The long climb from Mave's chambers to the top of the castle has reminded Alptraum that she hasn't fed all day, since before her transformation by Melusine. It's makes for another distraction among many – such as the Eeee standing guard at the entrance to the royal suites. He's tall, with broad soldiers and fur as black as Alptraum's own, and has red eyes (although not glowing) and obvious fangs. He smells good, too, for some reason, and it's enough to cause Alptraum to tingle a bit.

He's also not mistaking Alptraum for the Countess. "I don't recognize you," he notes, but not harshly.

"I am not surprised by that," Alptraum says, but we have likely met when I wore a different body. "I am Alptraum … just in a disguise applied by the Countess' Shadow Dragon." She rolls up the right hand sleeve of her shirt and presents the metallic-banded and shadow-flesh to the elbow right hand as proof. "If you need further proof, I also still retain my silver eyes and the scar on my chest. Though … the latter would now be impolite to display."

"Ah, I do recognize that hand," the guard notes, and steps aside to open the door.

"I have an odd request," Alptraum now says as she looks the rather imposing guard from head to toe. "You are black-furred, as I am, but I do not know the pattern for a black-furred hand, since I cannot learn my own pattern. Would you permit me to learn your pattern so that I can better disguise my hand? The process is called kenning. It does not hurt … but it is a bit odd. I am also hungry … but I doubt you would permit me to feed on you. Besides, I can contact the kitchen for a meal as it is."

The guard blinks, and says, "I cannot share my blood while on duty, but… how long will this 'kenning' process take, and will it weaken me in any way?"

"It will not weaken you and does not take very long," Alptraum says and finds herself smiling and she isn't sure why, "How long can you be from your post without trouble?"

"I cannot leave my post," the man insists. "Not until shift change, in… " the man looks at the hourglass resting in a nearby nook, "forty minutes."

"Mm, perhaps after your shift, then?" Alptraum asks and even dips her head slightly, for again, some unknown reason. "That way there is no risk to your position should it take longer than expected or leave you feeling disoriented."

"Very well then," the guard says, "When I'm relieved I will knock on the door three times. I cannot enter without being invited."

Alptraum nods. "Your name?" she asks. "It would be remiss of me to ken you and not even know your name."

"Dar," the man says. "Dar Siefert."

"A pleasure to meet you, Dar," Alptraum says. she dips her head once more and then finally passes the guard to enter the suits. A shiver ripples through her and she thinks, "Okay, what was that? Why was he making me feel funny. And what was he wearing? I need that for when I'm with the Countess and … normal."

It's afternoon, so there is some activity in the suites as the maids make their rounds… at least, Alptraum can hear them. She also hears the more familiar voice of Phlagaea saying, "See, aren't they comfortable?"

Alptraum tries to sneak over to the door where he hears Phlagaea talking and try to sneak a peek at what she is talking about.

The door is familiar too – it's the one on Snow's bedroom. "I suppose," she hears Snow say a bit noncommittally. "But… do you have anything softer?"

Alptraum raps her knuckles on the door. "Ah, ladies, it's Alptraum. I'm back from Melusine. She applied the disguise I needed for my trip. I should warn you, though, I'm very, uhm, different," she says.

The door, being unlatched, swings open slowly from the force of the knocking. Snow and Phlagaea are kneeling atop the bed, looking surprised. Phlagaea is wearing Snow's modified cloak that allows for wings, while Snow… is wrapped up in Phlagaea's bandages! It's the first time Alptraum has ever seen the human's attributes actually restrained by anything. "Alptraum?" they both ask in confused unison.

Alptraum, unable to look either of them in the eyes right now, holds up her right arm as proof. "It's me, in the … feminine flesh," she admits as she shifts her weight from one leg to the next. "Melusine applied Rosalind's pattern to me and well, here I am … a girl. That should keep anyone looking for Alptraum during my trip quite … confused."

