Meanwhile, in a certain Gorbachev laboratory...

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: Henceforth, the intermission tag will only be used for non-critical, albeit possibly plot-relevant, side-stories and not simply to denote chapters lacking any of John’s perspective.]

“No wyvern’s bile?! What kind of laboratory are you running?!” calmly yelled the droning translation of the goblin’s speech.

“The kind rooted in reality,” Tricia tersely retorted.

The small, silver chip attached to the goblin’s forehead blinked as it processed her words in real time. Kazex shook his ugly little head in disbelief, sneaking glances over Tricia all the while. The petite blonde had swapped into a fresh set of lab clothes, carbon-printed like most of the lab proper, and swept her eyes over the nonsensical notes the Blood Grumbler had sketched onto what had grown into seventeen pages of nonsense. Though his speech was some kind of esoteric German, his scribblings were taking hours to even begin translating. The word “blood” was quickly discovered, at least; it appeared 103 times in the documents, so at the very least the goblin “scientist” matched in his notes what he boasted was the key ingredient to alchemy.

“I had intended to produce a vial of smelling vapors to prove the potency of the blood, but you cannot even support this elementary requirement-!”

“Demons!” A new voice that Tricia had only heard as whispering before: Greenpaw, the Almiraj rabbit-man also on loan from John, neatly leapt from the far corner of Tricia’s lab, over a raised table of empty glassware, and to nearly its center by Kazex. The young warrior, sheathed in white fur, wore only a loincloth and was far taller than a man, but here seemed a trembling coward with his ears tucked down to frame his face. Tricia followed the arc back to its source: the prompts and images that littered the six screens used to learn and translate his barbaric tongue still glowed with the rapidly blinking images of their tasks.

That Tricia understood a word meant the machine had a breakthrough. “What demons?” she asked.

The chip just under Greenpaw’s tall left ear glowed, and he looked to her, bewildered as he chattered in his native tongue. The translation followed, “In my skin, I hear them, but I did not sense their approach! How?” The look he gave was pitiable, like a confused, wounded child.

Tricia wished she could pet him to make him feel better but quickly worked past that bizarre thought. He almost certainly doesn’t have words to encapsulate something like a polymorphic predictive language brain-computer interface... so... hmmm... “It is no demon. It is a tool I use to translate.” This will have to do. “Do you understand me now?”

Greenpaw remained distressed, and his attempts to maintain an angry, masculine furrow was now upturned and ever worried. “I do.”

Tricia nodded with a smile. “See? Nothing to fear.”

“So insidious, this little trick of yours.” Tricia’s smile faltered as Alysha approached. Reduced to a baggy, carbon printed hospital robe, her pregnancy only barely showed in its black folds. Her massive ears pointed higher as she grew bold; she was about as tall as Tricia now and met her eyes with a cold distrust. “With the power of language, you can understand our tactics and messages... and through us, gain an advantage."

Tricia huffed at the dark elf. "Many monsters that speak in illusion barriers happen to speak human languages already, so that's hardly an advantage."

"His people are no doubt too silly or ignorant to have learned your languages... and mine too noble by half.”

Greenpaw looked between the two; the translation software worked in every direction, and his distrust could only grow. "You would... you would hurt my people."

"No," Tricia quickly replied. It might've seemed suspicious to one not blessed with a sixth sense for threats; Greenpaw detected none from the girl, and so his tension eased. She continued, "I can also help you more efficiently this way, to help you understand John, humans, the world you now occupy.”

Greenpaw nodded in acknowledgement, though part of him still wished the demon steel placed on his forehead would stop whispering translations in his mind. He didn't scratch at the external BCI; it was one of Tricia's few standing orders. Curiouser was how the program translated: they spoke in his tongue, yes, but with the human or elf inflections; it was a bizarre and unpleasant twist on a language spoken by none save his people. He continued to half-kneel as he observed them; he stood 6’7” if he wanted to, but here he was ever the distressed child, shrinking before strangers. The dark elf in particular fascinated him, as she did in the Temple as well: ebony flesh, and the bulging sign of young pregnancy, enraptured the young adult Almiraj.

A soft hand daintily touched his scalp, and he nearly leapt away again.

“S-Sorry,” Tricia quickly offered, her hand half retracted from him.

“Who when what are you doing?” came the confused translation from him.

“I just wanted you to feel better.” It was a half-truth. She clutched her gloved hand. I was hasty in my moderation and underestimated it by half: based on that limited interaction, I'd estimate that petting his fur would be at least a 16 on the Mr. Fluffy scale... and this stimulus is actually fluffy beyond the metaphorical values thereof! A 16 with my suit, after all the tolerance I’ve built... Tricia twitched. Beneath the soft lump of her skin-suit, the ever-present Eye cycled through another eyelid. ... Surely, I should continue experimenting; my fluffiness testing was an emotional endurance test, and now... if I touch such a fluffy creature with my bare hand, and still maintain control...

