The Flower Girl

"You sure you're good to go?" Alrek narrowed his eyes at Larya, then narrowed them further as he turned to her companion.

Lim giggled and did a little twirl. She was wearing a simple green skirt and a blouse that only covered her chest, leaving shoulders and midriff exposed, and her tail twitched from beneath the skirt in obvious excitement. "Don't worry, Snatch. I'll bring her back in one piece."

"I'm not asking you, catgirl." Alrek rolled his eyes as he slung his scythe over his shoulder. "This is supposed to be a quick little mission before we head to the coast to help those merfolk." He paused. "You still ain't coming on that trip, right?"

His tone indicated a great deal of worry that Lim was about to say that yes, she had.

But Lim made a face, cat ears flattering. "The ocean? Yuck. You don't want a catgirl around when you're dealing with merfolk."

"What, catgirls and merfolk don't mix?" Larya brushed a strand of long, dark hair from her eyes, blinking at Lim.

"Oh, no, that's catgirls and Arachne Girls that don't mix." Lim hummed, cradling her face in her hands as her eyes closed, as if recalling a fond memory. "Catgirls and merfolk mix... very well... but not in a good way. No, I can't help you on that trip. After this, I'm heading back to the Standing Stones,"

"I bet." Alrek snorted. "Anyway, I don't want this trip going on long. I'm just going to help deal with that barroom creep, and you're gonna deal with this... fey problem thing, and we'll meet back up here in one hour." He put up one finger with as much vigor as he could muster. "One. If you ain't back here then, I'm leaving without you."

"Oh, sure you are." Larya smirked. "Anyways, you got it. One hour."

"No distractions."

"No distractions."

"No fucking around."

"No fucking around that takes longer than an hour." Larya grinned as Alrek's face reddened a little. "Oh, relax, Al—Snatch." She gave a quick glance at Lim, remembering how sensitive Alrek was about others knowing his real name. He'd been mad enough when Larya had learned it. The rogue liked his secrets. "It's impossible for a pair of druids to deal with fey without fucking around a little. I promise we'll be back in an hour, or you can leave without us."

Alrek crossed his arms and nodded curtly. He turned away. "Then I'm heading to the bar. See you in a few."

"See ya!" Lim waved eagerly as the adventurer stalked off, out of the forest and towards the village.

When he was out of earshot, the catgirl gave Larya a sly grin.

"What's that look?" Larya asked, scowling.

"Oh, nothing!" Lim sang. She skipped ahead, twirling once more. "I sure hope nothing goes wrong on this trip!"

"Oh, hush." Larya walked after, her brown robes trailing behind her in the grass.

"I'm Larya!" Lim said, pitching her voice down an octave. "Golly, I sure reckon this trip better go according to plan! I'd be ever so disappointed if I were to be taken and devoured by some salacious forest sprite!"

"Shut up, Lim!" Larya's face was burning. "I mean it. This is supposed to be a quick trip to resolve the issue."

"Ooh, yes." Lim pranced back and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close. "Just a quick trip. How slutty would we have to be to get caught up in things?" She meaningfully pressed her chest against Larya's.

Larya shoved Lim off, giggling slightly despite herself. "It is just going to be a quick trip. No mischief making! You better not take the enemy's side the second something slips inside you again."

"Oh, you really must stop bringin' up that bloody ivy dryad." Lim gave a bashful smile. "I can't help it if I'm a mite ticklish!"

"You can. You literally can. You're a catgirl, sensory magic is your specialty."

"Hm. Oh yeah." Lim winked. "You'd know, wouldn't you?" She stuck out her tongue for emphasis.

"Sh-shut up!"

The catgirl cackled with glee as they advanced into the Greatest, Darkest Forest.

~ ~ ~ ~

Larya and Lim had been walking for about five minutes when they first caught whiff of the sweet floral scent they sought. They exchanged looks—Lim delighted, Larya a little flushed—and hurried forward.

"Do you hear that?" Lim asked.

"Hear what?" Larya whispered, looking around them.

Lim leaned in close, grinning. "Whimpering," she whispered in Larya's ear.

Larya noticed it about a minute later. And a minute after that, they discovered the source.

Lying facedown in the grass, whimpering pathetically, was an attractive young man—perhaps a year or two younger than Larya. He was pale, with deep brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. His eyes were wide. He was totally naked.

And he was dripping with nectar. If there had been any more nectar on him, he'd have been drowning in it.

