Mycelial Bonds

And, occasionally, her eyes would slither over to the women. Leshiotra had tried to manufacture her appearance based on their form. The sloping curves, the rounded breasts, the long legs, and a wide waist. They may have naturally been so attractive, but Leshiotra figured her engineering managed to capture it with her limited materials. Not to mention, she was the member of the outgroup. Leshiotra was inherently attractive in her alien form, at least on some level. Exoticism was what humans craved, and she delivered all eight feet of it. She could tell, as the tower was abuzz with activity when she had first arrived. All eyes were on her.

Barclay was right, Leshiotra figured. She did indeed feel pride.

"Everything looking alright?" Barclay asked.

All of her eyes shifted to Barclay again, raising herself up from some equipment. Leshiotra considered parroting that sentence back at him. Instead, she nodded.

"Something needed?" she asked.

"Eh, well, mostly I was wondering if the food's alright. You've been quiet for a while now."

"Yes, communication." He needed some confirmation everything was OK. "Samples excellent. Expect more food always."

"Great!"

Barclay was still nursing that apple of his, having whittled it away to the core and now picking at the very edges he still considered edible. Leshiotra herself had been casually picking away at and crushing the apple inside her, enjoying the physical sensations it brought. Yet, she also noticed that the way he was holding it was a little tenuous, almost stressful. His fingers played with the apple, turning it around in his hands.

"Something needed? From Barclay, you?"

"Kinda hoping I'd be able to take you outside for a bit. Show you something neat," he said.

"Neat." She paused. "Neat?"

"Something cool." Barclay shook his head. "Interesting."

"Interesting as you?"

"Oh, come on." He rolled his head.

Leshiotra laughed and waved a hand. "Yes. Show the neat."

"You sure you're done here? I don't want to drag you away from something important."

Was she? Leshiotra thought on that, then returned to one of the samples she was lording over, bending over once again and giving her hips a few sways as she idly prodded at the completely explored clipping. Once she was done with that, Leshiotra stood back up and nodded. Barclay nodded back, with a noticeable hardening of his expression. Yes, indeed, her form was pleasing from behind. Another experiment completed.

The pair walked on out of the high security garden, with Barclay setting down the apple on Irving's workstation on their way out. Leshiotra followed Barclay closely, curious where their trip might lead them. They wound through the crowd and slunk back into the hallways of the building, ascending back upward until they reached the living spaces.

"Safe to be here?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Close places. Humans live here."

"Look, no one is going to complain. And if they do, they'll have to go through me, got it?" He nodded and patted his chest.

Go through him. Colorful idiom. That, paired with the mammalian chest slap, almost seemed like some sort of mating ritual. Leshiotra patted back in-turn, only prompting a bemused smile from him. Ah, well, she could cross that off her list of possible advances.

The homes were all small rooms ordered in endless hallways. The only thing setting them apart from one another were the various numbers on the doors. They were likely only for counting purposes and not some sort of cultural reference. Unfortunate, that seemed so sad and sterile.

"Numbers and not names?" she said. "A home to welcome you with comfort."

"Does a home need a name?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Neat-er than numbers."

"I... guess so?"

As they walked, Leshiotra reached out and gently ran her fingers along the walls. Most were dead. Silent. And yet others were alive with slight vibrations of activity. Sounds and voices, the sensations of life. There was something pleasing about an old abode being given energy once again.

It wasn't long before Barclay stopped in front of one particular room. 788. The repeating digit was at least appealing to the eyes. With a small key, he unlocked and opened the door. Barclay walked inside and turned to her expectantly.

"Home?" she asked.

"Yeah!"

"Enter?"

"Well, yeah. Come on in!" He presented the way.

Leshiotra bowed and took her tentative steps in. The interior was a neat clutter. Plenty of random knickknacks were kept on desks or hung up on the wall. Only the furniture designed for lounging on remained untouched. She had never seen such an amalgamation of objects and her mind already began wondering what purpose each one served.

"Excuse the mess," he said.

"Mess? Relics, yes?"

"I guess if you wanna look at it that way, sure." Barclay shook his head. "Not what I wanted to show you, though." He moved over to the far side of the room, which had been covered in blinds. With a tug, he opened a sliding glass door hidden behind those, revealing the outside again. "C'mon."