Nearby, Fairy sighed as the filled jar was slowly pulled away... only to be replaced with another pristine and empty one. The drones worked to recap the old and uncap the new while Fairy whined in English, “How much of this crap can you even use?!”

Kazex stared at the vial as the Fairy’s tongue was translated... and the idea brewed. “Yes! A fine catalyst! But this time for-”

“Negative,” Tricia quickly interjected. “You are to continue refraining from practicing your... science while John is away. Write out the alleged experiment instead.”

The goblin groaned... and Greenpaw eyed Tricia’s hand, still half-extended towards him. He eyed her body: it was hidden in those bizarre human clothes, yes, but his memory was keen. She really is... so much like a normal woman of my people. If only for those deformed ears, and... her touch. No self-respecting woman would ever touch an unblooded warrior. It felt so... nice... “You can continue-” The rabbit man cut himself off as shame boiled in his head. “... you can continue... making me feel... better.”

Tricia looked at Greenpaw with equal surprise... and, with her best efforts to suppress a nervous smile, she neared the monster. Greenpaw let himself rest fully on his hindquarters, posing now like a bizarre cross of a real rabbit below his loincloth and the anthropomorphic man-beast he was above it. His eyes were now level with Tricia's as she drew closer. The scientist, not wanting any interference with her new emotional experiment, withdrew her suit.

The false skin of her fingers and face blackened before slithering across her flesh to withdraw and compress back into the choker about her neck. Healthy, vibrant skin was replaced by milky flesh unloved by the sun, and the odd lump upon her forehead showed itself to be the closed third eye it was. Her clothes maintained her dignity, but her pale features made her even more like some of the women of Greenpaw’s tribe... and his nose flared as he contemplated her trembling, approaching hand.

Tricia suddenly realized a number of eyes upon her... and looking around, noted that a masturbating devil-fairy, a drooling goblin in the middle of opening his pants, and a judgemental dark elf were now all staring at her latest “experiment.” With a thought, four walls rose from the ground and secured Tricia and Greenpaw inside, free from prying eyes or ears.

As a light panel flickered to life above, Greenpaw began to panic as the human hand neared in this new, claustrophobic setting... with what were so much like dainty, female Almiraj fingers. This is wrong... I shouldn’t think these thoughts... not with a human... this...

He looks so... so soft...

Tricia’s hand caressed the tiny, full fur of his scalp and reveled as her fingers were tickled and carressed by heavenly hairs. Greenpaw did his best to focus on home, on loyalty and self-respect, all while a female caressed him openly, calmly, and unashamed. Greenpaw pressed his legs together, lest his arousal pop up and shame him further.

The human’s hand began to wander down his neck; the fur was thicker there, and yet somehow softer. A real-life Mr. Fluffy... I didn’t think I’d ever be able to handle so soft, so wonderful a feeling... Tricia grew elated; albeit awkwardly, Greenpaw helped her break yet another seemingly eternal barrier in her life. The Eye upon her forehead cycled anew.

Greenpaw’s left leg began to tremble. His breaths were short. He hungered... he lusted. This innocent human was inadvertently teasing him... and his body reacted as it had to for courting so eager a mate: an early, involuntary release of Almiraj pheromones. They filled the air in a manner that had never been drawn out before; the walking corpse and gravid elf at the Temple were the nearest matches, and certainly neither had so directly toyed with Greenpaw. The Temple was also far more spacious than the strange prison constructed around them, now.

His thighs clutched desperately at the humiliating erection he sported; Tricia’s innocent, happy smile seemed almost cruel to the horny teen bunny under her fingertips. So why... why can I not beg her to cease...?!

Tricia’s eyes grew heavy as she continued to rub the back of Greenpaw’s head, blissfully unaware of anything save an innocent head rub being exchanged for the heavenly valleys of Almiraj fur through which her fingers ran naked. She noted his flaring nose and closed eyes; he seemed at peace. She sniffed at the air and shifted as she felt a warmth spread through her. I should buy a real bunny... one I can train to be accommodating and happy to human touch so as to avoid spiking stress levels... so nice... Tricia found herself in a daze as her fingers coursed back up... and teased, ever so innocently, up the soft back of Greenpaw’s ear.

Electricity shot through him as he shivered.

Tricia’s hand recoiled. “I-I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

I can stop this... for the pride of my people, to not dishonor my line, I must-! He grunted a word. “No,” came the flat translation of his strangled answer. Ancestors forgive me, but this feeling...!

Tricia touched his ear again, this time near its base, and Greenpaw sighed through his pink nose as his body continued to churn out his scent. He felt a droplet of precum wet the fur of his inner thighs, and he continued to squeeze, and practically masturbate, his humble seven inches of Almiraj cock. Tricia felt her face grow warm, though she still couldn’t place the sensation in her body. So fluffy... and nice...

