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

The two demons would make no effort to get themselves dressed after inviting Nila in, and once she was inside Harpin would come over and shut the door. There was a muffled conversation outside between the demon and the goblin servant, and only a few moments later the carriage was moving with her inside of it. The pair looked at Nila with humoring expressions as she lamented her inability to repay their kindness, and shared a smirk and a glance at each other after she suggested they could leave her at the next town.

"Oh, no you won't be doing that dear!" Aedeth said insistently. She sat up, clutching the towel to protect her full bust. Barely maintaining her decency left the blanket shifting away from Aldem, however, and he shot her a pouty look that she completely ignored while propping herself up on one hand. Luckily, the blanket barely stopped just above his waistline, leaving his muscular chest on prime display while the demonic man folded his hands behind his head. Finely sculpted pectoral and abdominal muscles were on full display, but even more obvious was the tent at his crotch, his erection so clearly defined that Nila could nearly make out the details of the barely concealed organ.

"You think you need to repay us? Then listen, and listen well," she said seriously, though the smile on her face wouldn't warn of anything dire. "You are a kitsune, yes? A proper one, not just a mutant made to look like one?" she asked carefully, and if Nila answered her question truthfully she would continue; "Then you know that you are immortal, at least insofar that you will not die of age or the diseases that so often claim mortals. You will live for as long as your skills and luck allow, which of course might not be as long as you might like, but still... Do you honestly believe that, in as long as your life might be, that you'll only ever have one intimate relationship?"

Her tone had grown subtly incredulous, but before Nila could respond she continued; "I do not mean to pressure, merely to point out the flaws in your thinking. You say you want your first time to be special, yes? All well and good... Even if it is based on ideals pushed by a violently oppressive church that only cares to control its followers. Believe me, if you know anything about demons you'll know that I know what I'm talking about regarding bad religions, and I've been around long enough to see those silly notions as they were adopted."

She leaned forward, getting closer to Nila, but her next words were partially directed at Aldem. "My partner here is an incubus. You know what that is, right? Aldem dear... What would you say is most important for you to feed from one of your partners?" Aldem, who seemed surprised to be addressed, nonetheless didn't seem to need any time to think up an answer; "Well.... The connection forms through intimacy, obviously. The intensity always varies, but it's always essential to have a... Connection, for lack of a better word."

Grinning, Aedeth continued; "That is what you want, Nila dear... What you call love is less complex and less magical than your storybooks would have you believe. Passion, whether it's born of lust or of time, is still passion is it not?" She let that sink in for a moment, smiling confidently, before finally concluding; "My point is, don't pass up on something just because it's not your ideal. Few ever find exactly what they want, it's much more practical to shape what you have into what you want, to take what opportunities life offers you and grow from the experience."

The closed compartment, even with the open windows, was warm and filled with the scents of past arousal, less foul than what she might have expected. The flush on both of the demon's bodies spoke of what they had done, and the residual scents only caused the pheromones that both demons exuded to hit the inexperienced kitsune all the harder. It wasn't as strong as the drugged wine she'd been fed earlier, however, and neither of them made another attempt at working their magic into her mind... At least not yet.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila tried to carefully avert her eyes from the demons as Aedeth sat up, only barely covering her breasts and pulling the blanket off of Aldem just enough to giver her a full view of his muscular chest and barely leaving him covered enough to be considered decent as well. The kitsune was beginning to wonder if it was accident or if she was doing it intentionally. If they were trying to seduce her through physical temptation, they were doing better than she'd have liked to admit, but she did her best to push those thoughts to somewhere in the back of her mind for now.

"Yes, I am." She responded softly to the question of whether or not she was a true kitsune, a little surprised that they even knew of what a kitsune was. She hadn't met anyone else who had, and from she knew of her race they were quite rare. She remained quiet through the rest of Aedeth's speech, silently considering her words. She didn't want to believe it, wanted to cling to her own beliefs... but so many of them had already been shattered. The fact that she was here at all instead of back in her home was because of what Lina had done, something which had been unthinkable to Nila.

"Maybe you're right, maybe I'm just being idealistic..." Nila began, closing her eyes as she attempted to keep her composure. Her tails wrapped around her legs and she buried her own fingers in their fur, seeking some measure of comfort from the one which held her sister. "But... I still want to believe. I've been shown that I was wrong about a lot of things recently, I'd like to think it wasn't everything, at least."