Obeying, Leshiotra followed him out onto a balcony where the withered air worked its way into her carapace and across her exposed body. The city was still and silent, with only distant echoes ringing out to signify anything was wriggling around in its long dead corpse. Directly below, Leshiotra could see a large plaza where humans might have once spent their time intermingling and celebrating existence.

Barclay pointed off at a distant building. A sliver of something poked from its side, near the base of it, which was nearly obscured by another building in front of it.

"See that? That's where you landed. I didn't realize you could see it from up here until this morning," he said. "Sometimes you can even see the recovery crew go back and forth for samples."

"Almost embarrassing," she replied.

"Well, it's not like you meant to steer into a building, right?"

"No. Did not mean to land at all."

"But you're glad you did, right? At least a little bit." He nudged his elbow into her, which at her height meant it bumped right into her hips.

Leshiotra traced the path of the ship with her eyes, shifting to look up into the sky above.

"A little bit," she replied. "To get a servant of my own." Leshiotra nudged back, bumping against his head. She looked back down at him.

Barclay huffed and smiled, rubbing the side of his head. His expression softened as he looked up at her.

"So, why were you here, anyways? You never told me that part. Just happened to be in the neighborhood? This place can't look all that appetizing from space."

Whether or not Barclay meant that in a literal or metaphorical sense was uncertain. Leshiotra knew the real answer, but she was uncertain if it was an appropriate one. Simply put, study. Complexly put, obsession. She shifted her gaze back to the skyline. It was almost...

"Romantic sights," she said. "Would you agree?"

"Romance isn't my forte."

She tilted her head. "Different wording."

"I'm not good at romance."

"With your silly smile?" she said. "Not probable."

"See what I mean? The ladies just don't get me." He shook his head. "The word you're looking for is handsome."

"I." Leshiotra tapped on her shell. "Do not look for words. They arrive when I see something." She stared at him for a moment, turning her head from side to side to emphasize a scrutiny. "Yes. Handsome for a servant."

"I guess I got that going for me."

A particularly brisk wind picked up through the city, bringing with it a whistle. The hair follicles on Barclay's body stood on end, and he shivered. Leshiotra reached out and pulled him closely, rubbing his arms. Indeed, she could feel every bump on his arm. A cute reaction to the cold, for his whole body to flare up and try to preserve all the heat that it could.

"Inside before the handsome face is frozen," she said.

She ushered him inside and shut the door closed behind him, but not before taking one last glance at the ship she called home. Leshiotra turned back, facing the strange room once more.

"I guess you'll wanna head back to your office?" he said. "We could check out that book I got you."

Leshiotra scanned the room and let its air travel over her body. The room was imbued in his scent, which felt like, in a way, letting him mingle with her body. This was a sensitive area, and he had trusted her with the ability to seep into it. She decided to push her luck on that front, and answered him by sitting down on his couch. Wasn't there something else she should do? Ah, yes. Leshiotra crossed her legs, adding another feminine flair she so delighted in.

"That's a no, then, alright," he said.

Barclay stood there, looking as though he were unsure what to do. So, Leshiotra could make the next move herself, could she?

"Care for something to eat?" he asked. "I usually don't have guests over, so..."

Or perhaps that would have to wait a little longer.

"Yes. Treats, if available."

"Right."

In a flash, Barclay disappeared into another room, then came walking right back out with a handful of little dough confectioneries. He stood near Leshiotra and held his hand out.

"Would you not sit in your own home?" she said.

He nodded, then took a spot up next to her.

"You asked why I, Leshiotra, am here," she said. "Why do you stay as a friend? With me?"

Barclay's gaze shifted instantly. Leshiotra had accidentally pulled on a thread with more weight behind it than she realized. But curiosity kept her pulling. She nodded, trying to entice that social interaction further, while delighting in his treats as he did the same.

"I mean, isn't it cool to have an alien friend?"

"Others say not. Seem to not think it."

"Well, I think you're cool." Barclay's eyes dared to travel along her body.

Leshiotra drank up his gaze. The proximity between the two made it all the more exciting. She shifted a little closer, reaching into his palm for a treat. She was the exoticism that he so desperately craved, and only he was brave enough to admit it to her.

