Tower Of Monsters

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<h3>Tower of Monsters @@font-size:70%;A Vorny Text Adventure By SecretJWorld@@</h3> <<link "BlueSky" >><<script>>window.open('https://bsky.app/profile/secretjworld.bsky.social')<</script>><</link>> | <<link "FurAffinity" >><<script>>window.open('https://www.furaffinity.net/user/secretjworld')<</script>><</link>> <img src="img/titlesm.png" width="50%"> @@color: red;Disclaimers: This is a game which heavily features explicit content, and is therefore strictly 18+ only. This game largely focuses on vore content, but other fetishes will also be present. If you don't know what vore is, this game is likely not for you. Content warnings can be enabled for those who want to avoid certain scenes.@@ @@.buttonsmall;<<button "No CWs">>\ <<set $cw to 0>>\ <<replace "#conf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf1">◄</span>\ <<button "Sparse CWs">>\ <<set $cw to 1>>\ <<replace "#conf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf2"> </span>\ <<button "Detailed CWs">>\ <<set $cw to 2>>\ <<replace "#conf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf3"> </span>@@ Before we begin, special thanks go to the special people who helped me with bug-squashing, feedback, and lots of encouragement. I would have given up a long time ago without you all. ♥ And a big thanks to you, too! ♥ Thank you for supporting my work! ♥ Now, let's [[Start The Game|0-1]]

<h3>At The Foot Of The Tower</h3> You have arrived at the beginning. Before you is The Tower. At its top lies the end. You were called here. The summons came without a letter, or a messenger, or an omen or any sort of divine sign. There was simply a day you woke up with a calling you could not ignore. And you knew you must go. Beginning on that day, you left your home to find this place. The journey remains a blur in your mind, faces and vessels only a smear of color in your memory. You brought nothing more than what was needed to arrive at this exact moment, nothing more than was needed for you to be you, here, right now. Everything else is gone. Everything else is irrelevant. @@color:red;<b>You must reach the top.</b>@@ But now you are you and you are here and you have choices. You may want to \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link1">\ <<link "look">>\ <<replace "#link1">>\ look\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#option1">>\ <<if $cw is 0>>[[Go Inside|101]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Go Inside (OV)|101]]<<else>>[[Go Inside (Dragon, OV)|101]]<</if>>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#look1" t8n>>\ <hr> -The Tower The Tower stands before you in an otherwise untouched landscape. It rises from a hill among weather-worn boulders that bulge from the earth. Dense, yellowed grasses grow, with sparse trees shielding you from the wind. There were no signs of civilization nearby when you arrived, and no remnants of labor from The Tower’s construction. There is a\ @@.link-stay;<span id="link3">\ <<link "path">>\ <<replace "#link3">>\ path\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#option2">>\ <<if $cw is 0>>[[Go Around|102]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Go Around (AV, Pred OV)|102]]<<else>>[[Go Around (Raptor, Same Size, AV, Pred OV)|102]]<</if>>\ <</replace>> <<append "#look2" t8n>>\ <hr> -The Path Here You retrace the footprints which led you here. They come in all shapes and sizes, representing all manner of man, beast, and boot. Some of the footprints seem large enough for you to lie in, though you refrain from testing that. Now that you look closer, you see that there are, in fact, a select few prints that diverge from the rest. They go off into the surrounding grasses, but you can't make out where they lead. It makes you wonder if perhaps there is another way into The Tower after all. <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ through the field which you took on your way here, but it’s no paved road. It's a trail made entirely by footprints, an uncountable swarm of them. All go in, none come out. You stare up from the base. Orderly brickwork composes The Tower as far as your eyes can make out. What would be an ordinary gray stone is marbled with blue, giving it an enchanted appearance. It’s unsettlingly clean. No moss or lichen grows on the shimmering, polished surface. Even the grass seems to lean away from the ethereal brick. Windows, balconies and protrusions speckle the tower without rhyme or reason, but every structure angles towards a\ @@.link-stay;<span id="link2">\ <<link "single shining point">>\ <<replace "#link2">>\ single shining point\ <</replace>>\ <<append "#look2" t8n>>\ <hr> -The Peak You strain your eyes to get a better look at the radiant peak. Even when squinting, the light is overwhelming. You glean nothing more. When you look away, there are spots in your vision. It takes perhaps a full minute before they fade, and for a while longer, strange shapes beyond your understanding float under your eyelids. You’re not going to do that again. <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ at the top. Just in front of you, the stone has been carved into intricate, rippling patterns rising along the metal frame of a ruby-red door. You have no idea what it’s made of, but the door stands at three times your height. However, the intuition that led you here gives the sense that the door will be unlocked. <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ at what you’re getting into before making any hasty decisions. <<if $Debug is true>> @@.nartext;Or, you could simply take the elevator. That would work too… How convenient that it was built specifically for people testing the game! Aren't you special?@@ <</if>>\ <span id="look1"></span><span id="look2"></span> <span id="option1">LOCKED</span> <span id="option2">LOCKED</span> <<if $Debug is true>>[[Use The Elevator|E]]<</if>>

<h3>Enter The Tower</h3> <<set _actions = 0>>\ No use wondering any longer. You take a long breath, bracing yourself internally for the climb ahead. You step forward and plant one $Hand on each of the grand doors, finding that the wood has a subtle warmth to it. You inhale, and with one forceful step you push, driving your full weight forward. The doors resist at first, but their imposing face cracks, then parts, granting your passage inside, and allowing you to begin your journey. Immediately beyond the threshold, you find an entrance room which is as hollow as it is vast. Carved pillars radiate from the entrance in regular fashion, climbing high above in the impression of a stone forest. Poking from the floor between the pillars is a single neat row of braziers; the only source of light for this room without windows, save for the light that passes through the door with you, sending dramatic, geometric shadows running off in every direction. Elaborate banners line the far walls, and the ceiling lies consumed by darkness far above, much too high for you to see. And ahead is a sobering sight that drains the energy you thought you had. The way upward is directly ahead, in direct view, simple as could be. Sweeping across the far wall is an opulent ballroom staircase, lit first by the firelight, and now by the morning sun peeking through the door you just opened. The sprawling steps climb to a broad landing before winding their way up The Tower. And atop that landing lies a creature of massive proportions, one that is best to be known only in books and fairy tales. You are in the company of a beast of claws, ruby scales, and unquenchable fire. You have stepped into the domain of a great dragon. It lies squarely across the stairs that would be your passage upward. One arm is draped down before it, the other cushions the great beast’s head as it lays slack along the stone. It takes a moment to overcome your paralyzing shock, and when you do, you realize that the dragon’s eyes are shut. This isn't much comfort, however, as a nasally rumble soon sends a tremor through the room. Scales hiss against the stone as the dragon readjusts itself, curling its tail just a touch tighter, before becoming still once more. True to myths, dragons are rather good at sleeping, and this one has not been disturbed by your arrival. Not yet, at least. Your luck is not lost on you. A sleeping dragon means you have options. You consider \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link1">\ <<link "coming up closer">>\ <<replace "#option1">>\ [[Squeeze Past|101-1]]\ <</replace>>\ <<set _actions += 1>>\ <<replace "#link1">>\ coming up closer\ <</replace>>\ <<append "#look" t8n>>\ <hr> -A Closer Look You creep towards the dragon one careful step at a time, always staying within an arm’s length of cover, just in case the beast wakes up. Your desire to proceed pushes you on, but the closer you get to the beast on the steps, the faster your heart beats. Legends about dragons and their dangers recite in your mind while you watch it sleep. It might seem peaceful now, but you don't doubt for a second that a monster of that scale is capable of leveling an entire city. Crimson scales cover this dragon from head to tail, culminating at a harpoon tail tip that writhes rhythmically, as if to some unheard music. Your eyes are repeatedly drawn to the claws, and the gouged stonework under them. If the dragon's grip can carve stone, then it could just as easily rend flesh, your flesh, if you aren't careful. The dragon’s wings rest over its sides like a leathery blanket, but you guess that they could stretch to a wingspan just as wide as its serpentine body is long. Even still, you doubt those wings see much use between the pillars in this room. You look up at the dragon’s head with some reluctance. Its reptilian face awakens some primordial anxiety. Its head is several times larger than you are, with a bone crushing jaw cushioned by the scales of its own paw. When it exhales, the nostrils at the end of its pointed snout flare with an orange glow. The air has a kiss of warmth in it. You don’t think it’s just nerves, at least not entirely. It becomes very clear that waking the dragon is only asking for a quick death. You start to turn back and hear the shuffling sound of scales behind you. In an instant you lurch for the shadows just before the dragon starts to move. Its arms stretch forward and its head readjusts. Its wings raise, then lower, sending a beat of hot air across the room. Its tail winds tighter alongside its body, curling, stretching, then relaxing again. It’s a false alarm, but you get the distinct feeling that pushing your luck any further is going to get you killed. That said, squeezing past the dragon might not be as impossible as you originally thought. The disturbance you’ve made so far hasn’t disturbed it. With some care and patience, it might not even notice you. But if it does, you better hope it's a slow riser… <<if _actions is 1>> You haven't seen everything just yet. It may be worthwhile to go back and investigate the area some more for other options. <<else>>\ <</if>>\ <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ for a better look at the dragon, but it might be worthwhile to instead \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link2">\ <<link "search the darker corners">>\ <<replace "#option2">>\ [[Be Polite, Close The Door|101-A1]]\ <</replace>>\ <<set _actions += 1>>\ <<replace "#link2">>\ search the darker corners\ <</replace>>\ <<append "#look" t8n>>\ <hr> -Explore The Dark There is a regularity to this place, made uncanny by its perfection. Patterns on the floor flower from the braziers' bases, aligned with the flow of light, with shadows forming outlines too sharp to be natural. Outside of the light’s touch, no matter how hard you look, you see only pitch black. You dare to step out into the dark and half expect to vanish into oblivion, but breathe a sigh when you are able to step back out in one piece. You quickly silence your relief when you remember there’s still a dragon to deal with. The way light works in this room is strange and captures your curiosity, but it makes further investigation an unwise task. You doubt that anything good can come of stumbling about in the dark. You direct yourself back to the center corridor, peering out at the sleeping dragon. It doesn't matter how peaceful it looks. The idea of getting closer screams to you as being a bad idea. While you think some more about how to proceed, a breeze dances its way through the front doors, tickling your spine until you stand rigid. One of the braziers flickers in the cold air's caress before suddenly snuffing out, enveloping an entire strip of the room into that knife-sharp darkness. You watch as the dark comes just a little closer to swallowing the whole room, with you in it. You glance to the door and recall that leaving it open is impolite. You're not sure why <i>manners</i> have suddenly become important in this situation, but you doubt that you'd ever find your way up by stumbling through the dark, especially not with a dragon for company. <<if _actions is 1>> If you're going to take your chances going up, you'd best go back and take a closer look at the beast first. And perhaps take a minute to steady your breath, while you're at it. <<else>> You'd better get a move on before that happens. <</if>> <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ of the room for another way up. <span id="look"></span> <span id="option1">LOCKED</span> <span id="option2">LOCKED</span>

<h3>Against The Grain</h3> You forgo the ominous authority of the front door to instead follow one of the side trails, winding around The Tower's circular base and fighting off grass that grows high enough to tickle your neck. Repeatedly, your eyes are drawn back to the brickwork. It casts an unsettling shadow over you, with an immaculate face seeming even more like a monolith with the sun blotted out. Dark against the saturated blue sky, like something not of this world. Trying to walk around the base only makes you realize how much wider The Tower is than you initially thought. You wonder what that means for its height. @@.adventurer;"HEY, is someone else there?"@@ The voice snaps you out of your speculation. You search ahead for the source, but only see the shuffling of grass in the breeze. Silence settles back in. You consider quietly turning and going back the way you came… That is, until a round stocky paw comes out from cover beside you, snatching your arm and pulling you aside before you can think to react. You stumble off balance, but another paw catches your shoulder and stops you from \ <<if $BPlan is "bi">>toppling over and hurting yourself.<<else>>slipping forward onto your belly.<</if>>\ You immediately notice that the grip on your $Hide is fierce, with claws threatening to cut into you. It's not a friendly grip. @@.adventurer;"What do you think you're doing, following me here?"@@ The same voice asks you. You blink and see a pair of sharp eyes looking down a sharper snout. Fierce yellow irises briefly look you over, watching you struggle to make a coherent response. The stranger's paws uncurl from your arm and shoulder, a wordless judgment that you're not a threat after all. @@.adventurer;"Come on now, pull yourself together."@@ You blink and regain your bearings to take a new look at this stranger now that you're not a foot away from his face. Surprisingly, the first thing you notice is that he's a full head shorter than you are\ <<if $BPlan is "quad">>, or, he would be if you were standing upright.<<else>>.<</if>>\ He stands at a strange posture, always hunched forward. Atop his back and leaning over his sides are dozens of bags laden with tools and pouches. They're strapped to his body with leather bands so dense that you can hardly make out anything else about him. You think at first that it's simply the weight of what he's carrying that makes him lean, however, you take note of the mixture of scaly hide and feathers and realize that this stranger is in fact some kind of raptor, though you're not brushed up enough on your dinosaurs to know what kind, exactly. His arms are crossed under his chest. He taps his claws into his feathers, and his expression doesn't look any more inviting than it did staring you down. He's waiting for you to say something that makes sense, and you probably should, unless you'd rather \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link1">\ <<link "stare right back">>\ <<replace "#link1">>\ stare right back\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#look1">>\ <hr> -See Who You're Dealing With You hold your lip firm and watch this stranger for any more sudden movements. You don't know who they are and you'd rather have a little context before you get chatty. The raptor has a dusty look to his feathers, they are largely a mellow beige, but gain a peach coloration to highlight the rows of feathers on his arms. Together they form a pleasant striped pattern reaching down his body. The modest colors makes the stark black hide of his snout and talons rather striking, and the pearlescent whites of his teeth and claws even more so. True to being a raptor, he has an impressive feathered tail hovering behind him, a helpful counterweight to his awkward posture. You also see the distinct raised claws on his toes; you think that makes him a velociraptor, but you still don't know enough to say for sure. Either way, they've been courteously filed down and blunted. That's not to say he's unequipped for danger and combat. The raptor's feathers can only be seen in the places where they poke out from his leathers holding an army's worth of supplies in place. He seems to have a tool for every situation, climbing, hunting…you even spot a wicked-looking knife strapped to his bulky \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link2">\ <<link "thigh.">>\ <<set $ModifierA to 1>>\ <<replace "#link2">>\ thigh.\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#look2">>\ <hr> -Thighalogue Enabled Your attention lingers on the raptor's thighs perhaps a little longer than it should. But, truth be told, there is quite a lot to look at. The raptor has a powerful set of running legs, set noticeably wider than his torso. The addition of bags draped over their sides only makes them appear even more pronounced, heavy, muscular. He's an otherwise lithe creature, streamlined in every way except for those thighs, built instead for raw power. It's enough to get you thinking… @@.adventurer;"Are you right in the head?"@@ He asks, irritation staining his tone. You should <i>really</i> say something now. And keep it normal for goodness sake! <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ <br> You become a little self conscious of your own lack of supplies upon arriving here… While you take your sweet time staring him up and down, the raptor gives you an impatient look with those yellow, bestial eyes of his. @@.adventurer;"Hello?"@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>@@\ at him. <span id="look1"></span><span id="look2"></span> @@.textbox;<<textbox "_texty" "Say Something!!" [[102-1]]>>@@

<h3>Approach The Dragon</h3> There’s no dancing around the main issue here. The way up is past the monster on the stairs, so that’s the way you’re going to go. You take a lungful of air to steady your nerves and begin your approach. The dragon feels a little larger every time you look at it. Or perhaps you are just consistently underestimating its vastness. It’s a challenge just to comprehend a beast of such a size existing, a fact you have to reckon with as you come near. Compared to it, you might as well be a flea. You hope that this fact will work in your favor. You ascend to the first landing, your attention never straying far from the dragon looming above. Reflected light glitters off of its scales, resembling a mountain of polished ruby. No need for a hoard with a hide like that, you suppose. You trace the outline of the dragon, looking for the best route up. Its rump is pressed up against the railing at one end, and its tail is much too active for your liking. Much to your disappointment, it seems your best path involves walking right in front of the dragon’s face. You take those next few steps lightly. Every little noise you make seems amplified in your ears. Your breath becomes a howl in your nostrils, and your $Feet peel off of the ground like scraping sandpaper. Your heart marches in your chest, sounding like a distant parade. You soon make the wise choice of timing your movements to be in rhythm with the dragon’s own rumbling breaths. You step within an arm’s length of the great beast’s head. That’s all the room that exists between it and the stone banister. You briefly stop to take stock of your path. A wave of scorched air washes over you, and you freeze up like a animal caught at night until it's clear you haven't yet disturbed the dragon. You’re just standing directly in front of its snout. Every breath it takes warns you of the heat of the furnace within its belly. You swallow your breath and pull your attention forward. Between you and the way up is the heavy paw serving as the dragon’s pillow. As if in anticipation of intruders, the dragon keeps one claw hooked around the edge of the stairway. The thought of trying to climb over makes your skin crawl, but you don’t have any other choice here. You try to take it slow. Cautiously, you reach out to feel at the dragon’s scales. You half expect to find the ruby plates boiling hot. You almost hope for it, as an excuse to turn back, but no. They are hot to the touch, but not unbearably so. What surprises you is their smoothness, slippery like a floor just after being polished. You have to feel for the edges of the scales just to get a grip. Your heart beats madly, but the dragon doesn’t react to your touch. That doesn’t stop your instincts from screaming at you to get out. You struggle to steady your shaking $Hands as you start to pull yourself up and forward. By the time you’re halfway over the paw, you feel like you might just be able to get control over your nerves, and thats when your luck catches up with you. [[Proceed|101-2]]

<h3>The Adventurer</h3> @@.adventurer;"Shut up."@@ He snaps at you before you can even form a word. You freeze up and close your mouth. @@.adventurer;"Listen, I don't have time to fool around, and judging by the look of you, you don't either. I'm climbing this tower, and if you're not gonna stop me, then you're gonna help me, got it?"@@ You aren't even given an impression of a chance to speak before he turns and starts towards the wall. You probably wouldn't be heard over the rattling of pots and pans off of the raptor's sides. His tail flicks around and nearly slaps you, but you still have to hurry if you want to keep up before the grass engulfs him. @@.adventurer;"There are only a select few ways inside, and all of them look dangerous to me. So, the best way in is going to be where we're not expected."@@ He stops just before the brick face, one claw pointed up in the air. Sure enough, he is pointing at a lone window, lower than any of the others you've seen. You can see the faint glow of firelight beyond its open frame. @@.adventurer;"You see that? For a window that low, there's going to be a staircase on the other side. That's our way in and up."@@ Inviting as it is, It's still well out of your reach. But with the amount of gear loaded onto the raptor, and the way he's looking between you and the way in, you get the distinct impression he has an idea. @@.adventurer;"<<= $Hide.toUpperFirst()>>…what are you? Some kind of $Spec?"@@ He asks. He doesn't wait for you to confirm. @@.adventurer;"You got good arms on you? You're gonna help me up there, got it?"@@ The raptor reaches back without looking, claws finding and detaching a spaghetti mass of braided rope. He gives the bundle a hard swing off to the side, and it untangles into a rope ladder all ready to use. The cords of rope look sturdy enough, but the wooden rungs are worn and starting to splinter from intense use. Metal hooks protrude from one end, and it's these which are thrust into your grip\ <<if $BPlan is "quad">> once he forcefully pulls you upright.<<else>>.<</if>> @@.adventurer;"Got it?"@@ <<if $cw is not 2>>[[Uh…|102-2]]<<else>>[[Uh… (AV)|102-2]]<</if>> <<if $cw is not 2>>[[Woah Hold On! Questions First!|102-C]]<<else>>[[Woah Hold On! Questions First! (AV, Pred OV)|102-C]]<</if>>

<<set $ModifierA to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierB to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierC to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierD to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierE to 0>>\ <<if $RouteA is 1>>\ <h3>Like A Dragon In A China Shop</h3> You ascend The Tower with company in tow. Company who happens to be <i>many</i> times your height and an uncountable number of times your mass, carving a path after you with a score to settle. Thankfully, there is a simple reason why you're not immediately caught. A simple reason you come to understand as you start to navigate the rooms and halls above. How lucky it is for you that the next several floors are a labyrinthine jumble of architecture, a twisted space where the dragon is just as lost as you are. While briefly out of its sights, you tuck yourself through one of the smaller doors, hiding away in what appears to be some mixture of banquet hall and art gallery. You lean back and allow your body those precious few moments of rest while the dragon's footsteps continue to make the floor tremor. You hear it come close, much closer than you'd ever like to be, but it passes by your hiding spot completely unaware of your presence. You exhale. You feel that you've finally managed to escape from your pursuer, and a weight lifts from your shoulders. You get to enjoy that relief for all of two minutes before you turn a corner and spot the dragon once again. It doesn't seem any happier than you are to be lost in these halls, and you happen to be the perfect subject for it to take its frustration out on. Moments later the chase is back on, leading you higher and higher up the tower. No matter how you might try to escape, The Tower always seems to find a way to bring the two of you back together. You're not sure how much longer you can keep running, exhaustion is finally starting to creep up on you. Eventually you reach a vast circular room. You don't have time to think on the details, or the clues that you've reached some kind of milestone. All you see is the next door, dead ahead, daylight streaming through cracks in the wood. You hear the dragon stomping close behind. Nowhere to go but forward. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Through the Door|201-A]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Through The Door (CV, OV)|201-A]]<<else>>[[Through The Door (Gryphon, Dragon, Spectator, CV, OV)|201-A]]<</if>> <<elseif $preyDigested is 1>>\ <h3>Working The Weight Off</h3> Climbing higher through The Tower soon proves to be a challenge, but against your expectations it is not because of the creatures lurking within, it's not even because of the raptor melting in your gut, which just seems to be getting easier to carry with time. Rather, here it is a challenge because The Tower interior is nothing short of a convoluted mess of architecture. Rooms diverge into tangled passages, and you are rarely graced with a proper indication of which will take you higher. Staircases will end in sheer drops, sometimes ladders and trap doors will be tucked into the corners of rooms. Your search for a route to progress keeps you attentive, and more than a little anxious as you find new corners to cross. But at least you're not going it alone, in a sense. You glide a $Hand over your belly, reaching down below to where Ravi has settled. The more you wander, the less solid he seems to become. You reason that perhaps the climb is getting your metabolism running, but you also know that it's ridiculous to digest such massive prey in any time less than several weeks. And yet…there's already so much less of him than before. You press onward, wondering just how long this bellyful will last. The interior decor of this place is…haphazard. While some rooms are devoid of any furnishing, others overflow with garish ornaments. Crystalline chandeliers and hand-woven rugs are a common sight in those rooms, where the vaulted ceilings make you dizzy just looking up at them. Still other rooms are dedicated to the display of portraits and marble statues, each one bearing the likeness of monsters and demons from across the world, and some outside of it. Perhaps seeing some of these figures would have frightened you not long ago, but instead, looking up at them, you grope at your stomach and wonder… Windows are scarce, but each one allows you a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that the outside world does still exist. Those occasional moments where the sun warms your $Hide are precious. When you're starting to get tired, you find one to lean your weight against, allowing your stomach to sag below you. What little is left of it anyway. Feeling it over now, much of your prey is gone, drained away somewhere deeper, where it'll be extracted for every ounce of nutrition. The effects on your body are already showing. Your belly is a bit softer, a touch doughy, though it bears the marks of the few pieces your body hasn't yet digested. When you press your $Hand in, your stomach tightens, and something firm gets squeezed past the sphincter to your esophagus. A little jolt of movement and it gets popped right up to the base of your throat, where you can feel a bulge reemerging. <span id="proceed"> <<link "Let It Out">> <<replace #proceed>> <hr> -The Skeleton Appears You trace a $Hand up your throat, following the movement of that bulge until it starts to slide up the back of your tongue, hard and tasteless save for the sour acidity of your stomach. You have to stretch your jaw to reach back and pull it the rest of the way, but when it's finally free, you come face to face with the acid-bleached skull of your prey. So that's all that's left… Before you can decide what to do with it, your stomach gives another clench, shoving more of its undigested contents back the way they came. Every single bone, stripped barren to a perfect white sheen slides up your throat, one by one. You don't have enough $Hands to carry them all, so they soon begin piling up on the floor, clattering against the stone as they fall from your tongue. You're gasping for breath by the end of it, feeling at your stomach, in awe of what it was just able to accomplish. How long has it been? An hour, perhaps? All that remains to identify the raptor you ate is the skull you're still clutching. Everything else must be swirling through your lower body by now. Your $Hand feels at your still hanging belly. Well, not everything, apparently. <<if $disrespect is false>> You offer Ravi a last respect by setting his skull down atop the rest of his bones. He fed you well, so you owe him that, at least. You feel at yourself, imagining him there, swaying as a part of your belly. You're together now, and you'll have to do your best to treat this new addition to your form right. <<else>> You toss Ravi's skull onto the pile with the rest, feeling at the weight he's given to your body. It's just mass and energy, and already you're starting to crave more, but knowing that your body claimed him, took him in, and so perfectly melted him down to the bone pile beside you… You feel more than ready to see who else might benefit you with the same treatment. <</if>> But you must keep moving, so you carry on with some extra affection for your rounded belly. Your searching brings you to a vast, circular room, different from the angular halls that came before it. A few details catch your attention here, but none so much as the one doorway at the far end. Daylight streams between cracks in the ruby wood. Getting to stand wholly out in the sun sounds rather nice. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Through The Door|201]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Through The Door (Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<<else>>[[Through The Door (Gryphon, Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<</if>> <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<if $cw is not 0>>(Bones)<</if>> <<link "Swallow It Back Down">> <<replace #proceed>> <hr> -Not A Trace Oh no, nothing is going to get out that easily. You swallow, and that bulge squeezes back down the way it came, dropping into your belly where you put it the first time, and where it belongs. You hear a soft "clack" when it reunites with the rest. It'll stay there until your body has done its job, you reason. Your stomach growls, begrudgingly accepting the task with a rolling clench. You relax and wait while the past fragments of your prey are ground together, being steadily pulverized by the crushing force of your belly unleashed upon them. When you feel at your stomach some more, you can sink your paw into its doughy shape to feel your stomach at work. It moves with mechanical efficiency until its contents are fragmented to dust, a process which is frighteningly fast. You imagine that anything else you put down there can expect the same treatment. There's a satisfying squeeze, pushing the last traces of your prey down deeper. You feel at your stomach, in awe of what it was just able to accomplish. How long has it been since you swallowed your prey? An hour, perhaps? But by now, there's not so much as a scrap to remember him by. Your $Hand feels at your still hanging belly. Well, you suppose there is that. <<if $disrespect is false>> You dwell on his fate for a little while, trying to offer your prey some amount of respect, now that he's gone. Your $Hands gently rub over your stomach, now at rest. You imagine him there, buried in the fat, swaying as a part of you. You're together now, and you'll have to do your best to treat this new addition to your form right. <<else>> You sigh with relief at your body finally completing its work. Feeling at all the new weight Ravi has added to you. It's just mass and energy, and already you're starting to crave more, but knowing that your body claimed him, took him in, and so perfectly melted him down into nothing more than this? You could get used to it. <</if>> But you must keep moving, so you carry on with some extra affection for your rounded belly. Your searching brings you to a vast, circular room, different from the angular halls that came before it. A few details catch your attention here, but none so much as the one doorway at the far end. Daylight streams between cracks in the ruby wood. Getting to stand wholly out in the sun sounds rather nice. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Through The Door|201]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Through The Door (Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<<else>>[[Through The Door (Gryphon, Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<</if>> <</replace>> <</link>> <<if $cw is not 0>>(Digestion)<</if>> </span> <<else>>\ <h3>The Lower Floors</h3> Climbing higher through The Tower soon proves to be a challenge, but against your expectations it is not because of the creatures lurking within. Rather, here it is a challenge because The Tower interior is nothing short of a convoluted mess of architecture. Rooms diverge into tangled passages, and you are rarely graced with a proper indication of which will take you higher. Staircases will end in sheer drops, sometimes ladders and trap doors will be tucked into the corners of rooms. Your search for a route to progress keeps you attentive, and more than a little anxious as you find new corners to cross. The interior decor of this place is…haphazard. While some rooms are devoid of any furnishing, others overflow with garish ornaments. Crystalline chandeliers and hand-woven rugs are a common sight in those rooms, where the vaulted ceilings make you dizzy just looking up at them. Still other rooms are dedicated to the display of portraits and marble statues, each one bearing the likeness of monsters and demons from across the world, and some outside of it. It's in those rooms that you hasten your pace to be free from their lifeless gazing. Windows are scarce, but each one allows you a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that the outside world does still exist. Those occasional moments where the sun warms your $Hide are precious. But the knowledge of your goal at The Tower's top prevents you from lingering. Your searching brings you to a vast, circular room, different from the angular halls that came before it. A few details catch your attention here, but none so much as the one doorway at the far end. Daylight streams between cracks in the ruby wood. Getting to stand wholly out in the sun sounds rather nice. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Through The Door|201]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Through The Door (Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<<else>>[[Through The Door (Gryphon, Hyper, CV, OV)|201]]<</if>> <</if>>

/* Across Scene Variables */ <<set $RouteA to 0>>\ <<set $RouteB to 0>>\ /* Within Scene Variables RESET EVERY FLOOR*/ <<set $ModifierA to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierB to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierC to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierD to 0>>\ <<set $ModifierE to 0>>\ /* Identity Variables */ <<set $Pro to []>>\ <<set $Pro.sub to "he">>\ <<set $Pro.obj to "him">>\ <<set $Pro.possP to "his">>\ <<set $Pro.possA to "his">>\ <<set $Pro.ref to "himself">>\ <<set $IsAre to "is">>\ <<set $Spec to "lizard">>\ <<set $Hide to "scales">>\ <<set $BPlan to "bi">>\ <<set $Hand to "hand">>\ <<set $Hands to "hands">>\ <<set $Foot to "foot">>\ <<set $Feet to "feet">>\ <<set $Tail to "long">>\ <<set $Name to "unimportant">>\ /* Additional Variables */ <<set $timesEaten to 0>>\ <<set $preyDigested to 0>>\ <<set $Debug to false>>\ <<set $nosave to false>>\ <<set $cw to 0>> <<set $raptorname to "the raptor">>\ <<set $raptorlove to false>>\ <<set $disrespect to false>>\ <<set $dragonChurned to false>>\

Version 1.0.4 Created by SecretJWorld <<if $Debug is true>> DEBUG A: <span id="A"></span> <<repeat 1s>><<replace "#A">>$ModifierA<</replace>><</repeat>> B: <span id="B"></span> <<repeat 1s>><<replace "#B">>$ModifierB<</replace>><</repeat>> C: <span id="C"></span> <<repeat 1s>><<replace "#C">>$ModifierC<</replace>><</repeat>> D: <span id="D"></span> <<repeat 1s>><<replace "#D">>$ModifierD<</replace>><</repeat>> D: <span id="E"></span> <<repeat 1s>><<replace "#E">>$ModifierE<</replace>><</repeat>> nosave <<cycle "$nosave" autoselect>> <<option true>> <<option false>> <</cycle>> <</if>> Help Make The Game Better! <<link "Donate (Opens Ko-fi)" >><<script>>window.open('https://ko-fi.com/secretjworld')<</script>><</link>>

<h3>It Wakes</h3> You first hear the slithering hiss of the dragon’s tail readjusting against the floor. It’s enough to give you pause, looking back for safety, hopeful to put still your worries. You see the dragon’s head resting as it was, unmoved, but not unchanged. For the first time you see it with eyes open. The iris blends fierce yellows and greens, like a forest ablaze, and surrounds a pupil of a blackness that cuts through space. That beautiful, gargantuan eye is fixed directly on you, and the pupil dilates with recognition. You don’t wait long enough to think. Animal instinct wins against logic and your legs move on their own. You scrabble down the red scales of the paw, slipping down the frictionless surface to the stone, and make a dash for the stairs ahead, your only escape. There’s a concussive thud behind you. It drops loud enough to make you stumble forward. With your footing unbalanced, you climb the stairs faster than your legs will allow, kicking at the corners. A doorway at its terminus promises the way out, maybe even safety, you only have to reach it. But you don’t get that chance. The round digits of a scaly red paw come around your sides. Its the same paw that you tried to climb over, but now it squeezes at your middle as you’re plucked from your ascent to dangle in the air. @@.dragon;“Just what do you think you’re doing here, interloper?”@@ The voices of true beasts are of a different class than of common creatures. The dragon asks the question in a tone that could make the stoic mountains shudder. Its a whisper with all the energy of a roar. It is all-encompassing, and demands a satisfying answer. You’re turned to face the dragon, now with its head raised, both eyes staring directly into you. You can't possibly look away, it commands everything in your being. You need to say something. <<link [[You’ve come to climb the Tower!|101-3N]]>><</link>> <<link [[You’ve come to admire the dragon!|101-3P]]>><<set $ModifierA = 1>><</link>>

<h3>Flattery Gets You Places</h3> You struggle to find the words. Your thoughts flounder, and so does your tongue. You stare at the thousands of polished scales, and the eyes sharper than honed steel glistening in the firelight. This dragon is as beautiful as the forces of nature it embodies. You think to flatter it, but the words that finally leave you are genuine. Answering graciously, you say that you only ever wanted to respect its sleep. You compliment its scales, its tail, its inextricable charm, and say that all these things have made you drawn your admiration, and you want nothing more than to appreciate such majesty. You speak a continuous stream of thoughts flow as easily as an sigh. The dragon listens to your slushy words. It doesn’t interrupt you, but some of the less inspired things you say make it roll its eyes and scoff; these moments make you stammer and fumble. Despite that, over time the corners of its maw raise into something resembling a smirk. When your spiel reaches its inevitable conclusion, it lets the pause linger. It keeps staring at you, as if searching within you for your true intentions, whatever they may be. @@.dragon;“An interesting answer,”@@ the dragon muses. @@.dragon;“-And not the first time I have heard one like it.”@@ Its digits close in, pressure rolling up your spine. @@.dragon;“It would not be the first time someone has tried to use kind words to deceive me, either.”@@ The dragon articulates its every word with strict emphasis. You’re held aligned with its maw, where you’re exposed to the heat of the dragon’s breath. Sparks twirl between its teeth, making their escape to fizzle out just beyond its lips. You catch flickers of light deeper in, a new detail that <<if $cw is not 2>><<link [[attracts your gaze|101-4P]]>><<set $ModifierB = 1>><</link>><<else>><<link [[attracts your gaze (willing)|101-4P]]>><<set $ModifierB = 1>><</link>><</if>> even as the dragon continues to address you. @@.dragon;“Which one will you turn out to be?”@@ Something within says that hesitating any longer is going to turn out badly for you. No matter how genuinely interested you may be in this beast, you are still in its clutches, and therefore, in danger. As the dragon gazes into you, you feel its digits loosen their grip, just slightly. It may be just enough to <<if $cw is not 2>><<link [[make an opening…|101-4N]]>><</link>><<else>><<link [[make an opening… (unwilling)|101-4N]]>><<set $ModifierB = 1>><</link>><</if>>

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>Live Again</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ You gasp for air. You're awake again, and alive, which is a shock considering nothing about the dragon's boiling stomach gave any indication that you would be surviving. But here you are, here… Where are you? You realize after a moment that you're staring down the eerily lit main hall, only now from the dragon's perch at the top of the stairs. Seeing it from this angle is…unnerving. @@.dragon;"Don't you have somewhere to be?"@@ And that's why. The voice makes you nearly jump out of your $Hide. Feeling the dragon's breath going down your neck doesn't make you feel any better either. You jump up to your $Feet and make a sizable distance between the dragon and yourself. The beast's scaly lip curls into a grin. @@.dragon;"Confused? So am I. It would seem The Tower has greater plans for you."@@ <<if $ModifierE is 0>> It's strange to see him not threatening you, at least not directly. But the dragon makes no motion of his claws or fangs. <<elseif $ModifierE is 1>> It's strange to see him in front of you and not…all around you, and <i>inside</i> you, permeating your being. You can still feel faint memories of being a part of the dragon bouncing about in your mind. It's a special sort of dissonance you feel no longer being connected… You rather miss it… <<else>> It's strange to see him…talking to you. But you can see an anger behind his eyes. He hasn't forgotten what he said. He meant every word of it. This calm composure is the only thing keeping him from tearing you apart for having the audacity to escape his stomach. Those eyes say it all. <</if>> @@.dragon;"Well? Don't go taking advantage of my patience. Be on your way. Perhaps we will cross paths again. In fact-"@@ he leans his head in just close enough for you to see the glint of those teeth once more, @@.dragon;"-expect it."@@ You take your chance and move on. The dragon's rumbling laugh echoes after you. It takes a long time before the sound of him completely leaves your ears. <<if $ModifierE is not 0>> But in your thoughts, though It's unlikely that he will ever truly leave, not in your waking thoughts, or otherwise. <</if>> [[Next Floor|200]] <<else>>\ <h3>Just What Dragons Do</h3> <<if $ModifierE is 0>>\ Your very existence is dissolved away within the dragon's boiling gut. Stomach acids fit to eat solid metal spare no inch of your body. Your demise is swift and absolute. The dragon returns to its rest when you're no longer responsive. When it next wakes, it has already forgotten about you. After all, the only memento you leave is the smallest contribution to the dragon's form, a few pounds of fat on a mountain of muscle and scales. Your impact after having fallen into the clutches of The Tower's first monster is…utterly insignificant. With your mind gone, your body absorbed, and your former presence forgotten, you have been erased from the world. But you shouldn't worry. The little energy you had now belongs to a dragon, and it'll be put to use too, to devour anyone else who foolishly intrudes on The Tower. Just look to the door, someone new seems to be arriving now… @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name threw $Pro.ref down the first throat $Pro.sub could find, and found a steaming hot end at the bottom. Good Job! @@ <<elseif $ModifierE is 1>>\ You never really really loose consciousness…not entirely. The endless kneading massage from the dragon's stomach walls never ends. It bundles around your body until it can be felt from every angle. Tactile sensation reaches somewhere deeper than your thoughts, down into your very being. Stomach muscle contracts and relaxes, guiding you along until you fall in line with its rhythms. Your thoughts fade into redundancy, pushed to the edges of your mind by the singular existence you've been pulled into, until they are consumed, and there is nothing left to think about. There is only hunger. The dragon's presence is always with you. Sometimes the great beast even thinks about you, and you can feel an affection with every fiber of your being when you're massaged by the beast's wandering paws. Sometimes you get fed, though never as much as you'd like. You frequently growl, begging for the one thing you're purposed for. Often it's other adventurers. They always get absorbed fast, and leave you longing and unsatisfied. Sometimes you'll get fed a larger creature though, some other bestial denizen of The Tower. These meals can keep squirming for days, and keep you happy and fed for weeks longer, but when every last drop has been absorbed or pumped into the depths of the dragon's gut, that hunger returns again, more vicious than ever before. You'll stay like this forever, a part of the dragon's body, kept just aware enough to feel the monstrous hunger that has come to define a dragon's mark on the world. With each passing day, there is less of you, and more of that desperate need, your understanding of it coming at the cost of your identity, until the knowledge of the depths of draconic hunger has consumed you. Its a fate with bouts of pleasure, but never true satisfaction. There is always the need for more. But what else could you possibly want? You wanted this, and now your existence is intertwined with the scaly belly you so wanted to see. No fate could be more fitting for you. @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name has found $Pro.possP fate in the sway in a dragon's stomach, and will forever experience the hunger of one, too. @@ <<else>>\ You'll be remembered, long after you're gone. The dragon that devoured you will make sure of that. Every time its claws eagerly knead it growling stomach, every time a new meal falls into its clutches, every night, when the beast dwells on the endless, uncontrollable hunger that drives it to devour anything that comes near. It will remember you. Hundreds of would-be adventurers, puny creatures like you, will not sate it. Beasts that swell its belly and stretch its scales until the flesh between pokes though the gaps will not stifle the hunger it feels and cannot ignore. Waiting in that room for new prey to show itself, the dragon's thoughts always circle around that primal desire that defines its existence. There is nothing else that truly matters to true beasts like itself. But still it remembers you. It will remember your last moments before you finally succumbed, giving in to the sweltering heat of its belly. It will remember how you struggled and fought for those last few moments, no matter the manner in which they were spent. It'll try to locate that tiny speck of fat that your flesh, $Hide, and bones have become, though it is long gone under layers upon layers of new prey. It'll roll its paws over that belly and grumble taunts and insults that you can no longer hear. But it always thinks of you when it speaks them. The dragon will think close on your brief time spent in its gut, and know that even you could not resist your fate in the end. It would feed off of this knowledge, knowing that it has the capacity to claim all. And for the briefest moment, impossible to truly understand by anyone who has not felt the world devouring hunger of dragons, he will feel sated. @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name managed to anger a dragon, the rest is history, and so $IsAre $Pro.sub. @@ <</if>>\ <</if>>\

