Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

The Mask Comes Off	By : Samson Category: -Misc Video Games/RPGs > Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 4984 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdoms of Amalur intellectual property, nor am I making any money off of this fanfic. Unauthorized duplication of this work is prohibited.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Lovesick

The Mask Comes Off
Part IV - "Fateless Ones"
By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson
Original Date Written: January 15, 2017

“...So, Leah, if you’d please, tell us the first thing you remember of Asmodeus. The more detail, the better. It might help us better understand his interest in you.”
Leah gave an inwards sigh. It had been about half an hour since Asmodeus had revealed himself to her for the first time since her childhood. The Clementines had been quick to usher the five ladies down into a brief series of catacombs beneath the Great Cathedral, insisting that they all needed to be held in warded chambers before the chaos in their bodies created too much of a “stain,” as they had put it, on the surrounding environment, or even the brothers, themselves.
To that end, each of them had been led to their own individual rooms, each surprisingly comfortably furnished, and were trusted not to step outside. Whatever their needs were, they were expected to make them plain through the windows set in each chamber door. Leah couldn’t say she was happy with the solitude, but it helped that Kelly’s room was directly across from her on the other side of the hallway, so the two could at least see each other through their respective windows as they communicated.
Leah could only assume that each of the other chambers were like her own: ash gray brick and mortar walls, a dark rug covering the cobblestone floor, a simple bed fit for one set in the corner, a desk and chair for whatever usage the room’s occupant saw fit, a bookshelf filled with novels for the occupant to pass the time with, and a somewhat primitive latrine system that nonetheless functioned well enough. A couple buckets, both of drinking water and more disposable water for the latrine, had been placed by her desk and toiletries corner, respectively. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve had nothing but a cot. Relatively speaking, this was comfortable.
The one thing that made the chamber a bit unsettling was the symbols liberally scrawled in white paint across the walls, ceiling, and even the door, leaving little in the way of empty space on the brick around her. The Clementines hadn’t been able to offer a guess as to how long the group would need to stay in those chambers for, but it wouldn’t be too long, they had hoped. Leah wanted to trust in them, and it helped that they hadn’t locked her door, but the idea of confinement made her perhaps understandably uneasy, threat of chaos magic consuming her notwithstanding. If the Crudok came for her again, she’d have nowhere to run. She’d be cornered.
Her eyes quickly shifted from face to face. Standing in front of her door, she peered out through the square-shaped window set in it, looking out at the faces of the five Clementine brothers. There was Charles, the kind, diplomatic one; Frank, the skittish man who had been present to witness Asmodeus’ arrival at the Grand Cathedral; Peter, the aloof, inquisitive one; Robin, the stern-looking, apparent leader of the brothers; and lastly, Harold, the only one out of the five whom Leah had taken an immediate disliking to, and for a reason she couldn’t even place her finger on. There was just something about the man, about the way he behaved, the way he looked at her, that just felt...Off.
“Okay,” she answered, making a conscious effort not to mumble. She briefly looked off to the side, collecting her thoughts. After a moment, she began recounting the events as best she could, largely avoiding their eyes save for the occasional glance. “When I was a kid, there was this attack on my home. Everyone in town was killed, except for me...I hid through most of it, but the fires eventually made me run outside. Asmodeus was there, along with an army of Brownies. Instead of killing me, he actually told me to just...Run away. He told me that he’d find me again, some day, and that we’d both see whose weave unravelled, his or mine. I didn’t know what else to do. What could I do, right? I just ran. I ran, and...Just never looked back.”
She slowly started to hang her head down, her cold eyes a little far-off as she looked down at the door. With a thoughtful hum, Peter remarked “Hmm. Interesting. The “weave” mention is clearly in reference to the Tapestry of Fate, but this is unprecedented. A Crudok, not only intelligent enough to speak, but one who...I’m not even quite sure how to interpret the possible motivation.” Glancing at his fellows, he remarked “Mercy? Sadism? What would compel it to spare her, only to hunt her down, years later?” Charles raised an eyebrow and remarked “You’d almost imagine it was daring her to ready herself for a duel, as if Asmodeus were giving her time to ready vengeance.”
Leah watched. Now that they had heard her story, the brothers quickly lost themselves to discussion. Frank raised his eyebrows and remarked “And yet, when Asmodeus arrived, he made a remark about how Leah wasn’t ready to “reenact the tale.” That carries interesting implications. Fae all work in cycles, uncontrollably repeating the past, over and over again. Asmodeus broke his cycle with Malchiorn when he abandoned his den before he could be slain. If he aims to reenact some kind of Telling with Leah, there must be some Fae story involving a Crudok and an Almain, or at least a mortal, that he hopes to fulfill. Question is, why? What could he hope to accomplish? And, if he’s reenacting a Telling, why question who would die, in the end? Surely, the conclusion would be forgone.”
“I’ll speak with Malchiorn about it,” Harold mentioned with a nod. “Most Fae Tellings don’t involve mortals at all, and the ones that do don’t involve them in anything more than extremely minor roles, so any tale that has a mortal in a starring role would be rather noteworthy.” “And then there’s what miss Astraia mentioned,” Frank added. “We had assumed that Asmodeus had been touched by Chaos or possibly even red prismere, but according to her, Asmodeus was manipulating something called “Primal” magic. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of such a thing. I can draft up a letter requesting any and all information from the Scholia Arcana, but I imagine we’d do better simply asking Astraia, herself, whatever she knows.”
Frank raised an eyebrow high, crossing an arm over his chest as he raised the other hand to his mouth. Deep in thought, he mumbled “She may not be an expert on the matter, but if Primal magic is native to the Teeth of Naros or even the Kollossae people, then she would know better than any foreigner. Of course, that presents the question: how in Mitharu’s name did Asmodeus stumble into the ability to manipulate Primal magic? Granted, we already know he’s travelled across Amalur ever since breaking his Telling with Malchiorn, but command of a kind of magic ostensibly foreign to his Fae essence is...Odd, to say the least.”
There was a lull in the conversation, a moment of silence that prompted the five of them to look over at Leah. Some of them gave her a nod, and Charles remarked “Thank you, Leah, that’s helped us find a few more pieces of the puzzle. We’ll give you your privacy, we need to follow up with Astraia. Dinner will be by in an hour or two, but if you need anything, please, just knock on the door, and one of us will come by. We’ll fill you all in on the progress of our research into combatting chaos magic, during dinner.”
Leah just gave a nod, and the five priests moved away from her window as a group, making their way down the hall for Astraia’s chamber. As they got out of the way, Leah’s eyes settled on the window across the hall. Kelly was standing at her door, one hand just next to the window as she leaned against the doorframe, striking a deceptively nonchalant pose. The somewhat troubled look on her face told a more honest story. Leah just put on a smile for her, then turned and walked off towards her new, and hopefully very temporary, bed.
