A slightly bemused look crossed Xoku's face for a moment. He had hardly done more than enter the water! Sure he had sought to encircle her, but at quite a distance, yet. A sudden thought flashed in his mind and he laughed; a burbling, hissing affair.

"What's the old line?" He mused through his chuckles. "'Me thinks the lady doth protest too much?' Don't know if the context is exactly right; I never was much for Shakespeare. I liked Macbeth, though . . . now there was a play! Swordplay, intrigue and three crazy witches on a hill dispensing prophecies to random passersby . . . " The serpent's mirth subsided.

"But I digress . . . No more stalling now, girl. We both know I could talk till I was blue in the face," Xoku's face momentarily took on the color mentioned, "before you could be put 'at ease.' There's nothing I can do or say that would make you comfortable with what I'm about to do to you. It is an unfortunate - for you at least - necessity, not some romantic affair." The serpent paused a moment, letting his words sink in.

"Still, it would be best if you try to relax a bit; the less receptive you are, the longer it will take for you to reach the level of orgasm required . . . "

Kirsty didn't appreciate the creature apparent amusement with her. Nor did she appreciate his using the Bard's words to mock her. His next words were a slap in the face. As if she needed to be told this wasn't going to be a romantic affair. Still, he could try to be more... seductive? At the very least. But no, instead he just ground in the fact that this was going to suck and insisted there was nothing he could do about it.

She raised an incredulous brow at him. "You expect me to relax but you will make no effort to aid me in doing so? Hah!" She rolled her eyes and folded her hands over her chest. "Not possible. If the goal is to make me orgasm then why can't I just do it to myself? I seriously doubt I'll come for you. Being raped by a dragon isn't exactly an arousing thought."

(Sorry, I took so long to reply. Couldn't figure out how to respond to the situation with the new Character.)

Xoku puffed out his cheeks and sighed. Damnable girl makes everything so hard! But that was part of what he liked about her. "Pray, tell: how, exactly, would you like me to be more seductive?" he responded to her unspoken thought.

"Would you like me to comment on the loveliness of your hair, cascading in sepia waves over your shoulders? Or tell you how your eyes remind me of cinnamon and sugar, both spicy and sweet like your spirit? Perhaps you'd like to hear how your lovely legs are a delight to behold and how I wish to caress them . . . "

The serpent's eyes glittered and he telepathically showed Kirsty as he saw her. He had not the words to adequately portray just how lovely and desirable he found her nor how much he actually respected her and wished to make things easier for her. So instead, he let the raw emotions flow into her, let her feel what he felt for a moment, so that she would know everything he had said was true.

After a moment, Xoku shut off the contact, looking away for a second as he refocused himself. Feeling so deeply that he could project it took a lot from the serpent, and he needed time to organize his thoughts. After that stunt, he didn't feel up to addressing Kirsty's other objections at the moment, so he simply looked back at her and waited to see how she responded to his projection.

Kirsty gasped and reached back to grip the side of the pool when the wave of alien emotions suddenly rocked her. She felt sympathy and compassion and well as need and desire, love and lust battled for dominance in her head but it was wrong. These weren't her emotions, they were Xoku's. She saw herself for a moment as though she were looking through the serpent's eyes but the woman she saw there wasn't her. She knew what she looked like and that wasn't it. She looked radiant and pure and sweet... She was not sweet!

He was seeing Lady Meander. The woman he'd loved and who had died tragically because he couldn't protect her. How frightened she must have been... What must it have been like for her when the goblins had captured her? Molested her ruthlessly... Did she hold out hoping Xoku would rescue her eventually or did she die hopeless and alone? Did she wish to die by the end. Kirsty could only imagine... And that was dangerous enough.

"Shit!" Kirsty swore and shook her head violently. She'd almost lost herself to that vision. She had a bad habit of getting way-too-far into the heads of the characters she played. She'd started to do that with Meander... If she allowed herself to go down that road she would effectively become the Lady in question in spirit... She paused suddenly at that thought. Would that be such a bad thing? If she had to have sex with the dragon wouldn't be better to do so as someone else? Someone who might actually enjoy it? "Okay, Xoku... You win. That was a douchey thing to do without warning a girl but it did give me an idea that might make us both happier with this situation..."

