Which one would you screw?
Cambion
29.4%
5
Empusa
41.2%
7
Marid
29.4%
5
17 votes
| Don't forget to vote in the other brackets! Bracket 1: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2113944 Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2113940 Bracket 3: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2113939 CAMBION EMPUSA MARID |
tygertygerSep 2, 2023 9:58 PM
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Luck of the Draw “Is it drafty in here, or is it just me?” I said to the man next to me. “Not funny,” said John. He was dressed the same way I was, in a satiny gold loincloth, sandals, and a brass collar. The thin chains attached to those collars were mostly for show -- big guys like us could’ve snapped them easily -- but the women holding the other ends probably would’ve objected. One was green and about seven feet tall -- eight if you count the horns -- while the other had dark red scales on her legs and forearms and a lizard tail. The flame on the end of that tail worried me almost as much as the scimitar strapped to her hip, and the green one had a claymore on steroids slung across her back. “Hush, you two, the boss is concentrating,” said the lizard woman. She leered at me and said, “But if you want, we can make some noise together.” “Now, now, Omaira. You know that the merchandise sells for more when it is unspoiled.” Boss Katarin’s voice was as oily as the smug smile I’d never seen her without. She was an obese raccoon woman with the kind of elaborate hair and makeup that only rich people can get away with and so much jewelry that she was almost painful to look at. Not that anyone else in this gambling den was looking at her; they had their own games to worry about. As she spoke she rearranged her eight-card hand, grinned, and slammed the spread onto the table. “Starfall,” she announced. Her opponent, a petite woman with purple hair and deep violet eyes showing above a silky veil, winced at the five images of shooting stars. “That beats my Double Eclipse,” she conceded. She threw down her cards as Katarin raked in the pot. “I fear that fortune has abandoned me.” “And yet your pile of chips is larger than mine,” Katarin said. “You have been consistently winning small pots with occasional losses on big ones… as expected of a professional gambler.” “Or an experienced player like yourself,” the veiled woman responded. The boss chuckled. “Well played, Mistress Faiza. It seems that our skill at cards is closely matched, and with truecloth lining the tables neither of us can use our powers of illusion to falsify the cards.” At Faiza’s indrawn breath Katarin laughed. “Oh, did I not mention the truecloth before? Well, the fact that you did not know that tells me that you have not tried to cheat. Splendid! I find such honesty refreshing.” She then leaned in and grinned like a shark. “Now, how about giving me a chance to win back all the money you took from me?” Faiza’s eyes narrowed. “What do you suggest?” Katarin smiled a now-I’ve-got-you smile and began shuffling the deck. “I propose a single round of play. If I win, you give me back all those chips. If you win, I double them. What say you?” Violet eyes sharpened with what was probably a predatory smile behind that veil. “I have a counter-proposal. If you win, I return all of the chips. But if I win, I take possession of one of those fine pets you have there.” The green woman growled and reached for her sword, but Katarin stopped her before it cleared the sheath. “Peace, Midori, our guest meant no disrespect,” said Katarin. “On the contrary, she displays a fine eye for value.” The boss finished shuffling and pushed the deck toward Faiza for the cut. “I accept your proposal, madam.” Faiza tapped the deck to indicate no cut, and Katarin started dealing. This round was much faster than the ones before, probably because now neither party was pretending to be less skilled than she really was. Both players arranged their hands, and Katarin made two discards and took new cards. Katarin’s grin grew larger and eviller while Faiza’s expression remained neutral. “Well, Mistress Faiza, this game has been most enjoyable… especially the part where I reclaim my hard-earned money.” She laid her cards down -- a sun, two moons, and five stars. “A Full Starscape. The second highest hand in the game, if memory serves.” she started to reach for the chips, but Faiza held up a finger. “A moment, Lady Katarin.” She laid her cards down one by one, and though the veil hid her lips the smile in her eyes brightened with each one. “Lord Ahmose. Lord Amarante. Lord Elizabeth. Lord Kaori. Lord Kioko. Lord Michiko. Grand Commander Brynnhilde. The Council of Teremir. The