A study in the eldritch (Lunaraia;Pervy;MortalitasBorealis)

[Lunaraia]

Aya and the ghostly Christine glanced at each other and nodded. Immediately Fey would feel a surge of pleasure going through her that would cause the pleasure until then to feel like a small insignificant pat on the head. Likewise, Korrie would feel a pleasant and constant rhythm of pleasure like that of a lover.

If Korrie glanced back, she would now be surprised to find that it was a ghostly Christine that was having her way with her. While Fey would find that partway through one of her kisses, she was now kissing Aya.

The tentacles that until then were playing with Fey kept up their administrations as well, even as new ones emerged to slowly bind Korrie too. with a thin tentacle wrapping around her neck gently, as if it was a collar and leash holding her in place.

Aya released her kiss and cupped Fey’s cheek. “You are always so resilient, and the sheer amount of energy being drained is astounding, yet you’re just fine. Mistress hit the jackpot with you, little pet phoenix.” She resumed kissing Fey slowly moving down her bound body, pausing at her nipples for a moment to give them some loving attention, before she moved on, only for a pair of suction cup tipped tentacles to take her place.

She moved past Fey’s belly button and stopped at her clit. “Such a cute little button, let’s give it some attention, shall we?” As she leaned into kiss it, Fey could feel the pleasure, increase again.

As this continued, the tentacle that was pounding away at her slowly disappeared, though Fey’s love canal wouldn’t remain empty for long. In came the enchanted, and promised dildo from earlier, surging up the pleasure yet again.

If Fey was still conscious after that, she could feel how the pleasure was eating away at even her energy reserves, and if she glanced over at Christine, she could see that with every pulse of pleasure through her own body, the ghostly Christine would seem a bit more solid. She never would become completely solid, but that was a good indicator that each surge was helping.

Korrie’s legs and arms were now bound snugly and lovingly by Christine’s tentacles, while she too received a pair of suction cupped tentacles to pleasure her breasts. It was a more intimate and loving form of pleasure than what Aya provided.

The dildo that Aya used slowly faded away, but was quickly replaced by a keen tentacle. there was also one poking at Korrie’s backdoor, should she desire it. But Christine took her little pet’s desires into account for this sort of thing and if Korrie seemed uncomfortable, it would be removed.

“As always Korrie, you’re such an eager little pet. You know, when we get back to the waking world, I have to see about getting both you and Fey a proper collar. Do you prefer leather? Or maybe you want one of steel, so it has some weight to it, reminding you of your proper place at your owner’s feet, hmm?” With the mention of the collar, Korrie would feel the tentacles pleasuring her wiggle happily, sending some extra jolts of that nice relaxing pleasure surging through her, reinforcing the idea that such a thing was something good.

As she spoke, Christine embraced Korrie the same way Aya did earlier, and resumed the massage of Korrie’s breasts though her was a slow sensual massage meant to tease the pleasure out. A slow burn, rather than the somewhat hard and demanding massage Aya gave before, meant to wring pleasure out of her, whether or not she wanted it.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

For a while, Korrie simply basked in the ecstasy of the moment, happy to the receptacle of her owner’s lust. The pleasure no longer overwhelmed her as it normally would, but it still left her in a pleasant haze that she didn’t care to snap out of, feeling Aya pump away at her drooling pussy. When she idly looked over at her sister pet though, the sight of Aya now tending to the horny phoenix confused her. When did she-? But then, who’s fucking her right now?

The pet wyvern looked behind herself, unsure what to expect, but she certainly wasn’t expecting to see a ghostly vision of Christine. “O-Oh, Mistress? Are you… Is that really you?” She asked wide-eyed, both surprised and elated. As if in answer, tentacles emerged to wrap around her, one around her neck like a collar and leash, making her shiver in delight from the feeling. She’s still not sure exactly what’s going on, but this Christine seems real enough. Maybe some sort of astral projection? Either way, she’s just happy her owner is still here and in good enough condition to play with her.

Tentacles took over to suckle and knead her tender breasts, and though there was briefly a strange feeling of Aya’s dildo vanishing as it teleported with its wearer as well, a tentacle quickly plugged up that vacancy. Feeling another tentacle tickling her backside, Korrie tried to nudge it in deeper, her hip movements like an obscene invitation to double-penetrate her. Despite the inhuman nature of the tendrils, their touch felt more gentle and loving, like a warm caress. The masochistic side of her enjoyed being roughly used by her owners, but such loving ministrations made her feel warm and fuzzy on top of the pleasure, and she liked both in different ways.

Korrie didn’t need any reinforcement, the promise of pet collars already enough to put a dreamy smile on her face while she shivered in delight, subtly rubbing her neck against the tendril wrapped around it. “Leather feels more cute and homely, but Korrie will defer to Mistress~” She answered. Besides, a metal collar would probably be really cold in the winter, not that some magic won’t fix that she’s sure. She’s sure Mistress knows best.

 

[Pervy]

The Phoenix observed with happy, if slightly lust-clouded eyes, purring, with embers fluttering and meandering around her, looking over to her beloved, ghostly mistress, and her sister slave with happy cooing noises, positively fire-elemental-vibrating under the approving, encouraging patting.
"Yaay."
She made, simply seeming happy, although there was a bit of a distracted blink as her lips met Aya's instead. Alright, Christine trusted Aya, but that wasn't mistress, right? .. Oh well, she was still held by Mistress tentacles, so.. she was propably fine with this, and so, Feyline was fine with it too.

"Energy drained?" She mused, feeling more relaxed than anything, but happily following on with the rest. ".. Yep! am bestest Phoenix-slave for mistress ever. Can drain me lots if that makes her healthy again!" A slightly concerned look, although there was a happy sigh at the attendion upon her hardened nipple, half pushing it up against Aya's ministrations, moaning especially as she leaned low to tease her slightly heated clit, a hint of moisture glistening fromout the tentacle-held phoenix.. which squealed delightfully, when the suction-cup tentacles were attached to her nipples, pushing her bossom out into the eldritch embrace, even, associating those tendrils with her loving mistress, no mater how unholy her writhing lover might be in reality.