"And when you crashed, I guess I felt kinda bad. You seemed so lost, but friendly," he said.

"You were curious."

Barclay rolled his head and nodded. "Yeah, I was curious. Someone comes walking out of a ship that looks like it was alive turns heads. Plus, it was easy to think I could get some good scrap out of that."

"Seeing you try, very amusing." Leshiotra leaned closer to him, arm draping around him.

"I'm sure I'd still be able to get something out of it."

"Leshiotra." She looked into his eyes as she said that.

Was she too forward with all of this? Leshiotra realized she had leaped onto the opportunity to breach this level of intimacy. Even now her innards quivered at this proximity. To her, such closeness was casual, but with humans, this unspoken rule of proximity meant now she was imposing or sexual or all too friendly. But Barclay made no complaints. He gave her no rude stare or heated words. Indeed, he seemed more comfortable by the second.

Though... his eyes did break away from her for a moment.

"I'm starting to get the feeling you want something more out of this," he said.

"More?" Leshiotra deepened her tone. Sultry. She knew that inflection at least. "What more?"

He smiled. "C'mon, Leshi, you aren't the most subtle woman."

Leshi. She had secured a cute corruption of her name. Their bond was stronger than she imagined.

"Barclay, master of mating." Leshiotra chuckled.

"Those girls would've agreed if they had just stuck around to listen to me. Romance is tough."

"One girl here."

That response flattened his expression, though it hung on. He was brave, but still managed to be caught off guard by a crass suggestion. Leshiotra was pushing her luck, but it was so delicious to do so. The arm that draped around him could feel his blood pump, signifying his mental excitement. Whether it was a positive arousal was yet to be seen.

Barclay smiled and turned his head dismissively, shrugging.

"Not even possible, is it?" he asked.

As if.

Leshiotra slowly reached over to his farther hand and gently grabbed it. She shifted one leg back down and lightly spread both of them apart. Barclay watched as she brought it over to her body. The plate that hid away her torso's innards pried open. Her true form lapped at the air, tendrils teasing against his fingers. She shifted his hand lower, reaching her crotch plate. Farther her legs spread.

"Tell a secret. Yes. Keep it close," she said.

Barclay nodded.

"I. My form. Designed for pleasure, excitement of the nerves for you. Similar in my form."

The plates at Leshiotra's crotch slid open as her abdomen closed. It was no different from any other part of her form, essentially, only that she had altered it to delight in touch in all forms. Especially the warmth and pliability of humans.

"Touch," she whispered.

Barclay eased his hand further down, fingers teasing at her lower tendrils. There was no apprehension in his movements, more of a slow curiosity. Leshiotra shuddered as his fingers sunk deeper. It was hard not to immediately envelop his hand, rubbing every part of her excited interior over his pleasing digits. She added a moan, adding an extra sexual edge to the whole thing. This was it, she was verging on human sex. Depraved rutting.

"You were waiting for this, weren't you?" he asked. There was a hint of arousal in his voice, following her sultry inflection.

Another moan came from Leshiotra, tendrils wrapping around his fingers, drinking his soft skin. Her eyes ran across him, already plucking off every article of clothing from his body in her mind, as she had done so many times before. Only, her fantasies were interrupted by Barclay's ever brave hand, pushing deeper into her.

Despite Leshiotra completely lacking familiar female anatomy, Barclay seemed to be trying to pleasure her in the same way he would a regular woman. Fingering her. It might feel better if he were to use his whole hand, but to think he was trying something so regular in human sexuality made it a far more enjoyable experience. He was trying to pleasure her, not simply follow her odd whims.

"You were waiting for this, weren't you?" she replied, hips pushing back against him.

Barclay smiled and shifted toward her to better service her with his hand. His eyes seemed stuck to her crotch now. That was a perverted gaze reserved only for her. None else on this planet could share in a moment like this, between two wildly different beings delving into lust.

She had to add to this somehow. There had to be a certain addition to this scenario to add another heap of lust to it. Positioning, perhaps.

"Wall. Up against a wall," Leshiotra said.

Barclay's hand pulled from her. His fingers hadn't been gone for a second and Leshiotra was already craving them. She stood up and walked over to the wall near the front door, the only clear space that she could lean up against. It was exciting just to walk across his room so exposed. That must have been what it was like to walk in the nude.

