Grab Her by the Tail

Posted on Monday October 21st, 2019 @ 3:23pm by Civilian . & Lieutenant Maerynn

Mission: Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Everything Gone?
Location: science lab

Namira had gone right back to her lab once she knew what the extent of the marten-rat or whatever they were called infestation was. She was pleased to see that all her heavy equipment, bolted to the floor and sturdy in nature, hadn't been touched. But a lot of small things were in disarray.

There was no use tidying up now, it would only end up in chaos again. She had to wait until the infestation had been taken care of, and she hoped that the commander would go for a peaceful solution.

When she saw one of the creatures scurry about her lab, coming in through a hole in the wall, Namira decided to try and catch it. Maybe she could at least study it a little. She had a feeling that where these animals were from, a lot of archaeological treasure would be lost due to their burrowing habits. Though some might actually be revealed because of it.

She went down on all fours and sneaked up on the animal, which appeared unusually calm in her presence, not in the least spooked. "Come, little fellow", she said, holding out a hand. "See, I don't bite."

Maerynn had been trying to follow the thing back to its nest, find out where they were hiding or congregating or whatever in the station. She'd lost it somewhere in the walls and had begun to try and find any more of them to follow. She hadn't found that but something caught her attention, and she scurried out of a hole in the wall to figure out what it was. Some shiny piece of metal one of the others had knocked off of something. It didn't matter what that something had been or what the thing she now batted around was either. Wow, these creatures were squirrely!

Movement caught her attention, and she turned her head to see what it was. It was large and furless except for its head. It was saying something that made no sense to her, so she blinked at it. When it reached at her, though, she turned and headed for the hole she'd entered this room by.

That was the time that Namira grabbed at it, catching it by the tail and holding it up. "Hah, got you." She sat back onto her legs and held the creature up to her face for an initial, visual observation. It would also tell her whether she was dealing with an aggressive or docile specimen.

Suddenly being yanked off of her feet got a loud squeak out of her. She twisted around, trying to free her tail, free herself from the grip of...

Wait, you aren't one of these things, Maerynn! What the hell are you doing? Just make her let you go!

Now that she was not thinking like the Phuques any longer, Maerynn had an idea. She stopped twitching, hanging limply in the woman's hand -- she knew who this was now, which was going to make this more fun! Then, after a second, she shifted, her body elongating and losing its fur. As it did, it became taller, slowly reshaping itself until it had Maerynn's normally-used form. Well, except for the very long rat tail that she kept just so Namira would still be holding onto it when the shift finished.

"Boo!" she said as she finished the shift and grinned down at the archaeologist, her amber eyes glittering with mischief.

Namira was startled and, not letting go of the tail, put off balance, falling backward and pulling Maerynn along with her. She finally let go of the tail as the shape-shifting, suddenly a lot heavier woman fell on top of her. "Maerynn!" she exclaimed. "That's not how I expected to end up on my back tonight. Not that I'm complaining."

Maerynn had expected possibly a yelp and a release of her tail, but not being pulled over on top of Namira. When Namira released her tail, she retracted the molecules of it back into her form and tried to catch herself with her arms so as to not land full force on the other woman. It only half worked. Maerynn laughed softly at the statement. "Ah, so you prefer the bottom then?" she joked in return. "I'll have to remember that."

"Well, uh, yes, as a matter of fact", Namira answered. "I mean, never mind. What are you doing here? I saw you morph back before." She made no effort to extricate herself. Instead, she had questions.

Maerynn only changed position enough to keep most of her weight off of Namira but not enough to remove herself completely. Why should she? Namira wasn't complaining or trying to move, after all. "I was trying to follow one of them, find where their main nesting area was. I..." she looked a little embarrassed at the admission, "I lost it in the walls somewhere and was looking for another. Unfortunately for me, I was one of them, so I got caught by... their behaviors," she hedged.

"So you lose part of yourself when you shift?" Namira asked. "I mean, you felt so light before. Not that I'm saying you're fat. But you were smaller, lighter. I could lift you up with three fingers. Where did your extra mass go?" She wasn't sure what to ask first, there were so many unusual things about this.

