That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 96/96, Status = Fine, Charmed

Looking away meant that Nila missed the grin that spread over Aldem's face, and though she turned on him with a knowing glare the corners of his female counterpart's lips had turned up as well. "Well then... We'll just have to help you," she said, rising and crossing the small space to sit beside Nila in only a few strides. Aldem rose and followed a moment later, and he didn't even make an effort to take the blanket with him, allowing the inexperienced an uninhibited view of the man's nudity for the first time. Whatever she had imagined it might look like, she was proven right or wrong as the demonic man's firm, erect manhood was put on display for her, quickly drawing closer as he climbed over to take a seat on Nila's other side.

Whether or not she concentrated on the man's erect manhood, she would get a much closer view of it - including a bit of contact - as he grabbed the petite kitsune and pulled her onto his lap. She ended up with her legs splayed, his rod sticking up between them as the upper surface of it rubbed her untouched flower. A simple shift, a lifting of her lithe form, and another shift would have allowed him to penetrate her with ease, claiming her virginity in one smooth thrust. Luckily, Nila would be spared that, at least for now, as Aldem easily manhandled her into position while Aedeth took the rope harness.

Neither of them were overtly forceful, instead poking and prodding and gently tugging, delivering grunted commands, until Aedeth had slipped Nila's legs into the leg slots of the harness. The ropes slid up her body under the demon's careful guidance, crisscrossing ropes sliding along her skin until they took their place, two loops finally going over her shoulders and two more ultimately crisscrossing around her neck. It was fairly loose, but Aedeth began to tug here and there, gradually tightening it until it pressed against her flesh, most notably between her legs. One final tug sent a shivering wave of unfamiliar sensation running up Nila's spine as a thin rope covered in knots spread roughly a quarter inch apart pulled between her legs, between her nether lips.

"There... That looks good," Aldem said, examining Aedeth's handiwork after the demoness pulled away to survey her work. Eyeing Nila for several long moments, Aedeth ultimately smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yes.... That should be satisfactory, at least for now." The harness was notably uncomfortable, particularly where the line reached between her legs, and should she stretched it would become increasingly moreso the closer she got to her full range of motion. It wasn't unbearable by any means, but it would definitely serve as a constant reminder of the demon's lesson.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila's eyes went wide for a moment as Aldem simply stood up without any concern for modestly, letting the blanket fall away and giving the young kitsune a full view of what had been hiding just teasingly out of sight until she tore her eyes away, turning her eyes down towards her own lap and trying to hide the furious blush on her face. It wasn't like this was her first time seeing people naked, even a man. The fairies she'd been around growing up weren't known for their modesty either. Something about this situation was so much more overwhelming though. Maybe it was their proximity, especially now that they'd moved to sit on either side of her, or maybe it was the fact that she too was entirely nude—Why had she even done that? It was all happening too fast, the demons seeming so sure of themselves while she was so cripplingly unsure of everything, she'd just ended up letting them take the lead.

Giving a surprised, girlish yelp as she was suddenly lifted from her seat by a pair of strong hands, Nila squirmed a little as she was set down in Aldem's lap. Part of her realized just how easy it would have been for him to have just shifted her a little farther forward, right on top of his fully erect manhood. How easy it would have been for him to take her right then if he'd desired, she hadn't even put up a little bit of a fight. That same part of her marvelled at how far up her stomach its tip rested with her now sitting against it, its base pressing against her own virgin sex causing her to fidget again, trying to distract herself from the sensations that caused. She briefly wondered what something like that would feel like, whether something like that would even be able to fit inside of her if he tried. She wanted to protest in her embarrassment, her blush from before nothing compared to now and her nervous fidgeting only growing more frequent. All that came out when she opened her mouth was a meek whimper though, unable to find the words to say as his hands again lifted her slightly, shifting her to give Aedeth better access as the demoness approached with the rope harness in hand.