She sat down on the edge with a deep, hard sigh. As fatigue prompted a woozy spell to hit her, she had to close her eyes for a few moments, gripping the edge of the bed as she took deep, slow breaths. Dinner in an hour, huh? She supposed she could wait that long, but...She just felt so exhausted. After what had happened earlier in the afternoon, the wind had been taken right out of her sails. Every minute, she was tempted to just drop herself into her cot and simply drift away. Better to sleep, better to forget, then have to cope with what had happened. A sad line of thinking with a sadder end result, but it was one she felt inexorably pushed towards.
Alone now, hopefully untroubled by the Clementines for the next while, she finally got around to undressing. She slipped off her white surcoat, then undid and pulled off part of her Trollhide armour, setting the thick, pliable leather cuirass just off to the side, leaving herself topless. With a faint exhale of discomfort, she looked over towards her right shoulder, gently raising her left hand to thumb at her reddened skin. That Traveller man she had crossed paths with had warned her that the ink would sting and burn her skin, but she hadn’t realized it’d be quite so sore for quite this long. Still...Looked good, she thought. Very dramatic, very eye-catching.
The tramp stamp, too. Made her feel sexy, and that tasteful addition of “Slut” would make anyone who saw it feel all the more randy. She had to smile a little, drawing in a breath before sighing it back out. She looked down at her own chest, leaning her shoulders back to get a better look at herself. Damn, she really had gotten big, hadn’t she? She hadn’t really thought about it at first, likely due to the gradual change, but now that she considered it, she was a little surprised she hadn’t noticed their weight earlier on. This new, perky bosom of her’s wasn’t exactly light as a feather, but that didn’t trouble her, much. All par for the course. She supposed she’d need a bra, soon, though.
Her expression cooled as her eyes settled on the piercings through her nipples, keeping them in a seemingly-endless state of firmness. Her brow slowly began to furrow before, without warning, her doorknob quietly began to turn, causing her to look up in a hurry. Although the instinct to cover her shame only recently had reason to include her bust, she nonetheless complied, bringing her hands up until she could cover the naughtier bits of either globe. Trying not to squeak, she blurted out “Uh, I’m not exactly decent, in here! I thought dinner wasn’t for another hour?”
Leah gave a couple blinks in rapid succession as the door opened a little, exposing Kelly. The chocolate-toned Varani gave a naughty little grin, like a child sneaking into her father’s liquor cabinet for the first time. Offering Leah a wink, she silently slipped herself in past the threshold, then just as quietly shut the door behind herself. Leah dropped her hands from her breasts to the edge of her cot. Although she smiled, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Quietly, she pointed out “You know, I don’t think the Clementines would care very much for any of us sneaking out of our rooms. They catch you, they might start locking the doors.”
Kelly scoffed. With a roll of her eyes, she dismissively waved a hand, remarking “Yeah, right. They try that, they’ll find out what a pissed-off Warsworn soldier can do. I’ll stay here for their help, but they’re not trapping me.” Leah’s little smile turned into a bigger smirk. Kelly had slipped out of her armour at some point, and now, she wore her usual outfit: Her long, satiny black hair fell over her hoop earrings and shoulders in a waterfall, leading down to her white shirt and black corset combo.
Thanks to the shirt’s lack of shoulders and sleeves, and considering she hadn’t expected anyone to see it thanks to her armour, the gold and black straps of her leopard-print bra were exceedingly obvious, stretching up across her chest and shoulders from under her top. Those gold and silver bracelets of her’s glittered at her wrists, while her black, pleated skirt gave a little swing across her thick, juicy thighs as she walked over towards the cot. She had left behind her stockings and those tough boots of her’s, allowing her long, smooth legs to breathe free, her footsteps muffled against the soft rug covering much of the floor.
Once she reached the bed, she slid aside Leah’s discarded armour, turned around, and sat down with such a smart drop, her skirt nearly blew up. Momentarily raising her eyebrows at Leah, she gave her a nonchalant, if fatigued, look. Lightly tilting her head to the side, she asked “So, what do you make of all this? We haven’t really gotten to talk, obviously. Thought I’d see how you’re doing, honey.” Leah’s smirk turned back into a more flattered smile. She looked down at her knees, mumbling “I dunno. Guess I feel sorry for Farrah’s driver. He’s still sitting out there, probably.” Kelly chuckled. “I’m sure one of the Clementines told him there might be a wait,” she remarked. “Maybe even let him in, for the time being. Gave him a bed. One in a nicer room.”
She smirked, barely tossing a glance over at Kelly’s lap before looking back down at her own knees. “Here’s hoping,” she dryly remarked. Kelly didn’t answer straight away, leaving the two in an amiable silence. When the Varani got around to speaking up again, what she said killed Leah’s smirk.
“...So...Are you okay, babe?”
Leah gave a quick glance over at Kelly’s emerald eyes, but quickly dropped them back down to her lap, nodding as she looked back over at her own. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she casually answered. “I mean, we’re here now,” she pointed out. Her eyes flicking over in Kelly’s direction, she added “We can finally get the help we need, and we won’t need any finding once the fix is ready. We’ll be right here, waiting.” Raising her eyebrows a touch, she mumbled “It’s too bad Farrah and her friend had to get wrapped up in all this. At least it wasn’t entirely our fault. Sounds like chaos magic is all over the place, these days.”
She met Kelly’s eyes for a few moments, remarking “Did I ever tell you about her? I guess not, huh? Yeah, after you and I met, I tried walking back home to the farm, and Farrah passing by in her carriage might’ve been the only thing that kept me from being a snack for some critter. I never did get a good look at it, and thank Mitharu for that. She gave me a ride back home.” Leah tried her best not to flush a shade pink as she looked away. Her lips briefly puckered off to the side before she mumbled “...She was really sweet.” Kelly gave a bit of a knowing smile, but she didn’t push further.
Leah felt the Varani’s hand come up to her shoulder, gently resting over her bare skin. A little more softly, Kelly said “That’s not really what I meant, hon, but that’s good to hear.” Leah looked over in her general direction as Kelly leaned a little closer to her. Her voice dropping a little lower, Kelly murmured “Listen...I know it couldn’t have been easy for you, seeing Asmodeus. Are you sure you’re okay?...” Leah’s response was quick and uncharacteristic. At first, there was a twinge of indignance, but that mild offense rapidly snowballed into resentment at what she interpreted to be patronizing.
Her brow furrowing, she looked away from Kelly’s direction, brusquely remarking “If that had bothered me, I would’ve said it. I always knew he was bound to track me down, sooner or later. His Brownies were everywhere, after all. No big shocker to come face to face with him, again.” It didn’t take longer than a moment before Leah was regretting the way she was responding, but by that point, she couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out. She didn’t want to think she could get upset enough to shrug Kelly’s hand away, but the Varani might not have been so certain, because her hand lightly shifted to Leah’s far shoulder, letting her arm loosely drape across her shoulder blades.
Kelly’s gentle tone of voice only had Leah’s stomach going cold with shame. “Don’t shut me out, babe,” she gently insisted. “I saw how hard it hit you, seeing him, again. And, I don’t think you like the idea of being cooped up in here any more than I do. You don’t need to bottle it up with me, Leah. I’m here for you, you know?” Leah couldn’t look at her for several long, silent seconds. Slowly, she hung her head down a little, still keeping her face turned away. She couldn’t help but give her lip a nibble. Kelly was right. It wasn’t right of her, getting defensive, like that. Why had she acted like that? That wasn’t her.
