Starcrossed.exe (MeTheMe & GeneticMess)

[GeneticMess]

Berry was still getting familiar with the concept of clothes with her maid outfit, so she didn't think seeing Martha without clothes was the biggest issue. Allie just... didn't seem to understand that at all, but obeyed as Martha pulled her off again.

"The address of the place should be on the flier. And... I'm sorry to say that the minimap functionality of your UI is... underdeveloped. You can turn it on, but its a bit buggy." Avery finally turned back around as Martha "redressed". He briefly eyed the area of interest, before realizing he was basically staring at her chest and stopped. "I guess we have half of our mission done. We just need to return it... without the owner thinking you stole it. Taking it off would help, but going around nude is... not the strangest thing around here, but not the proudest."

[MeTheMe]

"Arg. Alright, I guess I could go naked. I don't see a huge problem with just being a little honest with them as well, I mean, I did get it from a looter, and I am returning it. I mean if we start from Firemaw stripping me and trying to get his damn rocks off... that could engender some good will. If you think a little lying is what we need though... I suppose I could try." She had the address, and didn't bother with the UI if it was trash, just asking around on the street for the location. "If I had a good minimap I'd just be staring at it, instead of the beautiful world anyways. Could be better this way."

She rubbed her chin on their way. "I suppose I could go all the way up to Firemaw again and see if he'd be kind enough to make me a scaly maid outfit. Gotta say, they're quite cute. Probably fire proof too." She shrugged. "But if nudity isn't a huge problem, I guess I'm alright stripping for the better good of the group... let's just wait on that little show until we get a little closer to the manor... at least it's not cold out."

[GeneticMess]

"Stripping for the better good"... Avery never thought he'd hear that, even in the sex and fetish heavy world he used to run. He lagged slightly behind the group but not by far as they traveled across town. Again, it really did feel like the New York suburbs, despite its location on a natural plateau. But as they walked, something swooped down right in front of Martha... but it didn't take long to tell who it was.

"Martha! Glad to have finally caught up with you!" The purple Drachick gave her a firm hug, unintentionally pulling Berry and Allie into the hug too. The weird looking Nobunny against her chest caught her eye, before she noticed the two newcomers behind Martha as well. "Who are these guys? They aren't trouble, are they?"

"Definitely not." Avery was quick to interject. "I-I'm Avery. Long story, but Martha and I are... sort of long time friends?" He looked to Martha as he was struggling, not sure what to say and garnering a confused look from Steamhorn.

[MeTheMe]

Arg... these streets were actually pretty well set up, but the distance was a pain, and she had to keep asking for directions to make sure she was going to the right place. "I mean, yeah, you do what you have to. Now you've got it in my head they're gonna wanna watch me take it off before I give the gold, don't give me bad ideas like that." She chuckled, looking back at Avery. The small distraction let something by her, and she jumped as she turned to see...

"Steamhorn!" She shouted as she grabbed and hugged the Drachick back! Man, they had quite the little army now! She held the hug for a while, before finally letting go and getting a little look at her. "I'm glad you came! Super glad your dad's back too! With the family back together I'm a little surprised you came to adventure with us some more!" She laughed, smiling at her.

"Long term? That's kind of a stretch, but Avery's cool, he knows quite a bit about the world around us and can be relied on, mostly. Rabbit Chaser is... dangerous, but he's not bad either. He's all bark, but the bite is still probably more dangerous." She giggled a little, looking back at them. "This is Steamhorn! She helped me defeat Firemaw and put him back together!"

Chaser smiled. "Yes, nice to meet a Drachick of Firemaw's... I hear each of his children taste different based on their names."

[GeneticMess]

"I've fixed some rough patches with Dad. Its not perfect, but... better." Steamhorn was happy to say. The road to recovery was a long one, but Martha had certainly helped with that. "I'm not going to bail on you, though. You came through for me, I didn't forget that."

Avery seemed fine enough, but she had to hold back a snarl upon seeing a Wolfite among their ranks. "You can kiss this ass, that's the closest you'll ever get to tasting it, though." She sneered at the wolf, bending down and breathing a smell puff of thick steam into the canine's face. She clearly had some kind of agenda against these things. "Oh, and uh, here. Dad said he felt like the reward he gave you wasn't proper compensation, so..." Out of seemingly nowhere, Steamhorn produced a bag of coins. 2000 gold, in fact. This would certainly help with Martha's current money troubles.

[MeTheMe]

Rabbit Chaser huffed a little after the spout of steam hit his face, trying to get the moisture from the blast out of his nose. He shook his head a little, and once better he looked up and gave a wide, toothy smile to Steamhorn. "Ahaha, of course." He didn't seem bothered by anything, perhaps even a little cocky. It wasn't hard to remember he was a born and bred predator, it was almost an air about him.