Maerynn chuckled softly. These questions were very much the scientist in Namira showing itself. "We do change mass when we shift. To become something larger, I need to convert more mass; to become something smaller, I need to release some. Sadly, I'm not a Kiyalaar, a Healer, so I don't fully understand how we do it, only that we do." Her look was apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I'm probably asking too much", Namira said. "I tend to babble on five times more than I should." She smiled at the woman still lying at least partially on top of her. "I should rather have said something like 'o how soft your fur is' or some such, no?"

Maerynn chuckled again. "Asking questions is fine, Namira. I don't mind. Though complimenting my fur would have been nice too." She grinned. "Do you like fur? i could put it back." She was half joking and half serious. Part of her just wanted to see how Namira would respond, but part of her really wanted to know. Curiosity, the bane of cats and talshanaar.

"My, this is hairy territory we're getting into now", Namira responded. "I like fur in an animal companion, yes. In a woman, not so much. Except on the head. I guess it's one of those humanoid things."

Maerynn shrugged lightly. "Likely. My preferences alter with what form I'm in, so I guess that makes me... versatile?"

"Versatility versus resilience", Namira grinned. "How I'd love to see more."

Maerynn smiled a mischievous little smile. "Oh, I'm pretty sure resilience isn't beyond my capabilities either," she said. "As to seeing more, how much more would you like to see?" Oh, she liked this woman! Namira could really play with the language and make her think and yet be completely playful with her at the same time. That was so rare in her experience.

"Anything and everything. If there's one thing I've got in spades, it's curiosity", Namira said. "Probably why I became an archaeologist. To temper the spades with the trowel. Small doses, preserves my sanity."

Maerynn's grin grew. "Sanity is overrated." she declared then became thoughtful. "Well, you've now seen me shift twice, but I didn't show you my natural state. Would you like to see it?" She was a hair concerned that seeing it might make Namira less interested in interacting with her, but wasn't it better to know now than later? Besides, this was the Union; people were more open-minded than they once were.

"Yes, absolutely", Namira said without hesitation. "I'm all for naturalism." She paused. "Wait, that came out wrong. I meant, yes, I would."

Maerynn laughed softly, not the least bit insulted, distressed or put off by the wording. Moving off of Namira gently, she sat on the lab's floor next to her. After a moment, her solid form released, and what remained pooled beside Namira on the floor. It was a thick substance that resembled cream of some sort, off-white in color. It was not entirely liquid, but it was definitely closer to that state than to solid. It did not flow out across the floor indiscriminately either as most spilled liquids did but remained in a single, cohesive pool beside the scientist.

Maerynn's soft voice whispered into Namira's thoughts. You may touch it if you like.

There was something different about Maerynn's voice, it took Namira a moment to figure out that it didn't come through her implants, it wasn't filtered by its exact recording instruments. It was right in her mind! As though it was a command, Namira's hand reached out, tentatively and a tad shaky, and she rested her palm on the surface of what, though her senses refused to acknowledge it, her mind still knew to be Maerynn. Fingertips wriggling in the warm liquid, she noticed it wasn't sticky at all, but still gooey, of more substance than water. "Looks like oatmeal", Namira quipped when her power of speech returned.

That soft chuckle of Maerynn's slid through Namira's mind. Usually, humans compare it to cream of wheat, but I'll take it. There was the sense that what Namira was doing was somehow pleasant though in a completely innocuous way, like tickling someone who enjoyed that. Does this disturb you, Namira? Maerynn asked after a moment of internal thought that did not get sent to Namira. She meant, of course, her being in this state... not her previous comments.

"No, of course not", Namira said. "You'll have to try harder than that." Had she just uttered a challenge? She wasn't certain herself.

A pause. She hadn't been trying to disturb the other woman, but she couldn't ignore a direct challenge either. Oh, very well. Maerynn sent in mental tones that were playful. The substance that Namira had her hand in shifted, becoming more viscous and perhaps a tad slimy. It still didn't stick to her, but the texture was very much like something from a horror film.

Namira's fingertips tapped the surface like a piano player used her instrument. She was enjoying herself, as evident by the smile on her face. She figured Maerynn would let her know if she crossed some kind of line. "Jelly, nice."

