wear. It looked as though it would cover much more skin than I might have expected, nearly as much as my current clothes, despite their non-sexual nature, and the temptation to wear it was overwhelming. My clothes needed a wash. Needed, really, to be thrown out and replaced. I just wasn't sure there was anything for sale in this city that I'd actually willingly wear.

I slipped out of all my clothing and blankets, even undoing my wrapping. Yikes. I was grimy and gross. Forget my clothes, I needed a wash. …Or to be thrown out and replaced.

No no no. Lyle, calm down, it's only a week, and you asked for this. Faust would have been happy with only a day; you were the one that added all that extra time. ...Man up. Don't be clingy. But… what I wouldn't give to feel the embrace of my loyal maid right now. I'd thought about it all night as I lay in bed, and even in my dreams. I missed her already. I was vulnerable, cold, lonely, and even a little afraid. I hadn't gone anywhere without Beeps in... I don't know how long. Since we met, maybe. She didn't like being away from me, and though it had been kinda weird at first I slowly came to count on her. She was always nearby, always listening, always watching, always handling things for me before I ever knew there was a problem.

I ached. I felt a gnawing inside me like a hole. I'm not sure how to function without her.

Ugh. Lyle, you can do this. Focus.

For a moment, as I picked up the strange clothing off the hanger, I thought it felt… almost wet? But I must have been imagining things, or perhaps it had been an unseen tear, falling onto my hand. Lord, I was a wreck. I needed to pull together for Blackberry, if nothing else. It wouldn't do to make Amy's first time out in town with us sour, either.

Sliding into the clothing felt easy, natural. Perfect. Mamono stuff sure was amazing, eh? I didn't know what this thing was made out of, but it could be Demon cum for all I cared, this felt fantastic. Was it enchanted? I felt like… like I could leap to the ceiling, like I could just… walk up a wall. Like I could do anything. Maybe some kind of Mamono spider silk, or something? Whatever it was, it was so smooth… it almost felt like it was flowing over me, rather than brushing against me. Wow.

I took a step, and was surprised by how easy it was, effortless. The clothes were… helping somehow. I did a little hop, barely tried to leave the ground, but I rocketed upward, stopping just short of the ceiling with my head, and I hung there a moment, touching it with my fingers in wonder, before gravity seemed to reassert itself.

Maybe I didn't need to worry about going out after all.

This outfit would keep me safe.

That… should that idea worry me? No, no. Faust would have warned us if the rooms could create something dangerous. Would have warned me, especially. She was the only one allowed to surprise me with questionable artefacts, apparently.

This clothing was perfectly normal.

Smiling, feeling a little warm, I walked out of my room to find Amy already dressed and waiting.

She blushed as she took me in, and it was true that this was a bit more revealing, or, well, more that it was tighter, less bulky, than my usual fair, but we were going running.

"Good morning, Amy!" It was difficult not to feel a little cheerful. I was doing great, now.

"…Hi?" Amy replied, unsure.

I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Amy, these clothes just feel really nice. I thing they're even making me stronger, somehow. The magic rooms provided them for our run this morning, I think they're enchanted to help me keep up with you girls." I demonstrated by picking up one of the chairs in one hand. Wow that was cool.

"Uh… if you say so, Lyle." Her eyes were wide, watching me causally displaying more strength in my hand than I might have truthfully had in my body. It was a big chair.

"Faust would have said if there were anything to be nervous about. Whatever clothing the room whistled up, it's got to be perfectly safe."

She nodded slowly, seemingly appeased. "...Yeah, okay."

We walked up to Blackberry's door, preparing to knock. Before we could, I came.

"Aaaaah~" I moaned, surprised. The pleasure had snuck up on me. It was full body, like I was… wrapped in it. Oh hell.

I fell down, onto my ass, then wound up on my back, as I came again.

"Oooh…" I looked up at Amy, and I could see in her eyes she was conflicted. I was clear why; this was her chance. I was helpless, whatever was going on had me completely at its mercy. She could join in, if she wanted, I couldn't stop her, wouldn't want to after just one taste, no doubt. That… might be fun.

Instead, for better or for worse, she called out; "Faust!? Help! Something's wrong with Lyle!"

Beeps tore out of Faust's room, and faster than the eye could see she was already kneeling at my side, trying to claw the clothing off. Faust herself wasn't far behind, trailing by only a second or two, constrained by the limits of biology.

The clothing flowed around Beeps' fingers, and as she aimed a shot at it, it pulled me across the floor, and I was struck by the sensation of thousands of tiny feet supporting me and flinging me across the ground at ludicrous speed. I finally slowed to a stop on the ceiling as I came again.

"Mmmmm…" I… did we have to stop this? I could feel it better now, in every pore, every crevice, every orifice, it was amazing. A head rose up out of my chest, looking at me with devotion, and satisfaction. Dark purple hair, light blue skin, pale yellow eyes, a maid's headdress, and the widest, brightest smile I'd ever seen. Then we kissed, or she kissed me, then I agreed to kiss her back? It wasn't clear who'd initiated, but I was super on board. She was wrapping herself around my face, through my nose, my mouth, my ears, and inside my head, like she already held the rest of me. Very nearly, but not quite, a part of me. She tasted so good, like boysenberry jam and also, unsurprisingly, sex, and as she filled my stomach, my lungs, my body tried to suffocate, and started breathing her instead.

I thought I heard Faust, occasionally, yelling something, but I knew I was safe. She'd figure it out. I'd just gotten married again, that's all. Unless I missed my guess, she was a Shoggoth, so I think we were even expecting her, hoping for her? No harm if we weren't though. She was staying. Decision made, although arguably not by me, I started moving my body around, trying to further grind against something that was already furiously flowing against every inch of my body. It wasn't effective, but she appreciated it, buzzing across my whole body, like a cat purring, shaking me to my core, that simple act by itself causing me to cum again, twice in a row. Her approval was wonderful.

We stayed like that for a while.

Because she approved.




She let us drop down to the floor, after we were completely satisfied.

"Lyle, darling, are you okay?" Faust was dripping with snot, spells floating around her body at every angle, "We are trying to work out how to remove her!"

"Her? Her who?" I asked, a little confused.

"That t̺̗̥̟͜͡͝h̴̬͔̲̖͇͝i̸̵̗̖̲̖̫̞n̟̻͉͘g̤̱͓̀͢͞ that has you wrapped in its clutches, Lyle!" She cried, shaking me by the shoulders.

"My clothes? You want me to take them off? In front of everyone? Faust, I'm… not really into that?" She looked horrified. It wasn't that bad. Beeps was a nudist, if that's what you need, try appreciating her, Lord knows she works hard enough.

"Lyle, your 'clothes' are a Shoggoth! She is flinging tentacles and eyes everywhere! Can you not see? She has been raping you for hours! We are trying to save you!"

"Rape? What? Faust, I don't need saving. I'm great. This is great. I love my new clothes." She rumbled, in appreciation, and my vision danced. I smiled, in response.

"Lyle? You're scaring me…" Blackberry?

We flowed across the floor, our feet sliding without friction, moving to comfort my sweet, cute Bicorn. She stepped back. We stopped. I frowned.

"I… Blackberry, honey, it's okay." We reached out, and tentacles passed down my arm, extending my reach, briefly exposing my arm.

Beeps was on it in an instant, her grip like a vice.

I didn't like that.

"Beeps, let me go."

She got right up into my face, inches from my nose.

"NEVER." Her gears clanged, steam escaping, adding a cacophonous roar to her normally empty tone.

What? That's…

"COMPROMISED." Her body howled, and I recognized the phrase. It was meant to be used when Beeps believed I was in the grips of a hostile Mamono, that I couldn't trust my judgement. I… didn't agree, but… that's not what this was about. If she was right, I couldn't understand the situation properly. The question was… did I trust her?

Of course I did.

"Okay, Beeps. I think you're wrong, but you'd never misuse this. What do you need me to do?"

"EMBRACE." The screaming metal and screech of pressurized steam was suddenly really getting on my nerves, but I hugged her anyway. I could feel my body being pulled away, but it was my body, this was my Beeps. More and more of my body came into contact with her as the steam blasted at me, until my clothes were blown clean off. We held each other, naked and in love.

The howling died down, even as the gooey woman tried to engulf me again. Beeps refused to allow her to separate us.

"Seniority." She asserted, looking the Shoggoth in the eye.

The Shoggoth leapt at me again, trying incessantly to find a way in, and failing. She could enter my body by any means she wished, but Beeps stood firm. There was no coming between us.

"Seniority." She repeated, and she headbutted me, hitting my forehead with her own. Ow? What? Oh, right.

"Of course, Beeps. You're still my number one deputy, no matter what." The Shoggoth deflated at that, collapsing into a puddle. She quivered and shook, crying silently.

Oh. Well, that wasn't okay.

"Excellent work, Beepatrice. I have it contained. I will banish it presently." Sure enough, a circle of purple light surrounded the girl, she sloshed and slammed against it, trying to break free, but she couldn't. She pounded at the invisible wall, wailing and calling out for me, albeit silently.

"Faust, Beeps…"

"No!" "No."

They replied in unison. Heh. Already on the same page, huh? …Not the time, Lyle.

"No, listen. This… wasn't right." I looked sternly at the slime-girl, and she slumped, shrinking back, and also literally shrinking, parts of her sliding to someplace away. "But we can negotiate with her. She's… useful, right Faust?" And a really good fuck, holy shit.

"Useful she may be, Lyle, but this was far beyond the pale." Faust said, without a hint of irony.

I just raised an eyebrow at her.

…

She blushed.

"Ahem… Yes, well perhaps there is some room for forgiveness after all." She said, quickly.

Wow, so generous.

"She can protect me, let me protect myself. An extra layer of security. Especially useful this week, right?" I turned back to look at the Shoggoth, "That is, if she agrees to play nice."

She nodded excitedly, turning back into clothes immediately.

"Besides listening to Beeps, that means no manipulation. No physical, no mental, none." Unless I beg you for it. I might. She turned back into a woman, crossing her arms and pouting. "It's my body, if you want to share it, you're agreeing to let me live my life and ride along, not to live my life for me. That's the deal."

She shifted her hips a little as she considered, drawing my eye. I started drooling, just slightly. She smirked, then nodded.

I looked at Faust, who dropped the wall, if begrudgingly, and…

I got dressed.

 

[Radmelon]

I've always had mixed feelings about this chapter. The shoggoth sorta comes out of nowhere, and I very much don't agree with Lyle's decision to keep her, but for better or worse it does turn out better in the end for it. Maybe I'm just not as nice as Lyle is. The mental fuckery also doesn't sit well with me, but she does agree to leave that aside for the most part. Also this chapter does showcase the bond between Beeps and Lyle, and that part I love. Seniority indeed.

 

[The_Letter_K]

It seemed the situation was now mostly under control. Lyle was in the room. The Shoggoth, while she was still pleasuring I love you, Lyle past the point of breaking, had fought vigorously, turning aside spell and strike with equanimity and equal ease, which, as I love you, Lyle had indicated, made her an excellent bodyguard, once leashed and turned to our cause. I still misliked her, however, and Blackberry seemed to fear her, and not without fair basis.

The crisis averted, though, meant I needed to return to my work. Leave the room with Lyle in it? Why? There was much to be done, I had Beepatrice's borrowed loyalty only for a few scant days. If I wished to ensure she would bend knee to me willingly afterwards, I needed to work hastily. My lunch with the Queen was today, as well.

