Alyse's eyes snap wide open, and a tinge of red finds its way to her cheeks.
"Wh-what...why would you ask me that!?" (Alyse)
Nina raises her eyebrows.
"Because you are a woman that's only attracted to women, no? I can't imagine that's very common, so it must be harder to find a mate. I assume that means it's been a long time since you've been sexually satisfied. Tell me...how are your impulses not driving you mad?" (Nina)
Alyse's expression turns bewildered.
"I do just fine, and my impulses are...wait, why are we talking about this!?" (Alyse)
Nina narrows her eyes curiously.
"So...a few days?" (Nina)
Alyse balks.
"That's...personal!" (Alyse)
Nina focuses her senses.
"Hmm...weeks?" (Nina)
Alyse remains silent. Nina's eyes involuntarily widen, a hint of incredulity finding it's way into her tone.
"Months!? More!?" (Nina)
Alyse fidgets uncomfortably, looking away...towards the door. Nina hops off the counter and walks in front of her, then clasps her on the shoulders seriously, fixing Alyse with an intense gaze. Alyse recoils slightly from her touch.
"Alyse, you must tell me immediately...what is your secret!?" (Nina)
Alyse blinks, her gaze drawn to Nina's suddenly looming cleavage.
"What...are we talking about?" (Alyse)
Nina sighs, rolling her eyes.
"Your unnatural abstinence. How do you avoid being driven mad by it?" (Nina)
Alyse's attention snaps back to Nina, her cheeks flushing.
"I never said...I mean, I'm not...I didn't-...why are you asking me all of these personal questions!? And why are you still naked!?" (Alyse)
Alyse pushes Nina's hands away as she distances herself, averting her gaze sheepishly in the process. Nina lets out a regretful sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"You see...I find myself in a rather unexpected predicament, and I was hoping that your experiences would be helpful." (Nina)
Though her gaze remains averted, some of the discomfort in Alyse's expression is replaced by surprise.
"Uhm, how so? What's going on?" (Alyse)
Her tone carries traces of genuine curiosity. Nina sighs, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. However, something about that causes Alyse's face to inexplicably redden again.
"This human form is...unfamiliar to me, and some of its urges are proving quite troublesome, like hunger and intimacy. My mind is constantly plagued by the desire to consume sweet foods, and mating has become almost a daily habit for me. Mizuki has been receptive to the latter, and there's been no shortage of edible treats among the elves, but I am bothered by my dependency on these things. I am sure I'd not have as much composure if I was in your...predicament. Since you seem fine, I thought you may have a solution to my problem." (Nina)
Nina watches Alyse expectantly, while Alyse just stares back at her in disbelief. An awkward – at least for Alyse – silence stretches between them for several moments.
"Uhm, I don't think I can help with this...sorry. Your...feelings, sound more severe than mine." (Alyse)
Nina sighs. She can sense that, while Alyse clearly doesn't want to be having this conversation, her response is not a lie either.
'Is this a difference between human and elf bodies, perhaps? Or something unique to my situation? Ahh...but I have no humans I can ask. Perhaps I really will have to visit her...'
She returns her disheartened gaze to Alyse, who is still doggedly eyeing the kitchen floor.
"How unfortunate..." (Nina)
Alyse smiles apologetically, and the two stand next to one another in uncomfortable silence. Eventually, Alyse begins to steal glances at the door, and she clears her throat nervously.
"Uhm, well...later..." (Alyse)
Alyse promptly walks towards the kitchen's exit. Nina raises her eyebrows.
"Don't you need something? You came here for a reason, no?" (Nina)
Alyse freezes, slowly looking back at her with a nervous smile.
"Oh...that, yeah no, it's fine. I...uhm...well I'll be cooking for someone soon, and thought I should familiarize myself with the kitchen. But err, I can do that another time. When you're...less..." (Alyse)
Alyse trails off, her eyes once again scanning Nina's naked body as her face reddens. Then, she abruptly turns back around and walks out of the kitchen hurriedly. Nina looks after her with an expression that's equal parts puzzled and amused.
"Fufufu...what a strange little elf..." (Nina)
With that, thoughts of Alyse disappear from her mind like smoke in the wind, and her eyes shift to the loaf of sweet bread still sitting on the counter. She stares at it for several moments, her brow furrowed in concentration. Then, she stuffs a fifth slice in her mouth, chewing slowly.
She lets out a sigh, mixed with contentment and frustration.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Some time later, after sunset...
Nina's caught off guard as every muscle in her body contracts involuntary, a muffled cry escaping her lips. For several seconds, she feels locked in place, unable to sense the world around her. Then, just as quickly, her body relaxes as an inexplicable exhaustion sets in, and she collapses forward.
She lands firmly against Mizuki's chest, her breath coming in short gasps. Conflicted but all-too-familiar feelings of relief and frustration wash over her as she tries to catch her breath. Then, she feels warm hands wrap around her back, and a chuckle rattles her chest from beneath.
"Fufufu...I missed you, too." (Mizuki)
She can feel through their Bond how sincere his words are, despite his joking tone. She groggily moves her head on his chest to look him in the eyes, and smiles reluctantly.
"Yes, you were very...adamant, today." (Nina)
Mizuki scratches his cheek nervously, and she can feel a rush of embarrassment from him, mixed with...anxiety? Mizuki gives her a nervous smile.
