Reintroductions and Relationships

Eve shakes her head as she turns back to me. "He won't talk."

I sigh. "Any way to get him to talk?"

"No, I don't think so. Not peacefully, at least."

We stand in silence, staring at the tied-up goblin. I could use Mark of Submission, but... "Say, why don't I introduce you to Rose?" I heft our struggling captive on my shoulder and lead Camilla and Eve into the forest. A few minutes of searching later, I spot the giant verdure through the trees, already looking much healthier than she did just last night. Her flower is definitely more vibrant less wilted than before, her leaves are loftier, and some of her vines are thicker. "Stay back a bit. I should talk to her first."

They nod, and I approach, dropping my polymorph and stretching out my wings. Even though she can't stand, Rose is easily taller than most people at around six feet from ground to the top of her flower. Now that I think on it, she's a little larger than a hot tub in diameter. "You came back..." I hear her 'voice' in my head, and it still makes me flinch a bit.

"I said I would. Sorry it...took a bit longer than expected." I rub the back of my head. "Not trying to make excuses, but yesterday was a long day, and I had to fight some goblins nearby. Speaking of..." I drop down the struggling goblin. "I need to ask a favor. But before that, I brought some friends you met before, too. Don't infect them." I wave Eve and Camilla over.

"You want me to...leave them be?"

"Yeah. They're my friends, and I'd prefer not to have them under your influence." As the ladies approach, I introduce them. "This is Camilla and Eve. Camilla and Eve, Rose."

Eve looks on in awe. "You're...a lot bigger than before..."

"She's a lot smaller."

I clear my throat. "Just so you know, she can hear you, but...I'm pretty sure right now, only I can hear her. She tried mind controlling me, but it didn't work. As a result, I can hear her, much like her regular servants can. She uses mind control spores, but you don't need to worry about that."

Eve's eyes go to the Mark I had made on the verdure's base. "Is...that why we don't have to worry about it?"

I follow her gaze and nod. "Yeah. For some reason, having that is the condition for her release. Anyway, onto this favor. Rose, if you don't mind having another servant, we could use some answers from this guy."

There's a pause before she responds. "...you know what'll happen to him?"

"Yeah, I'm aware. But this will...better explain your capabilities."

Another pause, before a vine slowly comes out of the ground, wrapping around the captive. "I'll infect him, but he won't be able to talk for an hour."

"Thanks." I rub Rose's bulbous base as I turn back to my companions. "She'll need an hour to work her magic. In the meantime..." I sigh, rubbing the back of my head. "There's something else we should discuss." I pat Rose's base before leading Eve and Camilla to relative privacy in the forest.

Camilla's the first to speak after I stop. "Are you nervous about something? You're not usually this...kind of serious."

"Well, part of me has been purposefully avoiding this..." I take a breath as I turn to face them. "I didn't really want to put labels on...all of us, before. But, it seems like some god - I'm guessing Ramel, because of the quest - likes those labels. Camilla, I want you to talk with Kara first about this, but..." How the fuck to I even phrase this? "If I were to...do something crazy, say, make a harem, would you two be willing to join?"

The two stare in shock at me as an awkward silence fills the air. Red and brown fills their faces. "Well, you see," "I wasn't expecting" "You're serious?" "I really should wait" They move their hands and tap their toes like high schoolers.

After they pause, realizing they're talking over each other, Eve lets Camilla speak first. "Yeah, you're right. This is...definitely a conversation with Kara."

"Take your time." But please answer by the end of the day... "Eve?"

"I..." The goblin sighs, holding her elbows. She then shakes her head, before looking up at me. "Would you still want me if you knew...goblins don't normally live past forty?"

My jaw hangs slack. She was...robbed. I shake my head of the thought as I kneel down to be eye-level with the former elf. "Of course I would. Although, just to check, how long do you think you have?"

She avoids my gaze. "A little over thirty years, assuming I did the math right."

I wince, before taking a breath. "Then we'll make these thirty years the best of either of your lives. So much that you'll feel that happiness in your next life."

She blushes again, a smile on her face as she slowly slides her arms around me and into a hug. "Thanks, Dusk." She pushes herself away, before locking her lips with my own for a brief kiss. "And yes, I will join your harem. Just make sure to keep your word."

"I will." I pull her back into my embrace. "Cap, why don't you go discuss this with Kara?"

The captain nods. "Just don't leave town without me, okay? 'She' gets antsy."

"Got it. I should probably try to deal with the Hornet Empress now. Eve, sorry to interrupt our moment, but do you mind leading the goblins scouting for the Morolo while I do that?"

My lover pouts, but relents. "Fine. But you owe me some romance later."

I chuckle, patting her head. "I don't doubt it."

