The familiarity of the guest suites helps Alptraum relax a bit, when she reaches them. The door to her old room is wide open, along with Arkold's and Phlagaea's. Still closed are the doors to the occupied rooms belonging to Mave and Tulani – although the latter is opening up just as Alptraum enters.

"Oh, hello Countess!" Tulani says in surprise, the white streak across her face underlining her blue eyes. The Sphynx makes an awkward bow. She's wearing her flying harness with the backpack attached between her wings, so must be going somewhere.

"Ah, well," Alptraum says and rubs at her right arm awkwardly, "It's not the Countess; it's someone is disguise as the Countess. But the bow is appreciated anyway," Indeed, the long black dress is one of Rosalind's and does fit Alptraum perfectly now … and at a glance apparently fools people, but then Tulani hasn't been around Rosalind as much as Alptraum has.

Tulani looks up from her bow, and stares a bit. It isn't until she notices the hand that she asks, "Alptraum?"

Alptraum grins weakly. "Alas, I don't have a prize for you to win," the Eeee notes. "The Countess needed someone who can stand in for her … and I'm the only one who can wield powers similar to hers … so her pet Shadow Dragon made me a lot more like her in appearance… "

The Sphynx steps up and pokes Alptraum in the chest. "This isn't another trick like you pulled at the bachelor party is it? You look smaller, and… what happened to your hand?"

"Hey, those things are tender, you know?" Alptraum says as she swats at the breast-prodding finger. "And no, it's not quite like the party … I am in most every way, a duplicate of the Countess physically. Well, not counting my arm, eyes, and scar," she adds, conveniently leaving out the tail. "It's only temporary, though! Just long enough to make the Babel trip in disguise and back to prepare me for imitating her. And my hand, well, it got better, which means the shell shed. It looks worse … but it's better!"

With one hand on her hip, Tulani gives Alptraum a 'go ahead, pull the other one' sort of look, but finally just grins. "You really are the weirdest friend I've ever had, you know that?" she says. "Anyway, I guess you'll be leaving in a few days. At least I know who to look for when you reach Odin's Pass on the train!"

And just to be weirder, Alptraum takes Tulani's hand from her hip and places it on the lower part of her stomach and the newly vacant area, just to prove she's not kidding about what was done. "I'm not weird, I'm unpredictable!" she claims as she releases Tulani's hand. "Where are you off to? I thought we were to travel together?"

"I'm going home, to visit my family until you catch up," Tulani notes, rubbing her hand and giving Alptraum an odd look. Even odder though, is that Alptraum sees three Rhians in her mind, and knows they're Tulani's adopted parents and brother, and even gets a few hazy flashes of Odin's Pass. "It's in the mountains bordering Sylvania and Chronotopia, and is a major refueling station for the railroad."

Alptraum blinks several times. She reaches out and takes hold of Tulani's hand once again. "Two parents and a brother, Rhians," she says, then even tries to describe Odin's pass a little. "Now I feel weird," she admits, "I could see the people you're thinking about."

"Uh… so you can read my mind?" Tulani asks, then makes a very sour face and says, "What am I thinking about now?"

And so Alptraum looks directly into Tulani's eyes while continuing to hold her hand…

Tulani doesn't help by waggling her eyebrows randomly and crossing her eyes every few seconds. Whatever she's thinking about, though… Alptraum isn't getting any mystical insights into.

"No idea," Alptraum says, shrugs, and lets go of her hand. "I'm not sure why I could see your parents so clearly," she admits. "Unless … maybe they're in trouble?"

"I'm sure I've talked to you about them while we were on the road," Tulani says, and starts tying back her long white hair. "Maybe now that you're a woman, you just have a better head for remembering family or something? I'm sure they're just fine!"

"And a better looking woman that you are, too," Alptraum teases Tulani, puts her hand on her hips, and cocks them in imitation of the Sphynx. She also grins and waggles her brow.

"Hah, but I'm younger, old maid!" Tulani laughs back, striking a slinky pose.