<h3>When I Say Go…</h3> <<if $ModifierD is 0>> He faces the wall, rapping his claws along the stones. You follow along, gathering the rope ladder in your $Hands. @@.adventurer;"My climbing gear's no good here. Nothing I use catches any hold between the bricks, and I don't have the arms for throwing things. But you…"@@ He looks to you with such a startling intensity it makes you flinch. @@.adventurer;"Get up on my shoulders and you should be able to attach it with a nice easy throw. Anyone can do it. Got it?"@@ Once again, despite asking the question, he doesn't actually seem to care how you answer. The next thing you know, you're being lifted up until your $Feet are resting on $raptorname's shoulders. He grunts from the effort but doesn't complain. You're a bit surprised by just how much weight he can tolerate. <<if $BPlan is "bi">> It takes a minute of wobbling in place before you feel comfortable enough to stand properly on your own two $Feet without holding onto $raptorname's bags for support. His feathers don't give you much grip, but at least he is good at holding still. <<elseif $BPlan is "quad">> It takes a long minute of wobbling in place before you feel secure enough to stand, and a little longer before you can rear up on your hind legs, making you doubly unbalanced. But at least $raptorname is good at holding still. <<else>> Despite having extra limbs for support, you still end up wobbling in place with your $Feet clutching at $raptorname's bags. This goes on for a while, but once you feel like you're not about to topple over, you manage to lift up as high as you can. <</if>> With some amount of balance, you look to the window and find that it's still well out of reach. Unlike $raptorname's assumption, it should still take a pretty lucky throw to get the ladder in place. You swing the hooks in your arms a few times, trying to picture the trajectory in your mind, but this whole thing still seems improbable. @@.adventurer;"You're ready? I want you to throw it on three."@@ You narrow your focus to the window. Your focus is entirely on the ladder hooks in both $Hands. The metal is warm, you've been gripping them tight. @@.adventurer;"One…" "Two…" "Three!"@@ At the end of his count $raptorname springs up,<<if $ModifierA is 1>> putting those hefty thighs to use,<</if>> launching you from his back without warning. Without time to think you extend your arms in a throw for the window, stretching your body with all your strength. The combined force sends the metal hooks soaring through the air. You can see them drive clean through the window just before you come tumbling down from $raptorname's back. You spend your last seconds of airtime flailing all <<if $BPlan is "bi" or $BPlan is "quad">>four<<else>>six<</if>> limbs on your way to the ground. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Ouch|102-3]]<<else>>[[Ouch (AV)|102-3]]<</if>> <<else>> He faces the wall, rapping his claws along the stones. You follow along, gathering the rope ladder in your $Hands. @@.adventurer;"My climbing gear's no good here. Nothing I use catches any hold between the bricks and it's been driving me up a wall…not literally, obviously. I have the ladder but I don't have the arms for throwing it. You though…"@@ He looks to you with a grin and excitement in his eyes, like you're the breakthrough he's looking for. @@.adventurer;"If you get up on my shoulders, it'll be a nice easy throw to the window, and then we'll be in the clear. Should be no problem, got it?"@@ You expect him to hurry onward, but he actually waits for you to confirm with a rushed nod. Of course, the next thing you know, you're being lifted up until your $Feet are resting on $raptorname's shoulders. Unburdened by his equipment, lifting you up is a cinch. You might as well be weightless to him. <<if $BPlan is "bi">> It takes a minute of wobbling in place to find your footing. The raptor's feathers don't exactly have excellent traction, but he reaches up to hold your ankles steady. With his help you manage to ready yourself to throw… <<elseif $BPlan is "quad">> It takes a long minute of wobbling in place before you feel secure enough to stand, and a little longer before you can rear up on your hind legs, making you doubly unbalanced. In an effort to help, $raptorname grips his claws around your ankles, keeping you in place while you ready yourself… <<else>> Despite having extra limbs for support, you still end up wobbling in place with your $Feet clutching at $raptorname's feathers. He yelps when you nearly pull one from his side, before doing whatever he can to hold you steady. It takes some work and cooperation from the both of you, but soon you stand at the ready… <</if>> Now with adequate balance, you look to the window and find that it's still well out of reach. Unlike $raptorname's assumption, it should still take a pretty lucky throw to get the ladder in place. You swing the hooks in your arms a few times, trying to picture the trajectory in your mind. The raptor's grip around your legs is secure, and gives you just the comfort you need to focus. @@.adventurer;"You're ready? I want you to throw it when I jump, on three…"@@ You narrow your focus to the window. You feel the ladder hooks in both $Hands. The metal is warm, you've been gripping them tight. @@.adventurer;"One…" "Two…" "Three!"@@ At the end of his count $raptorname springs up,<<if $ModifierA is 1>> putting those hefty thighs to use,<</if>> launching you from his back. Even with the warning you feel your heart race. Without time to think you extend your arms in a throw for the window, stretching your body with all your strength. The combined force sends the metal hooks soaring through the air. You can see them drive clean through the window just before you come tumbling down from $raptorname's back. You spend your last seconds of airtime flailing all <<if $BPlan is "bi" or $BPlan is "quad">>four<<else>>six<</if>> limbs on your way to the ground. [[Ouch|102-3E]] <</if>>\

<h3>An Unfriendly Chat</h3> He drags his paw across his face when you stop him. He doesn't have to say a thing to make it clear he is less than enthusiastic about this. He turns to face you and makes a circular gesture with his other paw. @@.adventurer;"Alright, get on with it. We've got places to be."@@ You get the distinct impression that he's not going to let you pester him for long. You should be mindful of what you ask. <hr>\ <span id="dialogue">@@.adventurer;"Well?"@@</span> <hr> <span id="choices">\ <h5>What will you ask about?</h5>\ <span id="q1">\ <<link "About Him…">>\ <<set $raptorname to "Ravi">>\ <<set $ModifierB += 1>>\ <<replace "#q1">>\ <s>About Him…</s> <span id="q2">\ <<link "⮡ What brought him to explore The Tower?">>\ <<set $ModifierB += 1>>\ <<replace "#q2">>\ <s>⮡ What brought him to explore The Tower?</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<set _q2 to true>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ He looks thoughtful for a moment when you ask that, then gives an agreeable nod. @@.adventurer;"I'd guess the same thing as you. All of a sudden I just knew to come here. Hell if I know what kind of magic made that happen, but it seems to be attracting the weirdest folk. You're not the first person I've run into either, you know.@@ He sighs and adjusts his bags again. @@.adventurer;"This place has a sinister draw I'll tell you. The last traveler I saw couldn't be convinced not to charge straight through the front door."@@ He gives you a look, sizing you up a second time. @@.adventurer;"You look more sensible than they did, at least."@@ You're not sure if $raptorname is impressed or not. He doesn't seem sure either.\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q3">\ <<link "⮡ He looks more like a chocolate fan, really…">>\ <<replace "#q3">>\ <s>⮡ He looks more like a chocolate fan, really…</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<set $ModifierC += 1>>\ <<if $ModifierD < 1>>\ <<if _q2 is not true>>\ <<replace "#q2">>\ @@color:red;<s>⮡ What brought him to explore The Tower?</s>@@\ <</replace>>\ <</if>> <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ Something in what the raptor says sticks out and you can't wait a second longer to call it out. Strawberry sounds like too fruity a flavor for the demanding tastes of an adventurer. No, no, <i>chocolate</i> is most certainly something which Ravi would like better. However, Ravi doesn't seem particularly impressed with your observation, astute as it may be. He doesn't even dignify it with a response, not that he needs to. There's a pause, the air feeling cold between you two. Feeling rather silly, you move on to different topics. Maybe he'd be a bit more open to jokes if he knew you better.\ <</replace>>\ <<else>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ Seeing how Ravi has relaxed a bit, you return the conversation to the important matters: Ice cream. You point out that you would have guessed Ravi would have preferred a more classical rich flavor like chocolate over the mellow, fruity sweetness of strawberry. You say this with full confidence, as though it has just as much importance as The Tower beside you. At first Ravi is confused by your sudden comment. But by the time understanding comes around, he's rubbing his paw over his face as he recognizes your antics. @@.adventurer;"Strawberry,"@@ he says through his claws, before dropping his arms to his sides. @@.adventurer;"That's my favorite. I sure could go for some right now. Maybe when I get home."@@ You see the slightest impression of a smile touch the corners of his mouth. It makes you feel better.\ <</replace>>\ <</if>> <</link>>\ </span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ This guy is trying to drag you with him and you don't even know his name yet. You're disoriented enough as is but to keep your head from spinning right off your shoulders, you ask the obvious question. Who is he? He blinks at you, as if just realizing this for himself, then his annoyed expression resumes. @@.adventurer;"Right, fine, I owe you that. My name is Ravi, I've been known to explore strange and mysterious places, like this one, and my favorite ice cream is strawberry, is that the introduction you want?"@@ You notice that he doesn't return the question, but instead waits impatiently to move on.\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q4">\ <<link "About The Tower…">>\ <<replace "#q4">>\ <s>About The Tower…</s> <span id="q6">\ <<link "⮡ What's at the top?">>\ <<replace "#q6">>\ <s>⮡ What's at the top?</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#choices">>\ [[Time To Move On…|102-2]] <</replace>> <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> gives you a look so biting you immediately question your words. It's clear that he's just dying to know the answer himself, and asking him about it brings out that need to know in full force, burning under his eyes. @@.adventurer;"How am I supposed to know that? Do I look like an encyclopedia?"@@ He snaps at you, backing a step away. He gives a sharp exhale that turns to a sigh. @@.adventurer;"Listen, I'd give up asking that if I were you. No one seems to know, but we all know that whatever is up there is what we're after. It's what's calling to us…"@@ He pauses, waiting for some kind of reaction. Apparently you don't respond in the way he wants, and he shakes his head. @@.adventurer;"That means, it's just as likely to be a trap as it is to be treasure. If either of us wants a chance at figuring out which it is, I need you to help me get inside. Is that clear?"@@ You nod. @@.adventurer;"Good. Then lets get moving already."@@ He cuts the conversation short there. Seems that particular question exhausted the rest of his patience.\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q5">\ <<link "⮡ What kind of trouble?">>\ <<set $ModifierB += 1>>\ <<set $ModifierC += 1>>\ <<replace "#q5">>\ <s>⮡ What kind of trouble?</s> <span id="q12">\ <<link "⮡ Does he have more to say?">> <<replace "#q12">>\ <s>⮡ Does he have more to say?</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<if $ModifierD is 0>> <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ Noticing how he reacted, you push $raptorname for his thoughts on The Tower's monsters, and their…lack of inhibitions. But $raptorname firmly shakes his head at your question, arms crossed, and any hint of blush removed from his face. @@.adventurer;"Don't make me spell it out for you. It's dangerous in there. You'd better get your impulses in check or you're going to be in serious trouble. Me? I know how to keep a cool head. All I see is an obstacle, nothing more. Now come on, you got anything better to ask about?"@@ You aren't fully convinced, but with the way the raptor is glaring at you, you're not about to push the topic again. Seems you missed your chance.\ <</replace>>\ <<elseif $ModifierD is 1 and $ModifierC < 4>> <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ Since you're a bit closer, you press Ravi for his thoughts on The Tower's monsters, and their…lack of inhibitions. He hesitates for a bit, clearly thinking. You can sense there's something in him he wants to get out, but he firmly shakes his head, arms crossed. The slight redness to his face does return, but he turns it away from you. @@.adventurer;"It's a weird sort of place in there, that's all there is to say. Not normal, not natural, and exceptionally dangerous. If you go letting every stray thought dictate your life you're going to end up doing something you regret, so stay on task."@@ You want to push again, but this time Ravi shoots a glare at you when you start to open your mouth. Seems you missed your chance, but you're a lot closer than you thought you'd get when you first met Ravi. Maybe if he liked you more…\ <</replace>>\ <<else>>\ <<set $ModifierD to 2>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ With all that you've shared so far, you take your chance to press Ravi for his thoughts on The Tower's monsters, and their…lack of inhibitions. You see a glimmer of something in his expression. He looks away, crosses his arms. The flush of red comes back, stronger than before now that the subject is coming back up. You think at first that he's going to get mad at you, but when he speaks, his voice is hushed. @@.adventurer;"Sometimes you see something that just gives you the most bizarre ideas. That traveler who ran right inside? I followed just enough to see what happened. A monster ten times larger than both of us put together bore down on him like lightning. Before I could even register what was happening, that traveler was on their way down the beast's throat. It loved every second of it; the monster, I mean. It had drool pouring between its teeth like that was the first meal it had in ages. But it obviously wasn't. I can only imagine how many others went the same way."@@ When he looks at you again, instead of an expression of horror, there's a strained grin on the raptor's face. @@.adventurer;"And you know what? I don't know what came over me, but I saw that poor traveler meeting a cruel, hopeless end, and I wanted to be in their place, just to know what it must be like to face that kind of hopelessness. What do you suppose I should make of it?"@@ You don't know what to say, but <u>a few ideas start to emerge in your thoughts, ones you didn't realize you had in you…</u> Something feels different now, but you don't have the chance to dwell on it just yet. Ravi shakes his head. @@.adventurer;"Alright, you heard my piece. Whatever is up with this place isn't normal, thats all there is to say. You got anything else to say? Or can we get moving already?"@@\ <</replace>>\ <</if>> <</link>>\ </span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You ask $raptorname if he's seen the kind of trouble that he's warning you about. He crosses his arms, thinking for a moment. @@.adventurer;"Well, you were smart not to go through the front, I'll tell you that with full confidence. There are monsters of every shape and size in The Tower. If you listen carefully you might hear one stomping about, or if you're patient, you might see one perched on the upper balconies, watching. I haven't figured out yet if they're visitors like us, or if they were always here, but…"@@ He looks away from you for a brief moment, there's an intensity to his gaze that he directs at nothing in particular. @@.adventurer;"—Every single one seems to be taking advantage of the sudden rush of visitors. The same way someone takes advantage of a cheap buffet."@@ He pauses for a long beat, letting the image settle in your mind. @@.adventurer;"Hunger isn't the only thing some of these monsters are trying to satisfy, either. You understand what I'm saying?"@@ Your imagination gets a touch more graphic with that addition. You nod silently, looking up at the window again. @@.adventurer;"Good. Don't trust any of them. Nothing good can come of being caught."@@ You nod your understanding again. When you look back at $raptorname, you see a curious hint of flush on his face. You wonder if he has more to say…\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> looks like someone who's well informed. More than you are, at least. Maybe you can get a little more information about this place? You ask what he knows about The Tower. He blows off the question with a flick of his wrist. @@.adventurer;"If I understood this place, I wouldn't be here exploring it. Here, this is what I know for sure: this place didn't start calling people to it until recently. You saw all those footprints? Of course you did. They're all fresh, all of them. That means there is certainly going to be company inside."@@ He shakes his head. @@.adventurer;"You might want to be a bit more careful snooping around, by the way. You look like the sort who's gonna run into more trouble than a $Spec like you can handle."@@\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q7">\ <<link "About His Equipment…">>\ <<set $ModifierB += 1>>\ <<replace "#q7">>\ <s>About His Equipment…</s> <span id="q8">\ <<link "⮡ Doesn't carrying all that get tiresome?">> <<set _q8 to true>>\ <<replace "#q8">>\ <s>⮡ Doesn't carrying all that get tiresome?</s> <span id="q9">\ <<link "⮡ He shouldn't carry all that at once…">> <<set $ModifierC += 1>> <<if $ModifierB < 4>> <<replace "#q9">>\ <<link "⮡ He REALLY shouldn't carry all that at once (Try Again)">> <<if $ModifierB < 4>> <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You try again to convince $raptorname to drop some of the weight. You even offer to help carry some of it up yourself. This time the look he gives you is just tired. @@.adventurer;"Are you going to keep on asking me that or do you actually have something worthwhile to say?"@@ Maybe backing off and talking about something else first would be the smarter move…\ <</replace>> <<else>>\ <<replace "#q9">>\ <s>⮡ He REALLY shouldn't carry all that at once (Try Again)</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<set $ModifierD to 1>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You insist once again that $raptorname shouldn't be carrying so much stuff at once, or at the very least, he shouldn't be carrying it all while you're trying to climb. He doesn't seem happy with your suggestion, and everything he has said so far makes it clear that he's the one with experience, and you're not. But a quiet moment passes between you two. Maybe he sees the genuine concern on your expression, or maybe the weight of his gear is finally sinking in, but without saying a word he looks away and quietly sloughs a couple bags from his shoulders. @@.adventurer;"Well if you care so much, fine. But it's your idea, so you'd better help me carry it all inside."@@ He drops another couple bags to the dirt and shoots you a look. @@.adventurer;"Well? You're not going to make me do this all myself are you?"@@ You realize he's talking about undoing the many straps and buckles that keep his gear loaded, some of which seem to have their ties in inconvenient-to-reach places. You nod and hurry over to his side to help him along. You don't get much chance to hesitate. Ravi pushes his tail into your $Hands, and you get to work untying everything. Of course, in the process you get a chance to feel his dense feather coating, and underneath it, the powerful muscle that lets him carry all this stuff in the first place. He doesn't seem to mind being touched, but it's still a little flustering being up so close together. One bag after another gets set down, slimming the raptor's silhouette until only his lithe form remains, still with a generous covering of leather straps. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>You can't help but notice that his thighs are just as impressive even without bags stacked on top of them, but you don't say this.<</if>> Once everything is taken off, he actually looks quite relieved, stretching his back out now that he has the chance. He even manages to look at you with slightly less hostility. @@.adventurer;"Well, there you have it, you managed to disrobe me, hope you're proud."@@ It takes you a moment to recognize the joke. Ravi shoots you the slightest, and briefest, of smiles, and the air seems to grow warm. <u>Maybe he'll be a little more open to personal questions now…</u>\ <</replace>>\ <</if>> <</link>>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You try to convince $raptorname to drop some of the weight. Maybe he could just set down a few things and carry it up in multiple trips. Bringing it all at once just seems like a bad idea to you. He shoots you and your doubt an annoyed look. It says clearly that he's the one with experience, and you're not. @@.adventurer;"I just met you and you think you can tell me how to do my job? Look at you, you're not carrying a single thing, not a bag, not a tool, nothing. How am I supposed to know you're not gonna steal something and run off?"@@ He glares at you, eyes narrow. @@.adventurer;"Not that you'd get very far."@@ Maybe you jumped the gun asking him to do that…\ <</replace>> <<else>>\ <<replace "#q9">>\ <s>⮡ He shouldn't carry all that at once…</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<set $ModifierD to 1>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You insist that $raptorname shouldn't be carrying so much stuff at once, or at the very least, he shouldn't be carrying it all while you're trying to climb. He doesn't seem happy with your suggestion, and everything he has said so far makes it clear that he's the one with experience, and you're not. But a quiet moment passes between you two. Maybe he sees the genuine concern on your expression, or maybe the weight of his gear is finally sinking in, but without saying a word he looks away and quietly sloughs a couple bags from his shoulders. @@.adventurer;"Well if you care so much, fine. But it's your idea, so you'd better help me carry it all inside."@@ He drops another couple bags to the dirt and shoots you a look. @@.adventurer;"Well? You're not going to make me do this all myself are you?"@@ You realize he's talking about undoing the many straps and buckles that keep his gear loaded, some of which seem to have their ties in inconvenient-to-reach places. You nod and hurry over to his side to help him along. You don't get much chance to hesitate. Ravi pushes his tail into your $Hands, and you get to work untying everything. Of course, in the process you get a chance to feel his dense feather coating, and underneath it, the powerful muscle that lets him carry all this stuff in the first place. He doesn't seem to mind being touched, but it's still a little flustering being up so close together. One bag after another gets set down, slimming the raptor's silhouette until only his lithe form remains, still with a generous covering of leather straps. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>You can't help but notice that his thighs are just as impressive even without bags stacked on top of them, but you don't say this.<</if>> Once everything is taken off, he actually looks quite relieved, stretching his back out now that he has the chance. He even manages to look at you with slightly less hostility. @@.adventurer;"Well, there you have it, you managed to disrobe me, hope you're proud."@@ It takes you a moment to recognize the joke. Ravi shoots you the slightest, and briefest, of smiles, and the air seems to grow warm. <u>Maybe he'll be a little more open to personal questions now…</u>\ <</replace>>\ <</if>> <</link>>\ </span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ You can't help but worry about the weight of so much gear on his back. Some of the bags can barely even stay shut as they bulge with supplies. But $raptorname shakes his head firmly. @@.adventurer;"I know what I'm doing. Pushing yourself to your limit is part of what this profession is all about, anyway. If I need to let off some weight, I will. But right now all I care about is moving forward."@@ You think he <i>really</i> needs to let off some weight if he wants to climb. The idea of going up a ladder with that much weight on his back sounds like asking for trouble, and you wouldn't want that kind of weight to be made <i>your</i> problem, that's for sure.\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q10">\ <<link "⮡ Do those bags hold gear of the…fun variety?">>\ <<replace "#q10">>\ <s>⮡ Do those bags hold gear of the…fun variety?</s>\ <</replace>>\ <<set $ModifierC += 1>> <<if $ModifierD < 1>> <<if _q8 is not true>>\ <<replace "#q8">>\ @@color:red;<s>⮡ He should really take something off</s>@@\ <</replace>>\ <</if>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> gives you a confused look for the longest moment before an expression of horror dawns upon his face. @@.adventurer;"Do you say things like this to everyone you meet?"@@ He snaps at you. @@.adventuer;"I'm trying to do something important here, and the first thing that comes to your mind is to make…<i>bizarre</i> advances. What's wrong with you?"@@ Looks like that comment didn't land like you wanted it to…\ <</replace>>\ <<else>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> gives you a confused look for the longest moment before an expression of horror dawns upon his face. You brace for the fallout, but it doesn't come. Instead, the raptor breaks out into laughter. It's a roaring, playful laugh that sounds almost alien rising from his throat of all people. @@.adventurer;"You're kind of a freak, do you know that? But at least you're funny."@@ He takes a step forward, and to your surprise he brings his lip close to your ear to whisper. @@.adventurer;"since you're so curious. I don't, not here. But back home I have some "specialty gear" that would make your head spin."@@ With how strapped up $raptorname already is, you can only imagine what sort of gear he'd go for. And you'd probably imagine correctly.\ <</replace>>\ <</if>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ It's impossible to ignore how…thoroughly equipped $raptorname is. He's loaded up with an entire arsenal of tools, which put together must be triple his body weight. You can't imagine how he's balancing it all on his back, much left physically lifting it. You ask him how he knew to bring it all. @@.adventurer;"I didn't <i>know</i> to bring anything. However when I go set out for the unknown, I try to come <i>prepared</i>. That's a lesson you ought to learn for yourself."@@ He looks you up and down as he adds that last part, making clear your complete lack of preparation. He huffs and tugs at the straps around his shoulders, making his payload rattle once again. Still, there's pride in his voice when he continues, @@.adventurer;"That said, I've been doing my thing for years, exploring places like this. I know what it takes to stay alive."@@ You don't doubt that, but the sight is still…excessive. Is he really going to climb up a rickety old ladder with all that?\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q11">\ <<link "So…is he single?">>\ <<replace "#choices">>\ [[Time To Move On…|102-2]]\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#dialogue" t8n>>\ <<if $ModifierD is 0>>\ <<set $ModifierC += 1>>\ <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em; "And <<= $Pro.sub>> <<if $IsAre is "is">>was<<else>>were<</if>> staring at me too…"@@ <</if>>\ @@.adventurer;"Fucking…Ok, that's it, get over here."@@\ <<elseif $ModifierD is 1>>\ <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em; "And <<= $Pro.sub>> <<if $IsAre is "is">>was<<else>>were<</if>> staring at me too…"@@ <</if>>\ The look he gives next is one that is thoroughly tired of your shenanigans @@.adventurer;"I'm going to need you to stop being weird and help me, got it? If you're all done asking actual questions, then we're going inside. Come on, get over here."@@ You aren't being given a choice in the matter.\ <<else>>\ <<set $raptorlove to true>>\ He stares at you for a long moment. For the first time you notice that $raptorname's eyes have a deep shadow under them. You realize that he must have been traveling sleeplessly; literally without sleep, to reach this place. Finally he sighs and rubs the back of his paw at his exhausted eyes. @@.adventurer;"Gods above you're weird. Well if that's how you see me, alright. Maybe try asking that again <i>after</i> we finish exploring this place. How does that sound?@@ Your heart goes light in your chest and you nod a quick but very excited agreement. @@.adventurer;"Great. This might not be so bad after all. Come on now, let's get in there and see what this place is all about. No more idling about."@@\ <</if>>\ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="q12">\ [[Time To Move On…|102-2]] </span> </span>

<h3>Honesty Is A Virtue</h3> You make your answer truthful and straightforward. You have a place to be, and as much as this dragon might be terrifying to the core, you still have a goal pressing your mind, and you won’t be deterred. You hope, dearly, that through explanation, the dragon will have respect for your honesty. So you puff up your chest and explain how you were called here, how you traveled the wilds and the sea, how you left everything behind to find what has been calling to you at the top of the Tower. You put on your most solemn expression, not allowing the scorching gaze to break your nerves. You give it your best, but your hopes sink when the dragon’s expression is unchanged. It isn’t moved by your story. @@.dragon;“I know your quest,”@@ the dragon spits sparks on the last word. @@.dragon;“Did you think your challenges would end here? Did you think you could simply stroll your way to the top without paying tribute to the ones who guard it? Would you dare to consider me beneath you?”@@ The dragon barks every word with a force that brands its voice to the inside of your skull. The digits of its paw curl around you, claw coming in under your throat. It tugs you up to its maw, in the way of embers hissing through its teeth. Those little spots of light depart its maw like a fleeing crowd. In the pause between words, with your face still feeling hot from the dragon's breath, you’re tempted to <<if $cw is not 2>><<link [[look inside|101-4P]]>><<set $ModifierB = 1>><</link>><<else>><<link [[look inside (willing)|101-4P]]>><<set $ModifierB = 1>><</link>><</if>> and see just where all those sparks are coming from… However, your desire to press onward, and your base instincts to survive, tell you otherwise. The dragon’s claws remind you of their threat with a poke that nips at your side. The urge to survive makes your heart beat faster. It commands you to free yourself of the dragon’s clutches; you only need to <<if $cw is not 2>><<link [[make an opening…|101-4N]]>><</link>><<else>><<link [[make an opening… (unwilling)|101-4N]]>><</link>><</if>>

<h3>A Closer Look</h3> <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ You catch only little glimpses between the beast’s lips as it speaks to you, but it’s enough to see light glinting off of polished white fangs. They’re sharper than any steel, and capable of much worse than what the claws hooked around your sides could do to you. They scream danger, but the time you spend watching sets a thrill spinning in your stomach. Flicking between the dragon’s teeth is the pink flesh of its tongue, wide as a mattress, glittering with saliva and embers. There’s more muscle in that one organ than in your whole body put together, and could probably have you pinned all on its own. Your heart beats a little faster, you stare a little longer, and your gaze sinks down to where those little flickers are coming from. There’s a glow deep inside the dragon’s maw, illuminating its throat. You have to squint to see that unsteady light, and you’re only granted flashes. Every time the dragon exhales, that glow rises up in the back of its throat like a warning, scorching the very air before bathing you in its smoky scent and a fresh crowd of bright red embers coming to nip at your face. Your whole body is starting to feel very hot, more than the dragon’s extraordinary temperature can explain. <<if $Tail is not "none">>Your tail, being the only part of you that's completely unrestrained, begins to sway in the open air.<</if>> Your other thoughts begin to tune out as you watch. Even the dragon’s overpowering voice seems to fade into a distant rumble. You become unresponsive to its words, which turn meaningless on your ears. The only thoughts you hear are the ones asking how deep the dragon’s gullet goes. Without warning, its tongue flicks forward through its teeth. Globules of spit fly and make your face damp. You jerk back, but mostly with surprise as you suddenly realize how far you had been leaning. You feel like you discovered something, gazing through the threshold, but you’re unsure of what, exactly. There’s a humor in the dragon’s tone when it next speaks. @@.dragon;“You’re an perceptive one, if not very wise, or tactful. You see it beckoning, don’t you? Keep staring at your fate, let it come to you.”@@ <<else>>\ You catch only little glimpses between the beast’s lips as it speaks to you, but it’s enough to make out the razor edge of those fangs. They’re sharper than any steel, and the dragon makes no effort to hide them. Every word he speaks is a little threat that those fangs could tear into you. Flicking between the dragon’s teeth is the pink flesh of its tongue, wide as a mattress, glittering with saliva and embers. There’s more muscle in that one organ than in your whole body put together, strong enough to smother you, if it wanted. Your heart beats a little faster, you stare a little longer, and your gaze sinks down to where those little flickers are coming from. There’s a glow deep inside the dragon’s maw, illuminating its throat. You have to squint to see that unsteady light, and you’re only granted flashes. Every time the dragon exhales, that glow rises up in the back of its throat like a warning, scorching the very air before bathing you in its smoky scent and a fresh crowd of bright red embers coming to nip at your face. You don't know why the sight has caught your interest, but despite the anxious beating of your heart there's something compelling you to look for more. You set your attention on trying to see deeper, falling into focus, looking for whatever it is making your veins run hot with adrenaline. You stare down past the waving of the beast's tongue. Even the oppressive force of his words seems to fade into a beating drone as you explore this new fascination. You wonder just how far you can see, you only need to get a little closer… Your view of illuminated flesh is suddenly cut off by teeth clamping shut, clacking together in a jagged row. You jerk your face away, realizing how far you had been leaning forward. A shudder runs through you as you realize what would have happened if you came any closer to the shearing edge of those teeth. You hear a rumbling chuckle, and there's a humor in the dragon's tone when it next speaks. You realize that its lips have twisted into a proud grin. @@.dragon;“It seems I have no need to threaten you. How easily your will breaks when faced with fate. No, keep staring then. If you're so easily mesmerized then let it come to you.”@@ <</if>> [[Proceed|101-5P]]

<h3>Make Your Move</h3> <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ You might just be imagining it, but the dragon seems to have calmed a bit from your flattery. You feel some room around your legs, the dragon's grip becoming just a touch gentler. It's not much, but it has to be enough. Adrenaline starts to burn in your veins. You have to escape <i>now</i>. You dig your feet into the miniature scales of the paw and expel your breath as you try to wrench your arms free. All you need is a little space, just enough to free your arms, just enough to surprise him, and you can slip away. You put all your energy behind that struggle, and more. You’re not even granted an inch. You obviously can't make space in a grip dozens of times stronger than you. Perhaps you should have known that when dragon holds you, you will stay there no matter what you try. Your eyes dart up to his. His expression is one of bitter disappointment. In an instant, the grip around you becomes fierce. There’s more air in your lungs than you thought, which you rather intimately discover when it’s forced from your squished lungs. The dragon’s eyes narrow, apparently not impressed by your sorry attempt at deception. It blows off the effort with a derisive snort. “I should have known. There’s not an ounce of honor in intruders like you. Thankfully…” You watch that broad tongue flick across its scaly lip in one fluid motion. The scales glisten in its wake. “…removing the world of treacherous intruders makes the meal all the more delicious for me.” The dragon exhales a thin plume of fire. It scorches the air, invisible heat swelling in your direction. Like standing a little too close to a bonfire, its an uncomfortable feeling that makes you want to recoil. But the dragon has you in its iron grip, leaving you to squint and writhe in place, helpless. When the glow of fire dies out, it leaves behind a fragrant smoke, overpowering your senses. Gouts of soot spill from the dragon’s nostrils once the trail of flame is gone. It makes your eyes water. You cough. @@.dragon;“Listen well,”@@ it hisses. @@.dragon;“You are nothing compared to me. I could crush you and cast you aside like spoiled meat. Know that there is not one being in this place that dares to earn my wrath, and you have just insulted me with this joke of a deception.”@@ Its grip tightens further, digits squeezing around your sides, scales digging into your hide. For a drawn out moment you fear the dragon plans to end you right here. Your vision starts to twist and blur, but the weight eases from your aching ribs just as you begin to teeter on the edge of consciousness, letting you sputter for air once again. You look up to see the dragon shoot a toothy grin your way. There is a vicious malice in those teeth. @@.dragon;“Lets see if you can learn your place, before the end. I'm going to enjoy making this slow for you.”@@ You get the distinct impression that getting crushed may have been the better option. <<else>>\ The need to free yourself sets you in motion. You twist in place, you squirm, you dig your feet into the edges of the scales wherever you find purchase. Nothing gives, not an inch. Adrenaline energizes your blood but it doesn’t make a difference. The dragon is so unresponsive to your fight that your escape feels foolish even as you continue to desperately attempt it. The more you try, the tighter the grip around you becomes, squeezing the air from your lungs until your muscles burn. You can't fight it. No-one can overpower a dragon, and certainly not you. There's more strength in the one paw than you could possibly know what to do with, and now you can feel it squeezing the life from you. It's only once your strength finally gives out that the dragon's paw eases up once more, enough to keep you alive at least. The dragon’s eyes are narrowed. It’s not impressed by the sorry display, no matter how desperate. You hear it scoff while still gasping for breath. @@.dragon;“So now you take me seriously, is that so? You’re too late.”@@ It lets its broad tongue flick across its scaly lip in one fluid motion. The scales glisten in the light. @@.dragon;“Until now, you thought that I was not worth your time, or your respect. And now you think you can escape when I have you in my claws. How utterly self absorbed you are.”@@ The dragon exhales a thin plume of fire. It scorches the air, invisible heat swelling in your direction. Like standing a little too close to a bonfire, its an uncomfortable feeling that makes you want to recoil. But the dragon has you in its iron grip, leaving you to squint and writhe in place, helpless. When the glow of fire dies out, it leaves behind a fragrant smoke, overpowering your senses. Gouts of soot spill from the dragon’s nostrils once the trail of flame is gone. It makes your eyes water. You cough. @@.dragon;“Listen well,”@@ it hisses. @@.dragon;“You are nothing compared to me. I could crush you and cast you aside like spoiled meat. Know that there is not one being in this place that dares to challenge me. You should feel a fool for trying.”@@ Its grip tightens further, digits squeezing around your sides, scales digging into your hide. For a drawn out moment you fear the dragon plans to end you right here. Your vision starts to twist and blur, but the weight eases from your aching ribs just as you begin to teeter on the edge of consciousness, letting you sputter for air for the second time now. You look up to see the dragon shoot a toothy grin your way. There is a vicious malice in those teeth. @@.dragon;“Lets see if you can learn your place, before the end. I'm going to enjoy making this slow for you.”@@ You get the distinct impression that getting crushed may have been the better option. <</if>> [[Proceed|101-5N]]

<h3>Inside</h3> Your heart nearly beats through your chest when you see the corners of the dragon’s maw start to stretch. The scaly lips curl back as if in a yawn, revealing the long stems of those teeth like unsheathing blades. That maw stretches out to the corners of your vision, making it clear that this beast can and has eaten things much larger than you are. The tongue stirs in place, poking between the white spires like a blind serpent, restless. At the back of the cavernous maw, heat and light rise from the throat on a tide of thin smoke. Its appearance is otherworldly. You feel a morbid curiosity take an invisible grip on you, just as strong as the dragon's paw. You’re made distinctly aware of your own vulnerability when your cautious gaze comes up to the whites of the dragon’s teeth, arranged into a dazzling armory display. You’re lifted closer, and promptly recoil your free limbs from the razor edge. You find your arms wrapped around one of the dragon's digits for some amount of security. @@.dragon;“Are you afraid?”@@ The dragon asks, its fangs flashing before you. It never closes its maw completely, always leaving something to look at, just a little glimmer to keep your attention where it should be. @@.dragon;“Don’t be. Let it happen.”@@ The dragon’s tongue slithers into the open air. Perched below you, you can see heat given shape in swirling wisps of steam. That thickened haze of gray caresses your body. Little beads of moisture materialize on your $Hide, making you feel wet even before the dragon’s paw plants you against the tongue’s broad surface. In a twisting, prehensile motion, you’re wrapped in that vast muscle's embrace, swaddled up to your neck in tender pink flesh. The dragon’s insides are a world apart from the sleek scales. There’s a pillowy softness to the tongue, but as it squeezes around you, there’s a rough but not quite abrasive texture, making itself well known as the dragon tastes you. The tongue draws you in on its own. Wrapped up by the powerful organ, you’re smuggled between the beast’s teeth before they snap shut, becoming an impassable wall of ivory. With the outside cut off, the dragon’s throat illuminates your surroundings in moody orange. Saliva dripping from every surface sparkles with captured light. The image of a luxurious and romantic dinner crosses your mind, but is interrupted by the tongue twirling you around for another loop. Having you all to itself, the dragon’s tongue wastes no time in making itself intimate with you. Its prodding end seeks out every corner of your body, while its dripping mass slathers you in thick glaze of saliva. When the tongue wraps around one of your limbs, you’re powerless to stop it from pulling you around, dragging you about like a piece of candy to be savored. You can’t help but tense your limbs when the tongue digs into some particularly sensitive spots, which only seems to excite it into exploring you even more. As loathe as that tongue is to let you go, you find yourself steadily creeping back. The rising glow of the dragon’s throat crawls around the edges of your vision just as the tongue starts to unwrap itself from your body, leaving only its adventurous tip to poke at you. You feel an overwhelming warmth rising up your back as you're turned to see the precipice of the dragon's throat. The end of the tongue curls under your jaw, caressing your cheek as a lover might. It releases you just as gravity begins to shift. The whole of the dragon’s head starts to tilt back, the tongue lifts high above your head, and your descent begins in earnest. Now below you, the ring of pink stretches wide, inviting you in. You slip from your perch on the dragon's tongue and drop right in, much too small for there to be an ounce of resistance entering the dragon's throat. Soft flesh immediately encases your whole body, forcing your eyes shut. Its shocking how little resistance there is, sliding between the gentle walls. Your momentum propels you a fair ways down before friction between the walls catches up with you. You slow to a near stop just before a firm constriction ripples around your body, a sign that the dragon’s esophagus is eager to have its turn to play with you. <<link [[Give In...|101-6P]]>><<set $ModifierC = 1>><</link>> <<if $ModifierA is 0>><<link [[GET OUT|101-6N]]>><</link>><<else>><<link [[GET OUT|101-6E]]>><</link>><</if>>