All Kelly wanted to do was help. She should’ve been glad, flattered. The concern swiftly ran cracks through her defences. The mere chance of telling someone how she felt had her thin barriers wearing thinner. “I, uh...” Her voice was already going unsteady, tightening. When a sting started to come to her eyes, she shut them, trying to block out the throb. Her brow furrowed as her pouty lips twisted into a frown. “...I...” She could feel the moisture seep through the cages of her eyelashes. It ran down her cheeks in thin rivulets before, her voice cracking, she found the will to admit “...I was fucking terrified!...”
She raised a hand to cover her eyes. She didn’t know why she wanted to hide it, so badly. Just seemed natural, she supposed. She kept her breathing as level as she could, suppressing the sobs. “Gods, seeing him again, I just...!” Without a word, Kelly slipped her arm further around Leah’s shoulders, and naturally, that meant guiding Leah closer towards herself. Leah gave in without a second thought, leaning into the hug from the taller woman. The side of her face to Kelly’s collar bone, her face was very nearly nuzzled against Kelly’s sizeable breast, but Leah was too preoccupied to really register that little factoid, right then and there. Being held was...Comforting. Too much so to remain composed.
Leah lost it. All control was wrenched from her grasp. She started sobbing, her arms limp at her sides, her hands flopped together over her lap. Eyes shut, throbbing from the downpour, she choked out “S-Seeing him was like...All the nightmares coming true!...I didn’t know what to do!...I thought I was gonna die!” Her voice tightened until she couldn’t make the words come out, anymore. Kelly quietly reached her other arm over, gently placing it over the back of Leah’s head, holding her close into the embrace. She tried murmuring something that no doubt would’ve been consoling if Leah had been able to hear it, but the Almain was too out of it to pay attention.
It took nearly a minute before Leah could formulate the words through the tangle in her head. “...But, he didn’t even do that! He just...Walked away! The fucking asshole is torturing me, why doesn’t he just kill me?! W-Why play with me, like this?! Why terrorize me?!” Kelly pressed a kiss to the top of Leah’s head, nuzzling her hair for but a moment. “Because he’s scared of you, hon,” she tried murmuring. “He took one look at you, and he knew you weren’t the scared kid he remembered you being. He saw that you’d gotten stronger, inside and out. And, he saw you had friends who weren’t afraid to stand up to him, right alongside you. You weren’t alone, anymore.”
Leah gently shook her head. Tilting her head forward, she kept only her forehead to Kelly’s chest, freeing up more of her face for an easier time speaking. “N-No,” she stubbornly rejected. “He was right.” Kelly watched her head, a forlorn look creeping across her beautiful face. Leah’s voice wasn’t quite so tight, now. Now, there was a grim resignation to it. Swallowing to steady herself, she insisted “I was terrified...I wasn’t ready for it, one way or the other...I almost asked him to just kill me, to get this whole thing over and done with, but I couldn’t...I couldn’t get the words out.” She waited a moment, then tossed out “I’m a coward...”
“Stop that,” Kelly gently chided. She gently stroked her fingers through Leah’s hair, weaving her digits through the farmgirl’s strawberry locks. “You’re not a coward. You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever known, Leah. You’ve dealt with this for how long, now? You didn’t let him stop you from having a family. You didn’t let him stop you from trying to do something with your life. You never gave up.”
“I wanted to,” Leah interrupted, her voice choking up all over again.
“But you didn’t,” Kelly pointed out, punctuated by another kiss to the top of Leah’s head. “You kept going, and I respect that more than anything. You’re tougher than you realize. It’s okay to be scared. Hell, I was terrified, when I walked after him.” “You were?” Leah raised her head a little, looking up at Kelly in utter disbelief. Eyes wet, cheeks smeared with tears and ran mascara, she shrugged with her eyebrows as she added “You sure as hell didn’t look it!” Kelly gave a smirk. Arching an eyebrow, she remarked “I was walking after a Greater Crudok who was ready to leave, alone. It was fucking stupid of me. But, when I saw the effect he had had on you, I just...I dunno. It got to me. Made my stomach cold.”
Leah smiled, a little. She couldn’t swallow a giggle, and then she was smiling even wider, her wet eyes partially closing. Her voice relaxing, she quietly asked “I was a mess, huh?” Kelly smiled from ear to ear. In something of a mutter, she remarked under her breath “Not as much as I would’ve been if he had actually decided to fight me, I think.” Leah gave another giggle, harder, this time. Still, the observation clicked with her: Kelly had been ready and willing to face what may. Asmodeus hadn’t even wanted her, on top of it all. In the heat of the moment, she couldn’t understand why that impacted her so, but perhaps it’d come to her in hindsight.
“I said it before and I’ll say it again,” she mumbled. Raising her eyebrows, she asserted “It was brave of you, going after him.” “Maybe,” Kelly answered. She glanced off to the side before looking back into Leah’s eyes. “Stupid, too,” she asserted right back. “...But, like I said, when I saw just how rattled you were, it...It pissed me off.” Leah smiled blinked. She watched Kelly’s face for a couple silent seconds, her eyes drying as she blinked away the tears. Kelly didn’t seem to see the silence fit for breaking, because she kept her thoughts to herself, as well. Almost in unison, she started to ease her head down, and Leah raised her’s to meet her.
Leah let her eyes ease shut as her lips touched the Varani’s own puffy pair. It was gentle, it was soft, and they held it for a moment before going for another one. Leah lightly tilted her head a little, letting the second and third kisses deepen a bit more than the first. A fresh couple teardrops crept down her cheeks in spite of, or perhaps due to, the surge of blood that coursed southward. There was just something about the way that Kelly’s skin smelled, it was addictive, comforting and exciting all at once. That courage Kelly had, even in the face of some great adversary that wasn’t even her own...If only Leah could latch onto that. If only she could be more like Kelly.
Kelly was...Inspiring. A blanket term that covered more things than Leah could recognize.
She could almost feel something shift, deep inside. More tears ran down her cheeks. All of a sudden, this felt more right than it ever had, before. She finally moved her hands from her lap and reached them around Kelly’s waist, hugging her tight as the kisses came to an end. She buried her face near the side of Kelly’s neck, while the taller woman touched the side of her jaw to Leah’s temple, keeping her close. Slowly, Kelly resumed stroking the back of Leah’s head. “Don’t worry about anything,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. “We’re here for you. Asmodeus can’t touch you.” All Leah could do was nod. She believed her. Kelly could keep her safe, no matter what may.
By the time the Clementines returned to offer Leah her dinner, Kelly had already returned to her own chamber. Leah couldn’t say the encounter went off with a good start, understandable though it may have been. Not only did the five of them request that Leah press herself up against the far wall from the door, but when they opened her chamber door, they did so very nearly in a flash, hurrying a tray of food down on the floor, just far enough past the threshold that they could shut the door tight without fear of jostling the corner of the tray.
