Nillyna had spent the majority of the day rummaging through her belongings in search of something that she can enchant with a spell that would allow Lily to separate from her plant body and walk around independently on legs that will be formed from her waist stem. Even though she could cast these spells on practically anything, not just any old trinket would do, at least not with producing the best results possible. Nillyna wanted Lily to be able to change at will without complications, mainly regarding the item in question running out of power and ending the transformation abruptly, and there were quite a few requirements that had to be met if such was to be avoided. Most likely finding a proper vessel to house the enchantments was going to be an extremely difficult task.
 
 
It would have to semi-function as a talisman, at least in part, so as to provide the spells with the necessary fuel to function, at least long term. All spells require a steady supply of magic when operating and Nillyna would have to constantly provide the magic herself if she didn't formulate an independent power supply otherwise, and, with how often she used magic for herself, that was not an ideal solution.
 
 
This ruled out lesser materials like wood, stone, iron, copper, steel and the like.
 
 
These materials were never used in the creation of talisman's, due to their low quality and overall abundance. More valuable alloys like gold, silver, platinum, and other precious metals were the primary material for crafting talismans, due to their quality and energy conduction. It was one of the reasons why talisman's were so elegant and flashy.
 
 
A gemstone would also be ideal.
 
 
They act as a storage compartment for the energy, while the metals conduct and channel it. That was why most talisman's were inlaid with jewels, as well as being composed of precious metals. The two factors worked in conjunction with each other, forming the basics of the tool magic users utilize when cut off from the real source of magic, the sun.
 
 
And Nillyna needed to find an object that met these requirements, and, as said before, not just anything would do. And it was even more complicated than just finding an expensive piece of jewelry, as one would imagine should be the simplest solution. Due to her wealth Nillyna had no shortage of genuine decorative pieces, but anything in her collection she had ruffled through so far fell ultimately short. Not in quality, she never settled for cheap jewelry, but in mass.
 
 
Size was a variable in how much magic an object could store, being bigger meant more internal capacity. Something like rings, necklaces, and the like were nowhere near large enough to house enough magic to maintain the spells Nillyna intended to use; the largest one she had found so far would last three hours at the most. She needed something that would house enough energy to last between times the sun was out and when it was not.
 
 
Nillyna could easily make it to where the enchantments could draw power directly from the sun's arcane rays, but if Lily was going to be able to transform at night, or even in the shadows, and stay transformed until the sun was available again a piece of jewelry larger than average was necessary. Maybe a large medallion, or even a whole jeweled gauntlet.
 
 
Given recent events one would think that even that wouldn't be large enough, given that, even with its bulk, Nillyna had depleted the stores in her talisman cane more than once, but the object Nillyna was going to craft for Lily wasn't going to function like a traditional talisman. Her cane's magic stores could be accessed for any purpose, whereas, when this enchanted object was completed, its magic stores would only be available to the spells that would change Lily, inaccessible for anything else, except maybe the ability to independently replenish itself when in the sun. That way Nillyna would never have to worry about recharging it herself.
 
 
But first Nillyna had to find something to start with.
 
 
 And, unfortunately, Nillyna was unaware if she had anything like that on hand or not. It was, regrettably so, that her house was actually currently overflowing with precious trinkets. During the first few years of her amassing success Nillyna had found herself soon going through a faze being addicted to shopping for expensive jewelry.
 
 
And, because her wealth had amassed practically overnight back then, Nillyna could buy whatever she wanted willy nilly with reckless abandon.
 
 
Even though Nillyna had abandoned this habit in favor of seeking her desire for eternal youth, it still resulted in the fact that she owned practically dozens of several literal trunks worth of jewelry, so many that she had forgotten what all she owned long ago, unaware if she even had anything large enough to meet her needs. Though, given what she had seen so far, it was doubtful.
 
 
After all, other than her talisman cane, Nillyna wasn't particularly fond of far-reaching jewelry.
 
 
It meant that if didn't find anything at her house she would most likely have to go out and get something. But she hadn't wanted to resort to that. Not because such a bulky piece would be really expensive, Nillyna's budget could practically handle anything, it was the fact that Nillyna was hoping to give Lily her pick of what should be used. Lily would have to wear it, after all, and Nillyna wanted it to be something she would like, so was prompted to look through her belongings in hopes of finding multiple choices to pick from.
 
 
If it came down to going out and getting something new Nillyna was going to have no choice but to purchase multiple items in different fashios. She would still rather give Lily the option to choose something for herself, something she would like, rather than just buy the first thing she found that could be usable. Lily was her own person, with her own tastes, so she should get to choose what she would wear to transform into a mobile state.
 
 
And Lily couldn't exactly go shopping with her, that was kinda the whole point of all this.
 
 
 But all that was a last resort for the worst case scenario, Nillyna still had plenty of trunks of jewelry to search through before that, and it wasn't all pointless, even if she hadn't found what she was looking for yet. And, actually, rummaging through all this stuff was most nostalgic on a personal note, several of these beautiful items Nillyna hadn't seen in years.
 
 
She was actually enjoying stumbling across some of these old trinkets.
 
 
And, as Nillyna reached the bottom of the trunk she was currently rummaging through she came across something that made her thoughts shift completely from her current goal at the moment briefly.
 
 
"So, this is where it got to," said Nillyna offhandedly to herself, lifting a slightly oval shaped object from the bottom of the trunk, grasping it by a slightly long handle. "It's been years since I saw this, I didn't think I'd ever find it again."
 
 
It was a simple hand mirror. Nillyna smiled as she looked at her reflection in the spoty surface, more nostalgia seeping through her. As she said she hadn't seen this mirror in several years.
 
 
At first glance there didn't appear to be anything significant about it, plainly shaped, without even any patterns carved into the frame, said frame being a dull, metallic color. The only thing that was eye-catching was the semi large red stone fitted at the base of the handle.
 
 
"Hmm? I wonder if it still works?" Contemplated Nillyna, deciding to take a break from her rummaging to fiddle with this little blast from the past.
 
 
Carrying the mirror to her bedroom, Nillyna cleaned it up in the conjoining washroom then sat on the bed, tilting the mirror in her hands as she examined it. What made the unassuming mirror significant to her, despite its plain appearance, was that she had made it herself, crafting it from average steel, the handle set with a single ruby. She remembered the circumstances vividly and with pride, for this mirror could do things others could not.
 
 
Smiling, Nillyna looked up to the elegant standing mirror she had often admired herself in. Lifting the hand mirror, she pointed the reflective surface towards its larger brethren. From the back of the little mirror Nillyna saw a brief flash of light.
 
 
"Ah, it does still work," said Nillyna happily, looking at her reflection in the mirror again.
 
 
Though now, rather than seeing a close up of her own face, as would be expected with the position of the mirror, Nillyna saw herself sitting on the bed, looking into the very mirror she held in her hands. Looking up, Nillyna saw the same reflection in the standing mirror, her reflected counterpart also looking up from the smaller hand mirror. Looking back down to see herself looking into the hand mirror again Nillyna lifted her upper left hand and put it to the glass. Rather than meet the smooth surface her hand sunk into her reflection, the glass rippled like the surface of a pond. Looking up, Nillyna saw her elegant white hand now protruding from the surface of the standing mirror.
 
 
She giggled to herself, waving her hand as if to wave hello to herself.
 
 
This mirror had been part of one of the first major projects she had ever undertaken. Several years ago a rich client had commissioned a younger Nillyna to craft for him mirror's that would act as gateways, forming a path between each other. Her client had apparently wanted an untraceable and undiscoverable method that accessed an undisclosed location through them, probably a place where he could store his valuables discreetly.
 
 
And who would suspect you could walk through a mirror and stumble upon a rich man's hidden stash?
 