Oh, so that was how it was, hm? Very well! To disturb this one, she'd have to make it more realistic. Okay, she could do that. The whole mass shifted now, not becoming solid or any such but rather becoming something very closely resembling what one would find if one stuck their hand into a recently dead body. As it shifted, it pulled Namira's hand down into it so that she would get the whole experience.

Ignorance was bliss, in this case. Namira had no idea what sticking her hand into a recently dead body was like. The bodies she dealt with, if she found any, were all long dead ones. It was the being pulled that did more, and Namira involuntarily stiffened to hold her hand in place, not entirely succeeding. "Okay, it's starting to work..."

Maerynn held the grip only a moment longer, then released the hand, her substance returning to its base state. She could have taken it farther, but she didn't want to truly distress her new friend, after all. She had just been having a bit of fun. To soothe, she gently flowed her substance over the affected hand, though not holding it as she had before, then flowed away and up to take her usual solid form sitting on the floor next to Namira, one hand holding Namira's gently. "I know I shouldn't have done that to you, but I've never been able to resist a challenge. I'm sorry."

Namira smiled at her. "All good. I like challenges. This was great. I just had to resist really hard not to eat a piece of you, looking so appetising." She winked.

Maerynn's smile became something new, somewhere between playful and seductive. "Well, if you want to eat me, all you have to do is ask."

"I didn't expect it to be that easy", Namira teased. But then, they were both adults, so why not? Better take the opportunity while it was there, before something awkward happened and the moment was lost. "But yes, I'd love to."

Maerynn smiled a sly little smile. "Do you want the pleasure of undressing me first? I can leave the clothes in the forms they have now if that pleases you," she said with a wink. She had been teasing the woman, but she had never been one to pass up an opportunity when one presented itself.

"What happens when they separate from the rest of you?" Namira wondered. "And do you feel the kind of pleasures a humanoid would?" Not the best of times for an inquisitive mind, but that wasn't something Namira could switch off on demand.

Maerynn's smile shifted to be merely warm. Oh, the mood was not lost; she just understood the curious mind and did not want to discourage Namira from asking her questions. "If I lock them in their current forms, they will stay that way until I tell them not to," she answered the first question. "And as to pleasure, oh, yes. This form is currently in TrueForm, which means that it is indistinguishable from true Human... except for the eye color, of course."

Namira got to her feet and took both of Maerynn's hands to pull her up as well. She looked her in the exotic eyes and said softly, "Follow me to my office? I can lock it." The lab, while it couldn't be accessed by just anyone, was still open to science department personnel, after all. "I can't hurt you in your TrueForm, I hope?"

Maerynn allowed herself to be helped up, liking the way the touch felt even though it was an innocuous touch. "You can't hurt me, no. I made this form sturdier" she leaned in close and whispered, "just for you."

That was what Namira needed to know. It meant she could let her excitement take over without having to worry. She led Maerynn to her office, giving her a playful smack on her behind. She could hear her blood rushing through her veins, and couldn't wait to start helping Maerynn out of what she had made to stand in for a uniform, curious to see what Maerynn had chosen as her ideal of humanoid beauty - because who, given the choice, wouldn't do exactly that?

The uniform was designed to minimize certain features, and it did its job well with Maerynn -- she'd designed it to. Underneath it, her body was trim and toned, lean and lithe. Her stomach was flat as though she worked out, and her breasts were not overly large or overly small, showing none of the effects of age and gravity that a humanoid woman of her apparent age would have. Likewise, her behind was not large or nonexistent but fairly average. The most 'perfect' part of this body's design was the perfect hourglass figure.

The effect wasn't lost on Namira, Maerynn had chosen a body shape that wasn't too attention-grabbing when clothed but spectacular when not. She leaned in and softly locked lips with Maerynn, getting her first taste. She pushed the button on her desk that locked the door, having just remembered that was probably best, especially after making a big deal about it earlier, and then allowed her hands to explore, testing responses, seeing what Maerynn liked. Almost two centuries of experience and this was as exciting and unfamiliar as the first time.