Halls of Power… the highest hand in the game, if memory serves.” She motioned an attendant over and sent her chips to be cashed in. “You are right, Lady Katarin, that game was most enjoyable.” Faiza leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “Now, which of these fine specimens of manhood shall I claim?” She extended a finger and pointed at John. “The lovely tanned one?” Then she shifted the finger to point at me. “Or the just as lovely deep brown one?” The digit slowly bounced back and forth between us in a mesmerizing dance before settling to point squarely at John. “I believe I shall choose… that one,” she declared. Katarin ground her teeth while trying to make it look like a smile. “Alas, Mistress Faiza, that one is already promised to a buyer. I am afraid you will have to settle for the other instead.” Faiza frowned and sighed. “Oh, very well, then.” She stood and held out her hand. At a gesture and a pained look from Katarin the green woman handed over my chain. “Thank you once again, Lady Katarin. May fate reward you as you deserve.” Faiza bowed deep, accepted a heavy coin purse from the returned attendant, and gave my chain a tug before making a dignified exit from the casino. Once outside I turned to Faiza and said, “Thanks for the save. Sorry I’m not the one you wanted, though.” Faiza glanced at me and said, “I wanted you all along, but Katarin is petty enough that she would have refused whichever one I picked.” She put a finger to her lips and said, “Now hush. We need to leave the area before she sends her goons to take you back.” I took the hint and stayed quiet. We walked several blocks from the casino before turning down a side street and taking a series of twists and turns through a maze of alleys to shake any tails. About half an hour later we reached a small inn that looked like the sort of place that had hourly rates. She ushered me inside and to a room on the third and highest floor. Not until the door was locked did she turn to me and say, “Now we may speak. What is your name, slave?” I didn’t like the sound of that word, but now wasn’t the time to argue. I had lots to learn about this weird world I’d found myself in three days ago, and I was sure Faiza could teach me. “Jacquorrey,” I replied. “Jah-koh-ree… a lovely name,” she said. “I am Faiza, your new mistress.” Her eyes crinkled with a smile and she added, “But worry not, for I am a kind mistress. I am sure that you will come to enjoy belonging to me.” I grinned at that, because I had this girl’s number now. She might talk a good boss babe game, but I knew a shy virgin when I saw one. “I already have, mistress. Thank you for getting me away from that… Lady Katarin.” I showed just a hint of disgust. I needed to be convincing, but I didn’t want to lay it on too thick. Faiza giggled. “Yes, Katarin is… how do you outworlders say… a lot. In more than one sense of the word.” “I’ll say.” I gave her a sincere smile and said, “It was pretty gutsy of you to risk it all on the luck of the draw like that.” Faiza shook her head. “I make my own luck, my pet. Katarin’s kind wield powerful glamours, so of course they guard against the kind of cheating that they would do. I have a reputation as a moderately skilled illusionist, but my true talent is for probability manipulation. Katarin and I were both dealt exactly the hands that I intended.” I couldn’t help but be impressed by that. “Wow. You must make a ton of money on dice games,” I said. “But if you do luck magic, how did you get a reputation as an illusionist?” “Not too much money,” she said, “It is unwise to invite suspicion. As for my reputation, that is due to having started the rumor myself.” She then yanked the chain so that we were almost nose to nose. “So, Jah-koh-ree, how grateful are you to have been saved from Katarin’s tender mercies?” I leaned in and let my breath tickle her ear, then dipped my head and caressed her throat with a sigh, slowly worked my way up to the opposite ear, and whispered, “Would you like for me to show you?” “Y-y-yes… s-slave,” she breathed. I allowed myself a smile at that reaction; her excitement was exactly the effect I was going for. I gently pulled aside the veil with my right hand and stroked her face while barely grazing the space between her shoulder blades with my left. With my gaze locked on hers I let my fingertips drift down to the small of her back and waited for her to heave a shuddering breath before I claimed her lips with my own. For someone with little experience Faiza was an amazing kisser, but judging by how she was mewing like a kitten I was even better. My tongue wrestled hers as I backed her against the wall and pinned her arms above