"Isn't that good?" the redhead cooed.

"Isn't that gooood?" the blonde cooed.

"Isn't that so, so, so, soooo gooood?" they echoed, bouncing the target of their questions between them.

Elka moaned and squirmed, overwhelmed by the sensual mental assault, and tried desperately to think of any thought that wasn't...

"Yes," she cried, "yes, yes, mm—" The catgirl happily accepted the redhead's kisses, dripping joyously into their slick, warm embrace, even as the blonde wriggled their hips to help milk Elka's needy cock. "Mmmuh-huh!" she slurred at last, as the... blonde pulled away from the kiss.

Wait. Who had been... She blinked rapidly, her efforts to make sense of how they'd switched places only making her feel dumber, needier, and more pliant.

Just how they like their pretty kitty, she thought, as one of them stroked her tail and the other rubbed her ears. So many hands, so much touching, everywhere at once...

Everything was so drippy and hazy and nice and wet and warm. She stared into the blonde's beautiful, sparkling green-and-blue eyes, whimpered as the redhead sucked and licked over her cock, and struggled with every ounce of her will to object, to assert herself, to tell this creature once and for all—

"Yes?" the blonde whispered, licking their lips. They giggled.

"Ooh, is there something you wanna say, pretty girl?" moaned the redhead, and everything went molten in Elka's vision, in Elka's world. They were suddenly in front of Elka, kissing her cheek, as the blonde wriggled behind her and pumped Elka's cock between their delicate, slippery fingers, milking her with expert, indulgent care.

"Um," she whispered, lost in the redhead's spiraling blue-and-green eyes. "Ooh. Um." Everything felt so good. So wonderfully, purely, stickily good. "I. Would like. To please. May I leave? Please? I-I'll come back tomorrow, I promise, I j-just—" She squeaked as the blonde's fingers stroked over her sensitive tip, gently massaging more of those intoxicating, slippery juices into her. "Maybe j-just a break?" she whimpered.

The world around her melted, and she was staring at both of them. They were smiling at her. Her cock was inside one, but they both pressed against her, gyrating against her, drawing whimpers and moans from her quivering lips.

"Mine," the redhead said sweetly, and kissed Elka on the lips. Elka sank mindlessly into the kiss, and she felt so very nice and gooey, she could only cling and moan and...

The redhead pulled back. Elka bit her lip.

"Mine," the blonde murmured, and kissed her, too. So sweet. So nice and gooey and soft...

As Elka clutched helplessly at the blonde, the redhead melted around to clutch Elka from behind, stroking her hair. "Mine," they hissed in Elka's ear.

"... mmyours," Elka slurred through the kiss.

As the redhead laughed, the blonde pulled back and gave Elka a playful lick on the lips. "Mine?" they asked, batting their eyelashes. They rocked their hips, and Elka remembered how good they could make her...

"Yours," Elka panted, bobbing her head in helpless, delicious agreement.

The blonde beamed.

The flower they were all in started to close, causing the thick nectar to slosh around them as the liliraune pulled her between them, squeezing against her with their soft, warm, slippery bodies.

"Ours," they purred, wrapping their arms around her, and Elka felt like a scoop of ice cream on a succubus's tongue as she started to come, crying out in bliss into their kisses, lost, wonderfully lost, and she never, ever wanted to be found! She would let them make her all sticky and gooey and goopy and drippy, all sweet, so good, such a good girl coming for her Mistresses...

"Oh, Elka!" sang a melodic and familiar voice.

But Elka was too squishy and sloshy to hear, too drippy and obedient and melty to care, moaning into the kisses, letting the liliraune fuck her brains away, drug her brains away, make her a good, obedient, pliant, docile...

"Elkaaaaa!" sang the voice, louder. "No more of that now."

And a word of power filled the grove. It rewrote reality in an instant.

The next thing Elka knew, she was lying in the grass outside the flower. She was free once again.

She was panting. She was covered in liliraune nectar, her cock still dripping with saliva, her whole body tingling with hypersexual, hypersensitized sensuality.

"Oh, Elka," said the voice with a sigh, "just look at yourself!"

Beneath her, the grass turned into reflective glass.

She stared down at herself, her mouth agape. Her eyes, normally a soft, rich brown, were swirling with blue and pink lights, like cotton candy. Her plump lips were quivering. Her brown bob was a messy disaster, the normally lush locks totally drenched in nectar. Her pointy cat ears were flattened, dripping with liliraune saliva and nectar alike. Her tail flicked weakly behind her, as if trying to flick off the sticky ambrosia it was coated in. She'd have to spend hours washing—maybe even with water, the worst kind of bath. And her entire soft, slender body was glowing with the aftereffects of the nectar, radiating pink light.

Pink light that... that looked so pretty, didn't it? She blinked rapidly. Her eyes had such a pretty swirl to them, in fact. The glow was pulsating nicely, soothingly, the same rhythm as with the liliraunes.

She wished her eyes were always this pretty.

The spirals in her eyes had been slowing down, but now the swirl actually seemed to be picking up speed again, as if something was fueling them to... swirl... and swirl... and swirly-swirly-swirly-swirly...

"Elka," said the voice again, now very amused but impatient. "Eyes on me, girl." A hand touched her hair, and Elka felt a pleasant tingling. Yes. She wanted to look up. She obeyed with barely even a token resistance, head jerking back to stare helplessly into a new pair of bright amber-brown eyes.

It was her Mistress—her, um, teacher, that was to say. Jyrulea of the Sugar Spirits, witch and mindweaver, a tall woman with brilliant scarlet hair, milky skin, and a fit but well-endowed form. Her lips were painted a gentle maple-green. Her eyes shone with pride and delight.

"You've done very well," she purred, running a hand over Elka's head, scritching behind her ears, and down to her neck. The tingling followed, and Elka squirmed, struggling to resist. Jyrulea smirked down at her, holding up the sealed flask she'd brought with her. "I got everything I needed. You kept them nice and busy." She stroked Elka's cheek. "Nice little apprentice."