"Really a girl?" Snow asks suspiciously – and then Alptraum can feel the effects of her aura, and it feels just as strong as when she was male… but incredibly confusing! Her head tells her to pounce on the human, and her tail is going crazy… but her body only feels mildly aroused, which admittedly it was anyway. Phlagaea just looks between Snow and Alptraum, apparently unaware of what's happening.

Alptraum staggers and holds onto her head as the strange sensations run rampant. "Snow," she gasps, "Stop that! Melusine made alterations that, that … you're confusing my body and me!" Unable to take it, she turns and runs for the bathroom, hoping that sticking her head, or entire body, under cold water will stop the sensations!

After the outburst, the sensation in her head fades away, but the tail-with-a-mind-of-its-own is still trying to pull Alptraum back towards Snow… which looks very bizarre from behind, given the cloak.

Alptraum isn't stopping until he douses that tail. It's bad enough she has to explain this … now it's even more embarrassing.

The bath from earlier that morning is still full. The water has gone cold, and still has a sheen of soap-oil on it though.

Alptraum pulls the robe off in a hurry and sheds her pants and skirt. Her hands are shaking as she does so, but she grabs a hold of that bizarre tail and dunks it into the cold, soapy, water.

"What are you… " Snow starts to say from the doorway, while Phlagaea pushes past her to say, "What's that growing out of your butt!"

"Melusine's idea of a joke," Alptraum grumbles as her ears splay. "She moved my male parts into this … tail to remind me that I used to be male. She claimed it will make it easier for me when I change back. I think she did it to mess with me."

The problem with dunking the tail is that the water isn't just soapy – Mave's special bubble-bath is also a lubricant. The tail is nearly impossible to hold onto now, and squirms free of Alptraum's hands! "I'll get it!" Phlagaea calls, and grabs at the muscular appendage herself, splashing water all over.

"I could transfer its arousal," Snow notes, leaning against the door jam and smiling. "But then I'd have it… "

"No, no it's all slimy now you won't," Alptraum tries to say in time, but ends up getting slimy-wet all over. "Snow … try to calm it down like you would a man?" she finally says, sounding exasperated! "And you deserve to have it, since you caused this!"

The Shrine Maiden comes over and kneels down next to the tub. The tail escapes from Phlagaea and almost docilely lays itself in Snow's hands. Rather than use her aura though, the human strokes and teases the serpent until Alptraum feels a jolt shoot right up her spine to explode in her brain! Which ends up solving both the issue of the tail's arousal and her own.

"It looks cute! It even smiles," Phlagaea coos, as she attacks the relaxed appendage with a towel to dry it off.

"Grrrk!" Alptraum says as fingers and ears all splay at the same time when the arousal is suddenly and quickly doused! She lets out a slow breath and blinks a few times. She's unfortunately certain the general arousal induced by Mave's potion will return, unfortunately, since even Mave only doused it for a time. "I'm glad you two are both amused," she mutters darkly.

"It is very responsive to touch," Snow points out with a grin. She also puts her hand on Alptraum's stomach, and says, "While your brain isn't fully female yet, I can tell that your body is. I'm getting sympathetic twinges from it."

"So can you feel what it does, or use it like a third hand?" Phlagaea asks as she pets the dragon-head at the end of the tail. "What happens if I bite it?"

"Sympathetic twinges?" Alptraum asks as she eases Snow's hand from her stomach so she can shed her now wet shirt and get a new one from the wardrobe. "I can feel some of it, but I have little control over it … and no biting! That would hurt."

There are a few bathrobes, but nothing else other than Snow's traveling cloak. Alptraum will need to raid Rosalind's wardrobe for something that actually fits.

"You are ovulating, which induces a certain emotional state that I can pick up on," Snow notes. "The same happens with Phlagaea. I'm an empath, remember?"

"Well, now that I'm naked, do you want to examine me?" Alptraum asks the two girls and even spreads her arms as an invite. "And when you say ovulating … you mean I am actually … fertile?" she asks, sounding mildly horrified at the prospect.