 
It had been a most persistent challenge, but, in the end, Nillyna had been successful. This little mirror was actually the first step in that endeavor, the prototype, as it were. Whereas the finished product was two gigantic mirrors one could easily walk through, continually connected to only each other, this little mirror had the ability to form a passage with whatever reflective surface it was last pointed at and shared a reflection with.
 
 
After the project had ended Nillyna had actually found the mirror amusing for a while.
 
 
She had lost interest in it eventually, as one would any toy, for that is basically what it was at this point, but stumbling upon it had been a welcoming occurrence for Nillyna. Especially considering it was a good alever for her frustration at being unable to find suitable objects for Lily to choose from so far.
 
 
"Hey, I think Lily might like this, actually," said Nillyna as she thought of her girlfriend, a joyful smile forming on her lips.
 
 
—
 
 
Lily watched as storm clouds slowly wafted over Nillyna's estate with bated breath. It was one of her favorite things to do, to watch lightning streak across the sky. She looked forward to every storm she ever got to see.
 
 
 'Maybe Nillyna will watch this one with me?' She contemplated to herself.
 
 
Speaking of her Lepidopteran love, she suddenly appeared before her in a flash of teleportation.
 
 
"Lily," she greeted happily, wrapping her arms around the plant-girl's neck.
 
 
"Hi Nillyna," responded Lily, equally happy, returning the hug. Ever since she finally admitted she loved Nillyna just as much as the Lepidopteran girl loves her it had been a great burden off her shoulders, to no longer need to throw up a fake mask of indifference. It all seemed like such a waste of effort now.
 
 
Why did she even need to mask her feelings to begin with? It felt so right, the burning passion that existed between them.
 
 
"I found something that I think you might like," said Nillyna, showing Lily the hand mirror.
 
 
"Oh," said Lily in amusement, taking the mirror and gazing at the surface. "It's been a while since I've seen one of these."
 
 
"Oh, you've seen mirror's before?" Asked Nillyna, though out of courtesy, rather than actual curiosity.
 
 
"Would occasionally come across them from some…uh…past visitor's," explained Nillyna almost bashfully, and Nillyna did not need to think too much to know she was most likely referring to her past victims. "Though, aren't I supposed to be seeing myself in it?"
 
 
It was true, rather than seeing her reflection, like she expected, Lily was looking at the reflection of a bed, as it was still magically connected to the mirror in Nillyna's room.
 
 
"Normally," said Nillyna, gently taking the mirror back. "But this mirror isn't exactly normal."
 
 
She pointed the mirror to the nearby lake, and Lily noticed the surface of the mirror flash for a second. Nillyna handed the mirror back to Lily, who took it and looked within it. Now she saw an upward view of the night sky, rimmed by a few trees pointing skyward.
 
 
"Ooh, that's cool," said Lily appreciatively.
 
 
"And that's not all," said Nillyna, taking Lily's other hand and gently guiding it to the surface of the mirror.
 
 
The plant-girl felt her hand sink right through the surface, her single visible eye widened in shock and amazement. She drew her hand back, it now dripping with water. Lifting the mirror up, Lily actually pushed her face through the enchanted surface.
 
 
Nillyna blinked in surprise.
 
 
She hadn't expected her girlfriend to be so bold.
 
 
Lily's face resurfaced on the actual surface of the lake, rimmed by the rippling water. Beneath her the water was crystal clear, no sign of anything beneath the surface she may be attached to. It would be quite the sight, to see a disembodied face floating on the surface of the lake.
 
 
But none of that mattered to Lily at the moment.
 
 
She was transfixed at the tranquil sight above, while, at the same time, enjoying the feeling of not having to crane her neck to look directly up at the night sky for once. Not only was this little trinket Nillyna had shown her amusing, it was also efficient.
 
 
Rumble!
 
 
Especially when you thought about the current circumstances.
 
 
"Hey, Nillyna?" Asked Lily, pulling her head out of the mirror to look at her. "Can I use this to watch the coming storm?"
 
 
'Oh, that's right,' Thought Nillyna to herself, also noticing that storm as it approached. 'She likes to watch lightning.'
 
 
"Of course," replied Nillyna, glad that her girlfriend had not only found her enchanted mirror amusing but also useful. "I just thought you might find it entertaining, so you can hold on to it for the time being."
 
 
"Would you…?"Lily started nervously, "Would you like to watch with me?"
 
 
Nillyna was slightly taken aback by the request, but humbly accepted; it could only serve as another welcoming distraction from her situation of being unable to find the right object to enchant. "Sure, I'd love to. Just let me go get my talisman."
 
 
She looked up, noticing that the forefront of the cloud's was almost close enough to block out the sun. Once the world was draped in shadow she would be hard pressed to use magic without her cane. Nillyna was, by no means, scared of something like a lightning storm, but they were usually followed by something she really didn't like to be caught in, which, if she was to watch the storm with Lily, she would like her talisman for protection.
 
 
"Do you really need it for this?" Asked Lily.
 
 
"Yeah, if I don't want to get wet from the rain," commented Nillyna, noticing the curtain of rain following in the clouds' wake.
 
 
Lily looked very confused at Nillyna's statement, as if the notion was foreign to her, "But… rainwater feels so good when it trickles down your body. Why would you want protection from it?"
 
 
"No offense, Lily, but that's only your case," said Nillyna, charging up from the waning sunlight in preparation to teleport, "You are a plant, after all. I have no doubt that rainwater feels wonderful on your leaves. Me? I find the concept of getting wet in the rain anything to look forward to."
 
 
Lily didn't argue as Nillyna teleported away. It was her prerogative if she wanted to remain dry in the rain, though Lily couldn't comprehend why anyone would find such a soothing sensation anything but divine. She herself found it most relaxing and soothing to have torrents of rain wash over you. But what really matters is that Nillyna was going to join her in observing the storm.
 
 
Even if she was going to have protection from the anticipated rain.
 
 
Speaking of the storm…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
The first arc of lightning streaked across the sky, branching out in an elegant fork that expanded overhead just as the clouds finished encompassing the sky. Lily's single visible eye widened in wonder as the extravagant show above began, lightning lighting up the sky in brilliant flashes, each one accompanied by a powerful clap of thunder. She always enjoyed observing the extreme power of these cloudy forces of nature.
 
 
It wasn't long until the first few droplets of rain pittered across the clearing, which gradually elevated to a steady torrent that shrouded Nillyna's estate in a thick curtain of continuous rain, soaking Lily in a millisecond. And she Lily was ecstatic, enjoying every second of every feature of the storm, to the elegant, powerful lightning, to the soothing rain soaking her, the flower on her head opening up even wider, as if to catch the rain on its pedals. Few things in life gave her greater pleasure, save maybe a certain moth-girl.
 
 
And speaking of her lover…
 
 
Lily held up the interesting little mirror Nillyna had lent her, intent on making full use of its unique features during this beautiful storm. Placing her face through the enchanted surface, Lily found herself staring directly up at the rain filled sky as her face emerged from the now pockmarked lake's surface. The rhythmic pitter patter of the rain pelting the lake's surface around her was a most soothing melody, luling Lily into a blissfully state of mind as the euphoric sounds and sensations washed over her.
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
The lightning still raging above was only a beneficater in Lily's opinion, each streak beautiful, even if it was more exciting than tranquil.
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Lily suddenly paused, there was a certain closeness to that bout of lightning and thunder that Lily was unused to when it comes to these powers from above, as well as a curtain rumbling through the ground around her roots she hadn't felt before. She retracted her face out of the enchanted mirror and looked around frantically. There was a certain charge in the air, as well as the distinct scent of ozone.
 
 
Kreek!
 
 
Lily turned in the direction of the sudden noise, just in time to see one of the trees at the edge of her clearing topple over and fall to the ground with a loud crash. Its trunk was smoking and burnt. It didn't take long for Lily to deduce what happened.
 