"Come along, Beepatrice, back to work. Lyle is now stable, as you yourself have seen." And if that bitch tried to run off with him… well, he'd slept in his beds. Callback Beds, both. He was already destined to return to us, to me, night after night, whenever he slept elsewhere. He could no longer escape. He would come to love me. He would. I simply must believe it.

He had not yet masturbated to me today. It had been nearly fifteen hours now since the last time. Why, Lyle? I love you, Lyle.

Beepatrice fell into line behind me, and I felt a thrill run through my body. Her service was not without its draws. That she derived pleasure from following commands was not knowledge I believed I love you, Lyle to possess. She was hopelessly addicted to him, to his service, in that way we were much the same, and if I could only teach her body to accept my orders as well, without the intermediary of I love you, Lyle's own desires… If I could believe she needed me… I might be able to open my heart to her as well. My encounter with Fran had been rousing, true, but… she could still choose to betray us.

Still, the female form held many more pleasures than the male, for all that I needed ejaculate to survive. Semen was enjoyable to partake in, by itself, beyond even the most floral of descriptions, but to share in that feeling with one you loved, to know she was feeling it too, that was a joy higher still. I love you, Lyle must never be allowed to learn of the methods that could sustain him indefinitely as a man, or he might choose to toss those pleasures aside, and we could never share them as we did every night in my dreams. Research has shown without equivocation, even the most sensual Incubus still enjoys sex less than the most innocent Mamono does, without any effort on her part. Our brains were simply better wired for it. I would experience every inch of it, and then I would share this beautiful feeling with the one who meant the most to me. It must be done, if he is ever to return my feelings.

Beepatrice was invaluable as an assistant, passing tools as I asked for them, then, eventually, slowly, before I asked for them. She knew enough about magical theory, or was perhaps simply so effective at pattern recognition, that I needed not even speak, she grasped my intent and supplemented my motion. Could she not see how wonderful we could be, if we could only toss this feud aside? I was not blameless, true, my own temper caused as many problems as her surprisingly acerbic temperament, but now, for this short time, she must treat me as she would the one we adored, and it was so right. Couldn't she see that?

Inspired by I love you, Lyle's recent… adventures, I was attempting to create a spell that would allow me to walk upon the ceiling. Beepatrice might find it useful in her cleaning, true, but for myself, the draw was clear. When we engaged in intercourse upon the underside of the roof, I love you, Lyle's life would constantly be in my hands, my grip all that prevented him from death. He must come to accept that I would arbitrate such things, that these decisions were mine, if we were ever to bring him to transcendence.

But the time drew near, we must away. Such things are less important than ensuring my place with I love you, Lyle was secure, and to that end, we must visit the Queen.

- ​

Run:Routine.Diagnostic
….
Processing.
Begun.
Current Designation: Elite Unit: Beepatrice
Previous Designation: Elite Unit: # 9 of 9 – Limited Run
Current Allegiance: Lyle
Previous Allegiance: World Government: International Demonic Invasion Prevention and Monster Management Division (Note: Out of Contact)
Current Rank: Super Cute Head Maid

Sub-rank: Town Deputy​

Previous Rank: High Commander: Special Operations, Combat, and Infiltrations Unit.
Current Task: Serve the Hated One (Time limit: 5 days 17 hours 43 Minutes 12 Seconds 01 Milliseconds)
Previous task: Routine Maintenance and Attraction Enhancement (Operation: Success)
Current Status: Very Sexy, Frustrated, Annoyed, Amorous, Longing, Away from Lyle
Current Location: Queen Twinkle Star's Palace, Morningwood, Away from Lyle

"Beepatrice, Sally tells me you are something of an artist?"

Subject: Queen Twinkle Star
Race: Monster

Subtype: Titania​

Subtype: Leanan Sidhe​

Rank: Landlord
Suggested Disposition: Polite Disinterest
Physical Description: …Complicated

Inferring… Subject desires demonstration of Unit's artistic prowess.

Run:Show.Off.For.Lyle

Unit nods.
To do: Use language to express multiple abilities and desirability. "Renaissance"

"I've provided some stone here; could you demonstrate?"

Subject: Stone Pillar
Race: Mineral

Subtype: Marble​

Rank: Object
Suggested Disposition: Extreme Violence
Physical Description: Large, Square, Boring

Unit assesses Subject suitability.
Suitability: High.
Unit nods.
Unit enters combat against Subject: Stone Pillar
Subject: Stone Pillar – Defeated (Elapsed time: 1 Minute 3 Seconds)

Subject: Cute Statue
Race: Mineral

Subtype: Marble​

Rank: Lyle (Inanimate)
Suggested Disposition: Adoration
Physical Description: Lyle, Standing, Naked, Erect, Attractive, Grateful, Full-scale
Suggested Action: Intercourse

WARNING: Intercourse prevented by current task.
Unit curses the Hated One
Unit serves the Hated One
Unit receives PLEASURE for service.
…Unit curses the Hated One​

Subject: Queen Twinkle Star assessing Subject: Cute Statue
Expected Result: Awe, Satisfaction

"Well… There's definitely passion in it, I guess. And technical skill…" Expression: Distasteful "But… you didn't try, really, and that's where the flavor actually comes from. That's what takes a statue, and makes it art."

"It truly is an excellent likeness, however. But that it is made from marble, it depicts him precisely as he was, scant hours ago, after being freed from that Shoggoth."

Subject: Sally Franks – Faust von Frankenstein

Designation: The Hated One
Designation: Temporary Master​

Race: Monster

Subtype: Sexy Lich
Subtype: Loner Loser​

Rank: Jealous Unworthy Bitch That Master Loves Anyway Because HE is too Generous
Suggested Disposition: Quiet Disdain
Physical Description: Short, Chubby, Dead, Cute Curly Hair, Attractive
Suggested Action: Inconvenience

Warning: Suggested action not possible due to current task.
Unit curses the Hated One
Unit serves the Hated One
Unit receives PLEASURE for service.
…
…Unit curses the Hated One​

"That may be, but art is about struggle. It's about taking the time to make something worth the effort, and I can't but think that if she can accomplish this in such a short time, that if she actually applied herself, she could really achieve something. You know, like you did, Sally."

JEALOUSY.

"Like I did? What do you mean, my Queen?"

"Please, Sally, I am your little Twinkle Star." Subject Assessment: Not Little

Subject is exaggerating. Possibly displaying 'cuteness'. Cataloguing.

"It is difficult to think of you in that way, as you sit upon your throne of supplicants."

"Who, them? They're sweethearts, it's performance art. I'm rather enjoying it, actually. They're calling it, 'The Throne of Mamono is Man'. Let me tell you, the name may be a bit on the nose, but…" Subject's hips shift. Subject is engaged in intercourse. "The fit is exquisite."

"It seems as such. But, what did you mean?"

"Ah yes, but of course I refer to your body, my dear. Though I wished to bring you into the world of Mamono as one of my own creatures, you have, in your transformation, and your efforts afterwards, made a canvass of yourself, devoted to your lover. It is distractingly beautiful. Far moreso than this simple statue."

Despair. Failure. Hated One surpasses Unit.

.
.
.

To do: Produce Art

-​

Grass was even tastier when some you loved had stepped on it, Lyle had been right! He didn't even eat grass; how did he know? I snuck a nibble really quick while he wasn't looking. I was so hungry lately.

Amy was the best friend I could have ever asked for! Other than Sally. Oh, and Beeps. And Lyle!

But Amy was great too! She suggested going on a walk, and I really missed being outside! Wow, the way the sun warmed my fur so much more now that I was depraved, and it had blackened as a warning, it was like a little hug from nature. 'Good job, Raspberry, you're still a good girl,' the sun seemed to say. 'I'm Blackberry,' I would whisper back. 'Whoops,' the sun would probably blush, but no one could tell, so it would be okay.

Lyle was sitting, having just climbed into my saddle, in my saddle oh my god, tired after only a few miles. Poor guy. We'd get him back in shape! Although… then he wouldn't need to ride me anymore? Oh no! But this was Amy's idea! …Is Amy a traitor? Sally warned me about traitors. They seem like your friends at first, but then they see your weird ugly birthmark when you're at the lake and they all laugh at you and no one wants to talk to you ever again after you stab the meanest one, even if it was only a little. But… I didn't think I had a birthmark? Maybe on my back? I didn't think I wanted to stab anyone either. Maybe with my horn if I were really, really mad? Oh, horns. Two, now, like a monster. Right. I'm not a Unicorn anymore.

…Sally was very smart though! She wouldn't warn me for no reason. Just because I've never met a traitor yet doesn't mean I wouldn't! And there was a lake right over there!

"Hey, Amy?"

"Um… yes, Blackberry?"

"Is there a birthmark on my back?" Hahaha! I've got you cornered, maybe-traitor!

She moved aside my long hair, looking at my back. "Uh… no? Should there be?"

"Probably not! But it doesn't hurt to check!" She was safe. Now, to reassure her that I wasn't a traitor!

"You don't have any weird birthmarks either, Amy!"

"Uh… thanks?"

I nodded, smiling. We understood each other.

We trotted along, and it was really reassuring hearing the clop clop clop of her hooves alongside mine. I missed my herd. But… they don't want Bicorns in the herd, so… I have to stay away.

Sometimes, I wanted to make a new herd with Lyle, but… I'm not supposed to. Mama said that Bicorns are the worst, and it's every Unicorn's duty to outbreed them. We can't… um… do the thingy… with anyone who isn't our husband, because we'll become Bicorns… which I did, sort of, Sally helped me with her magic, but also because… when you do it, you get foals, even if you aren't ready, and you still need to care for them. It's your duty. And if you become a Bicorn, if you're a bad girl and betray your family, it's your duty to let the good Unicorns who listened to their Mama outbreed you. No foals. So you can't do the thingy at all. Ever.

…So I can't make a new herd. I miss my Mama, but she won't ever hug me again, or tell me I've been good… or, or sing songs with me…

No. I have to be strong, like my heroines! Like Tallgrass, the brave! Like Pinecone, the pretty! Like Dandelion, the smart! Like… like Sally! They're not just stories, they're herd, too! Mama said so! Except Sally, I never told Mama about Sally.

She wouldn't have liked her, not at all…

Anyway! Just like them, I found my husband, and just like them, love will carry us through the day, and into the night!

Right?

"Lyle?" I asked, "Can you… I'd like a hug please…"

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, and it was the best thing ever, even the hug from the sun melted away, and I started swaying on the path, having trouble walking straight. But… the good feelings were bad. I knew that. Mama said your body would try to trick you, make you do bad things, but you shouldn't listen. It wasn't Lyle's fault he made me feel like that. If I'd been good, we could have been together. I'd just have to suffer it, for him.

A good wife listens to her Mama and loves her husband.

- ​

While I waited for the others to begin our walk, a bit belayed, I looked down at my hooves. I shouldn't be able to see them. But as much as it hurt, there was always a little thrill there, too. See, Amy? You are a Mamono. You might be a runt, but… that doesn't mean you're nothing. My goggles clung reassuringly on my forehead, pressing into the skin, reminding me I could be brave, if I had to. Nobody got to push me around. Not anymore.

I was a little afraid to go out, at first. Lyle had that… thing on, still. I knew it wasn't right the moment I saw it; I should have trusted my instincts. Stupid. But, it seemed to be under control, now. Once it accepted Beeps as the better Mamono, it calmed down a lot. I… couldn't do anything, though. Anything other than stand there, watching him look up at me with desire in his eyes. I almost broke my promise to myself right then and there. I'd wanted someone to look at me like that for so long… But it was false. Fake. I had to earn it.

