#multiprey

The man stopped at the door, turning to face his tiny companion to voice a concern he'd been hiding the entire walk over. “Okay, so what's the reason for all the secrecy?” And why did you tell me to bring a spare set of clothes?

“Well, it comes from a pretty weird place and he doesn't want to be publicly connected with it.” She gave a half-shrug. “Or with us. You know how it is.”

Guess I do. Life Studies – and similar Maven departments – had acquired a not-entirely-unfair reputation amongst the city of Eldevar over the years. “You said it's... a friend of yours?”

“Mhm!” Karla chirped, pressing a button set at borrower height on the threshold. “Heya, Rikard, is anyone in?” she asked, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, when it opened to reveal a rather nondescript human.

The human frowned then, blushing faintly, shook his head and stepped aside to hold the door for them. “Are you here for research or just to talk?”

“Research,” Karla said, walking inside and climbing up to stand on the main table. She turned to look at the other tiny once he'd joined her. “It's alright; he doesn't bite.”

Rikard barked a laugh, drumming his fingers on the end table as he sat down. “You keep asking me to, though, and I keep saying 'no'.”

Nicolas' eyes narrowed slightly. Why do I get the feeling I'm missing out on some very important subtext?

“Soooo, this is Nicolas; he's in the alchemy department at school.” She spun neatly on her toes to gesture back the other direction. “Nicolas, this is Rikard, a friend of mine who's helping out with some L.A. Research.”

Rikard smiled, waving a hand in friendly greeting. “What is it you're here for exactly?” he asked, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together on the table in front of them.

Glad that they weren't wasting time making inane small talk – not something Nicolas was inherently opposed to, mind you, just that his research came first – he got straight to it, “I'm working on a project arguing that – in some cases – impurities in solutions not only aren't detrimental, but can even be beneficial, depending on what the desired reaction is. I'm working my way through the common acids, and I'm on HCl right now.”

The human arched an eyebrow. “And that stands for...?”

“HCl is the formula for hydrochloric acid – and also hydrogen chloride, when not dissolved in water – one of the nastier ones on my list; you don't want that stuff on your skin since it chews right through rust. We actually produce it in small quantities in the stomach, and it gets used to digest food.” His brow furrowed in confusion when the human recoiled violently. Did I say something wrong? Nicolas had tried to dumb it down without coming across as having been dumbed down... maybe the guy noticed and got offended? “Um, what did-?”

“Let me guess,” Rikard said flatly, ignoring him to stare down an unrepentant Karla, “you told him you had an interesting 'impure' source you knew he hadn't procured yet.”

“Of course he hasn't!” She tilted her head. “C'mon, you're not gonna get in trouble; I ran it past the Dean and he approved the consent form I drafted.” Karla waved a hand back at Nicolas. “I had him read it, he signed it, what's your problem!?”

“What's... going on?” He walked closer to stand beside his classmate, looking between the two in utter confusion. “It's just chemical procurement, why are you acting like it's a big deal?”

“The thing is- I, uh- I...” Rikard rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, glancing aside at Nicolas warily, “...eat people. The 'source' is my stomach.”

Nicolas twitched, limbs tensing, and his face blanched even as the human's reddened. Oh. There's the subtext.

“Hey, hey, it's okay.” Rather than raising his hands in a defensive, guarded motion, he just tilted them at the wrist to give the same impression, keeping his movements slight, to avoid panicking the tiny man further. “You should have told him.” Rikard turned to scold Karla again. “You know it sounds worse coming from me.”

“I can't help it,” she giggled mischievously, one hand over her mouth. “It's not my fault nobody reads the consent forms all the way through.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes, looking back over at the skittish borrower. “That's what... that's the spell they're studying – how my entire digestive system changes after I've eaten someone. It's totally safe, which is good because certain people seem to enjoy it.” Rikard glared at one such person, who just beamed innocently.

“It's actually fun,” she said, leaning over and telling Nicolas in a stage whisper, hand up to her mouth to complete the affectation, “He's nice but super paranoid about making sure everyone's okay.”

“It's because it's weird!” He held his hands up in a half-shrug. “What sane, rational person would like to get eaten alive?”

“I never claimed to be sane, sweetheart.” Karla smiled impishly.

Rikard frowned, “I'm starting to think you've got more of your clothes here than in your own dormitory.”

“Mayyybe,” Karla winked at him before turning and nodding firmly at Nicolas. “Would it help if I showed you?”

“I- yeah, it would, a little bit.” He watched his classmate hop eagerly onto the human's hand. “H-have you guys done this a lot, then?”

“Practically every time she comes over, so at least once a week.” Rikard grinned. “Usually just in time to help with dinner, too.”