 
Lightning had struck, remarkably close to her.
 
 
'Oh, that was a close one!' She thought to herself. She may enjoy observing lightning but that didn't mean she was keen on getting struck by it.
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Lily let out a terrified scream as her clearing was suddenly engulfed in a blinding flash of light briefly, dropping the enchanted mirror and covering her face to shield her eyes. Once the light faded Lily looked up in time to see another tree topple over, same as the last one, its trunk smoldering to. What was going on, why was lightning striking around here so often?
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
 
 
Lightning struck again, this time impacting the grass covered ground of the clearing a good yard from the treeline. Lily's eyes bulged in fear. If she was judging the trajectory of the strikes right, the lighting was striking closer and closer to her each time.
 
 
 Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Another section of the clearing was left with a small, smoldering spot as lightning struck again, this time even closer to Lily's rooted in place body.
 
 
—
 
 
Nillyna was in her home retrieving her talisman cane, the elegant platinum rod held aloft in her hands. The storm had completely blocked out the sun, so now her cane was the only magic source she could draw on, if she was going to stay dry in the rain at least. Though, normally, she wouldn't be caught dead out in such dismal weather.
 
 
But Lily had wanted her to join her in watching the lightning, and if it was for her girlfriend Nillyna would gladly do anything. And, truth be told, the thought was quite appealing. Nillyna did find that lightning had a unique beauty all of its own, and she couldn't remember the last time a storm had brewed over her estate and she wasn't too busy to appreciate it.
 
 
Crack!
 
 
And it would appear that the show had started.
 
 
Nillyna was about to project a barrier that would keep the rain off her when a more unique idea came to her. Smiling, Nillyna altered the appearance of her cane, the red orb elongating and folding out. It now resembled an umbrella
 
 
It may not be as efficient as a barrier, but it had an almost 'romantic' appeal.
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Nillyna suddenly jolted as she felt a discernible vibration reverberating through the foundation of her house, looking around frantically in search of the cause.
 
 
Crash!
 
 
This next loud noise, obviously from something large hitting the ground hard, originated from outside. Nillyna sprinted out to the nearest balcony, gripping the guardrail just in time to witness a great tendril of lightning streak down from above and strike one of the trees in the distance. There was a crashing noise identical to the first, meaning that at least two trees had been struck so far.
 
 
Nillyna's mind was racing, this shouldn't be possible, not with…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Again, lightning struck, but wasn't followed by the sound of a tree falling this time, meaning it most likely just struck bare ground. But Nillyna got a good look at where the lightning was striking, and it made her eyes widen with terror and concern. There was a certain clearing in that direction.
 
 
"LILY!" She called in alarm and concern, lifting her talisman and teleporting in a flash just as bright as the lightning.
 
 
—
 
 
She reappeared before Lily casting up the strongest bubble shaped barrier she could, the cane morphing from an umbrella back to its usual shape. Not a second later another bolt of lightning struck, impacting the shield directly above Nillyna and Lily's heads, sending violent ripples throughout the magic protection. Nillyna cringed at the impact, the force having jarred her through her magic.
 
 
"NILLYNA'?!" Lily called in terror and concern…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
…just as another bolt of lightning impacted Nillyna's barrier.
 
 
"Lily…" said Nillyna through a strained expression, the impacts of the lightning depleting her magic with every strike. "Are you okay?"
 
 
"I…I'm not hurt," she replied…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
…before yet another bolt of lightning hit Nillyna's barrier, her strained expression intensifying.
 
 
"But I doubt either of us is okay at the moment." Lily looked up, anticipating what was to come. "What's going on? Does this usually happen when you have a storm over your home?"
 
 
"Of course not! In fact, this shouldn't be happening," said Nillyna…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
…a vein popping in her forehead as another bolt of lightning hit her shield. "My estate has ward's that are meant to protect against lightning strikes."
 
 
 
 
"What?" Lily inquired with shock, "Then why…?"
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Another bolt of lightning, Nillyna's stance slightly buckling as she held up her talisman cane in defiance to the storm.
 
 
"Then why is this happening?" Finished Lily.
 
 
Nillyna had been contemplating that herself, on top of keeping the lightning at bay. What was bizarre was that the lightning was not only bypassing the ward's meant to keep it out, but striking towards only them, as if it was attracted to them specifically. Or maybe…something near them?
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
In the light of the latest lightning striking Nillyna saw the little hand mirror illuminated on the ground, lying at their, or at least at Nillyna's, feet. Her sharp, analytical mind was immediately putting together the pieces. This didn't start happening until she had lent Lily that little enchanted mirror.
 
 
Was it drawing the lightning? How?
 
 
That was never one of its functions, but it had been the prototype, and every prototype had flaws. She had made some miscalculations when she crafted it, even she admitted that. She had weedled out a lot of them between that little mirror and the final design of the mirror gates her client had requested, and one of them must be inadvertently drawing the lightning. And if that was the case it was also possible that, in all the years since she made it and all the storms that had happened since then as well, with no lightning striking, being in storage must have insulated it from being able to draw lightning, and now that it was out in the open, among this storm…
 
 
"LILY!" She called out.
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
Another bolt of lightning hampered her shield and, to both her and Lily's detriment, a crack split down the arcane protection. It wouldn't hold out for much longer.
 
 
"LILY!" She began again, fighting to keep her tone steady enough to understand, "LILY, IT'S THE MIRROR! THE MIRROR IS ATTRACTING THE LIGHTNING!"
 
 
Understanding formed on Lily's terrified face, reaching down and picking up the small cosmetic item.
 
 
"GET…" Nillyna began to say…
 
 
Flash!
 
 
Crack!
 
 
Kapow!
 
 
…before another bolt of lightning struck the shield, another crack formed.
 
 
"LILY, GET RID OF IT!" She finally said.
 
 
Lily had a brief flash of regret of having to dispose of such an amusing little object, but if she didn't do as Nillyna suggested one of those bolts of lightning was going to hit them eventually. She cocked her arm back and, with all her might, chucked the little hand mirror as hard as she could. Nillyna adjusted her shield to allow it to pass through, while, at the same time, still keeping out the lightning.
 
 
It twirled through the air, spinning in the direction of the lake, where it vanished into its rippling depths with a small splash. Then, with a mighty, incomprehensible peal of thunder, the largest bolt of lightning yet struck the lake, lighting up the whole area. Only this time it wasn't over in an instant.
 
 
Nillyna and Lily watch from under relative safety of the shield as a steady stream of electricity falls from the sky, feeding into the lake, illuminating the entire body of water.
 
 
"Nillyna…?" Gasped Lily, still recovering from recently almost being struck by lightning. "... what's happening?"
 
 
Nillyna looked up, watching as the clouds of the storm seemed to suddenly start spiraling and shifted around the single bolt of lightning flowing into the lake.
 
 
"I…I think…" she mumbled, still slightly dumbstruck herself. "I think the mirror is sucking all the energy out of the storm."
 
 
Lily didn't think anything else could take her off guard at this point but hearing that explanation from Nillyna snatched away whatever grit she may have been able to recover while no longer continually being at risk of being struck by lightning. That mirror was sucking in all the power of this storm? Thunderstorms carried tremendous power.
 
 
And…what would happen if the mirror took in it all?
 
 
Lily joined Nillyna in looking skyward, just in time to see the very edges of the storm front being pulled into view from over the horizon, Aquasa's green sky coming into view as the clouds were pulled away. Then the last visage of the clouds swirled into the single string of twitching electricity, before it vanished into the depths of the lake and no doubt into the very mirror that had just absorbed an entire thunderstorm. All was still…
 
 
…the sky shown above, unobscured by the storm that had existed prior…
 
 
…The blue sun shined, as it always had…
 
 
Then, with a sound akin to breaking glass, only much louder, the lake exploded in a flash of light brighter than any lightning. A massive shockwave blew passed Nillyna and Lily, the compromised shield finally shattering. Nillyna threw herself bodily over Lily, holding her humanoid torso close, Lily wrapping her arms around her in turn, trembling.
 