Being treated like a leper with a contagious wasting disease did little to lift Leah’s spirits, but when she found herself holding on to Kelly in her thoughts, trying to grasp at her confidence, she at least found that the treatment didn’t kick the legs out from under her. The Clementines called for each of the five of them to listen close, ready as they were to relate their findings thus far. Leah didn’t see many other options than pulling up a chair, setting her tray of her lap, and quietly eating the surprisingly well-rounded meal as she listened. Part of her glumly told herself not to bother. If Asmodeus didn’t kill her, the chaos magic from her nipple rings would. It didn’t matter the hows or whys - if the Clementines couldn’t cure her, she wasn’t long for the world.
Still, partly out of appreciation for their hospitality, partly out of some morbid curiosity, partly out of lack of anything better to do, she listened. They explained precisely what they imagined chaos magic to be: the direct influence of Chaos, itself. What Chaos precisely was, they held no revelations. The antithesis of Order, what the foundation of mortal and Fae life had been built upon, that which the ancient Erathi had struggled so to eradicate. Chaos magic was a vestige, or perhaps the fingers creeping back through the curtain, attempting to return. It was utterly corrosive towards all but Niskaru. Only they born in the dark were at home with the energy.
And yet, that did not mean that foolhardy sorcerers and those who crossed paths with artifacts touched by Chaos were not willing to make use of it, regardless of the costs that fell upon themselves or those around them. It was manipulated easily by those with the will, just like any and all forms of magic, but it always had a price. Chaos eroded the mind, sometimes warped the body, and always resulted in the same destination: insanity, or death. No being, save for Niskaru, could manipulate it for long without paying the toll. Why this was seemed obvious, but researching the exact process in order to reverse it had been a taxing process for the five brothers. Thankfully, with Malchiorn’s help, they had made swifter progress than ever before.
That was the issue facing the five women, as they already knew all too well. Miriam had been so thoroughly enriched by chaos magic that she bled it off into the surrounding environs, just like a Niskaru, and while Leah was not quite so enriched, she still possessed her tainted artifact and bled off Chaos. Kelly, by virtue of proximity to the two, had been tainted. Perhaps Farrah had avoided any peripheral taint upon first meeting Leah, but the chaos magic manipulated by Lord Pann Novambles had nonetheless stained both her and Astraia. There was a clear line of progression between who was in the greatest immediate danger and who wasn’t, and so, all efforts were being made to reverse the effect of Miriam’s blighting before she slid too far for aid.
So far, there had been promising success in reversing the influence of chaos magic on small animals, but humans and Alfar, it seemed, were in a different league. The brothers weren’t quite sure if their rituals would be capable of handling a larger body, just yet. Leah listened as Farrah inquired into that particular detail - was that all the issue was? Was it merely the larger body that presented an obstacle? The brothers responded that no, it wasn’t precisely as simple as that. The larger body, in and of itself, was not the crux of the dilemma. The real issue was, the effect chaos magic left on one’s body was unique - each person required a personalized ritual to stave off the unique effect.
The effect on a fully-grown mortal was far richer, concentrated, than on that of a small animal. Not only was the artifact responsible for the magic required for the ritual, but the ritual required to cleanse, or at least halt the onset, of Chaos’ influence would no doubt be leaps and bounds more complex for a human or Alfar. At that, Farrah sounded troubled. She mentioned needing to send a missive back home to Whitedown - surely, the artifact responsible for touching she and Astraia was Lord Novambles’ staff, which had been left behind underneath the Novambles Estate. The brothers readily agreed to send off any letters the five women may put together.
A simple question from Miriam, disturbingly carefree and lighthearted, was the trigger for more tears from Leah: “So, y’know, how long have I got left, then?” Either the brothers didn’t notice Leah quietly break down, or they didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by addressing it. Regardless, the question, or perhaps the way it had been asked, brought Leah back to that deep, dark hole: they were there to die. They were kept in rooms warded to keep the taint inside, fed platitudes and reassurances until they fell apart from the inside-out. She lost her hunger before the meal was through.
Leah spent the rest of the evening sitting on her cot, hugging her thighs to her chest, resting her forehead down against her knees. She had known it wouldn’t help matters, but she hadn’t been able to resist stewing, considering the past, considering her potential mistakes and the possibilities she may have robbed from herself. What if she had just stayed home?...Would that have been so terrible? She would’ve been able to spend more time with her family, happy, or at least as reasonably close as she could get.
She knew it was ridiculous, of course. She had spared them from Asmodeus’ attention. Everything that had happened had been because of that, and she didn’t regret it. She had made a choice, the right choice, and she was ready to live by it. However, all things considered, would she have been much worse off, had she simply stayed at home?...She missed her brothers, her sisters, her parents. Eli had even come to bring her back...Imagine that. But, no. There was no use dwelling on it. She had made the right choice, for multiple reasons. It was something that needed to be done, not just for herself, but for them. It was only self-pity that was making her question that.
Leah took in a sniffle as she raised her head. Her eyes idly flicked towards her door, and what she saw nearly made her double-take. Although she had blown out a few of them, the candlelight was still strong enough for her to notice she had a visitor. Harold, the one Clementine whom she wasn’t much of a fan of, was silently standing there, peering in at her through the window in her door. Leah’s brow furrowed, a touch. How long had he been there, for? At least she was decent, for crying out loud. She couldn’t meet his eyes for longer than a couple uncomfortable seconds before she was uttering “...Yes? Can I help you?”
He gave her a look that he probably thought was disarming, but it only aroused Leah’s unease even further. From the other side of the glass, he said “Just checking in on everyone, making sure things are okay. Settling in well enough? Leah, wasn’t it?” Leah’s jaw briefly tightened as she clenched her teeth. Staring at him, she answered “Yeah. Leah. I’m fine. I thought I was alone. It’s getting late, you know. I was getting ready to turn in.” He gave a nod, briefly looking off to the side before looking back and offering “I noticed that you seemed to get a little upset, earlier. During dinner.”
For a moment, Leah let her guard down...Just one. His concern could’ve been sincere, and it would’ve been nice to have someone who had noticed and cared. But, then she was turning away the idea. She knew better than that. Leave yourself open, you only get burned. She played confused and knitted her brow at him, arching one eyebrow while the other furrowed. Giving him a somewhat sidelong look, she remarked “No idea what you’re talking about.” The man shrugged with his eyebrows, momentarily tilting his head forward as he looked down in the sort of meek, mawkish way that only had Leah narrowing her eyes.
Tilting his head forward had his barren head shining in the candlelight like only a bald pate can, and as he looked back up, he adjusted his tiny pair of spectacles. His moustache twitched as he gave a smile. “That’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he offered. Leah just furrowed her brow, all over again. Something was off, here. It might’ve just been paranoia, but there was just something...Uncomfortable about the way he was trying to be nice to her. Granted, the brothers had collectively been quite kind to the five t-girls by giving them food and shelter, but that had the very pragmatic angle of keeping them contained until their problem was fixed. None of them had thus far tried to get chummy with her on a one-on-one basis.