A small vent was formed in the ceiling to keep oxygen flowing in and out of the chamber, but its filters were not engaged in any particularly aggressive setting; as such, the heavy pheromones in the air multiplied in density as Greenpaw continued to resist his animal need. Mating was a sacred duty and honor, a reward for one's rite of passage; it would be meaningless with a human, wouldn't it? But perhaps not... no... ancestors, please guide me... is this... is this my soul-mate? A human? What would that mean...? Greenpaw's imagination began to spiral out of control as his horniness followed.

Tricia continued on, none the wiser... and the blissful joy of fluff in her fingers let her ignore the growing heat in her body, or the long, heavy sighs she was taking. I wish I could feel more of it... Her hand drifted down from the base of his ears, and Greenpaw sighed as he slowly reined himself in... but grew more alarmed as her hand drifted down his neck, his shoulder, and then entered the tall valley of his chest. Oh no... Her Eye cycled anew... and again. It's so... oh God... it's so smooth, it's... it's impossibly soft, and wonderful, and... and... Tricia drew closer to Greenpaw, and both now struggled to control their breaths. Calm... calm... control...

Greenpaw stiffened twice as Tricia drew her face near his chest... and pressed her left cheek against it. His tuft of chest fur enwrapped her like a dream, and she inhaled deep as she sighed happily against the fluffiest thing she had ever come to touch. Greenpaw's hands rose to Tricia's shoulders... and hovered as his soul struggled to interpret the standing orders to obey her.

Tricia, meanwhile, struggled to understand her own reaction; a well of emotion was indeed building in her, but no Eyes were opening save the one that had "opened" six times now as she rubbed her nose into the monster's chest. He smells... so earthy... and wonderful... and he's so soft, but also firm beneath the fluffy... "Fluff... fheehee..." Tricia giggled drunkenly as she continued to be doused in the Almiraj's scent.

Greenpaw babbled as his hands pawed, ever so softly, at the girl's shoulders. His babbling was incomprehensible to the translator; in truth, it wouldn't have made much more sense to his fellow Almiraj.

Tricia suddenly realized she was beginning to perspire. The room was uncomfortably warm, she decided; she only wished she could take her lab coat off, but it was the only layer she had bothered to wear with the carbon slacks. Ah... but he won't do anything... he has to follow my instructions... Slowly, Tricia's mind grew dim under the influence of the Almiraj; without her suit's sensors, the choker and drones were uselessly unaware of the state the monstrous pheromones were having on her. Finding nothing wrong with the idea, she fully buried her face into Greenpaw's chest, sighed happily, and decided it was for the best. What's more... oh... if I can enjoy this with my hands, then... with my body... oh, but that's... hmmm.... She touched the zipper hidden by a flap of her lab coat... and quietly peeled it down as her mind started to realize the reason for her heat.

Greenpaw recognized that his keeper wanted to undress... and obliged her as he peeled the corners of the black coat back and revealed that ivory skin, hairless yet glistening erotically, and her breasts that had earned his fascination. She did, in fact, have only two... but each was swollen as if already heavy with milk, a bizarre feature of human women he hadn't understood. Her nipples, so lightly pink, were too close to the Almiraj female for him to ignore. Here and now, her breasts took on a fertile, arousing ideal in the twisting mind of the teenage Almiraj, enough so that he positioned himself anew. His knees fell to the floor in a posture an Almiraj would not dare outside their homes, a prostration that demanded trust and safety. But it would let him continue to hide his throbbing meat between his thighs while availing this woman, this mate as far as his racing mind could tell, of more of the body she was so intent on feeling.

The coat fell to the floor, and Tricia was reduced to her slacks as she pressed her naked breasts and stomach against the long, fine, and almost gossamer strands of Heaven that cycled her Eye a dozen more times as her emotions ran wild. This feels... so good... I'm... it feels so amazingly good... The heat of their strange union continued to build in the room. Greenpaw had accepted that undressing her was welcome; Tricia hadn't the will to stop him. He found a similar zipper as he had just witnessed along the side of her pants, and with a clumsy tug of his bizarre fingers, Tricia realized his intent. Even more... sure... there's nothing wrong with that... Tricia giggled as she unzipped her pants and the Almiraj, having lost his prideful disdain some minutes ago, gripped and pulled down her pants and panties in a single fall.

Her pussy's scent blossomed in the sensitive nose of the Almiraj, and Greenpaw was no longer in any doubt how this would end. But as her soaked panties rubbed along the inside of her leg, Tricia finally started to piece together why this felt so good... and how it felt good in that way. Oh... oh no... this isn't... this isn't what I... this isn't...