. . .

I sit in front of the Hornet Empress as the door closes behind Eve and the goblins heading out. Her scowl ignites that same anger in me that I had whenever I met her back at the hive.

"[D] You **** me to raise those two brats and then rip them away from me. What are you after?"

I stare, not speaking for a purposefully, uncomfortably long time.

"[D] I said-"

I slap her. "[D] It doesn't matter what you said." I pause again as her anger makes itself evident on her face. "[D] Who is your master?"

The insectoid scowls again. "[D] I have no-"

I slap her again. "[D] Who is your master?" She spits in my face, and I slap her again before wiping off the saliva. "[D] Who. Is. Your. Master." When she remains silent, I grab her face by the chin, squishing her cheeks. "[D] You hold no power here. You are less than a worm unless I say so. There are two reasons you're alive right now. The first: I don't believe it's a good idea to take my children's mother away from them. The second: you can train them to use their capabilities much better than I can. Wow, isn't that a coincidence? Both of the reasons you're alive are because of our kids. I'd hate if something happened to them...wouldn't you?" I smile. "Now, who is your master?"

She glares for a few seconds, before answering. "[D] ...you are..."

My smile widens as I release her jaw. "[D] Good girl. Now, you get two rewards. First, you get to choose your name. Don't make it something too self-righteous. Maybe go with some kind of flower to match Daisy and Violet."

She massages her cheek. "[D] ...and the second 'reward'?"

"[D] Patience." I shift around, setting my back against the wall. I forcibly take her by the elbows and guide them so she rests on all fours across me, ass in the air.

"[D] What is this?" She tries to push herself up before I rest my arm on her upper back, keeping her in place.

"[D] Your reward." I begin pulling down what passes for bloomers, I guess. "[D] You'll get spanked ten times. After each spank, I want you to say 'Thank you, Master'. If you don't, then it won't count toward your ten. This is a reward though, so I won't mind you being greedy and taking more spanks than you deserve."

"[D] What is a-ah!"

I pause, my hand still on her jiggly ass from the first smack. "[D] Getting greedy already, huh? You want your first spank again?" I smack her rear again, honestly enjoying the level of jiggling it demonstrates.

"[D] W-what kind of-ah!"

I slap harder. "[D] I'm doing you an favor here. You get to choose when I stop, you know."

"[D] Then stop this n-ah!"

I lean toward her, whispering into her ear. "[D] You know what you have to say." I bring my hand down again.

. . .

I rub my hand above the **** Hornet Empress, still in my lap. She really didn't give... And I thought we were making progress... I look at the purple spots on each of her cheeks with a mild amount of regret. I'll heal her tonight. Leave her unable to sit the rest of the day. Suddenly, I feel a...tugging sensation. I look around, not finding anything before another tug. It's one of those 'threads'? I tug back, pulling my spirit from my body and-

"Aaahhhhh!!!" I clap a hand over my mouth to muffle my screams of ecstasy. My vision goes white for a moment.

"You didn't scream this much on the beach, Kara..." I hear Camilla's voice tease. As I regain my vision and take in my surroundings, I see the brunette between 'my' legs, mouth still shimmering from 'my' juices. "Oh." The corner of her lips rise to form a slight smirk. "That's why. Enjoy that, Dusk?"

Sweat glistens on 'my' naked torso as I lay back on the grass of the forest. "Y-yeah..."

She hums, wiping her mouth. "Maybe you could enjoy it...more." I feel a shiver as I watch her finger trace the outline of 'my' love tunnel.

"O-o-ohhh...fuck." I pant, unable to move much.

She begins crawling up, slowly taking us face-to-face. "Dusk, Kara...we may have a fucked up relationship, but..." She smiles, kissing me - kissing us. "I'm glad to have you both."

'My' heart flutters. "We're happy to have you, too." I kiss her back for a few moments before pulling back. "Now, can I get some clothes? As much as I'd love to watch Kara parade around naked, it's a little different when I'm the one naked." I giggle.

"Oh? Who said the naughty little fox deserved clothes?" She smirks as I shiver from arousal. "Maybe you should parade around town naked. Let everyone get a good look at what they. Can't. Have."

"Oh, fuck..." Kara, how are you getting so aroused from this?

"Or maybe you just won't be allowed to wear clothes in the house. I'll keep these tits all to myself." She reaches down to 'my' chest and pinches 'my' nipples, causing me to squeal. "Hmm, my little fox is noisy, today. Do you want people finding us?"

My lips quiver. "N-no..."

"Then either you need to be quiet or we need to continue this another time."

"N-no!" I gulp. "I-i can be quiet..."

She smirks, pinching my nipples again as I attempt to hold back my voice. "Good little fox."