I still wish he'd drank my milk, though. If… he tried it, and he liked it, and he wanted more… I'd give it to him. I'd met a lot of guys who'd dismissed me immediately. Holstaurus hardly even count as having a harem, when paired with another Mamono. It was incredibly common for threesomes to form from a couple getting a tour of anyplace that hired us. Hired them, anyway. I'd been called 'cosplayer' more than I cared to admit, before I made the goggles. It wasn't long after that people got word to quit being nasty. But fear isn't any more helpful than disgust, and… it wasn't like I could win a fight with the stronger girls anyway. The most I'd ever beaten was… Well, I didn't like to think about her, but she'd show up eventually.

She always did.

I gave Blackberry a hug, in greeting, it'd quickly become our custom. I loved hugs, loved the way I felt as her chest pressed against mine, against my tits, so incredibly sensitive, so overwhelming… so goooooood…

And then it was over. I'd have that one day, for real, not just these tiny, quick tastes, but someone who really appreciated what I had to offer. Maybe Lyle. Maybe. He'd said as much himself. Though, for all his "space to work that out organically," he sure seemed chummy with that Shoggoth thing. And I guess Faust was going to make him into a Zombie at some point…? Probably just being polite. But that was still a step up from where I'd been, in that box. That close to the city, there wasn't a huge chance I'd have met someone hostile, but… I'd known that the chance was there. I'd sat anyway. I'd been in a bad place, trying the last, most desperate thing I could think of. Thank the Lord it paid off.

At least they were all nice. Faust, for all her psychosis, had seriously rocked my world that day on the hill, I never realized it could be like that. Her magic was amazing. I could work on her personal problems. We'd be going at it again, I was sure, though with her and Beeps apparently bonding, when that was going to be was something of a mystery. Beeps was cool too; I'd already let her try some of my milk. She loved it. That satisfied "Delicious", it had been everything I'd ever wanted. Well, she could have said a bit more, actually, but going straight to the other breast was almost as good. She was all business, though. Not really interested beyond the benefits the milk provided. I wanted to get her to lighten up some. Until I did, I couldn't get what I needed there. It was still a helpful release.

Blackberry… She was the best one, but she also kind of unnerved me. There was something wrong with her, and I didn't think the others saw it. Something… had been done to her. Something like what had happened to me. It was in the way she looked at people, desperate for their approval, her frightening innocence, which the others took at face value… but for me, that screamed warning signs. Mamono don't act like that, not unless they're putting on a show for their husbands, anyway. This was... too real, and it terrified me. She seemed to think she needed to help me, bring me out of my shell, and I appreciated it, but I was determined to help her, too. The others seemed to be taking it slow with her, at least. I approved of that. Lyle and I would have to talk, later, see what we could arrange, what his current plans were. I just had to stammer through it.

I was going to earn my place here.

They'd never want me gone.

Please.

 

[Thelxiope]

Oh, I do like Amy.

And, well, I was waiting for the other horseshoe to drop, as it were, regarding Blackberry.

 

[The_Letter_K]

Amy kept sneaking glances at my clothes, while Blackberry went at great lengths to avoid looking at them. I knew it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it anyway. I'd frightened the both of them, likely Faust and Beeps as well, though those two were a bit more… sturdy.

There wasn't any easy way to bring the tension down, either, other than to just move on, restore normalcy. The facts were that I needed this Shoggoth, she purred, needed her to help me stay safe out here, on the streets of a monster city. Even Beeps, for all her positives, wasn't quite as effective at this specific task. Not unless I gave her a piggyback ride till the end of time, anyway. Cute as that might be, and happy as she might be to do it, my arms would get tired eventually. Stupid human arms.

The streets of Morningwood were not quite as crowded as they'd been on our arrival, it was still technically the morning hours, but I was willing to bet that as midday approached, we'd see more and more activity as couples finally dragged themselves out of bed. Sights I might never have imagined were already gracing my eyes. Odd couples, and not just with men, it seemed lonely Mamono were inclined to pair off, at least temporarily. Or perhaps it was just their nature to treat casual friends as lovers? I saw, for instance, many a Succubus with their tail buried deep inside a nearby partner, casually fucking in the streets as they walked and shopped. That was commonplace, to the point Succubi on their lonesome was more uncommon.

Glass jars with Holstaur milk were passed around freely outside certain shops, Amy always sped up as we passed any employee doing that job, and seemed to watch me from the corner of her eye, ensuring I wasn't checking out the competition. I didn't know them, and didn't want to, so I avoided making a fool of myself on that front at least.

Construction crews tore down and rebuilt structures across the city, always with an eccentric visionary of one sort or another leading the charge. Occasionally, an argument about how to proceed broke out, and the two Mamono would tackle each other, fighting for dominance in pleasure games. Even the more relaxed, friendly types occasionally got involved in romps like that, though they rarely initiated.

Most interesting was the Prisoner fruit, kept in baskets lining the streets. I noticed girls just taking and eating them, sometimes two at a time. There always seemed to be more in the baskets, and there were plenty of baskets.

"Amy, are those…?"

"Oh, uh… the fruits? Are they free, you mean?"

"Yeah. I knew they were common in Demon realms, but…"

She nodded. "They are. It's… sort of like a courtesy food. They're technically addictive… but since we never run out…"

"They're that plentiful?"

"Mmm…" She'd grabbed one and bitten in, as we were talking. "Yeah. There's not much point in selling them. It'd be like selling air. They grow in gardens and empty soil whether you want them to or not. Of course, the only ones who don't want them to haven't tried them yet."

"That's… isn't that kind of creepy?"

"Maybe? It's not like people push them on you, they just think you're kind of silly if you don't eat them. Free, tasty, way too satisfying, they're kinda hard to hate."

The smell of the juices running down her lips was incredibly tempting. It smelled a little… familiar actually.

"Can I try one, Amy?" Uh, Blackberry… are you sure?

But she was already biting in, after Amy had nodded to her, gesturing at a basket. I… the delight on her face… I was jealous.

"Wow! These are soooo good! They're free!?"

Amy nodded again, shrinking back a little under Blackberry's excited interrogation.

I… that smell, I couldn't place it… Aw hell, they're free, right? It's not like I'm ever heading back to the Pure Lands anyway, not to live there, at least.

The soft, fleshy fruit brought to mind the feeling of Beepatrice's chest under my fingers, and I shivered as the juices stained my hands. Abundantly sweet, but not too rich, it felt like it reached directly into my pleasure centers and sparked them off as the sensation hit my tongue. This taste… it was definitely familiar…? I'd never had Prisoner fruit before, and while I could hardly call that a mistake, given where I'd been living, I had to say I was grateful they were in baskets lining the streets. I'd spend way too much money on them, otherwise.

But why would I spend that money when I could just eat Faust out for free?

…Wait! That's what it was! This fruit, it tasted like Faust's cum, and a little like her kisses, as well. Wow, that was… I was torn between feeling really lucky I got to experience that whenever I wanted, while also having sex, and being a little peeved that she'd done that to herself before I'd had the chance to try it on my own. Now these fruits would always remind me of her, rather than her tasting like them.

Oh. Duh. That's the point.

Amy was blushing, looking at me with knowing eyes. At least I didn't have to explain why I'd gone unresponsive in front of Blackberry. Blackberry herself was preoccupied with her own fruit, and hadn't noticed. Speaking of 'hadn't noticed', I'd finished the whole thing, and was licking my fingers. Remembering that Faust hadn't known what cunnilingus was, I gestured toward my crotch, in Amy's line of sight, then mouthed "Faust" to her confused glance, holding up the fruit. Didn't I finish...? Oh well.

Her eyes widened, and her blush deepened. I was right, she'd only tasted her kiss. Someone was going to have fun, next time.

Ugh. Faust. When we got back I needed to kiss that girl senseless. I'd forgotten to feed her this morning, too. We needed to get in the habit, I wouldn't let her starve herself for her pride's sake. Maybe I could convince her to wake me up with…

This was a bad place to let my thoughts slip in that direction. Although not for much longer, we could hold one, maybe two more on Blackberry's back, metaphorically. Soon I'd be free to run wild. ...What would that look like?

Moving on, and grabbing another fruit for the road, we continued down the streets.




Later on, we paused at a café, just to grab some waters. I took a card Faust had given me, and showed it to the waitress, a cute Kakuen, a monkey type-Mamono, holding the trays up on her tail. She raised an eyebrow, but that was apparently enough to get us waters and a table without a fuss. Hopefully I wasn't inconveniencing anyone.

While we waited, we listened to a duo preforming love songs to the gathered crowd of café goers; the singer, a Siren, who seemed to be a rather excellent dancer, if a bit lewd, and a Gandharva, who somehow played her stringed instrument without trouble and with a fair bit of passion, surprising, since she had no visible hands, and she couldn't possibly see her instrument past her cleavage. As they played, they were being stalked by a Werecat, moving closer and closer each time they both looked elsewhere, and, once she was close enough, she tackled them both, ending that performance and starting a new one. Maybe she thought they were singing to her? ...Maybe they were? Unsurprisingly, the Siren was rather vocal about the whole affair, so I was happy for Blackberry's sake we'd finished our waters, and were on our way out.

There was a large party of Witches, Dark Mages, and a Dhampir at a nearby table, I'd avoided their gaze throughout our rest, but... since we were leaving, I felt pretty confident about my safety, and I asked the group a question that had been bothering me.

"Excuse me, ladies?" Giggles, and a Dark Mage stood up.

"Can I help you, sir?" It was very clear how she wanted to help me, but I knew I was about to throw her off of her groove, so I wasn't too nervous.

"I was wondering where it was you bought your hats?"

Her expression was priceless.

"Our… hats?"

"Yes, it's just… I have a wife, a Lich, brilliant with magic, but Lichs never seem to have hats with them when they rise… I was hoping to get her one, as a gift."

A chorus of "Aawwww"s broke out, both the disappointed kind, and the kind that meant they thought I was the cutest thing.

"That's really sweet. If you want hats, you gotta shop… um… Hey, Carla? What's the name of that Hatter over on Missionary?"

"Akubra!" 'Carla', I assumed.

"Right," the Mage continued, "Akubra. Best in the business. Mad as the day is long, but there's no helping that. Tell her Tracey sent you, you'll get a price cut, so will I."

"No, tell her Carla sent you! I was the one who knew her name, don't steal my discount!"

"Akubra, on Missionary. Tracey and Carla sent me, got it. Thanks, ladies."

I felt eyes grow on my clothing, on my shoulder blades, making sure we weren't followed. I patted my leg in thanks, and got a rumble of joy in response.

 

[Queen Fiona]

A mad hatter? Oh, we're all mad here...

Will try and get a big reply out soon...or maybe I'll let K handle her commentary soon herself first? I know she mentioned that to me.

 

[The_Letter_K]

AN: There will be two updates today because I was too busy playing 'Spider-man; Miles Morales' to remember I had other things to do yesterday. The other one will be this evening.



It wasn't a difficult place to find. Missionary, and by extension most of the other main streets, led to and from the central ring around the castle district, which meant we were never too far from our house, even at the furthest reaches of the city, and finding Missionary street was as simple as walking along the closest ring until you reached it. Knowing which way to go after that wasn't as simple, but we were on a walk anyway, and the streets weren't too long, so a stroll up and down the length of it wasn't too arduous.

Identifying the right building was even easier, there was a big sign on a small building which simply read: "Hats". The building itself had a roof, as most do, but this roof in particular was shaped like a hat itself, wide-brimmed and covered in little flourishes, such as feathers, sequins, buttons, and the like. Peering closer, it appeared it was not a roof at all, but an actual hat, set over the roof such that it encompassed it entirely. Effective advertising.

"Um, Lyle?" Blackberry asked, sounding vaguely concerned.