"Ah, but older women are more desired!" Alptraum counters,, then blinks. "I can't believe I just said that. I don't want to be desired!"

"Will you be traveling under an assumed name?" Tulani asks, after she stops giggling. "And… hmm, we're nearly the same size. Do you know what means?" she asks.

"I was thinking of resuming the name of Nicora," Alptraum explains, "The Yodhsunala; no one messes with them. And, er, same size? No, I don't know what that means."

Tulani leans in close, and then pushes Alptraum's chin up with one finger. "Well," she whispers, "now you might finally be able to get into my pants!" The cat winks and tries not to laugh again.

Alptraum actually tries to tangle up Tulani's hand with tendrils from her right arm! "It's only a matter of time," the transformed Eeee claims as her eyes narrow and lips draw back into a rather evil smile. She then licks Tulani's nose and lets her go. "You will be safe traveling, right? Do you want an escort?" she asks.

"Hey, I'm a scout!" Tulani notes, as she pulls her finger back from the sticky tendrils. "And I won't be completely alone; I'm bringing Dunky along! He should wake up for Reckoning Day, after all."

"Oh joy, a drunken map. Such a lovely conversationalist!" Alptraum claims, then shakes her head. "Just be careful, okay? I'll see you in the Pass," she adds, "And no setting me up on any dates before I get there!"

"Hey, I like the people of my home town too much to do something like that to 'em!" Tulani jokes, then gives Alptraum a kiss on the cheek. "You be careful too. I bet you're going through some weird stuff with all of this. Oh wow… imagine how confused Arkold would be if he saw you!"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having problems," Alptraum admits and waves her arms weakly. "I don't know if I'll ever get entirely comfortable in this body. Walking is a new experience. And oh no, we're never mentioning this to Arkold, ever. I think I'll be quite happy when I'm back to my normal body." She tries to ignore the little thought that this is her normal body from a biological viewpoint now. Melusine is thorough.

"Oh, Alptraum," Tulani says, and gives the bat a hug. "You haven't been normal for some time now, you know," she says while patting Alptraum's lower back.

"But this is a whole new level of 'not normal'," Alptraum says with a sigh … then tenses up at the patting and tries to pull away before Tulani discovers the … addition!

Luckily, the Sphynx pulls back before anything starts squirming. "I think it'll be great," she says, putting her hands on Alptraum's shoulders this time. "I'll show all the fun stuff girls can do! If I didn't have to leave now, we could even go back to Castle Leathers and get you a thong or something!"

"Oh, well, it's terrible you have to go now! I would just love that," Alptraum lies. "Well, I guess you had best be going. I'll see you in week, I expect."

"Be careful, don't push yourself," Tulani advises. "You aren't half-Vartan like me, and won't be as strong as you're used to being, so take it easy." And then the Sphynx is waving and heading for the door. "And don't bend down when wearing a loose top!"

"I'll only do that around you!" Alptraum promises. Still, Tulani has a point, her endurance for long flight is probably less now; many things probably are. That is a good warning. "Take care of yourself, Tulani," Alptraum ends with and wears a genuine smile. "The one that got away," she thinks fondly.

The only occupant remaining the suites now is… Mave. The Yodhinala, former High Priestess, and Alptraum's traveling companion-to-be on the journey to Babel.

Alptraum, for some reason, has the urge to adjust her chest and does so. Maybe it was Tulani's comment. "I'm never going to get used to these," the bat thinks. They look great on Rose … but they're somewhat obnoxious to have. So now she eyes Mave's door. "Do you really want to see her now?" she thinks. But before she can stop herself, she's knocking on the door.

It flies open, and Mave is there wearing a zolk scarf across her shoulders that spirals around each arm, and is holding a wine glass in one hand and standing seductively. "Hello Alptraum," she purrs. "I overheard everything. How do you feel?" she asks. And then she feels.

