Chapter 1.45 – Preparations
Fiona enjoyed watching Ash squirm desperately in her seat as the group was having breakfast. It hadn't helped that she made her put one of her toys inside with express command to not cum.
She did get her beautiful fox pet an actual breakfast as well - as much as it would be cute, making her live entirely on a diet of cum would be dangerous when they had to fight. She was sat picking at her eggs, her new tattoo still sore on her chest. A birdcage with a large elaborate lock, swirling filligree around the sides and climbing up and brushing the bottom of her neck.
Fionas hand had a key in the same swirling, fine detailed style.
"So" Qae continued, Fiona zoning back into the conversation. "I presume the three of you linked this morning" Her horned head nodded to Fiona, Liddy, and Ash as she took a bite of bread. "I believe we should be efficient and try to link prior to entering the portal - we have been lucky so far, but we can face danger immediately. At the same time, Fiona's [Exchange of Passions] is too powerful to not use so... You got any efficient suggestions?" She had a look at Annabelle. "Are you also into mathematics in the same way Fiona is?"
Annabelle snorted.
"Nah, Fiona is some fancy computer engineer thing, I failed out of college and worked two shitty jobs."
"Oh, I am uncertain what that means. You still need to link with Annabelle, and complete [Shared in Passion] isn't that right Fiona?" How a dragon could talk while eating bread and beans and still look so elegant was unbelievably unfair.
"Ehh... Yes, but I presume her highest stat is Wisdom - which doesn't really do much, so it's mostly for [Exchange of Passions]." Fiona was lost in thought for a moment. "I suppose I could find a subject for us over breakfast, and maybe me and Annabelle can do something afterward?" She looked at her goblin friend, who suggestively winked her eyebrows before laughing.
"Oh- what's that song, that guy? French-ish." She was snapping her fingers. "Broccoli?"
"Isn't broccoli a vegetable?" Liddy started.
"You have broccoli here?" Annabelle was surprised, all three sphere dwellers nodded in unison.
Fiona tried to understand what her friend was talking about, rubbing her head before it clicked.
"Are you talking about Benoit Mandelbrot?" She said finally, her head in her palms.
"Maybe. Did he do broccoli maths?"
Fiona sighed.
"Yes." She turned to Qae.
"Do you have the concept of fractal geometry in your mathematics? It's not my specialty at all but... It is fascinating."
And so pink sparks flowed between the dragon and the berserker as they discussed fractal mathematics, chaos theory and the Mandelbrot Set over breakfast, and everyone else got a headache.
"I am so confused." Liddy said after a while. "Are you linked yet?"
FIona blinked.
"Uhm... Yes, for like half an hour?" Fiona admitted, and Liddy groaned at the knowledge that she had to listen to that conversation for more than needed.
"About that - your world is fascinating. I wish I could study it's mathematics and sciences further"
"I'm happy to discuss them at any time." Fiona smiled at her smart dragon friend.
"Ok but can we bond now?" Exaggerated impatience in her voice, Annabelle had started poking Fiona in one muscular bicep.
"Before you go - I would like you to use your [Deepest Desire] On me" Qae interrupted the goblin. "I understand mine may, potentially be complex - however I would like to get a head start, if possible."
"Oh - sure, give me a second."
Qaerlyz bent down slightly to let Annabelle reach up and touch the sides of her head, under her horns, and the same magical glow happened around her head before they both looked up.
"Oh." Qaerlyz said.
"I knew it!" Annabelle smirked.
"I would... Can you not announce it to the group? I believe it is easy enough to resolve, but I would like to think about it for a moment. It seems a one-time thing." Qaerlyz seemed in deep thought for a second.
"It's like floor seven will be suitable." She said finally, her usual expression returning.
"Don't worry dragon queen, I'll keep your little secret" Annabelle grinned.
"Much appreciated." The paladin gave the witch a respectful nod of the head, as Annabelle turned to Fiona.
"Right - It's my time now, let's go, Fiona!" The goblin hopped off the bench and started up the stairs.
"Of course, I... I am really looking forward to catching up with you" Fiona felt bad she hadn't had more one one-on-one time with her friend yet.
"Can... Can you two look after my pet?" She smiled at Qae and Liddy, handing Qae Ash's leash. She leaned over and let them know her safeword, trusting Qae with her pet as she had been trusted with hers.
"We'll come get you when we are linked." She shouted as the two best friends rushed up the stairs.
Annabelle plonked herself onto Fiona's bed as the human woman shut the door behind them, before leaning against it, her hands behind her.
She grinned at Annabelle. The goblin grinned back.
"We're in an isekai!" Fiona squealed.
"A horny one!"
"I fucked a dragon!"
"You got a kitsune as a pet!"
Their first chat had been more serious, but the girls had relaxed. Happy.
"So... how would you like to link with me?" Annabelle stood on the bed, having kicked her shoes off, swishing her dress side to side, batting her eyelashes at her friend. Fiona leaped onto the bed, pulling the small green woman on top of her, Annabelle squeaking as she tickled her.