"Yes?"

"I really don't think… I can go in there."

Oh. It was the cave problem again, this time without Beepatrice as the obvious solution. I could hardly leave her here by herself, but… I wasn't keen to go in alone, either. Maybe this would have to wait.

But then I saw the hat in the window.

It was exactly what I'd been going to order, and more besides, a wide, tall, witch-style hat, dark blue, bordering on black, to match Faust's cloak. It was ringed by little plush skulls around the brim, except just left of center on the front, where two gravestones were instead, one with 'Faust' sewn into it, the other with 'Lyle'. A small plushy Lich was tucked behind one, holding hands with a plushy Wight, partially hidden behind the other. The gravestones were a cute idea, and I wished I'd thought of them, but seeing something like this casually on display in the window made me very… concerned.

"I… don't think I can either." I said, and I looked at Amy, who was looking between me and the hat with alarm.

"Yeah…" She said, "I think we should just…. Go."

We turned to leave, and I crashed into a woman who had, apparently, been right behind me.

"Oh, hello." She seemed not at all concerned, speaking as we fell to the ground, her expression serene, like she often fell to the ground after bumping into strange men, and it was nothing to be troubled about. "How do you do?"

My clothes lashed out, forming tentacles that kept me from landing on her, and pushed me instead back to my feet. I reached down to help her up.

"Akubra, I presume?" She certainly looked the part, well-dressed in greenish blues with diamond pattern, a hat which might or might not be a living part of her head, tiny mushrooms growing out of her body at certain points, eyes that didn't seem to focus on anything in particular, and a slight smile, like the world was amusing, or fascinating, but she'd grown mostly used to it.

"Yes. Are you here for a hat? I'm afraid I reserve my best for human women, you understand, but we don't get many in town. It's very sad."

Uh huh.

"I… had been thinking about ordering one, yes." Not much point in lying about that now. Her smile grew a bit, at my admission. "Tracey and Carla said you were the best in town."

"Best in the business, I believe they said." Akubra clarified.

Oh, that's right, they had said that. I nodded. Then I shook my head. I wasn't getting caught up in this nonsense.

"Look, I think we have to go. We've got a long walk home." I gestured vaguely in the wrong direction.

"But," Blackberry said, and I turned to look at her, she was pointing the other direction, the correct one, "Our house is that way, near the palace."

Thank you, Blackberry. "Thank you, Blackberry."

By the time I turned back, Akubra was exiting her shop, holding the hat I'd seen in the window. Faust's hat. Amy was blinking her eyes rapidly, as though she'd just seen something unseeable.

"Why don't you take this with you, then? Consider it a free sample. We can talk about your next order when I drop by for tea."

I… it's not like the hat was evil, right? Just… really weird. Wait. "Tea?" She'd said it so matter-of-fact that it'd nearly slipped by. The sky is blue, the weather's nice, I'm dropping by for tea. It was unsettling how completely not unsettling the statement was.

"Oh my. You've never had tea before, Lyle?" She seemed vaguely affronted, a frown even lighter than her smile had been flitted across her face, only barely discernable, settling into a determined set of her jaw. "I will brew some up special, then."

That wasn't what I… Ugh, never mind.

"You can't just show up at my house uninvited, Akubra."

"Of course not, Lyle, that would be quite rude. However, I can show up to my house whenever I like." She smiled again, in a slightly self-satisfied way. Her expression, consistently friendly, also never seemed to have left the 'explaining something to your dimwitted but beloved friend' range, even when she frowned.

Okay, true, but… "You don't live in my house, Akubra." Again, she had spoken completely matter-of-fact, so blasé that the meaning could easily pass by with your unwitting agreement, even watching for it, it was a little slippery.

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you quite certain? There are many doors in your house, correct? Have you checked them all?"

Uh… well no, but… "That's not… I mean… You aren't…" Does she? Oh my lord, I didn't even check? What if she was some kind of royal house-sitter on the side?

"I see," she said, gently, and I was quite certain somehow that she did, even though I knew I was confused myself. "So you can't be certain that I don't, correct? Perhaps… I have been there all along?"

"Well…" I had no real argument here. It was entirely possible. Way too possible, in fact. I'd be checking all the doors on my return, assuming I could do so without binding them to me.

"In that case, isn't it you who's being rude, trying to lock me out of my home? And after I gave you such a delightful free sample." The hat, speaking of, had left her hands and wound up in mine at some point while my head was spinning. It really was delightful. Exactly what I'd planned to order.

"Um, Lyle?" Blackberry again, "I'm confused."

Me too. "Amy, are you following this?"

"Not at all." she said, rubbing at her eyes, "I got lost… almost as soon as she started talking. I'm still not sure what I saw when she… Ugh."

"I guess…" I turned back to Akubra, calling her… bluff? "We'll see you when we get home?" Assuming you're telling the truth anyway. No need to tell her she'd be packing her bags, if so.

"Oh, no." She said, "I'm afraid I'll be working late tonight. I may not make it home for a while. But if you ever find yourself confused and frustrated, Lyle, I will be here for you." She took a small cup from her shoulder, where it had been balanced, even when she'd fallen early on, and took a sip from it.

If I ever find myself confused and frustrated, even odds you're the cause, Akubra. We left while she was distracted.

...Wait, when did I tell her my name?







Leaving all of that behind, and not thinking about it too hard, we made our way back towards home, hat in hand. We stopped to trot for a bit in the park ring, which spanned the city, somewhere near the middle, and I rode in Blackberry's saddle for a time, exhausted. It was shortly after I climbed out again, after we had passed the lake, that I heard it.

"Oh my Lord, you're perfect!"

Ugh. Another one? I tensed, preparing to evade another tackle from some overzealous woman too lonely for her own good, but the moment never came.

"Um, Lyle?" Looking towards the source of that confused plea, I found that a Demon, a type of Mamono set apart from regular Succubi almost solely by their blue skin and black eyes, was circling not me, but Blackberry, looking for all the world completely enthralled.

"Hi-hi! I'm Abstinence Obscenity Fuck-Parade Magenta, but my friends call me Magenta! And girl, do I ever have an offer for you!" What the hell kind of name is that?

"Your name is… Abstinence?" I asked.

"Ugh, the tag-along. Yes, my name is Abstinence." She was giving me a dirty look, as though she couldn't believe I was intruding on her time. "I know it's kinda gross, but my Mom has a thing for shocking people. It's not like I picked it."

"I've heard of you," Amy spoke up, "aren't you the wet-dream star?"

"Oh? A fan? Yes, yes," she preened, "I am that Magenta, which of my dreams made you most wet?"

Uh, wow. Now that's a question. Amy seemed prepared for it though.

"Learn to Count and Multiply is great, but I like your corruption series best, Brash Girl Goes Tame is my favorite." Amy seemed excited, none of her usual reticence was present at all.

"Ah yeah, the Holstaur one, not surprising. That's pretty popular. She was really spunky, but once she tried that milk, it was all downhill, she got so demure, and then, once her tits came in, she got spunky all over again!" Both she and Amy shuddered a little at that. I guess you had to have been there?

"You said you had an offer for Blackberry?" I asked, having used the time where Amy was distracting her to move between Blackberry and Magenta.

"Oh right!" she said, and she tried to move back between me and Blackberry again. "Girl, you have got that figure," she made a motion with her hands, miming the Bicorn's admittedly impressive curves, "and this… innocent vibe I've never even seen before! Blackberry, I can make you… a STAR!"

Amy started choking.

Wait. What kind of… not… a porn star? Blackberry!? No. No. Nononono.

"Uh, I don't think so." I said, crossing my arms, making an x shape.

"I wasn't asking you, cum nozzle, I was talking to the lady."

Before I had the chance to be offended for being dismissed like that, Blackberry cut in.

"Like… the star of a story? A heroine!?" She asked, a little too eager.

"If that's what you want, baby, I can hook you up. We got roles for all kinds."

"Blackberry, sweetheart, I don't know if you're ready for this kind of thing…" I said, delicately.

"Lyle, I could be a heroine to some poor, lonely, frightened girl out there! I could be… inspiring!" Her eyes were gleaming, I was losing this argument.

Magenta, for her part, looked smug, and satisfied.

"Blackberry, watch me for a moment, please." I placed a finger on Amy shoulder. Blackberry started blushing. "Gaze upon me, my love, as I touch a woman, one which I have yet to confess feelings for!" She started breathing heavily, and Magenta was looking confused.

"Oh Lyle, this is so filthy. Out here in the streets? Have you no shame?" Blackberry was working herself up again. We'd be cuddling for sure when we got home.

"What… is going on?" Magenta asked, seeming vaguely unsettled.

It was Amy who answered. "Blackberry is very… depraved and lascivious. So incredibly lustful and erotic." She put as much emphasis on each word as she could, and gestured to my finger, "but, although she's such a degenerate, even she can only barely handle displays of carnal desire so powerful and blatant as this."

I willed Magenta to take the hint. She didn't.

"I'm not asking too much of her; I just want her to have sex on camera." Oh yes. Very reasonable.

"Wait," Blackberry said, "I'm sorry, Lyle's right. I can't do that. I can't get… pregnant. I'm not allowed to have foals." Wow. Yikes. Well... that's confirmation she knows what sex is at least.

"Have foals!? Not allowed!?" Magenta whirled on me instantly, stalking towards me, "What kind of sick lies have you been pumping into her head you twisted fuckstick?"

Amy got in her way, placating; "It's not like that. Lyle found her like this, we're working on it. Gently."

Magenta was practically frothing, but she'd stopped her advance.

"Actually, Amy," Blackberry replied, "I'm the one who's working on Lyle." She started to whisper, "We cuddled the other day. I couldn't believe it!" She returned to normal volume, and turned to Magenta again. "I'm sorry, but I'm Lyle's dirty, filthy girl. I can't help you."

"If you're really a dirty girl…" Magenta said, "then prove it."

"Uh, what?" Blackberry asked.

"You heard me, you said you're a dirty, filthy girl, I want proof."

Blackberry narrowed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and looked around.

She saw her target, she wasn't going to let this challenge go unanswered.

She bent over, cutting a surprisingly striking figure, before righting herself.

"Then watch this," she said, looking Abstinence Obscenity Fuck-Parade Magenta dead in the eye.

Then she dropped the handful of road dust into her own hair.

She shivered.

Although Blackberry was silent, I could still practically hear her say it; "So. Dirty."

I walked over and gave her a hug. "See?" Blackberry said, brushing some of the dirt into my hair as well, "He can't resist this."

Eh. True.

Magenta herself looked torn between declaring Blackberry the cutest thing ever, and giving her an 'education' then and there.

"Please," I mouthed, "gently."

She looked crossly at me, but nodded. Then she looked thoughtful.

"You know; I think… I think there still might be space for someone as… intense… as you are, Blackberry. …We have a Doppleganger, worse come to worst. I assume the two of you are a package deal?" She gestured at me. I nodded, and she reached out to shake my hand.

"Abstinence Obscenity Fuck-Parade Magenta, Porn Star," she said, stepping toward me.

"Lyle, former Town Sheriff," I replied, closing the gap between us more.

"Oh? A sheriff? Sure, I can work with-" we clasped hands, and she stopped talking, eyes widening. "No. Way."

"What?" The way she was staring at me now, hungrily, it was… somehow different from the usual looks.

"Oh, nothing." I didn't buy that for a second, "Say, Lyle, wasn't it? …Would you be interested in some, ah, private lessons?"