<h3>Within</h3> Your heartbeat drums the inside of your ribs when the corners of the dragon’s maw start to stretch. The scaly lips curl back as if in a yawn, revealing teeth like blades being unsheathed, becoming an unspoken threat that this beast has the means to tear apart fragile creatures like you before devouring them. The tongue stirs in place, poking between the white spines like a blind serpent, restless. At the back of the cavernous maw, heat and light rise from the throat, burning throughout a tide of thick black smoke. You can’t imagine the gates to hell look any different. And yet there’s a morbid fascination within you, keeping your attention in a choke hold. You can’t look away. You can’t even decide if you <i>want</i> to look away. You stare up at the whites of the dragon’s teeth like a wild animal, see them draw close to hover beside you, aligned into a warlike display. You feel one of your limbs scrape against a razor edge and instinctively recoil. Your $Hide feels particularly tender where it touched you. @@.dragon;“Are you afraid?”@@ The dragon asks. Every word it speaks stabs ivory fangs across your vision. Each one comes heart-stoppingly close to ending your life. @@.dragon;“Good. Let it extinguish your arrogance. You should have known fear when you arrived. Now you can drown in it.”@@ The dragon’s tongue slithers into the open air. When it perches below you, wisps of steam extend from its slick face like the ghosts of past meals. It mixes with the bitter smoke pouring out the dragon’s maw and surrounds you in its haze. Little beads of moisture form on your $Hide, making you feel wet even before the dragon’s paw shoves you through the cloud of smog and into that broad tongue. In a twisting, prehensile motion, you’re captured in a new, damp embrace. It slithers up to your neck, coating your body in pink flesh. The inside of the dragon is a world apart from the sleek scales. There’s a pillowy softness to the tongue, but the way it squeezes around you is anything but comfortable. There’s a rough texture to it, made well known by grinding against your form, pushing an immense muscle weight into each of its motions. The tongue draws you in on its own. At the mercy of the powerful organ, you’re smuggled between the beast’s teeth before they finally snap shut for good, becoming a wall of sharpened ivory. With the outside cut off, the dragon’s throat illuminates your prison in a volcanic orange. Saliva dripping from every surface sparkles with captured light. You aren’t given a chance to dwell on the sight. Instead, the tongue starts to twirl you free of its grasp, only so it can pin you hard against the roof. Having you all to itself, the dragon’s tongue wastes no time in getting intimate. Its prodding end seeks out every corner of your body, while its dripping mass slathers you in saliva until layered thick, clinging to your $Hide sticky and hot. When the tongue wraps around one of your limbs, you’re powerless to stop it from dragging you across every corner of the beast’s mouth, teasing you up against the fangs before bundling you up once more and pulling you back down into the fray. You can’t help but tense up when the tongue dives into some particularly sensitive spots, but this only seems to excite it into exploring you even more. The longer it plays with you, the less willing it seems to be to let you go. Even as gravity begins to tilt, even as you start a slow slide towards the back of the dragon's maw, that tongue continues to find a way to wrap around any part of you it can grab. There’s an overwhelming warmth rising up your back as you come near the precipice. The smoke pools there in the pit of the dragon’s maw. You descend to where it’s thickest, and choke on the smell. When the tongue finally starts to loosen its grip around you, you begin to fear that the fate you’ll find in the depths will be much worse than this. You reach for the end that explored you, but it slips out of your grasp. The whole of the dragon’s head starts to tilt back, and with nothing there to save you, your slide towards the entrance of the dragon’s throat is more like a free fall. Now below you, the ring of pink stretches wide, ready for you to plummet inside. You plunge feet-first into the depths of soft flesh, immediately entombing your whole body, forcing your eyes shut. Its shocking how little resistance there is between the featureless walls. You can’t tell just how far you slip before the throat muscles catch your descent. You slow, but you never stop, even as the walls close in tight. The dragon’s esophagus is eager to have its turn to overpower you. <<link [[Give In...|101-6P]]>><<set $ModifierC = 1>><</link>> <<link [[GET OUT|101-6N]]>><</link>>

<h3>Descent</h3> <<if $ModifierA is 1 or $ModifierB is 1>>\ You take the dragon’s advice and let it happen. You relinquish yourself in to the muscular throat, relaxing your body while it applies its softness to your sides with rhythmic squeezes. You wait and allow it to get accustomed to your shape, fitting to you like a mold. When it’s ready, you feel the muscle just below you relax. There’s a slight pressure that forms just over your head, pushing you down, but it’s hardly necessary as gravity does most of the work. For anyone larger, the dragon would have needed to swallow repeatedly to push its food down its throat. For you though, once is enough. You slide through rings of muscle one after the other, each one stroking over your body. Your descent is slow. It gives you plenty of time to dwell on your situation, and your fate. Being covered top to bottom in dragon flesh, the beast’s body heat sinks into your bones. What little air you have to breathe is thick and humid, and makes you feel hot from within, making your thoughts woozy while waiting to be delivered in the dark. [[Proceed|101-7P]] <<else>> Escape, of course, is impossible. There's nothing left to do but take the dragon’s advice and let it happen. You submit to the muscular throat, bracing for constrictions that seem to be trying to crush you despite the softness of the walls. You could save your energy, hope a better chance to escape will appear, but the heat and tightness just leave you more exhausted than before. When it’s ready, you feel the muscle just below you relax. There’s a slight pressure that weighs on your head, pushing you down, but it’s hardly necessary. Gravity pulls much harder. Were you larger, the dragon would need to more aggressively swallow to carry its meal to its stomach. For you though, the process is effortless. Your descent is as gruelingly slow as it is unstoppable. There is nothing for you to grip, nothing that could save even a moment of extra time. Fighting now would be pointless, and you are forced to internalize this. Being covered top to bottom in dragon flesh, the beast’s body heat seeps into you from every angle. What little air you have to breathe is damp and stuffy, and yet, as you wait there in the dark, your thoughts reach a certain clarity, and you find yourself becoming calm. [[Proceed|101-7N]] <</if>>

<h3>Decline</h3> <<if $ModifierB is 0>>\ Your situation is dire, but it doesn’t deter you. You won’t let it deter you. With all your strength, you kick out against the slimy throat walls, using all your strength to make the muscle distend. You try to keep yourself anchored, to slow your descent, to make it impossible for the beast’s belly to claim you. You hope to find some amount of grip, anything. Any amount of control in this situation that will surely doom you. But the dragon is wise to your struggles, and you are exhausted from being treated as a plaything in its maw. Your $Foot gains no purchase and glances across the slick muscle. All that your effort yields is another great swallow, another overwhelming push down into the sweltering abyss. It dawns upon you just how hopeless it is. You were doomed from the second the dragon caught you. You try again to kick and stretch, perhaps to gain some precious seconds. Even if you can’t escape, you can put up a fight until the end. So that’s what you do, all the way down the length of the dragon’s throat and more. Perhaps you do gain a little time, perhaps you make it worse. <<else>>\ But something is wrong. You watch the flesh sliding away above you. You can feel your hopes at escape becoming more distant by the second. You know, with absolute certainty, that if you don't act now, you'll be well and truly doomed. And so you fight it. With all your strength, you kick out against the slimy throat walls, using all your strength to make the muscle distend. You try to keep yourself anchored, to slow your descent, to make it impossible for the beast’s belly to claim you and give yourself some hope that escape may be possible after all. The dragon responds to your sudden outburst without mercy. You feel the walls squished down around you, a great paw pressing into the spot on its neck where you reside. Your struggles suddenly run up against firm muscle, and your limbs glance off of their slick surface. All that your effort yields is another great swallow, another overwhelming push down into the sweltering abyss. It occurs to you that the dragon was always prepared for this. You stayed on guard around the dragon, and in return, it was prepared for your inevitable break. And now, you are without hope. You try again to kick and stretch, perhaps to gain some precious seconds. Even if you can’t escape, you can put up a fight until the end. So that’s what you do, all the way down the length of the dragon’s throat and more. Perhaps you do gain a little time, perhaps you make it worse. <</if>> [[Proceed|101-7N]]

<h3>Escape</h3> It’s too tight. It’s too hot. It’s too…final. The walls of the throat constrict tight around your only hope of escape, descending on you to force your way down to the dragon’s awaiting stomach. There’s no escaping when you reach the bottom. You may already be too late, but something in you won’t accept it. Some switch flips. You wind up your leg until muscle strains. There’s no aiming in the dark, but there’s also not much to aim at. You kick forward, jabbing your foot into the relaxed flesh. It’s surprisingly malleable, extending with your kick until you reach something hard. You don’t know if you hit something sensitive, or if the dragon simply wasn’t expecting your sudden resistance, but you’re jolted as your descent comes to an abrupt halt. Your entire world starts to shake shortly after. There’s a beating, percussive noise that makes your ears pop. Suddenly the throat becomes tight around you again, constricting hard. Instead of sucking you down though, you’re shoved back out the way you came. Your head pops up through the hole to the dragon’s throat. Your body is expelled shortly after. You scramble to find a grip on anything you can reach, just to prevent you from tumbling over yourself as you slip down the dragon’s tongue, now flaccid and uninterested in you. You crumple against the hard stone of the floor, but will yourself upright when the sound of the dragon coughing above you batters at your ear drums. You don’t hesitate, you don’t dwell on how alien it feels to stand again. You just run. You’re up the stairs and through the doorway before you can even fully register what happened, or the fact that you’re still alive. [[Proceed|101-0E]]

<h3>Belly Of The Beast</h3> A last ring of muscle pinches briefly at your sides before you’re welcomed to your destination. You’re threaded through until the esophagus relinquishes its hold, almost dropping you to the stomach floor. Under your modest weight, the pouch of flesh sags. Not by much, but enough to make you slip onto your side; you might as well try to stand on a hammock. When you reopen your eyes, the first thing you take note of is the presence of light. The same orange glow that rose from the dragon's throat seems to permeate the space, coming from some hidden spot beyond the walls, tinted by crimson dragon flesh. It pulses in time with the dragon’s heart, overflowing with heat. In this space, you have room to stretch, lots of room, actually. You could fully extend your arm and your hand wouldn’t reach anything. Of course, you’re not in a state to do much else but get comfortable to your surroundings. A haze of steam gives the dragon’s belly a sauna-like quality. You simmer in it. Laying on your back, you feel the stomach start to recognize your presence. Little motions push you to nestle between the stomach folds. The sturdy organ grows a little firmer wherever you touch it. Through the layered surface, you can orient yourself to the belly and feel how it sways in place when the dragon moves. The steady sway of it is calming, in a strange way. @@.dragon;“Enjoying yourself?”@@ The dragon’s voice shakes you. Only the thick padding of its belly can hope to dull the thunderous tone. @@.dragon;“Good. Cleanse your mind of other thoughts, they have no place here. You need only think of <i>me</i>.”@@ Direction shifts, and a gentle thud brings your movement to an abrupt halt. The stomach chamber bounces once before settling back into place, lurching you briefly into the air. The stomach walls wobble briefly, tense, then relax again, easing you back into its folds. You hear something liquid sloshing nearby, and are once again reminded of the scale of the stomach you've ended up inside. @@.dragon;“You should consider yourself lucky. My stomach isn’t so kind to rowdy guests.”@@ Almost in confirmation, there’s a growl that echoes through the belly, emanating from somewhere deeper in the dragon’s confines. <<if $ModifierA is 0>>\ @@.dragon;“To think you spoke to me with such pomp and purpose,”@@ even in the low, resounding voice, there is a humor to the dragon’s tone. @@.dragon;“You arrived on a mission, and yet, your will broke so easily, so readily, as if you were waiting for it to happen. I’ll have much to think about after you’re gone.”@@ There’s finality in the statement, and a disregard for your coming fate. <<elseif $ModifierB is 0>> @@.dragon;“How strange and indecisive you are. You thought to trick me, did you not?”@@ The dragon hisses the accusation at you, making you shudder, pulling out out of your peace. When the dragon continues, it resumes its low, cool tone. @@.dragon;“But, perhaps not. Perhaps I frightened you, and you acted as a frightened animal would. Perhaps my tongue and throat put you back into submission, you became quite cooperative after that, didn't you? You chose to go down so nicely.”@@ <<else>><<set $ModifierD = 1>> @@.dragon;“But you are more willing to accept your place than most. You gave in to my hunger so easily, gazing into me before I could even properly display myself to you. I’m rather impressed.”@@ The dragon coos to you, finding your spot buried within his belly. @@.dragon;“That doesn’t change your fate, of course. No, it tells me that this is something you wanted all along, and it will be delivered to you. You’ll be mine, and no one else's, for all time. This is where you belong.”@@ There’s a pleased rumble that follows, vibrating all around you. The dragon seems rather content. <</if>> The longer you wait, the more intense the heat seems to get. Strangely enough, it never becomes unpleasant, but as it seeps into your limbs, pouring into your core, it becomes ever more present in your thoughts. Other sensations are drowned out, there is only the warmth of your soft fleshy bed. @@.dragon;“Rest now, my belly is eager to have you.”@@ The command pokes through the exhausting heat, but only barely. It sounds distant, like a echo through the hills. Your head lolls, dreams flickering under your eyelids. Everything feels so heavy, even the air feels like a weight on your chest. Sleep is calling for you. [[Sleep|101-8P]] <<if $ModifierD is 1>><<if $cw is 0>>[[Bonus - Stay Awake A Little Longer|101-XP]]<<else>>[[Bonus - Stay Awake A Little Longer (Absorption)|101-XP]]<</if>><<else>>LOCKED<</if>>

<h3>Trapped In A Monster</h3> There’s one last ring of muscle that blocks the way to your stop. It’s a tight little loop, different from the rest of the esophagus. The pressure over your head bears down on you, squeezing you through a pinhole opening before gravity takes over, and you are dropped to the stomach floor. The pouch of flesh sags under your insubstantial weight. Not by much, but enough to make your feet slip out from under you. You bound into the firm stomach walls. The best you can do is try to stay face up. You open your eyes to a squint, where the first thing you notice is the presence of light. The same orange glow that rose from the beast's throat seems to permeate this space, coming from some hidden spot buried beyond the walls, tinted by crimson dragon flesh. It pulses in time with the dragon’s heart, broiling you in infernal heat. There’s little to grip onto in this cavernous space, save for the folded stomach walls clinging to your sides. You could send your hands grasping above you and not reach anything at all. Survival instincts urge you to resist, to fight for your life, but the energy just isn’t there. There’s a murk within the dragon’s belly, smelling of smoke and vinegar. The heat in the air soaks into your saliva coat, then into you. It draws the strength from your overexerted body, making it an ordeal simply to move. Stuck on your back, you feel how the stomach acts on your presence. Little constrictions push you to nestle between the stomach folds, keeping as much of its acidic surface in contact with yours as possible. They seem to become rigid around your sides, clamping around you. It's not enough to restrain you, as that is certainly not necessary, but it's enough so you can feel how the stomach sways in place while the dragon moves. @@.dragon;“Finally lost your fight have you?”@@ The dragon’s voice is resounding. The dense padding of its belly makes the thunderous tone echo and hammer your thoughts. Your ears ring. @@.dragon;“Don’t try to play dead. I've listened to my body claim legions. I know you can hear me.”@@ Direction shifts, and there’s a drop, thud, and abrupt halt that leave your skull rattling. You and the stomach bounce once before settling back into place. You hear something liquid slosh nearby. The air becomes thicker, viscous, clinging to your lungs. You suddenly realize just how hard you have been breathing. @@.dragon;“Think of me in your final moments, and know that it was foolish to try and resist a dragon. Your struggles, your meaningless efforts, they only served to whet my hunger.”@@ Confirming the dragon, a beastly growl echoes through the stomach, sounding like a creature of its own. <<if $ModifierA is 1>> @@.dragon;“I’ll enjoy your demise more than most. I despise those who think they can trick me.”@@ The dragon hisses at you with such revulsion that you feel a chill even in that volcanic pit. The stomach walls are roused by the dragon’s anger, folds compressing ever so slightly harder around your body. It feels like you’re being pulled directly into the compact flesh. @@.dragon;“You deserve worse than what my body can give you.”@@ <<elseif $ModifierB is 1>> @@.dragon;“To think you would fight me. You saw it, didn’t you? You saw the allure of my depths. You hesitated, for that one moment, just before I pulled you into my maw, just before I pulled the last hope of escape away from you.”@@ The dragon taunts you with a giddy tone, just on the edge of laughing at you. @@.dragon;“I hope that your gaze into my maw is burned into you for the rest of your existence, and for whatever lies beyond.”@@ <<elseif $ModifierC is 1>> @@.dragon;“You lost your fight before the end could even come, didn’t you?”@@ The dragon taunts you, then waits for the words to sink in @@.dragon;“You could have fought screaming all the way down, but you didn’t. You grew so still, like a corpse, or someone in prayer. Did you make peace with your gods? Did you beg for their help, or their forgiveness? They won’t hear you inside of me. They will never find you.”@@ <<else>><<set $ModifierD = 1>> @@.dragon;“You thought you could make yourself a nuisance, struggling all the way down, in some vain attempt to escape. What was it for, intruder? To continue on your unknown quest? To pursue something you can’t see? Your drive is stronger than most, which is why I will be listening carefully, waiting for it to escape you with each last breath.”@@ No amount of body heat can stop the shiver that comes from the malice in the dragon’s tone. <</if>> The longer you wait, the more invasive the heat seems to get. It seeps into your limbs, warming your blood, pouring into your core. It becomes ever more present in your thoughts, drowning out all other sensations. Memories of life outside of this place seem to become more distant, out of reach. There’s nothing here to comfort you except the clinging stomach walls. @@.dragon;“Give in, intruder. My stomach will keep you forever.”@@ The command pokes through the exhausting heat, but only barely. It sounds distant, like a echo through the hills. Your head lolls, darkness beckoning under your eyelids. Everything feels so heavy, even the air feels like a weight on your chest. Sleep is calling for you. [[Sleep|101-8N]] <<if $ModifierD is 1>><<if $cw is 0>>[[Bonus - Stay Awake A Little Longer|101-XN]]<<else>>[[Bonus - Stay Awake A Little Longer (Mind Break)|101-XN]]<</if>><<else>>LOCKED<</if>>

<h3>Silence</h3> Your head lolls again. Keeping your eyes open is a challenge, keeping your head up is impossible. You feel like you’re sinking deeper into the soft walls, but eventually realize that they’re simply gripping you tighter now that you’re unable to resist. Your eyes drift shut for the last time, and the intense heat seems to transform into a comforting warmth, making a heavy blanket over your body as you submit to the power of the dragon. There’s no time to think on it. Sleep captures you in its own trap. Parted from your body, dreams dazzle you with memories that let you experience it all over again, again and again, until that too fades away, and all is silent. [[Proceed|101-0]]

<h3>Claimed</h3> <<set $ModifierE to 1>>\ Rest is easy when it’s all you’re able to do, but it's not enough for you to sleep and end it here. You push your body to stretch out those moments of awareness for a while longer. Something in the dragon’s tone, something in the way it enjoyed you, you don’t want to let it go just yet. You keep your eyes open a little more, to watch what happens next, to be there for every moment of it. The anticipation makes your body involuntarily shudder. You feel a shift from the dragon. @@.dragon;“Oh, you’re still awake, are you?”@@ It asks. It actually sounds surprised for the first time. You hear a little thump from somewhere above, perhaps the sound of the dragon patting its stomach. @@.dragon;“Did the idea of becoming part of me excite you? If a willing meal like you wants to see it happen, well, I have no reason to deny you. And now, you'll get to see what a dragon's stomach is truly capable of.”@@ You don’t have the energy to respond of course. Your breath is long and drawn out, lungs straining the thick air for a scrap of oxygen. You feel like if you so much as speak, the exertion would make you faint. The dragon’s body, of course, would be indifferent no matter the response you might give it. The stomach folds become firm around your limbs, holding you steady, making it feel like you’re simply sinking into its embrace. It compacts around you, almost constricting, somewhat like the throat, printing its wavy texture into your $Hide. The overwhelming heat and oppressive humidity that's been making your head feel thick and dizzy seems to dull as you sink deeper. It never goes away, there’s not a second where you aren’t aware of the dragon's internal warmth permeating every cell of your body. Instead, you start to feel accustomed to it. It feels comforting, natural even. It feels like you were meant to live in the brutal conditions of the dragon's belly, but simply never knew until now. The stomach folds a little more, it constricts a little harder. Eventually you realize that you’re almost fully embedded in the stomach walls, with soft red creeping at the edges of your vision. Your limbs have all been fully encased, but still, it feels like you’re sinking. At last it dawns upon you that you’re being pulled directly into the dragon’s body. Your vision is covered, forcing your eyes closed again. Everything feels damp, and there’s a constant pressure from every angle. You couldn’t move your limbs even if you had the strength to. There’s a tightness that tries to force the dragon’s body to intermingle with yours. It’s a feeling impossible to describe in its entirety. In your last minutes of consciousness, your limbs no longer feel quite like they belong to you, and the stomach walls bearing down on your body feel closer to you than they really are. You can feel the dragon’s contentment before it even speaks to you. @@.dragon;“Farewell, curious intruder.”@@ [[Proceed|101-0]]

<h3>Chill</h3> The heat becomes too much, it’s hard to feel or think about anything else. Even your own body feels disconnected. You don’t know how literal that may be, but pain is a feeling which has long since left you. There is only that ever present heat. Your eyes close for the last time just as the stomach starts to compress. Sleep invites you in an instant, drowning you in an endless dark with a cold embrace. Even the heat is gone, and without it, nothing. [[Proceed|101-0]]

<h3>Conquered</h3> <<set $ModifierE to 2>>\ You do not give in. Instinct, for survival and self preservation, is a creature impossible to kill, and it claws at your thoughts, delirious. Your eyes stay open. Even in the oppressive atmosphere, you keep your attention sharp. Even when your body feels numb, you remain in focus. You refuse to lie down and die easily. You will not give it the satisfaction of breaking your will. @@.dragon;“Worthless intruder.”@@ The dragon’s voice comes from nowhere. It’s a rumble that shakes the clinging walls leeching the sustenance from you. @@.dragon;“Do you have a final statement? I still feel you breathing in there, sucking up air that doesn’t belong to you. Go on, use your stolen air to insult me.”@@ It will not break your will. The air is stale, your breath is heavy, and every bit of energy you have goes to keeping your heat-exhausted body awake in the oxygen deprived air. You try to form words, but the only sound that forms in your throat is a sighing exhale. Your breath makes the smoke swirl, but nothing more. Your prison starts to quiver, then shake as you hear the dragon laugh at your silence. You’re jostled, bouncing off of the tender stomach walls until you land again, face to your side. You can’t find the energy to roll over. @@.dragon;“You’re too late for noble acts. Your minuscule life has no power here, its end will mean nothing. Your only accomplishment is humoring me.”@@ The voice sounds awfully close with your ear pressed to the wall. @@.dragon;“I will feel no remorse when you are digested and gone. I will not feel regret when I devour every other intruder like you, until I am fat with a belly full of bones.”@@ It won’t break you. The dragon continues while you can hear it. @@.dragon;“Your sort thinks I can be outsmarted or overpowered. You never see what I truly am. I am the greatest of beasts, the end given form. The end of you, and of anyone else who disrupts me. This is my purpose.”@@ You blink, and your vision comes back blurry. Sensations seem to melt away, flowing to places where they shouldn’t be. It feels like you’re not all there, or what is there is no longer in one piece. @@.dragon;“Do you know what your purpose is?”@@ It won’t. @@.dragon;“Your purpose is to feed me.”@@ It won't... In your last moments, before your existence goes dark, those words are all that occupies your fragile mind. And you feed the dragon. And you fulfill your purpose. [[Proceed|101-0]]

<h3>Setup: Identity</h3> You are you, and you are on a journey. But before it can begin, it is important to establish who you are. How would you like to be referred? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "He/Him">>\ <<set $Pro.sub to "he">>\ <<set $Pro.obj to "him">>\ <<set $Pro.possP to "his">>\ <<set $Pro.possA to "his">>\ <<set $Pro.ref to "himself">>\ <<set $IsAre to "is">>\ <<replace "#conf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#proceed">><<button [[Proceed|0-2]]>><</button>><</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf1"> </span>\ <<button "She/Her">>\ <<set $Pro.sub to "she">>\ <<set $Pro.obj to "her">>\ <<set $Pro.possP to "her">>\ <<set $Pro.possA to "hers">>\ <<set $Pro.ref to "herself">>\ <<set $IsAre to "is">>\ <<replace "#conf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#proceed">><<button [[Proceed|0-2]]>><</button>><</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf2"> </span>\ <<button "They/Them">>\ <<set $Pro.sub to "they">>\ <<set $Pro.obj to "them">>\ <<set $Pro.possP to "their">>\ <<set $Pro.possA to "theirs">>\ <<set $Pro.ref to "themself">>\ <<set $IsAre to "are">>\ <<replace "#conf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#proceed">><<button [[Proceed|0-2]]>><</button>><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="conf3"> </span> @@.button;<<button [[Custom|0-P]]>><</button>>@@ @@.button;<span id="proceed"></span>@@

<h3>Setup: Identity</h3> Provide the language with which you would like to be referred. Subjective Pronoun: He, She, They Example: She has a key @@.textbox;<<textbox "_Sub" "">>@@ Objective Pronoun: Him, Her, They Example: The key is with her @@.textbox;<<textbox "_Obj" "">>@@ Possessive Pronoun: His, Her, Their Example: That is her box @@.textbox;<<textbox "_PossP" "">>@@ Possessive Adjective: His, Hers, Theirs Example: The box is hers @@.textbox;<<textbox "_PossA" "">>@@ Reflexive Pronoun: Himself, Herself, Themself Example: The secret is kept to herself @@.textbox;<<textbox "_Ref" "">>@@ Singular or Plural Conjugation? Examples: He is --or-- They are @@.buttonsmall;<<button "Singular">>\ <<set $IsAre to "is">>\ <<replace "#conf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="conf1"> </span>\ <<button "Plural">>\ <<set $IsAre to "is">>\ <<replace "#conf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="conf2"> </span> @@.button;<<button [[Submit|0-2]]>>\ <<set $Pro.sub to _Sub.toLowerCase(), $Pro.Sub to $Pro.sub.toUpperFirst()>>\ <<set $Pro.obj to _Obj.toLowerCase(), $Pro.Obj to $Pro.obj.toUpperFirst()>>\ <<set $Pro.possP to _PossP.toLowerCase(), $Pro.PossP to $Pro.possP.toUpperFirst()>>\ <<set $Pro.possA to _PossA.toLowerCase(), $Pro.PossA to $Pro.possA.toUpperFirst()>>\ <<set $Pro.ref to _Ref.toLowerCase(), $Pro.Ref to $Pro.ref.toUpperFirst()>>\ <</button>>@@\ @@.button;<<button [[Nevermind|0-1]]>> <</button>>@@\

<h3>Setup: Physical Form</h3> What is the shape of you that interacts with the world? Your form will not impact your ability, but may alter how some scenes are described. @@.button;<<button [[I Don't Care, Skip This|0-3]]>>\ <<set $Spec to "lizard">>\ <<set $Hide to "scales">>\ <<set $BPlan to "bi">>\ <<set $Hand to "hand">>\ <<set $Hands to "hands">>\ <<set $Foot to "foot">>\ <<set $Feet to "feet">>\ <<set $Tail to "long">>\ <</button>>@@ What species would you like to be? @@.textbox;<<textbox "_Spec" "lizard">>@@ What sort of hide do you have? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "Skin">>\ <<set $Hide to "skin">>\ <<replace "#hideconf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="hideconf1"> </span>\ <<button "Fur">>\ <<set $Hide to "fur">>\ <<replace "#hideconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="hideconf2"> </span>\ <<button "Scales">>\ <<set $Hide to "scales">>\ <<replace "#hideconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="hideconf3"><b>◄</b></span>\ <<button "Feathers">>\ <<set $Hide to "feathers">>\ <<replace "#hideconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#hideconf4">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="hideconf4"> </span> What body plan would you like to have? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "Bipedal">>\ <<set $BPlan to "bi">>\ <<replace "#bpconf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="bpconf1"><b>◄</b></span>\ <<button "Quadrupedal">>\ <<set $BPlan to "quad">>\ <<replace "#bpconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="bpconf2"> </span>\ <<button "Hexapodal (Taur)">>\ <<set $BPlan to "taur">>\ <<replace "#bpconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="bpconf3"> </span>\ <<button "Hexapodal (Other)">>\ <<set $BPlan to "hex">>\ <<replace "#bpconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#bpconf4">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="bpconf4"> </span> What do you hold things with? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "Hands">>\ <<set $Hand to "hand">>\ <<set $Hands to "hands">>\ <<replace "#handconf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="handconf1"><b>◄</b></span>\ <<button "Paws">>\ <<set $Hand to "paw">>\ <<set $Hands to "paws">>\ <<replace "#handconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="handconf2"> </span>\ <<button "Claws">>\ <<set $Hand to "claw">>\ <<set $Hands to "claws">>\ <<replace "#handconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#handconf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="handconf3"> </span> What do you stand with? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "Feet">>\ <<set $Foot to "foot">>\ <<set $Feet to "feet">>\ <<replace "#footconf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="footconf1"><b>◄</b></span>\ <<button "Paws">>\ <<set $Foot to "paw">>\ <<set $Feet to "paws">>\ <<replace "#footconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="footconf2"> </span>\ <<button "Talons">>\ <<set $Foot to "talon">>\ <<set $Feet to "talons">>\ <<replace "#footconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf4">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="footconf3"> </span>\ <<button "Hooves">>\ <<set $Foot to "hoof">>\ <<set $Feet to "hooves">>\ <<replace "#footconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf3">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#footconf4">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="footconf4"> </span> Do you have a tail? @@.buttonsmall;<<button "No Tail">>\ <<set $Tail to "none">>\ <<replace "#tailconf1">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="tailconf1"> </span>\ <<button "Standard Tail">>\ <<set $Tail to "short">>\ <<replace "#tailconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf2">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf3">> <</replace>>\ <</button>>\ <span id="tailconf2"> </span>\ <<button "Long Tail">>\ <<set $Tail to "long">>\ <<replace "#tailconf1">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf2">> <</replace>>\ <<replace "#tailconf3">><b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="tailconf3"><b>◄</b></span> @@.button;<<button [[Submit|0-3]]>>\ <<set $Spec to _Spec.toLowerCase()>>\ <</button>>@@\

<h3>Setup: Fate</h3> The path ahead is dangerous. Many ill ends await the unprepared, and your survival is highly unlikely. You, however, will be entering with fortune on your side, unless you choose to reject that fortune and brave the unknown on your own… @@.nartext; <u>PERMANENCE</u> If enabled, most vore scenes will conclude in a GAME OVER. Proceeding after a GAME OVER requires RESTARTING THE GAME. Save and Undo options will also be REMOVED. However, there is a small reward for your dedication. Additional passages detailing your unfortunate, permanent fate will be unlocked. @@ @@.button;<<button "PERMA ON">>\ <<set $nosave to true>>\ <<replace "#proceed">>\ <<button [[Proceed|0-N]]>><</button>>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf1">>\ <span style="color:red"> <b>◄ <u>ARE YOU SURE?</u></b></span>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="conf1"></span> @@.button;<<button "PERMA OFF">>\ <<set $nosave to false>>\ <<replace "#proceed">>\ <<button [[Confirm|0-0]]>><</button>>\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf1">><</replace>>\ <<replace "#conf2">> <b>◄</b><</replace>>\ <</button>>@@\ <span id="conf2"></span> @@.button;<span id="proceed"></span>@@

<h3>Confirmation</h3> @@.nartext;You are a $Spec You walk with <<if $BPlan is "bi">>a bipedal gait,<<elseif $BPlan is "quad">>a quadrupedal gait,<<elseif $BPlan is "taur">>your lower half's quadrupedal gait,<<elseif $BPlan is "hex">>at least two legs but possibly more,<</if>> standing on your own $Feet. You have some amount of dexterity in your $Hands, and <<if $Tail is "long">>have a long and strong tail.<<elseif $Tail is "short">>have a short and sweet tail.<<else>>no tail to speak of.<</if>> You will be addressed <<= $Pro.sub.toUpperFirst()>>/<<= $Pro.obj.toUpperFirst()>> Your name is $Name. And now you must go.@@ @@.button;<<button [[Begin|100]]>><</button>>@@

<<if $nosave is true>> <<addclass "body" "nosave">> <</if>>

<h3>Glutes and Ladders</h3> Your side collides hard with the ground. You're cushioned by the grass carpeting, but it's still an unpleasant landing. Your head rattles. You think you're bruised. @@.adventurer;"You didn't hurt yourself did you?"@@ You're a little surprised to see $raptorname standing over you when your vision clears. He has one arm outstretched in an offer to help, which you gladly take. @@.adventurer;"Nice throw, not so nice fall. Doesn't matter though, looks like we have our way inside,"@@ he says as he pulls you up to a stand<<if $ModifierC < 3>>. He brushes his claws against his feathers once you're up.<<else>>.<</if>> When you check the wall, you see the ladder is now fully secured to the window frame, anchored in place by the hooks set up by your effort. For all the trouble of getting them there, it turned out perfect. When you look forward again, you see that $raptorname is already at the bottom, ready to go. @@.adventurer;"Come on, don't keep me waiting,"@@ he says without looking back. He sure doesn't waste any time at all now that he knows you're still able to walk… Still, you follow him onward. As soon as the raptor sets his claws on the first rung, you can hear the wood creaking under the weight he and his gear put down. He doesn't pay it any mind, climbing away with single-minded determination. You follow just below. Once you start climbing, you try to look up and see your progress, anxious to get to the top. But you quickly avert your gaze when you find you can't see anything past $raptorname's rump and feathered tail. But you can still listen as the ladder creaks and crackles, put to its limit. It's getting worrisome. @@.adventurer;"Hey,"@@ you hear $raptorname call from above. @@.adventurer;"This stuff is heavy you know, give me a push will you?"@@ You think about voicing your concerns, but $raptorname seems so confident in what he's doing that it feels strange to question it. Not to mention, it's a fairly short climb anyway. You should be at the top before there's a problem. You reach up to plant a $Hand on the back of the raptor's thigh. As you take another step up, you push. The rough, fluffy feathers there are…very soft. @@.adventurer;"No not there! Move your hand up!"@@ He shouts, one claw kicks at the air, reaching for the next rung. <<if $ModifierA is 0>>You're a little hesitant, but<<else>>With a lot less hesitation that one might normally have,<</if>> you let your $Hand slide up until it's pressed into the hide around $raptorname's rear end. You push again, and this time he's able to lift himself up to the next step. This seems to work well, until you hear something <i>crack</i>. That's not good. This time you're not the only one worried. Your <<if $ModifierA is 0>>overencumbered<<else>>bottom-heavy<</if>> guide looses his footing on one of the rungs, snapped clean in half. @@.adventurer;"Damn it, push! Hurry up!"@@ He commands. You do as you're told, planting your $Feet together to push hard. His legs kick at the air trying to reach higher, and more than once he nearly strikes you with his talons, but you keep moving. You don't pay attention to where your hand drifts. You just keep the momentum going while reckoning with the sounds of wood splintering apart one fiber at a time. @@.adventurer;"Hey, HEY, watch where your <<= $Hand>>s are go-o-<i>ooaaAAH!</i>"@@ There's a weight from above. Your $Feet slip. Before you know it, gravity has you in its clutches again. Both of you, plummeting. It's a short fall but when you reach the ground this time, everything goes dark. [[Proceed|102-4]]

<h3>No Rush</h3> You close your eyes, expecting a hard impact with the ground. Instead, you feel Ravi's arms close around your sides. The same strength that carried you on his shoulders now can be felt wrapped around your torso. You bounce once in his hold and come to a halt. @@.adventurer;"You didn't think I was just going to let you fall, did you?"@@ You're a little surprised to see Ravi's face in front of you when you open your eyes. He's got a grin on his face, one which looks rather silly when you're staring directly up his snout<<if $ModifierD is 2>> close enough to give his hide a nip, if you felt inclined.<<else>>.<</if>> @@.adventurer;"Nice throw, not so nice fall, though I've seen much worse. Doesn't matter though cause you did it. Looks like we have our way inside."@@ He sets you down and starts towards the wall, where you can see the ladder now fully secured to the window frame, swaying just slightly in the breeze. It remains anchored in place by the hooks you threw. For all the trouble of getting them there, it turned out perfect. When you look forward again, you see that Ravi is waiting for you. @@.adventurer;"Come on now,"@@ he calls to you, @@.adventurer;"all that talk about what's inside has me itching to get moving."@@ Once you come close, you find one of Ravi's discarded bags shoved into your arms. @@.adventurer;"Don't think I forgot what I said. You're helping me carry my things, one bag at a time if you gotta."@@ He sets his claws on the first rung. The wood bows and creaks a complaint about his weight. Noticing this, he pauses a moment, testing the wood. For now, it seems to hold. He looks back and gestures for you to follow along. @@.adventurer;"Doing it this way might be for the best. Wouldn't want the ladder breaking or it would be a bad time for the both of us, don't you think? Alright. Up we go."@@ With each of you carrying one or two sacks of equipment at a time, the two of you begin the process of carrying everything inside. Ravi makes quick work of it. You struggle a bit more. Turns out climbing up and down a ladder over and over is a pretty intense workout on all <<if $BPlan is "bi" or $BPlan is "quad">>four<<else>>six<</if>> limbs. <<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "quad">>It certainly isn't made any easier by your body shape not being built for this kind of climbing. <</if>><<if $ModifierD is 2>>Back and forth, back and forth…its a workout intense enough to burn the energy out of your system. You wonder if Ravi brought something to eat…<</if>> Still, it's a rather uneventful process, made faster by the fact that the inside of The Tower beyond that window is wholly uninteresting. There's almost nothing to catch your attention, just a curving stone staircase leading further up. Occasionally Ravi will complain that you're going too slow, but it's clear that it's just coming from the excitement to get moving. <<if $ModifierD is 2>> Of course, there's also something else… The conversation lingers, with one particular part sticking out in your mind. Normally you wouldn't think anything of it, and yet it finds its seat among your thoughts, growing stronger moment by moment. Ravi is going to extensive efforts to avoid the monsters he described, and yet, he seems to have strangely mixed feelings about what would go down upon actually encountering one. With the degree of caution he's taking, it's unlikely that he'll ever find out. You get the impression that you're the only one he's made himself vulnerable enough to share this information with. It gives you the strangest sense of…connection. There's a hollowness growing in your stomach as you consider this, one that isn't sated by easy foods. Your imagination starts to stir up images of hunger and consumption. That thought sitting in your mind flickers like a spark over tinder, just waiting for something to catch. You slide the bag you carry down your arm and across the staircase. You curiously poke your head out the window to stare down at Ravi, now with the last of his things. If he's so curious about being consumed… Perhaps you can see where these new thoughts take you… <</if>> <<if $ModifierD is not 2>>\ [[Get On With It!|102-0E]] LOCKED <<else>>\ [[Push Down The Urge|102-0E]] <<if $cw is not 2>>[[See Where This Goes…|102-B1]]<<else>>[[See Where This Goes… (Pred OV)|102-B1]]<</if>> <</if>>

<h3>Backdoor</h3> Only, the darkness is not because you're unconscious… This would be much, <i>much</i>, less unpleasant if you were unconscious. The first thing that you register is your inability to move your arms. One stays pinned against your chest, the other extends ahead, both them and most of your body are in the grip of something very stretchy, very squishy, and <i>very inappropriate</i>. <<if $BPlan is "hex">>Your middle limbs aren't any better off, bent and squeezed against your middle. <<elseif $BPlan is "taur">>Your forelegs aren't any better off, bent and squeezed against your second belly. <</if>>Trying to move your arms manages to briefly stretch their container, but relaxing just springs you back into place. Maybe if you don't think about the fact that half your body is lodged up $raptorname's ass, it will become less awkward…maybe, but you can't simply redirect your thoughts when there's soaked flesh smothering you. You can feel damp seeping into your $Hide from the ends of your arms down to your waist. Only your <<if $BPlan is "bi" or $BPlan is "quad">>legs<<else>>hindmost legs<</if>> are spared from the inside heat. That doesn't mean you can move them, however. You feel some massive weight on your legs, immobilizing the only part that should be free. <<if $Tail is "short" or $Tail is "long">>You think you can move your tail, but it isn't exactly helpful in this situation.<</if>> It's at this point that you notice $raptorname's voice shouting for your attention. You have to strain your ears to hear, but no amount of muffling can hide the way his voice cracks. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"-you listening? I-I can't fucking believe it. You're actually…h-how?"@@ It seems $raptorname is just as confused as you are. Now would probably be a good time to— [[Stay Calm|102-5P]] [[Panic|102-5N]]

<h3>There Are Worse Places To Be—</h3> There's no denying that its an awkward, uncomfortable situation. There is no way to navigate it with any sort of grace, but the least you can do is try to keep a level head. Still, the colon walls don't seem to have that same serenity. They grapple your body with a wrestler's grip, unprepared to accommodate your size. They bear on you as though trying to gauge your unexpected size by touch. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Gods…y-you're still alive?"@@ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> sounds like a different person, frustration having been replaced by some much more heated emotions. You feel a shift, first, then your whole body is forced to bend. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"I'm going…to stand up…<i>slowly</i>. If I'm going too fast for you, j-just, say something. Don't move. <i>Don't move</i>."@@ There's another shift, pressure coming off of your legs as the raptor presumably gets his own legs off of them. He does move slowly as he explained, but the wait is a challenge all on its own. His insides continue to investigate you. Tightening, loosening, slick flesh rubbing against itself. The little noises of your own encasement are the only ones you can hear clearly. It wears at your thoughts trying to justify this impossibility. You can tell when $raptorname starts to stand. It's a shaky, staggering motion. For all the muscle on his thighs, they don't seem to be doing their job very well with an entire $Spec shoved somewhere <<= $Pro.sub>> <<if $IsAre is "is">>doesn't<<else>>don't<</if>> belong. When he starts to lift, you feel yourself slip for only a second before the walls constrict almost possessively. The sphincter marking your point of entry pinches around your waist. With its grip around you, you're pulled to stand upright along with $raptorname, stumbling with as much grace as anyone squished into a tube would have. You hear a very indulgent noise come from the raptor immediately after. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"<b>Aahhh</b>…a-alright, maybe moving isn't <i>s-so</i> bad."@@ The walls shudder, then tighten again as $raptorname teeters for balance. Every little movement you made by impulse or curiosity stimulates the walls into more movement. It goes from tight to tighter, squeezing you with a sort of wet, organic love. With a great deal of effort from each of you, you settle into a rhythm that eventually eases up on the sensitive bowels and brings you both to a halt. You can hear him panting from the effort when he speaks next. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Never did I think…<b>aah</b>…that this is the trouble I'd be running into. Gods, i-it's tight…just wait…<b>haah</b>…wait and relax."@@ There's a long pause. It's just you standing uncomfortably with your $Hide getting soaked. The squishy walls bear down on you in waves, coming along whenever you make yourself too present. Over time, a span you cant think clearly enough to measure, you can feel the grip start to loosen. Steadily, you start to slide free. [[Proceed|102-6P]]