He humped his hand, apparently helpless to move more than that but helpless not to stroke himself in some way. As he locked eyes with Larya and Lim, his moans got louder, more plaintive.

"Dosed," Lim observed, unnecessarily. "Probably an escapee. Silly boy. He fought his way all the way here only to give in now."

The man whined and squirmed at Lim's words. He looked up at them pleadingly.

Larya bit her lip, glancing at Lim. "What should we do?"

Lim shrugged. "We can't afford to slow down. We'll miss the meetup, and Alrek will be furious."

"But shouldn't we help him?"

"Uh-oh!" Lim teased. "Already getting distracted!"

"Oh, really, Lim." Larya rolled her eyes. "So immature. I'm just saying, we can't just abandon him."

"Hm." Lim rubbed her ear. "Well, why don't I help him get back?" She licked her lips and grinned. "I can get him back, then meet up with you."

"Should we really be splitting up?" Larya bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Lim teased. "Worried that you'll give into somethin' without my guidance?"

"... no. No, that's definitely not going to become more likely with you gone." Larya rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. But no fucking him!"

The man gave a long, miserable whine.

Lim walked up, giggling. "Oh, c'mon, Larya. You know just like I do that the nectar doesn't affect mental faculties." She dropped to her hands and knees and casually rolled the man over, twitching tail betraying her interest.

The catgirl licked her lips. She was plainly occupied admiring his engorged cock. She slowly crawled over, eyes shining as she looked up at Larya. "It just makes him horny!"

"It's still consensually... squicky."

"He's not getting anywhere this full up," Lim pointed out, as she started to lovingly trace a finger around the cock's head. The man's hips bucked helplessly. "I have to get some of that nectar out somehow!"

"Ugh." Larya groaned, averting her eyes as Lim started to delicately lick. "Fine, fine. But no swallowing! The last thing we need is you even hornier than him!"

"Mm mm?" Lim blinked innocently up at her, already sucking.

Larya giggled despite herself. As she walked past, she paused to scritch Lkim on the ears, eliciting a happy whine from the catgirl. "Naughty kitty," she scolded, and hurried onward.

Behind her, the man's needy moans quickly lapsed into squeals of pleasure.

~ ~ ~ ~

It wasn't hard to find the targets. Larya just had to follow the moans and sucking sounds. Not the ones Lim was making, mind—Larya was ten minutes away from Lim now, and still making excellent time. Perhaps she'd have time to fool around a little with Lim after. She privately loved it when Lim seduced her into riding some cock for the catgirl's entertainment. It always felt so awfully good to do as a fey told her, especially when that fey was sweet little Lim.

As Larya approached the clearing, she took a deep breath. Gods, but the floral scent was strong. She'd have to be careful here—the nectar wasn't terribly dangerous as long as she didn't get caught up in it, but its keeper was an entirely different matter.

Larya stepped into the clearing.

Her eyebrows arched.

][something drips on her shoulder

Straight ahead of her, squealing in bliss, were three humans—one man and two women—caught up in a great blue blossom. They moaned and squirmed, caught in the grasp of a fourth voluptuous woman with emerald-green skin and sedge-green hair. Nectar sloshed all around them.

Larya pursed her lips and took a cautious step forward. "Really, now. You're Marianne, right?"

The alraune looked up at her, blinking big, beautiful dark eyes. "Oh... oh, yes..."

Larya put her hands on the hips. "My name is Larya Nuptuel. Please release those captives. I would like to speak with you." She tried to tune out the moans and cries of Marianne's bliss-drowned captives. It wasn't easy.

"Mm... are you sure?" Marianne giggled faintly as a redhead kissed along her neck. "B-Because... I think you'd like to do more than that."

Larya felt her face reddening. She kept her breath shallow, to avoid breathing in too much of the nectar's scent—just in case. Something dripped on her shoulder, but she didn't turn around. She kept her eyes firmly trained on the alraune's captives. She knew how easy it could be to sink into an alraune's eyes.

"Yes," Marianne purred, and Larya realized she hadn't responded, "that's right, isn't it? Sweet little Larya would love to just come in here and... hee... cum in here." She bounced her hips, and a blonde cried out eagerly.

The blonde's eyes were so wide and blue. Quite pretty, in fact. Those were the eyes of a very happy woman, Larya had to admit.

