Alptraum can't help but repeatedly flex his hand after each time he recharges the spirit 'battery' that grafted itself to his right hand. "I will never get used to that feeling," he mutters, "A heart beating in my hand … it's just disturbing." As he heads into the hallway that contains their suite of rooms, he starts lightly shaking his hand, too. "And … I think the Yodhinala wants me to shift soon. I have a hard time imagining myself as blond and white furred, but … heck, it's no different than being green, I suppose." His head tilts as he now glances towards Mave's bedroom door.

The door opens and an Eeee backs out – but not one Alptraum has seen before. She's too young to be Mave, certainly, and the wrong colors. "Th-thank you again, Yodhinala… " the girl says, and finally turns around to run into Alptraum. She's got light brown fur, and it doesn't hide her full-body blush. She squeaks and clutches a little bottle to her chest.

"Woah … why the hurry? What did she give you?" Alptraum says as he kneels down so that he doesn't seem so imposing. "Surely you don't need a love potion. I bet you have to beat off the boys already."

"I… I… " the teenager stammers, then looks over Alptraum's shoulder and says, "Oh no, a dragon!"

"Not to mention far too young to be seeing to worship Inala," Alptraum chides, right before his ears perk at her exclamation. "That's just Kaira. She won't bite; she's my ally."

The girl seems to freeze then. She finally explains, "There isn't a dragon, but you were supposed to look so I could run away."

"I deal with lots of dragons, kid," Alptraum says with a fangy grin. He reaches up and even tussles her hair, noting, "So, they don't surprise me anymore. Now … are you going to tell me what you got … or not?" He's careful to keep his tone cheerful, at least. Non-pressuring and non-threatening.

"Do I have to?" the girl asks, biting her lip.

"Well, I am trying to keep a watchful eye on what they do here," Alptraum notes, ears flicking to the door. "Does it really embarrass you that much? Anyway, I'll offer you a deal … you can tell me what the bottle is, or just tell me your name. That way if I hear of someone getting in trouble, I'll know why… "

The realization that Alptraum doesn't know who she is seems to relax the girl some. "It's… medicine. For a friend!" she claims.

Alptraum leans in, eyes peering at the bottle, then at the girl's stomach. "Is it now?" he inquires, a possible answer for what type of medicine it might be coming to mind.

Wide-eyed, the girls quickly says, "Not for that! It's for a boy!"

"And she gave it to you?" Alptraum inquires, brow arched.

The young bat is starting to squirm now. "Please mister, can I just go?" she asks in a small voice. "It isn't anything bad, I promise."

"Ah well. I won't pry any further on that. But, I do have another question, do I make you nervous?" Alptraum finally asks, looking mildly curious and amused.

The girl nods rapidly. "You're big and ask questions," she explains.

"And perfectly harmless. Do you live in the castle? I haven't seen you around before. The last young Eeee I met was a girl I saved and that was a while ago," Alptraum notes as he leans back.

"Um, no, I don't live in the castle!" the girl says, making it sound like she'd really like to live in the castle.

"Hm, well, I'm Alptraum," Alptraum says and offers her his left hand. "It's been nice meeting you."

The girl timidly shakes the offered hand (or a few fingers at least). "Nicetomeetyou," she chitters. "Can I go now?"

Alptraum stands back up. "Sure, go ahead. Just be careful, okay? Whatever that stuff is, just … be careful," he offers.

"I will!" the girl says as she dashes off out of the guest suite.

"Somehow, I doubt that. I remember being a kid and feeling invincible," Alptraum murmurs. Now he actually knocks on Mave's door.

"Come in, Alptraum, if you are done harassing my supplicant," Mave calls from inside.

Alptraum opens the door and enters. "It is my duty to keep an eye on things," Alptraum points out as he closes the door. "But that is neither here nor there. How have you been?"