There was a hint of a disappointed expression at the discorporating tentacles.. until a magical dildo took their place, and Fey, with a lustful sigh from the Phoenix-girl. "Hamnn...."
Watching Christine clearly be re-vitalized by this, Fey did her best to hold on as long as she could, but eventually, even her ears were ringing and her vision growing fuzzy, just.. naturally.

She cooed, and, as was usual for her now, showed her near bottomless endurance by refusing to lose consciousness, happily writhing in the tentacle playing upon her.. and then the dildo, warm, moift fire-phoenixsex squeezing the tool tightly... although the pleasure was getting a tad exhausting in the end there, she had to admit. "I'mma go sleep sleep.. happy you's doing better.."
Fey mumbled, only half aware now, glancing over to her Sister-slave with a pleasant, happy smile, snuggling up into the tentacles and.. at least accepting and also enjoying the lustful succu-bloods dildo as she drifted off to double-sleep in this dream adventure.

 

[Lunaraia]

Korrie and Fey would be drained until they lost consciousness, at which point Aya would gently tuck the two of them in, while Christien finished up the energy she drained from the two. The last thing the two would get to see before zonking out completely was Christine’s ghostly form, giving each of them a loving peck on the forehead.

Korrie and Fey would regain consciousness later on, the ship no longer rocking as the storm seemed to have passed. Fey’s little Phoenix friend would be busy sniffing at Fey’s nose, then give it an experimental nibble, apparently hungry. Aya and Christine were nowhere to be seen. Presumably, they left once the job was done. There would be an ache from all the rigours of the session earlier, but nothing so bad it would be enervating.

If the pets remained in bed, then it would take a few hours before Aya came to check on them and drag them to the dining room for breakfast. If they went to get breakfast themselves, they would find her and Erfek there, discussing with Yaga about their current course of action. ”The storm has blown us of course. By Yaga’s calculations, we are far further northwest than what was the original plan. It’s to where we might be better off skipping Celephais, since it would take us longer to go there and then to Leng, than it would take us to head directly to Leng.”

Yaga took a sip of some mysterious foul smelling brew as she looked up at Aya. “But doing so would leave us woefully limited on supplies and gear. Neither of us can seem to agree on the best course of action, so we would like your input on it. It’s you two who will be suffering the most in the cold, given your… preference for minimalistic clothing, if any.” Yaga shot Aya a glare as she spoke, and she shrugged in response.

“Indeed it will be. I am not saying we shouldn’t head there to gear up. but…” she shot Erfek a glance. Yaga gave an annoyed groan, but didn’t respond, leaving the pets wondering what they were talking about. “Take some time to discuss between the two of you whether or not you want us to skip Celephais. Just keep in mind once we set a course we won’t change it unless we have no other choice.” With that, Yaga and Aya left the dining room, leaving the two pets alone with Erfek.



Once the twins woke up, they would find that while Aila could provide a rather helpful implement to fall asleep, she was still metal, and made for a poor pillow. The pleasant and toasty heat her body gave off made for a gentle awakening despite the twins’ skin sticking to the parts of her they were in contact with because of the prolonged contact. It was akin to a naked leg sticking to a leather couch, though the extraction was easier.

Aila was lying there and looking at both of them, with a slight golden hue on her face that the twins would by now recognize as a blush. “Good morning you two… at least, I think it’s morning. It’s hard to tell given how long the storm lasted.” Aila would be quite happy to help the twins dress, and would be careful not to be inappropriate while doing so, unless the twins showed signs of wanting that.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Despite the feverish state of ecstasy Korrie usually would’ve been in while being fucked so vigorously, a combination of magic and energy drain left her feeling soothed instead, and not long after, sleepy. The tentacle writhing in her nethers was equivalent to a tummy rub, as the pet wyvern started to doze off. By the time the tentacles withdrew and Aya tucked her into bed she was barely aware, a dream-like sight of her Mistress letting her drift off to sleep with a happy smile.

Korrie awoke the next day feeling sore, but it was a feeling she had grown to appreciate, like the aches after a serious workout. The knowledge of how it came about made it satisfying, even though she hoped the aches would fade in an hour or so. Being a heavy sleeper, she’d likely wake up some time after Fey does, but before Aya has to come pick her up. Either way, other than some fond reminiscing and wondering if the visions of Mistress were a hallucination or not, there was little to think about regarding some normal playtime. She would simply go out and see what’s going on, letting Fey sleep in if the phoenix was somehow still asleep by then.

Korrie found the others in the dining room, though the siblings and their new golem friend were apparently sleeping in. There was no time to care about those lazybones though as important matters had come up. “Hm, so we either have to waste more time getting back on the original course, or skip resupply and go straight to Leng…” Korrie summarized, pondering the decision. It was not an easy one. On one hand, saving Mistress is of course the top priority, and the sooner they can get it done the better. However, they only have one shot at this. If they fail because they went in under-prepared… she dared not imagine the consequences.

“Erfek, do you know how many extra days it’d take to go to Celephais first?” She asked the critter. The mission was urgent, but not so urgent as to be worth a massive risk to success over a few lost days, right? The storm lasted like a day or so, it couldn’t have blown them that far off course…

…...

Meanwhile, the twins started waking up, tossing, turning, and stretching as they did so, having woken up with some mild muscle cramps. There was this weird feeling of their skin unsticking from something as they did so, and it took a moment more for them to remember what was going on. The knowledge that they were unsticking from the golem girl’s synthetic skin like she was a leather sofa was a little odd, but it was whatever.

