Stripping and Shopping

Mineko

The Summer Room is a scattered mess, as Mineko works to prepare her new armor for duty. Her armor enhancement infusion needs transfer, some armor pieces need adjustment, her thunder gauntlets need integration, and she needs to thoroughly mark it with her scent so she feels comfortable in it. Her tools are out as she scampers from armor piece to armor piece, working on something before she gets distracted by another armor prep task. It will likely take all day, at this rate. She’s happy and hoping that Mona will approve.

A different distraction arrives. The door opens and Tegan walks in. Mineko scurries over, tails wiggling with excitement. “Did you get the present mailed?”

Tegan: -5 BP (Mail Service)

“After a fashion. I had to redo the label, as Gaia wrote something on it to spoil the surprise. What are you doing?”

“Battle Maid prep stuff! I got some new armor in the thing last night! Look! Look! Look! Look!”

Mineko shoves her phone in Tegan’s face. While she can’t read all of it, she was able to understand enough of the description on her character sheet to assume that it matches what she gleaned from Identify:

Nekomium Armor – Heavy Armor. 3 Armor. This armor, made from a particular metal found in the nekomata homeland, is extremely durable. Any attack against the wearer from a critical success is reduced to a full success. In addition, when the wearer is subjected to a magical effect that requires a Strength or Endurance check to resist, the wearer treats a mixed success as a full success and a failure as a mixed success.

Tegan looks less excited than she should. The nekomata zooms back to her new armor arms; they need the Thunder Gauntlets attached! Mineko focuses on wiring the gauntlets into the vambraces. Her tails wiggle around as she works.

A phone ding goes off. Mineko turns her ears towards it, but otherwise stays in place (for the moment). Tegan’s snarl gets her to look up.

“What can I do to help, Tegan?”

Tegan is pressing onto the phone. She growls, “You’re fine, Mineko. It’s the... Wait... You know what? If you really work, how long do you think you will need to finish?”

“A few hours?” Mineko remembers that her pauldrons need adjusting. She starts to move towards them, only to stop when Tegan uses the instructor tone, “Did you finish that bit?”

Mineko looks back at her half-completed wiring. “No.”

“Get one part done, then the next. Hopping around just wastes time. We have something to do after this.”

“Okay! Okay! Okay! Okay!”

Tegan is a good friend!

Andromeda

“Is Gaia going to be alright in there?”

Alex lazes on a bench in the shade, her wings unfurled. She stretches as widely as she can, which draws Andromeda’s attention to the valkyrie’s breasts. When she finishes, she pats on a spot on the bench beside her, directing the arcanist android to sit. “She should be. Of course, I presume that you didn’t want the religion lesson I gave as we walked.”

Andromeda sits beside the goth rocker angel, replying, “Not exactly. I suppose it was helpful, assuming we can somehow mold the audience’s attention to an apotheosis for Mona, but...”

“...You wanted something more practical? A bestiary lesson?”

Andromeda sighs, “I guess I am that predictable.”

Alex quips, “Well, that was the point of your Nature lessons, right? Well, four broad categories of creatures that we can address. I sort of count as a Celestial, a creature in the service of a divinity, though most deities would also count as Celestials, if you ever become foolish enough to fight one. Now, being in this category doesn’t make you inherently good.”

Andromeda interrupts, “Because evil deities exist, like Eilistraee’s mother, apparently, and M...”

Alex slaps a hand over the arcanist android’s mouth. “Nope. Nicknames or vaguer for baddie deities. We don’t want to draw their attention. But, correct. Generally, any celestial creature has a high level. They generally at least resist radiant damage, for they are often surrounded by it all the time in their deity’s presence. They generally resist poison and necrotic damage, because they cannot rot. And, less of a problem for you and more for your meat shield friends, they generally resist the effects of mundane weapons.”

Andromeda nods. Easy enough.

“Fiends, devils and demons and the like, usually have the same resistances as above, plus fire and cold resistance. Undead, ghouls and zombies and ghosts and vampires, usually at least resist necrotic and poison damage. And, finally, aberrations are a guessing game. They are, by definition, non-conforming to your expectations of reality.”

Andromeda shudders, thinking about that image: the cuttlefish-centipede thing from that recruitment dream. “The one at the end of all of this is in that category, correct?”

“You got it, dudette.”

“So, how do I predict what damage type to use? I doubt that it will give me a bunch of rounds to experiment.”

“There are feats that can let you overcome damage resistance. There are epic boons that can overcome damage immunities, though I doubt any of you but Mona will be able to get those. Otherwise, our job is to get you the intel you need, dudette.”