"Extremely uncomfortable," Alptraum answers as every muscle in her stiffens and her left ear starts to twitch at the touch. "You … look like you're expecting someone. I can come back later."

"I was expecting you, so come inside," Mave notes, running her fingers up along Alptraum's throat and letting them fan off from her chin. "I want to see how female you really are."

"W… why? What do you plan to do?" Alptraum asks in a disturbingly timid and feminine voice. She doesn't enter the room … yet.

"I just want to find out if your mind has been affected," Mave says. "Your reaction seems to hint at it. Don't you want to bed me right now, even a little bit?" the Yodh coos.

"Yes and no," Alptraum says as her ears splay to the sides. "I'm too uncomfortable to want anything that … intimate."

Of course, the tail stuffed down one pant leg is squirming madly now. "Well, you must learn to relax in your body, and learn how it is different," Mave notes. "And the best way to start is with a bubble bath."

"Can you … verify that I'm correctly intact, well, everywhere?" Alptraum finally asks and steps into the den of the Huntress, aka, Mave. "And we need to discuss something horrible that the Countess told me about."

"Of course I can," Mave notes, and pushes Alptraum towards the bathroom. Along the way, Alptraum notices things that… well, just weren't noticed before. The room seems to have a greater mix of fragrances, and the various pieces of fabric on display are more colorful. There are even shades of color on things that she could have sworn were just a solid color before.

"Did you change something in here? It smells different," Alptraum notes as she shuffles towards the bathroom, though her attention is focused on all the differences she now sees. "Colors are different, too."

"No, only you have changed," Mave notes. "Men are practically color-blind, and have a limited sense of smell and taste. That you are noticing these things only means that your brain is female now."

"My brain is not female," Alptraum insists as she taps her head, "I'm still the same in here." The transformed Eeee steps into the bathroom finally. For some reason she feels like she just walked into a torture chamber, given how her stomach is turning.

Mave finishes drawing the bath, adding in the bubble-juice at the last moment to make a cloudy layer of fluff. "Take your clothes off, or do you need help?" the Yodh asks. She only has to take off the scarf, after all.

"Before I take off the dress … you had better know that Melusine gave me the tail of a monster," Alptraum warns as her hands stop at the straps on her shoulders. "Half-pants are keeping it in … check."

One blond eyebrow rises up, and Mave asks, "What sort of monster? And is there a special reason for it?"

"She claimed to remind me of having once been male and that it contains the essence of my former male reproductive system," Alptraum just explains, figuring no mater how she says it, it's just embarrassing. So … she starts undressing again. Women clothing is much more delicate and complicated … so removing it without damage takes a lot longer. She's still not used to seeing the curvy figure that slowly becomes exposed as it is removed, either. It feels more like she's looking through Rosalind's eyes than at her own body. The half-pants are last, of course. Alptraum closes her eyes and pulls those down to free her … tail. At least she'll only hear Mave laugh, not have to see it too.

"Ohhh, it is cute," the Yodh says, and Alptraum feels the serpent being stroked. "A lingam worm."

One of Alptraum's eyes open. "A what?" she asks. "You like it?"

The tail certainly liked Mave, nuzzling her hand. "You don't?" she asks.

"It is difficult to manage," Alptraum admits, "I have no control of it and hiding it isn't easy, either. Tucking it inside is … uncomfortable."

"So, is it really any different than before?" Mave asks, before stepping into the tub and gesturing for Alptraum to join her.

"I never had a place to tuck stuff before," Alptraum explains as she steps to the warm, foamy, water.

"Sure you did, it was just more uncomfortable to use," Mave notes, and lets Alptraum soak for awhile. "While you get comfortable, what is this other thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

Little Alptraum pokes above the suds, like some sort of periscope.

"The Countess explained to me that women have a cycle," Alptraum says as she tries to settle back and relax. This is easier said that done with the way the tail is behaving. "And that I'll have times when I'll bleed from … there."

"Yes, and does that worry you?" Mave asks, as she sinks down a bit deeper.