 
It only lasted for a second, then the light dissipated, along with the unnatural gale. Looking up from each other, Lily and Nillyna saw that, other than the points where the lightning had struck previously, nothing about Lily's clearing seemed to be different. No sign at all of the peril the two girls had just gone through was noticeable, even the lake remained in tacked, its tranquil water stilling in just a few minutes after being jostled by that massive release of energy.
 
 
They exchanged a flabbergasted look.
 
 
Nillyna should be more careful with what she lets Lily play with from now on.
 
 
—
 
 
 As said before, the universe is an endless expanse of unlimited possibility, housing all forms of life throughout countless multiple worlds. Aquasa was, by no means, the only planet where diverse life could be found. Others existed just as much, unique, differing from each other, the same as random grains of sand differ in appearance.
 
 
One planet several light-years away from Aquasa also housed life, though the societies and cultures here couldn't be more different. While not entirely bereft of magic, the people of this world seemed to adopt a more technological standpoint, developing gadgets, vehicles, and many other things that the people of Aquasa could not even begin to understand in a million years. But one thing it did have in common with the magical world which orbits a blue sun was, not only intelligent life, but an abundance of higher life forms of every shape and form, not restricted to the typical bipedal form to maintain sentience.
 
 
One unique species was known as snerrets, named so because of their snake and ferret-like traits (a common misconception was that they were some sort of hybrid, when in truth they were more closely related to mustalids yet evolved down a wildly different path). They were a wildly dimorphous species, with males walking on two legs and the larger females slithering on large serpentine tails. Their fur and manes come in bright, often complementary colors, though their belly-scales are typically duller pastels or shades of grey.
 
 
One such individual belonging to this species was named Grayscale.
 
 
He was a standard male snerret, his fur being a rich spinach-green color, with belly scales of light gray, hence his name. His mane was a vibrant orange, his eyes being of a similar color. His one unique feature though was that his tail didn't taper to a point or end in a tuft of fur like most snerrets, but instead ended in a scaly rattle like that of a rattlesnake, colored orange just like his hair.
 
 
And it was currently rattling up a storm, responding to Grayscale's aggravation.
 
 
"Rrrgh! Dammit, not this asshole again!”
 
 
Grayscale was currently engaged in one of his favorite hobbies, playing Team Fortress 2. He sat on the coach in the living room of his small studio apartment, an adapted wireless Xbox 360 controller in hand, his furry digits hammering the buttons and triggers with the skill of a champ gamer. He was currently engaged in an intense bout of King of the Hill, the team he belongs to having just secured the Control Point and had taken it over.
 
 
"We have captured the Control Point!" the Administrator announced, her chiding tone reverberating out of the widescreen TV hooked up to the PC.
 
 
It had been a relatively simple task to secure the Control Point only a few minutes into the game, his team swiftly building defenses and teleporters to gain the upper hand. The only caveat was one particular member of the opposing team, one who had been a thorn in Gray’s side for the last week or so: a Sniper by the handle of “Headshot69er!”. Grayscale had joined this server a while back, enjoying everything it had to offer: lots of maps to choose from, a large and active userbase of skilled players, and no annoying or obtrusive mods that randomized weapon loadouts or replaced sound effects models with outdated memes. Overall it was good, classic TF2 fun… until Headshit69er! came on the scene.
 
 
Headshot69er was infamous on this server for his sniping prowess, racking up headshots and points by the dozen in every match he played, gaining at least four or five Dominations and holding onto them to the very end- he even managed to score a considerable amount of kills with the Sniper’s SMG (nobody ever uses that!). Normally this would make him a respected member of the server… if it wasn’t for the fact he was a cheater.
 
 
At least that’s what most everyone assumed, Grayscale included- more than once Grayscale would get shot down only to see Headshot69er! on the opposite side of the map, multiple walls making it impossible for him to have even seen Gray, let alone shoot him. When Grayscale went against him as a Spy or even a Sniper himself he found him to be suspiciously resistant to both headshots and backstabs (though Gray had only been able to hit him with one of each in total; every other time he was killed before he got near him). Other players noted this too from time to time. Even on the rare occasions that Gray and Headshot69er! played on the same team, he found that he never spoke or gave any acknowledgement to his teammates, nor would he accept healing from medics- he didn’t even reciprocate High-Fives or Rock Paper Scissors taunts.
 
 
But in spite of his suspicious abilities, standoffish attitude, and numerous complaints, Headshot69er! remained on the server. The mods were silent on this issue, either because there wasn’t enough evidence or they simply didn’t care. Some players (usually the ones on the same team as Headshot69er!) actually defended him, calling opposers “butthurt” along with the usual crude insults. Grayscale, regardless of what team he played, despised Headshot69er! and vowed someday to take him down just once.
 
 
And today, he was feeling lucky.
 
 
His player, TacoN00dle, usually played Pyro on a map like this, using his flamethrower to ward off enemy explosives and Spies, but today he was playing Medic. Grayscale was a Medic main and quite skilled at it, often reaching the top three in matches as he used his Medi-Gun to heal his teammates and make them temporarily invincible with the Ubercharge. He played Medic partly because it was one of the most vital roles in the game, but also because, most of the time, hardly anyone else would. It was annoying, but understandable- though he had weapons of his own, the Medic was hardly equipped for direct combat like a Soldier or Demoman.
 
 
But Gray didn’t care. Weaving this way and that to avoid enemy fire, Grayscale fired his Medi-Gun beam at his teammates, healing and over-healing one after the other to ensure their survival. Two Soldiers and a Heavy danced around the central control point, firing bullets and rockets at the opposing BLU team. Gray kept himself behind cover as he charged his Uber, only stopping briefly to whip out his bonesaw and strike down a Spy who had foolishly disguised as Grayscale’s Medic, getting a healing Sandvich from his Heavy comrade as a reward.
 
 
It wasn’t until that same Heavy’s head blew off in a cartoonish spray of blood that Gray’s demeanor shifted. “Fuckin’ Headshot69er! again…” he growled, gripping his controller tightly as he ducked behind cover again. He assessed the situation: He had a full Ubercharge, his teammates on RED were covering the point from almost every angle, and half the BLU team was still awaiting respawn. This was his chance. Pulling out his crossbow, Grayscale zipped out from behind the wall and ran into enemy territory, on a personal mission to take out Headshot69er!, game victory be damned.
 
 
He didn't even notice as the door opened and someone entered the apartment.
 
 
"I'm hooooome!" Announced a soft feminine voice.
 
 
"Oh! Hey Sonata, have fun at the mall?" said Grayscale in casual greeting, not looking up from the screen.
 
 
Sonata was a typical female snerret. Unlike Grayscale who walked on two legs, she instead moved around on an impressive length of fur-covered snake tail, like a lamia. Her coat was hot pink, while her underbelly scales were a soft sky blue, and her mane was a vibrant shade of violet, falling over one of her eyes. Her uncovered eye revealed her irises to be a similar color to her hair.
 
 
Unlike Grayscale, who was clad in only his birthday suit (snerret genitals being internal making bottomwear optional), Sonata wore a lime green t-shirt with the black pixellated grimace of a Minecraft Creeper on the front, stretched out by her generous bust.
 
 
She was the actual tenant of this apartment, with Grayscale as her roommate, but that wasn't the extent of their relationship. They had been friends since college and were they any closer they would be joined at the hip. They both had similar interests, both loved gaming, movies, and pop culture, and, if the mood caught them just right, bed buddies occasionally.
 