"Oh, sweet! Thank you Steamhorn! And if you go back anytime thank Firemaw for me! Or I will sometime, but that's a hell of a walk just for a thank you." She shrugged, smiling, as slipped the gold into her inventory. "That actually solves a big problem we were having before. I maaay have gotten this armor from a looter after Firemaw tore my previous armor apart, and I kind of want to return it. Partly because it's the right thing to do, and partly the cash reward for doing so!" She shrugged a little. "C'mon, we're headed to the merchant district then to get me some spare clothes so I won't have to be naked turning this thing in." She tapped on her armor.

[GeneticMess]

Steamhorn wasn't at all intimidated, confident she could at least handle a Wolfite if need be. The cocky smiles they were sharing definitely gave Berry a bad feeling...

There were a good few stores to choose from to get some clothes... including their intended destination, so Martha would have to take care to not be seen walking around stores with "borrowed" armor.

[MeTheMe]

If the Wolfite was being honest, he wasn't actually sure he could take Steamhorn, but a good hunter didn't back down. They got the market district, where they would need to be more careful and Martha tried to slip into the first store that looked like it sold armor or clothes she could find as quickly as possible. "Heya! I'm in need of some new clothes... this is literally the only thing I own right now and I need something to swap out with it. And some undergarments. Maybe a new weapon." She wanted something light, for now, some regular clothes would do, and she could worry about getting a new set of leather armor later. Hopefully the outside of the armor was generic looking enough that she wasn't going to attract too much attention, but it was hard to say.

[GeneticMess]

The clerk was happy to help Martha, pulling her aside to help her find and try out some clothes. The choice of wear was surprisingly vast and felt very modern, giving Martha lots of choices. The group sat around idly while Martha shopped, all of them but Avery having no need for clothes. Avery himself started reconsidering that blue flier's proposal... he reached to pocket a small handful of gold from the back Steamhorn brought, before said Drachick glared his way.

"What do you think you're doing?"

As soon as Martha returned to the group, she'd see Avery's hands grab at air before Steamhorn swallowed, sealing him inside her gut. As she slid onto her butt and sat down, Allie climbed onto the belly and curled up like a dog taking a nap as the belly groaned and struggled. Berry wasn't sure what to make of this, and actually found herself sitting by her natural predator rather than the others.

[MeTheMe]

While there may have been plenty of more modern styles, Martha couldn't help but feel more at ease in the game with some proper medieval wear. She replaced the leather armor with another set, and got some more common clothes as well, a light, frilly top and some comfy, loose pants, both white with a brown belt between them. She inventoried the leather armor for now, and looked herself over. "Sweet! Thanks!"

She finally headed back outside to see the last of Avery disappear behind the teeth of Steamhorn. She face palmed, and chuckled. "Oh, c'mon, I told you he was alright! What are you gobbling up Avery for-"

She hadn't finished berating Steamhorn when Rabbit Chaser took his turn to misbehave. "Mmm... bad call, my sweet Nobunny, I haven't eaten since before that tussle in the forest." He gave Berry a little lick on the back, before closing his whole mouth over the poor Nobunny, and in an quick, easy motion, swallowing her down. "Ah, oh, sorry, you were saying, Martha?" He grinned devilishly at her.

"... seriously, both of you? I cannot believe this. I expect this kind of thing from an unhinged predator, but what did Avery do to you?" She motioned to Steamhorn, before motioning everyone to follow her as she headed towards the place to return the heirloom armor.

[GeneticMess]

Berry had let her guard down, since Rabbit Chaser was a part of the group, and could only manage a soft screech before she was pinned and swallowed whole. Predictably, the Nobunny squealed and squirmed in the belly of her natural predator.

"He was trying to steal some of your gold, that's what." Steamhorn was peeved at Avery over that alone, her neutral opinion of him going sour after a misinterpretation. Avery was trying to explain himself (and for once, actually didn't seem to be happy in a belly), but his voice was muffled by muscle, skin, and scales. The Drachick gave a hearty "Brrrrap!" and smacked her belly around, confident she'd just dished out justice.

Allie blinked, and looked around confused. "Ms. Martha, are we supposed to have people in our bellies too?"

[MeTheMe]

She looked to Allie. "Now is not a great time to put people in your belly, no." She pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking it. "I suppose no real harm done, those two will respawn soon enough, but I did tell Avery earlier he could use some gold for a proposal from some other flier. C'mon, man, he's an alright dude, you could have asked him without snapping him up!" She turned to point at Rabbit Chaser. "And we're a little busy for your antics!"