"Uh—mm—" Elka leaned into that touch, savoring it despite herself. "Mistress," she whined, "I... may I please... speak frankly?"

She hated even having to ask, but the idea of speaking out of turn made her head fill with fuzzy, buzzy clouds. Mistress so hated it when she spoke out of turn.

The witch giggled. "Oh, go ahead, Elka." Her hand continued to stroke Elka's cheek, holding her by the chin so her head didn't loll downwards.

Elka took a deep breath, trying not to enjoy those touches too much. But her tail betrayed her, vibrating and twitching with ill-hidden eagerness. "I... are you..."

"Go on, Elka," Jyrulea purred. "Tell me what you—"

"Are you kidding me?" Elka burst out. She struggled to her feet, batting away Jyrulea's hand. She forced her tail to be still. "You set me up again!"

"Aw." The witch smirked. "But you were enjoying it so much at the time!" Behind her, the liliraune giggled.

"I'm sick of being used as bait, and—as a distraction!" Elka mustered all her willpower into a fierce glare, and was satisfied to see Jyrulea's smirk fade a little. "When I agreed to be your apprentice, I thought you'd teach me magic! But you just use me as a—as a—"

"As a what, sweet thing?" Jyrulea asked, blinking innocently.

Elka bit off several dozen responses. Every single one of them would end the same way: with her begging for her Mistress's touch, falling into the witch's loving arms, letting her brain dissolve into foggy, fuzzy bliss. Bimbo. Slut.Sex toy.

Instead, she screamed out, "As your intern! You don't treat Tabbi like this! She's already learning to house spirits!"

"Tabbi is happy to serve her role," Jyrulea said with a sigh. "Besides, she has one thing you don't: an ounce of willpower. Do youreally think you're ready to house even a single spirit in that helpless, horny mind of yours?"

Elka felt her cheeks burning. "Well—well maybe I'd be ready by now if you didn't keep using me to keep liliraunes and arachne girls and dryads and fleece sprites happy!"

"I use them to keep you happy, too." Jyrula giggled. "And they do make you so, so happy. Even now, my apprentice, I can see it in those pretty eyes. Those pretty pink hearts..."

Elka covered her cheeks, feeling the humiliation rising. She hadn't wanted to have this conversation right in front of the liliraune. "Those are because of the prisoner fruit you have us eat every morning!"

"And doesn't it prepare you for the day ahead?"

"If that's all my days will hold—" Elka mustered all her courage. "I quit! Forget the contract!"

There was a short pause.

"Aw, really?" Jyrulea bit her lip. "Are you sure? I promise I'll teach you some real magic soon, it's just, you're so good at being bai—"

"Absolutely not!" Elka snapped.

"Okay." The witch nodded glumly. "Well... I guess this is goodbye."

"Yes, M—damn straight it is." Elka folded her arms. Finally, she was standing up for herself. Finally, she was telling this manipulative witch just what she thought of her. Finally, she was...

"How about a kiss goodbye?" Jyrulea opened her arms wide, smiling innocently.

"Ooh." Elka's lips parted.

She felt a pleasant, lovely kind of fluff entering her head as she leaned in, blinking wide eyes.

Jyrulea purred as she took Elka into her arms, took Elka into the kiss. "See what I mean?" she cooed, her fingers stroking down Elka's side, down between her legs. "No willpower whatsoever. You would've made a lovely apprentice."

"Ah—ah—" Elka squirmed, her humiliation warring with her intense need to submit.

"But I'm happy," Jyrulea whispered in her ear, "to indulge you just once more, for old time's sake. One more taste of what you're... giving up." She patted Elka's head, pouring in fuzz with every touch. "Sleepytime, now, dear!"

And Elka melted into the pleasure of obedience.

~ ~ ~ ~

Stupid Mistress. Elka stomped into the distillery, her head sloshing with every step she took. Stupid liliraune nectar. Stupid, useless will.

"Oh, hey, Elka!" Tabbi leaned over the vat she was stirring. Her feline ears perked up, and her bushy mainecoon tail twitched behind her head. "You smell very nice today!"

"Thanks, Tabbi," Elka muttered. She hadn't thought her cheeks could get any hotter. Tabbi was dressed in slightly oversized witch's robes, complimented by a tight black lace corset. Currently, she was also wearing a red hairnet, as Mistress—Jyrulea hated it when her apprentices got hairs in the syrup vats.

"Are you here to help me work?" Tabbi's ears flicked, and she winced, then licked her lips as a bit of doubtless hot syrup splashed up onto her face. "Mm. I think we're almost done with this year's batch, but—"

"I don't work for Jyrulea anymore, Tabbi," Elka said, stalking past to reach the closet. "I'm just here to get a spare change of clothes."

She was currently wearing nothing but her bra and panties, all she'd been able to salvage.

"Oh, really?" Tabbi frowned. "We'll miss you a great deal! But I suppose that is for the best. Managing the spirits is very hard work, you know."

"I know that," Elka growled, slamming the closet door open. Gods, did she have anything that wasn't stained? The pomegranate dryads had stained her nicest working clothes to the point of almost being useless, even if those juices wouldn't mark her as willing prey whenever she put them on. The arachne girls had basically torn her summer dress apart in their haste to make her a 'new, better dress.' And now the liliraune had basically destroyed her last article, her lovely Sunday clothes. "I'm not stupid!"

"I know you're not stupid!" Tabbi giggled. "I mean, you might be a little right now. Liliraune nectar kinda—"

"Not. Helping."

"Sorry." Tabbi winked, swinging her hips as she stirred the vat's swirling maple contents. "You know how Mistress is. She's horrid, but when I have her powers, maybe I can teach you!" Her eyelids half-lowered as she licked her lips. "Things will be very different once I am a fully-fledged witch. I could be a more... um, merciful teacher!"