<h3>The Worst Possible Outcome—</h3> Not in your wildest dreams did you think something like this could actually happen. It defies all logic of what a living body can do. Trying to clear your head only makes the crushing pressure of the walls that much more present. It's impossible to ignore. It's everywhere. <i>Of course</i> you panic. You squirm for some control of your arms, you thrash for room to breathe. Despite how easily the tube seems to have stretched to fit you in, they don't seem nearly so willing to yield to your struggles to get out. <<if $BPlan is "taur">>Even your stronger front legs can't unfold themselves from your lower belly. <</if>>The most you can do is twist the heels of your free legs against the ground outside. Its the only control you seem to have, and it doesn't do a thing to provide relief from your cramped position. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Oh gods you're moving now. Stop…s-stop!"@@ <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> sounds like a different person, frustration having been replaced by much more heated emotions, ones which break through as little hums and grunts punctuating his voice. The noises get notably higher pitched the more you thrash about, until the tone becomes a whine. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"If you don't stop…I'll…<b>nnph</b>…I can't get up like this"@@ There's a shift that bends your body at the middle. Your legs <<if $Tail is "short" or $Tail is "long">>and tail <</if>>find some freedom when the raptor's thighs start moving to find some stable purchase against the ground. Failing that, though, $raptorname rolls forward, carrying you along inside him until he's lying with his belly against the ground, and with you face-down squished against the slick muscle within. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Thats…a little better."@@ You can hear his claws scraping at the ground now. He might be trying to find his footing or he might just be enjoying your squirms. It's hard to tell over all the moaning. When he does manage to push his legs up, you can tell. Your back half is lifted up higher than your front. When you kick your legs, you cant seem to reach anything at all. Your struggles freeze when you feel something loosen around your waist. There's a horribly loud squelch as you dive a short span deeper, just before the raptor's rear comes tight around you again like a safety clutch. The horror of getting lost inside flashes in your mind. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Wr-<b>guh</b>…wrong way."@@ You hear a couple little thumps. You think $raptorname is trying to pull himself upright, but every few moments he has to pause to stabilize his shaking legs. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Never did I think…<b>aah</b>…that this is the trouble I'd be running into. Gods, why won't you settle down? I just have to…relax."@@ He stops talking, but he's clearly still having trouble controlling his breath. The squishy walls continue to bear down on you in waves, every movement of yours being met with magnitudes more force. Despite all your hammering against the sensitive insides, $raptorname steadily gets himself upright. Legs now below you where they should be, you feel yourself slip. Your belly can feel cool air outside<<if $BPlan is "taur">> and your middle legs can just begin to come free from your lower belly.<<elseif $BPlan is "hex">> and your middle limbs can just begin to move free from your torso.<<else>>.<</if>> You start to hope that you're finally going to get out. [[Proceed|102-6N]]

<h3>—But Not Many</h3> That is, until the full weight of $raptorname's ass descends on you again, dismissing your expectations of an easy ride with a rush of warmth. That ring of muscle finally finds its stretchiness only so it can slip down your belly<<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "hex">>, pin your middle limbs once again,<<else>>,<</if>> engulf your waist, and slurp your legs down to your knees. Flesh slithers past your face until the passage becomes tight and firm around your head. You don't know you must look from outside, but you must have been pushed up the raptor's figure to the point of doubling his belly size. Maybe more. He's hardly larger than you after all. @@.adventurer;"<b>Sweet merciful gods!</b>"@@ His voice sounds distant, but it's shouted with such booming intensity that you can hear the cry with perfect clarity. You're still a bit dazed by the big shove, but any movement to re-orient yourself just reignites the sensations that make $raptorname's legs wobbly, and make the whole of your surroundings squeeze and vibrate. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"O-o-hhh that feels go-o-o-d. That's-s…so much better."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"O-o-hhh this is better than any toy. Your $Hide…that's one…<b>hah</b>…hell of a texture…"@@ <</if>> Rather than have any sort of embarrassment about shoving you halfway up his digestive tract, he starts to bob on his thighs, letting you slip out just the tiniest bit before pushing back down again, stretching himself to the limit and grinding your $Hide up against his insides. You must be up against all sorts of sensitive spots because the moan you hear come out of him next is almost unrecognizable. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Oh that's it…gods forgive me I want to feel you in there. Just…<b>ahh</b>…keep playing nice…"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Oh that's it…deeper…I need to feel you in there. I bet you're…<b>ahh</b>…enjoying this too after making all your weird advances. Keep playing nice…be a good toy for me…"@@ <</if>> He bounces his weight on you. Laden with all his gear<<if $ModifierA is 1>> and the sheer heft of those thighs,<<else>>,<</if>> you're not sure you'd even have the strength to resist him if you tried. [[You'll Play Nice…Since He Asked…|102-7P]] [[No You Will NOT!|102-7N]]

<h3>—Is One You Make For Yourself</h3> That is, until the full weight of $raptorname's ass comes bearing down on you again, dashing your hopes for a hard-fought escape with a rush of heat. That ring of muscle finally finds its stretchiness only so it can slip down your belly<<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "hex">>, pin your middle limbs once again,<<else>>,<</if>> engulf your waist, and slurp your legs down to your knees. Flesh slithers past your face until the passage becomes thin and tight around your head. You aren't sure how deep you are, but $raptorname stopped before his butt could slam into the ground. You must be as deep as you can go without popping up the other end. @@.adventurer;"<b>Sweet merciful gods!</b>"@@ His voice sounds distant, but it's shouted with such furious energy that he might as well be yelling right into your ear. You squirm in complaint of your worsening situation, but your protests fall on sensitive nerves. The raptor's body has its own reply to your complaints, coming down with a clench that squeezes the breath out of you. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"O-o-hhh that's s-so much better. Now you can put all that s…squirming around to use."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"O-o-hhh that's better. You make one hell of a toy. Most toys don't…<b>hah</b>…squirm like you do."@@ <</if>> He doesn't seem to have any sort of remorse for shoving you up his lower digestive tract. On the contrary, he starts to bob on his thighs, teasing you with just the slightest bit of slippage before pushing back down with his full weight, hard. Each one stretches $raptorname to his limit and grinds your whole body up against his insides. You can only imagine what it must feel like to be stretched out so much because the next moan you hear come out of the raptor is almost unrecognizable. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Oh-h thats it…gods forgive me I need to feel you in there. Just…<b>ahh</b>…settle down for a moment, gods please…"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Gods you just don't stop do you? You sh-should be enjoying this…flirting with me like that. Doesn't matter though…I'm gonna…<b>ahh</b>…make sure I feel you all the way inside. Why don't you just…s-settle down and enjoy it?"@@ <</if>> He bounces his weight on you. Laden with all his gear<<if $ModifierA is 1>> and the sheer heft of those thighs,<<else>>,<</if>> his increasingly insistent motions are getting overwhelming. You don't have any hope of getting him off of you. But you seem to be doing very well getting him off while <i>on</i> you. [[You're NOT Going To Let Him Do That!|102-7N]] [[You'll Settle Down, But ONLY Because He Asked Nicely…|102-7P]]

<h3>Playing Nice</h3> <<if $ModifierC < 3>>\ @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Tha-a-ats it…just settle in nice and easy…"@@ <<else>>\ @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Tha-a-ats it…you do want this…not so hard to stay in your place now is it?"@@ <</if>> <<= $raptorname.toUpperFirst()>> starts to wiggle his rear in small circles, squeezing the last of you inside despite the strain you must be putting on his lower abdomen. One claw placed over your head, or the bulge it makes, keeps you from sinking in any deeper. There's pressure on you from both ends, from his claws holding your bulge in place, and from his weight getting heavier and heavier as he starts to relax his legs. You buckle when you can't bear the weight of his ass any longer. It dives down over you the moment it gets the opportunity. You crumple your legs up to your belly. They get sucked into $raptorname with one forceful squat to the ground. A <i>shlik</i> announces when the tips of your $Feet slip through $raptorname's pucker, and a <i>thump</i> when his rear collides with the ground. What follows is a long, delighted hum for the additional stretch your folded legs provide. <<if $Tail is "long">>They slip a good ways in before the stretched sphincter comes closed around the end of your tail. He lets the lengthy appendage of yours stick out a while, grinding against its $Hide, but a good push soon tucks that away too.<<else>>They slip a good ways in before the stretched sphincter finally finds its muscle to tighten shut, closing you off from the outdoors to be sealed with the wet warmth of $raptorname's bowels.<</if>> With the whole of you put away, the experience feels momentarily still. Obviously the insistent squeezing of the walls doesn't stop; It only seems to get tighter now that you're fully sealed inside. But that sensation is all you have. There's no more of $raptorname bobbing on his ass, making a pleasure rod out of you. Your folded legs stretch hard against the lower walls, anchoring you in place. You're still in no position to move. There is only a rhythmic pulse to keep you company, accepting you. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Is that all? I thought you'd be, <b>hah</b>, b-bigger."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Gods I want more of this… Maybe I'll find myself, <b>hah</b>, a b-bigger toy…once I get home…"@@ <</if>> You can make out the shape of his claws surprisingly well when he grips your sides, imprints coming through the feathers and fat. Your upper half gets lifted and playfully dropped, the motion making the whole of $raptorname's gut wobble. There's another lecherous moan as you rock about. The walls constrict again and you can feel your captor leaning back. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Oh that's it, you just stay like that…nearly…fuck!"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Y-yes right there. I never want to let you out, you're so…heavy. Making me so soft…"@@ You feel him squeezing the bulge you make, rubbing you over, then pushing your weight around some more. Now and then he slows down, and it's in those slower moments that you can hear the slick rhythms of $raptorname stroking himself off. Every time he pushes you around those wet noises become fresh and wetter. Each time he does, his claws get a bit more insistent, his pauses get a bit more impatient, his limit becomes imminent. And you just get taken along for the ride. <</if>> The buildup is slow but the climax is fast. Muscle contracts around your legs first. The passage ahead doesn't get any looser, but a resonant squish pushes you through anyway. An overwhelming tightness rolls up your body and sucks you in deeper in defiance of your size. It's the first pulse of several, each one smothering over you with more force than the last. You're shoved through tubes tight enough to wrap around your body like a seal, soaking every inch of you with bodily juices that only speed your journey along. You're made to twist and contort just as much as the raptor's insides are forced to readjust to accommodate you. Sometimes you're pushed around a corner that makes you ball up. Other times you're tugged with such force that you're forced straight. By the time the raptor's intestines are finished with you, you're stuck on your back, face up, with your pelvis drooping down like you've fallen into a hammock. It's cozy, which is a blessing. Just getting here has you feeling thoroughly exhausted. [[Proceed|102-8P]]

<h3>Playing Rough</h3> No, absolutely not. This is not happening. You jerk your arms against the springy walls of $raptorname's gut. You scrape your $Feet along the ground. You try to gain some amount of leverage but remain locked into a vice grip. No amount of throwing your weight gets you any closer to freedom. It's only when you make a sharp bend in your knee that you get a real reaction. You hear a soaking wet <i>shlp</i> before your knee jams into the muscle of $raptorname's colon, and impacts something behind, something sensitive. The reaction is immediate. He staggers forward one step, then another two, and takes a fall to the ground with a force to knock you up another inch. You smugly reckon that you've made your point. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Holy…do that again, <b>hagh</b>, do it again!"@@ Not the reaction you expected. You try to swing your leg back out for a more forceful kick, but a clench from the raptor's pucker locks your knee to your belly. You realize with some horror that you've gotten it stuck and only got $raptorname moaning in the process. Left with one free leg sticking out of the raptor's ass<<if $Tail is not "none">> and your tail uselessly swinging about in the air,<<else>>,<</if>> your slim options only become slimmer. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"It'll feel…so good…when you're doing that a-all the way inside."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"If you can't settle down…then why don't you make yourself useful somewhere I can feel you…<b>mmh</b>…all the way inside."@@ <</if>> Something pokes at your free limb<<if $Tail is not "none">>s.<<else>>.<</if>> You realize it's the heel of the raptor's digitigrade claws, poking around for a chance to shove that last bit of you in. <<if $Tail is not "none">>You shiver when the cold of his hide slides up your leg, inching you just a bit deeper.<<else>>You shiver when the cold of his hide finds its way to your tail and slides up your leg, inching you just a bit deeper.<</if>> You kick back, not ready to go down so easily, but the raptor's legs are leagues stronger than yours, even while he's blindly feeling about. Your $Foot squarely kicks $raptorname in the heel, but that only gives him the opportunity to sink his weight right down into you. His heel comes down flush against his asshole and another whine from $raptorname accompanies the squelch of flesh taking you in. <<if $Tail is "long">>While he enjoys the flailing from your tail, he doesn't waste any time in taking care of that too, rolling his heel against his asshole until the last of it gets squeezed inside.<</if>> There's a little <i>pop</i> when he pulls his weight back, but no trace of you remains outside. Every inch of your body can feel the wet flesh of his insides now, squeezing across your $Hide. You've lost. Your heart sinks. You want to struggle, to squirm your way back out. The more you try though, the better it feels for $raptorname to keep you stuck in here. He confirms this with another groan. You hear a loud thump as he drops his feathered butt to the ground, victorious. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Can't cooperate for two seconds, <b>hah</b>, look where it got you."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"You go making your advances and then chicken out…<b>hah</b>…look where it got you."@@ <</if>> His claws can be felt through the feathers and fat, poking at your sides. He grips at you, or the bulge you're making, squishing you about with no respect for how your body is supposed to bend. The sounds of his belly squishing and sloshing becomes overwhelming on your ears. There's another lecherous moan. The walls constrict again before your captor starts to arch forward, laying his weight onto you. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Come on, just keep going like that…come on…f-fuck!"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Come on you horny fucker…go get what you wanted, go make me cum already…"@@ He shoves at the bulge you make, pushing you around until he can lean his shoulders forward, claws clutching at your sides. You feel something new poking at you, over and over, insistent. It feels like a stone, hard enough to be felt through the stretched walls, grinding up between your legs. It dawns on you that you're being used to stroke $raptorname off. The slick noises coming from outside only confirm that suspicion. It only gets faster, every push into you getting harder, needier, racing towards the precipice. <</if>> If being stuck in a raptor's ass wasn't restrictive enough, being stuck while he's busy having a climax makes your previous enclosure seem luxuriously spacious. Muscle squeezes tight around your legs, sweeping up your body. Each sweep of muscle squeezes your body higher up $raptorname's intestinal tract. It feels like being put through the head of a needle over and over. The passages quickly become much too narrow, much too tight for anything to occupy under normal circumstances. But what's happening is anything but normal. Tubes reluctantly stretch for your body traveling deeper, but they wrap tight around your $Hide, clinging to you in a way that you can't possibly fight off. By the time the constrictions have stopped, you're stuck with your head drooping lower than your $Feet. You're exhausted, you can't even think about struggling as you are. [[Proceed|102-8N]]

<h3>Cargo</h3> Waiting there in the dark, the groans of the raptor's guts overwhelm your ears. It wouldn't be so bad if $raptorname wasn't also groping the bulge you make, still panting in his afterglow. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"And here I thought you'd only be good for throwing ladders…"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Finally ran out of steam did you? You sure figured out how to get me going. Couldn't have asked for a better fuck pillow than you struggling about in my guts."@@ <</if>> Your head spins. You can't think up the words to complain. You rock in place while the raptor gets back on his feet. He staggers a few steps before planting his feet firmly. You hear him sigh. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Hope you're ready to stay there for a while. I don't think you're coming back out any time soon. Gods you went <i>deep</i>."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"You'd better be ready to stay there for a while. Having your horny ass up mine isn't going to make this any easier, but gods you went <i>deep</i>. You're not getting out anytime soon at this rate."@@ <</if>> He wobbles his way forward. You could cause him some trouble if you squirmed here, but you can't find the energy in your muscles to try. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Think of it this way: You were completely unprepared to climb this tower. Chances were, you were going to get devoured by some cruel beast anyway. Unlike them, I'm willing to let you back out again."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Think of it this way: You were completely unprepared to climb this tower. Chances were, you were already going to get destroyed by some beast with a lot less regard for your safety. Unlike them, I'm willing to let you back out again. This was fun but I don't need a fuck pet."@@ <</if>> You rock in place while the raptor gets back on his feet. He staggers a few steps when your movement pokes him again. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"<b>A-ack</b> that's sensitive…Don't you worry though. Your effort still helped us out. The ladder steps broke but the rope's still intact, and that's enough for me to climb. Until I can get you out, you're going to have to sit still like good cargo."@@ He might be trying to console you, but it's hard to tell. It's not like you have the energy to complain anyway. All things considered, the climb is pretty uneventful. You can hear the rope straining taut while $raptorname lifts himself and all his cargo, which now includes you. The ascent rocks the little nook in his guts where you're settled, but it doesn't make your position any more comfortable. You think you might be moving, slowly, but you can't tell which direction. You hear $raptorname grunting from the effort of lifting so much weight, but apparently you're not enough to slow him down one bit. There's a little jolt as he steps through the window, and another when he shoves his swollen belly to announce his arrival. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Took long enough, no thanks to you. You just stick tight. There's a long way to go."@@ It's mostly silent on the climb, save for the sound of $raptorname's footsteps, the complaints about your weight, and the droning rumble of his guts doing their thing. You can't tell when you pass out, but with how easily the raptor's body has already taken advantage of you, the darkness of exhaustion finds no resistance in your mind. [[Proceed|102-0]]

<h3>Adventuring Buddies</h3> Eventually the grumbling, squelching noises of the raptor's guts settle down enough for you to hear the bliss in his strained panting. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"And here I thought you'd only be good for throwing ladders…"@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Well, might not have been the way you were expecting, but you still got me to cum. Hope you're happy with yourself."@@ <</if>> You rock in your wet fleshy hammock while the raptor gets back on his feet. He staggers a few steps when you start to sway. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Keep it down in there, would you? I already took my shot and we have places to be. Gods you're heavy."@@ You don't have much energy to spend, but when you squirm a protest he nearly trips. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Right! Right, about that…I…honestly don't think you're getting out any time soon. I don't think you understand just how <i>deep</i> you went."@@ <<else>> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Right! Right, about what I said…I…honestly was just saying that, but I don't think you're getting out anytime soon. You have no idea just how <i>deep</i> you went. Felt damn good, too."@@ You can feel him shiver just from the memory, still fresh in your minds. <</if>> You can hear the weight of his footsteps. Carrying your weight too, they now pound at the earth. He moves slow at first, likely to be ready for you to give him another shock. But you keep yourself settled<<if $ModifierC < 3>>.<<else>>, like a good toy.<</if>> It's not like you'll have any luck getting out now anyway. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Lucky for us, the rope didn't snap, which means we still have a way up. Just, try to stay still, and I actually mean it this time. Until I can get you out, we're going to be <i>adventuring buddies</i>."@@ He might be making fun of you, but that's the least of your problems. The climb itself isn't so bad. You can hear the rope creaking from the weight of $raptorname and everything he's carrying, which now includes you. One stomp at a time you make an ascent you can't see, rocking steadily in place. You hear $raptorname grunting from the effort, but apparently you're not enough to slow him down one bit. There's a little jolt as he steps through the window, and another when he slaps his swollen belly to announce his arrival. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Had our little, er, detour, but we're finally inside. You just hang on tight. There's a lot more climbing to do."@@ And onward you go. On the journey up, only the low rumble of his bodily functions keep you company. Sometimes $raptorname will pause to describe what he passes, but these moments are rare as he seems intent on just moving forward. You can't tell at what point you start to doze off, but there's very little difference between the darkness of the raptor's guts and the dreams that come after. [[Proceed|102-0]]

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>Wake Up</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ When you wake up, the presence of color in your vision is a shock that jolts you to awareness. You're out. You're alive. You're also alone. Now inside The Tower, you seem to have been propped up against the wall of an extensive corridor. There's no sign of $raptorname, but the slickness to your $Hide is proof enough that your time with him was real. It seems he didn't leave you with nothing, though. To your side is a neatly folded towel, perfectly white and clean. Figures that he's have one among all the gear that caused this mess in the first place. Still, it's good to be alive. You gather your senses and stand up. After a minute spent toweling yourself dry, or as dry as your $Hide can get, you're finally ready to move on and see what this place has in store for you. [[Next Floor|200]] <<else>>\ <h3>Tucked In</h3> Time passes, $raptorname climbs, and you are steadily kneaded at by the motions of his gut. It works over you, going between firm and soft, not quite sure what to do with you, to push you forward, or back. To $raptorname, you're simply another weight to carry, one that just so happens to be in an unusual spot<<if $ModifierC < 3>>.<<else>>, and <i>just so happens</i> to rub into his prostate if he moves his legs just the right way.<</if>> Despite his promise, $raptorname's body seems to hold more surprises than a particularly stretchy colon. He doesn't even notice the process while he climbs, too focused on finding out what's ahead. He doesn't notice the firm bulge in his lower abdomen becoming less and less solid, steadily distributing fat across his belly. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>Maybe he could notice his thighs getting a touch wider, feathers becoming soft like they'd been personally fluffed up. Then again he's much too busy putting them to work on his ascent.<</if>> It's a resounding groan from his belly that finally makes $raptorname stop to be sure you're alright. He prods at his belly with his claws, searching for your form, but there's no sign of your form. He squishes his claws into the rough feathers, finding them able to sink into the new layer of fat, but there's nothing more to be found. <<if $ModifierC < 3>> @@.adventurer;"Well, that's a shame, but $Pro.sub probably <<if $IsAre is "is">>wasn't<<else>>weren't<</if>> going to make it anyway. 'Least $Pro.sub went out making $Pro.ref useful."@@ He gives a little sigh. <<else>> @@.adventurer;"Well, that's a shame, $Pro.sub sure made a useful toy out of $Pro.ref, would have liked to feel $Pro.obj moving around a little longer. Well pal, hope this was the way you wanted to go out,"@@ he gives his belly a good shove as though you can still feel him. There's a good noisy grumble that answers, and that's good enough for him. <</if>> @@.adventurer;"Now, what am I going to do with all this extra weight?"@@ Without giving much more thought to your disappearance, he readjusts the bags across his back and proceeds with his journey to the top, gut wobbling the whole way up. Maybe he makes it. Maybe not. You're going to enjoy a long fate being ass fat either way. <<if $ModifierA is 0>> @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name found the rear entrance. Hey, someone had to say it! @@ <<else>> @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name liked haunches so much $Pro.sub decided to become a part of them. Permanently. @@ <</if>> <</if>>

<h3>Moving Right Along</h3> <<if $ModifierD is 2>>\ You shake your head until your brain rattles. What are you thinking? That's ridiculous. When the dizziness settles, your head is suddenly clearer. As soon as it came, the strange urge is dissipated from your mind, as if uninterested in having anything less than your full participation. You have no idea what was in you to consider such a thing, but it's gone now. <</if>> When Ravi pulls himself through the window with the last of his bags in tow, he's got quite the smile on his face. @@.adventurer;"About time!"@@ He gets right to work strapping his things back on. Leather bands squeeze at his shoulders, chest and thighs until he's all loaded up. You are once again surprised by how one person can carry so much stuff. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>But…you take another look at his thighs and you can make a little more sense of it.<</if>> @@.adventurer;"Don't hold me back now, let's get moving."@@ Thankfully, some occasional stairs are much easier on your legs than climbing a ladder over and over. You're <i>almost</i> able to keep up with Ravi, who seems to be on a mission to make it to the top as fast as possible. The stairs break for a hall, the hall breaks for a room, the room breaks into two new halls, and it's before you can enter one of these that Ravi stops. @@.adventurer;"Alright, this seems like as good a place as any to split up."@@ You're shocked. You're about to voice a complaint but Ravi holds up a claw to stop you. <<if $raptorlove is false>> @@.adventurer;"I've done this sort of thing before. Exploring dangerous places in groups is a good way to get everyone killed. I mean no offense, it's just the way it is."@@ He smiles and steps forward to give you a clap on the shoulder. @@.adventurer;"Don't be down about it. You're more capable than you look. Keep using your smarts and you'll make it through."@@ He turns and starts for one of the new passages. @@.adventurer;"See you at the top,"@@ is all he says before walking off into the dark. <<else>> @@.adventurer;"I know, I know. This isn't me abandoning you to the dangers here, but I've made the mistake of traveling in a group before. It always is more trouble than its worth, puts everyone in more danger, you understand?"@@ He waits for you to answer, but eventually sighs. Stepping forward, he claps you on the shoulder before leaning in for an embrace. @@.adventurer;"Don't be down. You're a sensitive one. You even managed to temper some of my impatience. Can't say that happens often. Just keep it up and you'll make it through."@@ He slowly releases you, then turns for one of the new passages. @@.adventurer;"I expect to see you at the top. Call it a date,"@@ he says with a silly looking grin on his face before walking off into the dark. <</if>> The only thing left for you to do is to start moving. You make your solitary way onward down the other hall. It's only after about a minute or so of walking that you realize you should have asked Ravi to share some of his gear with you. Having something would probably make your chances of survival much better, certainly a weapon would help, since you're supposedly going to defend yourself from monsters in this place. But, it's too late to do anything about it now, so you steel yourself for whatever you'll find and keep moving. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>Running…For A While</h3> You loose track of how far you run. The sound of your footsteps is a slapping noise soaked with saliva. It carries you down hallways and up stairs and through doors as you desperately try to flee from a dragon who isn't even chasing you. Eventually this fact does bring you to your senses, and you come to a skidding halt, legs and lungs burning up and not willing to take a second more of this abuse. You collapse against the wall, air becoming viscous in your throat. You breathe double time, it's all you can think about for the longest moment: the fact that you're still breathing. Eventually your overworked heart settles down, your breath becomes normal. You're still damp with spit, but that's the least of your problems. You must have gone up far in your panic. You don't even know which way leads back down. The thought of trying to pass that dragon again is…unpleasant. Which leaves you with only one option. The only way is up. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>Balcony</h3> As soon as you start to push the doors apart, you immediately have to squint. Searching around the dark of The Tower for too long has made it easy to forget just how bright the sun is, and just outside, that ball of fire greets you in full and blazing force. You squeeze through the small gap you make, and fresh, crisp air graces your lungs. Once your eyes adjust, you see that you've stepped out onto one of The Tower's many balconies. The sun hovers in the sky directly ahead, at the peak of midday. A radiant patterning of triangular tiles criss-crosses the floor in a way that suggests this orientation was intentional, much unlike the irrationality of the rest of The Tower. You start to step forward, one $Hand up to shield you from the sunlight. You look down to the end of the balcony and come to a hard stop when you find that you are not alone here. There appears to be some sort of \ <span id="link1">\ <<link "beast">>\ <<replace "#link1">>\ beast\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#option1">>\ [[Approach The Gryphon|201-1]]\ <</replace>>\ <<replace "#look1">>\ <hr> -Identify This Beast! Fur and feathers. The creature you see is no abominable monstrosity, but that doesn't stop your senses from screaming danger at the vast wings and muscular legs. It's a gryphon, as predatory a creature as they come. In a place like this, encountering a gryphon can only mean a grisly fate for you. You should leave. You take one step back, ready to make your escape and seek another path, when the gryphon twists its head to the side, causing you to freeze. You can't clearly see its expression from the distance, but you can <i>feel</i> its gaze burning into you with more power than the sun high above. The paralysis is your own, however. You don't dare to move with it looking at you like that. @@.gryphon;"Don't you know how to greet a stranger?"@@ It asks, its rich voice soars through the open air to drill into your ears. @@.gryphon;"Don't make me chase you down now. Come, stand beside me. Let us enjoy the daylight together."@@ It speaks so casually, but you hear its talons scrape the tiles when it starts to turn its body. Running now seems like a monumentally bad idea, but the idea of coming closer seems even worse. The gryphon stops with its body curled and a wing raised. One eye remains fixated on you while it clicks its beak impatiently. A beat passes. @@.gryphon;"Oh, I see,"@@ it finally states. @@.gryphon;"You must be wise to a trick or two by now. Don't you worry, I've already had my fill of travelers. I want only for company."@@ You don't like the implications of that, and take another step back. In a snap the gryphon turns its head to fix both eyes on you. @@.gryphon;"Don't misunderstand my polite request for allowing you to say no,"@@ it clarifies with surgical articulation. @@.gryphon;"Come now, you look too small and sweet to be fat."@@ It takes a minute before you're able to separate the threat from the odd compliment. But the gryphon's point is clear. You're not going to get a choice. <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\ perched at the far end. You can't get a sense for how large it is, but it seems to be facing away from you. You rather hope it hasn't noticed you yet. <span id="look1"></span> <span id="option1">LOCKED</span>

<h3>Everything The Light Touches</h3> You do as the gryphon tells you, walking along the patterned tile, out into the sunlight, closing the distance under its hawk-like gaze. Realistically, doing as told is about the only thing that isn't going to result in certain death. Approaching this apex predator takes a degree of resolve. You're not going to let your instincts get the better of you. You silence the urge to shake, even if your blood feels ice cold when you up at its hooked beak. You need to stay in control. @@.gryphon;"Oh good. There you go. See? No tricks, just a pleasant day with some pleasant company. You can't imagine how boring this place becomes once the novelty of live prey wears off."@@ You come to a pause. You're standing right before it now, able to see that mixed hide in all its majesty. That includes the fluff of its belly, where pale blue and white fur and feathers are packed thick as snow, but not quite thick enough to explain its rounded shape. A sudden laugh from the gryphon pulls your attention back up. @@.gryphon;"Somehow that's always the first thing you smaller creatures look at. I don't know why I expected anything different."@@ You worry that you've done something wrong when the gryphon reaches forward. It grasps for your shoulder, with its talons poking at your back. You freeze like a wild animal, expecting this to be the end. But instead of tearing into your hide, the gryphon simply spins you to the side, facing you out towards the open air, and the rolling landscape on display before you. @@.gryphon;"Consider me flattered. But I asked you to enjoy the daylight, not my body. Prying eyes are an easy way to find trouble, you know."@@ You catch his eyes still watching you, studying how you react. @@.gryphon;"And besides, there are nicer parts of me for you to admire than my stomach."@@ Before you can think about what that means, you hear a rustle of feathers. Your predatory company retracts his wings and leans his weight back. The sheer force from so much moving mass draws a gentle breeze along your $Hide. While you continue to stare, the paw on your shoulder shoves you forward without warning, sending you scrambling to grip the bars of the banister before you tumble off of the balcony entirely. @@.gryphon;"Go on now, take a look. It's a gorgeous day."@@ Cautiously, you poke your head out over the edge. It's immediately startling how high you've already come. The grass fields spread across the hills as a mat of gold. Out in the distance, the ocean sparkles. The whole world seems to glow with gilded beauty. You can't argue that simple fact. It's a spectacular day. @@.gryphon;"Are you starting to see? I only want your company. You can relax."@@ It'd be hard not to do so after a sight like this. You breathe a small sigh hiding a much deeper relief. You half expect to see the gryphon suddenly change his tune. Maybe its waiting for the chance to dig its talons into your back. It still has its paw hooked around you after all Lingering fear readies your senses for danger…but it never comes. The pointed ends of those talons stay comfortably off of your $Hide, and the gryphon's paw remains a gentle, if powerful, presence on your shoulder. It's warm… Time passes quietly. You consider getting a better look at the gryphon beside you, just to cool your lingering worries. Now that you're so close, maybe you should see what you're dealing with in case you need to make a speedy escape. Then again, it might be better just to trust him and enjoy the sights for a while longer. <<if $cw is 0>><<link [[Get A Better Look At The Gryphon|201-2C]]>><<set $ModifierA = 1>><</link>><<else>><<link [[Get A Better Look At The Gryphon (CV)|201-2C]]>><<set $ModifierA = 1>><</link>><</if>> <<if $cw is 0>>[[Enjoy The View|201-2O]]<<else>>[[Enjoy The View (OV)|201-2O]]<</if>>

<h3>A Quick Look</h3> The fact remains that there's a massive predator beside you. You should check that he isn't sizing you up, getting ready to swallow you whole, or worse. The longer you look away, the more present these worries become. You need to check, if only to still the rapid beating of your heart. So, perhaps you're a little surprised to find that the gryphon is paying no attention to you at all. Instead, he simply watches the world like a sentinel. His eyes appear distant, not nearly so sharp as they seemed before. There's a certain regal air about his expression, full of conviction, yet solemn. You come to the startling realization that it's the same sort of expression you saw in many of the portraits hanging on The Tower walls. There's a depth to it that you can't describe, emotion that you detect but can't name. It's…captivating… However, your focus drifts down and spots a set of talons kneading at his stomach. It's a harmless thing on its own, but that soft paunch is squeezed and rolled by the gryphon's avian paw like a globe of powdered dough. A chill returns to your nerves. The fact that you're still here and alive is a small miracle in the face of this beast's appetite. Let your curiosity get too cocky, and things could end badly for you… While you consider this, the gryphon turns his head and smirks. He flexes his digits against the soft of his gut, eliciting a slight grumble. He knows exactly what you were looking at. @@.gryphon;"No matter what I say, you just can't take your eyes off of me, can you?"@@ He teases, voice sing-song. He's got a look on his face that says he's looking for a reaction. @@.gryphon;"I'm flattered that you find me so interesting, really. But staring is considered rude. I know you know this."@@ Having him call you out brings up a stir of mixed feelings. You want to come up with an excuse, but your words come short before he speaks again. @@.gryphon;"No, I think that if you want to see more of me, you should be a little more, hmm, forthright."@@ A grin twists his face again. @@.gryphon;"And if you really want to see more, you'd best be ready for the full package."@@ He twists one of his haunches for that last part. It starts to occur to you that this gryphon has more on his mind than his stomach. @@.gryphon;"Perhaps you'd like to see a side of me that your predecessors could not,"@@ he offers. The intensity of his gaze is back. But now it has a different flavor. It's commanding, powerful, and <i>longing</i> for you. @@.gryphon;"Do you have something you want to say?"@@ [[Ask To Come Closer|201-3CP]] <<link [[Shut Up Before You Say Something Stupid|201-X1]]>><<set $ModifierD = 1>><</link>>

<h3>Peace</h3> It is a very nice day… Though it feels like an idea you may end up regretting, you steel your nerves and keep your focus on the sights ahead. If you listen carefully, you can hear birds, insects and other wildlife far below, hidden among those golden fields. You gaze down, and to your surprise, you see something else, or rather, someone else. Far below is a little dark spot trudging through the field. You can't make out their species, much less their face, but you get the sense that they must have been called here in much the same way you were. They make a purposeful beeline for The Tower, and you start to lean out to watch their approach. You consider calling out to them, but you doubt your voice will be able to carry that far. @@.gryphon;"Looks like another prey-to-be has arrived,"@@ the gryphon says softly. He appears to be looking down just as you are, avian eyes focused. @@.gryphon;"Confident stride…no equipment…rather weak-looking if I'm being quite honest. I don't expect that they'll even even make it up this high. What a shame. I'd likely be hungering for another meal by the time they arrive."@@ His attention turns to you, and in seeing your expression, a grin twists the corners of his beak. @@.gryphon;"Don't take offense. I need to eat, it's as simple as that, and smaller creatures like you serve that purpose. Don't think I mean any moral harm by it."@@ He says it so casually, but his paw becomes more noticeable on your back. Not heavier, just more…present. <<if $preyDigested is not 0>> @@.gryphon;"Although…"@@ His paw drifts down to poke at the side of your belly. @@.gryphon;"It would seem I'm in the company of someone who knows that already. You didn't really think I wouldn't notice you stumbling your way over did you? All that extra weight on your front has you as unbalanced as I was when I had my first prey. No matter, I'm sure you'll get accustomed to the weight soon."@@ You hear a whistling laugh rise from his beak, and jolt when he delivers a reassuring pat to your back. @@.gryphon;"So long as you don't get eaten, yourself, that is."@@ <</if>> You hold your tongue from making any comments you might regret, but the gryphon seems to have noticed that he's gotten a stir from his temporary companion. He hums a quick note and leans his head in closer, both eyes fixed on you with mischievous glee. He opens his beak and you can see the pinkish red of his tongue. @@.gryphon;"You wouldn't possibly be <i>disappointed</i> that you found me full, would you?"@@ he suggests, a question that catches you so completely off guard that it leaves you stammering for a response. You only manage to pull yourself together when you realize the gryphon has lifted his head back to start laughing. @@.gryphon;"You should be careful, some here would take advantage of you for getting flustered so easily. Aren't you lucky to be in my company instead…"@@ He makes it a statement. You <i>are</i> lucky that he hasn't taken the chance to pin and devour you. You wouldn't have any way to resist. The thought makes your head grow cloudy. Maybe there's something in the air, you just cant quite get the gryphon's voice out of your head. With the way he's looking at you, you wonder if he can tell. You've been quiet for a while, and he's watching you, expecting something. Maybe you should say something. [[Ask To Hear More|201-3OP]] <<link [[Keep Your Mouth Shut|201-X1]]>><<set $ModifierD = 1>><</link>>