Mave's Room
Yodhinala Mave has the largest room in the shared guest suite. Besides a bedroom, there is an office and tiled bathroom sporting a large sunken tub. Everything Mave has carried from Babel is on display, from the portable shrine in one corner (now featuring the sculpture of her that was done in Gromit) to Babelite tapestries hanging from the walls. Standing wardrobes are full of numerous Temple costumes, and the office area has been given over to a small alchemy lab – but larger than the table she and Phlagaea share in the castle's Wizardry lab.

Mave is wearing her priestess robes, albeit a bit loosely, and is in the 'laboratory' section stirring something in an ornate bowl. "I am fine, of course. When Inala is in your heart, life is joyously light."

"Did you ever get the results of my tests?" Alptraum inquires as he walks over to see what she is stirring. Peering over her shoulder, he adds, "And, my dear Yodhinala, I have absorbed enough energy recently to shift myself to your desires, should you so wish it."

The white-furred Eeee smiles at the suggestion. "My, what appropriate timing. And your tests were all negative: you are not carrying any Blessings of Gorphat," Mave says.

"Ah, good. Though I didn't expect to be, it is a relief to know for certain," Alptraum says as he steps back. He reaches up to curl a locke of her light blond hair between two fingers, idly wondering if kenning her hair and fur would make the color shift easier.

It probably would, so long as he could figure out how to separate the proper elements from the whole. Mave pours out the contents of the bowl into a bottle, using a glass funnel. "Have you practiced?" she asks.

"Shifting? No, I have not. Would you mind if I tried to ken your hair and fur? It may give me some assistance in replicating them on me," Alptraum asks as he lets go of her hair. "And may I ask what you are making?"

"Something special for you," Mave replies, before stoppering the bottle and looking over her shoulder at Alptraum. "Ken?" she asks.

"Kenning is a way of learning about someone and how they are made," Alptraum says, leaning over to lightly sniff at that bottle now. "I could learn how your hair and fur is built, then imprint it on myself, basically. All I would need is to hold your hand."

Mave raises an eyebrow at this. "Could you do more than hair and fur then, if you wished?"

"Yes, I could, but that becomes dangerous," Alptraum comments. "For both myself and the person examined."

"Oh," the priestess says, sounding a little disappointed. "It would have been interesting if you could become me, after all."

"Oh, I could, but it would require outside assistance for that extensive of a shift," Alptraum comments, then immediately covers his eyes when he realizes that was a bit too much information.

"So you could do it then, with a little help?" Mave asks, grinning now.

"Probably," Alptraum admits and peers through his fingers. "Why?"

"I've always wanted to make love to myself like that," Mave answers bluntly. "But for now, I will be happy with a Barinala."

"Er, okay," Alptraum comments, looking relieved … and thinking Mave is even more narcissistic than he realized. "So, will you let me ken you slightly to make the shift easier, or do you wish me to just try? And … should I try in your bathroom or do you wish to observe?"

"Oh I definitely want to observe," Mave says, offering her hand. "So, you'd better disrobe first."

Alptraum goes about disrobing, then. It always takes a bit of time for him, given the layers he tends to wear and the cinch-ties that have to fit around his wings. It does make him appreciate the shadow cloak, though, since that's easily removed. After a few minutes, he's folded up his clothing and set them aside. As he takes Mave's hand, he comments, "I won't be seeing those for a while, will I?"

"You can look at them as often as you like," Mave promises.

"But not wear them," Alptraum completes. "So … this may feel a little strange for you.  Don't panic, just relax and let it happen… "

"Ironic," Mave says with a grin. "That is usually my line."

Alptraum's eyes defocus as his mind drifts to the rippling undercurrent of shadow that flows beneath his skin. Lightly, he starts extending it outward from his right hand, letting it envelop her arm up to the elbow. And there he holds the shadow, not daring to engulf any further. He tries t lightly feel into Mave, only going skin deep, trying to make out how her hair is…

At first, it doesn't seem like anything is coming through. Finally, though, Alptraum can sense the barest taste of difference, which presumably would be the color, since Mave's fur is really no different from his own save for that one detail.

Alptraum continues the hold of the shadow for a few minutes more, trying to let that taste linger in his mind. Then, he withdraws it and flexes his right hand. "Now, that wasn't so bad, right?" he asks, pausing for a moment before he attempts the complete shift on himself.