She wondered again if she should really just be allowing them to do this to her, but try as she might she just couldn't think of a compelling reason to refuse. She wasn't sure how this was meant to do more than just inconvenience and embarrass her further, but they'd both seemed so confident about it, and it had sounded so right when they'd explained it. The kitsune simply passively allowed them to manhandle her as they slipped the harness onto her body, if with the occasional uncomfortable squirming. It didn't seem too bad. A little uncomfortable and restrictive, but it wouldn't really hamper her movements as it was... until Aedeth began to tug and tighten the ropes. A soft whimper escaped Nila's lips once again as the rope between her legs was pulled tighter, the pressure sending a not altogether unpleasant sensation through her body that had her shivering and squirming in place once again. Were the knots... really necessary? The rope itself would have been bad enough, but the uneven texture pulled just between her lower lips caused even small movements to stimulate her in uncomfortable ways.

"Is– is that all then?" Nila mumbled somewhat distractedly as she tried to get used to the unfamiliar feelings. If she wasn't stopped she would pull herself out of Aldem's lap and back onto the seat between the two, still occasionally fidgeting as she tried to find a more comfortable position to sit in, still refusing to meet their eyes. "This is... really uncomfortable." She muttered after a few moments of trying to find a position that would keep it from digging into her so much, more to herself than anyone else but certainly audible to the two demons in such close proximity.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 96/96, Status = Fine, Charmed

Despite her efforts to squirm free, Nila wouldn't get away immediately. Aldem held her fast, both hands on her waist, keeping her in his lap. She felt the demon man's rod as it slid between her thighs, its heat and hardness tactile against her soft flesh, and Aedeth gave a few artful tugs that made the knotted rope between her petals grind back and forth. Just as she felt the stimulation against her inner petals, however, Nila felt the surface of his shaft rubbing against her outer lips, not aiming to penetrate her but still touching her sex with his. His hands shifted, sliding slowly up her sides, fingers tickling his skin until they reached the beginnings of her ribs.

There they shifted, slowly sliding to the kitsune's chest, and though she might not have much to work with in comparison to the bustier demoness who was sitting just nearby Nila's chest was gently palmed, the surface of his hands rubbing across her exposed nipples and letting small stimulation rumble through her. After a few seconds he let her siddle away, freedom from his touch but not from the harness still gently grinding between her nether lips.

"It is for now... And it's not SUPPOSED to be comfortable," Aedeth replied calmly, red eyes glowing softly while Aldem sat up beside her. There was no truly comfortable position that she could take, no position she could assume that was able to truly alleviate all of the various discomforts caused by the rope pressing against her skin, but particularly between her legs. Only particularly compromising positions seemed to lessen that insistent pressure, but whether or not she wanted to assume such a pose in order to increase her comfort was a decision she would have to make on her own.

"It's time for rest now... We should be at the next town in a few hours," the nude demoness said, shifting over to the bench that had been shifted into a bed and lying back down. Aldem glanced at Nila and then shifted over to join her, leaving Nila alone on her own bench, though she had no blanket and there were no extras. Aedeth gestured her over, "come along, it'll do until we can get a proper bed. We wouldn't want you to get sick, now would we?" She paused, her face scrunching up, "do... Your kind even get sick? Ours don't, but I hear that's a real problem here, particularly up North. I'm not really sure how it works though."

The demoness would be entirely conversational in her questions despite the incredible awkwardness, at least to someone as reserved as Nila, to joining two other naked individuals on a very small space. The two would watch her expectantly, but she would be under no actual compulsion to join them, though if she wanted to avoid being cold it seemed like her only obvious option.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila squirmed uncomfortably as Aedeth tugged on the rope between her legs, the knots sliding back and forth in an undeniably stimulating fashion. She bit her lip lightly as Aldem's shaft began to rub against her lower lips once again and his hands shifted from her waist to her sides. Another soft whimper was the only sound she made as they made their way to her bare breasts. Compared to Aedeth hers were not particularly large, rather small really, but they were still enough to give Aldem something close to a handful as he briefly played with her nipples.

Nila wasn't quite certain why she was allowing him to do so. She'd never even been this close to a man before, much less entirely naked, and she'd certainly never let one touch her like this. Something just made her want to melt into his strong arms though, something in the back of her mind telling her that this was okay. Fortunately she was given the opportunity to slide out of Aldem's lap and onto the seat beside him after only a few more moments of uncomfortable squirming, freeing her of at least one distracting presence.