“Oh, g’morning…” Shiroi yawned, sitting up and stretching some more, while Kuroi sat up more passively, one cat ear twitching adorably while she tried to wake up completely from her groggy half-asleep state. “Morning… Did you sleep well…?” the ravenette mumbled, fighting the urge to lie back down and go back to sleep in the warmth.

The twins still seemed a little embarrassed when Aila offered to help them change into fresh clothes for the day, preferring to dress themselves normally. Seeing as the golem girl was very keen to help out though, they’d ask her to help fold up what they took off instead, and also offered to let her comb their hair. Neither ever bothered to put their hair into any elaborate hairstyles, but they still needed tending to, especially with long hair like theirs. If Aila offered to style their hair for them though, they’d let her try and see what happens.

 

[Pervy]

The Phoenix-girl likely awakend first, and with a happy yawn and a fiery-birdy stretching, flames igniting to cover her nudity in harmless orange fires as she wiggled about, taking in her surroundings, disoriented at first. "I'm never gonna get this whole sleeping whilest dreaming thing..."
She ntoed, trying to remember any dreams. She also blinked, getting up and noting. "We gotta get off of this dumb ocean, running out of seeds for my phoenix.."
As she fed the bird, with a plentiful supply of seeds. Likely, she herself wanted to get off the ocean.

At breakfast, she found another reason to gripe with the parties struggles. "Off course.. does that mean more water? Huuuuh.."
She bemoaned. "Wait, skipping a thing? Yaaay! Best storm ever!"
She grinned, nomming on some fruit and feeding the Phoenix perched on her shoulder with renewed enthusiasm. "Well, you know my answer, Every minute not spend on the water is a good minute."
The Phoenix girl insisted. "Plus, I am genuinly not as useful if it gets too cold. I hate the cold. it's awful, lets rush through it, best as we can. I'll hide at the reactor unless there's an emergency. The Reactor is warmth. The Reactor is love."
She insisted, sulking a bit at any mention of taking longer, days even, playing derisively with her own food, peeking over to Korrie. "Silly storm, wan't even a firestorm..."

 

[Lunaraia]

Erfek looked between the pets, its nose twitching and small tentacles squirming about in a fashion that by now they would recognize as the Zoog being in deep thought. Then as Fey mentioned staying in the reactor the Zoog looked directly at her. “You can’t stay in the reactor. Once we get what we are looking for in the library, we are immediately going to the waking world. The less time we stay in the plateau the better, and going back to the ship would be a fool’s errand, given what lives there. It’s to where Granny Yaga has agreed to magically store the ship away so we don’t have to leave it behind.”

The Zoog looked at each of them one after another. “As for going without gear. I wouldn’t recommend it, despite the time loss. It’s not even that much, and between you and me I think the storm might have saved us some time more than we lost. And while Lady Aya wouldn’t want to admit it, she doesn’t know our exact location, but knows that we are now northwest of Celephais rather than southwest. This means that while we would be closer to Leng, I can’t see how you’d do well in arctic conditions without proper gear, even if you are Dreamers. That means colder than a midwinter’s night, in the middle of the day with the sun shining. And Leng is prone to having blizzards, I might ad.“ Erfek was looking directly at Fey as it spoke, as if to make sure she understood she had no choice but to join in on the trip through the icy wasteland.



Aila was more than happy to fold up the discarded clothes and when she heard the twins offer to fix their hair, she seemed ecstatic. “Just you wait, you’ll love it!” As soon as she began working on Kuroi’s hair, Shiroi would realize that Aila was quite skilled at such tasks. And before long, Kuroi sported a tasteful, though simple hairstyle.

Created by little more than a hairbrush two small hair needles and a hairband that kept Kuroi’s cat ears uncovered and her eyes unobstructed and with most of the hair on her right side, while looking stylish at the same time and that was just after a few minutes of work.

Shiroi was then offered a chair and before long she had a similar, style as her sister, though mirrored, so the hair was on the left. She pulled the two over to the mirror, placing the two next to each other so they could see their complimenting hairstyles. “So, what do you think?” As she asked, there was a noise from outside.

Outside, the pets and twins could hear, muffled through the hull, the sound of something massive splashing into the water, and they could hear from above. “If you like whales, come onto deck.” Though it was impossible to tell whose voice it was given how muffled it was and mixed in with the splashing noises. If any of the pets or the twins entered the deck, they would indeed see a large pod of narwhals swimming alongside the ship. Aya and Yaga were sitting at a small table enjoying the chill air and would acknowledge their presence with a small nod before going back into discussing something in a language none present could understand, though Yaga was winning the argument, whatever it was about.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

“You can’t just hide in the reactor while we do all the work…” Korrie gave her sister pet a flat look. Either way, Erfek soon confirmed the wyvern’s hunch that they weren’t steered that far off course, and also explained to them the kind of environmental hazard they’ll be up against. Perhaps it was a bad idea to color their preconceptions like this, as Korrie for one was now frightened of just how cold Leng is going to be, looking down at her own naked body and already starting to shiver at the thought. On the other hand, it was probably prudent to make such warnings, since even the reality-bending of a Dreamer only goes so far.

“Then Korrie thinks we should go to Celephais for supplies. We can afford the time, and better safe than sorry, right?” Korrie made her decision. Looks like she’ll have to wear clothes again for once, and some heavy duty stuff at that. It felt like so long ago since she’s had to wear anything other than a collar.

===

As it turned out, Aila was very good at hairdressing. Shiroi watched with interest while the golem tended to her sibling, using minimal supplies and time to create a simple but pretty hairstyle. While Kuroi admired herself in the mirror, very happy with the results, Shiroi got the same treatment but mirrored, complementing each other while also stylish on their own.