"I don't want a merciful teacher," Elka whined, not wanting to say aloud that Tabbi could be a little wicked herself, sometimes. "I want to be able to resist! What's the good of being a witch if I fall for the first—the first whatever I come across?"

Tabbi was failing to conceal her smirk, so she turned back to the pot to hide it. "I am certain that one day you will be much, much stronger, Elka. But it is okay if you aren't! Sometimes I wish I were so good at giving in."

Elka glared at the back of her head. "No, you don't."

"Well..." Tabbi's tail flicked. "I mean, everyone loves you, though! Isn't that nice? Everyone loves a... a person with a weaker will. And... and it seems like it would be much easier to have fun, if... I mean, even if I don't want to be that person, you're still very... maybe it would be fun to..."

She trailed off. Tabbi frowned, looking around. Her right ear flicked, as if a bee was annoying her.

Elka gave a miserable whine. "Not today, Tabbi. I'm going back to the village." She turned, scowling down at her bare feet. She'd just have to walk home like this. "Assuming I don't get caught and enslaved by a slime girl on my way back."

"Elka." Tabbi's voice was sharp. "Do you hea—"

Because Elka was looking at the floor—a simple dirt floor, as the distillery was more a shed than a proper building—she only noticed the door open when she felt the rush of unsweetened fresh air from outside.

She looked up and froze as stiff as a board.

The woman who had just entered the distillery was tall. Taller even than Mistr—Jyrulea, with an absurd hourglass figure and long strawberry blonde locks that rolled like water in the rapids, water that reflected an impossibly brilliant sunrise. She was dressed in a tight suit that visibly strained to contain her curves, and wore a rather silly looking Nyaskan-style top hat.

Her eyes shared her lips' bright, luscious honey-gold.

She was a Thriae—a wasp-girl, one of the fey infamous for their addictive honey, their wicked lust for conquest and, most of all, the irresistible hypnotic buzz of their diaphanous wings. But as far as Elka could tell, she had no wings. The new arrival stepped into the distillery, surveying everything—including Elka and Tabbi—with what seemed to be perfect indifference.

"Um." Elka heard Tabbi take a deep breath. "Um, hello, miss, um... Thriae. We can't... we are not currently accepting..."

"Hm." The newcomer bent over a table and picked up one of the spiles used to tap the sugarbush. She tucked it into a pouch by her side.

"Hey!" Tabbi sounded indignant. She stalked over to the Thriae. "Excuse me, Miss, but you can't jus—mm!"

Without even looking at her, the Thriae had reached back into the pouch, pulled out a lollipop, and stuck it in the catgirl's open mouth. Tabbi's eyes widened in even worse indignation as the Thriae brushed past her and Elka to arrive at the syrup vat.

"Is this sugar maple?" she asked, dipping a finger into the concoction and tasting it. As she sucked on her finger, her eyes lit up in delight. Her voice was as sweet as candy, tender and soft like a caramel truffle.

"Mm—hey!" Tabbi pulled the lollipop out of her mouth, glaring. "You can't just—"

She paused.

She licked the lollipop. "You," she repeated, eyes blazing, "can't just... just walk in..." She licked it again, stumbling forward.

The Thriae took out a little jar and dipped it casually into the syrup, filling it up. She cast about, tsking to herself. "Oh, did I bring a lid?"

"Can't just..." Tabbi licked the lollipop, then stuck it inside her mouth and suckled on it, eyes wide. Little kittenish sounds escaped her as her lips smacked. She pulled it back out, swaying. "... walk in here, all... sweet... can't just be all sweet and pretty... walk in here..."

"Yes, dear," the Thriae said patiently, giving a slight smile. "Like, do you have any jar lids?"

Tabbi was sucking on the lollipop again, her eyes big and glowing with faint red-and-violet swirls. "Ummm..." She pulled the lollipop out. She licked it. "T-Top shelf, behind the..." She bit her lip. "No, wait, you ca—mm!"

The Thriae had casually taken the catgirl's hand and helped stick the lollipop back into her mouth, all without turning away from her survey of the shelves. "Ooh! There we go! Good kitty." The fey beamed as she retrieved a stack of lids and quickly screwed one onto the jar. She turned back to Tabbi, who was now moaning, her eyelids fluttering, releasing tiny flashes of pink light each time.

Elka watched all of this with half-parted lips, her own eyes wide. What. The. Hell? She dared not make a sound, watching how, in mere seconds, her fellow catgirl apprentice had dissolved into a helpless, candy-sucking bimbo. She dared not think about how pretty those pink eyes looked.

For once, Elka wasn't the one getting her mind melted into goop, and she had no intention of getting "second-hand mind controlled" a third time this month.

The Thriae made her way round the distillery, humming to herself as she took tools, pilfered potions, even at one point seemed to consider stealing Jyrulea's best whisk. Elka watched her work, barely breathing. Had she just not noticed Elka? Or did she truly not care?

She also watched Tabbi, despite her best efforts to not look. She watched the catgirl suck, with the cutest blank look on her face, full of concentration, as if sucking this candy was the most important, natural, instinctual thing in the world, something all kitties did as easily as breathing. Her eyes were big, beautiful screens of empty pink spirals. She swayed from side to side, whimpering, practically drooling with her efforts.

And Elka watched, and tried not to think too hard about how badly she wanted a candy of her own. Because she didn't. She was just too weak to remember that fact when she saw how good submission felt.

How happy Tabbi looked as she suckled that sweet candy into melty bliss.

After several minutes of this agonizing torture, the Thriae gave a final, happy, "Hm!" She tucked away the jar of pomegranate marmalade she'd just flagrantly stolen and turned to Elka and Tabbi. "Very good kitties," she cooed. "I'll just get out of your hair, now, okay, sweeties?"

Tabbi moaned, her head very slowly bobbing up and down.

The Thriae smiled. "Well?"

It took Elka a moment to realize she was being addressed. She squeaked. "Um. Yes! Okay!"