She paused for a moment, considering what she was about to do, before opening her eyes and meeting Aedeth's own once again. "You recognized me as a kitsune, so you know of us... do you know of the significance of a kitsune's tails? Why those with more are considered more powerful?" Her voice turned vaguely grim as she spoke, and she was surprised she managed to keep her speech even. If the demoness answered affirmatively she would continue, and if not she would briefly explain the bare minimum of how those beyond the first were formed from the souls of others.

"This," she clutched her golden-furred tail in front of her, almost hugging it to her chest, "Is all that is left of my sister. She protected me, and was badly wounded doing it... she even begged me to take her soul like this as well before she died, so she could do one last thing to help me." She blinked a few times, trying to hold back the tears she could feel forming as she remembered that day. That day when she lost everything she knew, at the hands of her own sister. "That is why I say I have something I need to do. The one responsible, she was... close to us. And she is not finished yet, either. I have to stop her before she can hurt anyone else, that is why I cannot afford to delay."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

Rolls

Spoiler

Resistance: Nila is charmed again.

"Less idealistic, and not necessarily wrong... Just naive really," Aedeth said lightly, grinning at Nila reassuringly. "You were probably raised to believe that you ought to give your first time to your husband or some silly notion like that. Such traditions are for mindless, doe eyed mortal women who don't know any better and won't live long enough for it to matter that they've essentially been the property of someone else for the whole of their lives, not for people like us. It's entirely unlikely that your first will be your last, or even the most meaningful lover you will take."

In the meantime, as she stroked her tails and felt the familiar tingle of having the soft fur played with, the young kitsune would find her gaze drawn back to Aldem's barely covered figure, another slight enactment of the man's mind magic subtly drawing her gaze to him. It wouldn't force it to stay there through the whole of the conversation, but the urge to look over his muscular frame and the tent of his erection was forcefully tempting enough to make her look in his direction from time to time, at least when she wasn't talking about her family history when the pain of her loss outdid the urges imparted by the subtle influence on her mind.

"I do," Aedeth said evenly when Nila asked about the significance of her tails, but despite the dire tale that Nila delivered her and Aldem's reactions were both fairly muted. The man didn't shift from his relaxed pose and merely listened curiously, while Aedeth simply frowned softly. "And is this person looking for you, or are you looking to ambush them when they are unawares for vengeance?" she asked carefully, awaiting an answer from Nila before saying anything further.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

"It's not like that, really," Nila shook her head slowly in response to Aedeth's comments about the meaning behind her first time, "My mother never really said anything like that. I know several of my sisters had trysts with the faeries as well, I don't have anything against the idea, it just... It isn't what I want. It's my choice, it isn't something I've been told to do."

As she continued to speak, she found her eyes constantly straying to the barely covered forms of the demons. It was nearly as bad as if they'd been completely naked in front of her, especially in regards to Aldem. His well-muscled chest was on full display, and the blanket only barely concealed his obviously erect manhood. If she looked closely, she felt she could almost make out the shape of it in the way the blanket was draped over it... But she tried to avoid the temptation of finding out.

The scent of the pheromones was still strong on the air, reviving those same feelings she'd thought she'd managed to work past earlier. It wasn't strong, but it was... distracting. Aedeth's casual mention that Aldem was an Incubus probably should have set off some kind of warning in her mind, she knew at least enough about demons to know of incubi and succubi, if only the basics. It managed to slip by without much thought though, she was too caught up in her own story.

"No." She replied simply to Aedeth's question, pausing to take and release a deep breath before continuing. "The one responsible... is my twin sister. I still don't understand why she did what she did, but she took the souls of most of our family. I only escaped because of the sacrifice of our eldest sister," she stroked the fur of her golden-furred tail as she said this, giving it a brief, longing look before turning back to the demons, "She is still after me, and the other two who are still alive... I have to find her before she finds them. And I need to get stronger, strong enough to defeat her this time. I managed to drive her off once, but it was the same as when you found me on the beach. It was just... an uncontrolled release of power that caught her by surprise."

"I can't rely on it working again, so... that is why I cannot delay. Why I cannot just take the easy route. I don't know when I will find her, or when she will find me. I have to be prepared when it happens." The young kitsune sighed and shut her eyes once again, feeling—and looking—so small and vulnerable. She wasn't ready, she knew she wasn't ready... but she couldn't just sit back and let Lina take their two remaining sisters too. Yami and Mana may not trust her anymore, may not believe that what had occurred was by Chika's own choice, but... she would protect them anyway. They were all sisters, but Lina had always been closest to her. There had even been signs, in retrospect... if only she had noticed, maybe she could have prevented all of this. Whether others might see it the same way or not, she felt that Lina was her responsibility. Something she had to deal with herself.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

Nila's claim that it had been purely her decision to adopt her mindset about sexuality earned a raised eyebrow from Aedeth, who still seemed skeptical. She also let the matter drop, however, permitting the conversation to continue on to another subject. The constant looks in Aldem's direction were hard to miss, however, and the demon seemed to shift into whatever view made his posture more appealing to her, and despite her efforts to contain her curiosity the young kitsune wouldn't be able to help but imagine what might lie under that little scrap of cloth.