"It tingled," Mave says, smiling and wiggling her fingers. "Perhaps this could be made into a new pleasure technique… "

"Oh, you have no idea," Alptraum mutters. Now he takes a couple steps back and lets his eyes closed. Legs, wings, and arms slightly spread, he breathes slow and deep. With each exhale of breath, he nudges the shadow within him to ease out and cover him totally. It's a long and slow process as an oil-slick of blackness oozes from his flesh, soaking over his fur. When he finally feels every part of himself covered, his mind eases back to that taste he sensed. Now comes the slow part of easing that taste into his own fur. First the full body white, including the wing-membranes … then the more yellow-blond head hair.

The head hair is easiest – possibly because Kaira briefly turned it blond once before. Changing his eyes from silver to blue is not different from when he made them green, which still takes some time.

Alptraum doesn't rush this process. He's still learning how it feels and how to control it effectively. But finally when he thinks he has the shift complete, he breathes in deeply. Along with that breath, he draws the shadow back into himself. It sinks slowly back into his flesh and as it fades, stark-white fur and skin is left in its wake. Formerly white head hair now flows down in light blond strands, framing his angular face. And the last thing he does is open those eyes, looking towards Mave with now blue eyes. "Do you approve, Yodhinala Mave?" he asks politely. "Does it meet your requirements?"

"Hmmmm," Mave goes, walking around Alptraum and eying him up and down critically. There's some patting and squeezing and even a little nibbling before she gives her verdict. "You don't have the… softness… of a true Barinala, but I don't mind a bit of muscle-tone in the least."

"Ah, well, I can manage cosmetic shifts. Deep physical ones to be … softer, are difficult and dangerous," Alptraum notes as he holds still for his inspection. Once fully inspected, he runs his hands through his blond hair, then lowers himself to kneel before Mave. "The Barsunala freely gives his service to the Daughter of Inala in hopes of sponsoring more unity between Inala and Sunala. For a time I will serve you as your Barinala and obey you as an any acolyte of Inala would be expected to," he says in rather a formal tone. The Eeee even lifts Mave's hand to his lips and lightly kisses the back of it. "That is, if your temple accepts the gift given. If you do not, no slight will be felt and I will return to my normal state."

Mave's smile lights up even brighter, while her eyes take on a dominant glint. "We will seal this agreement with an offering of passion to Inala. Summon your servant to prepare our bath in the meantime."

"As you command," Alptraum says with a small bow of his head. "Well, this should prove interesting and educational," he thinks as he rises and heads to his clothing. Drawing out the dagger from the pile, he then slots it deep into his right arm. After the shiver of cold passes, he thinks, "Kaira, showtime. Time to see if we can glean all of Mave's plans… "

Kaira oozes out of the crystal orb on the back of Alptraum's chitin-covered wrist. In deference to the occasion, her scales and feathers have gone white, and she's even made her eyes blue to match Alptraum. Also like the Eeee, she's not wearing anything. "What is your wish… Master and Mistress," she says, without even a twitch of anger at having to be so subservient.

"I really owe you for this. And I know you'll make me pay for it," Alptraum thinks inwardly. The less angry she is now … the more she will be later. "Yodhinala Mave wishes that you prepare a bath for us," Alptraum instructs with a nod towards the bathroom. "While we tend to a few matters."

The dragon bows to Alptraum and heads for the bathroom, pausing only as Mave hands her her priestess robe to hang up – and pinch her on the behind as she goes. "Yes, we will be some time tending to such," the Yodh remarks, and walks over to embrace Alptraum.

"No, Kaira will kill me later," Alptraum thinks as he spies the pinch. Bowing his head lightly when Mave embraces him, his arms slide lightly around the Eeee's in turn. R

Remembering his 'place', that is all he does for now, unless bidden otherwise.

"Now, show me how passionately you wish to honor Inala, Alptraum," Mave says with a coy smile.