The blonde bombshell licked her lips, admiring Elka a moment. Elka quivered, remembering she was practically naked and covered in liliraune nectar.

But then the fey turned, walked over to Tabbi, and plucked the lollipop out. Only the wooden stick remained. She gave the little stick a flick, and it seemed to elongate, twist, curve, until it resembled a gnarled magic wand with a red flowerbud at the tip. "Thanks very much!" she cooed, patting Tabbi on the head. "Such a good kitty, keeping it warm for me."

Tabbi whimpered and moaned.

The Thriae flashed Elka a sly grin, then sauntered out of the distillery.

Elka stared after her, watching that swaying ass.

Her heart was pounding as the door swung open and the Thriae walked through.

And it leaped into her throat when, just as the door was about to slam behind her, Elka raced forward and caught it, hurrying after the intruder.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Wait!" she cried. "Wait for me!"

The Thriae turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Pardon me, sweetie?"

Elka ran up, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her head was spinning not with intoxication—though maybe she was feeling a bit affected by all these smells and spells and nectars, come to think of it—but with terror and confusion. What was she doing? "You..." She swallowed. "You're Aposta, aren't you? The Rogue Thriae."

Aposta stopped and turned all the way back, placing a hand on her hip and swinging it sharply to the side to examine Elka. "The one and only."

"You betrayed your Hive. They... they tore—"

"Hey, sweetie, we both know who I am." Aposta smiled slightly, though it was a false smile. She was clearly impatient to be off, and Elka felt pangs not just of her fear but of social anxiety. This woman looked a lot like the village girls who loved to tease Elka years ago—she even had the slightly mocking, plasticky tone of voice. "And it's super nice that you know me! So are you gonna stop me, then?" Her eyes glimmered. "Do you think a Hive will give you a nnnniiice, sweet reward for it?"

"No!" Elka shook her head frantically. "No, I don't—I just wanted to—"

"Go on, babe." Aposta smirked, leaning back to strike an imperious pose. "Use your words. Unless you need me to, like, drip them out of you?"

Elka took a deep breath, trying not to think too much about how sweet and honeyed everything suddenly smelled around the cottage.

"I want a job!" Elka burst out.

Aposta blinked.

"What?"

"I... I want a job!" Elka bit her lip, her courage quickly failing her as she stared into those surprised golden eyes. "I mean... you are a mage, aren't you?"

"Alchemist, sugarbowl." Aposta smiled slightly. "It's only as magical as a dream."

"Um, right." Elka swallowed. "But you could teach me that, couldn't you?"

Aposta struck another pose, stretching above her head. "And... like, don't get me wrong, this is super cute and not what I'm used to from kitties like you—" Elka shivered at the way she said kitties "—but why would I need an apprentice, sweetie? And why wouldn't I just... take one?"

She licked her lips and grinned.

"Because," Elka said, swallowing, "you need me."

"Hm?"

"You need someone willing," she went on, barely trusting herself to think about her words before she said them. "You need someone you don't have to... have to dumb down, or sweeten up. Someone who serves you because she wants to serve you. Because otherwise, she'll betray you as soon as someone sets her free, and then the Thriae will know everything about you."

"Interesting point. But what..." Aposta's voice fell to a purr as she leaned in, and Elka whimpered as the honey smell grew stronger. "... what makes you think that I would ever let a pretty kitty like you... get free?"

Elka stared into those shining suns. Don't answer the question, she told herself. Focus. Focus on the pitch, like you did with Jyrulea. "You need a servant," she said aloud. "Someone who can warn you about danger. Someone who could never threaten you, wh-who could never—" she squeaked as Aposta's fingers grazed her cheek "—never even pose a threat." "But who could go into towns and act normal and get you supplies." She tried to straighten a little, making her voice firm. "So you d-don't have to break into witch cottages to get cooking utensils."

Aposta drew back. She blinked, cocking her head to the side. Lost in those eyes, Elka felt like her whole world tilted with them. "Clever kitty," she murmured. Long fingernails danced on Elka's neck. "You're much, much smarter than you look."

Elka's cheeks burned, even as she shivered at the sensation, feeling her tail bristling at the tiny touches. "You... thank you?"

"Never even pose a threat," Aposta mused, licking her lips. "Very true. But tell me, sweetie..." She beamed, leaning in even closer. "Why shouldn't I just brainwash you anyway? What's in this for you?"

"You're infamous," Elka whispered, "for your metamental magic. You were behind the... inoculation they practiced in Enterprise."

"That city did borrow some of my research, yes." Aposta's gaze soured slightly. "Though they took it a bit further than I would have done."

"You can protect me from mind control." Elka took another deep breath, ignoring the waves of sugary bliss that hung around the edges of her mind with every breath of Aposta she took. "That's the deal. I serve you, willingly, loyally. I'm a very good assistant! I can cook, clean, identify herbs, buy supplies..." She bit her lip. "I, um. I only ask that you not addict me to your honey, and you not brainwash me. You can keep me safe."

"Oh, can I?"

"You... you can even use me to distract fey," Elka squeaked reluctantly. "As long as you save me before they go too far. And keep my mind from being affected. I'm..." She ran her hands over her body. "... really good at attracting fey."

"Hee. Don't have to tell me." Aposta grinned. "So I keep your mind safe, teach you my alchemy, and you take care of me while I work. What a lovely idea."

"Hey!!" burst out an enraged voice. Elka turned, her heart stopping, as she saw Jyrulea storming out of her cottage. The witch already had several spells in her hands ready to cast as she advanced. "Elka, who in the gods' names thinks she can just—"

Aposta raised the lollipop wand, winked at Elka, and gave it a twitch.

The wand's red bud opened like a blooming blossom, and a puff of pollen burst out right in Jyrulea's face.

Jyrulea blinked, coughing. She waved her arms to disperse the pollen, reeling back, the spells spinning out of control in her hands. "What did you just mew! Mew! Mew!"