"I know..." Nila mumbled at Aedeth's reply that the ropes were meant to be uncomfortable. Despite that, she had to ask herself if the knots were really necessary. They were certainly a source of discomfort and distraction, but in an entirely different way than the rest of the restrictive harness. It had to be intentional, and judging from what she'd walked in on earlier and the fact that they had this just lying around in the first place made her think that Aedeth knew full well just how distracting it was going to be for her.

"Oh, um... no, that's fine." Nila managed to blush even deeper as Aedeth suggested that she join the pair of demons. She'd almost accepted at first, simply going along with the flow of the conversation without considering what exactly was being suggested, but she managed to catch herself at the last moment. "I'm... not really sure if we can get sick. Not from the cold anyway, I don't think... I've got my own though. Just, uh, let me find my bag."

Nila fumbled around for a moment, trying to find the bag that contained most of her belongings. She was fairly certain it had been brought into the carriage, though she'd lost track of it with all of the distractions. If she found it she would simply pull it over herself without another word, curling up under it facing away from the demons. She tried to hide her squirming, legs rubbing against each other under the blanket as she sought to find a more comfortable position. She fought against the urge to reach under and relieve the steadily growing itch between her legs, but she didn't dare with the two demons surely still watching her. She'd shown them a lot already, but she couldn't do something like that in front of others...

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 96/96, Status = Fine

Aedeth pouted as Nila opted to sleep on her own bench instead of joining them, but neither she nor Aldem made any further effort to convince her. She snapped her fingers instead, and the lightstone hanging from the ceiling winked out, leaving the inside of the carriage shrouded in darkness. The two demons settled, and after a few seconds of rustling about the only sound left in the carriage was the rattling of the axles as it rolled forward.

Hours would pass, Nila able to get some sleep despite the uncomfortable harness still constricting her, and when the carriage finally rolled to a stop the sounds of voices and activity could be heard outside, though only vaguely.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

The motion of the carriage stopping jostled Nila awake from her somewhat fitful sleep. She sat up, forgetting her state of undress as the blanket fell from her chest, rubbing her eyes drowsily as he ears perked up at the sounds outside. She couldn't quite make out what was being said or done, most of them sounded fairly distant, but she did manage to register that they'd probably arrived at wherever the demons had been going.

She glanced over at the demons across from her to see if they had also awoken, and then down at herself as the rope between her legs dug in further from her movements and caused an involuntary gasp. She really wanted to just take the thing off, but she remembered that Aedeth had told her to wear it under her clothes today. She didn't want to go through with it, but she'd said she was willing to do whatever it took, and Aedeth had offered to teach her to better use her powers.

She bit her lip softly as she reached for where she'd left her borrowed clothes folded the night before. If this was the price she had to pay to get the training she was after, she could bear with it. She still wasn't quite sure how they'd managed to talk her into doing so much, and the thought that they not only had seen her entirely naked, but of everything they'd done afterwards... she hadn't thought she'd been capable of that, she felt like she just wanted to curl up somewhere out of shame and embarrassment.

As long as her borrowed clothes were still where she'd left them, she'd begin to dress herself, hoping that the thin ropes wouldn't show through the material. She didn't think she could bear that sort of shame, not when in a busy town where countless people could see her. Surely her own clothes would be ready by now though? She'd feel much more comfortable with the heavier garment.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 96/96, Status = Fine

The clothes she'd worn the day before were gone... And her older clothes were not present to replace them. Indeed, her other clothes were all gone from her pack as well, as were any other pieces that might have needed washing. Her rummaging about must have been noticed, however, as she soon heard thumping footsteps from the roof followed by someone drop, a grumbled curse, and then the door was simply torn open without warning.

Torg walked in, and grinned upon the sight of Nila clad only in her harness. "Ahhh, fluffy girl wasn't ready! So sorry!" he said without so much as pretending to take his eyes away, even if she dove back under the blankets to protect her modesty from the lesser demon and anyone who might look in through the still open door. "Here! Aedeth leave these for you!" he said, handing her a wrapped parcel and grinning, neither turning away nor leaving outright.