As Namira's lips locked with hers, Maerynn felt herself respond instantly. She returned the kiss with equal passion, feeling the fire of passion slide through her form, spreading from that first touch of lips and ignited in other places by the touches of hands. She moved closer to Namira and began to explore the other woman's body as well. Having been Namira once, she knew what that body felt like from the inside, but she wanted to feel every exquisite inch of it from outside as well. She had forgotten about the door, lost in the moment.

She had a feeling that letting Maerynn be her before was about to pay off in a big way, entirely beyond the realm of mere scientific or cultural curiosity. She became rough quickly, having taken Maerynn's remark about being sturdier as a pointer to what she enjoyed, thus showing an uncharacteristically forceful side most people didn't even think she was capable of.

Maerynn's people had a saying -- well, they had several, but one that was applicable here. They were nothing if not adaptable. Maerynn took that into every aspect of her life. She adapted to those around her even in the bedroom, or in this case the office. As Namira shifted to a rougher manner, Maerynn reciprocated in kind.

Before long, sweat began to glister on Namira's toned skin and the archaeologist became insatiable. Her artificial ears picked up on every slight variation of Maerynn's breathing and heartbeat, and she allowed her lovemaking to be guided by it.

Maerynn, for her part, relied on the feeling of Namira's body to guide her behavior. Faster heartbeat and breathing drew her to do more of what had inspired the reaction. She was now fully engaged in the moment, following the demands of her body and the pull of her partner. Her lovemaking was fierce and full of need and desire, driven by the pounding of their hearts and the need and desire they shared in this moment.

And when it was over, with both of them sitting on the ground in each other's arms, Namira was the first to speak, "That's what makes experimental anthropology fun." But unlike her other statements about her scientific work, this was clearly said in jest. She didn't want Maerynn to think this had just been an experiment.

Maerynn chuckled softly. "I believe this is what they call, in diplomatic circles, interspecies relations," she teased back, giving Namira a soft kiss just because she wanted to. "But anytime you want to repeat that experiment, I will be happy to assist." She knew that it wasn't just an experiment, but she used the scientist's language to be playful.

"And now I've got something to show you that I bet you haven't seen before", Namira grinned. "Well, if you have, at least act surprised." And with that, she closed her eyes, and the various marks left on her skin began to fade away, she was concentrating on restoring herself.

Maerynn didn't count those like her since they were changeable. She also didn't count other shifter species. And so she had not seen that in Solid Form species. She had known that Namira had a regenerative capability from being her, but she had never seen it from the outside. So, while she was not surprised entirely, she was intrigued. That showed itself in her expression as she watched Namira's body go back to the way it had been before they'd... had their fun.

"Impressive!" she complimented when Namira finished and looked back at her. "Is that related to the regenerative capability I felt when I was you?"

Namira nodded and opened her eyes again. "Yes. It's what they wanted me to be able to do even with a severed limb, in minutes. That, well, it takes weeks. But it works. If I don't bleed out first, anyway." She put her hand on Maerynn's leg. "Neat, isn't it?"

Maerynn smiled softly, putting her own hand on top of the one Namira placed on her knee. "It is indeed," she agreed. "And very handy, I should think." She gave the hand a gentle squeeze. "Does the regeneration process hurt?" They hadn't tested it really when she was Namira. She had only examined it, felt it inside of her. And Namira couldn't be the only one asking questions, now could she?

"The healing itself? No", Namira said. "But I feel injuries the same way as anyone else, as far as I know. But I don't mind the fun kind." She smiled at Maerynn.

"Well, you certainly weren't complaining at the time," Maerynn said with a smile. "Though neither was I." A wink followed the statement, then she addressed the first statement Namira had made. "And what you said about feeling it like everyone else reminds me of someone I met once. She always said that 'just because you can regenerate it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like hell.'" She chuckled softly.

"Yes, that is very true", Namira agreed. "Thankfully, at least in my line of work, I'm mostly safe." She paused, then asked, "So how much time before they'll miss you?"

"Well, they think I'm tracking these beasties, so no one expects me to be anywhere until I do. Phelan can handle the bay. My people know their jobs." Her eyes glittered "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"I don't know about you, but I feel hungry", Namira said. "You need some way to put energy into your body, right? You can't just transform into a battery and plug yourself into a power socket, I bet." They had shared tea before, but Namira hadn't explored the question of whether the intake was actually necessary, or only pleasant. And of course tea was pleasant, it was one of the best things in the universe.