“If you know what he means,” Karla chimed in, waggling her eyebrows.

“But... you do know this is suuuuper illegal.” Nicolas felt he had to mention this fact, not wanting to become complicit just by watching.

“Hey, if nobody's reporting a crime, did it ever really happen?” She flashed him a cocky 'I got this' hand gesture as she slid into Rikard's mouth, disappearing from view.

The human's eyes immediately slid shut, a loud and pleased purr echoing, followed by a contented sigh. There were several more sighs, delighted purrs, and almost moans of simple satisfaction. Whatever Karla was doing in there, whatever he was doing to Karla, clearly Rikard was enjoying every moment of it.

He waited with bated breath, feeling his pulse pound in his throat as he watched the human's throat bob, a large wriggling lump – was she struggling? Why? – slowly descending. The human sighed happily again, and Nikolas grimaced. Yes, he had heard of humans who'd eaten tinies, and also of larger non-humans doing the same. But to actually witness it happen? Unnerving, horrifying even. Rikard saw him staring and raised his eyebrows, shrugging slightly.

“I do know it's illegal. But apparently whatever this-” he swept a hand through the air in front of his abdomen, “-magic is doing, your headmaster and several deans are willing to overlook the law in order to study it. I mean, only if the person or persons are also willing to be eaten, obviously.” Rikard pointed a finger at his stomach. “There's nobody nearly as insistent as this little brat, of course, but I have more friends that let me eat them than I could possibly hold at once.”

“But... why?” he asked, adjusting his glasses in a fidget as he walked closer, “Why do they enjoy it so much?”

“You should ask her,” the human shrugged, holding out his hand. “I'm still trying to figure it out on my end, since all I've got is 'people taste good' and 'it feels nice when they squirm'.”

Nicolas stepped onto the outstretched hand, deciding that it would indeed be best to hear it from Karla. He tensed when moved the hand moved, but leaned against the human's abdomen, pressing against his shirt. “So, uh, why do you enjoy being eaten?”

“Oh, hey, Nicolas,” she said in a shy giggle. “You really wanna know why? I can science it out for you if you'd like, since you're such a dork. Humans are endothermic, like us, so it's always nice and warm in here. And there's so many different noises his stomach makes; it's fun to guess at what each one means. I can barely hear the outside world through all that flesh, which makes it so easy to just soak and relax in my own personal sauna, ignoring all my responsibilities.”

Rikard sighed above them. “Whatever makes you feel better about procrastinating with your homework, honey.”

“Oh, you hush your face; I'll get it done... eventually.”

He heard a noise, more of a bubble than a growl, and asked hesitantly, “You're sure it's safe?”

Karla laughed and he heard a dull thump, the flesh near his head vibrating faintly. Had she hit him? “Yup! So safe that the only 'problem' is eventually you're gonna get hungry or thirsty.” She snickered quietly. “I mean, there is a solution, but that's a little too gross for me.”

Nicolas made a face; he had a pretty good guess what she meant. “How long is this going to take? I don't want us to break curfew.”

It was Rikard who answered. “I don't think that long. Maybe just a couple of hours? I don't know if the acids and stuff are made right away, and even if it's started trying to digest Karla already it might be awhile before my stomach produces enough for what you need.” He rubbed at his neck again. “And I don't know where the spell starts to affect things, or how it does, so you'd probably want some of that HCl stuff right as it's being produced, and then any that's made its way into the, ah-” His face reddened and he looked quickly away for a moment, “the goo left over from my lunch earlier.”

“'Chyme'. It's called 'chyme'.” Karla giggled again. “And I'll be fine, Nicolas. Just tell the Dean I'm spending the night. I'll head back after breakfast tomorrow.”

'I told you she was crazy,' Rikard mouthed silently, looking exasperated.

“Doesn't that make you crazy, too?” Nicolas pointed out.

“No, not really. I- I like that nice full feeling I get after eating someone. Or someones,” he tacked on with a meaningful look at Nicolas. “Nobody's said they mind filling up my gut while I'm out doing errands. I just...” Rikard held his hands out in front of him, palms up, slowly curling them into fists. “I honestly can not explain how amazing it feels to swallow one of you, or how insanely delicious you all taste! I've tried, believe me, I’ve tried! But... I just can never seem to find the right words!”

The source of the human's frustration was obvious – to him, at least. “So what you're saying is you're wanting to eat me.”

“Yes.” The response was immediate.

Unsurprising. “Right now?”

Rikard chewed on his lip, looking guilty. “I really do, yeah,” he said in an apologetic tone. “Technically since you signed her stupid little consent form I don't have to ask your permission; you already gave permission simply by signing so I'm allowed to eat you even if you say 'no' now.” He slowly lifted Nicolas up to eye level, who nervously watched him, not moving.