Opening it, Nila would find herself holding the finest dress she had ever seen, made of an unknown silky material that seemed to change colors in her hands to contrast nicely to her skin. It would reach to just below her knees, and down to just above her elbows. It was smooth except for a slight puffiness around her shoulders, the creases almost invisible thanks to subtle folds in the material. Beneath it were a pair of white gloves and matching thigh highs, and beneath them was a fine golden collar with a simple clasp and a pair of silver bangles that would fit nicely around her wrists.

"Mistress got this for you! You should be greatful!" the goblin purred graciously, a wide grin and odd gleam in his eyes.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila gave a surprised shriek as the door was suddenly slammed open, pulling the blanket up to cover her chest as Torg walked right in, not even trying to hide his leering. The kitsune felt her cheeks heating up as she realized what she must have looked like to the goblin, not to mention anyone outside who might have been looking at the moment he opened the door. Why had she even agreed to wear this thing? Or to strip just because Aedeth had told her to?

Torg's apology didn't sound remotely sincere, though the package he left for her caught her attention at least. "Um... Thank you," she mumbled, still holding one had to her chest to keep the blanket from falling while she clumsily tried to unwrap it with one hand. Once she finally managed though, the clothes she found were... incredible, really. She'd never been one for fancy clothes back home but even she could see how fine this dress was. There was even even some strange properties to the fabric that made it seem to change colour, some kind of enchantment?

The look Torg gave her when he spoke again gave her pause, though. Was he just hoping she'd change in front of him or something? "Ah, yes, very much. If you wouldn't mind though, could I get some privacy to get dressed?" She didn't feel at all comfortable with the way the goblin was looking at her, and she certainly wasn't about to get dressed in front of him.

If he did leave her alone without trouble however, Nila still wouldn't put the clothes on right away. Something was nagging at her, the same feeling she'd had when he ran out into the forest before. Something wasn't quite right. Maybe Torg had just set her more on edge than she'd thought, but the more she thought about it the more she realized how much she'd gotten in over her head here. What was she doing?

And besides, Aedeth herself had berated her for being too trusting the night before. If she was wrong... well, she could at least clear up her curiosity about what this dress was actually made of, or what made it behave as it did. Holding her hand above the collection of clothes and accessories she'd been presented with, she channelled some of her energy into the air around her, permeating the items in front of her with it and trying to identify just what made them work.

Spoiler

Using Analysis to detect magical effects, and if possible to figure out what the dress is made of. Not sure if that falls under the purview of what analysis can detect (Since it only says chemicals and mechanical devices in addition to magic)

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 96/96, Status = Fine

Torg scowled darkly and glared at Nila for a moment after she demanded that he let her change in privacy, but he seemed unable to find an excuse to remain so that he could gawk at her some more. Grumbling, the goblin spun around and marched out of the carriage, slamming the door on his way out.

That left Nila free of his leers, so that she could examine the fine garb in peace. Suspicion caused the kitsune to hesitate before donning the gifts, however, and rather than dress herself immediately Nila opted to examine the garments with a careful pressing of her magical senses. The trick examined the items on both a physical and metaphysical level, and while it had its limits where purely biological material it was quite effective at sussing out enchantments and their nature.

The dress itself was fairly innocuous, a simple color changing enchantment based on illusions allow for its amazing ability. Despite the complexity of the enchantment, however, it required almost no energy whatsoever, and indeed barely even registered as magical. The stockings and gloves were totally harmless, being simply cloth and nothing more amazing. The bangles, too, were completely mundane, made of copper coated in a layer of finely polished silver.

It was the collar that revealed itself as dangerous. It had a potent enchantment on it, one that would slip into her mind if she opted to don it without thinking. She couldn't determine what exactly they would do, but there were clear compulsions on it that she would have found almost impossible to disobey once the collar was on. How she would react to discovering such insidious enchantments on something meant for her, however, was up to Nila. Would she consider it a test, or a trap meant for her? And would she forgive Aedeth and Aldem the potential harm it might have caused her?