"Well, there's one thing I've not really done yet... it's felt I don't know, a little scary."
"Oh?"
"I've not... kissed anyone. Not properly." It had felt a bit strange to try to kiss any of her other friends, she'd had a peck from Liddy but.. But what was a kiss between best friends? And it felt right with Annabelle. Not that she didn't want to with Liddy, or Qae, or Ash, or most of the women she'd met... but she wanted to start with Annabelle.
"Oh" Annabelle let out a little squeak.
"You... you want to give me your first kiss? Think that will work?"
Fiona nodded
"Yeah we just have to be... passionate about the same thing" She leaned closer to the goblin's soft green lips.
Annabelle didn't answer, just parted her lips slightly as Fiona met them and the two friends melted into each other. The berserker pushed her tongue into the witch's mouth, as strong hands embraced the curvy short woman.
Their tongues wrestled and danced as Fiona lifted the shorter woman, Annabelle floating in the air as she devoured her best friend's lips, mouths clashing with a hunger she hadn't felt yet until they pulled apart, strings of spit bridging between them.
"That was fun." Annabelle said, as the pink glow started softly flowing between them.
"I... I think I like kissing."
"Gonna do it with the rest of your harem?" Annabelle smirked at her horny friend, who looked embarrassed.
"It's not a... It's not!" She said, shocked.
"Shut the fuck up, yes it is and I don't mind. As long as you share." The goblin dove back in, and the two just embraced, kissing and cuddling each other - Fiona's cock was straining, but she didn't want to go further yet. They did have to go to the next floor today - there was some time pressure.
As they lay next to each other, taking a moment to cuddle before going back to the party.
"I wonder what Quinty and Marielle are up to." Fiona asked her hand around Annabelle's waist. It felt right cuddling her friends like this, making out with them and everything else. Fiona realized that embracing both her passions and the tower had provided her with friends with similar interests. She knew the climb to the top would be arduous, so why not find joy were she could?
"Mariell is probably sleeping."
"She's in Singapore, Annabelle timezones are a thing." Fiona sighed. "You're always sleeping for me."
"Yeah, but she could just be awake."
"She is, sometimes."
"Do you think they are worried about us?"
Annabelle rolled over and kissed Fiona lightly on her nose.
"Yes. But..."
"But?"
"I gave them the link." Annabelle finally said.
"Oh. So they might be turning up." Fiona thought for a second. She didn't want more of her friends pulled into this in theory. But selfishly, she missed them - the two women had been her closest friends other than Annabelle.
"Yeah... I worry about that." She said nervously.
Fiona agreed. If the pattern followed, they would have their characters as they were - more or less, but a reasonable explanation. And while Annabelle and Fiona focused on things that would carry them through the tower... Quinty and Mariell did not. Not even a little.
"I hope they'll be okay." Annabelle said.
"If they even arrive - it is expensive. They might not do it." Hope in Fiona's voice. She didn't want her friends to be hurt, or trapped in here.
"Yeah."
They left the subject there, cuddling for a bit longer, Annabelle making Fiona promise, promise, that their next linking wouldn't end up with them both fully clothed before heading back down to the party.
They found the trio in the same booth, Ash with her head lying on the table, tongue lolling out in a pool of drool. Fiona raised an eyebrow at Qae and Liddy.
"The pet really wished to get her release, so we told her she could use her largest toys to release, but was not allowed to stop until you returned. She's a bit overwhelmed."
Fiona smiled, before sitting down next to her pet, patting her hair.
"Good girl... you can relax now. You did well." She cooed into Ash's fluffy ear. Her pet pushed into her, cuddling against her mistress, cooing.
"It felt so good Mistress... Mistress Liddy and Mistress Qae were very kind... Can I remove the toys now?"
"Yes, Pet... You can relax for a moment."
Ash lifted her bare hip - she'd pulled her bottoms down her thighs, hidden from anyone outside the booth, and pulled a toy out of each of her holes - the Fiona Clone from her cunt, and a similarly sized but smoother one from her rear. She gasped with release as they plopped out, before putting them into her inventory.
The party gave their Cannoneer a moment to recuperate before they all headed out. Annabelle had purchased some new spells - she explained as a witch, she had Abilities that had limited use but could also have a number of spells equal to her level that matched her nature to use. They had their limitation, mana usage, and preparation time - but she had a versatile set.
They walked as a group to the north gate where the floor portals were - the gates to floors five, six, and seven were all there and you would return to Climbertown after five and six. They needed to be done in order, and five and six were both open floors - live worlds where they could run into other climbers. Seven... She wasn't sure about it yet, Qae had spoken about it. And had told Liddy and Ash to under no circumstances let Fiona know what to expect from the first maverick or aberrant floor. People walking into it were not wearing any armour - more dressed like Liddy, and while it could all be unarmoured pals, that seemed odd.
Fiona decided to leave those concerns to later, as the quintet headed to their gate. Their specific quest would be generated by the tower - but they knew where they were going. The Plains of Alor. Fiona was excited, her blood stirring for adventure as they stepped through the shimmering portal, mood high.