 
Not that that was all that serious, it was more of a friends-with-benefits kind of a deal.
 
 
"It was amazing," said Sonata, answering Grayscale's earlier question. "They had the new Samsung Galaxy S22!"
 
 
"Really? Did you get it?" Grayscale asked, trying his best to seem both engaged in conversation while also sneaking around the enemy base.
 
 
"You even have to ask?" Sonata said, brandishing the aforementioned device, already festooned with a bright red casing. "As if I would pass up on the latest smartphone."
 
 
"Ha, so typical of you, Sonata," commented Grayscale, still focused on the current happenings on the screen. "Always gotta go for the latest…NO NO, SHIT! Whew… that was close.”
 
 
Sonata took her eyes off her new phone at the sudden change in Grayscale's tone and looked at the television screen, noticing that TacoN00dle was now standing over the body of a Scout, his own health bar dangerously low but slowly recovering as per the Medic’s special ability. Seems he narrowly survived a chance encounter.
 
 
"You’re going battle-medic?" She commented, raising an eyebrow. “You hardly ever take that kind of risk… what’s the occasion?”
 
 
“What do you think? It’s that Headshit69er guy.” Grayscale hissed, ducking behind cover in-game to let his health regenerate. “He’s right above me, and I’m gonna try and taunt-kill that asshole.” In-game, he pulled out his Uber-saw, a nasty-looking blade that could instantly kill someone by taunting next to them. A difficult move to pull off with its short range and long windup, but the reward far outweighed the risk.
 
 
“That guy again?” Sonata mused. “I thought you said he was a hacker… you sure you can take him out as a Medic?”
 
 
“Well…” Gray muttered, his focus narrowing towards the screen. “...he certainly won’t expect it.”
 
 
Sonata looked down at her determined roomie with concern, which then turned to a knowing smile. She fiddled with her new phone, opening the camera and switching it to front-facing mode. She looked at her own face projected on the screen, giving herself a wink before placing the phone on a nearby table. She propped it against a vase, adjusting it to where a perfect image of Grayscale at his game was displayed. Smiling in satisfaction, Sonata nodded in confirmation at the set up and made to slowly slither up Grayscale from behind.
 
 
While everyone likes buying a new cell phone, Sonata actually needed the latest model for her occupation. She was a professional livestreamer and cosplay model, making her living streaming video games and posing online in her homemade costumes. She had quite the fan base, her followers easily numbering in the millions.
 
 
Grayscale was her collaborator, having his own skills he could contribute.
 
 
Mostly he functioned as her cameraman, but he was especially skilled in video editing, making him the perfect candidate for editing her videos before they were posted. But he had one other role in Sonata's streams. Gameplays and costumes weren't the only thing she featured online.
 
 
Gray didn’t even seem to notice what Sonata was up to- he was too busy steadily sneaking around the ramparts of the enemy base where Headshot69er stood, firing round after round at Gray’s teammates. Grayscale’s teeth and paws clenched tight as he dashed towards his target. The Sniper didn’t even turn around! Finally, revenge!
 
 
With a push of a button, Tacon00dle the Medic reared his Uber-saw back and thrusted it forward… Only for Headshot69er to suddenly vanish, leaving him stabbing open air.
 
 
In the chat feed at the bottom of the screen read “Headshot68er! left the game (VAC Banned from secure server).”
 
 
“WHAT?” Gray yelled indignantly, throwing his head back in frustration. After all this time, Headshot69er! finally got banned, and Gray’s chance at revenge was gone in an instant; “NNYAAGH! I was THIS CLOSE!” His eyes were squeezed shut at first, but as soon as he opened them back up, Grayscale found himself staring into the violet eyes of Sonata, who was looking down at him with a very wide, very hungry grin. A grin he was all too familiar with.
 
 
Whatever Grayscale was about to say next, it was immediately muffled by Sonata lunging forward and engulfing his head, her jaw unhinging and stretching around his skull. This was Grayscale's secondary role in Sonata's stream channel, as her prey of choice. Aside from gaming and cosplay, Sonata had a live vore stream where she would devour prey whole and alive on camera, both volunteering fans and unsuspecting folks she’d lure to her apartment as “dinner guests”.
 
 
Snerret's have powerful consumption abilities, easily able to swallow things equal in mass to themselves, like the current case with Grayscale, swallowing him effortlessly, (though similar in width, Sonata was almost twice the height of Grayscale, her tail stretching farther still).
 
 
"Sonata, come on!" He protested, gripping Sonata's head by the cheeks and pressing up on them in a futile attempt to pry her off. "I am NOT in the mood!”
 
 
"You’re right," Sonata replied, her unique snerret anatomy allowing her to speak even through a mouthful of flatmate. “You’re in my mouth.” And with that terrible joke, she pulled herself up with Grayscale in tow, her powerful throat muscles grabbing his muzzle and sucking him in further.
 
 
Grayscale suddenly found himself engulfed up to his waist and hoisted off the couch, immediately beginning to thrash and kick in a desperate attempt to dislodge himself, his rattle shuffling as he whipped his tail.
 
 
“Dammit Sonata! I was so fucking close!” He bellowed from deep in her throat, wriggling about in protest. “I had him right there!”
 
 
Sonata just rolled her eyes at his protests, and turned towards the camera to get a better shot of his wriggling rump and kicking legs as they hung out of her mouth. She gave a supportive thumbs up, then tilted her head back, Gray sliding up to his ankles, his toes wiggling futilely.
 
 
At this point Grayscale’s protests were reduced to enraged grunting and hissing, his arms trying their best to push and stretch the squeezing muscles around him, though it did little to slow his descent. With a sudden lurch, Sonata suddenly swallowed the rest of Grayscale, forcing him into a fetal position in her stomach, her belly stretching out to the size of a large beach ball.
 
 
Stretching her arms over her head and doing a saucy sway like a belly dancer, Sonata showed off the bulging, jostling the mass that was Grayscale now trapped in her belly. “And THAT, dear viewers,” She spoke out loud in a sultry tone, “is why spacial awareness is important!” With a giggle, she slithered back over to her new phone, tapped the record button off, and proceeded to upload the video to her channel. Most of her videos were edited by Gray before being posted, but she sometimes uploaded shorter, raw footage just to keep her viewers’ attention.
 
 
That, and Grayscale was currently occupied with being snerret food.
 
 
Turning back around, Sonata closed her eyes and clutched her squirming stomach. With a low gurgling retch, Sonata bent forward and regurgitated Grayscale headfirst onto the floor, her belly snapping back to its formally flat form as her roomie sprawled out across the floor, a thin layer of saliva and digestive juices coating him all over.
 
 
Gasping and scrambling to his feet, Grayscale glared at Sonata, whipping his hands up and down to try and shake off the excess slime from his arms. “What the FUCK was that for?” He shouted, eyes narrowing as his tail spasmed in frustration.
 
 
Sonata shrugged. “I was originally going to eat you next time you died in-game, but it seemed you needed to cool your jets after playing for so long, so I decided to-”
 
 
“Whatever.” Gray interrupted, throwing his hands in the air. “I’m gonna go take a shower.” He then immediately turned and stomped off to the bathroom, leaving slimy footprints across the floor before slamming the door shut behind him.
 
 
Sonata’s ears flattened, her smile disappearing. She had eaten Gray countless times, and more than a few were surprise feedings like this one, but he always took it in stride after getting spat out, reacting with sarcastic quips at the most. She hadn’t seen him this angry before in a long while, let alone over getting eaten. He was usually so laid-back. With a concerned sigh, Sonata slithered over towards the bathroom door.
 