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

The colour changing enchantment on the dress was interesting, but not unexpected. Nila's expression darkened as the information on the golden collar flooded back into her mind though. She'd thought there was something suspicious going on, but this? If this was another of Aedeth's "tests" it had gone much too far, and if it wasn't... Either way, she needed to confront the demoness here, find the truth of the matter.

The idea of artificially influencing someone's mind had always been something abhorrent to her, and now she was beginning to wonder if this had been the first time they'd tried. Not feeling in the mood for the demons' games anymore, and still wondering why exactly she had agreed to go along with them in the first place, Nila placed a hand to the rope harness still tied around her body, channelling a small bit of her power into it, manipulating the ropes to unravel themselves.

Still, she wasn't about to go outside naked. Once the ropes had fallen around her, she looked back to the clothes that had been left for her. The rest of them were safe aside from the collar, though she did notice a lack of any sort of undergarments. Still, she didn't exactly have any other options, and it was a very nice dress. She took her time putting the given clothes, feeling a little uncomfortable at the thought of having nothing on under the dress but trying to keep that from her mind for now.

With these new revelations she wasn't entirely comfortable approaching unprotected either. She wanted to believe that this was just another test, but her anger over what they had tried to have her wear unsuspectingly was enough to make her wary. Calling upon her powers once again, this time she channelled a much more significant amount inwards, interacting with her natural shapeshifting ability to do something it couldn't normally achieve. There was no outward change, but she infused her body and mind with her spirit's power, bolstering her connection with her own powers, and her ability to defend against those of others.

With that done she stepped out of the carriage, collar held in one hand rather than worn. She looked around for any sign of the demons, and approached them if she did, a severe expression on her face that was just a little short of a glare. If not, she turned to the goblin, asking "Where can I find Aedeth, then?"

Spoiler

First using Reshape to get rid of the rope harness, trying to just unravel the ropes.
Then using Transformation on herself, X=13, which should be 0 Upkeep, for +52 Spirit and +13 AV. So 50 Spirit because of the cap, which most importantly increases her Willpower to 50.
Though if it matters, other derived stat bonuses: +25 HP, +5d10 dodge, Perception becomes 32, +10 Reflexes and Focus, +10d10 Power/Weapon attacks.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 81/96, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 13 for Spirit

(And now I remember that I wanted to change Transformation to no longer increasing mainstats....)

Whether or not he noticed her magical enhancement or the lack of harness underneath her clothes, Torg would see her severe look upon Nila's emergence and frown worriedly. Neither Aedeth nor Aldem were anywhere in sight, but Harpin was present, reclined in the driver's seat with his hat drawn down over his eyes. He seemed to be asleep, or at least making some effort at taking his rest, and Torg was closer anyway.

She seemed to be in a Crolian town, the nearby collection of buildings being exclusively commercial and catering to the needs of travelers. They didn't seem to be in the outskirts either, but in the square at the heart. The horses were still attached to the carriage, but just after she emerged from it a pair of young men ran up from a nearby stable and began to undo their ties to the frame. Harpin didn't seem to awaken as they got to work.

"They are... Securing accommodations," Torg said, obviously struggling to conceal his usual accent but doing a decent enough job at it. He pointed towards the direction that the two stable boys had come from, and a moment later the offending pair emerged from it. Aldem opened one of a set of double doors leading to a large, expensive looking inn, the whole building constructed of hardwood and lavishly decorated with ornate carvings, out of which Aedeth emerged.

Both demons were dressed in finery and appeared completely human save for their crimson eyes, Aldem clad in a fine dark suit with light trim and a red cloak, Aedeth in a thick red dress with white and pink trim and intricate designs reminiscent of a rose. Both of them let their gazes settle on her, and while Aldem's remained largely neutral, Aedeth's spread into a grin once her gaze settled onto Nila's bare throat.