The moans were an endless chorus. Larya stared, her eyelids fluttering, struggling to keep from looking into Marianne's eyes—even if she could imagine how pretty they were, even prettier than the blonde's big blue eyes, even bigger than the redhead's deep brown eyes, even prettier than the dark-haired boy's glazed hazel eyes...

"It's so nice in here, you see," Marianne cooed. "So easy in here. You can just siiiink into my flower, and screeeam, and cuuum, and... cuuuuum... mm, just siiiink right in with the others!"

Her voice rose just barely above the cries of lust from her captives. The blonde woman locked eyes with Larya for a moment, her gaze smoldering, disarming in its pure desire. Her eyelashes fluttered and she squealed as another orgasm took her.

"Um." Larya realized she should be speaking. But her voice seemed so small beneath the moans, the endless, erotic chorus of cries and screams. Marianne's toys seemed so happy. Larya locked eyes with the redhead, sank into those brown eyes. The redhead beamed vapidly back at her and beckoned, then returned to kissing Marianne's nipples.

"Thaaaat's right," Marianne sang. "There she is! There's my good girl!"

"Umm..." Larya swayed, listening as the blonde cooed nonsense words of pleasure, stared at her with an enticing smile even as she trembled and whined, lost in the alraune's drugged nectar.

She felt something dripping on her shoulder again—something warm and gooey, like syrup or... or...

"That's a good girl! Such a good girl! Sinking deep-deep-deep into the flower, soon." Marianne seemed to be coming closer, Larya realized. Or Larya was coming closer, lost in the eyes of... of the captives... the endless moaning filling her head, emptying her of real thoughts...

Marianne giggled as Larya came to stand before her, staring up with a feeling of utter need. Larya's lips parted, ready to beg...

A vine wrapped around Larya's ankle. Larya almost swooned. She was ready to give in, ready to let Marianne take her...

She finally looked into Marianne's eyes as another vine wrapped around her waist.

Marianne looked... cross.

Larya felt herself jerked backwards. She wanted to squeal with shock, but as vines slipped past her lips, all she could do was moan into them. Vines were surrounding her, stroking all over her body.

"No fair, Bella!" she heard Marianne whine.

Larya tried to turn around, but the vines held her head steady. As they slipped her robes away from her, as casually as one might peel away a wax paper wrapper on a sweet treat, she managed a squeak of concern, but then...

... then they were inside her, gently vibrating, and she was whimpering in delight, worries melting away like ice cream in a warm pot.

She felt lips grazing her neck. "You really must be cautious around Marianne, little one," cooed a voice in her ear, sugary sweet. "She has a tendency to... overindulge."

Larya was spun around to face a pair of brilliant turquoise eyes. They belonged to an especially curvy alraune, her skin an emerald-green, her hair the same deep evergreen hue as her eyes. She was nestled snugly inside a bulbous pitcher-like flower hanging from vines looping up into the canopy, its exterior a dark forest green, its interior the same brilliant pink as the blossom down below—but slimy, like a sea anemone.

The flower was set at an angle, so that every time its occupant adjusted even slightly, some of the nectar inside sloshed out. Larya now understood what had been dripping onto her shoulder.

The alraune reached out and caressed Larya's cheek. "A pleasure, my darling," she purred.

Larya shivered as the vines slowly coursed in and out of her—not nearly quick enough to make her cum, but enough to hold her on the precipice. "B-Bella, I presume?" she slurred around the vine.

"You presume correctly, little one." Belle giggled, leaning in to kiss Larya. Larya noted those plump, red lips, and tried to lean back, but the vines slipped from her lips and eased her forward into the kiss.

She whimpered and moaned as their lips met. Sticky, sinful pleasure poured into her. She leaned in willingly, now, feeling her mind melting into goo as the vines tightened, pulled her towards the flower...

A bulb hit her in the back of the head. She blinked. Someone had just thrown a bulb at her. "Mm."

She wrested herself back, and risking a brief dip into the World Base, forced the vines to relax their hold and exit her eager body. She scrambled up onto a nearby branch and glared down between Bella and Marianne. "No wonder the villagers asked me to help. You two are a mess!"

"Oh," Marianne said, blinking innocently, "the, um, villagers sent you? Oops!"

"Oh, come now, Marianne," Bella said. Her voice was very soft, and could barely be head over the moaning. "Let's not make fools out of ourselves. The druidess knows very well that we knew." She performed a slight curtsey. "A thousand apologies, milady. Your beauty compelled me to act in reckless desire."

Larya heard Marianne mock-gagging.