 
___
 
 
Grayscale stood in the apartment's walk in shower, blasting himself with a steady stream of hot water from the hose showerhead in his left hand, an irritated look on his face. Though it was not the stomach juices he was washing from his body that was the source of his current mood, not any action on Sonata's part actually. This was hardly the first time she had swallowed him for the camera and spat him up later. Grayscale was more than confident that their friendship was special to Sonata, and that she would never harm him. He felt the same way, which is why he wasn't even mad she had devoured him at the most inconvenient of times.
 
 
The sliding glass door suddenly opened and then closed, Grayscale looking up to see a pink figure moving towards him through the steam of the hot shower water. Sonata had joined him in the shower now fully nude as he was, having discarded her Minecraft tee on the way in. Her D-cup breasts swayed back and forth with her stride, her silver barbell piercings twinkling on her nipples.
 
 
Grayscale couldn't help but admire her exposed form, despite his foul mood. He could easily see how she became so popular online: it couldn't be denied that Sonata was the prime example of a female snerret. She was beautiful in every aspect that could be considered among their kind.
 
 
"Hey Gray," she commented, tilting her head down with a sad expression upon seeing him give her a sour look. "You...you're not mad at me, are you?"
 
 
Gray’s grimace softened and he sighed, his eyes trailing down to the shower floor. “No… no, I’m not mad at you.” He grumbled. “I’m more pissed at myself really.”
 
 
“Oh, you didn’t upset me!” Sonata gasped as the rest of her tail slid inside the shower stall. “I was-”
 
 
“No, not that.” Gray interrupted. “I just can’t believe I wasted so much time trying to one-up some cheating asshole I didn’t even know.” He reached back up to set the shower head back on the hook, then looked back up at her with a half-smile. “I could never be mad at you, Sonata.”
 
 
Sonata beamed back down at him as the water stream rained upon her, soaking her hair until it hung heavy down the left side of her head in a glistening pink sheet. “Oh, don’t sweat it Gray! I know what it’s like to get obsessed over something silly in a game… I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”
 
 
Grayscale was about to reach over to grab some shampoo, when suddenly he felt Sonata’s tail slip over towards him and around his waist, hoisting him up and pressing him firmly against Sonata’s chest, her arms and head curling around him in an apologetic hug. Gray returned the hug as well, grinning broadly as he felt her head nuzzle the back of his own, her breasts squishing against his smaller chest. Breaking the hug, Sonata then pushed Grayscale up against the wall of the shower- He let out a soft yelp of surprise but he wasn’t scared; Sonata was very affectionate whether she was getting intimate or devouring her prey, and Gray could tell when she was feeling either way (though one often lead to the other).
 
 
Sonata’s hands slid down to hold his waist as she touched her forehead to his, then whispered just above the sound of the cascading shower water, “No hard feelings?”
 
 
Grayscale’s own paws set upon her shoulders before his right paw slid up to cup her cheek just below her ferret ears, their respective tails intertwining around one another. "Course not."
 
 
Sonata's smile deepened as she moved her hands to cup his cheeks in turn, her mouth once again opening with a gentle, reptilian hiss. Grayscale stared down her cavernous gullet, where he had traveled down several times, without fear. Sonata lunged at him once again, but instead of gobbling him down once again, her lips softly pressed to his own in a loving kiss.
 
 
Grayscale returns the affectionate gesture, pressing his mouth to Sonata's with equal force. The sound of light smacking intermingled with the gentle cascade of running water as two snerret's revealed in the physical embrace of each other, the soft sensation of lips and tongues touching and tasting one another. A light moaning soon joined the cacophony of light sounds, certain primal instincts coming to life.
 
 
Sonata felt a growing warmth, not from the water but from within her loins, her vulva winking open in invitation to a penetrative counterpart. Grayscale was experiencing similar sensations, though there was another desire emerging from the lust now bubbling up from inside him.
 
 
Sonata's delectable flavor was pouring into him from where their mouths connected, and it got him thinking, had he ever tasted all of her in the same way she tasted him? Not that he could recall. Grayscale, despite his stature, was still a snerret, same as Sonata. Though he hadn’t much experience with live prey he could certainly wolf down large meals at once- just last New Year’s they had celebrated with a 20-pound turkey for each of them, swallowed whole.
 
 
Surely, anything Sonata could do (at least bodily) Grayscale could do too.
 
 
Why not give it a try?
 
 
Why not see why Sonata liked eating him so much?
 
 
The next time they separated and moved to meet again Grayscale, for one of the few times in his life, unhinged his jaws and engulfed Sonata's whole muzzle. The female snerret's eyes bulged open from the surprising sensation, her expression becoming somewhat concerned about Grayscale's reasons for doing so, having never done so before. She still could lock eyes with him and they held no malice or cruelty, just a knowing look similar to what he had received from her many times before. A look of confident, carnivorous intent, one that told her that he was hungry.
 
 
He wanted to eat her.
 
 
Sonata had never expected such a bold move from her easygoing roomie, but…she couldn't deny that this fascinated her. They had joked about it in the past, but now it was happening for real? She had always wondered what it would be like to be eaten, but never dared indulge her curiosity. After all, unless one trusted the other, such a thing was usually a one way trip.
 
 
The only exception would be her antics with Grayscale occasionally, but who could she ever trust with such an activity and expect to survive? How could she have been so oblivious? The perfect candidate had been staring her in the face for years.
 
 
She was about to give in to her desires, let herself smoothly glide into Grayscale's innards, when a sudden thought came to her.
 
 
Grayscale closed his eyes and pulled her in an inch deeper, his tongue slipping down along her neck. He was in blissful ignorance as Sonata's flavor bombarded his senses. If this is what it's like for Sonata, he really couldn't blame her for enjoying eating him so much.
 
 
"Grayscale, Grayscale waitmph," came the muffled voice of Sonata.
 
 
Grayscale wasted no time in relinquishing his hold on her muzzle, opening his jaws and allowing her to pull out. “What? What is-” But was suddenly placed back down on the shower floor before Sonata slid out the door.
 
 
"Wait here!" She said hurriedly, rushing out of the shower, leaving a trail of water in her wake.
 
 
Grayscale frowned. Had he been too presumptuous about eating her? She certainly had no qualms about suddenly eating him without warning before, though perhaps she didn’t feel the same way… His thoughts were interrupted when Sonata suddenly re-appeared with a crafty grin on her face and her new phone in her hand, this time sealed in a waterproof case.
 
 
"If you’re gonna try and eat me," Sonata said, sticking the case to the inside of the shower door via a suction cup on the back. “Might as well record it for posterity.” She slid back inside and gently coiled around Grayscale once more, double checking to see if the phone was recording properly. “and who knows? Maybe I’ll post it to my channel…”.
 
 
"Wait," said Grayscale as he was struck with a sudden thought, Sonata looking over her shoulder with a questioning look. "Does that phone have all the data of the previous one?"
 
 
Sonata quirked an eye in bemusement. "Of course. Come on Grayscale, you know I never buy a new phone without transferring the data."
 
 
Grayscale just smiled and continued, "You think you could open our joint Google account and set it to voice command before you begin recording?"
 
 
Sonata didn't know what Grayscale was getting at, but he always made not so subtle contributions to her videos so if he wanted to add in his own two cents she had no reason to not believe it would only make the video better. She did as he requested, opening the Google account they both had access to for their mutual interests and setting up voice commands.
 
 
"Hey Google, play favorite song number 37," Grayscale suddenly called out.
 
 
Sonata watched as a certain track began to load on the screen and she gave him a look of consideration. "Seriously!"
 
 
"I'd start recording before the song begins," suggested Grayscale with a sly grin.
 
 
Sonata didn't put up further argument, starting up the phone's camera that displayed an image of her slithering back under the torrent of warm water and before Grayscale.
 
