Crucible of Ideas

The tentacles restraining me stroked my skin as if to trace some pattern on it.

It felt as if something was seeping into my body with each of their movements.

The strange sensation, accompanied by a heat, soaked into me from the places the tentacles touched, and made my heart flutter.

My breathing grew ragged and I couldn't hold myself back from letting slip a moan-like cry.

Even as I did so, more tentacles were appearing one after another from the darkness at my feet and twining themselves around my body.

It was such a frustrating sensation, both uncomfortable and just a little bit pleasant.

Every time the tentacles increased in number, the sensation of heat being sent into me increased as well, and now it was causing my thoughts to become dim and blurred.

A portion of the tentacles wrapping around me suddenly changed shape, and before I knew what was happening my hands and feet were engulfed in a mud-like substance the color of darkness.

I writhed, unable even to resist, at the mercy of the tentacles slithering across my skin.

Eventually, one of the tentacles wriggled into another shape and edged closer to me.

It was trying to slip inside my clothes.

"No, don't..."

Guessing the tentacle's intention, I struggled instinctively to escape out of fear and embarrassment.

But with my whole body already held fast by the tentacles, I didn't have a chance.

I could mount no resistance as the merciless tentacle swooped down on me.

It had smoothly and speedily succeeded in invading through the hem of my skirt, and now stroked my belly with a movement like a snake slithering.

The sensation made me ticklish and, bound as I was, I squirmed reflexively.

Heedless of my cries, the tentacle was crawling up towards my chest.

Before long it had passed it, and its tip emerged from my collar.

I could see the tentacle undulate right before my eyes.

It swiftly twined round my neck and crept up as far as my cheeks.

The tentacles stroked my cheek as if imitating the Lilim's earlier movements.

As before, heat flowed steadily into my body when the tentacle touched me.

The heat was gradually intensifying, and my reason melting away.

Already I had almost ceased to be capable of feeling repugnance for the tentacles, and their touch on my skin was becoming pleasurable.

I was moaning as if delirious with the heat.

The Lilim stared at me with satisfaction.

"Hee hee. What a lovely sight. I'd like to watch a little longer, but I suppose we've got to move forward," she said, and stepped towards me.

She raised one palm, appearing to concentrate slightly.

Then, from that hand oozed a black, sticky substance, the same as that in which my body was wrapped.

It rose soundlessly from her palm, whirling round and round, and formed a sphere a little smaller than a baby's head.

"Something like this, perhaps?"

Just like the tentacles that stretched from my feet, the black sphere wriggled as if it had a will of its own.

I could see strands of black fluid stretching from it, almost like water dripping.

It looked as if its surface was some syrupy liquid, or else as if it was made of mud.

Looking at my bound figure, the Lilim, the ball of darkness still floating over her palm, set her hand on her chin in a pensive expression.

"Hmm. I suppose your clothes will be in the way if we leave them like this, won't they?" She muttered, and snapped her fingers.

As if in response to that sound, several new tentacles were born from the darkness at my feet.

Glancing at the undulating tentacles, she spoke briefly.

"Strip her."

"Huh?"

I showed my confusion, momentarily unable to comprehend the meaning of her words.

But the black tentacles sensed the Lilim's intent and moved swiftly.

Accompanied by a noise of rushing air, the bending tentacles entered my field of vision.

The moment I registered their presence, they tore the clothes I was wearing to pieces without hesitation.

My favorite clothes became so many scraps dancing in the air.

But mysteriously there was not the least shock to my body, let alone any pain.

After a momentary cessation of thought, my reason began to function once more.

It was then that I finally realized I had been stripped naked.

It was probably too late, but I tried to scream anyway.

But, perhaps due to the enormity of the shock, I could make no sound emerge from my throat.

I had been stripped of everything, even my underclothes, in an instant.

The air was in direct contact with my skin, carrying with it a faint coldness.

At that chill the haze in my head cleared, and the feeling of pleasure was rapidly receding.

My reason reasserted itself and my shame and fear returned.

This time the scream came out.

I screamed, but the Lilim and the tentacles did not appear to take any notice.

On the contrary, the Lilim, seeing me bright red in shame, was looking even more cheerful than before.

"Hee hee. What pretty skin you have. How lovely," the Lilim said, looking at my exposed nakedness.

When I instinctively looked down in response, I could see my bare body, with nothing to hide it from my flat chest to my intimate parts.

My face burned with the shame at the sight.

"No... Don't look..."

Even more than being stripped naked, it was the shock of my unripe body being seen by another that made my tears fall.

But with my arms and legs still wrapped up in tentacles, I could neither escape nor hide my breasts and privates with my hands.

I had no choice but to bare my childish body to the wickedly smiling demon before me.

At the sight of me sobbing, my tears falling in large drops, the Lilim spoke in a slightly embarrassed voice.

"Oh dear. Perhaps I overdid it a little."

When my head remained lowered, she continued in a kinder tone than she had used before.

"There's no reason to be so down on yourself. In all honesty, I think you look perfectly charming."

The tone of her words told me that it was no lie; she really thought so.

But it was no comfort to me.

Seeing me like that, the Lilim seemed to be struck by another idea.

As she eyed me, there was still something of her former maliciousness in the kindness of her expression.