Maerynn chuckled softly. "I do need to recoup my energy, but I don't do it by eating." The image of plugging herself into the wall got a soft laugh out of her. "I could do that, but it wouldn't really have the desired effect. It would just mean that someone could plug me in and power their commscanner." Another laugh and she became serious again. "The food is consumed because it is pleasant" she held Namira's eyes meaningfully as she finished "or the company is." She paused for a second to allow that to fully process then continued, answering the underlying question of how she re-energized. "Energy recuperation is done by resting in my natural state for a couple of hours each twenty-four-hour cycle."

"Heh, I rest in my natural state as well", Namira grinned. "Though, for an archaeologist, that's sitting at the desk hunched over an open book without the ability to keep my eyes open any longer."

Maerynn chuckled softly. "That doesn't sound very restful or recuperative," she noted with a tone of playful chastisement. "Perhaps I should keep an eye on you." Her tone was suggestive, though she would back off if Namira wanted her to.

"Perhaps you should", Namira agreed, matching Maerynn's tone. "I don't mind being watched at all." She stood and offered her hand to Maerynn to help pull her to her feet. "I hope you like the great outdoors?"

Maerynn took the offered hand, rising with fluid grace. "Oh, I like many things," she answered with a wink. "For now, though, how about we get you something to eat... besides me?"

"Yes, please", Namira agreed and started collecting her clothes. "Synthetic duck meat? I hear roast duck is good."

Maerynn smiled and retrieved her clothes from the floor where they'd been discarded earlier. As she held them, they shifted, becoming part of her arms. The visual effect was as if the clothes were slowly crawling their way over her body to once more rest where they were meant to. What really was happening was that she had reabsorbed those molecules and was shifting her form to become the clothes once more. "I'm game to try that," she agreed. Wait, was that a bad joke? Weren't ducks considered gamey?

Namira had to get dressed in the traditional way and thus took a bit longer to do so. "You're game? Seriously?" she laughed. "Where would you like to go to eat? I mean, we'll have to get it from the synthesizer anyway, so...?"

Maerynn chuckled. At least Namira had laughed at that unintentional joke. "We could go to the lounge. It might not be as crowded as some of the other places, but should still have some people."

"Let's hope their synthesiser hasn't been eaten yet", Namira smirked. She took Maerynn's hand, then paused. "Uhm, it's not across one of those open space bridges, is it?"

Maerynn did not mind at all the holding of hands. She closed her fingers warmly around Namira's. "I..." She paused to think, to remember the layout of the station. After a moment, she smiled again. "Nope. All habitation and recreation are around this asteroid." Her expression became slightly concerned. "Would that be problematic if it was?" she asked gently.

Namira nodded. "I don't trust those machinations as it is. One power failure and we'll all be breathing vacuum. which is hard for humanoids to do, believe me. But now with those animals eating through our command and control systems, I don't think they're safe. I do not want to use them."

Maerynn could certainly sympathize with her. She nodded. "That is a fair point about the current risk," she mused, chuckling at Namira's assertion that it would be hard for humanoids to breathe vacuum. "As to the breathing part, don't worry. I won't let you die." She winked. "Though it might be amusing to watch the expressions when your EVA suit melts," she added with a chuckle.

"Melting EVA suits, I feel safer already", Namira laughed. "No, I know what you mean. You're just looking for an excuse to fully engulf me, aren't you?"

Maerynn gave Namira a sly smile. "Maaaaybe." She drew out the first syllable on purpose, giving a hint of pleasure at the idea. "That wasn't a complaint, was it?" she asked with a tone of mock disappointment.

"Unless your looking for coupling it with scaring me half to death, no", Namira smirked. "I know, I'm probably a little skittish here, I'll try to get a hold of myself."

Maerynn chuckled. "I'd rather get a hold of you," she said with a wink, "but first, food. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go." This promised to be a lot of fun, Namira thought. She would have to remind herself not to forget her job over this.