"Mmm... we always seem a little busy for me... as you call them, antics. I believe you offered yourself as a meal if I helped before with the Nobunny Alpha..."

Martha remembered that. "Yeah, but we are in the middle of a quest, so maybe a rain check on that? Don't terrorize Berry, either, she's a party member too." They got to the store, where Martha waited near the front to talk to the misbehaving party and wait for half of them to respawn.

"She's also naturally delicious and filling for a powerful predator, so..." Chaser shrugged, smirking.

[GeneticMess]

Steamhorn's confident smirk shrunk to a neutral, embarrassed expression as she heard Martha's disdain, and her body language gave her signs of stress. "... Sorry. Gimmie a second." She sighed, before upchucking Avery onto the store floor. He was covered in moisture from the steam and saliva around him, but he just looked glad to be out and said nothing further. Steamhorn might snap him up again, he thought.

Berry didn't have the same luck, and the group would hang outside while they waited for her to digest. It took about 8 minutes for her struggles to vanish, and then Berry respawned and scampered up Martha's shoulder, huddling up defensively. She very much did NOT like being eaten against her will.

"... Hey, um." Avery eventually said. "Can I borrow some gold? I just want to check out that other quest, see where it leads." His fingers pressed against each other idly. Despite his awkwardness, it was true. He wanted to see where things would go if he visited this mystery lady... besides sex, of course.

[MeTheMe]

Martha chuckled. “Sure man, and if you’re headed that way it might be best to split up and let everybody cool off a little. Tempers and hungers seem to be running kinda high.” She removed 100 gold from her inventory and handed it over to him. “Take Allie and Chaser with you, partially for protection as well. You two look out for him! Allie, do whatever he tells you, okay?” She smiled at the bunny, as she held Berry close, before putting her on her shoulder.

Chaser moved over to Avery, chuckling a little. “You cannot escape my jaw forever, Martha. I’m fairly satisfied for now, though. I’ll go with Avery to see his prostitute and ensure he breeds.” He smirks a little, ready to follow Avery.

“... don’t make this weird, Chaser. Right, Steamhorn, Berry you’re with me, let’s go return this armor!” She gave Allie and Avery a little hug before heading off.

[GeneticMess]

Allie hesitated, but she was trusting enough of Avery to split up with him for now. He asked to be put in her womb before, that had to mean something. "Mr. Avery, do you wanna go in time out again?" She offered, remembering he liked that.

"No, I'm good." He chuckled, letting the Nobunny climb onto his shoulders. She was a little heavy... or maybe he wasn't used to carrying anything like her. Avery pocketed the gold, going to thank Martha before she gave him a parting hug. He expected a wave or a handshake, but... He wasn't complaining. Avery looked at his two current companions before going to the address he saw on the flier.

[MeTheMe]

"... man leaving Rabbit Chaser with anyone seems like a rough prospect. They'll be fine... right? Yeah. Fine." She muttered to herself as she waltzed into the store she'd borrowed the armor from. She remained a little worried about the other group, but if Allie would do anything Avery said, they should be fine. She wasn't a giant anymore, but she might still be able to put up a fight if things got rough. Chaser could certainly help, but it was clear he only would if he wanted to. She started to look around the store for someone in charge, flier in hand. "Hello? I'm here about the flier about the armor?"

Chaser followed behind Avery, sniffing the air and murring a little. "Mmm, you know, I'll put you both in time out if you want, you won't even have to walk to your prostitute's den. You'd get a little ride even." He chuckled a little, but behaved himself for now. "She certainly has an Alpha's air, doesn't she? Were she stronger she would make a good leader."

[GeneticMess]

The store itself felt like a mom-and-pop-store, and had a rustic, foreign feel to it. A woman near the middle of the store spotted the flier, and some hurried footsteps could be heard tapping on the wood floor as she came to Martha's aid. She was reminiscent of the will-o-wisp Martha first met in Starcrossed, but much more humanoid. A woman made entirely of fire, her form not entirely solid and somewhat gaseous. She wore a vest with some puffy sleeves, a bow tie, jeans, and black shoes, all of them hand-crafted and fireproofed.

"The flier, right..." She near mumbled, her voice like the gentle crackle of a bonfire. "Was there something you wanted inquire about the request? I'd be really grateful if you found it, but don't push yourself or anything... and please don't sue me if you do push yourself..." Berry was, as always, on Martha's shoulders, while Steamhorn curiously looked at some of the armor and trinkets in the shop.