She paused to catch her breath after the wave of overwhelming emotions finally started to subside. "What would you say if I told you I could give you your girlfriend back for a few hours? I mean, it wouldn't really be her, it'd be me, but I can channel her. She's the heroine of this..." She gestured around them. "Tragic love story. And a part of my power allows me to... kind of becoming one with the character I'm portraying. Right now, I'm technically supposed to be Lady Meander. I can feel her inside me... I almost tapped into her when that little version you gave me. I could give in to it completely for a while. You could make love to her instead of me... I mean, it'd still be me but I wouldn't feel like it was me. I could relax and... err... enjoy it. If you'll gave me your permission that is?" It seemed wrong to attempt a stunt like this without asking him. It was sure to be a little heartbreaking after all. Still, she hoped he'd agree. She could keep a part of her virginity this way (mentally at least) and save them both the pain of a messy rape scene.

Xoku's eyes grew wide as Kirsty's idea formed. You're sweeter than you think he thought and couldn't be sure he hadn't broadcast it. This seemed like a perfect solution to him as he really did not relish the idea of taking this girl, who reminded him so much of his lost love, by force. Though he was confident he could make her respond to such an assault eventually, this would be much more efficient.

"You- you would do this for me?" the serpent asked incredulously. Of course he knew she was sincere and that the action benefited her too, but it was still hard to fathom. To let another, even a shadow of another influence one so completely; it was a sacrifice Xoku couldn't help but be touched by, even if it wasn't specifically for him.

"I-you have my permission," in a way, he didn't really feel this was up to him. After all it was the Celeste's essence that was involved, but she couldn't speak for herself. He felt she would probably agree to something like this, though, especially if it helped all those involved. The inevitable heartbreak of when they must part again only briefly weighed on Xoku's mind, it would be worth it to be with Celeste again (even if only as a fantasy).

"I'm not doing this for you." She corrected him sternly. She saw the tender expression on the creature's face and instantly felt that she needed to draw a line in the sand lest he get the wrong idea about her. "This is a compromise because you said that me having sex with you was the only way to escape this place. I don't want to have sex with you at all but since you've basically told me you are going to are going to take me whether I cooperate or not, I'm opting for a less painful solution. As Meander I'll be about to relax to some degree, pretend its not really me because... well... in a way, it won't be. My body will have had sex but I'll still be a virgin in my mind at the very least.

"That being said," She sighed and leans back against the pool wall. "This is a one time deal. I'm not doing it because I'm nice and I'm sure as Hell never doing it again." She hoped at least. She closed her eyes and tried to recall the vision Xoku had given her moments ago. It returned quickly but she held off embracing it for a few minutes. The dragon seemed to be under the impression that this was difficult for her, it wasn't, but she wanted him to continue thinking it was. "It might be a little weird... Just to warn you. She won't be quite the person you knew and her experiences, from today at least, will be roughly what I experienced today..." It was easier that way than trying to channel post-kidnapping Meander.

Kirsty placed herself inside the image of Lady that she'd gotten from Xoku. Imagined what today would have been like for someone so sweet and pure. It wasn't too hard. Mostly it was just fear. Celeste had come into the forest, trying to escape the stress of her family and the castle, looking for Xoku but had encountered Sqwazit first. Xoku had rescued her from the goblin but not from the tree or the ogre. She had to rescue herself from them. A harrowing challenge for sure but she'd made it to Muirethriel, who was clearly an ally. Who gave her shelter and rest and...

beat

Celeste opened her eyes and stared at the creature wading in the warm clear water before her. "Xoku!" She sprang to her feet, over joyed to see him. She dashed over to him, completely forgetting she was naked just now, and threw her arms around his neck. "I've been so frightened and I didn't know what had happened to you. Where have you been!?"

Xoku nodded quietly as Kirsty explained in no uncertain terms why she was doing what she was doing and that she was never going to do it again. He noted without reaction that it wasn't really going to be difficult for her; no point in pointing out she couldn't dupe him that way. Besides, despite all her warnings and objections to the contrary, he was still touched by the gesture.

He continued to wait quietly while she pretended to prepare herself for the channeling and then while she went through the exercise. Xoku realized belatedly the danger neither of them had considered: his essence was still affecting her power! He would have tried to stop Kirsty then, but it was already too late. The transformation was subtle, yet complete. Before him was his lost love from long ago and she flew to him in joy.