"Um. No? I'm kinda taken? I mean, we're looking for a Succubus, maybe, and Demons do qualify, I guess, but we're planning to do interviews, and…"

She laughed, "No, that's not quite what I had in mind. I mean, I wouldn't turn that down, a girl's gotta eat, but, it's just… With a little training, a little… educating, you might be something really special, maybe even… unique."

What does that mean? I guess I can't leave things hanging there. Let her down gently. "Uh, I'll think about it?"

"You do that." She smiled at me, and it was startling how her attitude had shifted so quickly. "Here's my card, it has directions to the studio. Keep in touch~!" She passed said card into my hand.

Then she left.

Huh.

 

[Traveller76]

I think Beepatrice needs some alone time with Lyle. A nice date just for them after her probationary period with Faust is over.

 

[Thelxiope]

"Oh? A sheriff? Sure, I can work with-" we clasped hands, and she stopped talking, eyes widening. "No. Way."

"What?" The way she was staring at me now, hungrily, it was… somehow different from the usual looks.

"Oh, nothing." I didn't buy that for a second, "Say, Lyle, wasn't it? …Would you be interested in some, ah, private lessons?"

"Um. No? I'm kinda taken? I mean, we're looking for a Succubus, maybe, and Demons do qualify, I guess, but we're planning to do interviews, and…"

She laughed, "No, that's not quite what I had in mind. I mean, I wouldn't turn that down, a girl's gotta eat, but, it's just… With a little training, a little… educating, you might be something really special, maybe even… unique."

What does that mean?

Click to shrink...

...

The evidence pile does not stop from getting taller.

Well, I'm glad that someone's noticed. I guess via some sort of magic, energy-sense thing? I'm sure Faust will take 'some random demon realizing in moments what her dark sorceries have yet to discern' well. But then, I suppose I don't really know how much, like, magic-aura-spirit-whatever analysis Faust habitually does on Lyle, so.

Magenta, I don't really know what you have planned, but ... just, be careful? Blackberry isn't the only one who would benefit from a gentle touch, I think.

 

[The_Letter_K]

It was an incredibly comfortable space, a little dark, a little musty and earthy smelling, but homey for all that. Shelves filled with books of all sizes littered the walls, apparently written on paper made from stitched-together leaves, and comfortable couches and chairs surrounded an odd, short table. There was a small, plush bed tucked tightly in behind a cluster of shelves, in the back corner of the room, kept from view by the arrangement of the room until you were practically on top of it, with a tiny stove close by. The room was done in earthy tones, mostly darker browns, and had a very 'underground' feeling. There were more than a few hints of something else, however.

There was a looking glass on one wall, and it extended all the way up to the ceiling. Following that up with your eyes, past the softly glowing mushrooms growing from the dirt walls that served as the room's lighting, revealed that the room was much taller than necessary and that the whole room itself was mirrored upside down on the roof, to the finest detail. Not with a mirror, mind you, an exact reproduction, furniture and all, down to the titles on the books, near as my eyes could tell, and even the way the covers on the bed were tucked.

There were hat racks littered across the room, as well, with hats festooning the lot, nary a hook unhung. For all the effort put into bringing the room into a unified feeling, the hats were as varied and colorful as the city itself, expressive without restraint or consideration for their surroundings as they clashed with its cohesive theme. The hat racks were also on the ceiling, but, and somehow this was the most unsettlingly to me, the hats were entirely different, there was not an identical pair in the room, which was the only change between the two 'rooms' I could detect.

I moved one of the books off the shelf, putting it down on a table, and looked up. Its mate had settled in the same position as the one I'd just set down. I watched the ceiling carefully as I did the same again, and nothing happened, until I blinked, and the two rooms suddenly matched again, the ceiling having once more changed without apparent assistance. I tried one more time, forcing my eyes to stay open, and once I was satisfied it wasn't about to move while I was watching, I looked down only to find that the book down here had moved instead, back into place while I'd been staring at its motionless brother high above me. Cheeky.

Here and there, throughout the room, there were otherwise innocuous objects with little handmade tags on them. 'Read me', 'wear me', 'drink me', and so on. I wasn't dumb enough to follow their advice, but I wasn't strong enough to avoid imagining what kinds of things might happen if I did. When did I lose my sense of wonder?

Around about the time monsters happened, probably, like the rest of the world. So… before I was born, I guess? That doesn't seem right. Ugh. Try to keep it together, Lyle, okay?

…None of that was what concerned me most, however. Why was this room in my house, now that was the question.

"Faust?" I asked, and my voice carried a myriad of questions in that one word. What is going on? Why is this room here? Why didn't we know about it? How is it doing the thing with the books? Do you want to have sex real quick? How long has this been here? Did you know about this? And, again, what is even happening?

"Lyle? What precisely is happening? Why is this room here, in our abode? Why didn't I know about it? How is it achieving the magical mirroring effect without apparent input? Exactly how long has this been here? Did you know about this? And, to reiterate, what is going on?"

Ah. On the same page, then. Great.

"I was hoping you could tell me, magic lady."

"I am not a 'magic lady,' I am a Lich, Lyle. Correct terminology exists for a reason."

Yeah, so you can fuss about it when I deliberately get it wrong. Haven't you realized that yet? It's literally the best thing.

She continued; "For the room to have reached this level of self-expression, the occupant must have been here for… years at least. If you were to ask me, I would have told you, for example, that the mushrooms were impossible, because the walls could not be made of dirt in the first place. And yet…"

'And yet.' That was a good description for this room. It shouldn't be here, shouldn't do that, shouldn't be so comfortable, so friendly feeling… And yet…

"All I know is she said she might have 'been there all along'. I thought to check to prove her wrong, and it seems like, for some reason, reality is on her side." I crossed my arms, "I have to be honest, I'm as confused about it as you are."

I wasn't telling her about the hat, yet. It was a gift, and 'hey, wanna investigate our home invasion with me' was not the right time for gifts.

Speaking of investigation; "Beeps, are you getting anything?" I felt a little stab in my heart as she failed to respond. I kept my voice steady, as I mirrored a variation on a line I'd heard from Sally many a time, "Faust, could you ask Beeps if she's getting anything?"

"Ah, yes. 'The first step'; I cannot believe I failed to remember 'the first step'. Beepatrice, any results?"

"Negative." Beeps responded, from the doorway, as she didn't seem to want to enter the room. After a pause, she elaborated.

"Nonsense."

Well, that's reassuring.

"Oh." Sally responded, "That's somewhat unsettling."

The irony of you calling something 'unsettling' is so thick I could stab it with the knife you plan to kill me with, my love. Well, assuming she plans to use a knife. Actually, what is the plan there? Maybe I'll ask her over dinner or something, she seems to find discussing it quite romantic. Later, Lyle. Don't get distracted in the spooky room.

"I have an idea." I said.

"Oh?" Faust replied, "Do tell."

"Let's leave the room, close the door, lock it, hide the doorway behind a bookshelf, and get everybody to agree to pretend it isn't here at all unless and until we can't avoid the topic anymore."

"…" Faust was speechless at my brilliant suggestion, but Beepatrice walked into the room cautiously, and unsteadily, and I had never seen her unsteady in anything, before she grabbed the both of us, and dragged us out, doing just that.








It was late at night, after Blackberry went to bed. Faust, Beeps, Amy, and myself were seated around the table in the central room.

"I admit; I am not certain of the details of her home life." Faust said, and she looked ashamed, "she always spoke so well of her family, and her reasons for not introducing me bore no examination. I myself did not wish to enter a Mamono village, as a human girl, the harmless nature of Unicorns aside. It seemed unwise. I must wonder, now, if I have failed one of my oldest, dearest friends in my negligence."

"Sheltered." Beeps opined.

"She seems so innocent, and… well, I needed that, I think. With the two pillars in my life perverted, I didn't look too closely at what, in hindsight, seems obviously out of place." I said.

"I… I thought it might be bad. But this bad? Just from what she said, the way she said it, the certainty… I think it might have been her whole herd in on it." Amy said.

"Herd?" I asked.

She nodded. "Unicorns tend to live in large groups away from other Mamono, for practical reasons, to protect their chastity, but I've never heard of something like… this. "

"I didn't realize her family was that big," I said. "No wonder she seems so clingy. Each of us is providing the attention she might normally get from three or more sisters or aunts."

"We must be prepared, too." Faust looked stricken. This was hitting her particularly hard. "If she was willing to say such things so casually, there will be more. Worse, likely, though that is difficult to imagine at this stage."

"Sympathy." Beepatrice said, and I looked at her, my gut sinking. She had lived that way too, hadn't she? Sort of, anyway. My ignorance didn't feel like enough of an excuse for putting her through that.

Faust reached out and held her hand. Beepatrice vented a little steam before she could stop herself, but did not pull her hand away. At least it looked like things were going well there. I'd still be happy when this week was over. But that wasn't the matter at hand. Get back on track, Lyle.

I forced myself to look at Amy, and she took that as an invitation to speak.

"We should talk to her, obviously, but… what do you think we should say?" She asked. "Even if she believes us the first time we say it, something like this won't go away for good for… years."

"A demonstration." Faust said, inspired, suddenly passionate. "We must simply show her it does not work that way. I cannot be the one, Lyle, you are not ready, and Beepatrice… she may be infertile. It is impossible for me to say, and she has declined to comment on the matter."

We looked at Beepatrice. She stayed quiet. We looked back at Faust.

"That leaves you and Amy, Lyle, in case that was unclear. Simply arrange for her to walk in on you two in the midst of your passions."

I started blushing, and looked away from Faust. Accidentally, I met Amy's eye, and she looked as panicked as I felt. I desperately looked away from her as well.

"Lyle." Faust said, "You and Amy have engaged in coitus, yes? You are not withholding intercourse from another Mamono, are you?"

"It's not like that!" I protested, "We're taking it slow! Getting to know each other!"

I turned back to look at Faust, to stand my ground. She had one eyebrow raised in disapproval. I wilted, a little.

"My love, if I had not been inside your body and felt your desires swell myself I would wonder truly if you were a eunuch. You are better than halfway to being an Incubus and still you restrain yourself? This is farce. Make an honest woman of the nice Holstaur, if you please, I will not have my husband acting so… pathetic."

Ouch.

"Well?" She said, impatiently, "Are you waiting for a written invitation?"

"What, now?" I yelped, appalled.

"Yes, now, and we will both of us watch to ensure the deed is done. Clearly you cannot be trusted to do these things on your own time, Lyle. If this continues I will be forced to draw up a schedule, and have Beepatrice ensure you keep to it."

Oh no, not more of her schedules. Those are a nightmare.

I looked at Amy.

She looked at me.

I looked at Amy.

She looked at me.

"Beepatrice, strip them naked and throw them into Lyle's bed together. The large one, please."

Wait, no!

 

[Radmelon]

A little late, but I love the first interlewd. Really demonstrates that every single one of Lyle's wives has some serious baggage. Makes them a little more human, ironically.

 

[The_Letter_K]

I'd thought my saving grace for controlling the pace of this situation would be the Shoggoth, which Faust seemed to have already forgotten, her presence a subtle thing, even inside her as I was, inside me as she was. True, that was how she liked it, to be unseen and unheard, felt only by me, my little secret, but I couldn't say I understood it, personally.

Either way, though, once Beepatrice had tossed Amy naked on the bed, she dragged me into the room, and when my clothing proved unwilling to be removed by force, she merely tapped her foot a few times and snapped her fingers. The Shoggoth slid off of, and out of, my body, sulkily lying folded up on the floor. I'm not certain how clothing appeared sulky, exactly, but it certainly had that aura to it. A little forlorn as well.

