Exposed Ch. 05

Claire lay there, in the cold, dark closet she'd crawled into, completely naked and shivering uncontrollably.

She could still almost feel the wriggling, slippery tentacles working inside her, sliding against her clit unceasingly. She could still feel the voices inside of her, begging her to just...beg.

She had. And it had felt so good.

"I failed you, Goddess," she whispered. Her long black hair, normally shiny and lustrous, was sticky with sweat and filled with dirt and dust from the floor she'd been...lying on.

Getting her brains fucked out by one of her Masters.

She shuddered, shaking her head furiously. No. "No," she told herself. "I'm...I'm not going out like that!"

She'd heard stories from other girls who'd been partially Converted, who'd let it consume them. One girl had even betrayed the order just to get the tentacles back inside her to finish the job. Just so she wouldn't have to think anymore.

She would not be one of those girls. She was Claire, favored priestess and lieutenant of the Living Goddess, and she was more than that.

She climbed to her feet. Feeling around in the darkness, she grabbed an old coat and put it on. She found some men's trousers lying on the floor—doubtless hastily discarded right before a session with one or two of the Converted—and put those on as well.

There was no underwear. She rolled her eyes. Of course there wasn't.

There was, however, a bra. It was one of the push-up kinds—the only kind ever seen in this kingdom of misogynists and perverts—but at least it would ease some pain on her back. Claire slipped off her coat momentarily and tied the scanty object on.

She took a deep breath. She was alone, unarmed, and almost naked. But she wasn't going to go out so easily. If Fate wanted an end to her efforts, it would have a long and rough struggle on its hands.

She turned and opened the closet door.

Anne stood right outside. The red-haired succubus was completely nude, hand on her chin, an amused, thoughtful smile on her face. She opened her mouth to say something.

Claire slammed the door shut, nearly hitting the demoness in the face. "Hey!" she heard Anne cry.

Claire's heart was pounding. She turned and braced against the opposite wall, holding the door shut. I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. You win, Fate. Good game. 'S been nice.

"Ugh." Anne sounded annoyed. Claire blinked—she hadn't heard that emotion from the succubus since...ever. "Okay, sorry. That was a bit bitchy of me, wasn't it?"

Claire didn't say anything. She took a deep breath, realizing she hadn't been breathing.

"Okay, look." Anne knocked on the door. "Sorry. I was just—I was doing a scare thing, y'know? Like, 'boo, haha'? I guess this, uh, wasn't the best time for it."

Claire frowned. This didn't sound like the brainwashed Anne at all. Nor did it sound much like a man-devouring demon.

"So, uh..." Anne knocked again. "I don't wanna rush you, Claire, but we're kind of on a timer and you're the only one who knows the way."

"Me?" Claire's voice was barely more than a breath.

"Yes, yes, you. Look, they brought me here with a fucking bag over my head." Anne sounded bitter. "I don't like asking humans for favors—and I know, 'cause I've been doing nothing but begging for them the last few months—but I really need to get out of here before more soldiers show up. I'm...not sure I can take them, in my current state."

Claire hesitated.

Part of her wanted to open the door. And probably give Anne a coat or something, because her naked body was making Claire very uncomfortable right now. But she wanted to help.

Part of her, on the other hand, remembered the mindless obedience, the insane lust, that had shone so long in the eyes of the succubus over the last few months.

"Claire." Anne's voice got strangely quiet—almost hard to hear through the door. "I don't want to lose myself again. I...please. Please try to hurry."

Claire felt tears in her eyes.