"I… don't know about that," Snow admits. "Nope, I bet you aren't!" Phlagaea points out, quite literally by poking Alptraum's belly. "Because it took a lot of special effort to get the Countess pregnant, so since you're shadow-linked or whatever it is, it'd take the same for you."

Snow can't help but feel up Alptraum. She grins, and notes, "I'm bigger. So is Phlagaea now."

"Well, I suppose that's good news if I get drunk and wake up with some strange man," Alptraum admits, still looking flustered by everything. "So, what do you think? I'm not remotely recognizable, right?"

"Well, there are your eyes, but… I don't think anyone would mistake you for… you… now," Snow admits. "You seem to be handling it as well as Dr. Twig did being turned into a female, but that was a species change as well, so may have been alien enough to not creep him out."

"Oh, I'm rather creeped out," Alptraum admits. "I've already been to see Mave. She, uhm, gave me something to induce my first menstruation so that I would learn what it will be like while I'm somewhere I'm comfortable. She also, ah, made love to me. That was … different."

"Oh dear," Snow says, pulling back a bit from Alptraum. "When that happens… I shouldn't be close. Otherwise I'll start to sync up… "

Phlagaea, who's never had to suffer through such things, just shrugs. "How bad can it be? Pray to Gorphat, and she will not give you more than you can handle."

"Oh no, after what you did to me, you're joining me," Alptraum says and takes hold of Snow's wrist. As she tries to pull the human close, she asks, "What will happen? Will it really be cramping and bleeding?"

"And, uh, how do I pray to Gorphat?" Alptraum asks Phlagaea.

"Well, yes, those things," Snow admits. Phlagaea says, "You have to offer up the blood to Gorphat of course. You can use the shrine I made… "

"I haven't bled yet," Alptraum says, "Though … ever since I visited Mave I've felt rather … damp in places I've never felt that way before. Is that … normal? How do you keep your clothes dry?"

"Oh… that's just from the potion," Phlagaea says reassuringly.

"And am I supposed to smell this … musky?" Alptraum asks as she sniffs her own arm. "But then everything smells a lot stronger now."

"Things smell normal to me," Snow says. The pregnant Eeee notes, "I think I've gotten a little more sensitive since becoming pregnant."

"Sensitive? Sensitive how? And you're saying I smell normal?" Alptraum asks. She leans over and smells Snow's shoulder.

Snow smells… delicious. Also a bit more fragrant than Alptraum remembers, including the scent of the bath from earlier.

"So … how do I … manage the bleeding?" Alptraum asks Snow. "I can't walk around dripping blood everywhere. Well, I mean I could but I don't think it would be appreciated."

"And come on, explain as we walk, I need to get some clothing from the wardrobe," Alptraum says as he waves for the two women to follow her into the Countess' wardrobe.

The halls are luckily empty (as the castle staff knows to always maintain invisibility). Soon the trio is in Draco's bedroom, and Snow is already picking at her bandages and eying her cloak that Phlagaea wears.

Alptraum heads into the wardrobe and goes to the section of the more 'rugged' and less fancy clothing and starts looking through them. "I need a dress with this stupid tail," she mutters, "And custom underwear."

"I don't think you need anything special in underwear," Snow points out. "Most people have tails, after all."

"Bats don't," Alptraum points out, but goes to check the underwear too.

For ruggedness, there are several pairs of 'flying' dresses – that is, pants that look like dresses if the legs are close together.

Underwear is of course of the tailless variety. "Maybe you need to see someone who knows more about clothing?" Snow offers, since she is, after all, the last person to know anything about the subject.

Alptraum ends up taking one of the flying dresses for now and then looks to underwear and tops. "What do you recommend for underwear?" she calls back, "Or … you wouldn't really know, would you? Maybe Lilith. I'll go see her after Dar visits."

"Lilith helped me with normal clothes," Phlagaea agrees. "Who is Dar?"

Alptraum ends up selecting a loose fitting linen blouse, nothing expensive. "The guard outside. I am going to ken him so I have a black Eeee template. I need it to disguise my hand," she claims. She conveniently leaves out the part that Dar made her feel funny, but in a good way.