Slowly, she said “Listen. I want to be left alone, now, so you can go on your way.” He raised his eyebrows. His eyes widened just a touch, as if he were offended. His tone level, he said “Why? Why the hostility? Did I say something wrong?” Leah’s brow began to furrow deeper. She wasn’t about to brook any of this wounded martyr crap. Her cheek briefly bulged as she poked her tongue into it, then remarked “I have a sword. Go away. Do your brothers know you’re here?” Harold raised his eyebrows even higher. He may have been playing at surprise before, but now, his response was noticeably muted. She was right on the money.
“Okay, okay, I’ll leave you be,” he patiently answered. “Goodnight, Leah,” he added, disappearing from the window a moment later. She grit her teeth, her lip barely curling up. Old pervert. She wasn’t sure which was more likely, that he thought she was a girl or questioned if she was a boy. She was almost surprised he hadn’t come right out and asked. The thought of sleep was banished from her mind. Now, the thought that there was an uncovered window through an unlocked door that anyone could’ve looked through at any time to see if she was asleep was all too disconcerting. She was quick to make up her mind. Once she was sure the hallway was clear, she’d slip into Kelly’s room, for the night.
It wasn’t long after that incident that Astraia, too, was turning in for the night. As part of her daily ritual to end the day, she had been spending some time stretching and meditating, contemplating all she had done in the waking hours while simultaneously attempting to convene with the goddess Ethene, patron of the Kollossae people. With the candles in her room all blown out, she was left in utter darkness, a boon considering she preferred to do her stretches in the nude.
Her toned, statuesque body glistened under the candlelight with a faint sheen of perspiration. Each pose she held left her looking like a gargoyle without a perch, a gray statue left without a platform. She kept her long, platinum blonde hair in her usual bun to keep it from heating her up, but as she ended one pose and moved to the next, she needed to sweep a few locks of her bangs off of her forehead. Evidently, Astraia did not consider her “secret” much of a secret, at all. Granted, the candles in her room had all been blown out, but regardless, she didn’t seem terribly concerned by the notion that anyone peering in through her door’s window might catch what Farrah, herself, had caught, back in Whitedown: the Kollossae had a frighteningly large addition, somewhere personal.
Without warning, an utterly alien noise, like a harsh, fast fizzing, appeared behind her. The noise was accompanied by a small flare of light, and Astraia was quick to spin herself over, looking back with quick, yet unalarmed, movements. Although she hadn’t heard anyone open the door to her chamber and that really should’ve been cause enough for alarm, she naturally assumed that one of her new friends were slipping into her room, or perhaps even one of the Clementines, although they should’ve had no proper reason to. No other result seemed logical. Instead, the figure she saw standing in front of the shut door caught her well enough off-guard to prompt her into going rigid.
There was a woman dressed in an odd sort of outfit, a tight, black ensemble that reflected the light in a faint, navy blue lustre. A hood had been pulled over her head alongside a mask over much of her face, leaving only a slit for her eyes to become visible through. She wore what almost looked like a thin, black robe of sorts - instead of fastening with buttons or buckles, it was wrapped closed with a tight sash, cinched around her narrow waist. Thin black gloves were on her hands, and her tight black pants, trimmed at the waist in navy, ran down to a rather slim pair of boots, the legs of her pants tucked into the boots to, presumably, keep them from catching on anything.
Over the small of her back, the scabbards of two lengthy daggers could be seen, each practically a shortsword. Astraia’s eyes darted off to the side, peering at her desk on the other side of the room. Her chakrams lay overtop, gleaming under the light. Her eyes shot back to the woman in black, who covered the light from one hand with the other. As she brought the tiny flame over towards a wall sconce by the door, lighting the trio of candles one by one, she quietly said “I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Astraia raised an eyebrow. As the candles were lit, the light brightened enough that she could see the woman’s eyes dart over towards her. Her thin mask barely moved as she spoke, her lips brushing against it. “You wouldn’t be able to cross the room fast enough.”
Astraia subtly narrowed her eyes, more out of confusion than any sense of resentment or apprehension. She watched as the woman finished lighting the candles, then waved the flame away from a tiny stick of sorts, some odd flame-producing thing which she was quick to slip into a pocket on her robe-like top. Turning to face Astraia little more, she flatly inquired “Do you still have what’s mine, giantess?” Astraia barely arched an eyebrow. The more they spoke, the more uncomfortable she was with sitting naked on the floor. After a moment of connecting the dots, the Kollossae’s brow furrowed, a hint. “The dagger,” she suggested.
The woman in black nodded. Astraia nodded sidelong at her desk, remarking “It’s over there.” “Good,” the woman answered, not budging from her spot by the door. “Take a seat on the bed.” Astraia’s jaw clenched, a little. Quietly, she pointed out “You’re risking chaos exposure. You realize that, correct?” To her surprise, the woman actually chortled, a soft, feminine hum. “Hardly,” she remarked. Lightly shaking her head, she stated “You were exposed, but not like your little Almain friend, or the Dokkalfar. You aren’t bleeding it off. So long as they stay in their rooms, I’m perfectly safe.”
Astraia still wouldn’t move from the floor. A little flatly, she asked “...Are you going to make an attempt on my life? Do the Clementines know you’re here?” The Bassawin assassin tilted her head forwards, a little. Staring upwards at Astraia, she just as flatly asserted “If I had wanted to kill you, giantess, I wouldn’t have announced myself. I would’ve slit your throat while you were stretching, been out of the room before you even collapsed to the floor. I’m here to talk.” She raised her voice a little, firmly adding “Trust me when I say, however, that if you make this difficult, you will not go alone. Sit. Let’s be civilized. I’d like to keep this polite, if possible.”
Astraia’s jaw tightened, a little. Still, she complied. She picked herself up well enough to sit down on the edge of her cot, a cot that was little more than a bench for her, considering it was half her size. The Bassawin woman slowly crossed her arms over her chest, then flatly demanded “What was your business at the Novambles Estate, that day we crossed paths? You and the Ljosalfar in the other room, the daughter of that duchy’s lord. Why storm the mansion with soldiers aplenty?” Astraia explained in a very simple, matter-of-fact tone. “There had been troubling developments with the Novambles family, and I had reason to believe that the goddess Ethene had wanted me to intervene. Farrah wanted to investigate in an official capacity. We naturally complemented each other’s efforts.”
“And the chaos magic, the Niskaru that had been summoned. The two of you dealt with it, correct?” The woman asked, watching Astraia’s eyes carefully. With a rise in her voice that suggested pride, Astraia simply stated “We did.” The Bassawin woman gave a nod. Flatly, she said “I tried warning Pann that using chaos magic would be the end of him, but he didn’t want to listen. He was too caught up in grief over his son. Seems I was right, after all. Poor him. I appreciate that you cleaned up the mess, in any event.” Astraia lightly arched an eyebrow. “Why were you there, that day?”
“I was trying to find his visitation ledger,” the woman explained, “which I eventually realized after the fact had been nabbed by your Ljosalfar friend. I was hoping to find a link between Pann and the Clementines, which I had thought his ledger would contain. Thankfully, you still led me to the Clementines, in spite of taking the ledger. I can be reasonably certain that there was a connection, after all.” Astraia nodded. Freely giving away the truth, she stated “I read the ledger once Farrah was finished with it. There was a visit written in for the Clementines, but it mentioned that they had been turned away. We asked Father Frank about it when we first arrived, and he made it sound like they were hoping to warn Pann away from chaos magic.”