Spreading her legs wide, Leshiotra practically beckoned Barclay with her tendrils. She placed one arm above her head, the other snaked down her torso. Her index and middle finger lay on either side of the opening, trying to copy the crude gesture of spreading her awaiting hole wide. Barclay needed no further prodding, immediately standing up and walking over to her. He looked up at her as his hand returned to its work, now coated in her own sexual fluids. His other hand ran down her thigh, fingers tracing along the seams of her armored body.

Indeed, he seemed to have been waiting for this for quite some time. Leshiotra pushed her head back, hips pushing forward as she let out a few moans. It seemed like Barclay knew exactly where he wanted to touch. And of course he would. Leshiotra had put so much time into teasing that he couldn't resist, could he? She practically corrupted him, and she loved it.

This whole pose was lewd, capturing all the best aspects of human sexuality. The will to give yourself unto someone else with total wild abandon. And Barclay seemed to agree. His free hand continued to travel across her body. The size difference made it somewhat of an awkward affair, but he moved to her ass, then slid around to her front and groped at a breast. Leshiotra grabbed at her other breast, vainly trying to squeeze and entice him. Her carapace may have been curvy, but it did admittedly lack that delightful squish.

Leshiotra's fantasies played out for a while longer before a knock came at Barclay's door. The pair froze, eyes locking. She waited for Barclay's move, curious to see what he might do. His eyes widened. Another knock came.

"Just a minute!" Barclay said. He swallowed. His fingers began again.

Was he...?

Barclay turned the knob, tugging on the door. Leshiotra shuddered and shifted her leg aside, allowing the door to open. Another human was standing right there, she could tell. She could hear them breathing so very loudly. The pair's deviancy was reaching levels that even other humans would find crude and demeaning. In one fell swoop, Barclay had cemented Leshiotra as his plaything. She writhed under his touch, struggling to keep herself from slipping into view.

"Yeah? What's up?" Barclay asked.

"Barclay, right? You work with the alien, don't you? The handler?"

"Something like that."

His fingers pushed further in, rubbing at Leshiotra's most sensitive portions. Human habits got the better of her and she placed a hand over where a mouth might be. Her other hand bumped up against the doorframe as she shifted. The other human must have been one of the gardeners, as she could also smell all the chemicals that went with the work.

"I guess best friend is a better way to put it," the gardener said. "Anyways, Irving was hoping she could come back over, since he figured she might have some insight into growing some fungi we found. Found a few new caps out in the wild."

"Leshiotra is a bit busy last I checked. Did you see if she was in her lab?" he said.

"First place I checked. The place was empty."

"Not sure where she could have wandered off to and gotten herself caught up in." His fingers wriggled back and forth inside her. "Anybody else seen her? She's a big lady, isn't she? Hard to miss her."

"Yeah, all of them said they saw her with you."

Leshiotra held back a moan. What would the other humans think of them doing this? Would they all see her and Barclay as degenerates? Perhaps some of them would be jealous that they hadn't been able to touch Leshiotra in the same way. She shifted her hand from breast to his arm, grabbing at it, goading on Barclay.

"Well, sorry, no idea," Barclay said.

"Huh. Damn it. He's gonna throw a fit after you guys came to gloat." There was a pause. "Look, you mind if I ask you something else?"

"No problem, go right ahead."

"Are you two like a... You boyfriend and girlfriend kinda deal?"

"Officially? No," Barclay replied.

"So, off the record, then." There was a chuckle.

"Off the record?" Barclay glanced inside, looking at Leshiotra. Her body rippled at the knowing look. "I'm interested."

"Really? Good luck with that, I guess. Wouldn't surprise me if she was up for it. She seems kinda... You know."

"Kinky?" Barclay asked.

"Either that or oblivious."

"Maybe a little bit of both."

"Maybe. I'll head off then. Send her our way if you see her, huh?"

"Definitely."

Barclay hung onto the door a while longer, each second more agonizing than the last. He eventually shut it. Leshiotra let out a deep groan.

"Tease," she said. "Touchy tease." She shook her head.

"You seemed to like it."

Her tendrils ran around his fingers, squeezing them.

"Loved it," she replied. "Too much to love. And now to love you. Payback, a human condition."