<h3>♥My Life As A Pred♥</h3> <<if $ModifierD is 1>>\ <<if $RouteB is 0>>\ You feel a strange sort of curiosity when he talks about his…interests. It should by all logic repulse you, but in an act defying logic, you ask him to tell you more. Your question makes him raise a brow. For the first time it seems you may have surprised him. <<else>>\ You feel a growing curiosity when he describes his…interests. The memory of swallowing Ravi alive is still fresh, and there's a sizable part of you that wants to relive the experience. You cant make him go down a second time, but you can get a second opinion. So, you ignore the danger of the massive predator beside you and ask. Your question makes him raise a brow. For the first time it seems you may have actually surprised him. When he looks over and sees your expression, the corners of his beak twist into a grin. It would seem he can already sense your motivations. <</if>> @@.gryphon;"Quite the thing to ask from someone scared stiff just moments ago. Perhaps this question of yours has just been eating away at you, or perhaps the sight of a predator like me awakened something. Which is it, hmm?"@@ He stares down at you, finding his own answer in the way you anxiously shift your weight. <<if $timesEaten > 0>>\ @@.gryphon;"By the looks of you, you've already seen it firsthand. You survived and now you're looking to understand why you were eaten. Isn't that cute?"@@ He grins. @@.gryphon;"I can't speak to the intentions of the others around here, but I can certainly explain my own."@@<</if>>\ @@.gryphon;"Why I eat live prey…where to start,"@@ he raises his head to think, but you can see him still watching you out the corner of his eye. @@.gryphon;"You're probably thinking it's because of how they squirm, or how they put a nice weight in my belly and feel good stretching out my throat. And those would all be quite good reasons, yes, but I'm not so shallow as that."@@ He shakes his head, @@.gryphon;"no, what I enjoy are the desires of living things. Those tasks left unfinished, places left unseen, relationships unmade. All the little things that ground a person to the notion that they have some amount of importance in the world. I enjoy extinguishing that light. It's not cruel, it's nature, and I like reminding self-important creatures that they're just as likely to become fat as anyone, especially if it happens to be mine."@@ <<else>>\ <<if $RouteB is 1>>\ The way the gryphon speaks, the way he holds himself, the sheer <i>size</i> of him… The gryphon's predatory nature is on full display, and instead of letting your better judgment make you fear it, you instead long to understand how he got to be this way. You can still remember the feeling of Ravi sliding down your throat<<if $preyDigested is 1>>, as well as the process of melting him down into the fat now padding your belly and hips.<<else>>.<</if>> You might not be able to get that same feeling a second time, but perhaps you can get a little perspective from the gryphon. <</if>> When you ask your question, he tilts his head in that same way that birds do. @@.gryphon;"Are you asking to hear more about how lucky you are? Or are you asking to hear about how the others here would take advantage of you? This could get rather descriptive if you mean the latter."@@ You hesitate for a way to respond. Without any subtlety, your attention darts to the gryphon's stomach, which he pats twice with visible pride. You see his expression brighten as he starts to put together your thoughts. @@.gryphon;"Perhaps you are looking to hear what it's like to be swallowed alive by a larger creature?"@@ he asks, paw tugging you in a step closer. @@.gryphon;"A nice, easy explanation at no risk to you. You could just listen and be done, is that it? Well, I'm afraid the only real way for you to understand is to try it for yourself. Words can't provide the experience, and as I said, my appetite is down, for now."@@ <<if $timesEaten > 0>> @@.gryphon;"But by the looks of you, I think you've already gotten a taste. You must have some peculiar instincts coming to me after escaping someone else."@@ Your face flushes at the comment, but he just grins and moves on. <</if>> He rocks his head to the side, thoughtful for a long moment, rolling his paw along his belly, squishing the fat while a grumble resonates from its depths. @@.gryphon;"Perhaps you'd like to know what <i>my</i> experience eating prey is like. Well, it's a wonderful feeling, you know,"@@ he says, reeling in your attention from its wandering. @@.gryphon;"Other food doesn't begin to compare. It's the food that moves and lives and has desires, that is what makes this special. You might call it cruel, but I'm no worse than the rest of nature. I'm simply able to speak it out loud, and I like reminding self-important creatures that they're just as likely to become fat as anyone, particularly mine."@@ <</if>> The growls of the beast's belly raise in volume. You wonder if this talk is making his metabolism pick up. He continues to massage at himself with the tender love one would give to a house pet. His eyes seem intently fixed on you as he does so. For your own safety you try to keep your attention somewhere less suggestive. @@.gryphon;"Anyone can become a part of the food chain. And yes, that includes me, though I doubt you'll ever get to see it. It's a fact I gladly accept to stay humble, despite having the strength and agility to devour whoever I see fit."@@ You internally wonder if the gryphon understands what "humble" is supposed to mean. But you don't say anything. @@.gryphon;"You know, there's a dragon who guards the first floor. Perhaps you've seen him already. Lucky bastard gets first pickings for all the new visitors. In fact the one you saw down there is probably stewing in his belly right now. Arrogant immortal lizard…no fear, no respect, he think he exists outside nature. I'd like to see him come up here so I may <u>give him a piece of my mind</u>, do you catch my meaning?"@@ When his stomach rumbles again, his meaning settles in perfectly well. He ruffles his neck feathers by shaking his head. @@.gryphon;"Don't answer that, I'm getting all worked up. Since you've been so fine and attentive for my thoughts, suppose it's only right that I offer you a way up. There aren't many who are so curious as to learn about the way of the world, and I'd rather like to keep that spirit around."@@ He pulls his paw from your shoulder, collecting both to push down on his belly. You see the feathers on his neck bristle, a fat bulge making its way up. Swallowed air and metabolized gas fly free, rattling the gryphon's throat. He gives a sigh, rolling his paws over his belly. @@.gryphon;"There goes lunch,"@@ he murmurs, just loud enough for you to hear. @@.gryphon;"I'll not lie, I'd rather like to keep you to myself. So perhaps you'll humor me…"@@ He leans in closer, one talon tapping at his beak. @@.gryphon;"I could sate that curiosity of yours. You want to know what it means to be prey? I can show you. And because I like you, I won't force it. If this is what you want, then I trust you'll ask for it."@@ For a moment, your mouth feels dry, and your words fail you. But the gryphon turns his attention once more in your direction, and you are compelled to answer. <span id = "fail"> [[Accept, You Want To Know…|201-4OP]] <<if $ModifierD is 1>>[[Decline…Politely|201-4E]]<<else>><<link "Decline…Perhaps?">> <<replace "#fail">> <hr> -Perhaps Not You want to take his offer and escape. You know that any amount of "humoring" will just give him the perfect excuse to devour you, and the internal warnings that you've been pushing down to get to this point are yelling at you to say no. But if you didn't want this to happen, why didn't you say so sooner? That's the question you can see in the gryphon's expression when he looks down at you again. His eyes are alight with expectation, and he only grins when he sees you hesitate. They dare you to refuse him, but you just don't have the strength to do it. Not when the complete predatory power he has is on full display. [[Give In…|201-4OP]] @@color:red;<s>Decline…Perhaps?</s>@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ <</if>>\ </span>\

<h3>Stranger Danger</h3> <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ A chill shoots down your spine. You made a mistake and this is going in a direction you did not want nor expect. You bite your tongue and keep your yapper shut because nothing good can come of encouraging this beast. <<else>>\ Or maybe not… The way he's looking at you isn't as a friend or friendly stranger, it's as a deadly predator who knows exactly the position he is in. You bite your tongue and keep your yapper shut because nothing good can come of encouraging this beast. <</if>> You're quiet. You're so quiet. You're <i>so</i> quiet that everything else is just deafeningly loud by comparison. Were there always that many birds? Your quiet grows so thick that you could bite into it and if you did it would snap like a stale cracker, but that's just your tongue that you're biting, until it hurts. Your mouth feels dry. @@.gryphon;"Oh dear…you're all frozen up. If I'm so frightening you could have simply not come over, you know."@@ You glance over. Despite the nature of his words, the gryphon is grinning. The corners of his beak are twisted up deviously. He doesn't care one bit for your terror, no, he's <i>amused</i> by it. You feel the tips of claws poking at your back, the weight of his paw becoming increasingly present in your mind. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>\ @@.gryphon;"Although…if you did, I might have had the urge to chase you down, pin you…maybe those prying eyes of yours would take a gander at something they shouldn't and well, one thing would lead to another…"@@\ <<else>>\ @@.gryphon;"Although…if you did, I might have had the urge to chase you down, and you know such exertion might just bring my appetite back, and well, once I have you in my claws, you know how the rest goes…"@@\ <</if>>\ he rolls his eyes and twirls his claws as though he were sharing an embarrassing story, and not threatening to…do something you don't want to imagine. He shakes his head, @@.gryphon;"no, you certainly have made all the right choices so far. But I can't have you paralyzed now. I'm a conversationalist, you see, and I require an engaged audience, not one who stares all dumb and deaf, do you understand?"@@ You nod. for the moment that's the best you can do. @@.gryphon;"Good, very good, that's much better. Let's try this again now shall we? Take a good long breath. Entertain me with some conversation and I'll be sure you're appropriately rewarded. I couldn't make it simpler if I tried."@@ The gryphon gives you a gentle pat on the back with what could have been a reassuring touch. Instead, your breath catches in your throat. And still he grins. [[It's Just A Chat, You Can Do This|201-X2]] <<if $ModifierA is 1>><<link [[No, Absolutely Not!|201-5CN]]>><<set $ModifierC = 1>><</link>><<else>><<link [[No, Absolutely Not!|201-5ON]]>><<set $ModifierC = 1>><</link>><</if>>

<h3>A Less-Than-Quick Look</h3> <<if $ModifierD is 1>>\ The suggestiveness in the gryphon's tone is not lost on your ears, nor is the hint that he might want something more from you. You aren't sure what that entails, but you find yourself drawn in by curiosity, even though the back of your mind continues to insist that you're walking into danger. <<if $ModifierA is 0>> You ask the gryphon if you can see him up closer, to which he wordlessly grins and pats at the inside of his leonine thigh. It's a welcome, and a tilt of his head silently beckons you. You take a cautious step. The weight of his paw immediately leaves your shoulder, allowing you to approach by your own will. <<else>> You ask the gryphon if you can see him up closer, to which he grins and pats at the inside of his leonine thigh. @@.gryphon;"It may have taken a little time, but it's nice to see you come around, isn't it?"@@ You take a cautious step. The weight of his paw immediately leaves your shoulder, allowing you to approach by your own will. <</if>>\ <<else>> Against the odds, curiosity overcomes your sense of danger. His gaze is playful, not malicious, and carries a certain allure that makes it hard to resist this chance to…get to know him better. You ask the gryphon if you can see him up closer, to which he wordlessly grins and pats at the inside of his leonine thigh. It's a welcome, and a tilt of his head silently beckons you. You take a cautious step. The weight of his paw immediately leaves your shoulder, allowing you to approach by your own will. <</if>> At first your attention is simply held by the curve of the gryphon's belly and the angles of his beaked face He strikes quite a figure without any effort at all, like something out of a painting. But once you step around one of the beast's thighs, you find some new shapes to reckon with. Just below the sag of his stomach, subtly squished against the tile floor, the gryphon sports some gorgeously rounded balls, with a plump ring of a sheath attached to the lower end of his belly. What makes you do a double-take is noticing just <i>how much</i> there is of each. You're not quite sure what you expected. Perhaps something of…practical size would have made sense, but considering where you are, the monster that you behold isn't exactly out of place. Of course, that doesn't save your face from becoming flushed. When you spin around and try and cool your thoughts with the calming vista instead, the gryphon laughs a musical tune. @@.gryphon;"Was I too subtle?"@@ He coos. @@.gryphon;"I'd be sorry if I didn't find your reaction so cute."@@ His paws drop to the floor on either side of you. His head looms above, draping a shadow over your vision. Yet even without the beaming sun, the air still feels warmer than it did before. The air carries the gentle smell of fur, laced with something else, something rich and savory and potent. You hear the gryphon's neck feathers rustling in the breeze when he lowers his head beside you. @@.gryphon;"It all comes from a rich diet. You understand what I'm talking about, yes?"@@ He speaks in a low tone, rich as molten butter. His stomach isn't nearly so controlled. It harmonizes with the gryphon's voice with a baritone grumble. One paw drums at that belly before dragging itself down between his legs, bringing your attention along. He slides a talon around that thick sheath, catching the skin and gently stretching it for you to see a flash of pink inside. @@.gryphon;"I have to say, sating one appetite just gives rise to another. Quite the struggle, isn't it?"@@ He readjusts his hips, bringing his assets just the slightest bit closer. Those balls of his stretch under their own weight. You can only imagine how productive a beast like that must be. @@.gryphon;"Well? you're not just going to ignore it now, are you?"@@ He asks, pulling you from your wondering. @@.gryphon;"You've gotten this close. You might as well go all the way, don't you think?"@@ <span id = "fail"> [[Might As Well…|201-4CP]] <<if $ModifierD is 1>>[[Decline…politely|201-4E]]<<else>><<link "Decline…Perhaps?">> <<replace "#fail">> <hr> -Perhaps Not You want to say no. You know this is going to put you at the gryphon's mercy and the internal warnings that you've been pushing down to get to this point are yelling at you to say no. But if you didn't want this to happen, why didn't you say so sooner? That's the question you can see in the gryphon's expression when he looks down at you again. His eyes are alight with expectation, and he only grins when he sees you hesitate. They dare you to refuse him, but you just don't have the strength to do it. Not when you're so close, not when you can see his body like this… [[Give In…|201-4CP]] @@color:red;<s>Decline…Perhaps?</s>@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ <</if>>\ </span>\

<h3>How To Be Prey</h3> You nod and speak your confirmation. You want to feel your place in nature, as prey. And you want it to be the gryphon who shows you. He pulls the corners around his beak into a smile. It's a warm look, but there's a shade of viciousness to it. A look that that you invited. When he moves a paw a step closer, you instinctively take a step back. Some habits don't break easily, not even for eager curiosity. The gryphon takes note of your minor retreat. @@.gryphon;"Well then, I'll be sure to give you an unforgettable demonstration. You can run, if you like, but I'll only chase you down. I think it would be safest for you to stay, right, there."@@ And in a flash he's upon you. His body twists with feline agility and his talons are raised at the ready. His wings fan into their glory, making the already huge silhouette of this predator gargantuan. As soon as you see the beast lunge, your legs are already moving, animal urges turning you to flee. You don't get the chance. Claws come around your sides and the gryphon's paw slams down on your back, knocking you to the ground. You hit the tiles with force enough to knock the wind from your lungs, but apparently not hard enough for the gryphon to show any concern. @@.gryphon;"Turn around. Look at me,"@@ he commands. The weight of the gryphon's paw lightens up just enough for you to roll onto your back. When you turn your attention upward, you find the pointed end of the gryphon's beak just inches from your face. The muscles in your body go tense, you might as well have a blade under your chin. The gryphon stares down at you and smiles. When he speaks, his breath comes out hot. @@.gryphon;"When you lie under my talons, that means you are my prey, understand? It doesn't matter who you are, or who you <i>think</i> you are, you are prey, my prey."@@ He finishes the statement with a snap of his beak, a sound like shears making you jolt. @@.gryphon;"When you're <i>my</i> prey, that means I get to do whatever I like to you."@@ You hear something splash. With your head frozen, your eyes move down, down below the curve of the gryphon's belly, down between his legs. What you see there makes you gasp. Massive, heavy, drooling a hunger of its own. @@.gryphon;"I said <i>look at me</i>."@@ Your attention jerks back up to the gryphon's face. His paw puts some extra pressure on your ribs. As far as keeping your eyes from wandering again goes, its very effective encouragement. @@.gryphon;"I'm a beast with many hungers. There are many things prey can sate in me."@@ He cracks a smile, @@.gryphon;"And you just caught sight of one of them. Some prey can make themselves <i>quite</i> useful before I swallow them down. But other times I just want to feel them squirm and slowly come to terms with their fate. But they all start under <i>my</i> talons. You don't need me to repeat myself do you? You know what that means, don't you?"@@ His paw curls, scraping the tiles beside your head. The tip of his tongue pokes out from between the hinges of his beak, a sharp point of its own. @@.gryphon;"I'm going to show you exactly where my prey goes, and you're going to pay close attention. You'd best think of exactly how you would fit in."@@ He starts to stretch that beak wide, yawning agape that crimson red cavern. A puff of hot air greets your face, making you squint. Even with his eyes off of you, you can't bring yourself to look away, he'll know if you do, you're certain of this. You obey the gryphon's instructions and stare down as deep as the light will allow, beyond the curve of a restless tongue and the relaxed muscle forming the gate to the gryphon's throat. You try to stare down even further, but the sunlight fails to reach that far, leaving only a pit of utter darkness. His tongue droops down under its own weight, dripping a big globule of spit over your torso. He leans forward, tongue pressing into your $Hide. A pleasant noise comes from somewhere within the gryphon's throat when he gets a taste of you. It's a while before he pulls back and clicks his beak, humming with delight, paw teasing your soaked upper body with a gentle squeeze. @@.gryphon;"Just lovely. You're even shaking. Do you see it now? The struggle, but the utter futility in the face of nature."@@ His tongue traces the edge of his beak, saliva making it glisten in the light. @@.gryphon;"Don't be afraid of it, embrace it. There's nothing to be ashamed of by being prey. Let go of your distractions, all the things you want out of your life, all the things you thought were important. They don't matter when I'm here, because I can take it all away."@@ His free paw reaches back to fondle his stomach. You remain obedient and keep your attention steady, watching his face, and how he grins when his belly sloshes and grumbles, working down the last remnants of some previous meal. Perhaps it's your expression he finds amusing, or the way your heart can be felt beating through your chest. @@.gryphon;"And since you have been <i>so</i> curious…"@@ Another bubble of air glides up his throat. This one he releases on your face with less concern for making it pretty and proper. @@.gryphon;"…Perhaps I can find some room for you after all."@@ Another growl resounds from the gryphon's stomach, an octave lower than the last. It's the unmistakable call for fresh food, and you happen to be right there, under the gryphon's talons. <<if $cw is not 2>>[[Yes…You Are Prey…|201-5OP]]<<else>>[[Yes…You Are Prey… (Willing)|201-5OP]]<</if>> <<if $cw is not 2>>[[Actually, Maybe Another Time…|201-5ON]]<<else>>[[Actually, Maybe Another Time… (Unwilling)|201-5ON]]<</if>>

<h3>Diplomacy</h3> You shake your head. You hear what the gryphon is offering, what he's <i>really</i> offering, and no amount of morbid curiosity can overcome the straightforward fact that giving him what he wants is probably going to result in you getting devoured in one way or another. You take a step back, and look up to see the disappointment in the gryphon's expression. He doesn't hide it, nor does he hide the hunger that has entered his gaze. It seems you may have made the right call after all. What frightens you is the silence. He doesn't say a word to your refusal for a moment that feels like hours, but you hold firm, you don't give in to his intimidation, and eventually his stare breaks with a sigh. @@.gryphon;"There's no breaking you is there?"@@ He asks you as he pulls his head to the side. <<if $ModifierE is 1>> He slides his legs in, covering up the magnificence between his legs that had captured your attention. You see him briefly check your stance, gaging one more time if you can be coerced into "entertaining" him. But he has no such luck, much to his annoyance. <<else>> He pats his stomach once more, this time with frustration, before slumping forward to clutch at the banister. You see him briefly check your stance, gaging one more time if you can be coerced into "entertaining" him. But he has no such luck, much to his annoyance. <</if>> @@.gryphon;"Well? I don't suppose you're going to ask for my help now, are you?"@@ he asks. @@.gryphon;"What if I refuse? Don't you think that getting to come this close and live should be its own reward?"@@ You shake your head and remind the gryphon that you were told you'd be <i>appropriately rewarded</i>. This makes him exhale loudly, feathers bristling. @@.gryphon;"Yes, I did say that, didn't I? But can you really trust that? I'm a <i>devious lethal predator</i>, haven't you noticed? And in the air,"@@ he extends his wings until they block out the sun entirely from your sight, @@.gryphon;"I'm the one in complete control of you. I can bring you higher, or I can swallow you right then and there. There wouldn't be a thing you could do about it. Are you really ready to take that risk when you're too scared to humor me with a little entertainment?"@@ You don't say anything to that. He does have a good point, but you make your best face and do your best to look certain of your choice. It's not like you have any other options. @@.gryphon;"Well, I suppose it's not like you have any other options, do you?"@@ Something seems to snap in your chest when he says it out loud. @@.gryphon;"But I'm not above showing a little mercy, either. You're a little braver than I expected, morsel. It pains me to let you go like this, it really does."@@ Before you can say anything more, he suddenly lunges to grab you around the middle. You yelp in shock and animalistic fear as the gryphon's powerful legs kick the both of you off from the balcony. The next thing you know you're out in the open air, with only the gryphon's grip to keep you from falling, and certain death. @@.gryphon;"But I might as well enjoy the flight, don't you agree?"@@ He asks over the wind blasting your ears. Even still his voice sounds calm and unbothered. @@.gryphon;"Don't answer that."@@ And you don't. It takes all your energy and willpower to not look down. Though, looking anywhere else doesn't exactly help your nerves. So you wait, staring up at the fluff of the gryphon's belly as he carries you higher. It might be for the best that the wind overpowers the sound of it's growling. the gryphon circles back around to The Tower, making his way through one of the grand windows placed without rhyme or reason. The room he drops down into is similarly grand, though nothing about it concerns you as much as your need to stand on solid ground again. No sooner do the gryphon's powerful hind legs thud against the hardwood floor than do you pop right out of his claws. Being back on <<if $BPlan is "quad" or $BPlan is "taur">>all fours<<elseif $BPlan is "bi">>your own two feet<<else>>hex<</if>> is a relief you couldn't imagine until now. @@.gryphon;"Well, there you have it. That's my bit of generosity for the say, take it in and savor it,"@@ the gryphon announces from behind you. In your elation you almost forgot he was there. Almost. @@.gryphon;"And you got what you wanted too, is that right? If you want to become part of a gryphon, now's your chance to ask."@@ when you turn and face him again only to <i>very</i> firmly shake your head, the gryphon just shrugs. @@.gryphon;"Very well, but if you do find yourself wanting to pad out my stomach-"@@ he thumps a paw against that belly, @@.gryphon;"-or, perhaps, take your place somewhere lower-"@@ he shifts his thigh just enough to let a sliver of light highlight a spot of pink, @@.gryphon;"-then you know exactly where to find me, don't you? I'll be very much looking forward to hearing what you find at the top."@@ Despite the gryphon's vote of confidence, you don't like the way he's still looking at you. He waits for you to leave, hunger in his eyes, hopeful that there's still a chance you'll change your mind. You nod, turn, and break for the nearest door and breathe relief when that predatory stare is finally off your back. [[Next Floor|300]]

<h3>Stranger…Okay-nger</h3> It's with a good deal more difficulty than the gryphon implies that you manage to get yourself under control. Your nerves still feel tightly strung, but at least it doesn't feel like you're about to snap. Your $Hands feel shaky, and the wind seems to turn icy on your $Hide, but the panic does pass. For now you're alive. In as calm a tone as you can manage, you agree to talk. The gryphon's face lights up when he hears your voice. @@.gryphon;"Oh delightful. See? Isn't this so much simpler? Goodness, if you weren't able to get a hold of yourself I might have had to find another use for you."@@ He waves his paw, dismissing the morbid possibility. @@.gryphon;"Now, where were we?"@@ There's a pause. After a moment you realize there's expectation in his gaze as he watches you. He's expecting you to direct where this goes next. <hr>\ <span id="dialogue">He grins. @@.gryphon;"Nothing to be afraid of, remember? Just talk."@@</span> <hr> <span id="choice1">\ <<link "Ask What Being An Apex Predator Is Like">> <<replace "#choice1">>\ <<link [[Ask Why He Eats Live Prey|201-3OP]]>><<set $ModifierE to 0>><</link>>\ <</replace>>\ <<append "#dialogue">>\ <hr> @@.gryphon;"Ah, tackling your fears head on I see, that's awfully bold of you, isn't it? I didn't think you had it in you."@@ He pulls one paw under his chin while the other taps its claws along your spine. @@.gryphon;"Let's see…what it's like devouring creatures like you…well to start, I'll say it's quite nice. You certainly should try it sometime."@@ You tell him that you really don't think that sort of thing is possible for you, a sentiment to which he chuckles. @@.gryphon;"Don't underestimate yourself, and don't underestimate what this place can do for those with the right appetites. Find the right prey, and you might find yourself accustomed to a squirming gut of your own someday."@@ A growl resounds from the gryphon's stomach, which he tends to with a heavy pat. @@.gryphon;"Oh, yes…"@@ he continues before you can cast doubt again, @@.gryphon;"I imagine that is contingent on your ability not to be food first however…and that may be a challenge considering you're here, with me."@@ The next growl that comes from his stomach somehow feels a bit more intentional in unnerving you. @@.gryphon;"Well, it's no matter to me, anyway. I find it quite satisfying, cathartic even, to feel other living beings slowly lose themselves within me. If you simply don't have the stomach for it, figuratively, mind you, then I suppose there is nothing to be done."@@ <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span> <span id="choice2">\ <<link "Ask To Get To Know Him Better">> <<replace "#choice2">>\ <<link [[Ask To Come Closer|201-3CP]]>><<set $ModifierE to 1>><</link>>\ <</replace>>\ <<append "#dialogue">>\ <hr> @@.gryphon;"Oh, me? you want to know me better? Is that really so?"@@ He repeats the question back to you, making you feel silly for having asked. @@.gryphon;"Well now, where should I begin?"@@ He says as he starts to consider, @@.gryphon;"why, there's just so much to cover…"@@ He rolls the digits of his paw along your back, each heavy tap making you stumble a step forward. @@.gryphon;"Yes, where indeed, why, there's my face, which you've gotten to see so much of already. Most remember it quite well after meeting me, so I hear."@@ He clicks his beak with some satisfaction at that. @@.gryphon;"Or, I suppose you could see my stomach. The outside, mind you, so stop your shivering."@@ He gives that dome of feathered fluff a good pat. @@.gryphon;"Yes, if you want to know me better, then you'll simply have to choose one spot. If I were to give you the whole picture, why, we would be here all day, and I'm sure it would bore you out of your poor mind."@@ He gives you a look that you've fast come to realize means expectation. You see a slight shift from his thigh, and watch his claws gently grip the fat of his belly. @@.gryphon;"But, if I just <i>had</i> to make a suggestion, I think you should come get as close as you can and see for yourself what makes me 'me'. I think you'll find plenty to discover, right, here."@@ <</append>>\ <</link>>\ </span>

<h3>Taken Into The Abyss</h3> <<if $ModifierD is 1>>\ You say nothing. There is nothing you could say, really. The gryphon gives you a long while to come around, but when it's apparent you've made up your mind, his patience quickly runs dry. You see his grin sour only the slightest bit, but it's enough to make you shiver. He tilts his head and closes his eyes. @@.gryphon;"Well, that well and truly is a shame. I would have liked to enjoy some active company, but if you'll be denying me that pleasure…"@@ Something cold slides under your neck. You don't look down to see the gryphon's talons there. You attention is glued to the beast's face, and the smile that forms as a new idea dawns. The deviousness in that look makes your $Hide crawl. @@.gryphon;"…I think I'll just put you to use satisfying a different one, a <i>personal</i> one. Yes I think you'll fit the task quite nicely."@@ You have many questions, and for better or worse, you are given an answer. He leans in and his thigh thumps to the side. A small rush of warm air greets you, as does a heady scent you soon recognize. Down at the base of his thighs, lodged underneath the sag of his stomach, you get a full view of the gryphon's assets, and their enormity makes you gasp. Surely he can't mean for you to please <i>that.</i> The gryphon coos amusement. @@.gryphon;"You could have gotten to know it so much better if you'd just played along."@@ You're pulled forward by his paw, brought in until you're standing just before rosy pink head of his cock. There's more girth to the thing than your whole torso. Looking down a little lower, the balls he sports are several times your size, heavy beyond your imagination. With production like that, you can only imagine how this gryphon would have some…pressing needs. His cock drools a steady stream of precum, splashing the tiles at your $Feet. @@.gryphon;"A bellyful of prey has a way of getting me awfully pent up. If I were to take it out on you I think you might just burst. Now, that would be no fun at all…"@@ He considers the morbid idea with his claws tightening around your neck. @@.gryphon;"So, I'll give you more than you deserve and let you spend the afternoon squirming in my balls instead, how does that sound?"@@ He tilts his head while you reckon with the absurdity of what he just said. @@.gryphon;"Hm, on second thought…don't answer that."@@ <<else>>\ The sheer absurdity of the question provides you with a shining moment of clarity, reminding you of the situation which you are in, and how very, very small you are compared to the beast with its belly looming overhead. This was not what you had in mind. You vigorously shake your head and take a step back, only to hear the gryphon's paw thump against the ground behind you. @@.gryphon;"Well, now, that is a shame, isn't it?"@@ He asks, lowering his head so you can see his upside-down grin. @@.gryphon;"But you've gotten yourself a little too close to the sun now haven't you? I've just gotten an <i>awful</i> craving for someone squirming in my balls, and you happen to be right here, so, in you go."@@ <</if>> You can't run. That paw pulls its massive weight into your back and the next thing you know you're stumbling forward towards the drooling cock head. You can't struggle. One of the gryphon's digits positions behind your head and forces you to take the plunge into the flow. Malleable flesh wraps around your head and stretches over your shoulders with ease. Your <<if $BPlan is "quad">>forelegs<<else>>arms<</if>> get pinned to your sides. You try to struggle but just find yourself slipping deeper as the gryphon keeps the pressure on your back. And of course, you can't think. The taste of salt and sex overwhelms your senses. You have to keep your eyes shut with wetness all around. After a moment, there's a rush of heat that starts from your head and pours across you, drenching your back half with a fresh pump of precum. <<if $ModifierD is 1>>@@.gryphon;"To come all this way just to get a cold tongue, how shameful…"@@<<else>>@@.gryphon;"To come all this way just to change your mind at the last second, how shameful…"@@<</if>> The gryphon's voice reaches you. His berating is in words only, you can hear the giddiness in his voice, apparently enjoying whatever sensations you make wriggling down his dick. @@.gryphon;"Well, it hardly matters. You'll get put to better use soon."@@ You're in no position to voice your complaints. Trying only fills your mouth with the latest pump of liquid. You soon feel your <<if $BPlan is "quad">>hindlegs<<elseif $BPlan is "taur">>lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> swept from the ground by the gryphon's talons. Your legs are brought above your head, giving you sudden vertigo, but really, there's not much to be disoriented about when the only direction for you is down. @@.gryphon;"That's it, keep moving, won't you?"@@ With that, one solid push from his paw squeezes your whole body inside. It's one clean motion, but the gryphon's natural lubrication makes that moment a lewd cacophony of noise. You think you may have just heard the gryphon properly moan for the first time. Then begins the slow descent. Cock flesh grabs tight around your sides pinning your limbs in place. Your soaked surroundings, too, keep you sliding deeper, with nothing you grab to stop yourself. Any struggle from you just makes room to drop down a few more inches. It doesn't take long for you to realize your panicking is making the situation worse, especially when that familiar sloshing rumble starts to grow near. Your passage narrows as you descend deeper. Your shoulders have to fold in just to fit under the tightening flesh. Even the natural lubrication can't overcome that tightness starting to slow you down. Maybe you'll get stuck here and the gryphon will have no choice but to let you out. That's what you hope…until you feel a spot of pressure on your lower body. You can hear the gryphon humming some casual tune while fingering the bulge you make at the base of his dick. Then, without warning, his little song is interrupted by a vicious shove that jams you through those deepest tubes. It's a flash of overwhelming tightness, the gryphon's body bearing down on its unexpected intruder, on you. Hot flesh seems to be touching every inch of your body, watertight, allowing slick liquid to pool around your face, drowning you in its dominating odor. But no matter the terror this journey puts in you, it doesn't last forever. Your destination is here. Your head is ejected from oppressive tightness only to get dunked in a pool of dense liquid. That's where you find out just how "cozy" your new home is. You bump up against the soft walls, springy and stretching under your weight. When the rest of your body comes after you, you're forced to curl up just to be accommodated by the easily stimulated walls. You thought that with the gryphon's enormity there would be more room, but there seems to be just barely enough to hold you, and having your weight on the walls just gets them excited and squeezing even tighter. Your surroundings are soft, at least. But, just because you're not being crushed doesn't mean your stay is easy. You sputter for what little air there is, barely able to keep your head free from the pool around your sides. You don't know if those few gulps of air stowed away on your passage or if it was here from the start, but you breathe in a lungful all the same. You find it so thoroughly saturated with the smell of sex that that one breath sends your thoughts spiraling, and your failing sense of direction follows. There's not much you can do while packed away in those tanks, deprived of all your senses except those that affirm your sticky situation. You try to think about getting out, but all memories of the outside world seem to dissolve in this place. It's like this is all there is, with thick cum lapping at your neck, and the taste of salt saturating your tongue. The only other thing you can imagine is the gryphon himself, larger than life in multiple senses of the phrase, bearing down on you, consuming you, making you his… You're not sure when you begin to doze off, but the vivid thoughts you have can hardly be called lucid. From outside, the gryphon coos teasing comments about how fruitless your struggles were, but they get lost somewhere between the thick padding of those balls. There was never a way out. [[And Now You're In For The Long Haul…|201-0CN]]

<h3>You Are Prey…Anyway</h3> <<if $ModifierC is 1>>\ You can't do it. @@.gryphon;"Well, that is a shame, now, isn't it? I suppose I'll just get to business if you're not going to be any fun."@@ What happens next is a blur. You're knocked to the floor in an instant, head bumping against the hard tile shooting shooting pain through your skull and stars into your vision. When your sight clears, what you see nearly makes your heart stop. The gryphon towers over you, fur brilliantly illuminated in the daylight. But his smile is gone. It wasn't just a tease, you've gone and disappointed him. Seeing him like this sets an awful sensation through you, eating a hole in your chest. You've made a serious mistake. @@.gryphon;"You should really pay better attention. did you forget where you are? You don't get to make your own rules. If I tell you to do something, you ought to do it."@@ <<else>>\ You're caught off guard, and hesitate. A trip down to the gryphon's belly was not where you wanted your curiosity to take you. You doubt that that's a trip you'd be returning from. You say as much, that this is as far as you want to go. But the gryphon just tilts his head, not losing his grin. The look in his eyes makes you shudder. Before he even says anything you already know it. You're too late. @@.gryphon;"You should pay better attention. Didn't you hear what I told you?"@@ He coos. @@.gryphon;"Being under my talons means you're my prey. And <i>my</i> prey doesn't get to tell <i>me</i> what to do."@@ <</if>> Pressure comes down on your torso, knocking the wind from your lungs. The gryphon leans in, making absolutely sure that you are keeping up eye contact with him. You have no hope of contesting the gryphon's strength. His one paw has more power than your whole body put together. @@.gryphon;"Are you listening now? I'll make sure you don't forget again."@@ He starts to lower his head. You force yourself to close your eyes, knowing perfectly well what's coming next. You can't bear seeing the end. @@.gryphon;"Don't hide from it. Look at me."@@ But you refuse. Even when you feel the hard edges of his beak pinch around your sides you refuse to look. Your vision remains a uniform red under the burning sunlight. He starts to pull, lifting your body from the cold tiles, but still you try to take that one bit of control you have. Warm air spills over your stomach. You know it's the gryphon's breath. If you focus you can hear his breathing past the thrum of your own heartbeat. You can hear him, steady and calm. There's no frustration you can sense. His beak doesn't punish you by gripping you any harder than it must. Your act of defiance makes no difference to the gryphon. He's going to eat you anyway. Tugged by gravity, your <<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "hex">>legs and lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> swing into the warmth below you. A $Foot brushes against the gryphon's tongue, coming away wet with spit. He's hungry for you, and whether you acknowledge it or not, your fate will be the same. His tongue curls under your leg, tasting you, making the outside air suddenly frigid when put against the inviting warmth inside. There's also a cold fear crawling up your spine. With your eyes closed you can intimately feel how the gryphon's beak starts to relax, how his tongue starts to creep up your stomach, ready to claim you, you know this is it. You can't bear it a second longer. You open your eyes. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Hah,"@@ the little laugh comes up as a puff of hot air around your sides. You look down to see the gryphon's expression as he holds your life in his beak. His expression hasn't changed, but his glare is chilling. He's silent, not saying anything, not taunting you, but giving you a sense of dread all the same. You wonder what he sees when he looks at you, when you're helpless and at his mercy. <<else>> @@.gryphon;"Heh,"@@ the little laugh comes up as a puff of hot air around your sides. You look down to see the gryphon's expression as he holds your life in his beak, with the corners still twisted up into a sick grin. He watches you for a good long while, not saying anything, not taunting you, but giving you a sense of dread all the same. You wonder what he sees when he looks at you, when you're helpless and at his mercy. <</if>> And then you're dropped, a reminder of the only real concern here. The gryphon's tongue glides up to your shoulder and tugs you down so that beak can snap shut. Everything goes dark, darker than when you had your eyes closed. You soon find that despite the enormity of his presence, the gryphon's maw becomes small and claustrophobic when it's sealed shut, especially with his tongue wrapping across your body as far as it can reach. That tongue has better things to do than play with you, though. Despite your protests, it starts to push you down with its pointed end. Any attempt to grip at the muscular organ for some kind of stability fails, and with your $Hide covered in spit it's impossible to grip at anything at all. The tips of your $Feet poke into the tightness of the gryphon's throat, flesh constricting so that first swallow can suck you down to your waist. With your <<if $BPlan is "taur">>entire lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> entombed in tight flesh, there is no room to struggle. Dozens of pounds of muscle go towards keeping you restrained, more than you can possibly fight off. Settled there, you feel the gryphon's tongue slowly rolling up towards you, printing you against the soft back of his mouth, ready for the swallow that will seal the deal. There's a tightness above, and a relaxation below. You sink into the hold of omnipresent flesh until it surrounds every inch of you, coating your $Hide in a thick layer of mucus that allows your body to be forced deeper still. Tight becomes tighter, the gryphon's throat seemingly intent on squeezing the life out of you even before you can even reach the bottom. Relief comes when the tightness gives way to a new chamber, and your $Feet are suddenly given room to move. It's a brief respite, as you have the rest of your body to fit in as well, soon filling that space to the brim. Immediately, you are forced to curl up. Where the gryphon's throat had a passive tightness to it, this space is very much active. That pouch comes down on your body like a mechanical crusher, just as methodical and unyielding as a machine. Trying to struggle, however weakly, just makes it squeeze harder, pressing your limbs into your body until you can feel your own bones. The body around you is relentless, working down your mind as well as your body. Fighting this was hopeless. You should have simply accepted your place from the beginning. Ultimately, you are just another speck to be tossed about by the whims of nature, to be consumed without care for your thoughts or your life. A hum makes the walls shake, and in this space it's loud enough to make you shake with them. A little pressure reminds you of the gryphon's presence. You can feel him rubbing at you with the same affection one might have for a particularly good lunch. You try to shout something, an admission of your place, a plea for mercy, but there is no response. You try to move to get his attention, but after tiring yourself out against the unyielding pouch you realize that he's deliberately ignoring you. You wouldn't talk to <i>your</i> food, after all. There is nothing to do here but wait and hold still. The walls continue to deliver their demand for submission, and you don't have the will to fight it off any longer. You are prey, and you can not change this. <<if $ModifierC is 1 and $cw is not 0 and $nosave is true>>[[Proceed (Bones Mention)|201-0ON]]<<else>>[[Proceed|201-0ON]]<</if>>

<h3>Frankly, Not A Particularly Quick Look At All</h3> The gryphon whistles a pleasant tune when once again you willingly step forward. He pulls his claw out from his sheath, and the loop of fuzzy flesh snaps back into place. A sharp scent makes its way into the air, you breathe it in and find your next step coming with less hesitation than the last. @@.gryphon;"If you keep this up I might just start to think you're eager,"@@ he teases. Worries about your actions start to fall away, and you're drawn closer than you ever thought you'd be to a beast like this. You bend forward under his belly, coming face to face with the gryphon's enormity. Those prize jewels of his squish against the floor, but more dramatic is how they seem to fill up the space between the gryphon's thighs. They must be twice the size of your entire body, working hard enough to heat the air around you, and to make it rich with the fragrance that only those balls carry. With the gryphon's legs spread apart, you have full, unrestricted access. It feels unreal to be here. The gryphon watches and waits. He readjusts his hips, raising his sheath until it's hovering over your head. @@.gryphon;"Go on and feel. Take it all in."@@ You reach out until your $Hand comes in contact with the fur carpeting the gryphon's balls. It's short, dense, and a bit coarse. Sliding your $Hand across, it feels rather like a brush. You press your $Hand in a bit more. Your digits sink through the fur and plant into hot skin. It's a vibrant living heat, an intimate sensation, and feeling it for yourself makes your breath quicken. You lean in <<if $BPlan is "quad">>, raising the front half of your body to fit into the crowded space between those thighs.<<else>>, kneeling down to fit into the crowded space between those thighs.<</if>> The gryphon's body heat can be felt rising over you, welcoming you in. You raise your other $Hand and let it join the first, kneading into one spot in front of you, one tiny spot along a wall of hot fur. The gryphon hums along while you get acquainted. You aren't sure how well you're doing to please him, but he certainly takes no issue. On the contrary, he shoves his hips forward again, and suddenly you are given a face full of scratchy fur, and a lungful of sexually-charged air. You stagger back, but are just as soon up against the gryphon's balls again, resting your stomach against its bulk, shoving your face in close, breathing in deep. @@.gryphon;"There's the eagerness I was waiting for. Just had to coax it out. Keep going, you feel just lovely."@@ The gryphon's voice has a different sound when you're here. His words grip you and pull you deeper into that space. You take your situation in, the heat, the power, the smell that makes you want to stop thinking and reduce yourself to simple pleasure. When you hear him encouraging you, the heat you feel on your face is more than what his warm body can explain. You sink your weight into the mass of those balls, feeling them squeeze around your sides, plush and malleable, like pillows wrapped in a quilt. When your ear leans against their bulk, you can hear deep inside, where an occasional noisy sloshing tells you all you need to know about what the gryphon's capable of producing. You feel and listen and feel some more. You find comfort right there in that pit of warmth, thoughts in a haze. You hear the gryphon make a noise somewhere between a coo and a purr. Distinctly neither but still carrying the tone of simple joy. His talons click against the stone railing, and he seems to settle in while you continue your exploration. The only thing that can pull you away from your luxurious cushion is the sound of something wet sliding free, somewhere just beside your head. You soon find the gryphon's sheath being stretched thin around a pillar of bright pink. It makes your breath catch in your throat. It's spectacular. The gryphon seems to notice your pause, however brief. @@.gryphon;"Has something caught your eye? If there's something you want, you should take it. You're free to see as much as you like"@@ You gently pull your weight back, peeling off of those balls. The soft skin and fur clings to your $Hide ever so slightly. You let your $Hands drift up to the gryphon's sheath, then down to its lip, feeling that little zone where it wraps around the beast's cock. You could probably squeeze your $Hands inside if you tried. The thought makes you shiver. But instead, you step back, bringing your attention to that pink rod, brushing over skin which you expect to be damp but instead find quite dry. You have no hope of gripping around the monstrous thing, so when it throbs, it jumps away from your touch. You follow it down to its end, feeling up the rim and being rewarded with the gryphon's pleasant humming from up above. Encouraged, you step up until you're face to face with that pillar of a cock. You're a little surprised to find it already dribbling a stream of clear liquid, being pumped one gob at a time. You cant help but stare for a while, $Hands feeling at its sides, clutching at its rim. @@.gryphon;"Gorgeous thing, isn't it?"@@ He asks. A little movement of his hips sends a fresh line of precum sliding down, and shoves the end of that cock just inches from your face. The smell makes you momentarily dizzy. @@.gryphon;"In fact…"@@ he coos, @@.gryphon;"if you like it so much, why don't you go see what it's like on the inside? Like I said, a 'rich diet', just not the ordinary sort. And it so happens that all your groping about has developed quite the appetite, which I think you could sate."@@The next time he shoves his hips, the intention is clearly different. A big bead of liquid is flung and splashes by your $Feet. He lowers his head, taking note of how you respond. @@.gryphon;"You'd like to give yourself to me, wouldn't you? You could add to all this."@@ <<if $cw is not 2>>[[Yes Of Course…|201-5CP]]<<else>>[[Yes Of Course… (Willing)|201-5CP]]<</if>> <<if $cw is not 2>>[[What? No!|201-5CN]]<<else>>[[What? No! (Unwilling)|201-5CN]]<</if>>