Her eyes widened.

Two fluffy cat ears were poking up from the top of her head.

"Um," the witch stammered, "y—mew!" Squirming in discomfort, she wrenched her skirt down, allowing her twitching tail to escape. She stared at Aposta with wide eyes.

"Be a good kitty," Aposta said sweetly, "and give yourself a bath."

The new catgirl only had time to look at her hands in dawning horror as all four of her own spells cascaded upon her, swirling pink and orange magic as pink spectral vines yanked her up into the air, as scarlet lipstick marks started to appear with wet smooching sounds all over her face, as her eyes dissolved into brilliant spirals and her clothes were stripped away by phantom hands.

"What..." Elka stared in shock. "What did..."

"Witches." Aposta giggled. "First lesson, new apprentice: A witch should never come after an alchemist. Alchemy works on how you think reality works, and witches are full of spirits with all kinds of delicious dreams." She patted Elka on the head as they watched the witch thrash and squirm and mewl, as her face melted into pure bliss, drowned in kisses and caresses and those pretty spirals. "The second lesson is to never go for four spells when one will do the trick. C'mon, sweetie." She patted Elka's ass. "Let's get moving."

Elka stared a moment longer than she should have. She hoped Aposta hadn't noticed her slack-jawed expression, or the way her eyes were fixated on Jyrulea's.

She hurried after, blushing.

A deal was a deal. But it wouldn't do to tempt her new Mistress.

~ ~ ~ ~

"And here we are—my home away from home!" Aposta gestured grandly to the dome-like structure. It was sort of like a classical Thriae hive, Elka was pretty sure, though her only experience with Thriae hives was from the drawings in the copper books you could buy at the back of the store. It shimmered in the morning light, seemingly made out of solid gold—or, more likely, petrified Thriae honey.

"It's... lovely," Elka said, blinking wide eyes. So this was how a rogue Thriae lived.

"Mm, it is, isn't it?" Aposta smirked, sauntering into the little cottage structure. Elka hurried after, biting her lip.

Elka initially thought the small dome would contain one large room, but the interior astounded her. It was surprisingly spacious, with thin walls and silk curtains artfully dividing the space. The light reflected through the hardened honey, bathing everything in golden-tinted sunlight. It was like walking on a sunbeam, a sunbeam made out of honey.

Several devices were at work in here. A large metal hook worked in a cauldron to the side, pulling what appeared to be toffee. There was no hand manipulating the hook—it moved of its own accord. That had to be magic, right? That couldn't just be alchemy. Nearby, a trio of kettles occupied a stove, bubbling away, full of what looked like cinnamon sticks. A fourth kettle roiled with the smell of caramelizing sugar.

On the opposite side of the room, an array of incredibly detailed and ornate lollipops hung from the wall—like swords might hang on the wall of a former adventurer, now retired but ready to pick up the blade at a moment's notice. The lollipops ranged from little spheres the size of the one Aposta had fed to Tabbi to great spiraling circles the diameter of Aposta's shapely hips. You could club someone to death with a lollipop that big, or kill your brain with a sugar overdose.

"Try not to touch anything," Aposta said airily, dumping the pouch onto a desk—clearing away everything else in the process, much of it right onto the golden tile floor.

"It's... a mess," Elka stammered, despite her nerves about this new arrangement. "What happened here?"

"Oh..." Aposta sucked the tip of her thumb, looking around the room as if she'd never noticed before how absolutely ramshackle it was. Tools and discarded candy wrappers covered the floor. Half-used ingredients, old herbs past their expiration date, two sacks of sugar—one of which had spilled onto the floor. "I guess it has gotten a bit out of control. I'm very busy, Elka."

"It's not about business, it's about—" Elka bit off her words. "Okay. I can help with this."

"I know you can," Aposta purred. Elka's breath caught as she felt fingers under her chin, tilting Elka's head to face her new Mistress. "I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job!"

Elka blinked. She felt such a strong urge to just give in and melt into that hand, dissolve into Aposta's arms. Her lower lip quivered. "W-Wonderful..."

Aposta blinked, too. She pulled back. "Whoops." She giggled. "Gosh, you're certainly... "

"I know," Elka said, feeling her cheeks flushing. She took a step back.

"... certainly very vulnerable, aren't you?"

"I know," Elka repeated, gritting her teeth. "Look, how about I just start, um, cleaning? And you can go get some sleep."

Aposta's face lit up. "Ooh, sleep? Really?" She looked up at the ceiling. "Wow. I... I don't think I've actually really slept in a while."

"... really?"

Aposta smiled. "No time to sleep," she murmured, brushing by Elka. "And it's not safe. Anyone could get in here. Take advantage of me."

Elka bit her lip. "Like who?"

She felt Aposta nuzzling her neck, and squirmed. She knew that this was going to be the new normal. All fey were affectionate, and Thriae were... social creatures, by nature. Aposta had been alone for a long time. Elka had to get used to Aposta wanting to touch her.

It wasn't that she minded. Aposta had asked her on the way if she did—if she liked being touched like that, if it bothered her. Elka had been a blushing, stammering mess as she'd answered.

She didn't mind being touched. She wasn't even that horny, as these things went. The problem was how dominant those touches could be. She just didn't want to slip. Or to show Aposta how easily it could be done.

She had to get used to a more physically affectionate Mistress. She couldn't let it send her head into such a haze, such a scattered, distractible...

"Don't you think?" Aposta whispered in her ear. And Elka realized Aposta had been talking to her. Answering the question.

"Um." Elka swallowed. "Yes? But, um." She searched for a question that wouldn't make it obvious she hadn't been paying attention at all. "If someone comes in, what if they... what if they spell me? I won't be able to warn you." Vaguely, she realized she was arguing with her own suggestion, but at least she was saying something.

"Only my spells work in here," Aposta murmured, still resting her chin on Elka's shoulder. "I told you I'd keep you safe, Elka. You just need to be sure to wake me up if trouble comes. Until then, feel free to play my catgirl maid for a bit." She kissed Elka's neck. "Sound okay?"