her head. Her knees almost went out from under her when I did that, but I held her up with the hand on her back pushing her crotch into mine. She moaned into my mouth when she felt my hardness, but I kept up the tongue action until she began to grind against me. I broke the kiss, speared her eyes with my own and said, “May I… become completely yours, mistress?” Faiza couldn’t even speak in response; she could only nod. I led her to the bed, where we both kicked off our sandals, and I dropped the loincloth. I really enjoyed her look of excitement mixed with alarm; nine inches is nothing to sneeze at. I undid the ties on her gown and let it slide to the floor before drawing back the covers and guiding her into bed. “Tonight I am yours, Faiza,” I said. I knew she was hooked when she didn’t react to the lack of formality. Then I rolled on top of her, kneed her legs open, and spent the next two hours showing her who was the slave and who was the master. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Midday Musings “Permission to speak my mind, my lady?” Amaya asked. “You don’t need to ask me for permission to speak your mind,” Elegantine answered. With Pip’s leash loosely hanging around her wrist the baroness was occupied with scratching Pips’ head -- Amaya was thirty-three percent sure it was Pip -- who laid curled up beside her on the futon and was purring ever so softly. Similarly, Amaya held Zip’s -- again she was thirty-three percent sure it was Zip -- leash and was indulging her as he had put her head to rest on Amaya’s lap. “I’m not going to leave for Kioko next week.” While it had been a great honor that the seneschal of the Nightshroud family had paid Athalia a visit, the consequences of her visit had created a dilemma for Amaya. Zip’s fluffy ears perked up as she opened her eyes to throw Amaya a lazy, questioning look. She could easily see why the baroness was doting over them for they had stolen her heart too. Which of course made the love triangle -- or should she say quintangle -- that her feelings had been caught up in even more complicated. “Why? Weren’t you going to visit your family and your sister?” Elegantine asked. “We don’t know when Miss Carla will return, for all we know she won’t be back for half a year. As your bodyguard I deem it irresponsible to leave you without any protection,” Amaya replied. “Ah.” Elegantine thought about it for a moment and then her face lit up. “Well Nip, Pip, and Zip will still be here.” “Yes, we’ll take good care of the mistress,” Zip chimed in. There was no doubt in Amaya’s mind that the trio would indeed take good care of the baroness, however that was not the kind of care Amaya was worried about. “I am sure you will. But can you protect miss Elegantine if trouble rears its ugly head?” Amaya asked the pussybus. “We can hiss at it menacingly,” Zip said confidently. “And if that does not chase it off? I love you dearly, but you three are neither mages nor fighters. Keeping the villa safe is Miss Carla’s responsibility, and keeping both the mistress and you safe is mine,” Amaya countered. Then she focused her attention back on the baroness. “I don’t think it is fair to ask Nip, Pip, and Zip to act as your bodyguards, so I will stay with you at least until Miss Carla is back.” Zip pouted but quickly relented, choosing to be coddled over starting an argument. “We do like it when you are here,” she said. To emphasize her words she used the tip of her tail to softly stroke Amaya’s bare thighs, something the pussybus knew very well she had a weak spot for. Meanwhile Elegantine had a pained look on her face. “Maybe I should have hired more bodyguards. I feel terrible if you cannot visit your family because of me.” She seemed genuinely upset with herself. “Please don’t feel bad. After all, I do like being here. Besides, I got to visit my family last spring. And as for Miyu, while it is a shame I won’t be able to personally welcome her back home, I was thinking of inviting her to come visit us here in Athalia instead. With your permission of course, it is your villa after all,” Amaya proposed. “That is a wonderful idea! I would love to meet her,” Elegantine replied enthusiastically. “Ooh, we like visitors. If they’re nice, or sexy, they might even hold our leashes too,” Zip happily chimed in. While it sounded a bit corny, Amaya could attest that it was a very special feeling to be so utterly trusted by someone that they had no problems with being put on a leash and going along with whatever silly plan you could come up with. But Zip’s remark also hit home; Amaya had been longing for Miyu’s embrace for over a decade, and just thinking about seeing her again spread a pleasant