And wow, I felt really empty. Empty and bad. Did air always taste so foul in my lungs? Was my stomach always so achingly hungry? I'd grown so used to… being with her so quickly. I didn't even think about her, much, we were hardly separate creatures at all. Half of myself was lying on the floor, there. It was bordering on painful, not for actual pain, but the sudden lack of constant, consistent, light pleasure that she brought to every inch of me she could reach. Pleasure so natural, so right, so much a part of me since our first moments together, that since we'd rejoined, I'm not sure I'd even thought once about it, though the feelings always bubbled under my surface, over my every surface, actually. But now they weren't. It was wrong. I've been cut in half!

My torment must have shown on my face, because Beeps reached her hand to my forehead, and Faust looked worried, herself. Or perhaps they were concerned that I fell to my knees and screamed? That might have been it.

She said, "Lyle, are you-"

"No," we said, to Beeps, to Faust, to the universe, as she flowed back into and over us again, and life returned to the world, our secret kisses across our delicious body lulling us back into the feeling of safety and wholeness we'd come to know and love wholeheartedly, "we are fine."

I stood back up. "That was… completely fucking wretched, and I'm never doing it again," I said firmly.

Faust opened her mouth to protest, but in a blink, I was away from the bed, and near the doorway on the other side of the room, having passed Beepatrice. Now, I stood in front of her.

"No, Sally. Never. Again."

She shut her mouth. Good.

I took a deep breath of delicious, filtered air, and let it back out, my foul mood leaving with it, and walked back to the bed.

"Okay, Amy?" I asked, looking at the naked woman sitting cross-legged on my bed, and even shrunk in on herself, embarrassed and somewhat frightened, the context of the situation and her nakedness made it impossible to focus on her foremost as a person, to ignore how attractive she was sexually; muscular, tall, cute features and freckles, with her eyes wide and innocent looking. She had the face of a shrinking violet, but the body of a life-long athlete.

"Yeah, Lyle? Um, you are… Lyle, right?" That wasn't unfair, exactly, but I couldn't help but be annoyed by it, a little. I wish there was a way that I could show them how this felt, so they'd understand not to be afraid, but I wasn't giving up my clothing for a moment.

An idle whim shifted my outfit into comfortable, loose pajamas, the full body pleasure now rippling across my body instead, in delightful, surprising waves, while the 'fabric' moved as though under a breeze.

"Yes, I'm me, as much as anyone ever is." I said, "Being apart from her is just… it's painful. Like the world's gone rotten. It's insufferable. I can't explain it right. Sorry if I frightened you."

She nodded, slowly. "I think I understand. What was it you wanted?"

"Uh, well… you?" I asked, "Are you okay with that?"

Her face went blank.

"Because… I know Faust is being pushy, but I do like you, and she's not wrong that it's unfair for me to be holding back like I have."

She still didn't say anything, frozen.

"I mean, if that's not something you want, then-"

"No, no, no!" She panicked, bursting into motion, waving her arms around erratically, "That's exactly what I want! Every morning and night! A lot! Um, please." Then, to herself, more quietly, "Am I… awake, though? Is this really happening? It's not another Magenta dream… or an early stage nightmare, or…?"

I crawled on to the bed, awkwardly aware of our thankfully silent audience, who had stepped back against the wall, trying to hide, at least a little.

"You really want… me?" she asked, this time at full volume.

"Yeah. Sorry it took so long to stop being such a jerk about it."

"It's fine! It's really, really fine! This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" She really was kind of cute, in an awkward, endearing way, wasn't she?

I chuckled, "We haven't even started yet, Amy."

"I know," she said, eagerly, excitedly, "but so far it's just like I've been imagining you'd do it when I touch my-" she trailed off, eyes wide, and then she blushed beet red, hiding her face in her hands.

Okay, I admit, that made me pause, my advance on her halting for only the briefest moments.

She peeked through her fingers, and saw that I'd slowed. She whispered, "No, please don't hate me…"

My eyes widened, "Hate you, Amy, I'm about to fuck you! I don't hate you." I started moving again, and she laid back, as I brought myself over her. Wow she made me feel small. "I was just a little surprised at your… honesty. That's all." Not every day someone says 'I think about you when I touch myself.' Even Faust only implied that, if I recall correctly.

She didn't seem to believe me, though, her face still hiding in her hands, muttering "No, no, no, you ruined it, Amy, you ruined it!"

Luckily for me, even I knew what you were meant to do with an upset Holstaur. I sat down on her stomach, her abs having little give, but providing a solid seat.

Then I touched her breast.

Her hands flew from her face, slamming down into the bed with force that made me glad I wasn't in their path, gripping the sheets, as her body squirmed under me, her eyes locking onto mine, with her pupils dilated to the point her blue irises were practically invisible. She was looking at me like I was the only thing in the world.

Huh. So this is how that feeling looks from the other end. I like it.

"Aaaaaaahhh…" she moaned, softly. I wasn't even moving my hand, just resting it there. Wow. Now this is what power feels like.

I shifted a finger, just one, across her nipple, and her whole body bucked wildly into the air. I latched my legs around her while we were up, I'd likely need it to stay steady. I felt my outfit flow together, connecting my legs and also filling the little gaps between myself and Amy, sealing me in place.

Mine.

"Oh? Do you like that, Amy?" I teased, "I can keep going if you want~"

She didn't respond, couldn't, really, but her mostly empty, pleasured gaze filled with ecstasy at the idea, and her open-mouthed grin was all the confirmation I needed.

I put the other hand down.

"OH FUCK!" she bellowed. Her lungs were, in truth, the same as Fran's, and therefore were capable of the same shattering volume and presence, at least when she forgot herself.

I meant to make her forget everything but my name.

I moved my hands, both at the same time, keeping the touches light, despite her frenzied efforts to thrust her chest against them, and I noticed that our tentacles were restraining her hands, keeping her from interfering, forcing a rougher pace. Thanks, sweetie.

She pulsed in response, but Amy felt it too, clearly, from the satisfied screaming she let out. I looked behind me, curiously, and we were pleasuring her with ourself. Focusing on it, I could feel it too. 'Okay, but no penetration, we want to do that myself'. We pulsed again, in agreement.

"Amy, sweetheart, how are you doing?"

She let out a pleased burbling noise, all spit and no substance, the drool rolling down her chin.

"Good, good" I said, delighted, exultant, "That's perfect."

Are you watching, Faust? This is what you're passing up. This is how I could make you feel.

Actually, back to Amy, I was a little nervous she might drown herself, if she kept salivating like that. Let's… help her out a little.

I lifted my hands, and she had just enough time to look around vaguely confused before I dropped my body down onto her, grinding my bare chest against hers. I slid my hands behind her back, under her neck, taking control of her head, bringing her face to my own.

"Lyle, Lyle, Lyle…" she breathed, only audible from this close to her mouth.

"Hi sweetheart," I responded, before delving deep into her mouth with my tongue, mapping it's contours with my flesh. Huh. No canines. "How are we doing? Still on track with your fantasies?"

She just groaned, in response. Fair enough. The kisses continued, and if her mouth tasted a bit like dairy, well, that may have just been my imagination.

Eventually, though, I'd had enough foreplay.

Time to get serious.

 

[The_Letter_K]

I'm going to organize this by replier, rather than chronologically, because some of you are commenting in a way that makes more sense to address as a thru-line so that I don't repeat myself.

...Also because I'm way behind, honestly, and this means I can get it out in a way that's somewhat timely.

I think Beepatrice needs some alone time with Lyle. A nice date just for them after her probationary period with Faust is over.

Click to shrink...

Beeps and Lyle are like an old married couple, in that there's not much left to say to each other that hasn't been said. That's not to say they don't have their scenes together, and that I'm not planning to write more, but Lyle and Beeps need a significant shake-up before they'll have much to discuss. I do have a cute date night planned for them in the future, but when I focus on a big event with an individual girl Lyle can be with them for five to six updates, which can be a month or more of writing, when I'm not just posting from what I've already written.

It is coming though, and there'll be plenty of Beeps to see, don't you worry!

That sounds a lot like Cummunism to me. Firmly grasping the means of production and all that.

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This is, was, and shall always be an excellent pun, Waffel. You deserve recognition beyond what I can give you.

I'm sorry, this is making no sense. I read it and it's garbled. What is wrong with this Holstaur?

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Sorry I didn't address this in a timely manner, I feel guilty replying to individual comments when I'm meant to be replying to them all, but that's no excuse, really. Luckily, @Thelxiope's reply was exactly on the money, so hopefully you got what you needed from that?

Sally Franks, town nerd who thinks anyone would have her over the supercompetent Automata.

Faust von Frankenstein, co-founder of a Mamono city-state, friends with a Monster Queen. Forming her own harem, which includes her crush, her rival, a friend and her Nemesis.

And that's why she's the best.

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How nice, Faust made a friend!

(Fran is my second favorite in this story, naturally)

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Thanks, Falcon! I always love to see my characters appreciated!

I'd forgotten about loquacious!Beeps, might be nice to see her again sometime.

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I sort of agree, but it breaks a lot of her character right in half, so I need to use it sparingly. It's sort of the one narrative device that I let lean more towards plot convenience than character progression, because, well, everything I have planned for Beeps was written with her 'speech impediment' in mind, and if she can just shrug it off, it obviates a lot of it.

I might find a middle ground here somewhere in the future, though.

I'm a little late but that bit with Beeps saying two words at once gets me every time. Best robot.

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This is the other reason, honestly. Her dialogue carries a lot more weight when I have to consider it and place it carefully in context. It's a really fun writing challenge, and very rewarding.

I've always had mixed feelings about this chapter. The shoggoth sorta comes out of nowhere, and I very much don't agree with Lyle's decision to keep her, but for better or worse it does turn out better in the end for it. Maybe I'm just not as nice as Lyle is. The mental fuckery also doesn't sit well with me, but she does agree to leave that aside for the most part. Also this chapter does showcase the bond between Beeps and Lyle, and that part I love. Seniority indeed.

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The Shoggoth isn't for everyone! She's kind of one of the main concessions I make to the setting, in terms of characters, the others being Akubra and Magenta. It's not really fair of me to completely ignore the difficulties inherent in the setting, at least in my opinion, barring one or two massive stinker issues I've completely excised for my own peace of mind. I think the balance of desirable and undesirable outcomes, of desire and dread, both deeply passionate, is part of what makes the setting what it is, and what helps the story feel alive and keeps it moving. It's not like I have an actual plot, really, you know?

Not beyond "idiots interact cutely" anyway.

A little late, but I love the first interlewd. Really demonstrates that every single one of Lyle's wives has some serious baggage. Makes them a little more human, ironically.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've been thinking about doing another, honestly, but I've done at least one major interlewd from everyone's perspective but Beeps and Akubra since then, both of which because they're so difficult to write both while remaining engaging and without giving everything away.

I see that the semen economy has managed to replicate some of the worst of the conventional economy.

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It's hard to argue that the core issue of the setting isn't essentially supply and demand. Amy's not entirely blameless here, as you'll soon learn, but she's definitely not squarely at fault either.

Do you not see the appeal, Lyle?

Of a fated rival? Of an opposite number, a champion of justice to stand athwart your villainous designs?

To know that - come rain or snow or you attempting to blow up the moon - they will always be there to try to stop you? To fail - for how can the forces of so-called "good" possibly hope to prevail against your brilliance, power, and wickedness?

And - should the impossible happen, and this do-gooder prevail - why, would that not spur you to redouble your efforts? To climb to a higher peak of dark genius, to plumb deeper depths of depraved villainy, driven to exceed your limits by their interference?