“Mm, I never really bothered to style my hair, but now I’m thinking a few extra minutes of work might be worth it.”
“Agreed, I love it! Thank you Aila, you’re really good at this~”

The golem received glowing praise from both siblings. There wasn’t much more time to admire their new look before some noises from outside drew their attention, followed by a voice they couldn’t really discern. “Whales? Huh, this should be interesting. Wanna come with, Aila?” Shiroi invited their new golem girlfriend to join them before heading for the deck, curious to see some dream realm marine life. Korrie soon joined them, also curious about the wildlife. She noticed the twins’ new matching hairstyle, but didn’t think it worth asking about, and was soon drawn to the pod of narwhals swimming alongside the ship.

It was a surprise to see something native to Earth here, rather than something more alien, but they were still beautiful and exotic creatures, and both Korrie and the twins were delighted to observe the narwhals.

 

[Pervy]

Fey pondered a bit sulkily. She could already feel herself freezing up. Yes, she had flames to warm herself, and others, but it was a bit like drinking your own blood in the long run, sure, you'd not be thirsty for a while, but... "I -can- totally hide away. I mean, I am all for back to the waking world... oh well, let's see how things go. You make it sound like we dun really have a choice but to get equipped.. I mean.. then again if my flames fail I'm like.. all naked so....."
She tried not to dish out her sour mood to others too much, moving onto the deck and observing the dream-fish, musing something about Narwhals swimming in the ocean because they are so awesome.

"Right, big Sushi boys, so, anyway, we's gonna get equipped up and furred up and head on now? I guess it's time to wear like.. 20 layers of clothes, next best to just hiding nearby the generator and plopping my head out to fireball meanos that get too uppity." She shrugged, following along and stretching a little.

 

[Lunaraia]

Aya listened calmly to the girls’ choice. “Gearing up it is, a wise choice, all things considered.” On cue, the ship slowly turned away from the pod of whales and changed its course towards the southeast.

Aila, who had followed Kuroi and Shiroi, looked longingly at the whales as they disappeared into the distance behind them. " ”Um… So how long will this detour take?” Aya looked back at her.

”Difficult to say, could be a few hours, could be a few days, if we knew our exact location I could tell you for sure. However, I can tell you we are north of Celephais somewhere. Those whales stick around in the cold oceans north of the city. If we are lucky, we will see the spires of the city by sunset. If we are unlucky, we won’t see them for a few days. Meanwhile, you are all free to just relax and enjoy yourselves. If something changes, you will be informed.”

The girls would be given free rein to do what they wanted until later that evening. However, just before sunset, they would once again be called up to deck. ”There you can see it in the distance, girls.” Aya pointed towards something in the distance.

As the ship approached, magnificent buildings of pale marble with roofs clad in bronze could be seen, many of which towered above the city like beautiful white spires. Seagulls were still flying around the harbor, despite the setting sun, and several ships could be seen sailing around the outside of the inlet that housed the harbor, likely fishers. The place gave off a far more welcome feeling than Dylath-Leen.

Yaga arrived behind the girls and gazed towards the city. "As expected, Serannian is nowhere to be seen. The city was likely blown off by the storm. Oh, the king will be busy getting it back into position.” She gave a chuckle, as if the very idea amused her.

As the boat drew closer, the girls could see that many of the buildings, as well as the streets themselves, were paved with sheets of white onyx. The architecture style would be reminiscent of old middle eastern cities, with many tall spires and domes.

”Celephais, a city created from scratch by one of the strongest Dreamers there is. And, hands down, one of the richest cities in the Dreamlands. It is also a place that is relatively safe to visit, even for those who have little idea of what they are doing.”

As she spoke, a shadow fell over the boat. If the girls looked up, they would see another city, this one made of pale pink marble, and with roofs clad in gold, the architecture was more Arabic in style as it drifted past the ship and floated further on. Once it was above the waters just off the coast of Celephais, the clouds underneath it slowly began descending until they touched the waters. And the girls could see several ships sail up the clouds towards the city in the sky, as if it was just a simple river.

”And there you see why the cities of Celephais and Serannian are called the Twin Cities. The two stick together through thick and thin. Having the same man rule both helps, no doubt. I will say, it took him less time than expected to get the city back in position.”

Aya glanced over at Yaga. "He should be ruling from Serannian directly, given the time of year, which would have given him far more leeway to get the city back, it would also explain our swift passage to Celephais itself, the king shortened the distance to the city through the power of being a Dreamer.”

Aya fell silent as the ship pulled into the inlet just before the harbor itself, letting the beautiful sight of the city sink in for the girls.

Spoiler

”No doubt the shops have closed for the night, or will shortly before we enter, so we can forget about getting any shopping done today. Rest up everyone, we will be doing a lot of walking tomorrow. And no leaving the ship on your own, Celephais is labyrinthine even at the best of times, and we don't have the time to look for you should you get lost in the labyrinthine streets of this place.” With that, Aya went below deck without another word as the ship, on its own accord furled the sails and anchored up in an empty spot out of the way for other passing ships.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Shiroi stifled a chuckle at ‘big sushi boys’, but otherwise didn’t know much about the ‘gearing up’ conversation, having come up with Aila and Kuroi at the tail end of that. It certainly didn’t sound like any bad decisions were made, getting more prepared. “Even at worst that doesn’t sound like too long. If Leng is as dangerous as I think it is then a couple days to prep up is well worth it.” Shiroi remarked.

The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully, with Korrie retreating back to her room for more ‘simulated gaming’, and the twins alternating between practicing with their powers and just hanging out above deck with Aila. As the sun set though, the three were called back up to a magnificent view.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous…!” “And way more welcoming than that last place too. Sure could use a day or two to sightsee, this is the kind of peak fantasy place I’d love to explore.” Kuroi and Shiroi praised the sight of the ivory city, while Korrie was simply left speechless while she marveled at the view. What Baba Yaga said caught their attention though.

“Huh? A city was… blown away?” Korrie tilted her head, confused. It made little sense, especially when Celephais was already here. How could there be another city that should be here when there’s already a city here, and how does that city just get blown away?