The assassin narrowed her eyes for a moment, barely turning her head to the side as she simply stated “I see.” The woman uncrossed one of her arms, briefly holding up her hand as she added “I’ve been keeping tabs on the brothers for some time, now. They aren’t exactly cunning masterminds, after all. It’s been simple to intercept their missives on the roads. They were persons of interest, but Pann was a far more pressing issue. If their intentions are legitimate...Then that’s comforting, at least. I won’t take your word for it, but I’ll at least give them enough benefit of the doubt to properly investigate before deciding on what to do.”
Astraia briefly turned her head to the side a little, as well. Giving the assassin a cock-eyed look, she curiously asked “...I’m truly beginning to wonder, now, what your part in all this is. Are you aiming to aid us? If you are, you should be made aware of Asmodeus. These lands aren’t safe, because of him. He’s the reason for the gray Brownies, evidently.” The woman crossed her arm, again. Casually, she stated “Well, that makes two of us. I had begun to wonder what your interest in all this was, but now I realize that you’re victims as much as anyone else...Especially your friends. I pity them, but hopefully, the Clementines will be able to avert the worst of the consequences.”
The woman uncrossed her arms, but left one hand on a hip. Coolly, she said “I know you and your Ljosalfar friend have already tracked me to Bassawin. Someone of lesser stature, no pun intended, wouldn’t have had the connections to trace my dagger’s country of origin. It’s too bad I didn’t realize who her father was, at the time. My name is Niobi, an investigator belonging to the Staunch Shield, loyal blade under Shogun Shein. At one time, my responsibilities in the Faelands were rather different, but with the fall of Gadflow and the Tuatha Deohn, my duties shifted. Chaos magic has been creeping up in steadily rising numbers, and I aim to stop it. A man of Pann’s stature, with his innate skill in magic, couldn’t have been allowed to summon Niskaru. It would’ve been disastrous.”
Her voice took on a firmer edge as she added “I would have killed him that day, had you and your friend not. You did my job for me and risked chaos exposure as a direct result, doing so in my stead. For that, I am indebted to you. Let me make this perfectly clear, giantess.” At that, Niobi raised her free hand, pointed up a finger, and stated “I am, first and foremost, an enemy of chaos magic and all practitioners thereof. If you stand where I do, there’s no reason we cannot be allies.” Astraia gave a nod. A more severe expression growing on her face, she graciously said “I think I can speak for my friends when I say that we’d appreciate the aid. But, Asmodeus presents as clear a danger, and if you aid us, he may be a threat to you, too.”
Niobi dropped her hand back to her side as Astraia raised her eyebrows, explaining. “He’s a Crudok, a...Rather large Fae beast that has somehow managed to become intelligent enough to speak. He and Leah have...History. I feel sorry for her. These past few weeks have been trying for her, from the sounds of things.” Niobi nodded, remarking “Yes, one of the missives I intercepted mentioned that the Fae the Clementines keep for a friend was a great enemy of some Crudok prowling the region. I hadn’t thought much of it, to be honest. There was no mention of chaos magic.” Astraia raised her eyebrows and said “From the sounds of things, Asmodeus somehow broke away from his Telling, which is almost unheard of for Fae things.”
“I see,” Niobi quietly answered. Astraia held her thighs, adopting a more relaxed posture as she added “I’m told that the only thing that’s altered a Fae that much was red prismere, but for a time, we had suspicions on chaos magic due to it’s unpredictability. However, I’m personally beginning to think that things can’t be that simple. We witnessed Asmodeus manipulating Primal magic, which is native to my homeland of the Teeth of Naros.” Astraia raised an eyebrow and commented “Primal magic is no doubt an oddity. Generally speaking, it’s quite weak compared to other forms of magic. It isn’t particularly useful for overt manipulation. However, Primal magic is unique in that it can act as a primer for other forms of magic, amplifying their effects twofold.”
“That...Makes me wonder,” Niobi interjected, beginning hastily, ending slowly. “Odd implications.” After a moment, she remarked “Ordinarily, if there was no guarantee of chaos magic, I would have to decide against involving myself. However, since you aided me in the past, I’ll take it upon myself to investigate into this...Asmodeus. Certainly, his horde of gray Brownies has proven hazardous, and the way some of them bleed from the eyes and go into a frenzy...It’s disturbing. It’s the sort of thing I’d expect from chaos magic, in truth, but I never feel the taint. Very odd.”
With a sigh, Niobi began to cross the room, each footfall utterly silent as she made for Astraia’s desk. “Very well then, giantess,” she stated, her tone making clear that the discussion was over. “We know where we stand, now. I’ll contact you again if I find anything worth passing on. Best not to mention me to the Clementines. It was easy enough making my way in here, and it’d be nice to keep it that way, in the future. Besides, they likely wouldn’t appreciate learning that I had been the one intercepting all of their couriers.” “My name is Astraia, Niobi,” the Kollossae graciously offered, putting on a smile.
Niobi glanced over as she grabbed her throwing dagger from Astraia’s desk, slipping it into her robe-like top. A little brusquely, she answered “So it is, giantess.” Astraia gave her a puzzled look. Niobi, evidently not seeing the need to explain herself, turned and made for the door. With an ease that Astraia couldn’t help but find surprising, Niobi turned the knob and pulled the door open without even a whisper of noise, stepped outside, and shut it behind herself. Astraia gave a slow, deep exhale, her shoulders gently slumping. An odd way to end the day, but a fruitful one, nonetheless. A new ally couldn’t hurt...
“...So...Miri seems to be taking this all pretty well,” Leah idly remarked, her voice low. Kelly smirked, a little. “She takes everything well. I’ve never really been sure whether it’s because she doesn’t really get what’s happening, or because she’s just too cheerful. I think it’s a little of both.” Leah started to smile. “Yeah, maybe,” she mumbled, giving a little shrug. After slipping into Kelly’s room and explaining the uncomfortable run-in with Harold, the Varani had readily agreed to let Leah spend the night with her, regardless of whether or not the Clementines approved.
Most of the candles in the room had already been blown out, for the night. Kelly, comfortably nude, sat over her cot with her back to the wall. With her thighs spread open, Leah was able to sit between them and stretch her legs out over one of Kelly’s own, leaning over until she was resting her side against the tall Varani. Although Leah had still been just shy enough to feel content with leaving her thong on for some shred of modesty, Kelly had insisted she strip all the way, complete with giant grin. Although she had given a hint of blush, Leah had complied, and now, the two were cuddling with some tender skin-on-skin contact to make it all the sweeter.