Andromeda sighs again, “So, we are back to nowhere, as far as the overarching goal goes. How likely would we be able to implement that ‘make Mona a goddess’ plan?”

Alex laughs. Then she actually thinks about it. “More likely than you would expect. Seriously, half of the Masters at the wedding were somewhere on a path to divinity. And Ty could have already had it, if she wanted it.”

Andromeda mulls over that. She peppers the valkyrie with more questions (casting Enhance Ability in time for the key summary moment) as they wait. By the time Gaia comes back, the system makes sense to the arcanist android.

Andromeda: Training Session Full Success (6 XP / 5 XP)

Andromeda: +6 XP, Religion Proficiency (Training Session)

The temporary mouse-girl trudges back over. Andromeda asks, “So, how’d it go?”

Gaia shrugs. “The elf lady gave me the pitch, then I asked about his cock. She couldn’t answer and said someone would get back to me?”

Alex and Andromeda sigh simultaneously. Gaia, not picking up the vibe of the group, chirps, “Soooo, we heading to Airika’s now?”

Andromeda shrugs, then concedes, “Sure. I guess you got the group text too?”

Gaia has a broad smile. The trio head back to the Hotel. I hope Gaia can get her act together.

Harith

When Tessa and Harith arrived at the sparring ring, a couple of staff members were already there. The incubus takes a measurement of both of them, a habit from his vigilante days.

One is a lazzorkat, glowing blue at her fur, six breasts contained in bikini armor, with a flail and a tower shield on hand. She gives the approaching contestants a nod.

The other is a siren, golden collar around her neck, red feathers ruffled slightly sticking out of her pirate garb, a cutlass on her hip. She has a swagger in her voice as she greets, laying the affectation on thick, “Ahoy, ye scurvy landlubbers. Ye be ready to be beaten like the bilge rats ye aspire to be?”

“A little far, Airika?”

“Eh, I am having fun, Nyadia. You should try it sometime.”

The lazzorkat rolls her eyes at the bratty bird. She thereupon fills Harith in to how the training grounds work; it is as he would expect from the Hotel: damage is converted to arousal.

“So, who’s first?” Harith asks, noting, “I presume that we are going one at a time...”

The siren draws her cutlass, tosses it into the air, and takes off after it. She grabs the hilt with one of her taloned feet, then squawks, “You, big boy! Time to learn how to handle aerial swordplay!”

He feels his wings sprout from behind his back. The lazzorkat states, “Don’t worry; this won’t count against your ‘once a long rest’ stipulation. Have fun.”

A wicked grin curls on Harith’s face. He launches himself in the air, innately understanding the basics of flying. “Hoar curse you, brat!”

“Whore? What a rude thing to call my sugar mama Mistress! Have at ye!”

The siren swoops down and Harith feels the blade bite into his chest. He cums instantly, falling down in the dirt in a heap. The bratty bird is still flapping above him, showing teeth. “Oh, the big bad demon can’t handle a single blow from me? Poor baby...”

I’ll show you, bird bitch! He thrusts himself back into the air, eldritch magic swirling around Alanis. The first slash misses. The second clips a wing, as she dodges in mid-air. Still, it was enough. He can see the fear in her eyes now.

“G-g-get away from me, y-y-you m-m-mo-monster!”

She slashes, hitting his arm, then flaps away, too fast to respond to, too fast even to make it worth pursuit, especially once she crosses the barrier between the training grounds and the rest of the Hotel. Damn, she’s fast when she wants to be.

Harith lands, smirking. The lazzorkat nods, “Thank you, Harith, for introducing my lesson for Tessa. But, first, let’s summarize what Airika should have taught you...”

Harith listens and discusses some of the nuance. He feels Tessa impress upon him a little extra magical oomph to his own ability. The assistance is appreciated.

Harith: Training Session Full Success (8 XP / 10 XP)

Harith: +8 XP (Training Session)

Alanis: +8 Appearance Points

“For you, Tessa, we need to talk bonus actions. I understand that your Inspiration is a limited resource, but you have been leaning perhaps too heavily on off-hand attacks over inspiring others or using Healing Word. Let’s talk strategy.”

Harith listens to the resulting discussion. Tessa absorbs it as it comes, then runs through some sparring exercises with Nyadia.

Tessa: Training Session Full Success (11 XP / 10 XP)

Tessa: +7 XP, Scimitar expertise (Training Session)

The two head back towards the Hotel, as Nyadia shooed them away so she can clean up. They both end up checking their phones at the same time. He barely pays attention to Tessa typing away as he sees Alanis has enough points for one improvement now. Resolving to wait until he can talk with Alanis about it, he instead turns to the sea elf, “Thanks. I needed that.”