“Maybe the other city was floating on the sea?” Kuroi hazarded a guess before Baba went on.

“Richest city, huh? Yeah I can see that with all the white and gold and fancy architecture, sure looks the part. Wait, you said a Dreamer made all this? A human?” Shiroi asked, interested by the idea that the creator and ruler of this beautiful domain was, in a way, just like them.

Then a shadow fell over them, and the girls looked up to behold a sight that left all their jaws dropped. “…Scratch that, this is peak fantasy. I’m gonna need several more days to see all this.” “I suppose that explains the ‘blown away’ part. This may be the most dream-like location we’ve been during this journey…” “K-Korrie wants a tour too, if we have the time…” The girls all marveled at the sight that none of them ever imagined they’d see for real merely months ago. It truly was a ‘dream come true’.

Already stunned by everything going on, the idea that a Dreamer was able to contract time and space, and that they did so so naturally the ship was caught up in it and no one noticed, didn’t even come as as much of a shock. Not being able to sightsee immediately was a bit of a bummer, but it was reasonable. The three stayed above deck for some time, just watching the cities and the commute from a distance. Shiroi waited for everyone else other than Kuroi and, if she was above deck with them, Aila, to be out of earshot.

“...Y’know, we could take a sneak peek at the city first. Just to scratch the itch.” She whispered.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea… Aya did warn us about getting lost.”

“What are maze-like streets when we can fly?”

“That’s… a good point. And it is supposed to be a safe city.”

“Right? We’ll get a quick birds’ eye view of Celephais, fly up to Serannian for a look there, and come back before anyone even notices. They have a flying city for a sister city, I doubt a couple fliers are gonna get anyone’s attention. Come on, in and out, thirty minute adventure, just us together!”

“Hmm…” The ravenette thought about it. She was the more level-headed of the duo… but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a sense of adventure. Some small, masked part in the back of her mind also felt like disobeying Aya. If Aila were with them, she might be the deciding vote for whether the two go ahead on their mischief. Otherwise, Kuroi was quickly leaning towards agreeing…

 

[Pervy]

The Phoenix-girl tilted her head thoughtfully, then tilted it again, just ever so slightly chickenlike, in the other direction. "Dreamwhales sound kinda neat, heh."
She chuckled. "Uuh. Dreamships. Uuuuuuh flying city. Huh. Wonder what a strong dreamer is. Is there still a person associated in the waking world? Is it like a comatose guy sleeping looots?"
She pondered, still recalling that this whole trip, feeling as if weeks were stretching by now, would in theory be over with the morning still.. perhaps noon, by now, in the real world..

"Awww.. I wanted to check out the pretty city.. oh well. Who's up for a slumber party next to the energy core of the ship!"
She'd enthuse, nodding over to Kuroi's observation, quickly leaning in on the mischief-whispering. "So errrrr.. Funny thing that, so see how I got these fire wings? They are literal fire wings.. I am super into sneak exploring the city, and on board and all but unless you can like.. write on fire with your super epic writing magic, cutie.. Y'know.. Fire doesn't really have buyoancy.. or, to say it more directly.. the fire wings are just for show. heeh.."
She fluttered up her fiery wings.
"That said.. What's the worst that could happen?"

Feyline enthused, already prepared to step on dock with the general consensus, if nothing stopped her!

 

[Lunaraia]

Aila opened her mouth to respond to the other’s plans, then froze as she looked at something behind the Twins and Fey. “The worst that can happen, child, would be that my dear Grandchild finds out about your little plot. I should not need to tell you this, but her punishments have been lenient, compared to the cruelty she is capable of when motivated. For instance, Fey, she might curse you so that all sources of warmth would feel like icy cold instead. And then leave you like that for the rest of the trip. She would also have similarly inventive, and maybe even crueler punishments for the rest of you.”

The girls would find Baba Yaga standing behind them with a rather disapproving expression on her face. ”Now, that aside. It just so happens that I have an errand in the city that has to be done tonight. If you promise to behave, I will let you accompany me. We could even have dinner at a restaurant on the way back. However, I should not need to tell you I will tolerate no funny business.”

Baba Yaga would look at each of them, waiting for a reply. Those that agreed would then be told to hold out their left hands, palms down. Upon which Baba Yaga would place her own hand over theirs, leaving behind an intricate star-shaped mark. “Just to make sure there is no temptation to try anything, I can use this mark to teleport the lot of you back to the ship with a mere thought. Attempt to remove the mark, and you will get teleported back to the ship. Attempt to sneak away. And the mark will teleport you back to the ship. If you are teleported away, I will instruct my granddaughter to come up with a fitting punishment as well. Understood?”

If any of the girls wanted to stay behind, Baba Yaga would then gesture towards the door leading below deck and wait for them to enter, then magically seal the door behind them, preventing any attempt at sneaking off on their own after Baba Yaga and the others left for the city.

Then she would cast a spell that would levitate the girls while also hopping onto her own giant mortar and pestle and fly off across the water towards the city proper while dragging the girls behind her with magic, giving them all a birdseye view of the remaining inlet and the suburban area below, before she would land the girls on the docks, while continuing to ride her mortar.

In the ever deepening shadows, the girls would see several lamps light up with a pleasant warm amber-colored light. It reflected off of the white opal, bronze and gold, lighting up the streets with a soft golden glow that left no shadows behind. Even at this hour, there was still some last-minute bustle on the wharf itself for the night.

A few of the workers and locals would glance at them as they arrived, but didn’t really react, even to Korrie and Fey’s nakedness, if they were present. “You will see, children, that Celephais is a pretty diverse place.” Baba would comment as she led the group further into the city.