<h3>You Are Prey</h3> You want to say something but words fail when he's staring down at you with that gaze. So you nod, one last time, and that's enough conformation to make a little light break through the gryphon's intense gaze. @@.gryphon;"Isn't it good that you stayed? You'll finally get to embrace what you are, within me."@@ Your heart races as he begins to move his paw, readjusting his grip. Even now he doesn't give you a chance to escape. Some part of you always stays pinned to the ground, and the idea of contesting the gryphon's strength is out of the question. @@.gryphon;"Remember, you're my prey to the last breath you take,"@@ he reminds you, starting to lower his head without losing eye contact. He opens his beak just a touch, you think he's going to say something more, but instead his head drops down to pinch you around your sides. You're hoisted upward, cold air rushing across your face, hot air welcoming your stomach. Your <<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "hex">>legs and lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> swing down inside of the gryphon's beak, where the warmth of his breath greets those too. A proper introduction to the gryphon's tongue comes soon after. You look down, and you see the gryphon watching you in your precarious spot, the corners of his beak still curled into that grin. @@.gryphon;"Look around,"@@ he suggests, tongue brushing up against your <<if $BPlan is "taur" or $BPlan is "quad">>hind legs<<else>>legs<</if>> to form the two words. It's not easy to pry your eyes from the predator carrying you and your life in its jaws. But when you look away, you suddenly become breathless. It's the same world out there. Same hills, same trees, same sky, but the hills seem to roll on further, the trees and their branches feel more intricate and lively, the sky calls to the vastness of the planet which you inhabit. Everything you know is out there, and everything you've ever seen, thought of, or loved. You dwell on this, not noticing the slightest little slackening around your sides until the drop turns everything into a blur. For that instant it feels like the world is being sucked away from your view, but just as soon as it starts, it stops, with the gryphon's beak pinching again just under your <<if $BPlan is "quad">>forelegs<<else>>arms<</if>>. Barely half a second, but it gets the intended effect. You feel your chest tense up, your heart nearly halting on the spot. In that moment you recognize the gryphon's meaning, his threat to take everything away. Suddenly it becomes real. But there's a pause, and you get to savor that fear crawling up your spine. The gryphon's beak starts to relax again, his tongue starts to extend up your stomach, ready to catch you, you know this is it. You're dropped without warning or ceremony, and this time that enormous, beautiful world is replaces with the red of the gryphon's tongue. That heavy organ guides your descent, and the moment the last of you is inside, the gryphon's beak beak snaps shut, locking you in darkness. You soon find that despite the enormity of his presence, the gryphon's maw becomes small and claustrophobic when it's sealed shut, more so when his tongue is shoving you up against the roof. But gravity still has its way. You slide to the back of the gryphon's maw, $Hide getting drenched in spit on the way down. The tips of your $Feet poke into the tightness of the gryphon's throat, flesh constricting around you so that first swallow can suck you down to your waist. With your <<if $BPlan is "taur">>entire lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> entombed in tight flesh, you find the gryphon's body perfectly suited to putting down any struggles. You could try to reach for something, but that would only be delaying the inevitable. Even if there was something to grab, the thick layer of saliva coating every surface makes getting a grip impossible. You can't see it, but you feel the gryphon's tongue roll in towards you, squishing you into the back of his mouth, ready for the swallow that will seal the deal. You feel flesh sliding against you, but it doesn't quite feel like falling. Your surroundings simply change. In the dark there is only flesh and tighter flesh, never staying for long, gliding over your body while you feel like you're staying in the same place. Tight becomes tighter, closing in and finally getting enough grip to slow your descent, constricting in rippling waves which you can only assume is the gryphon repeatedly swallowing to get you down. Wet flesh stretches. The sticky sound it makes just to accommodate you is all you can hear on your descent. You know you're going deeper, but it all feels the same. It feels like this is all there is. You are prey after all, and this is all there is for you. But there is a change. The tightness gives way to a new chamber, and your $Feet are suddenly given room to move. You begin to hope for a spacious place to relax, though it doesn't last long. You slide into that space and are immediately forced to curl up. Where the gryphon's throat had a passive tightness to it, this space is very much active, tightening and squeezing in a full-body hug. When you think you can't make yourself any smaller, those constricting walls make you find a way. And of course, every single one is a reminder that you've been swallowed. The gryphon's body works you down, making you tired as you fight off its constrictions, but also wearing on your mind. This is what you asked for, this is what you encouraged, and this is where you were meant to end up. A hum makes the walls shake, and in this space it's loud enough to make you shake with them. A little pressure reminds you of the gryphon's presence. You can feel him rubbing at you with all the affection one might have for a particularly good lunch. You think he might say something, but you don't hear even a muffled word. You try to move to get his attention, but after tiring yourself out against the unyielding pouch you realize that this is deliberate. You wouldn't talk to <i>your</i> food, after all. There is nothing to do here but wait. The walls continue to deliver their demand for submission, and you don't have the will to fight it off any longer. You are prey. [[Proceed|201-0OP]]

<h3>I Stared Into The Abyss-</h3> You're not sure what it is that makes something click. Maybe it's the gryphon's enormity, the presence he commands, or the scent that's been permeating your senses. But this desire was always in you, and now it is impossible to resist. You don't even say a word. You barely even need to lean forward. You simply set your $Hands on either side of the gryphon's cock head and dive your digits into the hole at its peak. Its shocking how easily the cock head stretches, you can pull it wide until the gaping urethra could easily fit your head. Slippery precum spills forth from that channel, promising a smooth journey. A throb from that cock makes you shake, and briefly stumble off balance. An extended hum from the gryphon turns to a light laugh. @@.gryphon;"Very good, but you'd best hurry now. It only gets wetter from here, and you don't want to try swimming upstream now, do you?"@@ You take his meaning and shove forward. Your $Hands release their grip and start to slide in. Moments later you begin to stumble as your control is wrested from you. Your <<if $BPlan is "quad">>forelegs<<else>>arms<</if>> near instantly disappear down that shaft, taken in by shockingly tight flesh. It's fast enough to make you gasp, which is for the best, as your face dives in immediately after. Eyes shut, breath held, your world goes dark. Wetness makes your whole front half feel slick, wrapping it up in gentle pressure, it's the feeling of the gryphon's cock squeezing down on every inch of you. You feel a little rush of warmth start from the tips of your $Hands, streaming past your face and draining around your body, drenching your back half with a fresh pump of precum. @@.gryphon;"My, to think that you'd do all this on your own. I hardly even suggested it and you threw yourself into me. I'm impressed with your initiative."@@ The gryphon's voice reaches you, commanding as it ever was, somehow undisturbed by whatever sensations you make while wriggling down his dick. @@.gryphon;"Now, I ought to do my part and see you the rest of the way down, that's only right, isn't it?"@@ This time you aren't in a position to answer, but you feel your <<if $BPlan is "quad">>hindlegs<<elseif $BPlan is "taur">>lower body<<else>>legs<</if>> lifted from the ground by the gryphon's talons. Your legs are brought above your head, a change in gravity accompanied by a sudden headrush, but really that lightheadedness could be coming from any number of sources. @@.gryphon;"Down you go,"@@ he says before one solid push from his paw squeezes your whole body inside. It's one clean motion, but the gryphon's natural lubrication makes the moment replete with dirty, suggestive noise. Somewhere under it all, you think you can hear the gryphon properly moan for the first time. Really, that's all your senses get for the long slide down. The gryphon's dick grips tight enough to your sides that moving becomes nearly impossible, the walls so slick that you can barely feel them sliding past you without resistance. What's warm becomes hot, and the slick noises of your descent start to become punctuated by the sounds of a functioning body, including that sloshing rumble which you got so familiar with while massaging the gryphon's balls. Your passage starts to narrow, your head and shoulders start to get squeezed under tightening flesh. Your descent starts to slow only because fitting you through those internal tubes is starting to become a challenge. Eventually you come to a near stop, and for a moment you worry that you're going to get stuck here, at least until you feel a spot of pressure on your lower body. @@.gryphon;"I'll feel you at the bottom,"@@ you hear the gryphon say before a vigorous shove jams you through the deepest of his passages. It's a flash of overwhelming tightness, the gryphon's body not sure what to do with its sudden visitor except to send them down deeper still, deeper and tighter until hot wet flesh is all your senses can find, as if that's all that exists. But this trip has a destination, no matter how endless the gryphon's depths may feel it comes to an end when you touchdown into the grasp of the gryphon's balls. That grasp, you find, is a <i>very</i> cozy one. You bump up against soft, springy walls that stretch under your weight. The rest of your body gets lumped in, forcing you to curl up until you're touching every side of your soft space. You have to consider just how much fat must be packed on to get the doughy roundness you saw outside. Most of the space is already occupied by a thick and deeply fragrant pool. You don't have to see it to know what it is; having it cling to your $Hide and sink its warmth into you says all you need to know, as does the taste of salt already on your tongue. There's a modest amount of air. You don't know if it stowed away on your passage or if it was here from the start, but you breathe in a lungful all the same. You find it so thoroughly saturated with the smell of sex that one breath is all it takes to send your thoughts spinning out of control. Packed away and out of sight, there is little else to do but think on your situation and occasionally stretch as far as your container will allow. You wonder if you're even making a bulge in the gryphon's balls, but the question quickly regresses into fantasizing about the big predator. The power of him, so massive, so deeply hungry and ready to consume prey any way in which he pleases. Your thoughts start to wander wherever the flow of cum will take them… You're not sure when you begin to doze off, but the vivid thoughts you have can hardly be called lucid. From outside, the gryphon coos teasing comments about how eagerly you went down, but they get subsumed into your own dreaming. You wanted this. You gave yourself to this. This is all that matters. [[It's Going To Be A Long Ride…|201-0CP]]

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>Formerly Food</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ A jolt of movement rouses you, making you wonder just when you dozed off. The walls compress around you possessively and your world starts to tilt and accelerate, pressing you into the walls. You're moving, or rather your captor is, but you can't possibly determine how while you're stuck as you are. There's a muffled thump. Momentum prints you against softness in a direction you can only assume is down. Before you have the chance to lose focus again your surroundings start to collapse inward, squeezing beyond anything you can possibly fit into. Just as you start to worry, something gives way, and that squeezing force instead pushes you upward. Still balled up, you stretch out the gryphon's throat to the point that you can feel the muscles straining, but it only takes a matter of seconds to pop you up into the beast's maw, just to be dropped onto the soft carpet of a room you don't recognize. @@.gryphon;"Ugh, not nearly so pleasant the other way…"@@ You glance up and see the gryphon soothing his neck with a paw. @@.gryphon;"Well, you got your wish, and I got mine. I even helped you up, as a gift."@@ He gestures to the new space. It's a slow process getting back up to your $Feet. The knowledge of how to stand doesn't come back to you as easily as you might expect. When you hesitate to leave, the gryphon smirks down at you. @@.gryphon;"You really thought that was going to be it, did you? Good, that means I did my job right. You might be surprised to know I wasn't keeping you here—"@@ he pats at his stomach with one paw, @@.gryphon;"but if I was, you wouldn't be standing right now. I'm afraid I've yet to see anything leave my stomach alive."@@ Once again, with the way he makes his voracious exploits sound so everyday you can't help but shiver. The gryphon nods and brings his paw up to a place between his throat and chest. @@.gryphon;"No, you were kept here, in my crop, if you even know what that is. It's a…decent enough alternative, I suppose."@@ But you haven't looked away from his stomach yet. You can still hear it growling, apparently upset at having been denied a meal. You wonder if you're the first to have ever gotten this close and survived. @@.gryphon;"Don't be too disappointed now,"@@ he warns when he catches your gaze, though you can sense him enjoying the attention all the same. @@.gryphon;"I did you a favor. But if you really need to be put in your place once and for all, you only need to find me again."@@ He gives you a knowing wink. Your heart throbs. @@.gryphon;"Well, off you go now. You've got somewhere to be, and I've already done my part. I should return to my perch now."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"Consider this your reward for being such pleasant prey. I hope you'll think of me when you make it to the top."@@ You don't fully register the vote of confidence that the gryphon has given you until he's already gone. And so, it's with some strange and mixed feelings that you continue your journey upward. [[Next Floor|300]] <<else>>\ <h3>Forever Food</h3> A tremor momentarily rouses you from your half-awareness. The walls shift, getting another feel for you. Before you can wonder what's happening, they compress, hard. Sudden movement follows. You slip out of that fleshy grip, pushed back into the gryphon's throat, its so easy to forget how tight it is, already it surprises you. You're moving down again, you must be. The gryphon's throat tugs at you with a greedy intent that could only be possible if you're being pulled deeper into the beast's body. You thought you were already in the gryphon's belly, but if not… A squeeze knocks the thought out of you, as well as your breath. The muscles of the gryphon's esophagus don't have the patience to play with you as the gryphon himself did, nor does it have his elegant worldview and respect for your willingness. The gryphon's body simply wants to consume. This changes nothing about your status as prey, of course. It remains your role to give in to the desires of your predator's body, which for you means to be consumed. It's not hard to internalize this truth under the pressure coming around your sides. You're squeezed into a new chamber, one that has firm walls and smells of…many things. It quickly becomes apparent that you're only now getting to experience the gryphon's true stomach. He must have had quite a diverse meal before he got to you; all that remains of the previous course are the mixed smells of corroded fur, scales, feathers and probably much more that you cannot place. Despite having already been well fed, that firm pouch wastes no time getting to work on you. There's a little more room to stretch, but the ribbed walls waste no time reminding you of your place as food, clamping down to be sure that you do not get too adventurous. Trying to imagine navigating this space as part of a crowd, you can't help but feel lucky to have the stomach all to yourself. A pressure warps the stomach walls from the outside, dampened by the dense layer of fat on the gryphon's belly. You realize he's searching for some mark of your presence. You try to move about and provide some confirmation that you're still there, but you can hardly move. It's strange how weak you feel. It feels like you're slowly sinking, but there's nowhere left for you to go. The walls continue to roll and churn, delivering their message of consumption. You were already worn down by the previous chamber, but being encased here allows you to properly submit. Your thoughts get quieter as you start to lose touch with your physical form. Your limbs feel more distant, every squeeze pushing your senses a little further from your mind. It's the strange mental equivalent of being under a rolling pin. There's no snap, no switch that gets flipped to make you lose consciousness in anticipation of an easy digestion. It's a slow fade, a slow dissolution of your form and identity as one. The people you've met, the memories you've made, they simply fade from your mind, as your thoughts turn to your new purpose, as fuel for the gryphon who ate you. @@.gryphon;"And so it seems the lesson ends…"@@ You don't hear him speak, of course. Your senses are much too far gone for that, and his words aren't for you anyway. You're much to busy melting away to notice how he coos with delight at your fate. But the gryphon speaks anyway, paws playing with his gut as it begins to slosh its liquefying contents. @@.gryphon;"It's a beautiful thing…letting go of it all, and what fun it is for me to teach it to my prey. A shame most of them won't understand it as well as this one, but, hmm, I suppose it doesn't matter."@@ He gives his gut a good pat and returns to his gazing over the fields. Another traveler catches his eye, one with the same swagger that he saw on you during your approach. The gryphon's eyes light up. He wonders if anything will remain of you by the time they arrive. @@.gryphon;"They'll all end up in the same place, won't they?"@@ @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name learned to let go, and let go $Pro.sub did. There's no getting $Pro.ref back now… @@ <</if>>\

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>Spared</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ A jolt of movement rouses you from your half-awareness. The walls compress around you possessively and your world starts to tilt and accelerate, pressing you into the walls. You're moving, or rather your captor is, but you can't possibly determine how while you're stuck as you are. There's a muffled thump. Momentum prints you against softness in a direction you can only assume is down. Before you have the chance to lose focus again your surroundings start to collapse inward, squeezing well beyond the limits of what you can manage. Before you get crushed, something gives way, and that squeezing force instead pushes you upward. Still balled up, you stretch out the gryphon's throat to the point that you can feel the muscles straining, but it only takes a matter of seconds to pop you up into the beast's maw, just to be dropped onto the hardwood floor of a room you don't recognize. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Ugh, not nearly so fun sending them the other way…"@@ You glance up and see the gryphon soothing his neck with a paw. @@.gryphon;"Well, I got something out of this. Struggling prey like you have some value, at least. So here, I helped you up. Call it your reward if you like, but it's more than you deserve."@@ He gestures to the new space. <<else>> @@.gryphon;"Ugh, not nearly so fun sending them the other way…"@@ You glance up and see the gryphon soothing his neck with a paw. @@.gryphon;"Well, I got what I wanted. Struggling prey really are the best kind. You made that quite fun for me. So here, I helped you up. Call it your reward."@@ He gestures to the new space. <</if>> It's a slow process getting back up to your $Feet. The knowledge of how to stand doesn't come back to you as easily as you might expect. When you're on your feet, you hesitate to move. You wonder if he's just toying with you, but the gryphon just smirks. @@.gryphon;"You really thought that was going to be it, did you? Good, that means I'm still good at this. You should know that I wasn't keeping you here—"@@ he pats at his stomach with one paw, @@.gryphon;"but if I was, you wouldn't be much more than a bundle of bones by now…if that. I'm afraid I've yet to see anything leave my stomach in one piece."@@ You have to wonder just how many have been dissolved by that lethal gut… <<if $ModifierC is 1>> The gryphon nods and brings his paw up to a place between his throat and his chest. @@.gryphon;"No, you were kept here, in my crop, if you even know what that is. It's not nearly so pleasant for me as the real thing, I was quite tempted to just send you all the way down so I could put you to better use. You would have struggled so much nicer if you had some 'friends' to digest with…"@@ <<else>> The gryphon nods and brings his paw up to a place between his throat and his chest. @@.gryphon;"No, you were kept here, in my crop, if you even know what that is. It's not nearly so pleasant for me as the real thing, I was quite tempted to just send you all the way down so I could feel you struggling where it really counted."@@ <</if>> You only half-listen to his morbid thoughts. You're still quite shaken up. Being alive after having been consumed like that seems…wrong. The growling from the gryphon's stomach certainly seems to agree. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Oh well,"@@ he shrugs, unaware of your internal struggle. @@.gryphon;"Can't say I didn't have my fun. You know where to find me if you want to put yourself to better use, don't you?"@@ He finishes off with a cold look. His stomach growls. You get the feeling that he's really not happy about letting you go. @@.gryphon;"Still speechless? Well, off you go. You've got somewhere to be, and I've already done my part. I should return to my perch now."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"And, when you get caught again, be sure to give a proper struggle, alright? Make yourself at least a little useful for the beast that eats you."@@ <<else>> @@.gryphon;"Oh well,"@@ he shrugs, unaware of your internal struggle. @@.gryphon;"Can't say I didn't have my fun. If you ever want to supply me with a proper meal sometime, you know where to find me, don't you?"@@ He finishes off with a little wink. @@.gryphon;"Well, off you go now. You've got somewhere to be, and I've already done my part. I should return to my perch now."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"And, when you get caught again, be sure to give the lucky beast a good struggle will you? It might be futile, but that will to live of yours is what keeps things interesting."@@ <</if>> The gryphon reaches out and spins you around, giving you a push towards one of the far doors. Something clicks in your mind and you remember how to move your legs. You don't stick around much longer than that. [[Next Floor|300]] <<else>>\ <h3>Submission</h3> A tremor momentarily sets your body alert and thinking again. The walls shift, taking another feel of you. Before you can wonder what's happening, they bear down on you, crushing you until you're suddenly set in motion. You slip free of that fleshy grip, but you certainly don't feel free when you get shoved into the hold of the gryphon's throat. It takes you with even more ravenous desire than it had on your first trip through. There's a viciously greedy intent, a hunger desperate to be sated, that you feel when the walls clutch you for another big pull, dragging you into the wet heat marking the depths of the gryphon's body. You're moving deeper. That oppressive tightness you were held in before, that was simply the waiting room. The muscles of his esophagus don't have the patience to toy with you as they gryphon himself did, nor does it have his poise and dignity to maintain. There is no elegance here. The gryphon's body wants to consume you, nothing more, and every pull and constriction reminds you that you'll only be treated as food here. You're spat into a new chamber, one that has firm walls and smells of…many things. It dawns upon you that you're only now getting to see the gryphon's true stomach, or rather, feel it, as you fumble around in the dark. He must have had quite a diverse meal before he got to you; all that remains of the previous course are the mixed smells of corroded fur, scales, feathers and probably much more that you cannot place. Despite having already been well fed, that firm pouch wastes no time getting to work putting you in your place, ribbed walls collapsing on either side. You're blessed with a tiny bit of room to move, but struggling too much just gets muscular flesh crushing down on you, like it were some kind of response to any signs of life. You imagine it would be impossible to hold still if swallowed down with a crowd. You find yourself feeling morbidly lucky that there's no-one left down here. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> At least, that's how you feel until your $Hand brushes up against something hard and coated in slime. You can't see it, and you can't move enough to properly feel what it is, but you know. You <i>know</i> and you don't want to think the word because doing so would make your fears real. But you think it anyway. It's bone that your $Hand touches. Stripped bare. The gryphon did say he'd recently eaten, after all… <</if>> Something pushes the stomach walls into you beyond the standard grinding motions. It's dampened by the dense layer of fat on the gryphon's belly, but he's searching for some mark of your presence. You want to struggle, to upset his stomach, or just make it known that you want to be let out, but you strangely can't seem to find the strength to move. That sinking sensation lingers, but there's nowhere for you to go. The, rolling, churning walls are the only motion, gripping at you, pushing you, seeking to fully claim you. You feel like with each pull there's…less of you. You raise an arm to fight it off, but you can't quite find where your arm is supposed to be. The words you think become less coherent as you start to lose touch with reality and rational thought. Your limbs feel more distant, the gryphon's stomach squeezing into you and spreading those sensations apart, pulling at your mind like taffy. You don't know how much of it is real. You don't know how much of you is real. There's no snap, no switch being flipped to harmlessly lose consciousness and allow the gryphon's digestion to clean up the rest. It's a slow fade, a slow dissolving of your form and identity as one. The people you've met, the life you've lived…you clutch the memories as best you can, but one by one, they, everything, slips away from you. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Finally gone? About time…"@@ <<else>> @@.gryphon;"That's a good meal…"@@ <</if>> You don't hear him speak, of course. Your senses have bees wrung from your capabilities, and his words aren't for you, anyway. You're much to busy melting away to know how he coos with malicious delight at your fate. But the gryphon speaks to himself while his paws go about playing with his gut, waiting while its hungry grumbles turn to satisfied sloshing. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"What a shame. It could have been so much fun if they had a little more spine."@@ His paw stops to give that belly a good pat. @@.gryphon;"But, well, what am I complaining for? I did get a free meal out of it after all."@@ <<else>> @@.gryphon;"It's a beautiful thing to let go. What a shame that prey always struggle to take that last step."@@ His paw stops to give that belly a good pat. @@.gryphon;"But, well, what am I complaining for? Struggling prey are the best kind after all."@@ <</if>> He adjusts his legs, rubs his belly in little circles, and resumes his gazing over the fields. Another traveler catches his eye, one with the same swagger that you had on your approach. The beast's eyes light up. It's doubtful that anything will remain of you by the time they arrive, and wouldn't you know, your struggle has gotten his appetite up again. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Let's see if this one is a little more open minded…"@@ <<else>> @@.gryphon;"Let's see if this one struggles too, shall we?"@@ <</if>> @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name learned a lesson in predation the hard way. Don't worry, you'll be graded on a curve. @@ <</if>>\

<h3>Lots of Yellow Tape</h3> The next stage of your climb is cut short when a staircase comes to an abrupt end. Not into a room, or a hall, or a balcony, but into a disc of raw stone brickwork. The sun shines overhead and a breeze rushes through. Various pieces of disjointed architecture are scattered about like block toys, as well as an occasional sheet of paper being tossed about in the wind. It sure doesn't feel like a roof, but there's nothing above. You could have sworn The Tower was taller than this… But there's something else, something directly ahead of you. And ahead, \ @@.link-stay;<span id="link1">\ <<link "you see…">> <<replace "#link1" >>\ you see… <</replace>>\ <<replace "#look1" t8n>> @@.nartext;Me.@@ I look over from my work, which happens to be one exceptionally large tome of a book that I hold in one hand, and in the other, a sleek black fountain pen. You can see the title of the book, "Tower of Monsters". @@.nartext;So, you made it. Good job. This is as far as you can go for now, but I wanted to say, earnestly, thank you for playing!@@ <hr>\ <span id="look2">You can think of a few things you want to say, while you're here…</span> <hr> <<if $RouteB is 2>> <<link "Wasn't there a dragon chasing me?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> @@.nartext;Well, yeah, there was. But if he came up here it would distract me from my work, so there's a "No Giant Dragons" rule. He's waiting patiently just down the stairs for you to come back. Which you won't. 'Cause I didn't write it in.@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>><</if>> <<link "Wait, is this the top?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> @@.nartext;No, no! Thank goodness no. I have so much more I want to do. You're not even close to the top yet. It's just that the top hasn't been built, either. All I have to do is write it in.@@ You see me scribble something in the book I carry. Beside you, a brick materializes in the air before dropping to clack against the floor in its proper place. @@.nartext;There you go, that's one more step you can take towards the top.@@ You get the distinct feeling that this is going to take a while. <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "So how did I do?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> I sigh. @@.nartext;Alright, fine. Here we go, have your progress report. <<if $timesEaten is not 0>>Well, you got eaten $timesEaten times. <<else>>Well, first of all you managed to avoid getting eaten completely. Good job on that, unless that wasn't what you wanted, in which case wow, <i>good job</i> on that. <</if>><<if $RouteA is not 0>>You managed to lure the dragon out of his room. <</if>><<if $dragonChurned is true>>And you tricked him into getting packed away by his rival. Nice work, that's about what he deserved. <<elseif $RouteA >= 2>>And you delivered him right to a waiting meal. Don't worry, he's not even close to full yet. <</if>><<if $raptorlove is true>><<if $RouteB is 0 and $preydigested is 0>>You managed to get yourself a date, aw that's cute.<<elseif $RouteB is 1 and $preydigested is 0>>You managed to get yourself a date <i>and</i> made it to third base before it even started, very impressive.<<else>>You managed to get yourself a date…until you digested him, that is. Hey at least he looks good on you!<</if>><<elseif $RouteB is 1>>You developed a taste for being a pred and swallowed Ravi. Very nice, how'd you like it? Fun, right? <<if $preyDigested is 1>>Not only that, but you felt the need to add him to yourself permanently. He looks good on you, by the way. <</if>><</if>><<if $timesEaten is 0 and $RouteA is 0 and $RouteB is 0 and $raptorlove is false>>Honestly, you didn't do anything of particular significance except a whole lot of climbing. I mean, hey good on you for not getting eaten and all but isn't that why you're playing? Well, you can get a sticker for it anyway. <</if>> <<if $nosave is true>>And you did all that without an undo button…wait did you think you'd get something special for making it here in perma mode? Oh god I forgot to add a reward for that. Well, um, *licks you* ok there's your prize, happy? <</if>>And there you go, all of your notable accomplishments in one place. There will be plenty more to do in the next update, I promise.@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "Nice game, how can I support you?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> That question lights my face right up into a wicked smile. @@.nartext;Wow, thank you so much for saying that of your own free will! Well for starters, if you like the work I do, consider ordering a commission from me sometime! You can find my TOS right <<link "here (Opens Google Docs)" >><<script>>window.open('https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fl6myfodzn0R-KuS1Yi9HnGeF1PGdJsmaE-d76cE7Tw/edit?tab=t.0')<</script>><</link>> Or if you just want to support me making this game and letting everyone in the whole world play it completely for free (something I intend to maintain for all future updates) feel free to send me a donation right <<link "here! (Opens Ko-Fi)" >><<script>>window.open('https://ko-fi.com/secretjworld')<</script>><</link>> But times are tough, as they tend to be, so if nothing else, please show your support by simply sharing my work with people who might enjoy it, and maybe give me a follow on my <<link "social media (Opens BlueSky)" >><<script>>window.open('https://bsky.app/profile/secretjworld.bsky.social')<</script>><</link>> while you're at it, I'd sure appreciate it.@@ You have no idea what any of that means. <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "So how long until there's actually more to do?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> @@.nartext;Maybe a month, maybe five. I'm taking this at my own pace and I have other projects to tend to too, you know.@@ In your direction I push a small tin can. The lid is still half-attached and a couple pennies rattle around inside. @@.nartext;But if you want to get more content from the game, donations will help me afford all sorts of improvements. Art, sound, et cetera. Might even get me more motivated to write. Money has a way of doing that, you know? <<link "Wink wink nudge nudge… (Opens Ko-fi)" >><<script>>window.open('https://ko-fi.com/secretjworld')<</script>><</link>>@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "What's going to be in the next update?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> I shrug. @@.nartext;Who knows? I could go anywhere with this project. That's the great thing about being in charge, you know? I'm going to take a little time to relax and think about just that. I just need something relaxing to do.@@ I look up and twirl the pen in my grip. @@.nartext;Maybe I'll take up gardening.@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "So can you eat me?">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> @@.nartext;That's a whole other scene to write and it wouldn't even be that good. I'm a metaphysical entity, you don't even know what I look like because I didn't include a description of myself, (but now that you're obviously wondering, you should know I'm exceptionally attractive). No, if you want someone to eat you, go back down and play with the characters I actually put time and effort into instead of this nonsense.@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "Alright, I want to start over.">> <<replace "#look2" t8n>> I point up and left. Not your left, not my left either. Just left. @@.nartext;Restart button, left side of the screen. Can't miss it. Come back soon, alright? Or don't. I'm sure there are plenty of places more fun to be than here. Sloshing, gurgling places, you know the drill.@@ <</replace>>\ <</link>> <</replace>>\ <</link>> </span>@@\ <span id="look1"></span>

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>-And Lived To Tell The Tale…</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ But your stay can't last forever. Sudden movement jostles you out from your haze. A small wave of cum splashes over your face, reminding you to breathe. It's still so hard to think, but it seems that you're moving, or rather the beast that consumed you is. A firm feeling below you falls away, letting you sag and sway with the rocking of the beast's balls. You think this means he stood up…probably. Try as you might, it's impossible to hear what's going on over the sound of sloshing. Everything, yourself included, seems to be in motion. Rolling, pulsing, wet. A big jolt causes you to tumble forward, bouncing into soft flesh. No matter how you get tossed about, your time here never manages to be quite uncomfortable. Even still, you steadily lose all orientation as you're jostled about. You get properly dizzy by the time the gryphon's movement finally settles down. A firmness returns to the lower walls, but as you lay there, you feel something in the air, a tension rising up all around you. Moments later it takes shape. Flesh looses its softness, starting to contract, closing in around you until it feels like you're being pinned under some great weight. With one big clench, the walls squeeze together, forcing you back up into that world of unimaginable tightness. All the same you slide like a bar of soap through wet hands. You have barely a second to process what's happening before you're shot out into the cool air. There's a brief moment of weightlessness, and finally you land with a wet splat on what feels like a fluffy mattress, warm and soft and probably getting ruined by your soaked $Hide. You wipe the white from your eyes, but have to cover them again when another shot of cum blasts across you. Lustful moans can be heard accompanying the splatter. @@.gryphon;"Mmmm, Goodness…haven't done that in a long time. You seemed to settle down nice, I was almost getting worried you'd settled down <i>too</i> much, if you catch my meaning…"@@ You dare to look again, and find yourself laying atop the gryphon's rounded belly, no bed at all, as much as it feels like one. You also seem to be back inside The Tower, in a room you don't recognize. A bed of dense white fur surrounds you, soaked through with cum, and the big guy himself seems to be on his back enjoying the afterglow. His eyes remain fixed on his prize: you. A grin more devious than all the rest crawls across his face. @@.gryphon;"Well now, did you enjoy the ride?"@@ He asks. Against all odds, he doesn't seem even slightly out of breath. You look back to that package you got so familiar with. Lines of cum still ooze from that cock. The memory of being locked inside is still fresh. Your mind races with desire. @@.gryphon;"Miss it already? My, you really do like me. But I'm afraid once is my limit for today. You don't want to become the refill now, do you?"@@ While you stammer a response, a paw plucks you from the best's belly and sets you down on the carpeted floor. Cum clings to every part of you, and gets into anything you touch. With your head still spinning, you wobble around until it feels normal to stand again. @@.gryphon;"Actually, don't answer that, for your own sake. If that's what you want, then maybe you should meet me again sometime. I'll be sure to give my <i>favorite ball slut</i> all the attention you deserve."@@ Hearing that bit of vulgarity from him sets a shiver running down your spine. His eyes don't miss it, they light right up. @@.gryphon;"Off you go now. You've got somewhere to be, and I've already helped you higher."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"Consider it…a thank-you for the good company and pleasing entertainment. I hope you'll think of me when you make it to the top.@@ He grins. @@.gryphon;"Yes, don't forget me, it might just break my heart if you do."@@ Your head is spinning too much to fully register the compliment. It's with some very mixed feelings that you politely nod, turn, and find the nearest door to push your way onward. [[Next Floor|300]] <<else>>\ <h3>-And I Belonged to It…</h3> The thoughts that go through your mind for that eternity within the gryphon's depths are primal, yet vivid beyond description. Cocks and balls and bellies and beasts of all shapes and sizes cross through your thoughts in a parade of sex, keeping you company while trapped in the dark, soaked in a smell so thick it becomes imbued into your existence. The colors that you imagine in your fantasies lie somewhere outside of reality. You don't notice the walls closing in, or the rising tide. The gryphon's body simply seeks to return to its natural state, which makes you something of an issue for its purposes. When your soft surroundings start to squeeze in tight, you begin to change, becoming a bit more like that overwhelming fluid lust which your thoughts have turned to. You're sinking, slowly. Cum swirls its current against your $Hide. You taste it. Potent, warm, getting inside of you. You're moving into some strange place between solid and liquid. Perhaps it's magical, perhaps it's a body doing the only think it knows how to do, making more and more fresh, thick cum with whatever material it has available. In this case, that material happens to be you, who willingly gave yourself to this fate. This is what you asked for, after all. This is where you belong… Pleasure for the gryphon, after he so easily drew you in, that's all you're meant to be. Something to be enjoyed, briefly, by something so much bigger and stronger than you, with all the assets to prove it. It's what you wanted, it's all you wanted. It's all you can think about and all you'll ever want to. Time passes. You're submerged. You've lost the need to breathe but your thoughts are still fiery hot. You can feel the beat of the sensitive walls. Each one shakes your whole body. You feel a yearning for sensation, to be felt, to be loved. Each throb teases you with some relief, but you need to be patient. You are different. No longer what you were. This world you dove into, that is you now. You are a part of it. Hot, wet, sensual beyond what your thoughts can process. You want this. Desire breaks down what little remains of your mind, until desperate need is all that remains, an endless longing that becomes its own sort of cruel pleasure. This is what you become. Outside, the gryphon hums along, waiting for his body to do its thing. His fluffy cauldrons gargle and grumble with their meal, with you, what's left of you. There's no seeing the mark you make, and it can be felt only by the gryphon who already knows his body so well. A tiny bit of added weight, a tiny bit of added lust, just enough to know that you're stuck there forever. @@.gryphon;"Being me sure has its rewards, doesn't it?"@@ He asks, cupping those prize orbs in his talons. A slick bead of precum forms at the head of his cock, an agreement in its on right. He slides a digit along the underside, letting slick line drool down. @@.gryphon;"I suppose it's only right to take care of this…"@@ he suggests, @@.gryphon;"someone needs to give the prey a taste of <<=$Pro.possP>> new life."@@ He leans his weight, dropping his body to the side. Those assets of his get exposed to the the sunlight, but the gryphon hardly minds showing himself to the world, not when there's prey like you that'll just walk up and dive in headfirst. He starts to work on his cock, going in idle strokes, completely carefree. Why should he rush when you've got nowhere else to be? You feel it of course. Every second of it. Your shattered mind grows increasingly delirious as sensory pleasure reminds you of your own recreated existence. The gryphon doesn't make it easy on you. He makes it a slow, controlled climb. No matter how you may have made the beast moan, his patience is beyond your ability to break. You want it, and he pleases you, you need it, and he pauses, until a stream of precum begs for his stroking to come back. Dousing his paw with the glossy fluid, he works on himself with slightly more deliberate motions. Pressure builds. In you, around you, you're not sure what constitutes "you" anymore, but every part is shouting the same need for release. This time around the gryphon allows it. A white jet launches from his cock, splashing into the tile, pooling around the edges, cascading over the balcony edge. He moans from somewhere deep within his throat, but for all the explosiveness of his orgasm, his composure remains unbroken. You, with your mind utterly shattered, cannot say the same. Your thoughts and identity are swept away on that tide of cum. You won't have to worry about anything else except when you'll be tended to next. The gryphon sighs once his balls have been thoroughly drained. @@.gryphon;"So needy…I hope you aren't planning on being this demanding all the time."@@ The sensation of those curved talons is there, kneading at you, all across you. That's all you are, a little more mass to pad out the gryphon's fat balls. @@.gryphon;"So heavy…maybe it's for the best. I can promise you we'll be doing this often."@@ You hardly understand the words, but you understand the meaning. The gryphon's cock twitches. You throb. @@.gryphon;"Now now, learn to have patience. You'll have plenty more attention soon. Don't you remember what I told you? It's a beautiful day, lets just enjoy it together."@@ The sunlight is warm on the gryphon's balls. It's a beautiful day indeed, and you have a beautiful existence ahead of you. @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name found the quickest way to a gryphon's heart, through his balls. @@ <</if>>\