Alptraum's white brow ripples a bit at that. "Of course," he murmurs as he eases Mave backwards. Remembering his time with the Countess and the several lessons Mave gave him before, he now returns that passion to the Yodhinala. This isn't a raging fire, though, but a slow, smoldering, tease of a time. All tingly nibbles and nips. Indeed, Kaira may wonder what has happened to them, for the next hour at least, Alptraum makes sure the two Eeee are quite occupied.

After awhile, Kaira just tries clearing her throat loudly. "The bath is ready," she comments. "Or… should I just keep it warm for you?"

"Well, that depends on what the Yodhinala wishes," Alptraum murmurs to Mave as he nips one of her ears. "Shall we see to the bath, or continue… ?"

"We can do both," Mave notes, and then bites Alptraum's neck.

"Remind me to show you an alternative way to bite a neck sometime," Alptraum whispers teasingly, then draws back from Mave. Once standing again, he extends his hand to her, then says louder, "Thank you, Kaira, we are coming."

The dragon opens her mouth to comment… but remembers she's supposed to be servile and closes it again. The joke probably wouldn't have made sense to the bats anyway…

Alptraum walks with Mave into the bathroom, though he allows her to lead and he follows behind, his hand lightly curled into hers. When he passes Kaira, he offers her an apologetic smile.

The water is warm and the bath is large, sunken into the tiled floor. And while Mave may not have a shadow to cause tingles, she has plenty of interesting lotions and soaps. The poor dragon has to rush about trying to keep bubbles from drifting out of the bathing area half the time.

"I must admit," Alptraum says at one point, "That I had never thought a bath could be so … enjoyable." During the bath, the Eeee observes how Mave uses the soaps and lotions and in turn uses them on her in similar ways. Nothing is rushed. Inwardly, he does feel a bit odd having Kaira here during this, but … well, she's probably seen odder.

"Is she good at scrubbing backs?" Mave asks Alptraum when she notices him glance at the dragon.

With another glance to Kaira, Alptraum replies honestly, "From what I remember, she is."

"Come scrub my back, dragon," Mave requests, since Alptraum is working on her front at the moment. Kaira glares at the back of the priestess' head for a moment, before wading into the bath to gently wash the woman's back.

"Don't kill her, Kaira. I will make it up to you," Alptraum thinks, "I promise." Now while Kaira works on Mave's back, he continues on her front. No spot is overlooked as he slowly rubs the soaps and then lotion in circular motion. The Eeee started low, and has slowly worked his way up her legs, then stomach and chest. "Am I meeting with general approval, Yodhinala Mave?" Alptraum inquires.

"Mmmm-hmmm," the Yodh purrs. "And after this, we can get some real work done."

"What do you need me to do for you?" Alptraum murmurs quietly as he now uses cupped hands to lift water from the bath and rinse the Eeee off.

"Aid me with a ritual," the priestess says.

"Of course, Yodhinala Mave," Alptraum agrees. He glances briefly over her shoulder to give Kaira a quick, raised brow, look. With the soaps and lotions removed, Alptraum now lightly claw-combs the priestess' wet fur neatly down.

"Do you wish to be rinsed off, Master?" Kaira asks, returning Alptraum's gaze.

"When you are finished with Yodhinala Mave, please do," Alptraum tells Kaira politely.

Mave is apparently done shortly after, as she steps up out of the bath. Kaira then upends a bucket over Alptraum's head. Unlike the bathwater, that in the bucket wasn't heated, and was quite… chilly.

Alptraum shudders when the water hits. Still, he doesn't say anything, because, well, it could have been worse. After dipping himself back down in the warm bathwater, he now emerges. Leaning over, he whispers in Sylvanian to Kaira, "I will make it up to you." Then he steps away and selects a towel to begin drying Mave off.

Once the Eeees are dry, Mave leads Alptraum back into the main bedroom. "Wait here," she says, having him sit on the edge of the bed. Kaira comes to stand nearby. She didn't need to towel dry, merely become temporarily incorporeal so that the water simply fell to the bathroom floor.