Her revelation of the exact identity of her would be attacker didn't have as much of a reaction as one might think from the two demons, neither of whom seemed shocked or even perturbed by the familial bond. "You should have killed her before she had the opportunity," Aedeth said coolly, "my sister tried something similar, but I dealt with it as was fitting. That was in Hell though, so I guess people are.... Softer here."

That was when Aldem suddenly spoke up; "Oh leave off it Aedeth... You know people here don't think like that. Unlike back home, they aren't expected to murder their siblings... And I suspect Nila here isn't happy about the whole turn of events!" His words were somewhat dryly delivered, but he smiled reassuringly at her, and Aedeth frowned and nodded, conceding the point to him. "My... Apologies."

The demoness stared awkwardly at Nila for a few moments, but then tilted her head and softly asked; "You really don't know how to defend yourself, do you?" She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment, letting Nila answer if she liked, but then regardless of her protests said; "Your... Sister has the combined abilities of your entire family, minus that sister you have and the other two that escaped, assuming they have yet eluded her. She is hunting for you... And you have no idea how you might deal with her if you meet again." She didn't seem angry, merely speaking her summation of the situation as if it was a matter of fact in a dispassionate voice, but her face had contorted into a frown.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila let out a slow breath as she told herself not to be angry over Aedeth's seemingly callous disregard of her sister's betrayal. Aldem's words did manage to soothe her at least, reminding her that where they came from things were very different. Perhaps such conflicts were common there, so it would not seem like much to the demons, but to her... it had been terrible, something she'd never seen coming. Something none of them had seen coming.

She fell into silence, awkwardly trying to avoid meeting the demoness' gaze. She didn't trust herself to speak any more on the subject, not without getting angry or breaking down completely. It was still a fresh wound, one that had received little chance to heal.

"I am not defenceless." Nila finally spoke up in response to her next statement, perhaps a little more defensively than she'd intended. "I... I admit, I am inexperienced, but I do not believe I lack for power. But no, were I to face her now, I do not believe I could win. I managed to driver her off once, only because I caught her by surprise when she had already expended much of her strength, and even then I drained myself to the point of exhaustion in the process. That was... well, it was the first time I truly used my powers to fight."

Nila paused just long enough to let out another shaky breath, trying to force herself to calm down. It was... harder than she'd thought, to remain even as composed as she was while recalling these memories. "I was... I was lazy." She stated simply, though it was obviously an effort to even admit it, "I suppose I was foolish too. I never expected any of this, and I knew that we were essentially immortal. I guess, somehow, I thought things would never change. That we would remain like that forever."

"I received some training in how to properly wield my powers from some of my mother's friends among the faeries, and my mother taught me a little of how to fight, but... I never took it too seriously. I never wanted to learn to fight at all." The kitsune closed her eyes, trying once again unsuccessfully to ward off tears at the memory of more peaceful days. "I was... probably least deserving out of all of us to be the one sitting here, still alive. But that's why I can't just run an hide, why I have to try to stop her, even if I know I can't win as I am now. That was why I was out here, I was looking for something, someone... anyone who could help me learn. I have already improved, but it's not enough. It's not nearly enough."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

Both of the demons she was sitting with looked at Nila skeptically when she proclaimed that she wasn't defenseless, but at least her more somber mood and the emotions that retelling what had happened did much to dispel the lust that they were trying to work up in her. "Then you are a fool," Aedeth said coldly when the young kitsune said she had never wanted to learn to fight at all, "and you ARE defenseless. It is likely by design that your sister left you for last, she knew you would not have offered any significant contest as you are."

Aldem opened his mouth to say something with a scowl on his face, but Aedeth spoke over him and he didn't bother to complete his thought; "You will find nothing in a mortal village to aid you, and if she comes for you there you will only have caused their deaths should they get between you... Especially if you try and "defend" yourself as you did on the beach, and as I can only assume you did when she first attacked you. If someone with your talents had squandered them as you have were born in Hell, you would not have made it to the end of your first month... Rightfully so."