It wouldn’t take long before the many twists and turns of the city would make getting back to the harbor difficult. After a while of walking, Baba Yaga paused for a moment, as she eyed a group of zebras. “Hmm, better not, I doubt any of you children are trained riders.” As she led on, the girls could see a sign that read “For Rent” in finely carved and gilded letters on a pole next to the zebras.

As Baba led the group deeper into the city, the sun finished setting, and the entire city would seem like it was made from gold thanks to the lamps. After passing the zebras, Baba Yaga also went quiet, but if any of the girls had questions, she would be happy to answer them.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Both twins flinched when Fey suddenly spoke up. They were sure they were out of earshot from everyone else, how did the flashy phoenix of all people sneak up on them? “Well, I could just write a ‘Can fly’ script on your back and it should work. Or maybe you could change the property of your fire wings with dreamer powers?” Kuroi mused.

“Wouldn’t you rather wait for morning though? It’s pretty cold out at night.” Shiroi said, more bemused than her sibling. She was really hoping for some alone time with her sister and Aila.

The twins flinched again when yet another voice chimed in, one that was actually frightening considering whose it was. They were less surprised that the old crone caught on though, just disappointed. Still, it appears Baba Yaga was willing to make a compromise with them. “Sure, as long as we get to look around we’re more than happy to behave.” Shiroi agreed, and Kuroi nodded as well. It wasn’t much of a private date admiring the night view of a beautiful foreign land anymore, but eh. Kuroi was particularly conflicted, as a part of her was glad for the supervision, knowing how often trouble seems to find its way to them; but another part of her was getting really annoyed constantly being leashed by her supervisors. Still, a tour is a tour.

With the magic mark placed on them, the twins and the others soon took off, leaving behind the blissfully oblivious Korrie, who had long since returned below deck like the obedient pet she is, having no idea about any of the scheming going on above deck.

The disappointment of having their private date ruined was quickly dispelled by the sight of Celephais, white and gold and bronze, giving a feeling of divinity. It was the sort of city that would require so many precious resources that it could only realistically exist in fiction, or in this case, a dream, and now they could walk around in one first-hand. Aya wasn’t exaggerating about the winding maze-like streets, though a bird’s eye view would surely remedy that anyway. At one point, the twins gawked curiously at a pack of zebras for rent. “Huh. Weird choice, I would’ve been less surprised to see unicorns or pegasi.” Shiroi noted, finding the zebras a curious blend of special and mundane.

In the quiet, the twins took a moment to just enjoy the golden view. If Aila were present, Kuroi would stay close and hold her hand as they walked. “Hm. How do the locals usually travel between Celephais and Serannian? Is flight a common power here?” The ravenette asked their guide. If their horses aren’t winged, surely there’s some other common means to get between the cities…

 

[Pervy]

"Oh is that so.. " She glared. With that kind of curse she'd just kill herself or wake herself up otherwise, check on Christine in the real world, maybe go to her patron to discuss alternative options like rebirth. She half tilted her head, grinning over to the twins. "Not sure if we are dressed for fine dining, heeh,.. and if I notice it.." She shrugged, and held a hand out, all whilest making clear that she didn't appreciate much about the teleportation mark and its perhaps necessary precautions.

"Would you like to sow our mouths shut too?" She questioned Baba-Yaga directly as she went on about restrictions, her innermost nature, as always, and predictably, rebelling against the combination of being threatened and leashed up, rightfully so or not, her fire flickering angrily, before she calmed herself.. Someone as wise as the old Hag presumably was, would know what effect this kind of threat would have.. ah. This was a trick to dissuade both her and Korrie from coming, she realized a moment too late. Alright, sure. "You know what, forget about it, you three have fun exploring the city, I'm only getting leashed by one woman and you don't want to have a sulky phoenix ruining your trip. You dun want the risk of me makin' trouble, I get it, so best I stay here." She withdrew her hand again, shaking her head. There would naturally be no questions from her, as with the threatening, she didn't care to even accompany anyone, simply stepping to instead chat with Korrie below deck.

"'sup Dragonster. I'm really starting to think our guides have their own agendas, y'know? Someone thats strong isn't throwing around threats of punishments and curses like that. And I at best half deserved it this time! Also, perhaps that's just the ocean making me cranky and I know we need them as guides, but the next time someone comes up to me and goes you can't do this or that, or I'ma punish you that way, I'ma just go ahead and try how immune they are against the new flavours of fire I'm discovering here. The Invisible fire in particular seemed to hurt even the real tough ones... Shame that ones somehow exhausting even me."

She shrugged. "I get that I'm a handful at times, so wont begrudge ya if ya wanna go bondaged sight seeing in the city, although I thinks they already left, just remember, you wander off or get lost, you get teleported and punished, you try mischief, you get punished, burped in the Old Hags direction? puuunished. I think she just wants to test the Twins, without us getting in the way" She'd leaned back and peered at Korrie, venting.

"Methinks the problem is that the twins have at best a cautious relationship with Mistress Christine, so for them this is fun sight seeing in dreamlands, I admit, noticed fancy things here, 's just, I'm a bit bothered by them going off about tourism and teaching angles, when we got shite to do. I endured doing the oceantraveling, and I'm pretty sure at least the old Hag could just teleport us close to where we'd need to go, but takes her sweet time because she's more interested in one of the girls being a student with potential for her. Well, I'm more interested in exploring places like this with someone that can tell me what I can do rather than what I can't."
A sigh. "And they didn't even bother to tell ya about the trip, did they? Dun worry, we got each others back worst case."
A thumbs up as she leaned back.. "... wanna try cool combination attacks training?" A grin. "Might as well use the time productively. It's that, feeding the Zoog, or coming up a way to ruin the Old Hag's recruitment program out of spite but that's not productive until we finish our Grand Pancake Journey™"

 

[Lunaraia]

Back on the ship once Fey finished venting to Korrie the door to the dining room would open and Aya would walk in. “Granny took the trio with them for the errand I asked her to run, huh? Well, that’s unfortunate for them, I guess.” She sat down across from Korrie and Fey. “I figured you wouldn’t enjoy being couped up in here all night so I was off in one of the side rooms tinkering. I think you’ll enjoy what I did, Fey. Same with you, Korrie.”