“You’re quite welcome. It looks like I have the rest of the day free, if you want to do something else?”

Harith can think of some things he’d like to do. Apparently, it was a little bit too obvious on his face, as she adds, “Something platonic, of course.”

The rakish grin does not quite disappear, but it fades a smidge. “Sure. Why not? Any suggestions in particular?”

They make plans. He can see that Tessa is not like Mona, in that she thinks with her head instead of her crotch first. Still, in his life as a vigilante and in it as proper demon before that, he never really had a friend before. The idea of not spending effort to get into her pants so quickly is surprising appealing. Maybe they’ll all accept me after all?

Kevin

Kevin walks into the card shop, looking for his boyfriend. He finds Mona, Winter, a green haired bunny-girl, all three naked, and Tyalangan without her coat, trying her best to not look at her kids. Winter hears him come in, then jumps up; his cute cock is jutting out.

Mona: Weekly Bounty Update – Spend one-on-one time with every contestant (7/10)

“So, my sexy bull, you want to take me now, or...”

Kevin pinches the bridge of his nose, only pausing long enough to notice just how excited Mona looked at the prospect. “What were you three doing?”

“Playing strip DDH!” Mona exclaims, her breasts bouncing a little as she talks. Kevin wonders where exactly her hands are, until he thinks about the possibilities. Then, he really doesn’t want to think about that.

The bunny-girl spins around, her hand obviously digging into her crotch, and says, “Mona killed Winter and my hand ended up being, like, one turn too slow. Then Mona missed some key responses when Mama pulled out a Mike and Trike variant combo. The nerds in the audience will know what that means, even if you don’t.”

“Do you mind NOT doing that right now?” Kevin asks.

“What?”

“Touching yourself in public, Esme, sweetie,” Tyalangan answers, “and I would appreciate you stopping too.”

Esme gets up, breasts and tail wiggling, then struts behind the counter. Her hand is still obviously going in and out of her. “Fiiiiiine, Mama. I’ll do it like this.”

The Host sighs, then asks, “My package get in? I was told that it was going to your shop’s inventory.”

“Package?” Mona and Kevin ask at the same time.

“Andromeda is the one that would be excited, I suppose, but, sure. There is a Richard Garfield season going on in the wider network and that dimension’s version of Warlocks Made of Toast has been producing these specialty print projects called “Secret Lairs?” Andromeda got one for the Haunted Castle season. Well, I let them know about the, let’s call it interesting marketing potential of them making some for us, and they should have delivered.”

Esme is checking on her kiosk, still doing things she really shouldn’t. She shouts, “One of the themed DDH decks got in, the rest didn’t.”

“Hmm... which one, assuming its not THAT one?”

That one? Are you telling me that she’s planning on dropping a hint through Andromeda’s card game?

The bunny-girl answers before Kevin can complain, “Zatharox, the Unfinite Swarm.”

Zatharox, the Unfinite Swarm? What kind of thing is an unfinite swarm?

The Host smiles, and, snapping her fingers, is back to fully dressed. She coos, “Ooooh, I liked that one. I’ll go grab it. Thanks, sweetie.” The sea elf disappears into mist.

The three of them move to lean over the counter. Esme stares hungrily at Mona’s chest. Kevin tries to get her attention. “What can you tell us about this Zatharox?”

Esme shrugs. She turns the screen around and they see the card art of this Zatharox. It isn’t the cuddlefish-centipede thing from Andromeda’s dream. Instead, it’s like a serpent, an rolly-polly and a scythe had a baby? A long, sinuous body, plated almost like an insect, but muscled like a snake, coils at the bottom. Its torso, Kevin supposes, had a number of limbs radiating out, too many to make sense, frankly. Each limb ends in a long, curved blade, too flat to be a horn or a claw. Its head is also curved and flatten almost as a blade, but flares out also like a triceratops frill. No eyes are visible. The background is dark, with stone eggs, perhaps, in the foreground.

“Huh. Well, would you look at that...” Winter murmurs.

“Is THAT the thing we are supposed to fight at the end?”

“No,” Kevin answers, “I think that is something we are going to have to fight to GET to the thing Andromeda saw.”

And the room falls more somber.

Tegan

Tegan is fuming, as per usual. At least it is towards a new target. How DARE she exclude me from that group text! She betrays me, too? Are any of these people on my side? Mona is MINE!

Mineko scurries up in just a pair of pink panties with white polka dots. They are cut high, to show off some hip. The nekomata, as she has for the every set of panties she has put on, wants Tegan’s opinion, “Better, Tegan?”

Tegan barely gives the cat-girl a glance. “They’re... fine?”

“To the maybe pile?”

“Sure.”