"Uhm...yeah, you seemed kind of...you know...distracted, maybe? Like you were upset with...it. I don't know, I thought I was off my game, or something...sorry." (Mizuki)
She watches Mizuki blankly, noting his discomfort as he tries to talk about their sex life. It still baffles her how, after how far their relationship has come, this still seems to be a point of awkwardness for him. Normally, she finds it endearing, but this time she can't help but feel a faint pang of guilt.
Presumably sensing that through their Bond, Mizuki's expression becomes puzzled. She chews her lip absentmindedly, considering what to say.
She knows well what he must be talking about. She's been frustrated with her situation, and by extension her own perceived weakness, and it's been subtly bleeding into her mood. Now, when she enjoys something because of her human constitution, she also can't help but feel frustrated with that sense of mindless enjoyment. She felt that conflicting storm of emotions earlier when she was bathing, when she was eating the sweet bread, and apparently now it's become enough of a problem that Mizuki could sense it even while they were intimate.
Eventually, she resigns herself to the necessity before her. She sighs.
"I've just been struggling to adapt to this human form...it's senses, especially. My...frustration, wasn't due to any poor performance on your part. Quite the opposite, in fact. The loss of control of my own body when we're intimate is new and unsettling, yet I can't seem to stop it from happening, nor can I seem to ignore the impulse to re-experience it at every possible opportunity. That lack of self-control in particular is...frustrating. Such weakness is beyond disgraceful." (Nina)
Mizuki's eyes widen, surprise and concern flashing across his face, before transitioning to confusion.
"Are you talking about your...you know? I mean, isn't that all normal? I'm not exactly in the most collected state either...and it's a pretty fundamental instinct." (Mizuki)
She frowns.
"I cannot speak to what my personal experience would have been with intimacy, specifically, but I never had issues with self control in my dragon form. But living as a human, I seem to struggle with even mundane experiences. Not just intimacy – food cravings, desiring a hot bath, and emotional whims – they're all impulses that are now harder to ignore." (Nina)
Realization dawns on Mizuki's face, then his brows furrow in concentration. She can practically see him parsing through their history as mates, piecing things together. He gives her a concerned look.
"So earlier today, your little stunt of revealing us being married...did that have anything to do with this?" (Mizuki)
Knowing she couldn't hide the truth even if she was willing to, she gives him a small, exasperated smile. Her emotional dependency on him is by far the part of her situation that she finds the most disgraceful.
'Leave it to him to cut straight to the most annoying part...'
Still, she nods, and Mizuki's eyes and voice soften.
"What made you do it? You said it's an impulse control thing, right? It's not like you to be jealous or possessive, so I can't help but be curious about the impulse itself." (Mizuki)
She cringes internally at the question, and moves her head on his chest so that he can't see her face. She's silent for quite some time, before her voice lowers to a whisper.
"I was getting frustrated...with not being able to touch you whenever I want. It feels nice...in this form..." (Nina)
She steadfastly avoids his gaze, just letting the admission hang between them for several moments. Eventually, she sneaks a glance at him. Mizuki's lips are pressed into a thin line, his expression strained. In other words, he's clearly trying to not laugh.
She scowls at him, her earlier embarrassment evaporating.
"So you think it's pathetic, too? You're mocking me?" (Nina)
Surprise and alarm register in Mizuki's eyes, his amusement disappearing in an instant. She feels his arms tighten around her, and warmth floods into her as their bodies are forced closer. Mizuki's expression turns surprisingly serious.
"No, I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting it to be something so cute. I swear. And if I'm being honest, I'm not convinced that the...issues, you're describing are a bad thing. To me they sound like proof that you can live and love, and that makes me happy. It just means you're...human." (Mizuki)
She looks up into his warm eyes, clearly feeling that Mizuki considers those words reassuring, but they only fill her with a sense of unease. She looks away and rests her head on his chest again, her voice turning solemn.
"But...I'm not human, Mizuki. Neither of us is, nor should we be. Humans aren't built to live like we will." (Nina)
Mizuki falls silent, and she recognizes him falling deep into thought. When he speaks again, his tone is more muted, and he's clearly decided to change his approach to reassuring her.
"If this is bothering you, then is there anything I can do to help?" (Mizuki)
She turns to give him a small smile, noting the concern and sincerity in his eyes.
"I already know how unconditional your feelings are...there's no other help that you're equipped to give. Don't worry, I've already given the matter some thought. While you're away with little Zara, I've decided to take a small trip alone that I think will help." (Nina)
Mizuki raises his eyebrows.
"Anything I need to be concerned about? I can postpone our trip and accompany you." (Mizuki)
She shakes her head, smirking mischievously.
"No, I'll just be gone for one or two nights. Fufufu...use the alone time as an opportunity to find yourself back into Ilina's good graces." (Nina)
Mizuki's eyes narrow, his concern evidently not assuaged by her clever jab.
"You sure you're fine on your own for multiple days? I don't want anything to happen to you..." (Mizuki)
She rolls her eyes.
"Quit worrying...threats to me are practically nonexistent. Or do I need to attack you again? Assert a little dominance so you don't mistake me for helpless anymore?" (Nina)
His expression turns skeptical.
"Have you ever heard the phrase, 'threatening someone with a good time'?" (Mizuki)
She chuckles, adjusting herself into a comfortable sleeping position on top of him. Then, she closes her eyes against his chest, enjoying the sound of his breathing. It's important that she gets a good night's rest. After all, tomorrow she'll be paying a visit to the formerly most powerful and reclusive being on the planet.
Ice Queen of the Elder Dragons...Cerilia.