Imagine, Lyle, having such a trusted enemy. That constant thorn in your side, utterly dependable, through thick and thin. Imagine how you must come to know this heroine who has deluded herself into thinking she can stop you - how you would, over the course of years, come to know her strengths, her weaknesses; to learn the rhythms of her speech, the patterns of her thoughts; come to understand her motivations as deeply as your own - and know that she, too, will have learned the same of you.

The shadow is deeper in the presence of light; and the light shines brighter against a backdrop of darkness. In the flicker of the candle's flame, one can see light and darkness dance together, neither afraid of the other, entwined and embracing. Push and pull, action and reaction - one advances, the other retreats, and both know each other so intimately that they move together effortlessly.

Imagine knowing another soul so deeply, and being so known in return; and tell me again that you don't understand why Faust is so delighted.

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You have no idea how happy this made me. Ever since I was a wee lass I've found the hero/villain dynamic so full of sexual tension, and I very very rarely see it explored well. I wanted to try and make a crack at it, even if only in a chuuni roleplay sense.

Huh.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about offering up my best work to be eaten, but that's - I mean, it's probably a navigable mental shift.

I should hope Her Majesty has good taste, either inherently or after years of practice; so in a way, having her deign to eat any of your work is something of a compliment.

... probably a bit easier on writers than on, say, sculptors, though.

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...I have to be honest with you. I have absolutely no idea how this works. Leanan Sidhe have this as part of their canon flavor but the mechanics are so frustratingly vague that I've no clue where to even begin describing it, or mapping it out logistically. My vague idea is that while she doesn't literally eat the art, she sort of consumes the... uh, the essence? Leaving you with something that's physically the same, but it somehow lacks all artistic merit in the eye of the average beholder. The original artist and the Queen herself are the only ones who can still see whatever it is in an artistic light, but it's a fair trade because she takes it all in. She feels every bead of sweat, every deliberate choice, understands the little nuances, the feelings you poured into it. Almost like an anti-"death of the author", in that she perfectly takes in your intent. Your passion, given life in your art, is completely and totally communicated to her.

I think that's a trade I'd be willing to make.

I mostly used it because I thought it was a neat idea for a feedback loop that would create a really interesting backdrop for me to tell my story on, and I find the idea of a sort of "goddess of art" to be really powerful, but you'll see more of that in the sequel.

Stop being adorable.

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They can't. It's impossible.

...Faust, don't bodyswap people without consent, that's not okay.

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Faust is a very, very, VERY strong believer in 'actions speak louder than words'. To put it mildly.

The problem is she's kind of a very loud person, and when you 'shout' with your actions...

Oh, I do like Amy.

And, well, I was waiting for the other horseshoe to drop, as it were, regarding Blackberry.

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Yeah, nobody gets off scott free. There's a reason for everybody being the way they are, and those reasons are usually "TRAUMA".

Sweetie, you might want to spend some time thinking about why you're finding that necklace so tempting.

Or, for that matter, why you're trying so hard to pretend that you don't find it tempting.

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...

The evidence pile does not stop from getting taller.

Well, I'm glad that someone's noticed. I guess via some sort of magic, energy-sense thing? I'm sure Faust will take 'some random demon realizing in moments what her dark sorceries have yet to discern' well. But then, I suppose I don't really know how much, like, magic-aura-spirit-whatever analysis Faust habitually does on Lyle, so.

Magenta, I don't really know what you have planned, but ... just, be careful? Blackberry isn't the only one who would benefit from a gentle touch, I think.

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*Suspiciously looks left and right*

I have no idea what you mean, but I'm glad you're thinking so deeply!

I really hope K posts the character profiles later. They're absolutely chock full of dirt on these girls that is just - it's just wonderful. (Beeps' is by far my favorite.) It also reveals a lot about Lyle, too...

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It's something I'm really deliberating on. If I do it, it'll likely be at the end of Contact, just to make sure the whole thing gets posted. Some of the content in the character profiles are more extreme, and there's also some spoilers too since they were updated as we went along in a few cases. Beeps is both the one who would benefit the most and also the one most likely to be crossing a line to post.

I'll have to see what I think when we get there.

I said it before, and I'll say it again...may we all have someone who loves us as much as Sally does someday.

The whole thing here terrified a bunch of people on QQ. The surface-level reading of Sally's intentions rather bothered K at the time, and still does to this day. Really, though, if you think about the implications of all this, especially given the setting mechanics, it's all rather romantic in its own twisted, completely unreasonable way. I'm sure Sally's plans will go smoothly -

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The original response to Sally was... deeply hurtful, and I nearly stopped writing due to that, if not for the impassioned comments of a mutual friend of ours, I might have petered out not long afterwards, or at the very least kept writing only for myself, and not posted anymore. It's something I've been very pleased to see not repeated here.

Altho that's partly because there's very few comments as it is, but that's something that fits better in a later part of this reply.

So the mechanics of MGE are...a thing. A friend of K's, and someone very dear to me, once described it as the 'semen economy'. We'll be exploring other elements of MGE as presented in the fiction and fandom responses thereof later, but this one...

A lot of people tend to ignore this aspect of the setting - or treat it, essentially, as a justification for Exterminatus, probably using that exact word because you know the type - but K is confronting it head-on, despite her characters not really wanting to participate in it. Hell, Sally preferring women (except Lyle) is a fairly significant issue for her character, and a decent chunk of her plans are rather derailed by it...because for Lyle to be as immortal as she is, Lyle has to become a Mamono, and Mamono don't generate semen spirit energy.

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Part of the fantasy for me is in the... the uh, I guess the struggle of it? Maybe I'm just bitter and jaded, but I can't really bring myself to write "and then everyone got exactly what they wanted and everything was great and there weren't any real consequences or threats to their happiness". I know some people can write that stuff, and that a non-zero number also enjoy reading it, but for me it's not even satisfying wish-fulfillment in my own head, let alone having to put the effort in to write it all out.

I've mentioned to you before how much each character is really just a different aspect of myself, and while I doubt that's unique, since it's much easier to write what you know, it's definitely much easier for me to put a character together if I can slap some real-ass angst in there, which says some unfortunate things about me, I guess. There's a lot of common thru-lines and themes in the character conflicts that I think ultimately point back to my own anxieties and issues in a way that might honestly be a bit too raw to be wise.

How each character has some kind of difficulty communicating, and each one has a deep an abiding drive to be not just accepted, but understood first, and then still get accepted after that, to have someone look into them and see something real and decide it's worth something in the eye of the beholder...

Ugh, like I said, maybe a bit too raw.

I have nothing to say about this, except that K is pretty much the best writer of sexy things of any variety that I've come across, especially in sheer variety. We'll be seeing a lot of fun scenes from here on out in that regard. Just...this entire thing is perfect, and something Faust needs to do way more of.

K keeps getting worried about it, but...honestly, I think she needs no apologies for Sally. None at all. Part of why her being pushed onto QQ is a shame; so many people who can't appreciate this kind of work...~

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That means a lot coming from you. You're no slouch yourself, you know?

The culture here on SV is... well it's something I grapple with. I think it hurts more to be ignored than to be rejected, honestly, and so the perverse social incentive for users to avoid liking and commenting so as to appear "above that sort of thing" really hurts in a way I didn't expect.

That SV, a much larger website than QQ as far as I'm aware, at least in terms of its active users in the fiction section, has returned ludicrously fewer results in terms of every metric (including views) even with a consistent schedule of updates and the ability for guests to view the thread since it's not behind a login wall...

I guess we'll see how I feel about cross-posting the sequel when we get to that point, but we're a little under halfway done here and I was hoping for something more, honestly.

I was also bracing for something more, though, to be chased off the website with fire and pitchforks for bringing my freakishness into the public eye on such a 'respectable' website.

This story means a lot to me, on a lot of levels, and to see it languish... I know I've said before I sort of feel like I've failed the characters by not being able to get them the exposure I feel like they deserve. They're real to me. They matter!

I... It's just... disappointing.

 

[Shane_357]

Sorry I didn't address this in a timely manner, I feel guilty replying to individual comments when I'm meant to be replying to them all, but that's no excuse, really. Luckily, @Thelxiope's reply was exactly on the money, so hopefully you got what you needed from that?

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Yup.

 

[The_Letter_K]

If I was being honest with myself, I was nervous about this. I was putting it off for a lot of reasons, all small and petty, but even a petty army is still an army. The main one, though, the leader of my whiny legion, was pretty straightforward. I was reluctant to make an addict of myself, yet again, this time by explicit choice. I'd done so already, with the prisoner fruits, true, but they were no person, just objects, no one I'd become dependent on, for all that their taste reminded me of Faust.

This was taking a choice I'd so far been refused the chance to make, and saying 'yes, this is the choice I'd have chosen, regardless'. I was happy how things had ended up with Beeps, with Faust, with my Shoggoth, and even with Blackberry, to some extent, but this was my choice. Faust had tried to force my hand, as she often did, but I'd just proved, with my Shoggoth's help, that I was a match for her myself now. She couldn't make my decisions for me anymore, which was both liberating, and frightening. I relied on her to push me outside my comfort zone, to kick me into motion when I was stuck considering, and forgetting to actually act.

A part of me just wanted to go back to when things were simpler, just go with the flow, but I couldn't. I had to act. I had to be myself, my own person, or else I'd just crawl into Faust's lap and never really crawl back out.

For at least the time being, I didn't have Beeps to take this choice from me either, by removing my responsibility to act myself, by being more capable, a better person for the job, than I could ever be. Allowing me to act by proxy. If I didn't fuck Amy myself, it was very possible no one ever would. I couldn't believe someone so sweet and thoughtful had been unwanted for such paltry reasons, but the truth was plain to see in her eyes even now. At least, in her brief, lucid moments. That this was really happening, happening to her, baffled her. She didn't think she deserved to be loved.

I disagreed.

I'd asked myself, a while back; 'what did I want to want?' What kind of person did I want to be? Was I selfish? Would I back off, probably ruining a beautiful woman forever, but keeping a part of myself that I could admit that I treasured, my dreams of life as something of an individual? The others, for all their foibles, were not so demanding on me as this would quickly become.

Or did I want to make sad, lonely, strange people happy? Make them smile, like I wanted to smile? To do the 'right thing'? Was I the kind of kid who saw a crowd of other children making fun of the new, weird, loud, annoying girl that I didn't even like, when we were learning to swim, the sort who'd decide the best course of action, the best way to solve it, was to punch the ringleader right in her smug stupid face, and start yelling at the rest as she fell to the ground?

'Yeah!? You think it's ugly? You think she's ugly? Well I like it! I think it looks like an ice cream cone! And I like ice cream! I like her too! So there!'

Yeah, I guess that isn't much of a question at all, is it?

The look on her face as I penetrated deep inside her with a practiced motion was instantly rapturous, and the feeling of her fleshy folds constricting, her body tightening around me, it was beyond honest comparison, though I could always try. Where Beepatrice had been smooth, artificial, Amy was slightly uneven, almost textured, though pliable, and completely organic in an undeniable way. Where Faust's mouth had delighted, as her tongue and cheeks desperately attempted, but ultimately failed, to cradle me completely, Amy's vagina had no such difficulties, and was all the more incredible for it. It was amazing. I'd say something like, it's almost like she was designed for it, but… that would be stating the obvious.

It was a little odd, all the hair on her legs, her fur, really, but she kept the area around her pussy clear, somehow, probably to keep underwear more comfortable, so it's not like it was in the way. It was actually a little cute seeing her all shaved up, with tiny black and white hairs only just starting to grow again. It was sort of like… she was wearing fluffy pajama pants, and I'd just pulled them down just far enough to have a little fun. I'll just think of it like that until I get used to it.