She glared at Nila daringly for a moment, but then adopted a more even tone as she continued; "Luckily... This is not Hell, and doubly luckily for you I know a few things about your powers... Among others things. Things that you will need if you want to survive, Nila. Both of us can help you, but only if you are willing to help yourself... Are you?" She fixed Nila with a piercing glare, once more challenging her once more, and now Aldem looked at her speculatively as well, both awaiting an answer.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila remained silent throughout Aedeth's retort, eyes downcast. She couldn't refute anything the demoness was saying, it was all the same things she'd been deriding herself for since that day. She thought she'd been improving, and she had... but her last fight had shown her quite clearly that she was far from ready. It wasn't just a matter of power. She had power, more than enough for a fight like that, if not enough for her to face Lina. She just wielded that power ineffectively, like she was simply bludgeoning away at her enemies with a club. That was why she had been looking for someone to teach her after all. And now Aedeth seemed to be offering just that.

She couldn't deny that she was still wary of the demoness, that something about the two... intimidated her at least a little. Finally, after a few moments of silence as she tried to calm herself enough to reply. "You're right... I've been telling myself the same thing, ever since that night," she echoed her previous thoughts, her voice still a little shaky despite her attempt at composing herself, "That's why I was here. The human village was not my destination, I just hoped to find some clues to what I was looking for there. I initially learned what little I know from some acquaintances of my mother's, faeries. I'd heard that I might find some of them around here, and it was the only place I could think to look for guidance."

The kitsune paused once again, finally looking up to briefly meet the demon's eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure as she answered the demoness' question "But yes, I am. If you are willing to help me, I will do everything I can. I owe it to all of them to do this, and I know I can't do anything like I am now."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

"Feh... Faeries," Aedeth said derisively, "no wonder you have no idea how to defend yourself... Even if the ones around here are a little better than the ones you were probably trained by in the South, you'll not get a proper education from them!"

Seemingly completely unconcerned for her nudity, the demoness let the blanket fall, exposing her full, round breasts that slumped just slightly under their own weight. They were larger than most she'd seen, easily comparable to those of her most well endowed sibling, and tipped with rosy buds that began to harden as the cool air washed over them, their points extending and their edges crinkling. Aldem shot her a curious look as she revealed herself from the waist up, still sporting a full on erection, but despite her sudden nudity Aedeth seemed to retain her stern demeanor.

"You went off after you awakened, looking for faeries to teach you to use what you already possess, but now you are here. The question is... How far are you really ready to go to put your sibling down, rather than have them do the same to you?" she said calmly, her hands resting on her thighs and her face set in a cold frown.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila frowned at Aedeth’s obvious display of disdain for the faries, but she held her tongue. In truth she couldn’t really say if what Aedeth was saying was the truth or just some sort of dislike of the fae, as her lack of training was mostly her own doing. She’d never taken her training with them very seriously, just as she hadn’t when her mother had tried to teach her to wield a sword. Both experiences, limited as they were had helped her so far though.

She was still no match for Lina, or for anyone of comparable power, she knew that. Her skills had proved more than adequate for dealing with bandits and common beasts though. Even her encounter on the beach had been going entirely in her favour until she’d foolishly let her guard down. If she’d struck with the intention to kill rather than simply try to seal whatever enchantments might have been on the woman it would have ended with no more than superficial harm to herself. She could have even taken the woman down non-lethally with only a little more effort, rather than foolishly act on what were only suspicions in the end.

That was her problem though, she lacked experience or training, or anything to tell her how to make these decisions. She’d been lucky this time. Lucky that her last ditch effort had worked, lucky that it had been Aldem and Aedeth who’d found her and not some beast or more of those fish-people, that she’d gone undisturbed for so long. She’d been lucky with the troll before that as well, that he’d been willing to let her go in the end. That was another close call she could have prevented entirely if she’d understood what she was dealing with. With her powers, it would have been easy to bypass the bridge entirely. Her luck wouldn’t continue to hold out forever though, that was why she’d been looking for help in the first place. She didn’t have the time to waste learning through trial and error, nor was she likely to survive the experiences. That was why she needed to find someone to teach her. She was still wary of the demons, still a little intimidated by them, especially Aedeth. Especially with the... intensity she was displaying now.

Nila quickly averted her eyes, though not before getting an eyeful when the demoness let the blanket covering her drop, her self-deprecating thoughts momentarily forgotten and replaced with a deep blush as she tried not to think about what she’d just seen. She’d compared the demoness with her eldest sister in her mind a few times, the two having very similar body shapes, if very different appearances, and Aedeth’s tone now reminding her a lot of when Chika had lectured her in the past... And now some treacherous part of her mind was trying to decide which of the two was bigger. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, this was not the time, and this was certainly not the way she should be remembering her sister. Aedeth kept her composure much better, barely seeming to notice and certainly not seeming to care what she was putting on display for the flustered kitsune.