Mineko strips out of the panties, showing off her butt, then moves to place it in the pile of “maybe” “outfits.” Tegan itches in irritation. She hopes that goblin freak bastard turns off his curse before the gin kills him. She’s waiting on the bird freak to find her something that would preserve her modesty while fitting both the itchiness curse AND the event she is going to crash. Not even inviting me? I’ll show them that Mona won’t throw me aside...

Mineko’s next pair of panties was a hot pink thong with tiger stripes. Tegan can clearly see the nekomata’s folds through the tight latex material. Before Mineko could ask, Tegan growls, “Too whorish.”

As the cat-girl slumps away, Andromeda and Gaia saunter into the clothing store, the latter cat-calling, “Cute panties!” to Mineko. Her tails wiggle and she scurries over.

“Really? Really? Really? Really?”

Mineko’s eyes cross as Gaia gives her a few head pets.

Tegan scoffs a little at Gaia... encouraging Mineko to dress so slutty, “Shouldn’t you be afraid of her right now, with your whole mouse thing today?”

Gaia’s tone is cold and she stares daggers at the vicious vixen. She continues to pet Mineko the whole time. “Mineko is a good girl...”

“Goooood kiiiiiitttttty...” the cat-girl purrs.

“Yes, she is a good kitty. And she knows that I can get her tasty milk whenever she wants it. She’s not going to hurt anyone here. Can you say the same?”

The temporary mouse-girl guides Mineko over to the pile, leaving Tegan just standing there. What has gotten into her? At least I don’t have to deal with clothes shopping with the cat anymore. Where is the bird freak with my outfit? Tegan scans the store. Andromeda is looking through the free rack for something suitable. Gaia is cooing over panties with Mineko. The bird bitch is nowhere to be seen. And Ootah walks in. Great. The homewrecker...

The orc skank just walks by without a word. She flips through the free rack for a bit, then pulls out this leather... whore... thing. She nods to the bird freak, who happily waves her off.

Tegan stomps over. “And MY outfit?”

“Doesn’t exist,” the brat declares, “Anything that meets your definition of modest will set off the room transformation. Where would you like to compromise?”

“Don’t give me that...”

The bird turns away from Tegan. How rude! Andromeda is standing by the angry archer, asking the shopkeeper, “So, for the free rack items, do you need to scan anything, ma’am?”

“Nope! The store security system would handle you trying to steal things with a BP cost. If you only got that from the free stuff rack, then you can just go.”

“Thank you ma’am.” Andromeda politely nods and leaves.

Tegan, expecting better customer service, growls, “And I shouldn’t have to compromise. Isn’t the customer always right?”

“Actually, the saying goes: ‘Assume the customer is right until it is plain beyond all question that he is not.’ And it is obvious that you are wrong.”

Tegan seethes, formulating another tirade. Mineko walks up in that whorish thong. Gaia found a matching one, though she is only holding it at the moment. “Twinsies!”

“Twins! Twins! Twins! Twins!”

The bird freak gives them both a thumbs up, only for Gaia to say, “Hey, Mineko, I will see you upstairs in a bit. I need to talk to Tegan in private, okay?”

The cat-girl nods and scampers away, tails whipping in excitement. Once Mineko is out of earshot, Gaia is back to a cold tone and cold fury. “You LIED to me, Tegan. I don’t like liars.”

“But... what are you...”

Gaia snaps, “Save it. So, the priest lady I saw today asked me about bad stuff that I have done lately and I mentioned making your little prank thing and feeling bad about it. The priest lady said that you lied to me and I should do something about it before it got too late. So I did.”

Gaia: -5 BP (Mail Services)

Tegan is starting to get mad again. Did she try to ruin my vengeance again? How dare she! “You really believe in some priest skank over me?”

“Yes, because she was nice and not mean. NEVER ask me to do something like that again, Tegan. Do you understand me?”

“The bastard goblin freak deserves to die for what he did to me! Can’t you see that?”

“And I thought my ‘try to blow up the Hoover Dam’ thing was an overreaction. Even if being made itchy for a few days is worth punishment, murder is waaay beyond fair. And what about his wife? What about his kids, assuming he has some? Do they deserve a lifetime of suffering for your week of inconvenience?”

“YES!”

Gaia’s eyes narrow. “I’m done with you until you decide to be a good person, Tegan. My girlfriend deserves better than how you are acting. And don’t you dare ruin Jenny’s night.”

With that, the temporary mouse-girl waves goodbye to the bird freak. She exits the store with her head held high. Tegan scratches some more, not realizing that she is already crying. SHE doesn’t have to put up with this fucking itchiness! She doesn’t have to put up with people trying to steal her fiancée. Well, fuck her.