The "Pharoh's Phone" (MeTheMe&GeneticMess))

[GeneticMess]

"Magic is still very much present, its just been hidden away into the nooks and crannies of our world." Mard explained, stretching his body as the sphinx circled him. "You say you were sealed away some 4,000 years ago, correct? You're still adjusting to our ever-changing world... Although I befell a similar fate long ago."

Mard blew a puff of smog into the air... even as a manticore, he still had that damn cigarette. It seemed to be spewing his own toxins. "I saw you came here with a couple... friends. Are they creatures like you?"

[MeTheMe]

"So it seems. Yes, sealed away to help protect some bauble a pharoh had stowed away, treated like an object myself. The curse he set upon me binds me to something, and I am compelled to protect it. Avery is that thing at the moment. It's not happy that I do not know where he is." She shook her head. "No, they are not, Avery and Bailey are normal mortals, and Cheryl is a proper mortal too, she is a mage though. I owe a lot to them for helping me in this... trying time of understand the current time."

She looked over at him. "And of you? Where are you from? How did you come to work with so many mages on this project Mordecai has apparently been working on for so, so long?"

[GeneticMess]

Mard saw a boy, Avery, he presumed, not too far away, talking to Johan. Might be best for this curse of her's to not know the details.

"I used to be quite the feared predator, roaming the wilds of the Persian Empire. I've been informed that's not what its called any longer, although I'm not geographically wise, and I can't quite remember many different places. But I gorged off of wild life, the occasional horse, and the hunters whom were stupid enough to try and kill me. Smaller settlements were where I would get revenge on hunters whom had attacked and escaped my grasp. Their wives made fine company in my stomach, although I always returned them unharmed." The manticore realized he was getting off topic and continued.

"A witch doctor by the name of Asandra had outdone me one day, and I was stuck under her spell for centuries, blindly following her command like some lowlife." His voice filled with toxicity and disgust, but soon deflated. "But I eventually got my revenge. She reincarnates through the years, like Mordecai, and her most recent form... reminded me somewhat of your Avery. She had made the mistake of trying to backstab Mordecai for his assistance with a powerful spell, but he caught on quick and released me from her reigns. I am now forever in his debt, and I hold the soul of the witch inside of me. I revive her now and then, to have some fun at her expense."

[MeTheMe]

Pyruna listened with intent, he was an old soul as well, interesting. She kind of wondered if she would have done as well for herself had she not been sealed away, or whether surviving the ages would have been too much for her. Hard to say. "You've had... quite the life. I cannot say I have ever found any need for revenge myself, doing my duty to get paid has always been enough... well, it was before the curse. One gets paid very well to watch over valuables if you are good at it!" She chuckled a little, perhaps she had someone to talk to more about what she really needed to know now, Avery was good, but Mard had seen the changes, and might better know the basics of what she needed to know.

"I can see hopping on the chance to get that witch though, the... keeping her soul to revive and toy with not really who I am, but I am also not one to judge." She shrugged, now that she had circled him she sat down, and got a bit more comfortable. "Mordecai seems to know what he doing, though, I hope he does." She nods. "I have to admit... it is nice to see someone from a similar age as mine. A kindred spirit, perhaps, who knows the difficulty of getting used to a new era."

[GeneticMess]

"Fair enough. Your mind might change if you were kept under her control for centuries, but thats neither here nor there." Mard stretched again, and then started getting comfortable as well. "Although I do agree, with as much of an 'artifact' I am, it's comforting to meet someone from the past whom is not simply taking a new form every several centuries. Although you have been cooped up in some tomb for a long time. If you have any questions, I would happily answer them."

Mard's tail scraped along the floor with no real rhyme or reason. "I'm feeling a bit peckish right now. Mordecai wanted us to eat you guys as an introduction, but you don't strike me as the type who prefers to be in a belly rather than having one, correct? I'm the same way, so... hm." The manticore scratched his goatee with a gentle claw. "Maybe you'd like to meet Asandra? She is a wicked one, but its not like she can do much to either of us, and she does make a nice snack."

((Do you want to control Asandra? I was going to make her a bit of an expy/foil of Avery, with some... much more loosey goosey consideration for other's well being. If not, I'll take her, just throwing it out there.))

[MeTheMe]

"Yes, it might, it might... being sealed probably changed a few of my opinions, I don't know." She shrugged. "Yes, I may have some question for you later, I cannot think of any I absolutely need to ask right now, but I shall be sure to ask anything that I can think of." She did stop to consider any questions, but... she seemed to be good for now.

"You want to bring the witch doctor out for me to meet, and then eat, apparently..." She put a paw to her chin. "I can always eat, I never mind more food, although I am unsure of meeting someone who spends their time trapped as she is. It... does things to you." She shivered a little, before giving him a smirk. "However, if you think it could be fun, I shall accept, yes, bring Asandra out for me to meet and we shall see about this witch doctor..."