It probably doesn't help that Phlagaea asks, "Is he cute? I mean, if you're going to be gone… "

"He's cute and smells nice," Alptraum says then almost kicks herself for admitting that. Before exiting the wardrobe, Alptraum reaches down and checks herself to see how … damp her fur is around her new reproductive system. She also absently wonders if she should wash there so she doesn't give off the wrong signal to the guard.

"You look concerned?" Snow prompts, after she starts unwrapping the bandages. "These are too constraining."

"Concerned, what do I have to be concerned about?" Alptraum asks, trying to look calm as she exits the wardrobe and shakes her hand a bit. "And if you'll excuse me, I need to, uhm, clean up a little."

Snow and Phlagaea exchange a look, and then both women follow close on Alptraum's heals. "Why? You just changed clothes?" Phlagaea asks.

"Because I don't want to send the wrong signal to the guard," Alptraum explains, "And I'm … smelly."

"What wrong signal?" Snow asks. "And what's wrong with how you smell?"

"I don't want to be seen as flirting with him!" Alptraum finally says, exasperated.

"So… don't flirt?" Snow suggests. "And… when you were a man, did you even notice how a woman smelled?"

"Sometimes, but not usually," Alptraum concedes as she gives up and just puts on the new clothing. She resists the urge to swat the ornery tail as she dresses, too. "And you two are taking this better than I expected. I haven't shown Kaira yet."

"Would you even look like this in that dagger?" Phlagaea asks. "And you never noticed my perfume. Do you want to borrow some?"

"Kaira can come out here, I don't have to go in," Alptraum points out, "I have no idea how I will look in the dagger."

The human is now experimentally sniffing her own armpits for some reason. "So… you want to be alone with the guard then, and not have us around?"

"I would prefer alone because I worry you'll both be snickering at me," Alptraum admits, ears splayed. "I'm feeling strange all over and I'm not sure how I'll react to anything, anymore. I'm … not comfortable like this."

"All the more reason not to leave you alone," Snow says. "After all, if you get nervous or something during the process, would you end up accidentally eating the man?"

Alptraum waves her arms for emphasis. "I feel all emotional," she complains. "I doubt I would eat him, but … if you think you need to stay, okay."

Snow puts her hand on Alptraum's shoulder… and the bat does seem to feel calmer for it.

"Okay, okay, you can stay. Just … no laughing!" Alptraum insists. "And come on, I'll go pray to Gorphat until he's ready. Maybe I won't feel so bad during all of this."

"I guess I should give back the cloak then," Phlagaea notes, now that Snow has shed the bandages. "Don't want to spook the guard, after all!" The cloak is transferred, and it turns out Phlagaea is wearing very unflattering underwear, which stretches to her knees and exposes her belly, which is a bit more noticeable now. "I'll prepare the shrine!"

"Just focus on how this will help you be a better man later," Snow suggests.

As Phlagaea goes to prepare the shrine, Alptraum looks to Snow. "Did I make a mistake doing this?" she asks the human. "I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to being a woman. Its more complicated than I thought it would be."

"Oh, it will get much more complicated," Snow promises with a smile, as she puts her cloak back on. "But when you are a man again, your life will feel so much easier."

"How will it get more complicated?" Alptraum asks, once more looking horrified.

"You'll have to learn how to look pretty all the time," Snow claims. "I can't help you with that though. Is this Lilith person well dressed, and… on top of things?"

"Lilith? She's a spy. So … yes. Even when she was held prisoner she had piles of clothes with her," Alptraum babbles. "And why do I have to look pretty all the time? I'm not looking to attract anyone!"

"As I understand it, women do not look pretty to attract men, necessarily," Snow points out. "Because men do not grasp all of the nuances. It is more like… like… expressing your status?" Having grown up isolated from other people and raised by a temple has left Snow less than an expert, apparently.

"Hmmm," Alptraum considers as she rubs her neck gently, marvelling how much thinner it is now. "And ah … should I sleep with a man at least once while like this? Would it help me be better when I change back?" she asks, her expression clearly terrified at the prospect.