Her next question brought Nila’s thoughts back to the serious matter they were discussing, though her blushing didn’t subside much, and she continued to awkwardly try to keep her gaze focused above the demoness’ chest. "To be honest... I wish there was another way. I wish I didn’t have to hurt her. Despite everything she’s still my sister, and she was the closest friend I had, I can’t just forget all of that." Nila struggled to keep her voice steady at first, but it steadily grew more even, more resolute as she continued. "I can’t do that though. If I was the only one left, I’m not sure I could really hunt her down for revenge or anything like that... but Yami and Mana are still in danger, and will be as long as she’d out there. And I owe it to Chika to protect them too, after everything she did to protect me." Nila’s fingers stroked at the fur of her golden tail as she spoke her eldest sister’s name. While she was speaking their names now for the first time, but between her body language and her previous explanation, the demons likely wouldn’t have a hard time figuring out who she was referring to with each. "So... I’ll do whatever I have to. No matter what, I can’t let her continue what she’s doing..."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

"You're going to have to forget it," Aedeth replied flatly as Nila admitted that she couldn't fully dismiss her history with Lina, "because she obviously has. At least enough to let her murder the rest of your family." She scowled harshly as Nila clung to her attachment to Lina despite all that her twin had done, but Nila proclaimed her intent to do whatever was necessary before the half naked demoness could speak whatever was on her mind.

Instead she quirked a curious eyebrow as her scowl faded, and she replied; "Oh really? Will you now?" She paused dramatically, and Aldem sighed and rolled his eyes. "Will you put aside your personal qualms with things you thought distasteful? Will you open your mind to ideas you hadn't considered, despite your... Preconceptions? Will you fight, torture, maim, or kill when necessary?" she said, tapping her fingers against her thigh. "Or are you like many others from this world, and offer empty words instead of resolutions to do what is necessary?"

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila fidgeted under the intensity of the demoness' response. She didn't want to give up the hope that she might be able to end this without any more death... but she knew that was a naive wish. She couldn't forgive what her sister had done, misguided as it might seem she was, and Lina would continue to hunt down their remaining family if left alone. She knew what she had to do, but that didn't make it easy.

"I... I don't know." The kitsune replied truthfully to Aedeth's questions. What she was suggesting... it wasn't something Nila wanted to be a part of. She had fought and killed to defend herself in the past, but this was different. She'd never had any malicious intent, she took no satisfaction in causing others to suffer, but this was something she needed to do. A wry smile crossed her face for a moment before she once again gave voice to her self-deprecating thoughts. "I'd been learning alchemy, you know. I would have been content with a quiet life. I'd never thought of learning to fight for anything more than to defend myself from the dangers on the road... I suppose you were right though, I was a fool. I still am, I suppose." Her eyes turned downcast for a moment as she fought to remain composed before once again meeting the demoness'

"I'm sorry, but I'd be lying if I said I could promise that. I don't know if I'm strong enough for that. I'll try... And I won't stop, not until I've stopped her, one way or another. That's as much as I can truly say." She knew it wasn't the answer Aedeth was looking for, but she couldn't bring herself to make false promises. She was weak. She wasn't lacking in power, but she was no warrior. She didn't know how to use it, didn't have the will or the knowledge to use it to its fullest. Being honest not only with herself but others as well was painful, moreso than she had expected, but it was necessary. This was her problem, and she had to fix it.

She was hesitant because she still didn't wish to hurt anyone else. If she could find some way to stand on even ground with her sister, she could fight her alone, and nobody else would need to be involved. That would be ideal, but... it was unlikely. Lina had spent years learning her art, and had the souls of their family providing her with even more power. Not only that, she was too smart for such a plan to ever work. Lina had always been the clever one, she wouldn't let herself be pushed into a corner so easily. There really was no easy solution, no shortcuts she could afford to take.

She doubted she would like Aedeth's solution, but she would keep her word. She would try, she would do everything she could. Whatever happened to her in the process... did it really matter? She had nothing else, nothing besides the mission she'd given herself. The rest of her family was dead or wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't even return to her home, not while Lina was still out there. What else did she really have left to lose?