They weren't alone here, however, and their surroundings weren't limited to the servants either. This was a town, a community filled with people, and though the majority of them steered clear of the carriage with the goblin so near it, despite his fine suit, they were still near enough that any violence on her part might easily spill out into those not involved. There was a light layer of snow on the ground, but beneath it Nila could feel the solid strength of paving stones. The buildings were hardy, built of stone and oak and pine, and the people milling about on their daily business were of similar stock, hardy and dressed in thick cloth with layers of down rather than the furs that were common in the rural areas of Crolia.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila simply nodded to the goblin's response, not seeming to pay much heed to his change in behaviour. A glance over at the front of the carriage indicated that Harpin was either asleep or simply not paying her any heed right now, so she turned toward the building Torg had indicated, intending to make her way over to find them before she spotted them making their way back.

Instead she moved to meet them halfway, eyes narrowing a little when she spotted Aedeth's grin. She was a little wary about doing this is such a public place, but she didn't want to keep letting the demons pull her along at their own pace. She was also more than a little self-conscious of the fact that she didn't actually have anything to wear under her dress for the moment, the chill air an uncomfortable reminder, something she reminded herself that she'd have to do something about soon.

She eyed the two demons warily ar she drew closer, looking for any other reaction to the golden collar she held clutched in her hand rather than around her neck where they'd apparently intended her to put it, but frustratingly neither of them were giving any indication besides Aedeth's grinning. Had it just been another test after all? She wanted to believe that, but she couldn't help but wonder what they would have done if she hadn't noticed, and had simply put it on.

She still wasn't certain what exactly the collar was enchanted to do, only that it was intended to override her own will in some way. What would it have made her do? She'd heard stories about what demons did to people before, and she'd thought that these ones were different, but what if she'd been wrong? What if this had all been a ploy to lure her in, and once she'd put the collar on they'd intended to make her their slave?

Either way, she wanted to hear what they had to say first. She didn't think they would make any sort of hostile moves here, in the middle of a city street, and she was confident that with the power she'd infused her body with she'd be able to defend herself long enough to at least escape if it came to that. She could only hope it didn't, she still wanted to trust them, even though they were making it very hard.

"What is this?" She asked simply once she was close enough, motioning with the collar in her hand. It was perhaps an innocent enough question, but her tone and expression made it clear that she was serious. She was still willing to give them them a chance to explain, but this sort of magic wasn't something she could tolerate. It was a horrible violation of a person's mind, denying them their own will, and that wasn't something she was going to stand by and pretend she hadn't noticed.

She had kept her distance from them as she spoke though, close enough that they could speak easily but making sure she wasn't within arm's reach of either of them. She remembered how unbreakable the otherwise almost delicate-looking demoness' grip had felt the previous night, and she wasn't about to let either of them get their hands on her right now. If need be she was ready to make use of her teleportation powers, to transport herself a few meters down the street if one of them made a grab for her, aggressively or not.

Spoiler

Probably won't be necessary, but Nila is readying herself to use Instant Transmission if either of them make a move for her, and trying to keep out of easy reach regardless. Presumably would be the combat variant, since she's only going to be jumping a short distance if she does, and can use the doubled cost to use as a move action if that would make it quicker.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 74/96, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 13 for Spirit, Upkeep = 7?

If either demon noticed Nila's sour expression, it didn't seem to concern them. Aedeth continued to smile at her as Aldem held the door open for her and then offered her his arm. She took it, but the two were obviously taking their time as they started towards the carriage. Physically all that that meant was that Nila crossed more of the distance than they, which if anything might only increase her ire with them, though that would ultimately be up to the kitsune's temper.

Aedeth would curtsy slightly and lean forward, kissing Nila on each cheek if she allowed it, and as he pulled apart or if the kitsune held up a hand or produced some other gesture to stop her she said; "Nila dear, you're awake! And looking so bright this evening! Our journey must have really tired you out!"

She eyed the collar in Nila's hand when directed to it and smiled sweetly. "Ahhh, that must have slipped into the clothes we had altered for you!" she said in a sweet, apologetic tone. "Dreadfully sorry... It's good that you opted not to wear something so gauche just because we left it for you~" She winked, and seemed fairly pleased at the kitsune while Aldem maintained an empty smile.