"It's about feeling pretty!" Phlagaea says as she returns, wearing a green robe of a High Priestess of Gorphat. "Self-esteem! I mean, I always made sure I had the best fake gems for my bandages."

"Sleeping with a man is hardly a requirement," Snow says. "You should not worry about it, or dwell on it. You have a mission, after all."

"Oh, good. Whew," Alptraum says, looking relieved. Now she looks to Phlagaea. "Feeling pretty?" Alptraum asks, "Like … looking in the mirror and being happy with how I look? And oh, is it ready? Where is the shrine?"

"Especially in Babel! There are all sorts of horrible diseases you can catch," Phlagaea says as she leads the way back to her own rooms. "I should know, I cultivated some of them."

Alptraum follows along and shakes her head. "You were an idiot to do this. You should have just turned into an elf or something," she thinks.

The rooms of Phlagaea are not so cluttered as one might expect. Now that she can get sick, the Yodhgorphat seems meticulous in keeping things clean and not having vials of germs or other noxious creations laying about. A small shrine has been set up on a table as well, using an statue of Gorphat the Angel of Healing as its center, and otherwise being made out of… junk.

Alptraum approaches the shrine and eyes it, ears flicking. Carefully, she kneels down before it as she asks, "Is there a particular ritual? Words? Or … do I just pray silently for what I want, or don't want?"

Phlagaea lights some green candles. "I will teach you the woman's prayer," she says, and then begins to recite in Babelite, "Oh Gorphat, Blessed Sister, May Your Blessings Fall Upon Me… oh, you should repeat all of this too… "

""Oh Gorphat, Blessed Sister, May Your Blessings Fall Upon Me… " Alptraum begins, in Babelite, repeating Phlagaea's prayer…

"Through Your Glory, The Pain Will Make Me Stronger. The Blood Will Not Foul, And My Vomit Shall Be As A Kiss From Your Lips," Phlagaea goes on.

Alptraum is wincing, yet continues reciting the prayer with Phhlagaea, "Through Your Glory, The Pain Will Make Me Stronger. The Blood Will Not Foul, And My Vomit Shall Be As A Kiss From Your Lips."

"Through Your Grace, The Cramps Will Not Strike Me From My Flight To Dash Upon The Ground, But Spur Me To Flap Harder! The Eruptions Of My Bowels Shall Not Burst Me, But Rain Upon My Enemies… " Phlagaea intones solemnly, a beatific smile upon her face.

"This is not an inspiring prayer. It makes it sound worse," Alptraum thinks. And yet, he keeps reciting since he started this and it might be an affront to just stop in the middle. "Through Your Grace, The Cramps Will Not Strike Me From My Flight To Dash Upon The Ground, But Spur Me To Flap Harder! The Eruptions Of My Bowels Shall Not Burst Me, But Rain Upon My Enemies… " she says.

"It Is Through This Sacrament Of Blood And Pain And Sometimes Runny Effluence That I Prove My Devotion To You, Oh Gorphat, And Not Take The Easy Way Out Of Inala, The White Whore, Save To Spread My Fruit Upon The World As A Plague In Your Name," the once-green bat concludes, looking… happy.

Alptraum grimices, yet still finishes the prayer, "It Is Through This Sacrament Of Blood And Pain And Sometimes Runny Effluence That I Prove My Devotion To You, Oh Gorphat, And Not Take The Easy Way Out Of Inala, The White Whore, Save To Spread My Fruit Upon The World As A Plague In Your Name."

"That nearly made my ears bleed," Snow comments after the high-pitched exchange. "And your expressions did not match."

"Babelite," Alptraum explains, "And no, don't ask me to translate it. You don't want to know."

Phlagaea hugs Alptraum to her bosom! "Thank you for trusting in Gorphat, otherwise it could have been… " The priestess is cut of then by a knocking on the entry door down the hall.