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

"There is no try," Aedeth snapped sharply, surprising even Aldem with the ferocity of her words. "You succeed and survive, or you fail and you die. There is no more middle ground, there is no credit for effort when your existence is on the line!" she continued, "so, I will ask again, and only one more time! Are you willing to do what you have to do in order to survive?"

Should Nila accept once more, more vehemently or at least more concisely, Aedeth would then, perhaps surprisingly, demand; "Good, then for the next while you'll follow my orders. Take off your clothes, all of them, now."

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila visibly flinched at the intensity of Aedeth's response, seeming to wither a little under her gaze. She wasn't used to this, she didn't know how to deal with it. Her mother had seemed harsh at times, certainly, but anyone else... well, she'd never been in a situation where she couldn't simply leave or ignore them. She was the one who had asked for help though, or at least accepted when it was offered. This was just one more thing she had to endure.

"Yes." The kitsune replied simply, hands clenching into fists momentarily as she tried to force herself to appear confident. She was still uncertain, despite her words. She simply couldn't fully comprehend what it would all mean for her. She didn't have the experience to truly make the decision, but she'd said she would keep trying until she succeeded, and she'd meant it. This was bigger than just her, she owed it to her family, to Chika, to see this through. Whatever it took.

She froze when she heard Aedeth's first order though, all of her thoughts coming to an abrupt halt. That was followed by her face flushing a deep red as she recalled just where she was, who she was with, and all the possible implications of acquiescing to the demand. She almost instinctively stammered a refusal, but caught herself at the last moment, just as she was opening her mouth to speak. Was this some kind of test? Did it have some significance to what Aedeth wanted to teach her? She couldn't imagine how, but... maybe it wasn't something she should refuse so easily. Hadn't she just been telling herself that whatever happened to her didn't matter, if it helped her succeed? Surely her dignity wasn't so important that it couldn't take some abuse along the way.

"I-Is that really... I mean... No, never mind." She stumbled over her words as she tried to voice her thoughts, before falling silent, eyes shut as she tried to calm herself. There wasn't anything she really needed to say... She'd done enough talking, she had to prove with actions she was willing to do what she'd said she would.

Somewhat hesitantly she began to undress, the borrowed clothes much easier to slip out of than her own, though the enclosed space still made it a little difficult. She shot glances to the carriage doors, to assure herself that nobody was watching before finally slipping the dress off, leaving her all but naked. She pointedly avoided looking at Aedeth or especially Aldem as she did so, not wanting to see them watching her, and to avoid any... distractions. She was flustered enough already, she didn't need to see what was barely concealed—or not concealed at all, in Aedeth's case—beneath the blanket.

With shaky hands she unclasped and removed the bra, and finally slipped her panties off as well, leaving them all in a semi-neat pile on the seat next to her as her tails curled around her legs in an instinctive and not all too effective attempt at preserving at least a little of her modesty. She sat almost unnaturally straight, hands clenched in her lap as her petite body was on display for the two demons, not daring to look up and meet their eyes, perhaps even afraid of what she might see there.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

With her innocence steadily crumbling in the face of Aedeth's steady barrage of demands, Nila's response to her command to disrobe was met with stony silence from her and a knowing smirk from her male counterpart. Neither of them had a stitch of clothing on as far as she could tell, and Aldem's erection was still plainly visible, hidden underneath the bedding, leaving her as the odd one out as far as dress code was concerned. There was a loud crack from outside, and the carriage began to rock slightly as it was pulled out onto the road just as she began reaching for her clothing, the curtains over the windows ensuring that no one else was watching as she slipped out of the borrowed dress.

Both demons watched relatively impassively as she stripped, leaving her clothes in a small pile on the floor before sitting back down. The carriage was just big enough to stand in, and with the table folded into the floor and the other bench folded out into the bed there was only a few feet between her and the pair watching her. Aldem's look became steadily more amused as more of Nila's clothes ended up on the floor, his eyes lingering only briefly on her exposed nudity such that it didn't quite seem like he was staring. Aedeth, however, seemed to examine her in full detail, almost critical in her inspection of the nubile kitsune.

After staring at her and sweeping her gaze over Nila for a few moments, Aedeth looked into Nila's eyes and said; "Come here." Her cool command offered no room for refusal, and as soon as Nila came within reach the demoness slowly reached out. Her touch was gentle but firm, and much like her voice Nila found it very difficult to resist, though if she did Aedeth would sharply snap; "Obey!"