"Yes, because I never have had issues where I bleed on regular intervals that didn't involve biting," Alptraum admits, "Or have times when my emotions are all … crazy." She sighs.

"Well, we can take care of that, by getting it over with before we leave," Mave notes. "Now, sink down until the water is at your neck," she says, and does so herself – after blowing some of the bubbles out of the way.

"Getting it out of the way? How?" Alptraum asks as she slides further down into the backwater until it too is at her neck. There she tries to just relax and think on how she's feeling.

It seems as if a weight is lifted from Alptraum's chest. Literally, because… they float! "You remember the potion I made for you and Rose… and Phlagaea?" Mave asks. "We will use that, and you will ovulate, followed by menstruation. That way, you will have your cycle set and not have to worry about what will happen while we are traveling."

"Yes, I remember the potion, it made … you're going to put me into a lustful mind?" Alptraum asks as her brow furrows and ears splay. "But … won't I then need some way to satisfy that?" She also can't help but poke her floating breasts lightly with a fingertip, fascinated.

"Satisfaction isn't a requirement, but I can certainly help you if you do not wish me to bring in a male," Mave notes. "There is a local Lapi man who is highly recommended. He also does gardening."

"Er, were you planning to bring in a male?" Alptraum asks, ears still splayed. "What would you suggest?"

"Well, you could deal with all on your own you know," Mave points out. "Women are not limited in the way that men are when it comes to pleasure. I can loan you some aids, if you prefer."

"I could probably use my tail," Alptraum remarks and eyes the peering head. "But … what do you think would be best? Should I bed the Lapi… or just allow you to manage it?"

"Which will you least regret later, when you are once again a man?" Mave asks, with a big grin.

"Well, you, probably, since if I bed a male it would be accepting that I am female," Alptraum admits with entirely too much information.

"Alright, I will make sure you do not suffer too much," Mave promises. "We should start immediately."

"Yodhinala," Alptraum asks as she blows some bubbles, "During our journey to Babel … are you going to ask me to be an Altar, like you did Snow?"

"Are you volunteering?" Mave asks. "I will be preparing for something… special. I will need your assistance once we make it to the Temple of Inala."

"I'm willing to help you with rituals during the trip," Alptraum offers, "If you help me adjust to being this way during the trip."

"And I think I like bubble baths a lot more now," Alptraum adds as an afterthought.

"That is good, as you will probably need my advice and assistance," Mave notes, just before standing up – which makes the dragon-headed tail waggle all over the place.

Alptraum pushes the dragon head under the water. "I am sure I will too," she admits as she stands up too.

Mave helps Alptraum dry off (which excites Little Alptraum further), before leading her back out into the bedroom area, and giving her a glass of wine. "Drink this first. The hard part will be over in a few hours," Mave promises.

Alptraum takes the glass of wine and sniffs it first.

It is red wine, but… it smells richer now, somehow.

Alptraum swirls the wine and then drinks it down … rather daintily as it turns out given how she holds the glass in her fingers.

It tastes better now too! Maybe there really is something to what Mave says about female senses being sharper.

Alptraum holds the glass out and peers at it. "I must admit that there are some aspects I'm starting to like. That tasted very good," she admits.

"You should be careful in how much you drink though," Mave notes, as she returns with a smaller glass with a finger of milky liquid in it. "This won't be a full dose, just enough to trigger things," she says, holding out the glass.

Alptraum takes the glass and heads over to the bed. She starts to sit, then remembers to push her tail out of the way before sitting down. She swirls this liquid now and then sniffs it, wondering how it smells with this body.

It smells… hormonal. It isn't an odor so much as a feeling in the nose and a tickle in the brain.

Alptraum takes a few deep breaths. "Here goes … everything," she thinks, then drinks down the milky liquid in one gulp.

It seems like the fluid doesn't even reach her stomach, as if it were absorbed right through the flesh of her throat. Her temperature rises almost immediately, and she feels… aroused. In a very different way than ever before.

