{{|3 As usual, it took longer than I had hoped. The other half of the update is forthcoming.}}<br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">&lt;Jolly Barbazu interior&gt;</span></span><br/>Jess snorts with laughter once Chrrou is out of earshot. "That mouse sure's a<span style="font-style: italic">bossy</span>little thing ain't he?"<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Auralia's stomach is accustomed to ambrosia and the finer fare of the celestial realm, food meant to be consumed in polite bites. The idea of sending down a meal in one tremendous gulp is something that will take a little getting used to--especially when the meal happens to be several hundred pounds of kicking monster.<br/><br/>Auralia has never before felt this full, or even scarcely imagined that one could ever feel this full; it will take her a while to burn off the pudge from this million-calorie snack. It is a painful, yet also curiously enjoyable sensation.<br/>With a plaintive<span style="font-style: italic">*grroOOAAaan*</span>, the angel's belly begins the enormous task of processing its contents, the sheer mass of which forces her midsection out into a lumpy spherical shape. Even though her tight abdominal muscles have forced Leska into a smaller volume than the drider originally occupied, the drider still creates an incredible, head-turning bulge.<br/><br/>Inside the dome of taut ivory skin, in the sweltering depth of the angel's interior, Leska is starting to feel true fear. She pushes outwards and attempts to burst the dripping walls entrapping her; the elastic muscles do not budge.<br/>"...shit..." she curses (rather appropriately), as she comes to realize that the only exit from this chamber is down...<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Soma, ornate key in hand, leads the rotund angel and the others across the main hall to the staircase. Slowly at first, then at regular walking speed when she sees that Auralia can keep up.<br/><br/>Climbing up the stairs and past the landing (where the drunk bullywugs croak threateningly, Sogluyem-enchanted spears close at hand), the entourage arrives at the second floor.<br/><br/>Here Soma pauses to hold the key up and speak a word to it. (infernal)"<span style="font-style: italic">Where?</span>"<br/>The key responds by projecting a finger of light upwards and to the right, pointing at a location in the Inn much as a compass needle points at north.<br/>"n_n This way!" she says cheerily, and doubles back to another flight of stairs that leads to the third floor.<br/><br/><br/><br/>As the entourage ascends to the third floor, Alyssa notices that Jess has been giving her strange looks. Not once but repeatedly, whenever the blue-haired girl is looking away. They are sly, expectant looks, not unlike the ones she gave the little mousefolk.<span style="font-style: italic">Hungry</span>looks.<br/><br/><br/><br/>"There!" says Soma, who becomes so excited that she breaks away from the others to rush down the third floor hallway. A dozen richly decorated doors line the hallway, six to a side. Judging from the masterwork quality of the carving alone, one might expect that the suites behind these doors are furnished for nobility.<br/><br/>But Soma does not stop at any of the six doors. Instead, she continues past them, to a dead-end. The wall here is empty except for a set of narrow windows looking out over the stables.<br/>"Here we are!" says the purple-haired tiefling.<br/>"Yes!" says Jess, looking eagerly at the masonry wall.<br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">&lt;Jolly Barbazu exterior&gt;</span></span><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Kahmori wrote:</cite>"Ah..hah...ohhh, sorry. I'm sorry, Lin. Look, kid..."<br/><br/>He reaches out to gently place his hand on her shoulder - if she will allow him to. He does not care in the slightest about the muck that was coating her body "...I'm sorry. I really am. You don't have to like me now. You can hate me for the rest of your life for that little trip to my insides, if you want to. Just, at the very least, accept my apology. I'm sorry. Very sorry. I'll try my best to keep my hunger from getting to me in the future, hmm? Please, forgive me? What do you say?"<br/><br/>Despite the mirth he'd exhibited just a few seconds before, he actually seemed genuine in his apology. Not to mention, he calls upon every little bit of his innate charm to appeal to her more 'girlish' side, accenting his apology with a handsome smile from the muzzle she'd traveled into not three minutes ago.</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Against all of her better judgement, Lin decides to believe the handsome fox's words. "R-really? You can't control it?"<br/>"Well...ok...just...don't do it again." She doesn't open her heart to him, but at least the indignant rage and urge to punch him subside. Kahmori is--if not a fully trustworthy ally--at least not a psychopath on the same level as that brute of a griffonfolk. He's at least<span style="font-style: italic">trying</span>to keep his predatory instinct in check, and that's worth something to her.<br/><br/>"Gee...you must really be starving..." she says, with a wary glance at his stomach. "You should eat something."<br/>Catching herself in an error, she bristles her tail and adds very quickly: "<span style="font-style: italic">--otherthanme! o.o;</span>"<br/>"Like...one of those evil guys?" she waves towards the Inn to indicate everyone inside. "Eat one of them!"