 
Their intimate moment, however, was suddenly interrupted by the sound of heavy metal and the bellowing vocals of an alien warrior.
 
 
“WELCOME ONCE AGAIN, TO THE BLOODY PIT MY FRIEND!
WE’RE SO GLAD YOU COULD ATTEND, COME AND DIE, COME AND DIE!”
 
 
Sonata nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden assault on her ears. Grayscale immediately shouted “Google, next song! NEXT SONG!”
 
 
“YES THE BLOODY PIT OF HORROR HERE, AS SICK AS-” and like that, the sounds of GWAR silenced as quickly as they had stared, as the actual song of choice began playing.
 
 
"Now, where were we?" She said as the music started. The intro had a steady drumbeat, followed by the tranquil sounds of a guitar.
 
 
"Hey!" Was the song's beginning lyric, sung in harmony by three beautiful voices. "Hey!"
 
 
Grayscale wrapped his arms around Sonata as she arrived before him, she responded by placing her hands on his cheeks, their tails once again coiling around the opposite person, not restrictively, but soothing and gentle, coiling in rhythm to the beat of the music.
 
 
"Don't come around here no more," was the start of the chorus, a strong, masculine voice intoning each word with a fiery passion. "Don't come around here no more…"
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale's lips met again, gently caressing each other with featherlight touches.
 
 
"Whatever you're looking for! Hey!" Continued the choir, the masculine voice backed up by the previous trio. "Don't come around here no more..."
 
 
Grayscale and Sonata separated with a soft pop, looking into each other's eyes. Grayscale could read Sonata's expression as if her eyes projected bold letters. He had known her for so long, he could easily make out her desire.
 
 
'Take me. I trust you, take me.'
 
 
"I've given up, stop! I've given up, stop! Ah ah ah ooh ooh!" As the chorus finished the final chant of the current lyrics Grayscale's jaws unhinged and spread wide.
 
 
"I've given up, stop, on waiting any longer. I've given up," sang the chorus, Grayscale moving in as if to kiss her, but instead spread his gaping maw over her muzzle. "On this love getting stronger."
 
 
"Don't come around here no more…" sang the post-chorus as Grayscale slid his jaws over Sonata's face and around the back of her head. "Don't come around here no more… Don't come around here no more. Don't come around here no more…"
 
 
Grayscale was finally beginning to see why Sonata enjoys what she does so much. The tranquil flavor of her skin, the soothing feeling of her slowly sliding into him, and, best of all, the steady thrumming of her heart as he felt her heartbeat through his jaws around her. It was all so satisfying, both on a passionate and instinctual level, he couldn't help but thum around his supposed meal in pleasure.
 
 
Maybe he wouldn't be so hard on her the next time she ate him.
 
 
Sonata was as equally transfixed as Greyscale. He had only engulfed her head so far, but the soothing walls of his mouth that hugged her tightly extruded warmth that she had no comparison for. Her guest stars should be thankful that they got to enjoy this feeling, Sonata was surely enjoying it.
 
 
Maybe she should add this as a permanent feature to her streams.
 
 
"I don't feel you anymore," sang the masculine voice as Grayscale made his way down Sonata's neck and engulfed her shoulder's. "You darken my door..."
 
 
"Ahh mmm," sang a sole feminine voice.
 
 
Neither Grayscale or Sonata had forgotten the song, swaying to the beat softly along with their current actions, Grayscale's movements lightly tugging at Sonata's body while her gentle head swaying thrummed through his throat pleasantly.
 
 
"Whatever you're looking for… (Hey!) Don't come around here no more…"
 
 
Grayscale paused when he reached Sonata's breasts, lifting up his hands and lightly taking hold of them. They always felt amazing in his hands, the softness of the skin, the smoothness of her scales, how her nipple piercings tickle his palms with the cool metal beads. Sonata equally enjoyed it when Grayscale caressed her lady pillows as well, cooing softly within him. He knew just how hard to squeeze them without causing her pain, just enough to stimulate her pleasantly. His roaming palms would catch her piercings, lightly tugging her nipples.
 
 
 
 
"I've given up, stop! I've given up, stop!" Continued the chorus. "Ah ah ah ooh-ooh…"
 
 
As the beautiful chanting at the end of the current lyrics concluded Grayscale, with great effort, swallowed Sonata's breasts, lathering them with his tongue, made all the more enjoyable by how wet and warm they already were from the shower. Sonata let out her first sensual moan, her sounds of pleasure echoing inside her intimate partner's throat as his tongue tasted her nipples.
 
 
"I've given up, stop, you tangle my emotions." With more effort, and a slight bit of regret, Grayscale swallowed Sonata's breasts down his throat, away from the touch of his tongue, but allowing more of her to slip inside. "I've given up, honey, please, admit it's over."
 
 
A powerful, emotional post-chorus played as Greyscale finally swallowed Sonata up to her waist, engulfing her arms then hoisting her up. It amazed him how light she felt, easily able to hold her prone in his jaws, her rear protruding just before his lips. Though his throat and jaws were stretched obscenely wide, he felt no pain- in fact, it was quite soothing, like limbering up before a jog.
 
 
"Hey! Don't come around here no more... Don't come around here no more... Don't come around here no more…"
 
 
"Oh oh hey!"
 
 
"Don't come around here no more..."
 
 
As the chorus ended Sonata, who had remained mostly limp throughout this entire ordeal, suddenly sprang her tail up, twitching like a live wire. The reason was that Grayscale had poked his barbed tongue out his lips and past her hips, landing on a certain area below her stomach. Though roughly reptilian in appearance, a snerret's genitalia was located in a similar area like that of a human, near the groin.
 
 
Sonata moaned with pleasure as she felt Grayscale's dexterous tongue caressing her labia. He always knew how to touch her there too, never had she known someone who was skilled at tongue pleasuring a girl as Grayscale was. The thrashing of her tail increased outside as a new sensation was thrown into the mix.
 
 
Grayscale had reached up with his hands and had clasped ahold of her ass, gently massaging her there while his tongue tasted the womanly lips of her vulva.
 
 
Grayscale was immensely enjoying himself to, though, truth be told, he was enjoying the feeling of her bottom in his palms than the sensual fluid dancing and trickling over his tongue from her vagina. Snerret's didn't have 'glutes' per say, but the area above a female's coils had the slightest of clefts that Grayscale just couldn't get enough of. The feel, the texture… it was like a big living stress ball.
 
 
And Sonata apparently enjoyed it too, letting out her loudest moan yet when Grayscale ran a finger through the groove of her cleft.
 
 
"Stop walking down my street… Don't come around here no more," began the bridge of the song. "Who do you expect to meet? Don't come around here no more.
 
 
"Whatever you're looking for. Hey! Don't come around here no more. Hey!"
 
 
The combination of the enticing sight of Sonata's tail thrashing about in rhythm to the tongue assaulting her nethers and the finger's caressing her ass meant that Grayscale's arousal also hit its pinnacle. This resulted in his cock poking out from its sheath. Both of them- That's right, male snerrets have two members.
 
 
As the outro of the song began Grayscale moved his paw down towards his twin cocks to stroke himself, when suddenly he felt Sonata’s tail slip up alongside his wrist before slipping around and between his cocks. Was she simply squirming about aimlessly, or actually trying to “assist” Gray in getting off? Either way, her tail eventually wrapped itself around his lower length, slowly stroking it as Grayscale’s paw took care of the one above. They had done this sort of thing before, but with the added sensation of Sonata halfway down Gray’s gullet, it was twice as intense!
 
 
"Honey please, (honey please) don't come around here no more… Whatever you're looking for! Ah oh ah ah. Don't come around here no more..."
 