((I can take her, if you want, not totally sure how I'll play her, but I can.))

[GeneticMess]

((I didn't have much planned, so however you'd like to play her is fine with me.))

"Very well. But again, I warn you, she is most wicked. Despicable even." It was clear Mard's opinion of the witch was very, very low after the way she'd treated him. A smirk returned to his face. "But as a soul bound to my will, it is not like she can do much harm. Either way, I suppose I should just let her meet you already."

A strange energy pulsated from his tail. An ethereal energy came from it, and this witch was being brought onto her most recent physical form. But ethereal energy seemed to keep her bound to Mard, not physically, but somewhat mentally.

[MeTheMe]

"AHAHAHA!" A cackle erupted from the ethereal energy as the witch rose from her death and stood before them. She was very tan, as Mard had been before his transformation, and had something of a Baltic accent, Russian, Prussian, hard to say, and even harder for Pyruna to say since she knew very little of either of those areas. "MARD! Come to release me finally after all these years?" She held out a hand at him... but nothing came of it. No spell, no fire, nothing Mard didn't want. She swore. "Bah, you will one day."

Pyruna backed away a little, the woman was... strange, scary even, even if she was bound and unable to do anything without Mard's influence. She had an air about her, something told her Asandra wouldn't think twice about cooking both of them if she had the chance.

[GeneticMess]

The Manticore just shot an aside glance at Pyruna, as if to say "told you so", before turning back to Asandra. "Stand down, you old hag." There was toxicity, but also a bit of playfulness in his voice. "I've summoned you for a snack this time. But not for me, for this women over here." He brought Pyruna's presence to the witch's attention. "A sphinx, sealed away for 4,000 years in those crumbling catacombs. Her name is Pyruna."

"Pyruna, how do you enjoy your prey? Lively kickers, or obedient snacks? Either way, I can make sure Asandra follows your preferences." Mard shoots a cocky smirk the witch's way, always seeming to enjoy having fun at her expense.

[MeTheMe]

"Well! A sphinx! I see you wanted to show her your beautiful sadistic side! Always a good first trick!" She gave her a wicked smile, either the witch was strong enough to keep her will after all these years, or perhaps she'd gone crazy trapped within the manticore and her sadistic nature had taken over. More so than it had before. "I'm Asandra, Pyruna! Oh, are you sure you want a snack? Mard loves to show his vicious nature when he-" She began making a tearing motion with her hands.

Pyruna held up a paw. "No, I do not need to hear it. I would prefer someone to go down easily, but struggle within." Pyruna was still concerned by Asandra, but Mard was in control, so she wasn't that bothered.

[GeneticMess]

"You heard her, don't keep her waiting." Mard's tail jabbed and pushed Asandra closer to Pyruna, a maneuver that, with its roughness, would probably kill a normal poison with the amount of toxin that would be injected from piercing the skin, but as Asandra was practically immortal and rather tough skinned in her eternal state, it didn't do much to her. "Hurry up, now. Before I get hungrier and eat you, instead." Mard prodded again. However, this prod was now at her butt, a taunt to perhaps rile her up. But the witch had grown rather tough skinned over the years... or maybe she had gone mad after all. Either way, no matter what he did anymore, she rarely seemed bothered, and he didn't have the heart to do anything incredibly cruel, even to her. A bit unsatisfying, but maybe this interaction with Pyruna could prove otherwise.

[MeTheMe]

Toxin flowed freely into her blood stream, she was hard to kill, but that didn't mean the tail had no effect! She stumbled forward a little, smiling into Pyruna's face. "Don't drop the soap around Mard, dear. Seriously. Vicious! AHAHAHA!" She cackled again, and put her hands forward, allowing Pyruna to do as she was supposed to do, eat the witch. Whether she was telling the truth, or just fucking with another of Mard's friends it was hard to say. "Don't worry about being too careful with your sharp little teeth there, Mard isn't!"

Pyruna nodded. "I shall be sure to take your nonsense into consideration, Asandra." She opened her mouth, and put it over Asandra's hands, arms, and head all in one motion! She was careful about her teeth none the less, and worked her way down the witch quickly, partly she was hungry, and partly to try and shut up the creepy witch spewing horrible things about Mard at her. In no time the witch's feet disappeared into her maw, and the witch's cackling could be heard from within the sphinx.

[GeneticMess]

"... Eager to get her quiet, I see." Mard was quick to notice how fast Pyruna swallowed the witch, and didn't blame her. "I assure you that, despite the burning hatred I have for that women, I cannot bring myself to do terrible acts against her. I may tease her now and then, but I've never raped her, or chewed her into mush. But listen to me, defending myself from the ramblings of a lunatic..." His eyes went down to her belly, Asandra's maddening cackles still easy to hear.