Others around them seemed to be noticing their little spat, Nila making little effort to conceal her anger at the pair, but as yet no one interrupted or seemed particularly interested in the exchange. They seemed to be buying Aedeth's explanation, some who had been watching grunting various things along the lines of; "mad rich folk" under their breath and moving on, though Nila could choose to make more of a scene of it if she so chose.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila's frown deepened as Aedeth tried to brush off the accusation. Not only that, but the way the demoness was doing so was making the kitsune look like the fool to any bystanders. She took a step back as Aedeth tried to approach to lean in towards her, making certain to keep a distance between them and her expression a clear sign that she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"Don't play games with me." The kitsune's voice was uncharacteristically stern as she spoke, her usual nervousness apparently gone in her anger and suspicion. "I know exactly what this thing does. You expect me to believe it slipped in as an accident? The fact that you even just have one..."

Nila stood her ground as she spoke, not quite raising her voice but making no effort to keep quiet either, barely seeming to notice their potential audience any more. She was still paying close attention to her surroundings, very wary of the chance that one of them might make a grab for her, but that was it.

"Just... Tell me, stop trying to evade the subject. What was the point of this? What were you going to do with me if I wasn't being careful this time?" She wanted to believe that it was just another test, that collar just had some harmless but humiliating commands programmed in as punishment, or something else more benign than she was thinking... but they were making it hard to believe that.

Spoiler

I guess full defensing for the purposes of combat (If it matters), since she's just talking and being ready to defend herself if needed.

So updated buffed stats with the Transform changes/full defense: +39 to Power attack rolls, 16d10+27 Dodge, 51 Willpower, 24 Reflexes, 28 Focus (And +12 to defensive checks for any of them), 5d10+13 Perception (+15 more against sneak attacks).

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 74/96, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 13 for Spirit, Upkeep = 7?

Nila's increasing vehemence did begin to draw eyes, though that she wasn't openly shouting or displaying her powers did also keep that attention from becoming too intent. Aldem frowned at Nila's sharp wording, an eerie calm settling over the demonic man the longer she kept up her front. Aedeth, in turn, blew out a frustrated sigh and settled back to stare flatly at Nila for a few long seconds.

"This is no game," she said coolly, her patience clearly fraying but her cool demeanor remaining. She smiled reassuringly, leaning softly against Aldem and tilting her head, "fashion is serious business, and if you'd worn something so gauche we'd have had to show it off to everyone we could. We'd have left you with only that humiliation, however."

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

"...Fine, if that's how you're going to be." Nila sounded frustrated, the demoness somehow managing to make her look the part of the fool even now, but she finally relented. She had been too angry to think about it before, but as she began to calm down she realized that they had quite the audience here, simply on the side of the road as they were. When she considered that, the demons' evasiveness started to make a little more sense.

She still wasn't happy about it, the fact that it was something they felt they needed to hide in the first place, and the way Aedeth talked around it confirming her original suspicions as to what it really was. Aedeth had implied that it was only a minor enchantment, perhaps only another test after all, but she still didn't like it. It was wrong, no matter what the intent behind it was.

"Maybe we can talk about this... privately, then." She added after a few moments, still visibly annoyed. She wasn't going to let this go, not until she got a proper explanation, but she was willing to wait until they were somewhere more private, at least.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 74/96, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 13 for Spirit

"Of course~" Aedeth said smoothly, and detached from Aldem only to join arms with Nila in much the same manner. "Come now, let me show you to our rooms~" she said sweetly, "Aldem dear, why don't you see about our baggage, hrm? And do invite poor Harkin in for a drink, he's been so deprived on our trip so far!"

With that she swept the kitsune away, almost whether or not Nila liked it, and hastened despite her ornate garb to drag her upstairs. Nila got a brief glimpse of a fairly pleasant and clean common room, with a pair of fireplaces and a wide bar but only a handful of occupants, before the wide stairs brought her up, and she might have been slightly more self conscious about her lack of undergarments in the skimpy dress had anyone been following them directly.

Aedeth led her to a room, a rather simple bedroom with two modestly sized beds, and clicked her fingers to summon a light hovering over her hand into the otherwise fairly dimly lit room, its pair of windows curtained off. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, dropping her act and letting her annoyance show in tone and expression, "you could have caused such a scene.... And why did you take off the harness?"