"Yes, Aposta." Elka nodded, barely trusting her own tongue. "Okay."

Aposta giggled right in her ear, then pulled back. Elka sighed with relief as she was freed. Oh, thank goodness.

Then she realized she'd sighed aloud, and her cheeks burned as she heard Aposta laughing, practically skipping to the bedroom. "Remember," she sang, "don't touch anything important!"

Elka sighed.

The idea that no mind control was allowed in this building was a comfort, but gods, it just felt so good to imagine...

She banished the thought and set to work.

~ ~ ~ ~

Elka took some pleasure in the simple work of cleaning, actually. It felt nice to just... clean. To work without any fear of mind control.

Aposta actually seemed to be keeping her word. Elka couldn't believe that, even though it matched what she'd heard. Aposta's reputation was for being fairly ambivalent towards mortals—sometimes toying with them, sometimes helping them out, especially where Hives were concerned.

Unfortunately, what the rumors had neglected to mention was how incredibly messy Aposta could be. Elka grimaced, looking at the fallen bags of sugar. Did she ever clean? This was unacceptable, even for a fey! Maybe especially for a fey!

I thought Thriae were supposed to be efficient, she groused as she got a rag wet from the washbasin and set about cleaning off the desk. Bits of candy and caramel were stuck to it, some splotches looking years-old.

Once she was done with the desk, she took a step back, considering the work she'd done. The room looked a lot better.

She decided to take a brief break. A little break couldn't hurt, could it? Surely it'd be okay to take a look around.

Just a little glance at that strange magical toffee hook, for instance. She sucked on one finger as she examined the curious device.

Initially, she'd assumed the hook was just levitating on its own. Now, though, she could see that it wasn't actually doing anything.

The toffee was moving the hook, pulling around it. The hook was almost a pliant participant, attached to the wall by a flexible rubber attachment. The toffee itself was alive. It was pulling itself. So what did it need the hook for? Was the hook a part of the spell?

Alchemy works on how you think reality works. The phrase rang in her head. She blinked down at the swirling toffee. It's powered by... by belief. Like a placebo. Maybe the hook makes the toffee work.

It looked oddly delicious, considering Elka wasn't much of a toffee person. She stared into the twisting concoction, watching swirling red and gold candy pull and twist and swirl and fold.

She bit her lip. She felt exhausted after all that work, and this was as soothing as anything. She looked around, then grabbed a stool and sat down, watching the candy pull itself.

Would it work if no one was around to believe in it? Did the toffee itself have a belief? Elka had heard some Tower Mages argued that even objects had spirits, as if they were connected to the World Base the druids spoke of.

Swirl, swirl, twist. Fold. Twist. Pull. Swirl, swirl, twist. Fold.

Elka watched it placidly, enjoying the simple repetition. After all these hours of stress, fear, and hard work, it felt so nice to just... sink into something soothing. She was almost getting tingles from the sight. It felt good to watch. Good to relax.

Even her theories about the magic faded from her mind as she watched it swirl. Swirl. Swirl.

Unconsciously, her head was bobbing, following the motions of the hook. She wondered how the toffee would taste. It looked so soft, and yet so firm, like silken cords. It could probably taste wonderful. Alchemist treats always tasted delicious. Like cotton candy, like raspberries and honey, judging by the color.

Twist. Twist. Swirl. Elka felt her head sinking, lolling downwards. It felt so... so soothing to watch. Her head was tingling from the sight. It radiated a gentle heat, too, making it so very comfortable to just... lean over the edge for a bit.

She was inches from the toffee, she realized numbly. Swirl. Swirl. Swirl. Twist. Inches from the twisting, swirling candy. It smelled sweet. Like honey. Like raspberries. Like cotton candy.

Vaguely, she sensed that something was off about this. But it just looked so soft and yet so firm. It felt so warm. It wouldn't be so bad to lie in a bed of this, especially when she was so tired.

It wouldn't be so bad to just... drop. It was like the toffee was wrapping around her, so soft and gentle as it twisted, twisted, pulled her in, deeper and deeper...

Her eyelids fluttered, but her eyes remained fixed in the swirling candy batter. She swayed forward, whimpering softly as she felt warm, soft, firm, sticky loops wrapping around her neck. It felt so good to just... to just...

She heard faint giggling, and almost swore she could feel hands caressing her arms, pulling her deeper. The hook was gone. She felt so sleepy. So dizzy. It felt so wonderfully easy to just... to just slip deep, deep, just let these ropes of toffee drag her into the vat. She could swear she could feel someone nuzzling her neck, feel impossibly supple bodies wrapping around her, dragging her down...

"Oh, my." The silken, honeyed voice of Aposta trickled into her ears, along with a sense of alarm as she realized she was halfway inside the vat, staring at a mass of warm, swirling candy. And it was covering her face, her neck, her hanging breasts, sticky and sweet and—"Elka, what happened to you?"

Elka squirmed, trying to pull out. She managed to lift her head above the vat's edge to stare miserably at Aposta. "Um. I. Um."

She had no idea what to say.

Aposta raised an eyebrow, and appeared to take pity on her. Marginally. "Did you get hypnotized by that toffee, Elka?"

Elka whimpered and nodded.

Aposta giggled, leaned forward, and snapped her fingers.

The toffee released Elka with a sticking sound, plopping back into the bowl. The hook fell in, and the toffee resumed its efforts.

"It's not supposed to do that," the Thriae said, sounding almost impressed. "What were you thinking about?"

Elka clasped her hands behind her back. "I... um... nothing?"

She realized after the fact that this didn't sound much better than the truth.

Aposta smirked. "Okay, then. Stay away from the toffee puller, okay? It's sensitive alchemy. Very sensitive to empty heads like yours, I guess."

"Mm." Elka nodded meekly. "It felt like it was... pulling me in."