<<if $nosave is false>>\ <h3>White At The End Of The Tunnel</h3> <<set $timesEaten += 1>>\ But your stay doesn't last forever, not this time. Sudden movement yanks you out of your stupor to experience a momentary vertigo. A small wave of cum splashes over your face, reminding you to breathe. Thinking has become difficult, but it seems that you're moving, or rather the beast that consumed you is. It's getting a little hard to tell the difference… All firmness below you falls away, dunking you into the pool of cum. It takes your full effort just to keep your head out of the liquid. You feel like if you were to get submerged, you might never come back up. Try as you might, it's impossible to hear what's going on over the sound of sloshing. Everything, yourself included, seems to be in motion. Rolling, pulsing, wet. A big jolt launches you and your steaming bath into the soft flesh ahead, swirling you around until you lose all sense of direction. When things finally settle down again, it comes with a new firmness to the lower walls, a sign that the gryphon has settled down again. But it never quite goes still. There's a rocking motion, back and forth, keeping your liquid surroundings active and sloshing. There's a tension rising up all around, an anticipation, waiting. The minor comfort of the soft flesh starts to fade, refusing to yield to your weight, or your squirms, closing in around you until it feels like you're being crushed under some leviathan weight. One big clench pulls the walls together, forcing you back up into that world of unimaginable tightness, slipping through wet flesh that threatens to crush you if you linger a moment too long. You have barely a second to process what's happening before you're shot out into the chilling air. There's a brief moment of weightlessness, then you land, your $Hide coming into contact with something warm and soft. You've had enough warm and soft for one day, you think. You shiver, then wipe the white from your eyes, only to cover up again when another shot of cum drenches you. Lustful moans can be heard accompanying the splatter. @@.gryphon;"Mmmm, Goodness…you put up such a fight on the way down that you had me feeling pent up like you would not believe. I nearly lost you on the flight."@@ You dare to look again, and find yourself laying atop the gryphon's rounded belly. You also seem to be back inside The Tower, in a room you don't recognize. A mat of dense white fur surrounds you, soaked through with cum, and the self-serving predator himself seems to be on his back taking in the afterglow. His eyes remain fixed on his catch: you. He seems quite pleased to see your cum-coated form. @@.gryphon;"Is something the matter? You seem to be bothered by something."@@ He asks with his head tilted, grinning. Against all odds, he doesn't seem even slightly out of breath. You, however, stay quite still. You feel like if you give him the chance he might just grab you and put you back. As if you could do anything to stop him anyway… <<if $ModifierC is 1>> He clicks his beak, @@.gryphon;"ah, yes. I suppose you weren't expecting a trip like that were you? Well, you must understand that I had to make <i>some</i> use out of you somehow, and besides, your surprise really did add to the experience, for me at least. You squirm quite nicely when you're surprised."@@ <<else>> He clicks his beak, @@.gryphon;"ah, yes. I suppose I did have to give you a little push, didn't I? Well, since you weren't ready to take the leap, I simply took some initiative of my own. Squirming prey really is the nicest kind, especially down there, mmhm."@@ <</if>> While you stammer a response, a paw plucks you from the best's belly and sets you down on the carpeted floor. Cum clings to every part of you, and gets into anything you touch. With your head still spinning, you wobble around until it feels normal to stand again. @@.gryphon;"You poor thing, you look so disoriented when you're not squirming down my cock. Maybe you should find me again and I'll be sure to give you your place padding out the fat on my balls."@@ Hearing that bit of vulgarity from him sets a shiver running down your spine. His eyes don't miss it, they light right up. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"Off you go now. You've got somewhere to be, and I've <i>very generously</i> helped you higher."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"Consider it…payment for the entertainment, even if you weren't much for conversation."@@ <<else>> @@.gryphon;"Off you go now. You've got somewhere to be, and I've generously helped you higher."@@ He gestures to the far window through which he must have entered. @@.gryphon;"Consider it…a thank-you for the entertainment. Say hello to the next beast you encounter for me, will you?"@@ <</if>> It's with many mixed feelings that you politely nod and turn from what you thought was going to be a permanent fate, and find the nearest door to make your way onward. [[Next Floor|300]] <<else>>\ <h3>Fade to White</h3> Eternity begins to turn, thoughts spiraling out of your grasp. There's nothing to see in the dark, so your fading mind creates something for you. visions of being devoured as you just were. Maybe to entertain deep set feelings, maybe to admonish you for having been consumed in such a humiliating way. All the same your mind turns and turns trying to understand this fate you've been set upon. Your world starts to get smaller, but by bit, as the walls compact around you, and as the tide starts to rise, fed by your body slowly losing touch with itself. You have no strength with which to resist and even less willpower with which to consider it. It's hard to think of anything that isn't contributing to the gryphon's lustful desires. You're losing yourself… …And you're sinking. It's getting harder to support yourself in this place. The heat seems to ebb into your body, permeating your flesh down to your bones until they feel hot under your skin. The swirling liquid lapping at your $Hide seems to be getting stronger, an undertow pulling at your body as though there were a whole ocean down here. That imaginary ocean feels bottomless, an endless inescapable warmth, calling to you. There won't be anything left of you, you realize. It's a final, fleeting thought, and though it should have been obvious from the start, it's only now that it sinks in, and somehow the realization surprises you. His body will claim you completely, turn you into liquid pleasure to be spent once and then forgotten. That will be how you end, that will be what you leave behind. Time passes. Your head passes under the liquid. The few thoughts you're able to form become less and less coherent. Words turn to images, images turn to concepts, concepts turn to primal needs and when those fail there's nothing, leaving only you in that strange limbo, swirling with the current and jostled by the occasional pulse from those balls. And soon, there's no "you" at all. The gryphon's body begins to settle down again, its work to erase every last trace of its prisoner finally wrapping up. The gryphon hums along without much care for your ultimate fate within his balls, no concern for the degrading end to your existence. He fondles those fluffy cauldrons, letting them gargle and grumble with their assimilated meal. You're much too insignificant to make a mark on the gryphon's enormity even as you add to it. No, his balls look much the same as they did when you first arrived, though his cock throbs while it carries the sensory memory of you, though even it starts to forget while the gryphon waits, retreating an inch or so back into its fuzzy sheath. @@.gryphon;"I suppose that settles that then…"@@ He muses, cupping those prize orbs in his talons. He slides his paw along the underside of his cock, not wanting it to get soft before he can finish his gloating. <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"No more struggling from you…that's a shame. It was quite fun while it lasted, quite the little fight, but I would have liked a little conversation first. Perhaps a little time to introduce you to what you'd be getting into? Wouldn't that have been better?"@@ <<else>>\ @@.gryphon;"No more struggling…what a shame. You went down so nicely, but for all the fight you had in you just didn't last very long I'm afraid. If you had stayed around for longer you might have even made me cum, what a feat that would have been for someone your size…"@@ <</if>> He leans his weight, dropping his body to the side. Those assets of his get exposed to the the sunlight, but the gryphon hardly minds showing himself off. He's rather proud of himself and his peculiar appetites after all, and with adventurers like you who make themselves so easily caught, what use is there to hide? <<if $ModifierC is 1>> @@.gryphon;"But I suppose I can't fault you for it. Perhaps I'm just getting impatient maybe a little more time and you would have been all over me…"@@ He chuckles and rubs his paw over his cock, @@.gryphon;"though that might still happen, in a sense…"@@ <<else>>\ @@.gryphon;"But I suppose you did your best. It's hardly your fault that my body claimed you so easily."@@ <</if>> Time passes while he slowly fondles himself. He waits for his cock to settle down, though never quite getting back into its sheath, not so long as the gryphon continues to handle it. Not every part of him shares his carefree demeanor, though. His balls grumble and churn, getting to be quite rowdy and pent up. Every now and then a bead of precum will spill from his cock, which the gryphon picks with a claw to taste for the faintest hint of your flavor. @@.gryphon;"Hmm…not bad,"@@ he murmurs, @@.gryphon;"there was some usefulness to you after all. But it could use a little more…"@@ There's a sound from the neck of the balcony, the footsteps of another cautious adventurer. subtle, but easily recognizable to the gryphon. @@.gryphon;"Well, would you look at that…"@@ he says, turning his head to stare down the newcomer with his predatory glare. He rolls his hips to keep his assets neatly tucked away between his legs. That size and hunger of his will be something to be discovered, should this one find themself getting too close, as you did. That new face hesitates on the threshold, recognizing the gryphon for the dangerous being it is, as you did. @@.gryphon;"Don't you know how to greet a stranger?"@@ He shifts his thigh against his balls, eliciting a little unsatisfied grumble from deep within. It seems you'll have company soon. @@.nartext; <u>GAME OVER</u> $Name let $Pro.possP curiosity get the best of $Pro.obj. At least $Pro.sub wasn't the first… @@ <</if>>\

<h3>SECRET ELEVATOR ZONE</h3> You take the elevator. It is remarkably clean and well maintained in here, clearly it is meant only for very special people. There is even a little bowl of elevator-button shaped cookies on a shelf attached to the wall. Also it's an elevator, which means you can use it to go up and down. Revolutionary. <span id="dinger"> Floor 1 Lobby <— You Are Here <<link "Floor 2">><<replace "#dinger">><</replace>><<timed 500ms>><<append "#dinger">> .<</append>><<next>><<append "#dinger">>.<</append>><<next>><<append "#dinger">>.<</append>><<next>><<append "#dinger">><b>DING</b> [[Leave|200]]<</append>><</timed>><</link>> </span>

<h3>Setup: Name</h3> You have chosen the path of dedication. Whatever you find ahead, wherever your path takes you, there will be no turning back. By submitting yourself to the fate ahead, you will have a name to be remembered by. What is your name? "Enter" to submit @@.textbox;<<textbox "$Name" "" [[0-0]]>>@@

<h3>Stop Letting All The Warm Air Out!</h3> You decide to do the polite thing and set the grandiose entrance doors shut. At the very least it will put an end to that bone-chilling draft, but it's the sight of another flickering flame that makes you hurry your pace. Venturing back out into the beam of morning light, you grip at one of the fine wood doors with both $Hands and begin to walk it back into position. The hinges turn without a sound, and you internally thank whoever made them. When it reaches its stop, the wood door taps its stone frame, then sets in place. You glance to the dragon frequently as you move along, every little disturbance making you worry, and every time, the beast continues to lay dormant upon its landing, but you don't release your breath just yet. There's just the other door now. You regret humoring yourself with a dramatic entrance, pushing both at once, but you silence your thoughts, and everything else about your being, as your $Hands come around the second sheet of wood. You take one slow step, and the door glides along with you… only this time it doesn't stop. It continues to move and brings you a step forward with it. You pull to regain control but your grip fails and in a gut wrenching instant the wood slips from your $Hands, carried by its own momentum on loose hinges. You watch the next few moments in slow motion, and when the door shuts the sound it makes might as well be a thunderclap. The sound beats itself into your eardrums, and the silence that follows as as pure as you've ever heard. All is silent, until you hear the slithering of scales, and a single word that digs its way down to your core. @@.dragon;"You."@@ That single word catches you like the ocean's undertow, shoving your attention to the back of the room, where the dragon is now very much awake and staring you down with eyes of lime and gold. There is no patience in that single word, no demand for explanation, only command. You don't feel optimistic about how it plans to deal with your intrusion. The dragon rises to its paws, and without waiting a second longer you break for cover. You duck behind one of the pillars, breaking the line of sight between yourself and the dragon. It's no comfort when you can still hear the beast's footsteps come thudding down the stairs. Each one lands to the sound of stone crunching, claws breaking up the floor like loose soil. It knows where you are, and it's coming for you. You need to move. You <i>must</i> move. While you look for your options, the smell of sulfur fills the air. You spot the red scales of its tail whipping between the pillars, its pointed end looking knife-like in motion. You start to quietly back away from your cover, keeping the column of stone between you and it, hoping desperately that it won't notice you changing position. You take one slow step at a time, but as soon as another pillar is within reach, you take a dive to hide yourself once more, fighting to steady your breath. @@.dragon;"What a sorry display. This is no place for fools, you insult it with your presence. Come and face what you have caused."@@ There's an ear splitting sound of claws scraping stone nearby. You hear brickwork crack and come apart. You dare a peek around the side and see those crimson scales standing by your previous hiding spot. You glance to the end of the room, the way up, which feels like a marathon from where you wait. Escape feels impossible, but you have to try something. And yet, the front door remains close by. As loathe as you are to do it, you could simply leave. It's the safest option, by which it is the only option that doesn't seem like certain death. When a situation is as bad as this one, sometimes the best option is to simply book it. Alternatively, the stark veil of shadows is only a few short steps away from where you hide. The sight of the perfect void beyond it makes your $Hide crawl, but if you're determined to climb this place, it may be a risk to take. [[Wait For An Opening, Leave The Way You Came|101-A2N]] [[Escape Into The Shadows|101-A2P]]

<h3>Cowardice</h3> You decide to leave. And to do that you must wait those tense moments for an opening. You press yourself to the pillar's side and make yourself small, listening to the dragon's footsteps, feeling the vibrations they send into you, resonating with your own anxious quivering. Your route of escape beckons from the corner of your vision, your only escape from this nightmare. The escape which you closed off. Definitely not your finest idea but now is not the time to get self conscious when your life is on the line. You focus on your breathing while you wait. It's the only thing you <i>can</i> do that isn't panicking. You hear the dragon's footsteps come closer…coming from your right. You move left, and your breath catches in your throat when you see that crimson red tail swipe the air in front of you. But that's all that happens. That deadly red ribbon flicks away as the dragon walks in the other direction. This is your chance. You nearly trip over yourself trying to run to the door while also trying not to make a sound. You fumble to wedge your $Hands between the doors without a handle, but find no purchase. You pull on splinters, but the wood refuses to budge. Your heart sinks as you realize what should have been obvious from the start. These doors weren't meant to be opened from the inside. @@.dragon;"Not only are you a fool, but a coward, too, I see."@@ There's a thud directly behind you. You don't know when he got so close, or how you managed to tune out the sound of him in your desperation to leave. However, there is nowhere to run when the round digits of a scaly paw pinch around your sides. Even as you're plucked from the ground you grip at the door for some hope of freedom, but that chance is long gone. @@.dragon;"Don't waste the effort. Your fate is here now, interloper."@@ The dragon turns you in its grip, making you face the fate in question whether you want to or not. You get a proper look at the beast in its grand enormity, seeing how it holds you high enough above the ground that you reflexively pull your legs in. It occupies entirely too much of your vision with royal red, but its the yellow and green of the beast's eyes that have you transfixed. The power to command is in those eyes, and you don't have the will to refuse their call. Not even close. @@.dragon;"Answer me this, before I devour you. What sort of foolishness brought you to this place?"@@ The dragon's paw squeezes at your sides, pushing a squeak from your lungs. You'd better give it an answer while you still can. <<link [[You've Come To Climb The Tower!|101-3N]]>><</link>> <<link [[You’ve Come To Admire The Dragon!|101-3P]]>><<set $ModifierA = 1>><</link>>

<h3>Sparks and Shadows</h3> If you think, you will surely convince yourself against this. So you don't think. You act in spite of your fear, and without time for hesitation. You run directly for the edge of the shadows, and dive in. Something compels you to hold your breath as you cross that boundary between light and dark, though no part of this place has allowed you to breathe easy. As the last of you slips through, you spot red out the corner of your vision. The jagged head of the dragon rears itself in your direction. Knowing that it's searching for you inspires a special kind of despair in your chest. You prepare for the worst, but its eyes blink with no acknowledgment of your presence. Somehow, you're safe. You begin to silently creep up towards the back of the room, closing the distance one long step at a time. You can't make out a single thing ahead, but so long as you keep your movements slow and controlled, you should be safe. And you would be, if you didn't have a dragon stalking you. Instead, your world lights up in bright orange. Shadows scatter in every direction, fleeing from the river of flame that pours from the dragon's maw. It seems that that perfect darkness is not immune to dragon fire, and in an instant, you are exposed. You stand there dumbfounded, locking eyes with the dragon as the flow of radiant fire turns to charcoal black soot. You see frustration in those eyes, perhaps over your brief success at evading it, but the danger you feel is still tangible and makes your heart stammer. @@.dragon;"Found you."@@ All at once the shadows are back upon you, crashing together in a silent tsunami. Once that darkness envelops your form, you run. The silhouettes of columns flash across one side of your vision, being the only clues you have as to where you're going. Between them you can make out the curving stairs leading higher into The Tower. You try to hold your head back, but there's only so much you can do if you run directly into solid stone. You can only hope that you're staying between the rows. You can hope, and try to memorize the positions of the pillars when another blast of flame comes to reveal your position. Heat rises up your back and the shadows scatter once more. <<if $Tail is "long">>By instinct you pull your tail high off the ground, just in case the flames are close enough to singe you.<</if>> Sparks of bright orange scatter through the air all around you. <<if $Hide is "fur" or "feathers">> You desperately hope that none land on your $Hide, but you don't slow down to check. You'll just have to take the lack of burning as a good sign.<</if>> For a second time the shadows clap together, and your vision is stripped to its most minimal. The sound of your own sprint guides you, and the thunderous impact of scales on stone reminds you of what will happen if you stumble. [[Use The Pillars|101-A3N]] [[Use The Darkness|101-A3P]]

<h3>Thank Goodness Those Weren't Load Bearing</h3> <<set $RouteA to 1>>\ You're not going to get anywhere with the dragon hot on your <<if $Tail is "none">>(metaphorical) tail,<<else>>literal tail,<</if>> this much you are certain of. When the third rush of light sweeps the room, you wait until just before the shadows return to take a sharp turn, pulling your trajectory away from the stairwell in the distance, and deliberately letting the dragon see when you do. The darkness closes in and you're once again forced to brave it. You hear the pounding footsteps behind you slow. Changing direction forces the dragon to navigate as just as blindly as you do, making its size a sudden disadvantage. You almost stumble when you hear a thump and a <i>crack</i> resound from behind, which is soon followed up by another flash of light. This time you look back, spotting the dragon still making its approach, but more interesting is the column of stone it bumped, now split clean across. The look that that beast gives you is pure malice. Its voice isn't any better. @@.dragon;"You little <i>pest.</i>"@@ You make another turn, leading the dragon once again through the blind dark, and again its hulking form scrapes into The Tower's supports. You can hear its growls of frustration vibrating through the floor. You turn again, making your final sprint for the exit. Another flash of light gives away your direction, but you don't let that make you hesitate. Every ounce of energy in your body is going towards your unlikely survival, and all you have is adrenaline to keep you moving. You emerge from the shadows just before that sprawling staircase and begin your ascent. You're gasping for air at this point, and the smell of smoke that has filled the room isn't helping. You might not have air, but you do have motivation. Indeed, that motivation comes barreling out of the darkness after you, shattering one of the pillars in its wake to scatter bits of stone all across the floor. But your meandering has given you some distance, and bought you some time. You reach the top of the steps and race through the archway marking the way onward. You should probably feel some amount of pride at this accomplishment. Only, you still have a dragon chasing you. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>I Ain't Afraid Of The Dark</h3> With the darkness hiding your movements, and with the pattern of pillars as ingrained into your memory as those few seconds would allow, you take a sharp turn away from the stairs you so desperately need to reach. Your steps are feather-quiet compared to the dragon's. You can hear it continuing on blindly in the same direction while you slink away. A smile crosses your face as you hear the dragon getting more distant. It almost seems too easy. Through the dark, you feel your $Hand brush against one of the pillars, and take your opportunity to hide once again, standing where you hope the dragon won't see you when that next flash comes. You anchor yourself to that stone, letting yourself breathe what shallow breaths you can take as the air seems to be much colder out here. You peer around the edge for those little glimmers of light in the distance. If you were to lose sight of that, you'd be completely lost in this dark. There's another burst of flame and orange light. You hurriedly step back behind cover, but take note of where the dragon has gone, trying to map out your positions as best you can. Your calculating is interrupted by a stone-shaking growl. You can tell the dragon is frustrated at having lost you, but, something is different in that tone. You hear the beast's pace speed up in a scrambling search for where you've hidden. Flash after flash of flame pours from the dragon's jaws as it scrounges, filling the room with smoke until you feel like you're choking on the air, but it becomes apparent to you that the search is hopeless. Now you can think. It's your chance to make an escape. You focus on where the dragon is, where it's moving. You'll need to move fast and efficiently, and cover your nose too, but if you're quick, all you need to do is- There's another growl. Louder, much louder. It's such a primal sound that it grinds against your bones when it reverberates around and through you. Whatever that unnatural sound is, it definitely doesn't belong to the dragon. It's a sound that comes from every side of you, but always sounds distant. From somewhere you can't sense. Somewhere out in the dark. It takes you a full minute before you realize the growl has passed. It leaves behind a perfect stillness. Your ears aren't even ringing, and your heartbeat seems to have settled to a slow rhythm. But most concerning is the fact that you can't hear the dragon, either. You look back out towards the light. It's still there, despite your worries. You start to wonder if this is a trick. Perhaps the dragon is waiting for you to reveal yourself so it can pounce. Or perhaps it's not. An icy feeling crawls up your spine while you stare at your route of escape. You suddenly feel a lot less safe standing around in this lost space. You make a run for the light, moving before you have time to think any further. No beasts jump out at you. The only sound to be heard is your $Feet on the stone floor, but when you emerge into the glow of firelight, it feels like coming up for air from the depths of the ocean, and just like coming out of water, you still feel…damp, in a strange sense you can't quite wrap your head around. You stumble up to the colossal staircase, now relieved of its guardian. You still eye the shadows for some sign of your pursuer, but it never appears. You're free to go. More or less. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>Should Have Brought Snacks</h3> <<set $RouteB to 1>>\ You dwell on your thoughts some more, imagining just what, and who, could sate this growing hunger of yours. Of course, you see your answer climbing up the ladder for the last time, completely unaware of just how you're starting to see him. You can see him sliding down your throat quite nicely, now that you're deigning to consider the impossible. It won't work, it <i>can't</i> work…but if you were to try, now would be the time to do it. All this thinking has your stomach shriveled up into an empty lump pinching your gut, there's no question anymore that you have to fill it. And, if that just happens to be with something big and squirming…it has you biting your tongue in anticipation. Somehow, it seems right. Something has caught fire in your mind, and you have no intention of stopping it even if you could. Time to eat. The question, of course, is how to make it happen. Ravi is almost here and he'll surely be itching to get a move on. You'd better make your decision and act now. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Be Polite, Just Ask!|102-B2P]]<<else>>[[Be Polite, Just Ask! (Willing, Endo or Fatal)|102-B2P]]<</if>> <<if $cw is 0>>[[Are You Stupid? Grab Him!|102-B2N]]<<else>>[[Are You Stupid? Grab Him! (Unwilling, Fatal Only)|102-B2N]]<</if>>

<h3>Popping The Question</h3> It takes every ounce of self control you have to wait those last few seconds for Ravi to pull himself through the window. Something is changing in you. Your mouth feels like it's flooding with your own saliva. The mere thought of eating anything is enough to make your stomach groan. But, you wait, eying the raptor as he drops the last of the bags and gives a relieved sigh. @@.adventurer;"About time!"@@ He announces, and immediately begins to reach for the straps to his bags. You step forward before he can, holding out a $Hand to stop him. He pauses to give you a look. @@.adventurer;"What's the hold up? You need a break?"@@ You tell him, without finesse or tact, that you want to swallow him whole. You tell him this directly, with no hesitation despite the absurdity of your request. It should be no surprise then that you see Ravi's eyes widen in shock and horror. You see him take a small step away from you, but you also see that his face has flushed a vibrant red. @@.adventurer;"Is this another one of your weird comments? You don't seriously mean it, do you?"@@ You don't say a word, and you don't need to. The raptor looks away and you know he saw just how much you meant your words. You can see the thoughts running behind those eyes made vulnerable to you. You can see him considering it, genuinely, even if hesitant to do so. @@.adventurer;"This isn't going to end well for me, is it?"@@ <span id="choices">\ <<link "It Will Be Fine">>\ <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -A Fine Fate He gives you another look, doubtful of your sincerity, but that blush is only getting stronger. You can see the walls coming down once more. @@.adventurer;"Then I guess this is my only chance to see what it's like without having to deal with the usual consequences. You got me. Can't say I'm not curious now."@@ He sets down the bag he's holding and shoves off the few pieces of equipment still strapped to his body.<<if $Modifier1 is 1>> You watch him hook his claws under the straps around his thighs. Shoving them down makes those haunches seem to round out even more, as if compressed under the heavy leather.<</if>> Seeing Ravi fully bare like this has a certain sultriness to it, but you're not in any state of mind to think if him in that particular way. He steps out from a bundle of leather straps pooled around his legs, holding out a clawed hand. He's got the slightest grin on his face as he looks at you again. @@.adventurer;"Head first, if you don't mind. Let's find out what this is like."@@ You're not going keep him waiting, are you? [[Eat Him|102-B3P]] <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "It Will Be Fatal">>\ <<set $ModifierE to 1>> <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -A Fatal Fate @@.adventurer;"Then I guess that makes me an idiot for wanting to do it anyway, huh…"@@ He sighs and rubs a hand over his face like you've seen him do before. But without looking at you, he drops the bag he's holding and sloughs off the few straps and tools still tied to his body.<<if $Modifier1 is 1>> He even hooks his claws under the straps around his thighs to work them off. Shoving them down makes those haunches seem to round out even more, as if compressed under the heavy leather.<</if>> Seeing Ravi fully bare like this has a certain sultriness to it, but you're not in any state of mind to think if him in that particular way. When he looks at you again, he's got the slightest grin on his face, and the slightest hint of embarrassment to flavor it. @@.adventurer;"Well, if this is how it's gonna be, you better do a good job and make it count. Don't let me regret this."@@ He steps out from a bundle of leather straps pooled around his legs, holding out a clawed hand. @@.adventurer;"Head first, if you don't mind. Let's find out if you got the stomach for this."@@ You don't doubt for a second that you do. [[Eat Him|102-B3P]] <</replace>>\ <</link>> </span>

<h3>Not So Much As A Thank You</h3> <<set $disrespect to true>>\ You feel your heartbeat accelerate as you start to consider your plan, not that there really <i>is</i> much of a plan. Grab him, eat him, stop being hungry. It's as simple as a plan could be, and it's about as much as you're able to conceptualize as hunger gnaws away at the rest. You sidle up to the wall beside the window, making yourself as thin as you feel with your empty belly. Waiting for him to climb up the ladder that last time is a torment of a new kind. You feel changes happening in your body as you strain your patience for those few seconds. They're the sort of changes that make your mouth flood with your own saliva, making you swallow, repeatedly, just to keep yourself from drooling. You hear the ladder rungs creak, and see the first hint of Ravi's feathers peek through the window, and you jump. Nothing in you could make you wait a second longer, you spring before the window, reaching out to grab the raptor by the shoulders, and before the shock can even appear on his face, you open your maw and dive. You're hit with the taste of him, feathers, hide and all, with his snout teasing at your throat just from the initial push. There's no time to savor it, though, as he immediately starts to panic and struggle, limbs flailing. But with him stuck outside with only a ladder for support he's hardly grounded, and can't do a thing to stop your jaws from sliding down his neck. You can see his paw patting down his sides for some kind of weapon to use against you. How convenient it is that you convinced him to take everything off, tools and all. He is still bound up nicely in his leathers, which you eagerly grab and pull. You tug his head down until his snout is teasing at your throat, tickling at rippling flesh and loosing the floodgates to a hunger that swells through your mind. Saliva drips from the corners of your mouth like a faucet had broken somewhere inside of you. It streams along Ravi's feathers in little rivulets, gliding off of the oiled quills as far as gravity will take them until dropping from his sides. It just keeps coming, and it'll be more than enough to lubricate his swift trip to your stomach. And so with a jolt those shoulders get pulled in too, pinning the raptor's arms to his sides. Your jaws strain to take in the bulk of him, but the idea of stopping doesn't so much as cross your mind. No, you have the raptor's head shaking back and forth in your throat, hopelessly struggling in a way that only makes you want to swallow him more. You won't stop until it's done. This hunger is killing you from the inside. To your ears your stomach is roaring, you need to sate it. You reach forward with both $Hands, through the window, down Ravi's sides, sliding past his waist and getting a good grip on his haunches. It doesn't matter how you manage the strength it takes, but you lean back and pull your prey along with you, lifting him over the window sill and into the perfect position for you to drop his weight down on your awaiting maw. Ravi's legs kick in a flurry, searching for anything that will buy him some time. But there's nothing to stop the mass of his torso from sinking and stretching apart your jaws. His head presses down into your chest, where even your skeleton seems primed for him. Your ribcage expands your chest forward, making room for Ravi's passage. Before long your stomach too gets its first taste of fresh prey, rewarding you with intoxicating relief. You pay no mind to the muffled complaints being voiced within you, you've only got ears for the sound of a hungry belly's sloshing. <span id="act1"><<link "You Need More.">> <<replace "#act1">>\ <hr> As soon as that relief comes, it seems to be taken away again, leaving you with a pit in your belly yearning to be filled with prey. All you have to do is swallow, and your throat tugs the raptor another few delectable inches further along, but not enough. You're approaching those haunches of his, the widest part of his body, and the only part that your body starts to struggle with. But when has that ever deterred someone with a hunger like yours? <span id="act2"><<link "Feed It.">> <<replace "#act2">>\ <hr> You grab the raptor by his feathered rump and pull. It's not easy, and it's not quick, but your desperate body begins to yield under the pressure. Your jaw eases that extra bit wider, just a few more degrees is all it takes for Ravi's hips to lose their support. That next push sends hips, thighs, and the base of his tail all at once through your jaws, filling your maw beyond reason. Pooled saliva overflows and spills, but you pass that widest point. Your jaws claim victory over your prey as they begin to close again. Everything is easier from here, all it needs is a little extra help. <span id="act3"><<link "Swallow, Hard.">> <<replace "#act3">>\ <hr> With your throat gripped around the raptor's torso, that next swallow ripples with force that makes you shudder and grip the rim of the window for support. The body bulging your neck takes a dive for your belly, dipping int your chest and soon after sinking under its own weight. Feathers slide against sensitive flesh, and squirms are stopped by muscle tightening by instinct. Each little sensation is divine, and you get to feel them in full. You close your jaws around Ravi's legs, letting your teeth rest against him, giving him a reason to stop his kicking. You give one last swallow, and those powerful legs and feathered tail soon disappear down your gullet. His weight slinks into your core, and your belly distends without any sign of resistance. You feel his head squeezed up against your stomach walls, and when the rest follows him down, he proceeds his futile attempt at struggling. Claws that should be able to hurt you do nothing more than glance off of your malleable insides, another little impossibility that makes you perfectly suited to gorging yourself on oversize prey. Every few seconds you can feel your stomach constrict forcing him to submit under a few dozen pounds of pressure. It's hard to imagine that your body is even capable of such dominating force, but you experience it, and Ravi lives it. This is your body, and this is what you must do to feed it. You feel his tail sliding down your shrinking esophagus, depositing the last of him inside. That last sphincter closes tight behind him, never to let him out. There's such a satisfaction that comes with it that you drop your weight back just to sit and admire your catch. With the size of it, though, you're not sure you'll be able to stand back up again. [[Proceed|102-B3N]] <</replace>><</link>></span>\ <</replace>><</link>></span>\ <</replace>><</link>></span>\

<h3>It's Harder Than It Sounds</h3> You take his hand in yours, and step in close, <<if $BPlan is "bi" or $BPlan is "taur">>bringing your face right up against the tip of his snout.<<elseif $BPlan is "quad" or $BPlan is "hex">>steadying your hind legs and raising your body into the air to bring your face right up against the tip of his snout.<</if>> This is what you need, and it feels like every function in your body is being reorganized to prepare you for what you're about to attempt. There's the saliva pooling in your mouth, of course; you have to repeatedly swallow just to keep yourself from drooling. You also feel…more relaxed, and not in the usual sense. The muscles in your face and neck don't seem quite so tense in this moment, loose and at the ready should they need to stretch. They most certainly will. Ravi gives you a little nod, and you don't need any more confirmation than that. You lean in and yawn your maw as wide as you've ever held it, slotting the raptor's snout inside perfectly. With that first taste of hide and feathers, your lingering inhibitions fade. There's nothing to hold back for anymore. Your $Hands move to the back of Ravi's head, sinking into the dense mat of feathers. You give a little tug, but the raptor picks up on the rest, closing his eyes and pushing his head forward. The wedge shape of his skull makes it easy to start working him down. Easy, despite your jaws being stretched well beyond their usual capacity. The logic of it is wholly unimportant, as your mouth is soon filled with him and his taste, soft leathery hide and oily feathers brushing your tongue. Your stomach growls again, louder, intentions clear. You need him inside you. All the way. You step forward and hold Ravi a little tighter. You can feel his snout poking at your throat, teasing at a gag reflex that never emerges; your body is much too hungry for such delays. You lean forward and allow your head to descend on your prey, squeezing the corners of his head through the threshold and into the grip of your throat, where your muscle wraps around him so tightly that you can feel every detail with exceptional clarity. Your throat contracts in a swallow, and you feel his feathers, all soaked through, inching their way down. You start to work down his neck in a series of noisy gulps. As you approach the shoulder, you feel the raptor's clawed hands grip around one of your arms. For a brief moment, the touch snaps you out of your primal hunger, and you pause to wonder if he has changed his mind. Your question is answered when Ravi stretches out his legs and shoves the rest of his neck down into yours. He wants this, but you feel him squeezing at your arms all the same as he goes. For once, he has all the rational nerves that you don't. You're thankful that as a raptor, Ravi doesn't have particularly pronounced shoulders, because you can feel your mouth reaching it's limit as you start to stretch it down your prey's middle. You can't quite feel your jaw beyond its hesitancy to stretch further, making you all the more eager to gulp Ravi down and let it relax. His arms squeeze against his sides, and he's forced to let go of you. You can feel him like a curling column down your throat, weighty enough to be made of stone. You question the memory of him being smaller than you, because when your throat is stretched twice its normal girth, that memory doesn't feel so accurate. By the time you get to his waist, you're hunched forward, drool leaking from the corners of your mouth, and growing the beginnings of a bulge in your belly. Your stomach delights in having a visitor, but it's spoiled on the sensation, already demanding more. Of course, it's in the face of the raptor's thighs that you start to question if this is possible. Your body already feels pushed to its limits. Your throat is engorged with prey and your jaws are getting sore. The idea of stretching them even further seems downright dangerous. But that hasn't stopped you getting here, and it won't stop you now. <span id="act1"><<link "Swallow">> <<replace "#act1">>\ <hr> You swallow, but the muscle in your throat has no hope of moving such oversize prey. You just feel it squeeze around him, tighter than any hug, sensing out the details of his body, making every little squirm known to you, especially the ones brought out by that sensual constriction. The feeling of it is decadent, but it doesn't manage to pull him any deeper. <span id="act2"><<link "Swallow, Again">> <<replace "#act2">>\ <hr> The second gulp is even more indulgent than the first. This one tugs Ravi forward just the slightest bit, enough to squeeze the drool from the sides of your maw. The squirms he makes are clearer this time. Whatever your throat is doing to him, he's enjoying it. Still, the progress you make is minimal, and your stomach is yearning for food sometime today. Don't keep it waiting. <span id="act3"><<link "Force Him In">> <<replace "#act3">>\ <hr> You're not doing this because it's easy. You adjust your angle and push, but there's no making the next step fast. It's a slow easing of your jaw, bone shifting from its usual place under relentless pressure. The flesh holding you together strains, but not as much as you might expect. There's an odd sort of relaxation throughout your head while it wraps around those next few inches of raptor. You reach down and grip at Ravi's legs, pulling, hard, but your own throat's capacity resists you. You feel like you're trying to thread a needle with a bowling ball. And yet, it fits. That moment where those thighs pop inside is a relief like you've never felt before. You drop your back half to the ground without even thinking, to absorbed in your throat now engorged with magnificent mass. You close your eyes and moan. Your head tilts back and raises the last of your prey into the air, the weight of him tugging at your jaw until he's pointed directly upright. Those next few seconds are a blinding blur, but the last of the raptor sinks into you faster than you can possibly control. His feet zip past your jaws and the wide feathers of his tail tickle your throat on the short trip down. That bowling ball you just managed to squeeze through becomes a boulder when it drops into your stomach, or so it feels. Your belly spills out over your legs, $Hide getting stretched thin. The weight of the raptor is so glaringly present within you you can't possibly think of anything else. You don't even know if you can stand. [[Proceed|102-B4P]] <</replace>><</link>></span>\ <</replace>><</link>></span>\ <</replace>><</link>></span>\

<h3>Oh Right, You're Still There</h3> A voice snaps you out of your daze, though it takes you an embarrassingly long time to recognize where it's coming from. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"So, is that it then? Are you done?"@@ The question is asked in such a matter-of-fact way that you're at a loss for how to answer. You look down at the belly you've gained and have to take a moment of rationalization. The memory feels…blurry, like a dream you've just woken up from, only you have the stomach to prove it happened. Also, your jaw is definitely dislocated, and that's not just your shock making it hang slack. You can't say much of anything with that out of place, so you gently grip it with your $Hands and push it back to where you think it's supposed to go. There's a frighteningly loud <i>pop</i> that makes you wince, but when the bone slots in, there's not so much as an ache left behind. It's like your body was always meant to do this. It's beyond strange. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Hello? You're not seriously going to ignore me after all that, are you?"@@ You should say something… <span id="choices">\ <<link "Romantic">> <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -Something Sweet You lean forward and wrap your arms around the belly Ravi has given you, dropping your weight down on him so your embrace can reach as far as possible around that bulge. You feel a little squirm exciting your insides in response to your presence, complete with the feeling of Ravi's paw rubbing up against your cheek. With your face up against that belly, you murmur suggestions of intimacy. You couldn't possibly be happier to be as close to Ravi as you are right now. The feelings you feel when you think about him are dense, and often tangled up in thoughts of hunger, but the happiness is as clear as it is real. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"Well, wow…"@@ You feel him fidgeting as he struggles to find the words. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"When you put it like that…it sure is one way of getting closer. And, yeah. I'm happy about it, too."@@ You spend a long while like that, speaking private thoughts to each other. You even manage to make Ravi laugh again. Settling yourself down against the nearby wall, you brush your $Hands across your companion, or at least the bulge he makes in you. It must be very warm inside, considering how warm this time spent together makes you feel, but never once does your stomach occupant complain. This moment is simply perfect. <<if $ModifierE is 1>> Underneath the playful comments lingers your original promise. It sits unspoken between you for a while, as you instead opt to enjoy the peaceful moment. But eventually Ravi does bring it up…the finality of it. You lean in on your stomach to comfort him, and in doing so bring out the growls of a body that doesn't care much for what either of you think. It's a sound that makes him squirm, to which you lean in close and ask if he's still sure this is what he wants. You feel him nod even before he answers. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"I'm sure."@@ You can feel him getting more tired as time goes on though. Steadily his movements get a little less energetic, and his tone becomes a little more relaxed. There comes a point when he dozes off, though you're not sure when that is. An occasional squirm confirms he's safe and healthy for now. Your stomach is running out of patience. This is your last chance to back out. <<else>> Spending time together in this strange place, where there's that tingling uncertainty that you'll even make it through the day…it's something that makes this moment of intimacy that the two of you share even more meaningful. You can feel him getting more tired as time goes on though. Steadily his movements get a little less energetic, and his tone becomes a little more relaxed. There comes a point when he dozes off, though you're not sure when that is. An occasional squirm confirms he's still safe and healthy, but your stomach is running out of patience. Now would be a good time to let him out. <</if>> [[Let Him Out|102-B5PE]] <<if $cw is 0>>[[Keep Him|102-B5PD]]<<else>>[[Keep Him (Fatal)|102-B5PD]]<</if>> <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "Horny">> <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -Something Spicy You lean your weight down on that belly as you bring your head in close. Your $Hands press into its mass, feeling down at the raptor within, with his every detail printed against your insides. You feel an excitable squirm as he reacts to your touch. Finding where his head is, you bring your $Hand to an approximation of his cheek and whisper thoughts that had been brewing in your mind for a long while now. The words you speak drip from your tongue like honey, and are just as sickeningly sweet. You didn't know you had such words in you, but perhaps it's having that squirming belly sitting right over your crotch that convinces these ones to surface. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"W-woah."@@ Apparently it's enough to surprise even Ravi. He's speechless, but he doesn't need words to tell you what you want to know, especially when you feel him start to move, rhythmically, trying to be subtle but clearly underestimating just how sensitive your stomach walls can be. You return the motions, and he doesn't stop. Silently you both understand the situation you're in, and you're both in perfect agreement on the best way to enjoy it. Your belly occupant isn't nearly so silent after that, and you spend a long while, together, enjoying each other's company to the fullest and <i>most thorough</i> extent. <<if $ModifierE is 1>> There's an added intensity as you go along, spurred by the knowledge of what's coming. If this is going to be Ravi's last time enjoying his body, you can sure as hell feel him go all out putting it to work. You can feel your belly rock itself with his weight being forced about, each squirm sending predatory delight through your veins. You're growling almost as loud as your own belly by the time you reach your crescendo. Squeezing ferociously on your stomach, pinning it with your weight and using it to spur your pleasure along, you reach a climax so intense that you can barely hear the immodest squeal that Ravi makes from within you. Needless to say, you're both properly spent by the end of it, but Ravi apparently more so than you. You quickly feel his movements come to a near halt, the raptor relaxing to take in your warmth, and soon after dozing off to take full comfort in you. An occasional squirm confirms he's safe and healthy for now. Your stomach is running out of patience. This is your last chance to back out. <<else>> You try to take it slow at first, but every movement from within you sends sparks flying through your already dazed mind. Ravi certainly doesn't seem to mind. The more you move, the more he moves with you, rocking your belly and making yourself even more eager to enjoy him. You shout out a number of deeply profane comments, and get a number repeated back to you, muffled by the sounds of an active sloshing stomach. Every detail feeds your lustful thoughts, and you reach your climax with your full weight pressed on top of that belly. You're both properly spent by the end of it, but Ravi apparently more so than you. You quickly feel his movements come to a near halt, the raptor relaxing to take in your warmth, and soon after dozing off to take full comfort in you. An occasional squirm confirms he's safe and healthy for now. Your stomach is running out of patience. Now would be a good time to let him out. <</if>> [[Let Him Out|102-B5PE]] <<if $cw is 0>>[[Keep Him|102-B5PD]]<<else>>[[Keep Him (Fatal)|102-B5PD]]<</if>> <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\