Oh, lord, ugh… she's so fucking tight… Aaaaahhh…

Hah… hah… Mmm…

…With our coupling, my thrusts, going in and out, her energy started to flow into me in earnest, a rush of cool yet hot, slippery yet sticky, liquid and ethereal yet solid and more real than anything in the world, it was always all of these things, in my experience, but the parts of it that were uniquely Amy shined brightest. The way the energy fumbled awkwardly, uncertainly, as it settled into my body, almost asking for permission out of disbelief, the way it cuddled up against me like a warm soft hug, like it was grateful just to be in the room with me, the slight craving for dairy, and the way my eyes felt led to her chest by how the energy 'leaned' as it joined with my spirit.

I licked my lips, but held back. Once I put my face against her chest, there was no chance I'd keep control of the pace, I'd go under as deeply as she had. If only she weren't so tall, her chest wouldn't be where my head would naturally settle as we lay together with our bodies joined. But… once I did give in… I bet that'd seem really convenient…

The strength in my arms buckled, a little, though my slow, considered thrusts kept pace. I nearly fell into her despite my efforts. The way her scent had changed, was changing, or my perception of it, anyway, was so enticing. Her sweat, her skin, the small traces of white cream on the tips of her breast… it had gone from 'another person in the room' to 'my favorite person in the room' and it was only getting more potent. Mamono biology sure loved its sexy scents. Though, I was glad that if I was going to spend the rest of my life drinking from someone's tit, that they at least smelled so delightful. Most of it seemed to be coming from her breasts, actually, and…

Oh, I see what's going on here, I'm being led by the nose, and quite literally. Mmmm. I don't mind, though~

"Please…" She said, her first words in a while, "Milk… me…"


Hahaha, someone's getting impatient. I wonder if she even knows she's saying that, or if that need is just so deeply a part of her, body and soul, that she'll beg for it without even being able to think? It… might be fun to find out for myself, later. …Fine, fine, either way, I'll stop teasing you.

My forehead came to rest just under her collar bone, and my lips wrapped around her nipple without my input. I'd wanted to kiss, to play, to lick her a bit first, get her ready, lead up to it…

But I was sooooooooo thirsty.

The soft, deliberate, gentle pace I'd been enforcing collapsed immediately, her arms breaking free and pressing my face deeper into her chest, and I was so, so grateful for the help, I couldn't get close enough alone. Our lovemaking turned instantly into animalistic fucking, as we frantically slammed into one another, my own need finally echoing her own.

My legs had had to move to start this perfect process, so she wrapped hers around me, instead, ensuring I couldn't leave her if I wanted to, but that hadn't crossed my mind.

There was nothing in my mind, anymore, after all. My head was for one thing.

Drinking her milk.

My lips, I'd used them for talking all my life, for kissing, for eating, all training for this moment, to be able to keep the muscles healthy for when I had to, when I got to, when I was allowed and honored to tease this liquid from my lover. My eyes, I didn't even need them, practically vestigial, they stayed closed, and I couldn't see anything anyway, pressed as I was against her chest, as I should be. My nose? It was for this, and this alone, to know the scent of my Amy, to discern her from the pale imitations the others in her species represented with their foul liquids, and only then if I was misfortunate enough to be torn away from her in the first place. My ears, they took in the wet, sloppy noises, the sound my tongue made as it lapped at this fantastic ambrosia, heard the torrent of her body finally released, her gratified, joyful screams, my reverberant, growling fulfillment, and nothing else. My skin, to feel this connection between us, to suss out how to best move from one perfect breast to the other with the least delay.

My head was for milk. That was how I liked it.

I drank, and drank, and drank some more. When I thought I would burst, I kept drinking. When I thought for sure she'd run dry, I kept drinking. I never reached the end.

Instead, the next morning, I woke up, with my beautiful wife in my arms, and had a little breakfast.

She awoke with a smile on her face, matching the one in my heart.

 

[kvx687]

I'm going to organize this by replier, rather than chronologically, because some of you are commenting in a way that makes more sense to address as a thru-line so that I don't repeat myself.

...Also because I'm way behind, honestly, and this means I can get it out in a way that's somewhat timely.





Beeps and Lyle are like an old married couple, in that there's not much left to say to each other that hasn't been said. That's not to say they don't have their scenes together, and that I'm not planning to write more, but Lyle and Beeps need a significant shake-up before they'll have much to discuss. I do have a cute date night planned for them in the future, but when I focus on a big event with an individual girl Lyle can be with them for five to six updates, which can be a month or more of writing, when I'm not just posting from what I've already written.

It is coming though, and there'll be plenty of Beeps to see, don't you worry!




This is, was, and shall always be an excellent pun, Waffel. You deserve recognition beyond what I can give you.



Sorry I didn't address this in a timely manner, I feel guilty replying to individual comments when I'm meant to be replying to them all, but that's no excuse, really. Luckily, @Thelxiope's reply was exactly on the money, so hopefully you got what you needed from that?





Thanks, Falcon! I always love to see my characters appreciated!




I sort of agree, but it breaks a lot of her character right in half, so I need to use it sparingly. It's sort of the one narrative device that I let lean more towards plot convenience than character progression, because, well, everything I have planned for Beeps was written with her 'speech impediment' in mind, and if she can just shrug it off, it obviates a lot of it.

I might find a middle ground here somewhere in the future, though.



This is the other reason, honestly. Her dialogue carries a lot more weight when I have to consider it and place it carefully in context. It's a really fun writing challenge, and very rewarding.



The Shoggoth isn't for everyone! She's kind of one of the main concessions I make to the setting, in terms of characters, the others being Akubra and Magenta. It's not really fair of me to completely ignore the difficulties inherent in the setting, at least in my opinion, barring one or two massive stinker issues I've completely excised for my own peace of mind. I think the balance of desirable and undesirable outcomes, of desire and dread, both deeply passionate, is part of what makes the setting what it is, and what helps the story feel alive and keeps it moving. It's not like I have an actual plot, really, you know?

Not beyond "idiots interact cutely" anyway.



I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've been thinking about doing another, honestly, but I've done at least one major interlewd from everyone's perspective but Beeps and Akubra since then, both of which because they're so difficult to write both while remaining engaging and without giving everything away.



It's hard to argue that the core issue of the setting isn't essentially supply and demand. Amy's not entirely blameless here, as you'll soon learn, but she's definitely not squarely at fault either.



You have no idea how happy this made me. Ever since I was a wee lass I've found the hero/villain dynamic so full of sexual tension, and I very very rarely see it explored well. I wanted to try and make a crack at it, even if only in a chuuni roleplay sense.



...I have to be honest with you. I have absolutely no idea how this works. Leanan Sidhe have this as part of their canon flavor but the mechanics are so frustratingly vague that I've no clue where to even begin describing it, or mapping it out logistically. My vague idea is that while she doesn't literally eat the art, she sort of consumes the... uh, the essence? Leaving you with something that's physically the same, but it somehow lacks all artistic merit in the eye of the average beholder. The original artist and the Queen herself are the only ones who can still see whatever it is in an artistic light, but it's a fair trade because she takes it all in. She feels every bead of sweat, every deliberate choice, understands the little nuances, the feelings you poured into it. Almost like an anti-"death of the author", in that she perfectly takes in your intent. Your passion, given life in your art, is completely and totally communicated to her.

I think that's a trade I'd be willing to make.

I mostly used it because I thought it was a neat idea for a feedback loop that would create a really interesting backdrop for me to tell my story on, and I find the idea of a sort of "goddess of art" to be really powerful, but you'll see more of that in the sequel.



They can't. It's impossible.



Faust is a very, very, VERY strong believer in 'actions speak louder than words'. To put it mildly.

The problem is she's kind of a very loud person, and when you 'shout' with your actions...



Yeah, nobody gets off scott free. There's a reason for everybody being the way they are, and those reasons are usually "TRAUMA".




*Suspiciously looks left and right*

I have no idea what you mean, but I'm glad you're thinking so deeply!




It's something I'm really deliberating on. If I do it, it'll likely be at the end of Contact, just to make sure the whole thing gets posted. Some of the content in the character profiles are more extreme, and there's also some spoilers too since they were updated as we went along in a few cases. Beeps is both the one who would benefit the most and also the one most likely to be crossing a line to post.

I'll have to see what I think when we get there.



The original response to Sally was... deeply hurtful, and I nearly stopped writing due to that, if not for the impassioned comments of a mutual friend of ours, I might have petered out not long afterwards, or at the very least kept writing only for myself, and not posted anymore. It's something I've been very pleased to see not repeated here.

Altho that's partly because there's very few comments as it is, but that's something that fits better in a later part of this reply.




Part of the fantasy for me is in the... the uh, I guess the struggle of it? Maybe I'm just bitter and jaded, but I can't really bring myself to write "and then everyone got exactly what they wanted and everything was great and there weren't any real consequences or threats to their happiness". I know some people can write that stuff, and that a non-zero number also enjoy reading it, but for me it's not even satisfying wish-fulfillment in my own head, let alone having to put the effort in to write it all out.

I've mentioned to you before how much each character is really just a different aspect of myself, and while I doubt that's unique, since it's much easier to write what you know, it's definitely much easier for me to put a character together if I can slap some real-ass angst in there, which says some unfortunate things about me, I guess. There's a lot of common thru-lines and themes in the character conflicts that I think ultimately point back to my own anxieties and issues in a way that might honestly be a bit too raw to be wise.

How each character has some kind of difficulty communicating, and each one has a deep an abiding drive to be not just accepted, but understood first, and then still get accepted after that, to have someone look into them and see something real and decide it's worth something in the eye of the beholder...

Ugh, like I said, maybe a bit too raw.



That means a lot coming from you. You're no slouch yourself, you know?

The culture here on SV is... well it's something I grapple with. I think it hurts more to be ignored than to be rejected, honestly, and so the perverse social incentive for users to avoid liking and commenting so as to appear "above that sort of thing" really hurts in a way I didn't expect.

That SV, a much larger website than QQ as far as I'm aware, at least in terms of its active users in the fiction section, has returned ludicrously fewer results in terms of every metric (including views) even with a consistent schedule of updates and the ability for guests to view the thread since it's not behind a login wall...

I guess we'll see how I feel about cross-posting the sequel when we get to that point, but we're a little under halfway done here and I was hoping for something more, honestly.

I was also bracing for something more, though, to be chased off the website with fire and pitchforks for bringing my freakishness into the public eye on such a 'respectable' website.

This story means a lot to me, on a lot of levels, and to see it languish... I know I've said before I sort of feel like I've failed the characters by not being able to get them the exposure I feel like they deserve. They're real to me. They matter!

I... It's just... disappointing.

Click to shrink...

I do think a lot of it has to do with the forum culture, like you said. QQ for whatever reason tends to encourage rapid and repeated posting in general, which can border on low-content posting but also means people are a lot more likely to respond to discussion. SV is a lot less engaged in general, and while it probably has more overall users I don't think a lot of them actually interact with the site very much. Plus, I don't think the site demographics really tend towards monstergirls, and most of the people who do like it probably already read it on the other site.

For my part, I'm really enjoying the story. All of the characters are well written and fun to read, and you do a good job of getting across the essential suckiness of the world without wallowing in it or shoving it in the reader's face. Overall I'd put this in the top three stories I'm reading right now, and you're updating a lot faster than the other two.

 

[Traveller76]

That was actually sweet to read.

 

[Radmelon]

A super sweet moment, and honestly one of the ones in this fic that matches closest with my own preferences. The bit with the shoggoth at the beginning creeps me out (probably the most out of all of its scenes), but it's over soon enough. Amy's a good girl.