warmth through her body. But it was a familiar warmth; one she also felt for the triplets or the baroness. Will Miyu still love me, even when she learns that I cheated on her? I was supposed to become her covenant partner, Amaya thought to herself. As despair and anger began to work their way into her psyche, a different inner voice quickly dispelled them again. Nonsense! You don’t care if Miyu bedded others during her stay in Amarante, so why would she care about who you have lain with during her absence? “Thank you! I shall write her an invitation tonight,” Amaya said while trying to mask her inner conflict. After a brief moment of hesitation she asked, “If I may be so free, why is it that you have chosen to hire only such a small retinue?” For once Elegantine was not quick to share her thoughts. But eventually she confessed, “Please don’t think of me as selfish, but should I ever be so lucky to find a husband I don’t know if I can share him with many more; perhaps two or three, but that should be it.” Ah! That explained a thing or two. Amaya thought to herself. Truth be told, for someone of Elegantine’s means, Amaya found that she was quite generous if she was willing to share a husband with up to seven others. But more importantly her remark opened up a possibility for Miyu to be inserted into the equation. “You know that you are not obligated to share your husband with most of your retinue, right?” “I don’t? But didn’t we agree that we would share a husband should we ever find one? And I have the same agreement with Nip, Pip, and Zip.” The baroness seemed a bit confounded. Before Amaya could answer, Nip -- Amaya was thirty-three percent sure it was Nip -- returned with five large glasses of wine to replace the ones they had already emptied. Then she handed the baroness her leash and cuddled up close to her. This stirred Pip awake who then followed Nip’s example. Not surprisingly, Zip now also decided that she wanted to cuddle. “Well, the agreements you have with us are not the norm. For example, you don’t have a similar agreement with Miss Carla, so you are under no obligation to share with her should you find a man. Similarly, Miss Carla is under no obligation to share with us either. As a matter of fact, I don’t think she would be open to sharing to begin with. Dragons often are possessive like that. But that doesn’t mean Miss Carla can’t work for you. Heck, the marchioness has over a thousand trumparts serving in her retinue. It would be insanity if she was obligated to share her husband with every single one of them. Though, in all fairness, some of the trumparts actually do have husbands, and they are not sharing with her.” “The marchioness likes men?” Elegantine questioned in disbelief. “I always thought she could have such a large retinue because she… you know… only likes women.” She could be excused for her misunderstanding of the marchioness’ tastes. After all, the vampire’s voracious appetite for women, both in a figurative and in a more literal sense of the word, was widely known. It was something Amaya had experienced firsthand more than once -- a small price to pay for over a decade of training by her honor-guard. “She prefers women for sure, but during my time as a squire I learned that she is not entirely without interest in men. But until she finds one that meets all her very picky criteria, I think she’ll stick to women. I guess when one is as influential, long-lived, and patient as her, one can afford to be so.” “Really? I would not have guessed that she’s into men as well. She never talks about them when we play cards, unlike the others,” Elegantine remarked. She called it playing cards, but Amaya knew better. The marchioness could be a powerful benefactor, but, with very few exceptions, her favor had to be bought with an offering of blood and mana. This was especially true for the lesser nobles whose positions stood or fell with the marchioness’ favor. So, every other month the elite of the Great Glenn region donned their most revealing evening gowns, before heading to the marchioness’ estate for two nights of luxurious dining, drinking, gambling large sums of money, inevitable noblewoman on noblewoman debauchery, and, if chosen, to receive the marchioness’ kiss. Which was euphemistic talk for the vampire sinking her fangs deep into their tits—she always went for the tits—to gorge herself. But it was not the marchioness’ tastes Amaya was interested in. No. The baroness’ tastes were much more relevant to her, especially now that she had learned she was open to sharing with at least one more person. Feeling emboldened Amaya inquired, “So what kind of partners tickle your fancy?” “Ooh, we