<h3>Five Star Service</h3> <<if $ModifierE is 1>>\ You can't do it. Whatever your reasons are, this isn't something you want to commit to anymore. You don't want to see Ravi gone. So you'd better get a move on, because your stomach sure isn't waiting for anyone to tell it to start digesting. You only have one problem to face: You have to figure out how you're actually going to do that. <</else>>\ Your stomach sure isn't waiting for anyone to tell it to start digesting, so you'd better get him out while he's still in one piece. You only have one problem to face: You have to figure out how you're actually going to do that. <</if>> This is going to be really unpleasant. You consider your options, prodding at your gut while you think. With Ravi still soundly asleep, you try and give the bulge he makes a little push. It's a feeling that makes you huff, but you lean into it, trying to squeeze your prey…deeper. Maybe you can send him all the way through. If you're lucky it might even feel nice. You push and stretch your gut down below your legs and whine from the wonderful sensation of stretching $Hide but nothing gives. You simply don't have the kind of bodily control needed. That leaves you with your only other option: sending him the way he came, something which doesn't sound particularly nice at all. You're not even sure if you can handle pushing him back up, considering how tough it was to get him down in the first place. But it's also the best you can come up with, so you take two digits of your $Hand and push them as far back into your maw as possible, feeling over the bumps at the very back of your tongue. The only thing you trigger is a little swallow that tugs the tip of your $Hand straight into your throat. You have your mysteriously vanished gag reflex to thank for that. Your body is meant to take food in, not the other way around. You're quick to pop your $Hand free of your throat upon that notion. You wouldn't want it getting stuck there. There aren't any easy answers now, which means once again you need to force the issue. <<if $BPlan is "quad" or $BPlan is "hex">>You lift yourself to your hind legs, stomach wobbling once again in the open air, and you wobbling with it.<</if>> You grip at the hanging base of your belly, clasping both $Hands together, and pull, hard. Whatever magic makes it safe to swallow prey nearly your size makes it safe to shove them back up into your esophagus. You're not sure which part of him gets pushed up first, but you certainly get a firm reminder of his size when your throat starts to distend once more. Your stomach fights back, groaning a noisy complaint over your neglect of its nutritional needs. Hunger returns to your thoughts with a vengeance, and you have to drive back the persistent urge to swallow. You do your best to tune it out; just pull, hold, let the muscles relax, and pull some more. Only once does your will falter and you allow your throat to constrict again. You feel Ravi sink like a stone in water before your $Hands can scramble to catch him again. It takes a full minute before your throat relaxes enough to continue the ascent. Electric pleasure rewards your senses, your whole body trying to make you change your mind. But it doesn't win this time. The raptor tumbles from your jaws covered head to toe in enough liquid to mat his feathers to his body, but much to your relief he seems completely unharmed. Still, those are stomach juices soaking his feathers, so you shuffle through his bags for something to towel him off, and have him comfortably propped up against the wall by the time you're done. Next time, you're going to actually prepare for this. Seems your encounter really took the energy out of him. Nothing you do or say seems to rouse Ravi beyond an occasional murmur. <<if $ModifierE is 1>>He's sure going to be in for a surprise when he wakes up. You sure hope he'll forgive you for changing your mind.<</if>> You consider staying with him to be sure he's able to recover safely… But you have somewhere to be, don't you? The longer you sit around with your unconscious companion, the more you want to swallow him again, and you get the distinct feeling that you're not going to have the willpower to let him out a second time. It's with a growling, angry stomach that you begin your ascent. If you're lucky, maybe you'll find something else to eat along the way. Preferably something big…and moving. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>A Permanent Guest</h3> <<set $preyDigested to 1>>\ <<if $ModifierE is 0>>\ Unless, of course, you don't <i>want</i> to let him out. Then you could simply choose not to. You could keep him inside you for as long as you like; first as a weight on your belly, and soon after as a part of your belly. You already have him vulnerable. He won't even know it happened… That newfound hunger has been burning through your thoughts the whole time you had your fun with Ravi, tearing down inhibitions in its search for satisfaction. Breaking the raptor's trust doesn't seem like such a bad thing when it means a good and filling meal for you. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>And really, just think about how he'd add to your hips. It's enough to make you blush.<</if>> <<else>>\ You're ready to fulfill what you promised, and so is your stomach, though you get the distinct feeling that it was ready to do this no matter your personal opinions, that's just how stomachs work. You sit a while, feeling at your stomach while that hunger within you comes to a boil. You need to pack your prey away, permanently. You need to feel him as a part of you, heavy on your gut and wherever else you might benefit from some extra mass. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>You could do with a little more sway in your hips, now that you think about it…<</if>> <</if>> You hear your stomach growl and tighten around Ravi once again. Tighter, as if confirming your intentions. You feel another unconscious twitch come from within, but he's weak, worn out. Even if he woke up he wouldn't be able to fight your body off. You could stay here all day and wait for the slow tightening of your belly as your prey is absorbed into your gut…but you also have places to be. From the same place that that that unfathomable hunger emerged, you're reminded that you must climb. And surely— your mind reminds you —there will be more prey to devour along the way. <<if $BPlan is "bi">>All you have to do is stand, and that means reaching your $Hands down below your gut for some amount of balance as you get your footing. You lean your full weight back to heft that orb of stretched $Hide up into the air, standing up on shaky legs. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, because every step you take sends all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing from your stomach, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<<elseif $BPlan is "quad" or "hex">>All you have to do is stand, and that means reaching your $Hands down, stretching to find the floor below that gut. Standing up is pretty straightforward, but your legs get a little shaky as you start to walk. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, because every step you take rocks your belly from one side to the other, sending all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing around you, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<<else>>All you have to do is stand, and that's pretty straightforward when all you have to do is stretch the legs of your lower body. You're less ready for the drop that comes with it. Specifically, the drop that the raptor takes when he passes from one stomach to the other, still feeling like a boulder rolling down those short internal tubes and coming to sag between four shaking legs. You curl your $Hands and take a sharp breath as the sudden movement through your insides leaves a fiery hot trail in their wake. It feels entirely too good. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, either, because every step you take rocks your belly from one side to the other, sending all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing around you, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<</if>> You look across the scattered bags of equipment around you. Ravi certainly won't be needing any of it, but with the amount of weight he's already adding to you, carrying anything more will surely make the climb next to impossible. All you have is yourself, and prey soon to be a part of you, as you lumber up the stairs and onward. <<if $ModifierE is 0>>And with your belly so delightfully full, you don't regret a thing.<</if>> [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>Kinda Rude, Actually</h3> @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"I can't believe I trusted you!"@@ The sounds of betrayal in Ravi's muffled voice catches your attention. It almost makes you feel bad for him. Almost. Having him in your stomach feels real <i>good</i> though. You make this clear to your prey by pushing your $Hands down into that gut, spreading it out sideways and forcing Ravi to squirm into a new shape. @@.adventurer; font-size: 0.7em;"You're gonna get what's coming to you for this, you better believe it."@@ He threatens, but his voice is audibly straining from the new awkward position. You feel around your gut, digging into the $Hide for some indication of where his head is, and push in. He'd be more fun if he didn't complain so much, but your stomach doesn't seem to care, so neither will you. But he's still yammering on, and you have a lot of time to enjoy him, so you lean your weight forward onto your belly and mumble something completely incomprehensible. Ah, right. Your jaw is dislocated. That's easy enough to fix. You grip the corners of your jaw and push it back where you're pretty sure it's supposed to be. You've never done such a thing before, but the bone pops back in place with such ease you can tell it's just another prey-swallowing gift you've been given. There isn't even so much as an ache left over, meaning you can get out whatever thoughts you might be having. You might just want to say something… <span id="choices">\ <<link "Longing">> <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -Getting Attached You needed this. There was a void in your belly that needed filling, and you had to take whatever, or whoever, was available to fill it. How fortunate that you happened to snag such a cute raptor. You bring your head in close and give a polite thanks to Ravi for being such a good meal, and politely ignore the ungrateful kicks making your stomach wobble between your $Hands. It doesn't matter much, because any bulge he makes in your elastic gut soon returns to its natural, rounded shape, as it's meant to be. As you're meant to be. With him. Delight fills your veins, and you remind Ravi that like this, he can keep going on adventures, only as padding on your gut. For some reason this just causes him to squirm even more, but the movement of his feathers on your insides has you making all sorts of indulgent noises. You could get very used to this indeed. You need this. You need him. Soon he'll become a part of you and you'll know that every second of every day from this moment forward that you're together. Your breathing picks up and you squeeze your belly once again, urging it to begin its work. Over time, the raptor's struggling steadily gets weaker. All his struggling tires himself out, and stimulates your stomach into squeezing him into submission. You feel every little twitch confirming that he's still alive, but there comes a point when the struggles, halfhearted as they are, stop completely. You jostle your stomach, but Ravi is thoroughly passed out inside of you. It won't be much longer now. <span id="nochoice"> <<link "Let Him Out">> <<replace "#nochoice">>\ <hr> -Against Your Better Judgment Not a chance. He feels too good in there. You chose to devour him like this, and now you'll see it through. Your body demands it. Just listen to how your stomach is growling for him. No, it will be much, <i>much</i> better to keep him forever. <</replace>><</link>></span> [[Keep Him|102-B4ND]] <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "Lustful">> <<replace "#choices">>\ <hr> -Getting Down Feeling him in there, feeling him squirm. It's overwhelming, and yet you crave for every second of it. You roll forward onto your belly, letting your full weight sink in. Inside, Ravi kicks with frustration, not that he has a chance of escaping now. You sure aren't complaining; his powerful legs stretch your stomach as far as they can reach, and the sensation has you moaning with delight. When he can't hold his legs out any longer, feeling the muscles snap back into place is almost orgasmic. You push your hips forward against that belly of yours, grinding your own $Hide up against where you're most sensitive. You speak something to your belly occupant, sultry words dripping off your tongue like hot glue. You don't leave out a single detail about what you want to do to him, or how you feel about having him stew inside of you. Then again, your rolling hips seem to be doing plenty of the talking on their own. You let a $Hand drift down to help yourself along. Whatever Ravi has to say, you don't pay it much attention. He's much better for filling for your cushy gut than for giving commentary, anyway. You just enjoy yourself with your head swimming in a beautiful union of hunger and lust, both getting satisfied in a way that makes you moan without restraint. Every time you speak what should be unspeakable, you hear the raptor's struggles redouble in effort, only making you want him even more. You spend a long time getting to know your own bloated belly, feeling every inch of it with as much appreciation as you're bodily able to give. With your prey squirming and writhing like he is, he must be getting well accustomed to every square inch of <i>you</i> too. You're well and properly spent by the time Ravi's struggles die down, heavy, satisfied breaths puffing from your maw. You can still feel every twitch coming from within, signing that the raptor is still alive and well, but the growling of your belly suggests that that won't last much longer. <span id="nochoice"> <<link "Let Him Out">> <<replace "#nochoice">>\ <hr> -Against Your Better Judgment Not a chance. He feels too good in there. You chose to devour him like this, and now you'll see it through. Your body demands it. Just listen to how your stomach is growling for him. No, it will be much, <i>much</i> better to keep him forever. <</replace>><</link>></span> [[Keep Him|102-B4ND]] <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\

<h3>All Yours</h3> <<set $preyDigested to 1>>\ That hunger inside of you isn't going to go away on its own. You need to pack your prey away, permanently. You need to feel him as a part of you, heavy on your gut and wherever else you might benefit from some extra mass. <<if $ModifierA is 1>>You could do with a little more sway in your hips, now that you think about it…<</if>> You hear your stomach growl and tighten around Ravi once again. Tighter, as if confirming your intentions. You feel another unconscious twitch come from within, but he's weak, worn out. Even if he woke up he wouldn't be able to fight your body off. No, your body has done plenty to squeeze the life out of him already. All you have to do is wait for the job to be finished. You could stay here all day and wait for the slow tightening of your belly as your prey is absorbed into your gut…but you also have places to be. From the same place that that that unfathomable hunger emerged, you're reminded that you must climb. And surely— your mind reminds you —there will be more prey to devour along the way. <<if $BPlan is "bi">>All you have to do is stand, and that means reaching your $Hands down below your gut for some amount of balance as you get your footing. You lean your full weight back to heft that orb of stretched $Hide up into the air, standing up on shaky legs. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, because every step you take sends all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing from your stomach, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<<elseif $BPlan is "quad" or "hex">>All you have to do is stand, and that means reaching your $Hands down, stretching to find the floor below that gut. Standing up is pretty straightforward, but your legs get a little shaky as you start to walk. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, because every step you take rocks your belly from one side to the other, sending all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing around you, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<<else>>All you have to do is stand, and that's pretty straightforward when all you have to do is stretch the legs of your lower body. You're less ready for the drop that comes with it. Specifically, the drop that the raptor takes when he passes from one stomach to the other, still feeling like a boulder rolling down those short internal tubes and coming to sag between four shaking legs. You curl your $Hands and take a sharp breath as the sudden movement through your insides leaves a fiery hot trail in their wake. It feels entirely too good. Apparently you're still not completely over the feeling of prey sloshing about in there, either, because every step you take rocks your belly from one side to the other, sending all manner of gastric noise cacophonizing around you, inviting you to imagine what is happening inside.<</if>> You look across the scattered bags of equipment around you. Ravi certainly won't be needing any of it, but with the amount of weight he's already adding to you, carrying anything more will surely make the climb next to impossible. All you have is yourself, and prey soon to be a part of you, as you lumber up the stairs and onward. [[Next Floor|200]]

<h3>Ow! My Eyes!</h3> You scamper out into the light of day, raising a $Hand to block out the blinding sun. Even still your vision goes nearly white. Everything is so bright compared to The Tower interior, and the sky and tile floor makes for a mess of blue and white pressing in from the corners of your vision. You're on one of The Tower's balconies, and you can only barely make out where the edge is. Something is directly ahead of you, but to your eyes it's just a vague mass of grey. You think you see it move, which gives you pause. You want to let your eyes adjust, but an ear splitting <i>crash</i> from just behind ends all hopes of that. You hear the dragon's voice once again, over the splintering wood, with a fury intense enough to singe your ears. @@.dragon;"No more running you wretched <i>nuisance</i>."@@ The dragon is here, and you need to move. Make a decision. Now. <<if $cw is 0>>[[Run Straight Ahead!|201-A2D]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Run Straight Ahead! (Spectator OV)|201-A2D]]<<else>>[[Run Straight Ahead! (Spectator OV, Dragon Pred, Gryphon Prey)|201-A2D]]<</if>> <<if $cw is 0>>[[Run To The Side!|201-A2G]]<<elseif $cw is 1>>[[Run To The Side! (Spectator CV)|201-A2G]]<<else>>[[Run To The Side! (Spectator CV, Gryphon Pred, Dragon Prey, Smaller Pred)|201-A2G]]<</if>>

<h3>Good Day To You, Too</h3> You make a run for it, aiming dead ahead for whatever it is you see in your slowly clearing vision. Whatever it is, it can't possibly be any worse than the dragon you hear carving up the tiles close behind. You push your body to its limits, breath heaving, heart pounding, and your legs threatening to give out beneath you at any moment. You blink, and the shape in front of you starts to become clearer. You see its outline rustling in the gentle wind, turning to feathers up high, and fur down below. You see a pair of wings on a back turned to you, and when it turns its head, you see a curved, predatory beak. @@.gryphon;"Hm?"@@ Your body recognizes the beast before you do, and your legs veer on their own, scrambling to change course. You feel yourself leaning until you could topple over, but instead you skip sharply to the side, running straight into the banister marking the edge of the balcony. You grip the stone for dear life, legs shaking. Behind comes the sound of scales skidding on polished tile, and an ear-piercing shriek shortly after. You gaze back just in time to see red scales and white feathers clash. Apparently unable to match your turn, the dragon barrels into the beast perched at the balcony's edge, and before you can even gasp, the two are sent flying over, taking a good chunk of the stone banister with them. The next thing you know, you're alone. You glance back the way you came, and spot another door leading back into The Tower, presumably a new way up. Down below, you can hear the two beasts crying out as they struggle in midair. Soon after the sound of beating wings tells you that they just might be on their way back. In other words, now would be an excellent time to leave. [[Leave|201-A3E]] [[Stay|201-A3D]]

<h3>Saved By Chance</h3> You're not going to take unnecessary risks when you've already survived this long. You don't know what that is out there and you're not about to run into it. You turn a heel and make a run for the side, still blinking the sun out of your eyes and trying to make sense of anything around you. The dragon's destructive footsteps are closing in on you, and the most you can do is push a body which is already exhausted from the hectic climb getting here. It shouldn't be any surprise, then, that you stumble. A $Foot slips on the smooth tile and you collapse forward, belly slamming against the floor. Before you can even think about picking yourself up again, you feel something smooth compress your back. @@.dragon;"That will be enough."@@ The dragon's voice seems to come from just behind your ears, powerful enough to make your brain rattle in your skull. It's tone is almost vulgar with pride. You hear its breath as it draws its head closer. You feel its claws scraping the tile while weight pushes down on your back. You ready yourself for the worst, a fate you can't see even as it approaches. You hear something moving, off to the side. Another four footsteps, lighter than the dragon's. You only take note of them in your brace for death because of how fast they are closing in. Whatever it is collides with the dragon with enough force that you feel its smoky hot breath on your neck just before it reels from the spot where it caught you. The pressure on your back is gone, and in an instant you scramble back up to your $Feet, putting as much distance as you can between yourself and the sounds of bestial combat behind you. You dare a glance behind only once you reach the balcony edge and cant run any further. With your eyes now adjusted to the light, you can watch with perfect clarity as red scales turn and writhe while a blur of pale blue feathers and golden fur dances over them. Your attention isn't on the fight though, your attention is on a new door, and presumably a new way up. More importantly, it could be your ticket to escape from whatever happens here. [[Leave|201-A3E]] [[Stay|201-A3G]]

<h3>Hit Da Bricks</h3> Whatever is about to happen, you're not going to be here for it. You've had enough of all of this nonsense and your entire body is screaming for a break, not to mention the survival instincts which you ignored just to get this far. So you make a break for it, hurrying off to the far door, grateful that the two monsters behind you are too busy fighting each other to know that you're escaping. But, you leave, and it's so shockingly easy that when the door closes behind you you pat yourself down just to be sure you haven't forgotten about one of your limbs. <<if $BPlan is "bi">> One… Two… <<elseif $Bplan is "Quad" or $Bplan is "Taur">> One… Two… Three… Four… <<else>> One… Two… Three… All the rest… <</if>> That's all of your legs accounted for. <<if $Tail is not "none">>You swish your tail behind you, finding it to be a minor miracle that that's in one piece, too, if ever so slightly singed by dragon fire.<</if>> But you hear the sounds of conflict continue, muffled through the door behind you. You shudder when you hear the dragon roar once again. You're not sure if it was from victory or defeat, but either way you're not going to miss it. It's time to move on and put this behind you. [[Next Floor|300]]

<h3>Sticking Around For The View</h3> <<set $RouteB to 2>>\ Maybe it's the adrenaline wearing off and making you disoriented, or maybe you're really just that curious, but you decide to stay a while longer, just to see how this situation plays out. You lean, cautiously, across the balcony edge, and nearly get blown back when a red silhouette rises into the sky where it blocks out the sun. You stand back, startled, as the dragon makes a display of its flight, wings beating such volumes that you can feel the wind currents they create. It's not alone, as you find out once it twists in the air. You catch the sight of pale blue feathers on a second pair of wings, beating fiercer than the dragon's own. You catch sight of it as it writhes against the dragon's chest. It's stuck there, caught between both of the larger beast's paws, and it looks <i>furious</i>. @@.gryphon;"What kind of entrance was that?!"@@ You hear it shout. @@.gryphon;"Get away from me!"@@ It's only after all this time that you finally process that it was a gryphon sitting there at the balcony edge. You come to this realization when you see the royal beast's beaked head rear back and issue another shrill note…just in time for the dragon to drive its snout forward, jaws wide, easily encompassing the gryphon's head and taking it down to its neck in one gluttonous chomp. Your heart throbs at the sight. The dragon gives no sign of discomfort or hesitation, not even as the gryphon continues to struggle. Claws scrape across the dragon's scales, and the golden fur on the gryphon's legs become a blur as it kicks the dragon's chest. You see light glinting off of those razor claws as it struggles, but the crimson beast doesn't so much as flinch, desperate swipes merely glancing off of fortified scales. As fruitless as it may seem, the gryphon keeps struggling, talons reaching out further and further, searching. They find their mark when they hook under the dragon's lip, pushing their way in the same way one would try to wedge a chisel into a seam in stone. It's the only purchase it can find against those smooth scales, and when it does, you see its forelegs strain as it starts to pry the beast's jaws apart. It plants its feet against the flattened scales of the dragon's throat and beats its own wings in a full-body effort to regain its freedom. You hear the gryphon's voice echoing from within the cavernous maw. @@.gryphon;"You SNAKE! If you think you can take me down so easily you're out of your mind!"@@ Steadily, uneasily, the dragon's jaws begin to part, revealing the soaked feathers around the gryphon's head, each one bristled high with fury. You can't imagine what kind of beastial strength it must take to hold off a dragon's bite, even it looks surprised. You begin to wonder if the gryphon is actually going to escape, and the tension has you so enraptured that you lean dangerously far off the edge just so you can watch. With it's forelegs shaking, the gryphon pries itself enough room to start pulling its head free. You can see its beak dripping with strands of saliva, its whole face glistening in that dramatic display, eyes focused and tense. Its claws hold the dragon's maw so wide you can see the flickers of orange heat rising from its throat. All the same, its claws strain for grip, wrestling with that crushing force, shaking noticeably under the weight. You just begin to see the gryphon's beak touch the light of day when you take note of a slimy slab of muscle poking its way between the dragon's teeth. A brief confusion turns to horror as the dragon's tongue wraps itself around the gryphon's foreleg, serpentine and perfectly coordinated. You can see the gryphon's eyes widen as it notices that sensation, and in the moment you share its dread. Your heart nearly stops when with a sudden lurch the tongue slips back into the dark, bringing the whole leg with it. The dragon's head shoves forward, diving down to its prey's shoulders, taking its full neck in one push. You see a sudden bulge form in that scaled throat, shaking and twisting side to side in desperation. Both of the gryphon's forelegs have been pulled in, and the wings are soon set still from their flapping by the dragon's paw clapping against its fellow beast's back. The illusion of hope is gone, and the victor is clear. Even the gryphon seems to recognize it. Its kicking gets a little less forceful, acknowledging their futility. The bulge it makes shifts with less and less energy, left with nothing to do but sink down the dragon's throat with each ravenous gulp. With its great wings still holding it aloft, the dragon doesn't dally, not even to savor its catch. It just swallows, repeatedly, paws squishing into the gryphon's belly as if trying to shove its prey straight down its throat by force. Those wings beat one hard beat, lifting the dragon a head higher into the air so it can yawn its jaws and catch the full circumference of the gryphon's rounded belly. You see it work its jaws over the gryphon's haunches, which slide down at an unnaturally smooth pace, tugged by gravity and ceaseless throat muscle. More sinks in and the dragon's throat starts to bulge obscenely, but if the gryphon still has any fight left, you don't see it. Those next few gulps suck the gryphon's legs down into that glowing abyss. You can hear drool splattering across the tiles, draining from the dragon's maw with all the consistency of a fountain. Even if the beast seems solely focused on feeding itself, its body gives away how much its enjoying its meal. Its stomach growls with no less command than the great beast's own voice. Its eyes and yours meet in that moment. While staring down at you, the dragon lets its tongue snake out once more, circling around the gryphon's hybrid tail to tug it in with the rest. Those jaws snap shut, and you feel certain that the dragon keeps its teeth on display just because it know you're still watching. That icy eye contact is broken when the dragon raises its head, announcing the final descent. The bulge in its neck slides down one shuddering jolt at a time, bumping into the dragon's collar bones and stretching them apart with ease. Sinking through, it vanishes briefly into the dragon's chest, only to re-emerge down on its belly, which distends in a blatant show of gluttony and predatory power. You can make out each part as they enter; first the head is squished directly into the interior walls, followed by the forelegs which push down on the stomach floor for some amount of support. The bulk of that bulging comes from the gryphon's belly, which was generous in its own right, and by the time the last of it sinks in, its form has become an indistinct, squirming mass. The dragon only makes one voluntary display of enjoying its prey, and that's when its paws reach to press down on that deformed belly, sinking between the stretched scales with a gentle care that immediately strikes you for how sensual of a motion it is. The beast exhales with relief, pouring fresh smoke from its maw. Then it turns its attention to you. In an instant the dragon makes a dive for the balcony, four paws impacting the tiles with a newfound weight that makes the floor tremble. You briefly stumble off balance, gripping the banister for support. The dragon stands there, side turned to you, loathing still in its gaze, and yet still you watch with fascination. You see the gryphon making that sagging belly shift. You can tell there are complaints being shouted from within, but you can't hear a single one over the growling wrath of a digestive system at work. The dragon takes a step towards you, before pausing to sink a paw into that newly added weight. Something sloshes deep within that gut, and the sound makes you shudder. @@.dragon;"Pay close attention, intruder. There is no person or beast that can escape my jaws."@@ You take a step back, and a line of white fangs glisten between the dragon's lips when it smiles. @@.dragon;"This one will last perhaps an hour before it settles down. I'll enjoy every struggle as my body slowly takes them apart."@@ It closes half the distance with a single step. You're close enough to make out how its belly scales are stretched wide, leathery hide just beginning to emerge around the edges. @@.dragon;"Keep running if you like, but remember this sight for when I catch you. This is what your end will look like."@@ Its paw pulls away from its stomach, letting the weight of it drop once more. The gryphon within cries out in alarm while it sways. It must be relaxing for the dragon. It must be hellish for the one inside it. @@.dragon;"Go."@@ You don't need to be told twice, you've already stayed for too long. You turn and sprint for the exit, senses finally returning. You hear the dragon resume the chase soon after. [[Next Floor|300]]

<h3>En-Garde!</h3> <<set $dragonChurned to true>>\ Maybe it's the adrenaline wearing off and making you disoriented, or maybe you're really just that curious, but you decide to stay a while longer and see how this situation plays out. Still, you wisely keep you distance. With how the dragon is rolling about, staying anywhere near that crushing weight seems unwise. But it doesn't seem to deter the smaller beast from dancing across the dragon's hide, wings tossing it this way and that, always a feather's breadth away from taking a nasty swipe, and always getting away unscathed. It's a gryphon, you realize. Perhaps the only creature known to be even more fiercely predatory than dragons. You see complete focus in the gryphon's eyes as it wrestles with its fellow beast, never once looking away from its mark. You wonder if it even knows you're here. Regardless, it's that perfect focus that allows the gryphon to dive between the dragon's legs without feat. Momentum allows it to sweep the dragon off balance, and when it falls, the whole world seems to shake. You have to hold up a $Hand to block out the cloud of soot that the fall creates. By the time you look again, the gryphon is standing atop its opponent, talons pressed down on its muzzle, beak pinching the side of its neck. @@.gryphon;"Yield to me."@@ The gryphon speaks clearly, but never lets the sharp end of its beak leave the dragon's scales. @@.dragon;"I will not."@@ The dragon's voice is a dull rumble. After having had it hammered into your skull from your time spent running, it seems to have lost some of its edge. @@.gryphon;"Are you sure about that? Because from where I'm standing, I seem to have won."@@ @@.dragon;"I won't be toyed with like some <i>common lizard</i>."@@ The gryphon huffs. @@.gryphon;"Oh I'll do worse than toy with you, snake, I'll make you <i>my</i> toy. But if that's how you're going to be…"@@ Its eyes dart up, looking straight into you. Seems it knew you were there after all. @@.gryphon;"And who is this? Was this $Spec going to be your prey? Chased <<=$Pro.obj>> all the way up here, did you?"@@ You see the dragon stir at that, a motion which is stopped by a pinch from the gryphon's beak. You hear the feathered beast click its tongue. @@.gryphon;"You were always so sickeningly prideful. If you don't want me to make a mockery of you in front of the prey you couldn't catch, you'll yield."@@ @@.dragon;"You can't make me."@@ @@.gryphon;"I think I can. Don't forget where you are. I have all the power to devour you kicking and shouting the whole way down. Is that really how you want to be seen in your final moments?"@@ A silence falls upon the balcony after those words. A low rumble rises from somewhere in the dragon's chest as he slowly approaches a choice he doesn't want to make. @@.dragon;"Fine. I yield."@@ There's a pause. Something seems to change in the air with those words, but you can't place what. A moment later, the gryphon releases its bite from the dragon's neck. You expect that it will lash out, but instead the great beast remains obediently still. @@.gryphon;"You'll submit too if you care to keep your pride. You're mine now."@@ Gingerly, the gryphon steps back, paws tracing the dragon's spine until it stands over the end of the monster's tail. Its talons clasp around the harpoon tip, and it glances over at you, into you. Your blood seems to freeze in your veins at that stare, but the gryphon just grins. @@.gryphon;"Would you like to see my favorite way of dealing with larger prey?"@@ It casually asks, twirling the appendage in its paw. The dragon raises its head at that. @@.dragon;"Don't you dare…"@@ @@.gryphon;"I dare,"@@ the gryphon snaps back, @@.gryphon;"you've had this coming for a long time. If you're having regrets, I'd be <i>delighted</i> to pin you a second time while I think of something even more humiliating."@@ When the dragon doesn't respond, the gryphon returns his focus. @@.gryphon;"As I was saying, my favorite way of dealing with larger, <i>self important</i> prey…"@@ It leans its weight back while it keeps its eyes on you. With a smirk, it drops its weight, sitting upright with its hind legs spread, and letting everything between spill out into full view. You gasp. Even for its size, the gryphon is packing something monstrous. The space between its legs seems wholly occupied by a colossal set of balls, and a cock which at full mast manages to reach well over halfway up its belly. But more importantly, its paw swings the dragon's tail tip in close, bringing it right up against that drooling "tip" of its own. You begin to suspect what is about to happen. @@.gryphon;"Looking forward to your bath?"@@ He asks, eliciting an irritated growl from the dragon, but nothing more. @@.gryphon;"Well, I gave you the opportunity, that will be all from you then."@@ It gives a push, and a wet squelch handily confirms your suspicions, though it's no less shocking to see played out. The dragon's tail slips freely into the open end of the gryphon's length, immediately stretching the think skin of its underside. Talons curl a fierce grip around the dragon's scales, and a greedy push sends the bulge of that harpoon tip the whole way down until it starts to poke under the stretched sheath at the base. A lusty coo comes from the gryphon, paws hovering over that row of sensitive stretched flesh, making use of the dragon's tail like a sounding rod. @@.gryphon;"What a spectacular toy you're making for. Let's see if you can behave the whole way down."@@ Its voice is shockingly controlled for what it's engaged in. It doesn't flinch when another push of the dragons tail starts to send it down into those most sensitive spots within the gryphon's body. Instead, it only gives a modest sigh. It lets out a pleased hum as it stands up on all fours, beginning to walk back up one slow step at a time. Each pace is followed by a shove that sends another couple feet of dragon down into its cock. Each pace and it steadily gets thicker, that voracious organ stretching beyond rational limits. As the gryphon keeps pressing on, that cock pours with opaque fluid, dripping down the dragon's scales and making them shimmer. It's like a second maw salivating even as it's being fed. Down below, you see a twitch come from within those massive jewels, a sign that the tail has finally reached its resting place. More of the dragon is pulled down, and that occasional twitch becomes a proper bulge, and soon after starts to stretch further, weighing the gryphon's balls down to its ankles, and not long after sagging until the fur brushes along the floor. By the time its consumed the dragon down to the base of its tail, those orbs are dragging behind, full of coiled up tail restlessly squirming in their heated prison. The gryphon lets its claws rest suggestively along the dragon's rump. @@.gryphon;"Very nice control on your part so far. I could use a little more movement down there though…"@@ he hums. At this point the gryphon's cock is stretched out wider than his legs, and as streamlined as the dragon's body may be, imagining the thing stretching enough to fit he beast seems impossible. And yet…the next step pushes onward, and that pink tube stretches with enough ease to be a yawn. The dragon's hips enter the gryphon, wide and weighty as a bludgeon. His hind legs get pushed forward before they're directed in, and a little bit of applied coercing gets the dragon's wings folded up tight. @@.gryphon;"I'm sorry to say you won't be using these again…"@@ the gryphon muses while its paws push the leathery sheets in tight. The dragon doesn't answer, but smoke spills from his nostrils. It seems to be trying to tune out the situation it's in. Seeing this, the gryphon leans in, having worked so far up the dragon's body that it's now able to speak directly into the monster's ear. It whispers something that you can't hear, but whatever it is, it makes the dragon growl and kick his legs disobediently just before they pop through the drooling threshold. @@.dragon;"If I can be defeated, so can you. It's only a matter of time,"@@ the crimson beast threatens. But this only makes th gryphon grin once again. @@.gryphon;"Oh, dear, I'm aware—"@@ it answers, unbothered, @@.gryphon;"—but at least I'll go down knowing that I finally got to put you in your place. I'll be replaying these moments <i>over and over</i>, and you know what? I won't regret a thing."@@ There's a there's a sultry noise like a slurp as the gryphon rises up his prey's belly, balls dragging against the tile now with the beast's lower body sinking in. Push by gluttonous push, the dragon sinks in by another foot, then two, then three. You can see the dragon's hind paws pressing out in their bulge, stretching those pelted balls taut before springing back into place. For all their stretchiness, they only seem to allow themselves to expand when admitting more of the dragon to their depths, otherwise remaining firm and luxuriously rounded. It's only a matter of time before the dragon is pulled in to its neck, at which point the gryphon leans back and lets its haul rise up along its belly. It hugs that engorged shaft with one foreleg like a body pillow, and it almost looks cozy. It free paw reaches up to tease under the dragon's jaw, stroking those scales possessively. @@.gryphon;"What a good and obedient toy you've been,"@@ it hums. You spot another squirm from down below and see the gryphon shudder in response. Even it seems to be reaching its limit for stimulation. @@.gryphon;"I'd say we should do this again, but, well, even if this wasn't a one-way trip I doubt you'd understand how perfect you are for fitting into my balls."@@ It glances over to you once again while directing the dragon's head closer and closer to the tip of its shaft. @@.gryphon;"And what about you? Did you enjoy the show? I imagine you wouldn't be staring so rudely if you'd seen this sort of thing before."@@ The comment makes your face flush hot, but it's not wrong. It's not often that you see a gryphon stuffing its balls until they're nearly twice its size…and still growing. You're not sure if it's the dragon you hear growling, or if it's its new prison you hear instead. The gryphon smiles, @@.gryphon;"Don't get too self-conscious. I rather like the attention, but you still haven't answered my question."@@ <span id="options"> <<link "You enjoyed it">> <<replace "#options">>\ <hr> -Confirm It You admit to the gryphon that you enjoyed this "show", with your eyes frequently darting to inappropriate places as you say so. @@.gryphon;"Well that is simply perfect. Perhaps if we had met under, hm, better circumstances, it could have been you sinking into my body instead. Wouldn't that be nice?"@@ The suggestion makes you look away, but there's more than enough to be read from your stance and expression, and you hear the gryphon laugh. @@.gryphon;"Perhaps something to consider for another time, then… for now, I have <i>you</i> to finish…"@@ Those last words are directed at the dragon just as the back of its head starts to approach the final descent. The gryphon's paw gingerly takes hold of the beast's chin, directing it up to allow those horns to slide in without issue. The dragon opens his maw to say something, perhaps some ill omen or curse, but before it can get a word out, the gryphon gives one last energetic shove that vanishes the great beast from the outside world, burying it in pink flesh where not even words can escape. @@.gryphon;"That will do…no more complaints from you, just squirm nicely, for me."@@ You watch as the gryphon's cock squeezes back down to its ordinary enormity, sending the last of its prey down to the mountain that those balls have become. No matter how you try to think about it, it's impossible to believe that the dragon that chased you here has been reduced to such a fate. It takes a while spent dwelling on this before you realize the gryphon is staring at you again. @@.gryphon;"Well, I'm afraid to say the show is over. It will take quite some time for this one to churn down, so if you're thinking of offering yourself, I'm afraid it will have to wait. I'd help you higher for bringing such fine prey to me, but I'm afraid I can't do that either for the same reason."@@ You don't hear much remorse in that tone. The gryphon is able to rub all four legs over those massive sloshing nuts, and you can't imagine anything would make it regret having them now. @@.gryphon;"Still, I suppose I owe you a favor for all this. If we meet again, I will be sure you are <i>properly</i> compensated. For now, the path upward is over there. I'd like to relax and enjoy myself and that requires a little privacy."@@ It gestures behind you to a door leading back into The Tower, then lets that paw settle back onto it's shaft to begin making idle strokes. The show is over. With nothing else to do, and not wanting to test any other appetites the gryphon may have, you follow its directions and move out. [[Next Floor|300]] <</replace>>\ <</link>> <<link "You didn't enjoy it">> <<replace "#options">>\ <hr> -Deny It You sternly tell the gryphon that you didn't enjoy what you just watched, and the feathered beast tilts its head when you say so. @@.gryphon;"Then why did you decide to stay and watch? Was the sight of me packing a dragon away too horrifying to look away, or did it awaken something in you that you simply don't want to admit?"@@ The gryphon smiles while waiting a moment to see you stammer for an answer. @@.gryphon;"I suppose that will be something for you to think about. But for now, I have <i>you</i> to finish"@@ Those last words are directed at the dragon just as the back of its head starts to approach the final descent. The gryphon's paw gingerly takes hold of the beast's chin, directing it up to allow those horns to slide in without issue. The dragon opens his maw to say something, perhaps some ill omen or curse, but before it can get a word out, the gryphon gives one last energetic shove that vanishes the great beast from the outside world, burying it in pink flesh where not even words can escape. @@.gryphon;"That will do…no more complaints from you, just squirm nicely, for me."@@ You watch as the gryphon's cock squeezes back down to its ordinary enormity, squeezing the last of its prey down to the mountain that those balls have become. No matter how you try to think about it, it's impossible to believe that the dragon that chased you here has been reduced to such a fate. It takes a while spent dwelling on this before you realize the gryphon is staring at you again. @@.gryphon;"Well, I'm afraid to say the show is over. It will take quite some time for this one to churn down, so if you're done <i>not liking what I'm doing</i> now would be a good time to go. I'd help you higher for bringing such fine prey to me, but I'm afraid I'm a little weighed down."@@ You don't hear much remorse in that tone, though. The gryphon is able to rub all four legs over those massive sloshing nuts, and you can't imagine anything in the world could make it regret the means by which it obtained them. @@.gryphon;"Still, I suppose I owe you a favor for all this. If we meet again, I will be sure you are <i>properly</i> compensated. For now, the path upward is over there. I'd like to relax and enjoy myself and that requires a little privacy."@@ It gestures behind you to a door leading back into The Tower, then lets that paw settle back onto it's shaft to begin making idle strokes. The show is over. With nothing else to do, and not wanting to test any other appetites the gryphon may have, you follow its directions and move out. [[Next Floor|300]] <</replace>>\ <</link>>\ </span>\

<h3>Before</h3> Hi welcome to text adventure. Debug <<cycle "$Debug" autoselect>> <<option true>> <<option false>> <</cycle>> This is a <b>BETA</b> version, which means it's not ready for sharing yet! If you're reading this, its because what I want from you is feedback, please do your best to describe your experience as much as possible! Please let me know: What worked for you, What didn't work for you, What you want to see more of, Any errors in the game functions, Spelling and grammar issues are hard to catch, keep a notepad open and please write down the page titles where you see them! Before we can get started, please acknowledge that this is a demo which is not meant to be shared or distributed without the author’s explicit consent. Please type your agreement below and press "Enter" @@.textbox;<<textbox "_doesntdoanythinglol" "" [[0]]>>@@