She turned and opened the door, thrusting out a coat and pair of pants to block her view of Anne's nether regions. "Let's go."

~~~~

Ri watched as Anne rapidly got dressed. She couldn't help but watch, and she knew Anne knew it from the little smiles the demoness kept sending her way.

"So, um..." Behind her, she heard Claire cough. "Otyu."

"Yeah."

"Thanks. I guess."

Anne took her time putting on a little pair of panties. Ri hadn't the faintest idea of where she'd gotten them, but such thoughts left her head as she watched Anne slowly pull them up her slender, muscular legs. The temptress sat down, affording Ri an excellent view as she eventually brought them up to block her cunt, letting Ri see its juices start to dribble onto the pink garment and make a wet spot. Anne smiled at her, the smile one might give to a pet cat that has gotten stuck inside a paper bag.

Or to any other sort of entertaining pet, but Ri had only ever seen cats. Pets weren't too popular in the Kingdom of the Chosen. That wasn't actually related to all the misogynistic qualities, though—it was really an unrelated issue connected to an ancient ghoul plague that had forced people to purge most animal species from their homes, a practice which had since developed into a cultural custom lacking any particular logic behind it. All this wasn't really at all relevant to the current catastrophes, though, and Ri wasn't exactly sure why it had come to mind.

"Don't fuckin' thank me, bitch." Otyu paused. "Sorry. Habit. Don't fuckin' thank me. I wasn't doing it for you or your order."

"I know who you were doing it for," Claire said. "And...I guess that's good?"

Silence. Ri watched as Anne's tail snaked around her breasts, wrapping around each of them and cupping them together. She looked up at Ri, raising one eyebrow suggestively as she tied on the bra. When her tail released the breasts, they jiggled together, and Anne gave a sultry wink.

Ri sorely regretted still being stuck in her waitress uniform. The little red cloth that some liked to call a 'skirt' was not doing anything to hide what was dripping down her leg. What has this demon done to me? she wondered, biting her lip.

"Yeah, okay." Otyu echoed Claire's earlier cough. "Uh...okay, this is fucking awkward. Look, keep the girl safe. I promised her mother I'd...well, just follow your code with her."

"Of course I will."

"Well, then. Here y'are. Try an' make it quick."

"Got it. Good luck, Otyu."

Ri was watching Anne squeeze into a ridiculously tight pair of pants. Anne twisted and writhed, giving little soft moans of seeming discomfort as she leaned over the table for better purchase. Ri was afforded an embarrassingly personal view of the succubus's pert rear as, with a loud snap, Anne finished.

Ri tasted something irony on her lip and quickly stopped biting it. She stared at Anne a moment, losing herself in the woman's perfect, supple body. The succubus turned back, still leaning over the table, and winked.

Ri jolted to her senses as she heard a loud CLANG. She spun in time to see Otyu falling. A large bump was growing on his forehead, and Claire stood above him with a frying pan.

"Claire!" Ri cried. "What—"

Claire looked up at her. "What? It's the plan." She blinked. "Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, Ri." Anne chuckled, coming up behind Ri and oh-so-subtly brushing against her as she went to stand beside Claire. "Where does your mind go, I wonder?"

"Um..." Ri swallowed, walking to stand behind a table so she could slightly rub her legs together, try to absorb the wetness before Claire spotted it. "So the plan involves hitting Otyu with a frying pan. Okay. This is a good plan."

"Otyu doesn't wanna come with us," Anne said. She was explaining slowly—as if she'd been paying any more attention, Ri thought irritably. She was probably just putting together what Ri herself was now starting to work out as well. "He's not the adventuring type. So we're gonna pass this off as a heroic rescue attempt. He got knocked out, sadly, and was unable to save Lieutenant Belkir from his hilarious death-by-ironic-stoning."

"Uh...what about the boys that attacked me?" Ri frowned. "They'll tell people Otyu was defending me."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Nobody will believe them." Claire gave a grim smile. "That fat old catfish, one of the last elemental mystics on the continent? I mean, not even I can really believe it. How the mighty fall."

Anne walked over and took Ri's hand. Ri jumped as she was led over to the door, but she walked along obediently. "Otyu will say they just didn't want to admit getting beat by a girl," the succubus explained. She winked. "Even a scary demon girl like me." As she turned back to Claire, her fingers slightly tickled the inside of Ri's leg, making Ri straighten with shock.

Claire picked up one of the swords of the dead Chosen, frowning. "Low-quality steel. Blegh." She looked over and walked to Belkir's corpse. "Maybe the lieutenant has...aha!"