She would wave for them to follow and enter a new room on the deck below. Inside, the first thing that hit them was steam. Hot steam with a pleasant and relaxing scent that would smell vaguely familiar, but was impossible to place. The room itself was massive, far larger than what the ship would allow if magic wasn’t involved. It was a swimming pool, with a built in slide a bubble bath area and also even a pool containing lava.

Fey would also find some tanning chairs with a bowl of Yoggoth Peppers beside one of them and also an empty glass with a note with “just say what drink you want” next to it. Korrie, for her part had her bowl filled with various chocolates and other, more mundane sweets. “You have both been working hard for quite some time, so I figured I’d give you a proper reward that won’t leave you an exhausted mess, though I know you don’t mind it.”

There were three more chairs, but the bowls next to them were empty, likely planned for the twins and Aila. “Enjoy yourselves here for as long as you want tonight. No matter how long you stay, the magic steam will have you feel rested and refreshed, as if you slept soundly for an entire night. Oh, and Fey, I heard most of your little vent, and if granny did what I think she did, it’s not as much teleportation as it’s a Recall. Teleportation has never really been her forte, but she can magically transport herself, and other, to places she has been before. Also, I think you will appreciate what she went into the city to fetch.”

Aya would refuse to elaborate on what Yaga was fetching for her, only give a crooked smile, before leaving the two girls to their own devices. Whether they enjoyed the pool, or left to do something else, was clearly up to them.



Over at the city, the twins and Aila would be led further into the labyrinthine streets, past various stores and stalls, down alleys and through cross-sections. How Baba Yaga even knew where to go was a mystery. “To answer your earlier question, the way to get to Serannian from here is to use boats. They can sail up the clouds to the city from where the clouds touch the sea. And while a few people might know how to fly to make navigating the city easier, it’s not that common.“ She turned from the street into another alley, then down a set of stairs leading to a small door where she knocked a few times.

The door opened, and another woman would meet the quartet. She was lithe with long auburn hair, dressed in long purple robes with golden trim and with a typical witch’s hat on her head. “Ah, Baba Yaga, I’ve been expecting you, how are things on your end?” Despite her young appearance, the woman’s voice had a hoarse tone to it, as if someone ancient were speaking. She then eyed the other three “I wasn’t informed of anyone else though.”

Baba glanced at the trio “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, really. They were plotting to sneak off into the city to explore on their own, and neither Aya nor I have a month, or more, to spare trying to find them within this labyrinthine place. So I figured it would be better to let them tag along to sate their curiosity, while also ensuring they wouldn’t get lost. As for how I am doing, fine mostly, not as bored as I usually am, what with the waking world having little need for us witches these days. What about you, Morgana, much the same I take it?”

“Oh, I can’t complain, can’t complain. Things have been boring for the past few centuries, though. The total ban on openly using magic and all that was… unfortunate, but necessary, I suppose. The other woman led the quartet inside into a strange wooden home that seemed to be made from a singular giant tree trunk. Which didn’t fit with the small stone building outside. Also, if one of the girls glanced outside, they would see a small thicket at the edge of a small lake, with a unicorn drinking from it, and small pixies flitting about in the moonlight.

“So were you able to make it?” The other woman gave a snort. “Were I able to make it? Would I, the greatest enchantress the world has ever seen, be unable to make something so simple? You, of all people, should know that I could make something like this in my sleep. In fact, I am pretty sure that you could too, if you had the ingredients.

She handed a bottle of a shimmering orange liquid to Baba. “It’ll last a week, no more, no less, so I recommend you don’t waste any time finishing whatever you need to do in that godforsaken place and get out as fast as possible. Baba nodded as she took the bottle and stowed it away within her tattered robes somewhere. “I might be able to create it, but you are, as you just said, the best. Better to ensure the quality, then risking my own rather lacking skills on it. It’s the lives of my granddaughter’s charges we are talking about, after all. Anyhow take care now.”

While the two were talking, the girls could get a good look around the room and be able to explore with little in the way of oversight. Though they would find the door leading outside would refuse to budge, leaving them stuck in the small tree house and the only other rooms were a small kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and another locked door.

After that, Baba would signal for the three of them to follow her and, in difference from the three of them could easily open the door back to the alley, despite the small window next to the door clearly showing that they should enter a small grassy porch with a few flower beds and a small path of stone tiles leading down to a small garden.

Back in the alleyway, Baba would close the door behind her. Then look at the three of them. “So what’s your thoughts after meeting her, Morgan Le Fay, that is?” She pointed a finger towards the closed door, even as she led the trio back up the alley. After she got her answer, she would pause for a moment, as if lost in thought. “Say, how about we grab a bite to eat before we head back? Let the three of you have the date you were planning, eh?” The only response they would get from Aila on the subject was a stuttering and blushing, even as she squeezed Kuroi’s hand a little tighter.

 

[MortalitasBorealis]

Korrie was relaxing in the pool room, sitting on the edge half-submerged, starting to doze off. It was then that her sister pet stormed in, waking her up. “Huh…? What’s wrong…?” The wyvern girl blinked blearily, confused and concerned. She kind of missed the first bit, but Fey seemed downright upset. W-Wait, what was that about throwing fire at their guides?! Bondaged sight seeing? Huh?? What happened? “W-Wait, slow down! What happened? Did Baba and the twins go off somewhere?” She asked, taken aback by the sudden rapid-fire ranting. She had no idea about the context of how the others went off together. It kind of sounded like Baba set a bunch of rules for going with her so they wouldn’t cause trouble and the phoenix didn’t like it. Kinda felt bad that they didn’t even ask her… Though she did come back below deck pretty much immediately… “Look, calm down, it’s not that big a deal is it? We’ll all get to go into town tomorrow anyway! Might as well stay warm on the ship, right?” She tried to comfort the phoenix. They weren’t here to sightsee anyway, even if she was interested.