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila grudgingly allowed Aedeth to take her arm, not wanting to cause another scene already. She wanted to believe what Aedeth was saying, that it really was harmless, but something was still nagging at the back of her mind, keeping her from letting her guard down. She glanced around as she was led inside, eyes briefly scanning over the room but not really taking in anything. She was distracted, both by the demoness' proximity and by the events that had led up to this.

As they started up the stairs Nila's cheeks flushed a little, tails coming down to preserve some sense of modesty as she was again reminded of her lack of undergarments under the relatively short skirt. She was sure someone would be looking, at Aedeth if not her, and were it not for her distraction it would be mortifying to consider that someone might be able to look right up the dress' skirt from behind if she wasn't now using her tails to block such a view.

"I... should have considered where we were." She admitted somewhat sheepishly in the face of Aedeth's accusations. "And I was... angry," she admitted, though it probably did little to answer the succubus' questions regarding the harness to her satisfaction.

"But I cannot simply let this go." Her voice took on a more severe tone again as she motioned with the collar still clenched in her other hand. "What is this, really? I can tell what sort of magic it's enchanted with, if not the exact effects. I know what this sort of enchantment could do, did you really expect me to just accept this? To not be angry? Or were you expecting that I'd just put it on without thinking?"

Several of Nila's sisters had been mages, including the two she had been closest with. She had learned quite a bit from Lina before her twin had seemingly gone mad, and Chika had been an exceptional mage herself. Not only had she learned from her eldest sister while she was alive, but there was a connection now. She still wasn't sure if she could put any of it to practical use, she'd never tried to learn, but it was as if she'd absorbed some of her eldest sister's knowledge when she'd taken in her soul. From the moment she'd used her powers to learn the properties of the collar, her mind had been giving her all sorts of ideas as to what this collar's true function could be, and none of them were pleasant.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

Nila Misra: HP = 46/46, PP = 52/52, EP = 74/96, Status = Fine, Transformation X = 13 for Spirit

"You know what flying off the handle when you're angry gets you?" Aedeth said scathingly, but didn't immediately follow up with the answer. Instead, she snatched the collar out of Nila's hand and said; "Of COURSE it's a control collar you twit, if you were fool enough to put it on you'd have suffered a little embarrassment for your mistake and then we'd have taken it off. It has a simple preprogrammed command on it that wouldn't have hurt you at all. Unlike someone who might ACTUALLY want to throw one of those on you, this one doesn't have a lock and is weak enough that you could probably just throw off the effect yourself if you really had to.

"I HOPED you would be smart enough not to put it on, but I also EXPECTED you to be smart enough not to try and cause a scene in a town full of normal people who have no idea what any of us are! YOU may not think that that matters, but there are parties of all colors who would take the knowledge of our nature as excuse enough to come after us. How would you like having your throat slit while you're asleep? Or shot through the heart while you're just walking along, minding your own business? As much of a problem as it is regardless, it's a lot less of one when people think they need to worry about town guard coming after them for it and DON'T think they can become immortal or something by cutting out your heart and eating it!"

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

"I know. I should have thought about where we were, I... didn't consider that what you are might be an issue. Even so, if you didn't want to cause a scene, why drop that on me in the middle of a town? Or was the commotion going to be at my expense when whatever that collar was going to do took effect?" Nila sighed, shaking her head. She really did want to believe Aedeth, wanted to know that someone out here was on her side, but the demoness wasn't making it easy. She'd made a mistake, she understood that. She should have waited until they were in private to confront her about it.

"I'm... sorry I made a scene out front." She finally spoke again after a few moments, though she still looked conflicted. "I don't really have much experience with humans, and magic was fairly common where I grew up, between my family and some of the faeries my mother was acquainted with. I didn't expect that they might react so hostilely..."

Her demeanour shifted as she trailed off, looking a little ashamed and avoiding the demoness' eyes, "Is that really all it was? Just a test? I want to believe that, I really do, but that sort of magic... You can't just expect me to be okay with something that twists your mind like that. It wouldn't NEED a lock if it was strong enough. All I could tell was the type of enchantment it was, what did you expect me to think? You helped me a lot, and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but that's asking for a lot of trust for someone I only met yesterday..."