She reached down, removing the man's belt—pointedly ignoring the man's large erection—and took the scabbard and blade.

She drew it, eliciting an audible, strangely musical hum, and her eyes widened. "Ooh! Magic! I love magic weapons." She quickly sheathed the sword, silencing its faint song. "Remind me to show that to Yillit."

"Um..." Ri swallowed. She wanted to take her hand from Anne's, but knew full well that that wasn't an option. So she just put her hand behind her back. She knew that this would just make it look like Anne had her hand on her ass, but it beat letting Claire see Ri deliberately holding Anne's hand. She hoped. "C-Claire, right?"

Claire looked up at Ri, looking surprised. She stood, tying Belkir's belt around her waist. "That's right. And you're Ri. I know we didn't exactly speak much."

"Y-you're...with the False Goddess."

Claire's expression darkened, and Ri instantly regretted her reflexive reference. "I serve the Living Goddess. I am a trusted priestess of the order that fights to free these lands and drive off the Chosen Commander's empire of cruelty. Perhaps you should watch how you refer to my faith."

Ri felt Anne lightly stroking the slip of her rear with a finger. "I doubt she meant anything by it, Claire. Remember her upbringing."

Claire blinked. "R...right." She closed her eyes a moment. "Sorry. It's been a...rough day." She gave a manic sort of laugh, a laugh completely devoid of joy. "Listen, Ri, I'm going to take you back. The Living Goddess and our allies can protect you. Annuisetvio can do whatever she likes once we're past the border and in Horacio's dukedom."

"Oh, come on." Anne rolled her eyes, releasing Ri's hand and ceasing the light tickling. "You're taking us to that hellhole?"

"Horacio is an honorable man," Claire snapped. "He's sheltered our troops ever since the Chosen began mobilizing."

"Blegh." Anne pouted. "Honorable? Try boring-as-hell. And I know hell." She paused, frowning. "And hellholes. Wow, I'm funny, aren't I?"

Claire rolled her eyes as she finished tying the belt. "It's where we're supposed to meet some mercenaries, anyways. They're working almost for free. Apparently they're really good."

"Pfft. Mercenaries." Anne smirked. "Just rangers who get laid more often."

"I don't really care if you like where we're going or not, Annuistet...Annuisev...ugh."

"Just call me Anne." Ri glanced back, seeing Anne's tail twitching, tantalizingly close to Ri's left cheek. "Trust me, it's easier."

"Annuisetvio." Claire sounded the words out. She walked over, coming to stand between Ri and Anne, and took Ri's hand. Her tone went softer. "Ri, are you ready to go?"

Ri looked at Claire. Armored, exhausted, ready for battle.

She turned and looked at Anne. Tightly-dressed, relaxed, ready for another round on the floor.

She knew, of course, what Claire didn't: The question was truly going to be answered by Anne.

The succubus gave a tiny nod.

Intensely relieved, Ri turned and nodded. "I-I guess."

"Okay." Holding Ri's hand, Claire started walking. "Anne, you coming?"

Anne walked up and came to stand right beside Ri, sandwiching the young albino between the soldier and the demon. Ri felt the tail tickle between her legs, barely touching her pussy's parted lips. She barely contained the whimper.

They left the tavern with no undue haste. As they did, Claire sniffed the air, scowling.

"Even out here, it still smells like sex. Gonna be a long journey."

Anne flashed Ri a dazzling smile, eyebrows arched.

Ri gulped. No argument here.

THE END.

~~~~

Goblin's Note: And that's the last you'll see of those characters!

No, not really. What is this, the last season of Angel? I didn't see any goddamn Jayne Cobbs in suits, did you? Yeah. You didn't.

Kidding aside, this is only the official end of the Exposed act. Claire's story will be continued in a new "act", which will be given a title more fitting what's going on. I think at some point I may go back and edit the starts of each "act" to explain the chronological significance, but if you're curious, here's the current sequence-of-events in-universe:

- First, there's Annuisetvio's conversion. This takes place well before everything else.

- Second, there's Sea Slimes. Snatch and Larya met sometime before then.

- Then there's Unliving Lust, which comes a fair while after.

- Then there's chapters 01-05ish of Evergreen Forest, which take place directly after the events of Unliving Lust.

- Finally, the rest of Evergreen Forest (starting from Snatch's escape from the nymphs) and the entirety of Exposed take place at roughly the same time.

ANYWAYS, the next installment of Claire's saga will begin after the completion of the Evergreen Forest arc. Said installment will, surprise!, bring the two tales crashing together like the marionettes of an incompetent, epileptic puppeteer! AAAHhaahahaaHAHAa! >:D

Next up will be either Sea Slimes, Evergreen Forest, or something completely different! And have a happy New Year!