 
The ending of the song was almost drowned out by Sonata’s muffled cries in ecstasy as an immense orgasm courses through her, her tail shuddering so hard Grayscale almost lost his balance on the wet floor of the shower. Sonata's delectable vulva trickling sweet nectar on his tongue, her smooth ass under his palm, the beating of her heart, pulsing madly within him from her excitement, plus the tandem stroking of his cocks… he was so close to bursting it was insane,
 
 
Until he stumbled again, though this time it was because he felt solid ground leave from beneath him partly, leaving his left foot to plunge downward, into what felt like a bucket of frigid water, quite the contrary to the warm shower.
 
 
Greyscale fumbled, letting go of himself and Sonata, who had fallen limp inside him, but held her firmly in his mouth, looking down in irritation as he jerked his foot out of the patch of sudden deep cold water. His irritation was replaced with incomprehension with what he was seeing for a second before his eyes above Sonata's butt widened in terror.
 
 
Within him Sonata basked in the afterglow from her orgasm. Being consumed or not, Grayscale was the best at pleasuring her, always was. And she couldn't wait for him to continue, wondering how it would feel when his snerret fangs slid over her backside as he pulled her in farther, until, eventually, she would rest entirely in his stomach, same as she had done to him so many times... It had all been so enjoyable, the music, the sensations, Sonata felt she would definitely enjoy this newly found activity from now on.
 
 
That was until she found herself suddenly lurching backwards and up out of Gray’s throat, expelled from Grayscale's mouth with the powerful force of his jaw muscles.
 
 
She landed on the tiles of the shower with a painful thud, a grunt escaping her lips. When she was able to open her eyes she found that the calm light of the shower was almost blinding compared to the dark interior of Grayscale's mouth, her pupils dilating almost painfully. A throbbing formed on the back of her head where she had struck the tiles, mildly painful, adding to her budding irritation at Grayscale expelling her from within him.
 
 
He hadn't even finished her, and he calls himself a snerret?
 
 
"Grayscale, what gives?" She complained, propping her head up and rubbing the back of her head. "You didn't even make it past my ass. I have half a mind to pry open your mouth and slither down your throat myself, if you can't even-”
 
 
"Sonata, get back! Get back now!"
 
 
Grayscale's voice was laced with terror, and when Sonata looked up she saw that he was pressed himself against the wall, looking at the floor with a terrified expression. Confused, she followed his gaze and immediately sprang to her coils and backed up to the wall closest to her as well. The smooth blue tile floor was now almost completely covered by what looked like a perfectly round, pitch-black circle of the purest, most solid darkness either of them had ever seen. It was like someone deleted a circle of reality itself to reveal an endless void.
 
 
And it was slowly growing.
 
 
"What…what the hell is that!" She said in a small, terrified voice.
 
 
"I…I don't know, but I don't think we want to find out," said Grayscale, creeping along the wall, trying to sidle alongside the darkness on the floor and get to the door. "Let's get the fu…!"
 
 
Sonata's eyes widened as Grayscale neared a certain object upon the wall. "Hey, watch out for…!"
 
 
Too late.
 
 
Grayscale brushed against Sonata's new phone, popping it off the wall and into the dark abyss in the center of the shower.
 
 
"NO!" She called, watching her phone plummeting towards the darkness.
 
 
Sonata immediately reached out to catch it, but lost her balance as it bounced off her wrist and plunged into the darkness, and she unwillingly followed. The circle splashed up like a puddle as she and her phone plummeted through the physics-defying hole, spraying freezing-cold liquid everywhere.
 
 
"SONATA WAIT!" Called out Grayscale, reaching out to grab her without thinking. He only managed to snag her tail, realizing too late he had no leverage to pull her back as he too was yanked off his feet and pulled under the surface of the black void-hole.
 
 
It was like plunging into a freezing pond. There was water everywhere from all sides, Grayscale realizing that it had to be several feet deep at least. It was dark, but Grayscale immediately orientated himself, the bubbles trailing from his nose telling him what was up and what was down. The next thing he fathomed was that he was still alive after passing through… whatever that was, and if he was alright, it stands to reason Sonata was okay too.
 
 
But where was she?
 
 
He had lost his grip on her tail and now had no clue where she had gone.
 
 
That problem solved itself when something impacted him from below. Sonata had apparently retrieved her phone and, due to the shower case, it was still functional, Sonata activating its flashlight and illuminated them both, though their surroundings were still just pitch-black water. She looked up at him in puzzlement for a split second before pointing behind him. Grayscale followed her gesture and saw that, like looking through a round window, the ceiling of their apartment's shower suspended in the water like some kind of projected image.
 
 
Without wasting another second, Grayscale and Sonata immediately started swimming back towards this bizarre portal, desperately paddling with all their might. Snerrets could hold their breath for a long time (they had to, given their eating habits) but neither had taken a breath before diving in here, so their air was far more limited than it normally would be.
 
 
They were almost within reach of the portal before suddenly, to their horror, this bizarre portal vanished in a blink before their very eyes.
 
 
Sonata and Grayscale gasped under the dark water in shock and terror, sending bouts of bubbles shooting up. The only light now was Sonata's cell phone. They exchanged scared looks before following their bubbly breath, and, to their mild relief, saw a rippling surface illuminated by a pale light above.
 
 
They shot for it, their lungs burning all the way.
 
 
They breached the surface with two mighty splashes, both snerrets taking in great gulps of air followed by fits of coughing. After catching their breath they exchanged worried looks as they tread upon the surface of the water. Grayscale looked over at Sonata with a freaked-out expression, his normally large pupils now frightened pinpricks.
 
 
"What were you thinking?" He shouted chidingly, "Diving after your phone of all things?"
 
 
"Hey, this thing’s brand new, and expensive!” She yelled back, holding it up. “I-I just freaked out is all! I mean, what the fuck was that, anyway?”
 
 
Grayscale’s face went from irritation to worry. “I… I don’t know… did we fall down the sewer or something?”
 
 
“I don’t know what that was,” Sonata muttered. “But it sure as hell wasn’t a busted sewer pipe of any kind.”
 
 
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” Gray concurred. “Well, unless we’re dead, dreaming, or on drugs, then there’s only one explanation for something that weird: it’s gotta be magic.”
 
 
Sonata huffed, but not in disbelief. Neither of them were any stranger to magic, though they had no real skill with it, and it was quite a rare sight back home. It certainly didn’t seem like any magic they were familiar with; it wasn’t nearly as flashy, nor did it seem to have any purpose or trigger of any kind. It just appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as fast. She looked around. “Well, we can figure out the mystery later… where ARE we?”
 
 
Grayscale spun around to survey their surroundings. They seemed to be in some kind of lake, but the only body of water near their apartment was a swimming pool, and that had recently been drained for repairs. He then squinted into the distance, spying a line of foliage barely visible in the dark. “Land ho!” He cried, pointing before launching himself towards it. Sonata quickly followed suit.
 
 
Before long both of them had crawled up onto the shoreline, panting hard as their sore muscles weighed them down. Sonata’s tail dragged across the muddy shore as she flopped onto her side, panting hard while occasionally coughing up water and sand.
 
 
Grayscale likewise had flopped down onto his back spread-eagle, shutting his eyes tight in exhaustion and fatigue. Slowly his eyes opened up, his vision blurred but soon came into focus. As it did though, his eyes went wide in shock. His jaw dropped as he gasped, pointing up into the sky.
 
 
“Wuh… what is it, Gray?” Sonata groaned.
 
 
“Look!” was all he said in reply, pointing up towards the sky.
 
 
Sonata followed his pointing finger, her face quickly mirroring his own. "Holy…fuck!" She swore.
 
 
Above them, not one, but two moons glistened in the sky, one waxing, the other crescent.
 
 
"Uh…" Grayscale said, gulping. "We’re POSITIVE we’re not on drugs, right?”