"Truly horrible?" Alptraum asks and her ears flick to the door. "That is probably Dar. Excuse me, I'll go let him in," Alptraum says as she hugs Phlagaea, then actually kisses her briefly on the lips. As she walks away from the formerly green bat, she thinks, "Yes, it's still like kissing my sister… "

Snow follows at a discrete distance… which means she pretty much watches from the door of the bedroom while Alptraum opens the suite door. "I am off duty now if you still need to make use of me," Dar says, still standing at attention. The brown guard who replaced him looks… scared?

"You are welcome to enter. And tell me, why is your replacement worried?" Alptraum asks as he reaches out and takes Dar's hand to guide him into the room, then close the door behind him. She guides him over to one of the chairs in the 'common' room of the royal suite and motions to it, "Please, sit."

"You are the consort of the Countess," Dar says, and sits on a padded chair. "A supernatural demon she conjured up to serve her, we have… speculated."

Alptraum's brow arches a bit. "Speculated that I am a demon? Interesting," she says as she settles down into the chair next to the guard, neither confirming nor denying the theory. She holds out her right hand, fingers spread. "Please interlace your fingers with mine," she instructs.

The man hesitates, but bravely clasps hands with Alptraum's shadow-altered right one. "I live to serve the Countess," Dar says.

"Do not fear, I will not devour you. I only eat that which freely offers itself to me," Alptraum says with ominous undercurrents in her tone. "Now, please, relax. Do not fight and everything will be quick and painless," she promises as oily goo begins to ooze from her right hand and arm and slither up Dar's hand, encasing it. "I wish he didn't smell so good," she things, feeling a bit awkward while she actually tries to play up the part of being a demon. The encasing in shadow is slow, any time the guard shows concern, she pauses to allow him to recover his wits.

The man is bravely stoic, right up until he freezes as the shadow covers him completely. There is… another little thrill, it seems, that Alptraum hasn't really felt before – or rather, he has, but only under more extreme circumstances; a thrill of power over someone else, but more specifically over an attractive male.

"Ooo," Alptraum finds herself thinking, "Such a strong, brave, guard. So completely under my control. I could do anything to him. Is this how Melusine feels when she holds me… ? This feels good… " She then twitches and forces away that particular feeling as her shadow oozes into the guard, tasting him completely from the inside out; the shadowy touch lingering inside him for longer than it probably needs to…

The usual sense of pleasure from kenning a person kicks in as well… and with all of the other things going on in Alptraum's body, it causes a bit of arousal as well – but not the tail. It just remains limp. Maybe… maybe Snow broke it?

The arousal tingle within Alptraum … causes the woman to shiver slightly … and the shadow lingers even longer. It actually takes a force of will to fight both the growing arousal within herself and the desires of the shadow, to draw the shadow slowly back into herself and leave the guard unchanged. With then last bit of the oily goo retreats from his fingers back into hers, she says, "There. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Uh… " Dar says, his ears almost as red as his eyes. He seems to be suffering a similar reaction… until the tension just drains out of him. Motion out of the corner of her eye lets Alptraum know that Snow was responsible, and has retreated into the bedroom now.

"So, now that you're off duty," Alptraum says as she draws her hand back and rests it in her lap. "Are you willing to provide me with a bit of your blood as a meal?" she asks with a small tilt of her head. "I promise to be gentle," she adds, then reaches over to trace her fingertips along the top of his knee, "Just like I was when I kenned you."

"Well… gentler than that I hope," Dar says, forcing a chuckle, and holds out a muscular arm.

Alptraum lifts her hand up and cups it lightly under Dar's arm. she carefully lifts it to her muzzle as she leans in. There she licks gently over the spot she intends to bite to help numb as well as sterilize it. Then, in a mimic of the delicate style of biting Rosalind has done to him many times, she closes her jaws around his forearm, sinking her fangs in.

His blood tastes… different. Maybe it's the testosterone! But it's filling, and he's got a lot of it… and just maybe, he's flexing his muscles a little, too. Trying to impress Alptraum, maybe?