"Cs-cselesste! I'm sso happy to ssee you!" He returned her embrace with a swarm of his tendrils and a tear leaked unbidden from one of his great, golden eyes. Carefully, he probed the girl's mind, relieved to find Kirsty safely tucked away within the shell of Celeste. Her control was quite remarkable; he just hoped no undesirable consequences occurred and she could dismiss the character as easily when the time came. Of course, getting his power out of her would go a long way toward ensuring that.

"I'm ssorry it took sso long to drive off the goblin, my love," Xoku said, letting himself fall into the fantasy, too. "I tracked you here ass fasst ass I could; I was ssoo afraid when I ssaw you were traveling with and ogre." The serpent slowly began to wrap his coils loosely around Celeste, the equivalent of holding her close.

"The ogre wasn't as bad as the tree he saved me from, honestly. Though there was a scary moment when I thought he might..." She shook her head. "But I managed to avoid that by bribing him. I still own him a kiss actually." She added was a lighthearted laugh, pretending it don't bother her. "Everything has been fine since Muirethiel took me in. She's been extremely nice. She healed be up and let me..."

She gasped suddenly and pulled away from Xoku. "Oh lord, I forgot! I'm completely naked!!" She attempted to cover herself up for modesty's sake. How could she have forgotten that.

Xoku reluctantly let Celeste go, but he did not turn his gaze away. Instead he drank in all that she could not cover. After all, they were both still in the bath-pool and he was between her and her dress.

"There'ss no need for that, my love," the serpent replied as he coiled himself around her again. "There'ss no sshame in bearing yoursself to me. After all, your body iss sso lovely, the real crime liess in covering it up." He wrapped tendrils around her wrists and gently pulled, trying to guide her hands up to his lips.

Celeste blushed at the dragon's words, though not out of embarrassment or anger like Kirsty had. "You flatter me, Xoku, but really..." She offered only the slightly resistance when he attempted to pull her hands away from her body. Only for a moment, then she reluctantly letting him draw her hands to his lips. She fair skin flushed prettily under the heat of his regard and she looked demurely away, unable to meet his intense gaze while she was so exposed. "This is highly improper." She whispered but there was a hint in her voice that she did not dislike the creature attentions, a hint that she could be convinced to go further.

The serpent brushed his lips against the backs of her hands, sighing at the touch of her soft skin. He continued to hold her hands in his tendrils while he coiled more of his body around her. He used another tendril to tenderly guide her countenance back to face him.

"How, improper, my love?" he murmured back to her. "We love one another, do we not? Iss it sso wrong for uss to be together?" Xoku pressed his lips to hers while his tendril gently stroked her cheek. Yet, still his coils wound around her, lightly sliding against her legs and abdomen.

If possible Celeste flushed even more at the directness of Xoku's questions. "B-be together..?" She stammered nervously. "I do love you, Xoku b-but..." His kisses cut off her objections and she felt herself melting a bit on the inside. She sensed his body coiling around her and she shivered with anticipation. She could feel her breasts and lips (and not just the lips he was kissing either) swell with arousal. "I just... I've never... ummm... done that sort of thing before..."

"I know, my love," Xoku began, then traced his forked tongue back along her jaw before tickling her right earlobe. You are pure and innocent, he continued telepathically, and I would be honored to share with you all the pleasures your womanhood has to offer.

The serpent moved several of his tendrils to Celeste's back. He used a few to comb through her lovely tresses, while he directed others to stroke over her flesh, tracing her shoulder blades and wandering up and down her spine. He gently writhed his coils against her legs and belly, though he had yet to touch her anywhere truly naughty.

Just lay back in my coils and lose yourself to the sensations, my love. His tongue was still busy, having wrapped behind her neck to move to her other ear. I will take care of everything . . .

While Celeste hesitated, wanting to accept the loving pleasure Xoku was offering her but also nervous about it being her first time, the gragon continued to entice her. He surrounded her with his sleek body and filled her head with his voice. It was overwhelming her senses and when he gave her his assurance that he would "take care of everything" she finally surcame to him. She let out a shuttering breath and laid back in his coils as he had instructed.

Xoku shifted his coils to form a bed of scale sheathed muscle for the young brunette. He held her half out of the water as he moved his head around in front of her face. He pressed his lips to hers again, letting his tongue slip between them. His tendrils wandered downward, sliding gently over her arms and sides before curling inward over her abdomen and back toward her breasts.

Yes, my love; let me take care of you . . . Xoku whispered into Celeste's mind even as he kissed her. Just relax and enjoy the pleasure . . . His coils writhed beneath her, massaging her back, buttocks and legs.