Kelly’s superb bust pressing against her side, the soft mass of her bits lightly smooshing against her hip, Leah tiredly lounged in the Varani’s arms, the taller t-girl holding the Almain around the waist. A contented look on her face, her voice low and passive, Kelly remarked “I’m sure even somebody like Miri realizes what kind of situation she’s in. If she didn’t get that she’s best off here, she probably would’ve wandered off, already. Then again, we’ve only been here for a few hours. She still has plenty of chances.” “Heh, yeah,” Leah mumbled, briefly smiling.
“I’ll probably have to give her a dicking, tomorrow,” Kelly remarked, rather nonchalantly. The remark, compounded by the blase way Kelly had said it, made Leah glance over at her eyes a little wide-eyed, a big, wide smile of surprise stretching across her face. Kelly continued, almost unaware of Leah’s reaction. “If I don’t,” she added, “she’ll probably get bored and try leaving. I can’t even remember how many times I needed to remind her that we couldn’t go anywhere too populated, after Malchiorn talked to us.”
Leah’s smile and wide-eyed look began to relax. Lightly raising an eyebrow, she asked “You’ve known her for a while, right? Has she always been that way? How does she even get along? I mean, how does she buy food?” Kelly raised her eyebrows, her eyes falling half-closed. Smiling a little wider, she gave half a nod and said “Well, believe it or not, she hasn’t exactly learned a trade.” Kelly leaned in a little, gave a wink, and whispered “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s kinda ditzy.” Leah gave a mock gasp, eyes widening as she quietly exclaimed “You don’t say! I never would’ve guessed!”
Kelly leaned back, smiling more as she said “No, Miri’s never really had what you’d call a real “job.” Now, this might actually surprise you, but she’s actually a pretty capable soldier. For as long as I’ve known her, she works by going on hunts for people. Dangerous animals, bandits, more specific bounties for more specific reasons - Miri can handle it all just fine, all on her own. ‘Course, sometimes, people try to pull a fast one on her when it comes time to pay, and she isn’t always quick enough to catch it. Sometimes she’ll surprise you, though. I think part of the reason why we got on so well was because she saw that I was quicker on the draw than she was. She told me so, herself.”
With a chuckle, Leah lightheartedly offered “I guess it didn’t hurt when you found out you had something a little special in common.” Kelly raised her eyebrows a little, smiled, tilted her head to the side, and gave a tiny shrug. “Well, it definitely didn’t hurt,” she casually remarked. Trying not to grin, now, she added “People like us are kinda rare, honey buns. Rarer than you probably think, at least. I mean, I love men, so I’m all set. Being a man’s man means I have no shortage of things to drool over. But...” Raising her eyebrows higher, she glanced off to the side. Smiling wider, she looked back over into Leah’s eyes. “...I can’t resist a man that’s gone girly, either. Call it a weak point, hon.”
Leah found herself smiling from ear to ear, a chortle humming in her throat. After a moment of consideration, she asked “...What do you think of Farrah? Do you think it’s true that her and Astraia are like us?” Kelly raised an eyebrow. A wide, playful smile on her face, she briefly looked off through the corners of her eyes, then mumbled “Astraia? Maybe, you never know. I’m not quite sure, yet. I wouldn’t be too surprised, though. It’d be easy to get a peek up her skirt and find out, though.” Briefly frowning, she added “Farrah, though, I dunno. If she is, then she’s really good at tucking her bulge. That dress she was wearing wasn’t exactly loose, and I didn’t see a thing where it counted.”
Leah looked downwards for a moment, a tiny little smirk on her face. Shrugging with her eyebrows, she admitted “...I kinda fooled around with her once, you know. On my way back home after meeting you.” Kelly raised her eyebrows high. Leah could practically see something shift behind the Varani’s eyes, a switch of mode from casual chatting into anticipation. Smirking high, she asked “Oh, yeah?...Nice one. Lucky you, I bet she fucks like a tiger. With boobs like her’s, the jiggle must’ve been hypnotizing. How much did you see?” Leah’s face started to go a little pink. A bit of sheepishness coming up on her face, she mumbled “Uh...Well, uh, truth be told...”
Kelly’s eyes went half-closed. Her smirk widened into a big smile. Under her breath, she teased “You didn’t actually fuck her, did you? You have good taste, at least.” The flush in Leah’s face burned red. In hindsight, no, she couldn’t exactly say that. With a bashful giggle, she admitted “Well, uh...No, I guess not, but I’m not making it all up, over here. I, uh...Kinda gave her a strip show. Then she...Uh...” Kelly dropped her chin, grinning up at Leah. Leah went a shade not unlike a cherry as she mumbled “...She, um...Kinda...Tongued my ass. Then gave me a blowjob.”
Kelly held her head back up as she chuckled out “Kinky. Did you even see her naked, at all?” Leah shrugged as she shook her head. Kelly couldn’t help but let out a snicker, and the Almain couldn’t help but look away out of sheepishness. Kelly patted the farmgirl’s thick thighs, trying not to sound amused as she remarked “Well, I mean, it’s a bummer, but at least you got something out of it. Maybe she has a thing for being fully dressed while her friends are in the buff. I knew a guy like that, once. Nice to know that under that prim and proper veneer, she’s just as lewd as the rest of us. Hey, maybe I could coax her out of that dress...’Course, if she’s not packing heat, I’m gonna lose interest.”
Leah reached up and gave Kelly’s shoulder a playful swat, furrowing her brow as she smiled. “Don’t expect me to put in a good word for you,” she remarked. Kelly just grinned. “Hey, don’t be jealous, I’d invite you along for it,” she teased, winking. Although Leah’s blush was freshly reignited, she still furrowed her brow, smirked, and shook her head. Kelly’s eyes started to ease half-closed, smouldering for a few moments before she remarked “...So. Ate your ass, huh? Can’t say I’ve done that, myself. Looks like she has one over me.” Leah gave a little shrug, trying and failing to suppress a sly little smile on her face. “Oh well,” she innocently mumbled, tossing Kelly a defeated look.
Kelly grinned from ear to ear and chuckled. The purr she gave as she stroked along Leah’s thighs was all the hint she needed: Kelly was getting thoughts, precisely as planned. However, after a couple moments of silence, Leah was a little surprised to hear not a proposition, but a reassurance. The playful, teasing tone leaving her voice, Kelly murmured “...So, yeah, hon, I wouldn’t worry about Harold. If the creep tries anything squirrelly, just call for me. I’ll sort him out in a fuckin’ hurry. I have to wonder if he even realizes you’re packing cock.” She scoffed. “Maybe he does. Maybe that’s the problem.”
Leah smirked a little, remarking “I can take care of myself, you know. I know how to use my rapier a little, now. But, thank you. I really appreciate that.” “I know you can,” Kelly quietly answered. Raising her hand from Leah’s hip, she took her by the side of her head, easing her closer until she could press a kiss to the farmgirl’s temple. Quietly, she added “You’re tougher than you realize, babe. Tougher than a lot of people think, I think. Tough enough to handle some serious stuff that some other people would have a damn harder time with.”
Leah smiled a little shyly at the compliment, unable to help but turn her gaze down. She wanted to believe Kelly. It’d be nice to. It was touching, hearing that kind of confidence. She felt Kelly let go of her hip, bringing her hand up across her body until her fingertips could touch the side of her jaw, turning her head closer towards her. Leah let her eyes close as Kelly’s lips touched her cheek, giving her a smooch sweet enough to put butterflies in her stomach. Leah readily turned her head to the side to answer, raising her hand to Kelly’s shoulder as they found each other’s pouty lips.