would like to know that too,” Zip -- who had stopped using her tail and was now using her hands to caress Amaya’s thighs -- chimed in. “Yes, we would,” Nip agreed. She and Pip had gotten similarly involved in buttering up the baroness. The baroness threw Amaya a smirk, which meant that she was about to say something she herself thought was very clever. “Since you are the one asking, you share your turn-ons with us first, and then I might divulge mine.” Amaya reluctantly granted that the baroness was not entirely without wit. “Makes sense,” Nip remarked. “Can’t argue with that,” Pip agreed. “Well then Amaya, let’s hear it!” Zip then demanded in a playful manner. “Can’t argue with that indeed,” Amaya conceded magnanimously. While it wasn’t the most brilliant of moves, still Amaya respected how the baroness had turned the tables on her. “Well then, as for the women I like them feminine with rounded features, soft skin, generous pliable curves, a pleasant smell, and not too muscular.“ “She likes us,” Zip deduced. “Both you and the mistress are highly attractive,” Amaya admitted. Her compliment encouraged Zip’s affection to become more adventurous, coming dangerously close to exploring Amaya’s own pliable curves. “As for men, I like them tall as an amazoness, with broad shoulders, a hairy chest, a big beard, and preferably strong enough to pin me down.” “Ooh, you like manly men,” Pip concluded. “We like manly men too,” Zip added. “But, we also like them if they bald or short,” Nip added. The triplet did not strike Amaya as particularly picky when it came to men or who they liked to sleep with in general. Meanwhile Elegantine was eying Amaya suspiciously, then she let out a chuckle, “So you are telling us that you have a crush on mister Garrett, the ace of spades’ husband?” Oh, shit! Amaya cursed internally, for the empusa was right on the nose. Of course she would know the tall and burly off-worlder lumberjack living in Kilkelly. A mere two-and-a-half dozen men lived there, and she visited the place often enough to have been introduced to every single one of them. Also, Garrett was not particularly forgettable. Delighted to see a fierce blush form on her bodyguard’s cheeks, Elegantine continued teasing, “No shame in getting wet for mister Garrett; he may do me however he wants, wherever he wants. But, so may any other man, as long as they are kind. As for women, I don’t know why, but if they are not a succubus-type then they don’t really do it for me. Also, I like them well-dressed, well-groomed, not too tall, not too short, not too muscular, not too skinny, wide hips, long hair, and with a nice large pair of breasts.” It took a moment for the pussybi to process what the baroness had shared, but eventually Nip happily exclaimed, “The mistress thinks we are sexy, too!” Obviously this admission of attraction also counted as encouragement for the triplet to take their affections to the next level. Both the baroness and Amaya knew that once the triplet had gotten started, it was both futile and foolish to try and stop them, not in the least because wonderful things were about to happen. Elegantine threw Amaya a sensuous smile and seductively bit her lip. “How about you two join us on the sofa?” she proposed in a husky voice. “That sounds wonderful,” Amaya replied between two heaves. She did not have the heart to tell the baroness that if she wanted to be seductive, she was supposed to bite her lower lip and not the upper one. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Tough one. For Faiza / the Marid, I quite like the call back to last year's series of vignettes and the insinuation that Faiza may have had a minor hand in Katarin's bad luck of the draw in her next undertaking (if you can call it a bad luck of the draw :) ) Her reaction to Jacquoerrey almost makes me think like, maybe, just maybe, she actually is a 400 year old virgin that can't even speak to a man if he can see her face (But of course, that is impossible since she would never lie) For Amaya / the Cambion I like the ongoing scenes with the different entries playing together between Eglantine, Amaya and Nip, Pip and Zip and certainly had a good chuckle at that last sentence. I also liked the continuing portrayal of Eglantine as a little slow on the uptake, without making her a complete dunce |
| Once more I find it quite difficult to make a decision between the two entries. But, after much deliberation, I have decided to give it to... the Marid! (But I still hope to see more of Amaya in any upcoming vignettes for Eglantine or Nip, Pip, and Zip). |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
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