Fortunately, their handler came in with the perfect distraction, and Korrie was eager for something to do anyway, especially if it was with the succubus. “Korrie thinks she will~ Let’s go!” She eagerly followed, soon led to a new room. It turned out to be another pool room, though this one far closer to a sauna, with several different baths, tanning beds, and refreshments on offer, an upgrade to Korrie in every way. The wyvern girl’s eyes sparkled. “Whoah~ This is perfect! Thank you so much!” She praised, looking around eagerly, wondering what to do first. She ended up popping a few sweets in her mouth first to savor the taste.

“See? Handler knows best~ Isn’t this better than going out into the dark chilly night? It’s not like we got any money on us to play around out there anyway. No souvenirs, no food, no… whatever fun places they got that’ll probably need entry fees. This is nice and warm~” Korrie said after Aya left them to their own devices, the wyvern girl happily dipping into the steamy sauna witht lingering sweetness on her tongue.

===

The winding streets of Celephais did quickly turn confusing, not that the twins actually bothered to try remembering the way back with Baba Yaga towing them along. Neither found it strange that she knew the way by heart neither, knowing the old crone she’s probably been here dozens if not hundreds of times, or simply has a map magically memorized or something like that. They simply enjoyed the view, as guided and non-private as their tour was. The view in daylight would probably be quite different, yet equally extravagant, and they’ll get to compare.

The way the locals travel between cities was surprisingly ‘mundane’, just riding a boat up, though it made sense as a means of mass transport compared to flying horses. As they went, Kuroi idly pondered the thought of settling here with Aila and her sister. It was a magical, beautiful, yet relatively safe place, all the qualities for a perfect home. …Of course, there were far more complex issues to look into if she wanted to be serious about it. Cost of living, job market, any noteworthily strange laws, things like that. Between the twin cities and Ulthar, which would she choose…

At some point during her ponderings, they arrived at their destination. The woman that answered the door looked in her prime, but apparently didn’t bother to mask her voice. The twins waved politely, even though Shiroi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Seriously, how hard would it be to find their way back when they can get a birds’ eye view and fly over the winding streets? The two did take note of the name ‘Morgana’. It sounded familiar. Just a coincidence, or was it truly…?

Things took a turn for the more fantastical when they entered the home and found its interior drastically different from its stony exterior. It seemed to be carved out of natural wood, not even just boards, and when the duo looked outside the windows they could see a completely different view of a wilderness, a scenic lake with a unicorn and what they thought were fairies. The two observed the view in awe, making sure Aila could see with them.

“Think it’s an illusion, or is the door a portal?” Shiroi whispered. Kuroi discretely tried to look for a way to open the window and test it. Other than that though, they were well behaved in the home of another, and didn’t try to snoop around outside of the main room too much. The exchange was noted, Baba Yaga receiving a potion that will be useful for their journey. Shiroi wondered when that potion was commissioned. Must’ve been short notice, considering the old crone only got involved as they were leaving Ulthar. Unless she knew about the whole thing way further back than that. She wouldn’t be surprised if some divination trick was involved.

It wasn’t long before the little home visit came to an end. The twins gave polite goodbyes, and followed Baba out, back into the city they came from. The pair looked back into the windows from outside as they left to see what was there.

“So she really was THAT Morgan, huh.” Shiroi raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t even all that surprised. Of course the Baba Yaga would know the Morgan Le Fay. “Eh, can’t say much, considering how short that meeting was. A little arrogant maybe? But she deserves to be, I’d think.” She said with a noncommittal shrug. “I know she’s usually depicted as being a villain, but that’s just mythology. Besides, I’m not that familiar with Arthurian legend, but wasn’t she also benevolent in some of the original versions? So I dunno, I just know she made a useful potion for us.”

“Agreed. She certainly didn’t seem malevolent or tyrannical. We didn’t even directly talk with each other, it’s hard to make a fair judgment like that.” Kuroi agreed with a nod. Sure, meeting the legendary Morgan in person was a pretty big deal, but she wondered what kind of answer Baba was expecting, considering how brief that meeting was.

At the mention of their originally planned ‘date’, both siblings were taken aback with a light blush, though they handled it better than Aila. “Sure! I’d love to check out the local delicacies.” Shiroi agreed, and Kuroi nodded as well. They certainly didn’t deny the whole ‘date’ thing, Kuroi giving their golem girlfriend’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

 

[Pervy]

The phoenix-gal tilted her head to the tinkerings. "Uh. Poolings. Neat. Double reason to stay inside. Time to warm up head."
She nodded, dipping her head into the lava relaxingly. "Awww, you do care. Hrmnnn?"
She'd grin over, shrugging ever so slightly, not one to mind being overheard, it seemed! "Alright, fine, I'll not grumble about again, is just that I care."
She assured the two, noting. "I figured what the problem with communication here is. It's not that I dun understand what you say, its that you dun talk about fiering things up enough. But I guess you can't blame a good dog for barking. You know.. because I'm concerned? Eeh, not a good analogy."

She decided to hop into the lava pooling, cooing something about 'yay, molten rock!' whilest glancing over to Korrie. "Way better, obviously. I'm still a bit nervous about going into the deep cold but thinking about it, me and cold is more of a phobia, whilest water extinguishes fire fast, Having negative temperatures isn't exactly gonna stop all exothermic processes, heh. And yeah, is!"
She grinned. "I'd offer ya backrubs in the Sauna over there, but am afraid it'd spoil the one un-lewd thing we had for a while, heh.. I guess No one quite bothered to ask ya how ya doing, so err.. how's ya doing, Korrie?"