Leah leaned a little more against her as they kissed. Again, blood surged southward, but this time, it didn’t feel inappropriate. As they kissed again, only slowly, Leah gave a tiny warble in her throat, a coo of contentment. Kelly eased her hand along Leah’s jaw, resting it over her ear as she held her close, sinking her fingers into the farmgirl’s thick locks. It took a moment, but the growth spurt she felt against her side was more than noticeable. It wasn’t enough to match her own, which had only gone bolstered by the feeling of a rise coming from the chocolate-toned Varani, but it was no less obvious or promising.
The kisses stayed slow, for a time. They deepened, grew needier, and only began to sped up when the two of them could no longer contain their ardour. Based on the then-firm shape pressing against her side, Leah could tell Kelly was just as eager as she was, but the Varani needed proof of her own. Just as she started flicking the tip of her tongue against Leah’s lips, she dropped her hand down from the farmgirl’s head, went right down without a hint of shame, and pushed between Leah’s plump thighs, forcing her to open her knees with a bit of a gasp through her nose.
When Kelly’s hand found the rigid baton poking up from her redheaded friend’s lap, she eased her mouth away from Leah’s just enough to breathlessly mumble “Oh, Njordir...” Leah opened her eyes a crack. Butterflies swarmed her stomach as Kelly gave a hungry, throaty chuckle, then come back in and give Leah’s lower lip a gentle nibble. Leah kept perfectly still, unable to do anything but let her breath escalate further and further as Kelly gave her rod a few gentle fondles, squeezing and diddling here and there. After a few moments of having her fun, she gave Leah one last kiss, then purred “Lemme get the candles, hon. Don’t want any peepers, do we?”
Leah gave a gentle giggle. She slipped out from Kelly’s lap and watched as her companion rose to her feet. Leah’s eyes uncontrollably locked on Kelly’s big, thick tush as she walked about the room and blew out the few remaining lit candles, each cheek gently shifting and jiggling against the other with every step, but once she turned back to face Leah, the farmgirl could only look up and eye her immense bust in the dim light coming in through the door window. Kelly grinned and slowly began to sashay her way back over, her curvaceous hips gently swinging with each step. Leah could only gulp as her eyes dropped lower. It was too dark to see, but her mind’s eye could imagine that long, swinging slab of meat, all the same.
Leah turned until she was sitting at the edge of the bed, facing Kelly as she walked right up to her. With a teasing titter, Kelly leaned over her, holding Leah’s shoulders as she looked down upon her bedmate. “I wasn’t really expecting to get nasty, tonight. Thanks for the surprise, hon. What to do, what to do,” she murmured, half knowingly, half hoping Leah would venture a suggestion. From the sounds of things, she was too shy to.
A shame, that - Leah had come out of her shell quite a lot since the two had first met, but Kelly supposed she was still too shy to make it obvious what she wanted...Not until they were a couple climaxes in, at least, and Leah’s inhibitions had been thoroughly dissolved. Kelly’d have to call the shots, until then...Not that she minded terribly. With a purr, she drifted her hand down from Leah’s shoulder, bringing it squarely to her chest. Leah tried to hold back a soft gasp, but Kelly noticed, all the same.
Leah took slow, deep breaths, almost lifting her bosom into Kelly’s inquisitive hand as the Varani groped around, playing with Leah’s pale pair. Kelly trailed her fingertips down the swell of a breast to one of Leah’s nipples, giving the pierced nubbin a gentle flicking back and forth with the tip of one finger, instantly earning another gentle gasp from the farmgirl. Kelly grinned. Her voice getting a little husky, she remarked “You’ve gotten pretty big, huh?...You can’t call these buds, anymore. You’re really boobing out, hon!...”
Kelly’s reassuring influence was telling. In the heat of the moment, Leah forgot all about the chaos magic of her piercings, keeping the ugly reality from ruining the compliment. She couldn’t help but blush, a genuinely shy flush at the bawdy compliment. Almost under her breath, she sheepishly mumbled “U-Um...I guess I am, aren’t I? Yeah, they’re a nice size, now. Thanks, eh heh...” Kelly kissed her forehead. Her voice going low, she purred “How sensitive are they?” For emphasis, she gently cupped Leah’s breast in her hand, giving it the gentlest of squeezes as she swept her fingers along the swell towards the nipple, massaging along it.
Leah almost flinched. Closing her eyes, she whimpered “R-Really sensitive! That kinda tickles!” Kelly chuckled. Arching an eyebrow, she leaned in until she could whisper by Leah’s ear.
“You know, the night’s all our’s. We can take our time and do all the little things we need to get out of our system. I still have some lube in my pack...How about a titfuck, hon? Yeah...I think you’re big enough, now, to take my prick between those puppies. Feel up to giving a greased massage with your new knockers?”
Every word had Leah blushing harder, had her eyes widening, had her mouth hanging open, had her breath turning shallow. When Kelly punctuated the suggestion with a nibble on the earlobe, Leah had to shrug her shoulder up and tilt her head until her lover stopped, giggling at the electric sensation. Smiling from ear to ear, she answered with a playful “I’m game, but I wanna do the same thing to you, after.” For some reason, that suggestion had Kelly’s breath audibly hitching. After a swallow, she huskily mumbled “Y-Yeah. We’re the best kind of friends, right? Everything I do to you, you do to me. That work for you, too?”
Leah grinned. Instead of answering, she suggested “And then, when we’re done, you can match Farrah’s score.”
Kelly grinned. With a growling chuckle, she descended upon Leah, pushing her down to the bed as they locked lips one more time...

(Author's Note - Hey, guys! I hope you didn’t forget this story was here! D: Right off the bat, I’m sorry it took so long for a new Mask chapter to come out. ^_^” While I did end up going on hiatus from writing for a while as I got some new games out of my system, that’s only half the story. The truth is, I ended up feeling rather discouraged with Mask Comes Off, in general, so I ended up placing less importance on writing chapters for it over my other stories. I think it goes without saying that Mask Comes Off isn’t really my strongest story to date, and it’s equally obvious that it isn’t exactly bringing in droves of readers. But, I’m trying to strengthen the story before it ends, so hopefully it can finish on a better note.
I don’t think I’ve gotten the chance to mention it to Mask readers yet, so did you guys know I’m on Tumblr, now? :o I’ve branched out to Tumblr as a second place to alert readers to when chapters will be late, when chapters have come out, which stories will get updates next, and sometimes exclusive little written things, like sexuality bios and lore outside the stories. Everything I post there, I also post on my Hentai Foundry writing thread. If you’re interested in keeping up with my updates, you can find a link on my profile! If not, no biggie.
Hey, you think maybe Leah’s falling for Kelly?...They’d make a cute couple, eh? I wonder how things will play out in the next chapter? I’ll see you guys then! :) )
- 15
- 16
- 17
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Mask Comes Off