"... We're not that far, we can just walk." Was the only response Avery gave. Not a "no", but not a "yes" either. Allie was similarly indifferent to the idea, but mostly because of how oblivious she was to the subtext of what Chaser was saying. "Who does? Martha? She... is a very good leader, honestly. She's assembled quite the ragtag team, and she is certainly brave and righteous." Avery remembered Martha turning her first three allies into friends from foes, and their company made up for her lack of power. It was with them she was able to save Firemaw, and they would only get stronger from there.

Avery came to a gentle halt as he spotted a familiar address on a building. This was it, he leered around any allies that might be near the buildings, in case this "lady of the night" was waiting there.

[MeTheMe]

The store owner was a fire woman. Weird, but not the weirdest thing so far. There were probably plenty of odd races and species all over this fantasy land, after all, but the being of pure fire caught her off guard a little. She got a little scared of her, and what she might do if she got upset with Martha, but she had Steamhorn and Berry here, and she preferred to do what she thought was the right thing anyways.

"Well, yes, I came here about that, but there's no real need to push myself..." She uninventoried the armor and placed it on the counter. "Sooo... back when Firemaw and his kiddos attacked, no, don't worry about Steamhorn, things are better now. Anyways, back then, I was attacked by Firemaw himself, and my armor got shredded when he attempted to... yeah. He had to leave, but I was left naked in the city center. So, I needed to borrow a set of armor from a store, and I just happened upon this set. I am sorry, and had every intention of returning it, so if you don't want to pay me I'd understand, but you should at least have it back." She smiled a little at the woman.

"True... she builds a pack around herself, but the Leader, the Alpha, is that because he is the fastest and strongest... or simply because he is the father of the pack but that is another point. Still... perhaps she will be great someday." He thought on that as they walked, pawing along side Avery up to the door of this woman.

The door opened for him as he stood around looking. She'd grown used to people gawking or looking awkward in the street before them came up, and figured it smarter to just offer them in. She was like an ice sculpture, tall, smooth, and crystalline. She wore a light robe that still left little to the imagination, and where she showed skin, she was translucent, adding a blue tint to the world behind you could almost make out. The air around her became a steamy mist, giving her certain alluring look. "You look lost, dearie, can I help you?" She smiled, she had a feeling she knew why he was there, why did people stand around feeling weird about this? It was just so natural.

[GeneticMess]

The fire woman gasped as she recognized the armor. She hugged it tightly, a smile tugging at the corner of her face as she was reunited with the family treasure. "T-thank you, I never thought I'd see it again!" Was she crying? It seemed she'd forgotten entirely that Martha said she took it in the first place, and looked up at her with a sweet smile. "I can finally go see her again..." She muttered, before setting the armor aside.

The sound of gold coins jittering hit the counter as the promised reward was placed before her, the fire woman forcing it into the group's possession. "If there's anything I can help you with, please ask." She insisted.

As he heard the door open, Avery quickly came to the porch of the house. His eyes widened as he saw the ice woman, a bit in awe as he was seeing one in person now. His cheeks were getting to red and warm that Allie found their heat comfortable, and nuzzled against him. He waved awkwardly as she spoke, and produced the gold he had.

"I, um, saw your ad." He danced around the topic but made it clear. Allie and Chaser might have to stay outside... and Allie wasn't easy prey, despite her appearance and naivety.

[MeTheMe]

"Aww..." Martha smiled as the fire woman was reunited with her armor, smiling brightly at how happy she was! And she paid Martha anyways, which was nice! She took the gold and inventoried it, took a small note of how much gold she had now, and turned back to the woman. "Hmm... no, I think I'm good on most things, but forgive my curiosity, who can you go back now that you have your armor back? Oh, sorry, where are my manners, I'm Martha by the way, I forgot to mention that when I waltzed in like I did." She held out a hand for a handshake, but second thought that, not fast enough to pull her hand back though.

The ice woman smiled at him, shaking her head. "You can say it, you're here for sex, right? No one's going to look funny at you, dear." She took his gold, rather quickly, in fact, and looked at his friends. "Umm... come in, but if your friends are joining in they will cost extra. I'll give you a little discount on them, but they have to pay too! Say... 10 gold a head for them, an extra 20 maybe?" Weird company he had, a Wolfite and a creepy looking Nobunny, but gold was gold if they wanted to fuck. "If your friends are just here for... I don't know what, they can wait in the living room."

"Oh man, do we get to get in on this breeding orgy?" Rabbit Chaser gave Avery a sly smile. The ice woman was waving the three in, her living room was a simple thing, a couch and table, with very few furnishings, as if she had just moved there. She seemed to live sparse, or perhaps didn't like to decorate much.