Alptraum suckles there, just enough to sate the sensation of hunger, then eases her jaws from his forearm. Her right hand then closes over the wound so that Alptraum can flow a little energy back into it to cause the punctures to close and begin to heal. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asks.

"No, it was a gentle as when my little girl does it," Dar admits.

"Good for her," Alptraum says with a laugh and rises. "Thank you Dar. You have been doubly helpful tonight. You may leave when you wish."

The man steps up, showing no ill effects from the blood donation. "You may send for me if you need to feed again, and I am off duty," he says, and then bows at the waist and kisses Alptraum's right hand - right on the orb!

Alptraum's brow goes up at that. "I will keep that in mind," she says noncommittally. Her lips quirk slightly as she adds, "And do please try not to scare your friend outside too much. Or too little. I have a reputation to maintain, after all."

"It is good to be mysterious," Dar notes, as he slips back out the door.

Once the door is closed, Alptraum looks towards the bedrooms. "You can laugh now," she tells them.

"I think you did very well," Phlagaea says. "But you forgot to ask if he was available!"

"I'm not looking for a date," Alptraum reminds Phlagaea.

"You seemed comfortable," Snow points out. "Even if you feel a bit… fizzy… right now."

"You could have found out for me though!" Phlagaea sniffs. "Don't you even think about my needs?"

"Well, I treated it like … acting," Alptraum claims, "Though parts of me are all … excited again. Except for the tail. You seem to have broken it." To Phlagaea she says, "I can ask him before I leave if you like?"

"Well, do you need to be 'relaxed' now?" Snow asks the bat.

"It isn't that bad," Alptraum says as she rolls her shoulders, "Plus I have an aid Mave gave me to relax with if it gets bad. I won't have you around on the trip, so I need to learn to deal with these feelings. I also don't like the idea of you being aroused because of me and not being able to help you … cool it down."

"Oh, I was going to just zap your tail to make it take care of you," Snow says with a grin. "But if you want to handle it yourself, that's fine. Are you going to see Lilith now, or do you need a cool bath?"

"Wait, my tail can do that?" Alptraum asks, eyes wide.

"Anyway," Phlagaea says, sitting next to Alptraum. "Seriously, find out if Dar is available and likes pregnant girls."

"I want to try that later," Alptraum notes quickly to Snow, then nods to Phlagaea. She even leans over and hugs her. "I'll do that. I don't like you feeling lonely and I'm sorry I won't be around," she tells the formerly green bat.

"Don't make me have to go outside and… socialize," Phlagaea notes with a shiver. "I just don't feel as outgoing like this, for some reason. Maybe because I'm not green anymore… "

"It does make you less intimidating," Alptraum admits as she strokes Phlagaea's hair and neck. "But you are no less pretty. I promised I would take care of you and I keep my promises," she reminds the Eeee. "I'll ask Dar if he is single and if he would like to meet you."

Phlagaea perks back up and leans on Alptraum's shoulder. "You are such a sweetie! And… you'll bring me some donuts from town too, right? I like the kind with the goo in them. Now the red goo, but the white goo. And cinnamon. I think it's cinnamon. It's brown dust. On the top. I only need a few. Sixteen or so."

"Don't forget the pickled carrots," Snow comments.

"Yes! Pickled carrots! And other pickled things! Is there pickled fruit? Pears? I want to try pickled pears."

Alptraum actually giggles. "Okay, okay, I'll get all that for you," she says and shakes her head, amused. "What about you, Snow, do you want anything?"

"I… wouldn't know what to ask for," the girl admits.

"You're very hard to treat," Alptraum tells Snow, but smiles anyway. "So, why don't I go see Lilith, then when I get back if I'm feeling too, ah, wanting … I'll have you help relax me?" she offers Snow. "You now have me curious."

"There is a massage technique Mave was showing me," Snow notes.

"And here I wanted to try the tail," Alptraum says and sticks out her tongue. Female or not, the silly, weirdness, of Alptraum is still quite there. She rises to her feet and stretches, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a spy to see about how to be … pretty."