One way or another, Nila ended up bent over Aedeth's knee, her face mere inches from Aldem's still tantalizingly hidden manhood while the demoness placed an arm over her lower back to keep her from squirming away. "Now then," she said, but before letting out another word her hand came down onto Nila's exposed backside with a sharp crack that was disturbingly similar to the sound that the whip used to spur the horses had made. There was no escape allowed for her, however, and she was stuck staring at Aldem's hard on while Aedeth briefly massaged away the sting only to deliver another smack on the other cheek. "Firstly," a third smack hit Nila, causing her flesh to burn with stinging pain, but then Aedeth's hand trailed up and her fingers traced their way through the soft fur of the kitsune's tails, first her natural one and then the one containing her sister's soul.

She caressed the soft fur for a moment before her hand came away and another smack changed the pain to pleasure. "You don't," she continued dramatically just before yet another smack against her backside. Then the demon's fingers were tracing through her tail fur once more, slowly sliding back and forth before she squeezed one at the base and gently stroked her way up to the tip. "Just," her hand came away again, but even if she prepared to receive it Nila wouldn't be able to brace enough to take the next spank without some sort of reaction, nor the three that came immediately after it. The session of tail fondling that came next was longer, letting her recover a little bit more than the last few times.

"Obey," and then she gave Nila a particularly firm smack on each cheek, before her hand began to assuage the sting away with practiced skill. "Without thinking about it! Without asking why! Don't just do, think!" she finally said, and then the pressure on Nila's back would ease, allowing her to pull away... But only if she chose to.

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila gave a sharp cry of surprise as Aedeth reached out and grabbed hold of her with surprising strength considering her appearance. The kitsune was already on edge with the whole situation, the unexpected touch making her instinctively pull away. Her brief attempt to escape was met with failure however, the demoness' grip, while seemingly gentle, was far too strong for her to easily slip out of. She froze entirely at the next command, torn between the compulsion to do as she was told and her instincts.

She was reminded too much of what had happened on the beach the night before. That dread as the woman had held her in a grip far too strong for her to escape, of feeling her very soul being eaten away at... something that, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew these two were likely capable of as well. Her hesitation was more than enough for the demoness to pull the only barely resisting kitsune down over her knee though, Nila's eyes being instinctively drawn to the tent formed in the blanket right before her. She could almost picture in her mind what lay beneath them, the impressive size readily apparent and the shape only barely obscured...

She was broken out of her thoughts before she could do any more than vaguely picture it by a sharp pain in her rear, a surprised yelp escaping her lips as she squirmed in the demoness' lap, unable to move away with the strong grip holding her in place. "Ah! W-what—" Nila stuttered as Aedeth rubbed softly at the spot she'd struck before cutting off as she struck the other cheek. The kitsune's mind was racing trying to understand why she was doing this, briefly wandering back to the sole time she could remember her mother having done the same thing so long ago... though these surroundings were certainly more distracting than they had been then.

Aedeth's words made her intent at least partially clear, though Nila still found herself confused at what exactly the demoness had wanted from her in the first place. It was hard to organize her thoughts though, especially as Aedeth began to stroke her tails as well. The soft, pleasurable sensations were at odds with the few tears welling up at the corners of her eyes at the stinging pain in her backside, and there was a little hint of guilt as well. It felt wrong to her that someone petting and stroking the tail that held her sister's soul could feel so pleasant.

Once the grip holding her down relaxed, Nila scrambled back to the other side of the carriage, wincing as she sat down on her still tender backside. "I don't... I mean, I know I shouldn't, I just... I thought..." Nila stumbled over her words as she wiped at her eyes and tried to compose herself again. What was the correct answer here? She knew she shouldn't just obey without thinking, she hadn't! She'd just thought it was some kind of test, to see if she was really willing to do whatever it took, as she'd said she would... "I-I thought you were testing me," she finally put voice to her thoughts after taking a few moments to calm herself "You were just asking if I could do what I needed to, and then this... I thought you wanted to see if I'd really do what I said." Her eyes turned downcast as she spoke, her tails once again wrapping themselves around her waist the preserve some sense of modesty, though she didn't yet reach for the clothes she'd taken off.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

Nila would be allowed to scramble out of Aedeth's grasp, and the demoness sternly glared at her as she stumbled over her words. "You thought listening to me without question was a good idea," she finished in evident annoyance, "don't do that. There are all kinds of people who would use you out there, and if you keep being so naive they'll succeed. If I wanted to I could have had you in Aldem's lap, would you have been fine with that too if I told you it was necessary?"

The demon's frustration seemed to have grown, but then she let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "I WAS testing you, and unsurprisingly you failed, though it's exactly what I was expecting. That was why I chose it for the first lesson. Even so... I suspect you will need more teaching on the matter, so don't feel too bad for it... Not yet anyway. For now, though... Your punishment will continue. A constant reminder will let the lesson sink in better."