Alptraum settles down on the edge of the bed and now casts a worried glance to Kaira. He taps the crystal orb on the back of his hand a few times, then his head, perhaps trying to ask if she can hear his thoughts or not.

"Are you done with me?" Kaira asks, thinking he means for her to return to the dagger. Meanwhile, Mave is back in her alchemical kitchen for a few moments.

Alptraum shakes his head. "Not yet," he answers. He leans over and peers at Mave as she works, wondering just what she's up to.

The Yodhinala returns soon enough, carrying a small bowl full of blue liquid. She kneels on the bed next to Alptraum, then dips her finger into the liquid and starts to finger paint onto Alptraum's fur.

Alptraum holds himself still as she paints; though more than once he feels like he really wants to laugh. He remembers that Phlagaea and Hekat both used fur paint when doing magic, so this isn't too surprising, thankfully. He was more worried she was going to make him drink something. He's actually interested in the symbols she's painting, trying to translate or place them with his knowledge of Babelite script.

The most recognizable one is the symbol for Inala, which is repeated several times (and from the feel of it is also put onto his forehead). The rest seems to be some kind of swirling design using lots of spirals.

"May I ask the purpose of the markings, honored Yodhinala?" Alptraum asks politely, keeping hands folded in his lap.

"To guide and focus the flows of your energy," Mave explains. She has Alptraum stand then, since the designs apparently need to cover him from head to toe and back to front.

"Mmm," Alptraum replies with a small nod of his head. "Am I to duplicate the markings upon you, Yodhinala?"

"Oh no, you don't have the proper knowledge for that," Mave says, with a small grin. "I will put the proper markings onto Kaira, and she will serve in my place."

The dragon blinks at this.

Alptraum blinks too. Well, that should mean the ritual doesn't involve anything too intimate. Helpfully, he actually spreads his wings out in case Mave wishes to mark them as well.

The wings do indeed get marked. "Now, hold still while it dries," Mave instructs, and then starts to work on the dragon. The patterns are nearly identical on her, except that the spirals wind in the opposite direction.

Alptraum does hold completely still while he watches Kaira be marked as well. "The paint looks quite nice on you," he tells Kaira, hoping it makes her feel less vindictive over this.

"Of course it does," Kaira comments, apparently enjoying the attention. It takes longer to decorate her, due to the longer neck and tail, eventually Mave finishes. "Please stand facing one another," she instructs, and then heads back into her lab with the bowl.

Alptraum tests his markings to make sure they are dry. When sure that they are, he moves forward and positions himself in front of Kaira, facing her. He lips, "I have no idea what she is doing" to the dragon.

The dragon just shrugs, but soon enough Mave returns holding a crystal bowl with a clear fluid inside, which holds up between the pair. "Both of you please hold the bowl," she says, "and intertwine your fingers as you do so."

Again Alptraum's brow goes up. His hands raise to the bowl and there he holds it lightly. When Kaira's hands join his, he intertwines his fingers with hers. He also can't help but sniff the air lightly, trying to scent the liquid in the bowl.

Whatever it is smells very… female. "It is hard to get fresh ingredients for this," Mave notes. "But thanks to the girl who came earlier, this shall be much more potent than what I was able to brew with the Yodhblakat."

Alptraum's ears perk. "This is the fertility potion?" he has to ask. He also desperately tries not to think about how she got things from the girl.

Mave doesn't reply, as she's off to one of the wardrobes now. As Alptraum watches, she puts on her anklets, belt and bracelets of bells, just like she wore when enticing the Boschian demon up out of the well.

"This should be educational, at least. Glad I'm not wearing the anklets and bracelets," Alptraum thinks. Occasionally, he looks from the bowl to Kaira, wondering what the dragon must be thinking about all this.

Kaira is also watching Mave with curiosity. And then the priestess begins the ritual, singing and moving around the pair in a dance that makes the tarantella look like a square-dance. The Yodh also brushes up against both bowl-holders in sensual ways, and touches and teases them wantonly to build up their arousal.