Alptraum sits up, then arches her back, pushing her chest forward in a roll. As a shiver rolls through her wings, she murmurs, "Oh … wow." Her fingers spread on the bed sheets, then curl together into fists, drawing up some of the sheet with it. She even finds herself licking her lips before letting out a rather pleased sigh.

"Just lie back and close your eyes," Mave says. "I'll be gentle!"

Before she can even stop herself, Alptraum murmurs, "You're welcome to use the tail." Her ears splay, but back she goes and her eyes droop closed.

It's a very languid journey, and very unlike the experience from the 'other side' of the equation. But once things seem to really pick up, Alptraum has another flash of memory. This time, she's tied down to a bed, and a dark furred, white haired Eeee is on top of her. It's rough, sweaty… and she knows that she's the one in control though. It's her light, from inside, that is driving it all. And just before Alptraum can nearly grasp how to use that light, everything comes to a crescendo and the vision is lost!

It's funny how the most terrifying aspects of something … turn out to become the most enjoyable. Everything is much more drawn out, building, and lasting. When the visions come, she tries to take hold of that vision and learn from it, but only to lose it when a wave of enjoyment takes over everything. It's a long ride, too, several minutes pass before all the tension in her body melts away enough that her claws release the bed and her eyes finally ease open. "I," she murmurs, "I think I like this aspect. That was … amazing."

"Oh, of course it was," Mave says. "I'm very good. That should get you through the night at least. Where there any unusual sensations? Discomfort in your stomach, things like that?"

"I had some odd visions," Alptraum admits as she slowly sits up and looks down at herself … and the state of her tail and how it reacted to what just happened … and to think on how she feels, discomfortwise. "Like I was seeing memories from Snow's view of when I had been with her."

The tail looks… happy? And seems to be asleep. "Memories?" Mave asks, curiously as she lies next to Alptraum. "Has that every happened before?"

"It happened when I touched Tulani a bit ago, but … I don't understand why," Alptraum admits as she lies back down. She actually cuddles up to Mave, even nuzzling her neck, cheek, then ears.

"You've drunk their blood before, haven't you?" Mave asks, licking Alptraum's nose.

Alptraum nods. "I have," she admits as one of her hands lightly pets along Mave's side. The Eeee then lightly nip-nibbles under Mave's chin.

"Both of them freely offered their blood, and I was hungry," she goes on to explain. "both of them enjoyed how it felt to be fed on, too."

"Hmmm, so… do you believe it's true then that the most potent vampires can drink in a person's spirit along with their blood?" Mave asks.

"I've heard that before. Do you think that was what it was? That I'm one of the rare, potent, vampires?" Alptraum asks as she claw-combs Mave's back fur now with gentle strokes. Wherever her right hand passes, though, tendrils of shadow follow the claws to tickle the skin beneath.

"You are a dracul, are you not?" Mave asks, purring at the stroking. "A vampire bonded to a dragon, as the name suggests."

"Tightly bonded to a dragon," Alptraum says, "So maybe that is all it is … my heritage making itself known. Maybe being in the form of the most powerful dracul in the world helped trigger it."

"Or maybe it is just that your male brain wasn't receptive to it, hmm?" Mave teases. "I have not heard of the Countess feeding on people, so I cannot say that she could have foreseen this effect."

"Am I really acting … female? I assume that while you were … tending to desires, that everything seemed normal about me? Melusine properly … rebuilt me as a woman?" Alptraum now asks as she reaches up to stroke Mave's cheek with her flayed-looking hand.

"Yes, you are fully female, and have strong, child-bearing hips," Mave notes with a grin. "I'm sure you could attract a male, if you cover your arm."

"I would think some males in Babel would like my arm," Alptraum counters, grinning slightly, "But I don't intend to find out … nor ever bear children. I will return to being male when I can."

"Luckily I will be there to focus their attention," Mave notes, matter-of-factly. "Tomorrow morning you will be awakened by stomach cramps, due to the acceleration of the potion. Do not panic when it happens."