With casual ease the demoness rose, revealing her full nudity as if it was nothing at all while she moved to open a chest of drawers set under the seats. She withdrew a strange harness made out of black rope and casually tossed it to the bench beside Nila. "Put that on, you'll be wearing it under your clothes for the next day. Tomorrow... I'll start teaching you some other things. Less practical, but probably more along the lines of what you were thinking would be useful."

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Nila seemed to shrink even further under Aedeth's glare, unable to find it in herself to refute Aedeth's criticism. Was she really that bad? She wanted to say that she wouldn't have done that... but wouldn't she have said the same about the position she was in now? Why was she letting herself get ordered around so easily? Aedeth's words struck true in that respect as well... there were people out there who wouldn't hesitate to try to take advantage of her. What if she had met someone like that instead?

She'd let the demoness talk her into so much already, what if she'd wanted more? Would she have been able to resist getting swept along? She snuck another glance at Aldem and his barely-concealed erection as Aedeth mentioned what she could have done, blushing as she quickly averted her eyes again, only to be treated to a full view of Aedeth as she rose completely from under the blankets.

"W-what is this?" Nila fumbled with the strange ropes as she tried to discern their purpose. How exactly was someone supposed to wear it? It seemed inconvenient and not very functional. The mention of "punishment" had her a little on edge though. The awkward garment was likely part of that... but what was she even being punished for? Why was she so ready to simply accept this, especially from someone she truly barely knew?

"What do you mean, punishment? Maybe you're right, and I accept things too easily... so what is this for then?" Despite the confidence she tried to project in standing up to the demands instead of simply complying this time, she still looked about ready to crack under the pressure at any moment. Something about Aedeth's presence and words just made it hard for the kitsune to keep her thoughts straight under pressure. She was offering just what Nila had been looking for too, an opportunity to learn to better use her powers... she couldn't just refuse that. "I... This wasn't what I agreed to. You said you could help me, and you tell me not to obey without question, and then you keep giving me orders like this. Just... just what is it you want from me?"

 

[Tassadar]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Spoiler

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

"To remind you that your failures will have consequences without actually hurting you. Put it on," Aedeth said, her voice on the razor's edge of patience and impatience. Her expression darkened considerably as Nila furthered her protest, but while her voice teetered over the less pleasant side of the edge on which it danced she still maintained her composure, albeit through somewhat clenched teeth. "I am trying to teach you to survive... And you can't do that if you don't suffer consequences for your mistakes. That's what the spanking was for, and that's what the harness is for.

"To... Teach you. Learning to not be so inefficient with magic is one thing, but if you really want to live through the next time you run into your homicidal siblings that won't be one thing. Teaching you to think is apparently of far greater necessity, because you were ready and willing to get naked in front of a man who couldn't keep it in his pants if his life depended on it just because I told you to!"

Aldem sighed, shrugging and sitting up, "You'd best just listen to her at this point," he advised comfortingly, "she's never going to let you get away now, and at this point she's adopted you as one of her pet projects. She won't take no for an answer... Heh, hopefully you'll be a better student than I was!"

 

[Knephi]

Re: That Which Loves is Mad (Knephi)

Aedeth's change of tone and expression were enough to make Nila back down in her questioning, though she still looked unconvinced. As she listened to the demoness' words however, she had to admit it did make some sense, even if she didn't like it. She knew her life before had been easy, maybe too easy... and she knew this wouldn't be an easy path. She knew she'd have to suffer along the way if she truly intended to stop her sister. Aedeth was clearly much more experienced than she was, that was why she had listened and accepted her offer in the first place, but Nila still didn't understand he at all.

She'd told her not to accept orders blindly, but then gotten angry when she had done just that... she didn't know what the right answer was. She still hesitated though, looking at the strange rope harness in her hands. Aedeth had said to put it on... how did she even do that? She couldn't make any sense of it, and it looked uncomfortable. Was that the point? Just to chafe and feel uncomfortable to remind her, like Aedeth had said?

In the end, it took Aldem finally speaking up again to make the kitsune give in. His words just seemed to make so much sens to her. She found herself nodding to him without really thinking about it, eyes still glued to the harness in her hands. She turned it over a few times in her hands without actually giving a verbal response, before finally looking back up to the demons, "You're right... Fine, I'll do it. But, um..." She averted her eyes in embarrassment as she trailed off for a moment before nearly mumbling her last question, "How do you even put this on?"