"... She's been getting worse. Her hysterical outbreaks happen more frequently, she's made the strangest and most nonsensical threats to my fellow performers... I'm considering investing some time in learning some mental restoration spells for her sake." A paw gently reached under to rub Pyruna's belly. "Start squirming, witch. You know what Pyruna desired." He commanded, firm but softly.

[MeTheMe]

"Yes, eager to see her stop babbling. I am not convinced she has a broken mind, but convincing your friends you are a monster... well, a more metaphorical monster, seems to make her happy, but she may have gone mad. Were I conscious during my sealing, I may have myself..." She shook her head, as she laid out on her side, allowing Mard to rub her stomach should he want.

Asandra did struggle, kicking and cackling, laughing and writhing, she moved and squirmed, and Pyruna blushed a little, that felt so good, the struggles were always so nice. She purred as the slight bulge the single prey made in her shifted, and writhed, bulging out at odd angles as Asandra struggled. "Do not worry, I believe you, few would have the heart to do the things she says you do."

[GeneticMess]

After some thought, Mard transformed back into a cloud of toxins, and then back into his human form, and knelt besides Pyruna, rubbing her belly a lot better with two normal hands than one big paw. "Just relax, try not to let her worry you. My cohorts are no doubt still familiarizing their self with your friends. You have plenty of time to enjoy your meal." He insisted. "I would join Asandra, to assist in the euphoria of a full belly which I've known well before, but she is a deranged witch. But she is ultimately harmless. So, if you are still hungry, I would be content with feeding you as well... this will be the first, and probably last time I offer myself to be eaten by another." Mard chuckled, continuing his belly rubs the whole time.

[MeTheMe]

"Mmm..." She continued to purr as he transformed and used his human hands to rub and massage her bulged and struggling belly. "Oh, that is nice, that's real good right there..." She smiled brightly, and let him do his work. "No, if you are uncomfortable being prey, as you have never done it before, it is fine, I would not wish to force such a thing upon you, however, if you want to stay directly where you are and keep doing that, yes, that spot, right there. Oh, mmm... Yeah, you can keep doing that if you want, it's very nice... I usually like to gorge, but one is fine, for now." She just stayed laid out, letting this momentary bliss wash over her as she enjoyed her meal and her massage.

[GeneticMess]

His massaging got a bit more intense as Pyruna was really getting into it, and Mard wasn't one to let someone down when they were getting a good belly rub! He always hated it when Asandra got distracted and went off on one of her tangents when she rubbed his belly. "As you wish." He chuckled, feeling comfy just where he was.

Meanwhile, Mordecai just sat in the crowd seats, glancing down on the full bellies from afar. Soon. Soon this would be what the whole world would know of. But for now, he let them have their fun, and took a bite out of his fish burger. It wasn't another person squirming in his belly, but sometimes the taste of something was far better than the feeling they left in your belly.

[MeTheMe]

Pyruna just laid on her side and enjoyed the massage, Mard was talented, it seemed, with his hands. Which was impressive since they weren't the same hands as his true form. She was maybe enjoying herself a little too much, and closed her eyes and... snoring. She'd fallen asleep. Mard, or someone else was going to have to wake her up now, before the big event actually began.

((Shall we put everyone back together then?))

[GeneticMess]

((Sure, I'll try and segway into that.))

With a snap, everyone was teleported back into the seats of the big top... at least, everyone one who wasn't in a belly. Ace, Judy, the Owlbear, and Pyruna were brought to seats with their bulging bellies, and Mard and Johan were the only ones seated who didn't have anybody in them. Mordecai chuckled as he noticed this development.

"Ah ha ha, I see everyone's gotten to know each other better, much better!" He laughed, his mouth still a bit full with food. "Well, I'm still eating as well... I'll let you digest your meals properly before I bother you any further."

[MeTheMe]

Pyruna didn't even wake for the teleportation! She slept peacefully and digested her little meal in short order, every now and then shifting in her sleep as she enjoyed her nap. Dreams of peacefully eating and letting Avery sleep within her drifted through her head...

Ace saw Mordecai, and was flying his way when- SNAP! Teleported right there! She flopped onto the ground since she was still in a flying position. "Ouch... little more careful next time, boss!" When she hit the ground her stomach sloshed and shifted, and was shrinking slowly. "Yeah, I think she's about done, time to spit in death's face again!"

Johan nodded, and napped his fingers as the owlbear's digestion started to really kick in, churning the passed out Avery up in very little time! Once the owlbear's stomach was down, it vanished, and Johan took a bow. "Yes! Ve need them back to get zee zhow ztarted!" He laughed heartily, smiling at Mordecai.