"Did you... believe it would pull you in?"

Elka chewed her upper lip.

Aposta reached over and plucked a little stray toffee from Elka's hair. Elka found herself shivering against the touch, leaning into Aposta's hand.

She'd given in again. Already. She'd already gotten mind controlled by something, and it was a candy machine. If Aposta hadn't been here to save her, she would have been... well, a sticky mess.

She sighed and let Aposta pull her into a comforting hug. She melted into that embrace. If Aposta hadn't been here. But Aposta had. And it felt... nice. To have someone to save her.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," she mumbled against Aposta's chest. Aposta was just wearing a silky nightgown now, and Aposta felt very warm and very soft right now. "I... I meant to... let you sleep longer."

She felt Aposta chuckle, and the Thriae started stroking her hair. "Honeybowl, it's night time. I slept all day. You did very well."

Elka blinked. "Whuh?"

"You've been staring into that toffee for a long, long time, sweetie," Aposta cooed. "Poor thing. You must be so tired."

Elka was tired. Her eyelids dropped, and she fell into blissful darkness, burying her face in Aposta's cleavage. She felt so embarrassed, but more than that, she felt tired. Pliant. It felt so nice to just relax in Aposta's embrace.

"We'll have to be more careful, of course, cutie." Aposta patted her head. "If you'd been all entranced like that when someone came by, we'd have both been goners. Unless they got too distracted with you to remember about me."

Elka moaned. Aposta's words were melting into pleasant static, emptying her thoughts. It felt so good to ooze. To obey. To be a good girl.

"But you," Aposta cooed, "looked so cute, I'll bet nobody could've resisted playing with you. So cute. So easy."

"Mm." Elka whimpered and clung to Aposta, her lips parting to plant little kisses over Aposta's cleavage. "Uh-huh... easy..."

There was a pause.

"Elka?" Aposta whispered.

"Uh-huh...." Elka kissed and licked, searching for something to. Something to suck. Something to taste. She felt so nice, so soft and molten, so sweet and easy...

She felt Aposta pulling her away, and she whimpered unhappily.

Then she realized what she was doing, and her eyes opened wide. She stared up at Aposta, jerking away. "I—I, um—"

Aposta licked her lips, smirking down at her. "I wasn't even trying that time," she cooed.

Elka swayed, staring up at those luscious lips, lost in those dulcet tones. She felt so naked before Aposta. Not even her bra and panties felt like they concealed anything. Her eyelids fluttered. "I... I just need sleep," she mumbled. She started to pull away.

For a moment, Aposta held her. And Elka stared up at the Thriae, saw that horny, hungry look in her eyes.

"How ever did you survive?" the bee maiden murmured, running a finger over Elka's lips. Elka whimpered. Her lips parted, as she stared into Aposta's eyes, breathed in her Mistress's scent... "How ever did you endure without someone like me to keep you safe?"

"P-Please," Elka whimpered, not even sure what she wanted, but she wanted it so badly, wanted Aposta to... to...

No! She shook herself, and pulled again. This time, Aposta released her.

"I should go to bed," Elka managed. She took a step closer to Aposta, staring up into those eyes. No. No, goddammit, stop tempting her! She already wants to do it, don't— "Is that... okay? Is there a bedroom for me, Mistr—Aposta?"

Aposta beamed, and took her hand.

"You're going to sleep on the floor," she cooed, "like a good kitty. Okay?"

As her fingers brushed over Elka's head, Elka wasn't sure if it was tingles of mind control or what she wanted to be mind control.

Alchemy was about how you believed reality worked.

She nodded docilely and let Aposta lead her by the hand back to the bedroom.

~ ~ ~ ~

Elka lay on the floor, with numerous pillows and blankets serving as a surprisingly soft bed. But then, anything felt soft and warm and cuddly when she felt so soft and warm and cuddly.

Her Mistress—Aposta—was lying back in the bed, humming to herself as she worked on her notes. Just hearing that humming made Elka feel so safe. So nice.

She'd barely resisted the urge to beg to lie in Aposta's bed with her. Aposta seemed like she was barely resisting the urge to invite her. Elka shivered under her blankets, even as Aposta's sweet humming remind her how easy it would be. How much Aposta... liked her.

Loved her.

Wanted to take care of her.

Elka cuddled a pillow and humped it slightly, desperate to hold in her whimpers.

It felt so nice to submit. So nice to feel safe, warm, obedient. It had never felt so wonderful with... with anyone else. Jyrulea had treated her like a pawn. The liliraune treated her like a toy. Even sweet Tabbi seemed more obsessed with sex than... than love.

Elka's eyelids fluttered, and sucking on her fingers to hold in her whimpers, she slipped into a sweet half-sleep. Aposta's humming slipped in and out of her head, an endless buzz across the half-dreams.

Aposta was so beautiful. Such gorgeous golden hair, blinding her. Leaning in and kissing her with those plump lips. Good girl, she would whisper, stroking Elka's hair, and Elka would nod needily and agree. My good girl.

Her eyes would shine like a thousand stars, like twin vats of the sweetest syrup. She would coo and whisper to Elka, promise her pleasure. Doesn't it feel nice to sink into my eyes? Just drift. Just sink. Get all nice and sweet and melty for me. My melty, squishy kitty.

"Yes," she whimpered, nodding. "Yes, please?"

Kitten? Aposta would whisper. She would stroke Elka's cheek, long, delicate strokes until Elka was mewing, rubbing against that hand. She would scratch Elka's ears, rub her head. You're a good kitty, she would coo. My good, good kitty. No need to think. Kitties don't want to think!

No need to think. No need to think. "Don't wanna think," she whined, squirming beneath the dream. "Kitties... don't think..."

That's right, Aposta would purr, hugging her close, wrapping her in thick, warm blankets of sweet scents. Maybe, Elka thought, sucking on her thumb as she moaned softly, Aposta would even give her something sweeter to suckle. A lollipop. A finger dripping Thriae juices. A nipple. You don't want to think. It feels so good to just be a happy, dumb, mindless, blissful, melty...