"Will they be bad?" Alptraum asks with a hint of worry in her voice?

"Well, since you've never had them before, you will probably find them bad," Mave notes. "You may not find them painful though. You should ask Rosalind what to expect."

"She doesn't remember them well. It has been years since she ever had a cycle," Alptraum notes. "And … you said you had some aids? May I … borrow one or two in case I need relief and you are not around? I do not want to fall to temptations with a male," she asks, sounding aghast about the prospect.

"Very well, I will unpack them," Mave notes, and slides from the bed.

Without having Mave to cuddle, Alptraum grabs a pillow and cuddles it instead. "I guess you aren't so bad," she also now says to her tail and even gently reaches down, eases it between her legs and lays it over her thigh and onto the bed before her so that she can pet the top of its head lightly as it 'sleeps'.

When the Yodh returns, she is bearing an ornate box. She sits cross-legged on the bed and opens it, showing Alptraum a collection of extremely expensive-looking ivory and gold figurines. It takes a moment to realize they have no sharp edges or points, and are very smooth (although not uniform, as they are all depictions of either Inala or quite possibly of Mave. One even looks a bit like the chocolate versions Arkold and Tulani uncovered in the Sylvanian wilderness.

Alptraum continues to lightly stroke the serpentine tail as she sits up to look in the box of figurines. "They're all shaped like Inala," she comments as she peers at them. "Which one would you, ah, recommend?"

Mave selects the largest one, and offer that. "This should do nicely. I noticed where you are most sensitive, and the protruding bosoms and belly on this should do well."

Alptraum takes the stature and turns it over in her hands. "It looks like a pregnant Eeee," she says. "How does it work?"

The older woman just blinks slowly at Alptraum. "How does it work?" she asks slowly, just staring at Alptraum now. "It is for rubbing and inserting, in place of a male."

"Inserting?" Alptraum asks, blinking several times. She eyes the odd, and large, statue for a bit. "Like this?" she asks as the lowers the statue down to where Mave was earlier focused. She remembers quite well how unpleasant it was when her tail went in there earlier. Yet, she bites her lip and actually tries to insert the statue into herself.

This time it's much smoother, probably because… well, Mave made things more receptive. "Do not go in all of the way. This is good for a full experience, but there are balls that can be used as well throughout the day."

"And if the cramping is bad, this can help relieve some of the stress," the Yodh notes.

The expression on Alptraum's face is something both comedic and sensual as she holds the statue most of the way inside her. "Given how … nice this feels, I can see why," she admits as she swallows. She's careful to remove it slowly and can't help but twitch. "The balls help with cramping?" she now asks, "Do you have some?"

"Let's not rush into things all at once," Mave says, patting Alptraum's stomach. "You can get overwhelmed and distracted. And just because you have more options than you did as a man does not mean you should go ahead and try all of them immediately. You may regret it later, when you change back and lose them."

Alptraum rubs her forehead. "Yes," she mutters, "You're right. Maybe that potion is messing with how I'm thinking. I can't believe I'm even having this conversation and that I stuck that statue … " The Eeee shakes her head and looks pleadingly at Mave, then asks, "What is happening to me?"

"Oh, don't fret," Mave says soothingly, and rubs the back of Alptraum's left hand. "In a few days, you'll be all settled in… and one of us."

Alptraum sets the statue on a nearby table, then takes the box from's Mave's lap and sets it on the floor. She then nudges Mave to lay down, then lays back down with the white Eeee and cuddles up against her again. "It'll all be better in a few days?" she murmurs as the closeness seems to help settle the butterflies in her stomach, "That sounds good." As she lies there, though, and her tail twitches, the full meaning of what Mave just said seems to settle into her mind, "She means in a few days I may be female in both mind and body. Oh Gods, what have I done to myself?!" And in irony, the right thing would be to run like a male … but instead Alptraum only hugs onto Mave tighter until the panic passes. Perhaps the Eeee really is well on her way to being one of them.