She ignored this, continuing to trade her attention between the two—concentrating on a single alraune for too long would be a bit dangerous, even with her head mostly cleared. "Have you two been trying to capture people all day? Horny toads!"

"Hey now!" Marianne scowled. "You don't get to call her horny. She just kisses and brainwashes!" She winked. "I'm the only one who can... satisfy you."

Bella sniffed. "I have never heard a singular soul complain after escaping my blossom. Whereas those that escape your skunk cabbage—"

Larya rolled her eyes. It was as bad as the villagers had feared. "You two are supposed to be the patron fey of this village. I know that this can be a difficult point for alraunes, but kidnapping people and forcing them to have sex or... whatever it is Bella makes them do is not good patron fey behavior."

The alraunes exchanged cross looks.

"I'm the patron fey," Marianne said haughtily. "She's just a whispering sprinkler who couldn't have the decency to pick her own village to protect."

"Protect?" Bella's eyes narrowed to slits. "I only capture those who are willing. You are a rapacious scoundrel!"

"It's not very willing to grab someone and start sticking vines every which way, you know," Larya said, adjusting into a sitting position on the branch so her legs hung free. Her heart thrilled a little at the thought of of of her legs being grabbed and yanked to bring her back down among the alraunes. But she wasn't that much safer perching like a confused pigeon.

Bella sighed. "Oh, I do know. Forgive me, milady. Though I try to exercise restraint, there still dwells within me that beast which desires to taste the submission of all pretty little druidesses. But this was, indeed, a special circumstance."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Marianne said, sounding bored—even as the blonde and redhead eagerly sucked at her nipples and the dark-haired man hungrily kissed and licked her neck. "We're having a contest. A sexy contest." She winked up at Larya.

"Indeed," Bella said. She smiled up at Larya. Larya looked between the two seductive fey and swallowed, the flavor of Marianne's kiss lingering on her tongue. "In the event that two fey cannot share a village to protect—and rest assured, I cannot possibly learn to share anything with this uncouth jackanape—a contest is usually in order to determine who would make the more effective guardian."

"It's obvious, though," Marianne whined. "I caught three, and would've had four if you hadn't plucked that boy out earlier and let him get away! Five, with the dru—er, well, four, anyway."

Larya crossed her arms. "So you're competing on who is the better seductress? But that's hardly fair, Marianne—Bella's control is slower, but quite effective. You might just be taking advantage of the work she's already done." The spot on her shoulder where the nectar had dripped tingled meaningfully. "This contest is badly constructed. I have a friend who knows a lot about rigged games, and this game... I mean, it's really tilted. And it doesn't even prove anything about who would make the better patron!" She pointed between them. "A patron fey isn't just about seducing troublemakers. You'll also be keeping the villagers happy. If you're assaulting them—not only does the contest establish nothing useful about who is the better lover, it directly antagonizes the village! You're both bad patrons!"

The two alraunes stared up at her, wide-eyed.

They both burst into tears.

"You're right!" sobbed Marianne, clutching all three humans to her bosom as she wailed. "It's all true! I'm a terrible patron!"

"Y-You're not even a patron," wailed Bella. "I was sup-supposed to be be-better than you! All I've done is make people miserable!"

Larya folded her arms and waited.

"I-I am so a patron," Marianne said, tears streaming from her eyes as she stared up at Bella.

"You are not," Bella said, crossing her arms.

Marianne pouted. "I am so!"

"You're merely a wandering monster. I'm the patron!"

"Ugh, patrons are supposed to have fun with their villagers!"

"I can have plentiful fun!" the whisper alraune retorted.

"Girls!" Larya raised her hands, suppressing a slight giggle. "There's a better way about this. You just need to have a more fair-minded kind of contest!"

The two alraunes exchanged big-eyed looks.

"Now, I'm here to establish a patronage agreement," Larya said, keeping her voice slow and steady. She kicked her feet a little, hoping to keep the alraune's attention by being just a little bit flirty. Or maybe the way the alraune down below was staring up her skirt was making her feel a little flighty. "But since you two clearly can't coexist, we'll need to work out who can be this village's patron. You need a contest with objective rules, and a referee to keep you honest."

Marianne blinked. "A referee would make this more fair..."

"It would keep us from our rapacious impulses, as well," Bella mused, smacking her lips together. She ran her thumb over them, glazing them with nectar as though applying lipstick. "We would only be working with the willing."