"Melty," Elka whimpered, squirming more. She felt so constrained. So warm. "Melty! Please, oh, please, Aposta!"

Mistress, Aposta would hiss.

"Mistress," Elka cried, writhing in her restraints. Everything felt so warm and heavy, except her. She felt soft. Soft and obedient. Soft and needy. "Mistress, please... please make me a good kitty!"

"Honeypot?" cooed a sweet voice, syruppy with sleepiness. "Elka, my sweet apprentice, what ever is the matter?"

Elka blinked.

She was tangled in her blankets.

She was staring up into the real Aposta's eyes. Even prettier. Especially with the stars above shining through the amber walls.

"Oh," she squeaked. "Um, sorry, Mistre—Aposta. Did I... was I..."

"Talking in your sleep," Aposta murmured with a sly grin. She was lying atop Elka. Almost straddling her. "Oh, my poor thing, is that what this was about?"

Elka squeaked as she felt fingers grazing over her ears. She wanted to object, but...

... did she?

It was so hard to think about objecting when it was so soft to just lie still and let Mistress play with her.

"I see how it is," Aposta cooed, stroking Elka's hair with her other hand. She licked her lips, then licked Elka's. Elka whimpered. "You just need my help, don't you, kitty? You need to be taken care of."

"Um." Elka blinked rapidly. "Yes?" Yes, that was the deal. She needed to be taken care of. Needed to be. Protected.

"You don't wanna be claimed by just any liliraune or witch," she purred, stroking Elka's hair lovingly. "You want... a Mistress."

"Uh-huh," Elka gasped, feeling every thought inside her just melt into Aposta's soft hands. She stared into Aposta's eyes, struggling to make sense. A mistress. Wasn't that what she wanted?

"Someone," Aposta breathed, kissing Elka on the cheek. Elka let out a whine. "Someone who knows what you need, little kitty. Someone who looooves to take care of you. Someone who will tuck you into bed each night... take you..." She lowered down and nibbled Elka's earlobe. "... into her arms and melt your brains into nice, sweet goo, isn't that right?"

"Nnn." Elka stared into those beautiful eyes, squirmed and wriggled happily as she felt Aposta sitting down in her lap, pulling her into a sitting position, resting her against the side of the bed. She felt so warm. So cozy. So squishy. "Um, I mean... no?"

She was sure that was right. She was sure she was supposed to say no. But it would feel so good to say yes, wouldn't it? Why did she have to refuse something that would feel so good? She wanted to say yes so, so badly.

"No?" Aposta wriggled in Elka's lap, giggling, her curvy ass making Elka's cock twitch helplessly, eagerly in its constraints. She tenderly pulled Elka's thumb out of her mouth—though Elka's lips made a popping sound and remained open, as if waiting for something else to fill them. She'd forgotten she was even sucking anything. It just felt natural. "But you seem to liiiike me, don't you?"

She batted her eyelashes coquettishly. Elka couldn't resist that face.

"Uh-huh!" Elka squeaked and bobbed her head. That motion, too, felt so natural. So right. Nodding was what obedient girls were supposed to do. As natural as feeling good when a Thriae was giving you a lapdance in her bedroom, smiling down at you with an expression of adoration.

"That's great!" Aposta exclaimed. "Because I loooove you!" She booped Elka on the nose.

Aposta loved her. Elka stared dreamily into those golden eyes. She liked Aposta. Aposta loved her.

"And you want me to take care of you?" Aposta kissed her on the cheek, nuzzled her. Rubbed her ears. Elka panted as she slowly raised a hot pink lollipop to eye level. "Kitty wants to be taken care of?"

"Uh-huh," Elka whined. She felt Aposta stroking her sensitive tail, then her hair, then scratching behind her ears. Her foot started to kick at the latter, eliciting a delighted giggle. "T-Taken... care of? Yeah." Yes, that was right. She wanted that. Needed to be safe. Aposta was right again. Aposta loved her.

"And you wanna help me," Aposta purred, bobbing the lollipop before Elka's eyes. Elka's tongue flicked out and licked it as it passed by. Her eyes followed it. Around and around, in zigzags, figure-eights. She wanted it. She remembered Tabbi, and oh, goddesses, she wanted to feel so good. "Be my apprentice. Let me... experiment on you, maybe, a little bit? Just a little bit. Just as much as you want. And..." Aposta giggled, and just her sweet laugh made Elka feel so happy, so needy... "I think you might want it a lot. Because you know I'll always keep you safe. Safe and sweet."

Safe and sweet. Without realizing it, Elka's lips repeated the motions.

"That's right!" Aposta cooed. "Safe and sweet. And that's all we want, isn't it?"

The fey wiggled her hips, but it was her expression of triumph at Elka's moan, her delighted squinted eyes that finally broke Elka's attempt at resolve.

"Yes," Elka mewled, squirming helplessly. "Yes, Mistress. S-Safe and sweet. Take care of me. Please, please take care of me!"

Aposta's breath was heavy as she set the lollipop against Elka's lips. They slowly parted, first kissing it, then sucking as Aposta slid it into Elka's mouth.

Sweetness flooded her mind, exquisite, addictive sweetness. She stared up at Aposta in suddenly rose-tinted vision.

"Well..." Aposta was biting her upper lip, even as she started to wriggle faster, and Elka's breaths started to come shallower, joined by little kittenish whimpers... "I shouldn't... but maybe, like, just for tonight... we'll get you all settled in..."

She leaned in close, lips descending, ready to cover Elka in the kisses that would melt Elka's mind into mush and turn her into the Thriae's happy, mushy, squishy, silly sweet kitty for the rest of the night.

Or, if Elka begged very nicely... maybe even the rest of her life.

Elka suckled happily and hummed, beaming up at the approaching eyes. She could only hope.