"I don't know what it does for Kaira, but … " Alptraum thinks as he tries to maintain his composure as much as possible as the Yodh circles them. Having to look at Kaira doesn't help much, either, when the effects of the Yodhinala do start eliciting the desired response. Every now and then his ears skew different directions as he tries to find some sort of outlet.

It probably doesn't help that the dragon's white scales are starting to pinken a bit. Mave doesn't do anything to discourage Alptraum's thoughts, occasionally touching the dragon in ways the Eeee would enjoy doing. As the tension mounts, the liquid in the bowl begins to bubble and churn.

"Gah, it's coming back to haunt me I did the black dragon form for Kaira and taught her about … things," Alptraum realizes as he finds it harder and harder to think with the sensations Mave keeps generating and encouraging. At some point, even the earflicking isn't helping at all.

The dragon is getting a bit hot under the collar as well, if the wisps of steam from her nostrils are any indication. The potion comes to a boil, and it feels like little electric sparks are flowing between the twined fingers that support the bowl now.

"I hope this ends soon or I won't claim responsibility for what might happen," Alptraum thinks worriedly. With each electric tingle in his hands, his breathing stutters a bit. Right now he'd dearly love to look away from both women, but finds he can't.

The bells suddenly stop chiming, as the liquid in the bowl turns milk-white. Mave lifts it from Alptraum and Kaira's hands, gives both of them a kiss on the lips. "Very well done. Now, I have to work with this for a bit before it curdles," she says, and then abandons the pair.

Alptraum lets go of the bowl shakily. "Ah, Yodhinala … " Alptraum says rather distractedly, "May the dragon and I, ah, relieve our tension?"

"Yes, yes," Mave says offhandedly. "You can wash the paint off too now if you like." Kaira seems to be growling now, and hasn't let go of Alptraum's hands yet.

Alptraum doesn't have to be told twice. Embracing the growling dragon … the pair very quickly, if not very gracefully, find the bed. What occurs next is intense, and borders on near violent, while Mave does her work.

At some point, exhaustion wins out. It isn't clear how much time has passed when Alptraum is nudged awake by Mave. But, as with waking up after being with Phlagaea, he finds his mouth full of dragon again.

Alptraum lets out a muffled snort and extracts his moth from Kaira. "She's never going to let me live this down," he thinks grimly. Slowly, he untangles himself from the dragon and sits up. "Ah, sorry, we fell asleep. I am not used to such … rituals," he admits quietly.

"Well, you did look the part at least," Mave says consolingly. "If you wish to pursue full Barinala training though, I'm not sure I will have the time to properly tutor you. As it is, however, the ritual was a success. In three days, the potion should be ready, so it will be available at the most opportune time for you and the Countess."

"That was for us? I … well, thank you, Yodhinala," Alptraum says, sounding genuinely surprised by that. He stretches a bit, then continues, "I will remain Barinala for at least one of those days and I do hope to learn from you during that time. Whatever it is you wish to teach me."

"Well, I suppose you've mastered dragon-taming," Mave says with a grin. "There are some special instructions for the fertility potion, however. You cannot use it here in the castle. In fact, you must be as far from the castle as you can get the Countess to travel. I suggest saving it for Arkold and Ravenia's wedding, which is very far from here."

"You want her ties to her shadow as weak as possible," Alptraum reasons out after a moment of thought, "Which makes sense, really." Unable to stop himself, Alptraum moves a bit over on the bed and partially curls around Mave.

The priestess slides in next to Alptraum, and says, "How rested are you? And… what does the dragon taste like?"

"Well rested," Alptraum admits, "And she tastes … cool. Hard to explain, there's nothing else I've ever tasted quite like her." Actually cuddling Mave some now, he asks with a small grin, "Do I get any proper Barinala attire while I serve you, honored Yodhinala?"

"You are already properly attired," Mave points out, giving Alptraum's nose a lick. "And what will you do if we wake up the dragon?"

"We'll find out when it happens," Alptraum replies playfully, "I'm sure it would make things even more … interesting." And for the second time that day, if it even is day, The two white Eeee's embrace upon the bed.