“I am still getting paid for this, right?” Getting paid to work on his own studies? It had sounded too good to be true... clearly he just hadn't read carefully enough to catch the catch. Nicolas vowed to read every last word of the T&C so he'd never be caught out like this again, no matter how boring the legalese might get.

The human nodded. “I'm not the one paying you, though; I'm just a contracted employee. My own contract says I'm not allowed to refuse reasonable research requests, and this stupid one counts as reasonable.” Rikard grimaced faintly, eyes dulling briefly. “Honestly, I prefer it when people are willing, but uh, I'm hungry and you're right here, so...” He licked his lips.

Nicolas drew in a shaky breath. “If I say I'm alright with you eating me – and that's a big 'if' – you're not going out, are you?”

Rikard shook his head. “There was some stuff I was getting ready to do around the house, so you might have to work at getting my attention, but no.”

The way the human's eyes had lit up, how they were studying him with interest – it all seemed innocent, and the dean had only reacted with a chuckle when he'd waved them out of his office, but it was definitely illegal... still, twenty gold was twenty gold. He looked from Rikard's outstretched other hand to his face in confusion.

“If you hand me your glasses, I'll keep them safe and dry. It's not like they'd do you any good once you're in my gut, since you wouldn't be able to see anything anyway.” He pulled a disgusted face. “Just imagine if they got knocked off, would you want to be fishing around in that 'chyme' trying to find them?”

Slowly Nicolas removed his glasses, holding them out. “Be careful with them, please?” Now Rikard's face was just one big blur. “I had to have those specially made.”

Another, smaller blur delicately lifted them from his hand, the rustle of fabric over fabric suggesting his glasses had been stowed in the human's shirt pocket. “Alright, they're safe.” Something moved in the blur, the slick noise sounding like- “In you go!” Rikard said cheerfully, moist air wafting over Nicolas as a darker color bloomed in the center of the blur.

He was moved toward it, past it, and the light abruptly diminished. Nicolas could feel a soft, pliant surface beneath him, and as his weight sank into it, moisture sank into his pants, wicking quickly up the back of his shirt. Saliva. Drool. He'd licked his lips. The fingers around him let go, but gave him a gentle prod forward before withdrawing. The surface below him – the tongue – curled up behind him, pulling him fully into the human's mouth as a shadow passed over him. The tiny man flinched, connecting the sudden darkness with the booming thud, realizing it was the rows of teeth colliding behind him.

Nicolas closed his eyes, trying not to hyperventilate. He never had liked tight spaces, and now he was essentially trapped in someone's mouth. Reflexively he kicked at the wormlike object that started to curl around his leg, promptly freezing once he'd realized what he'd done. Not a worm, just a tongue, something perfectly normal that you’d expect to find in a mouth. Unlike a borrower such as himself, of course.

Aside from letting out the occasional contented purr, Rikard hadn't done anything more than work saliva into his clothes, barely even licking him at all. Fortunately, the enzymes present in saliva were only the beginning step of digestion, breaking down starches. Nikolas wasn't looking forward to the next step, the first one that – under normal circumstances – would be able to hurt him.

As if the human had read his thoughts, Nikolas felt Rikard's head tilt, the tongue underneath him carefully nudging him towards the throat. Squeezing his eyes and clenching his fists, Nikolas took in a deep breath moments before he was sucked down with a loud Gulp! It was hot, it was very hot, and what seemed like just another moment after his entire body had disappeared down that greedy tunnel of flesh it started to rumble around him.

“Hmm, interesting,” he heard Rikard muse, before a second loud swallow dragged him down further, the human's throat becoming worryingly close around him. “I'm not quite sure wh-”

The panic threatened to overwhelm Nicolas, and he yelled as loud as he could, interrupting Rikard, “Let me out! I changed my mind!”

“It's a little too late for that.” The human sounded irritated... and also confused? “You'll be in my gut in a bit, just hang on.”

His stomach dropped out from under him, yet another terrifyingly loud gulp yanking him down suddenly. A few more squashing swallows pulsed past him as he picked up speed. Nicolas slowed down just a little bit before being squeezed through a very tight ring of flesh, falling into a pool of mixed-consistency sludge. “Karla? Karla!” he called in a panic, splashing about. Something grabbed his arm and he yelped.

“Relax,” a voice chided, “take deep breaths. In four, hold seven, out eight.” Karla demonstrated and he followed, feeling it calm his racing heart.

“You could have-” Breathe. “-warned me.”

“Oh.” Karla sounded sheepish, “I forgot about your claustrophobia.”

A deep and extremely irritated sigh echoed above them. “That would have been nice to know before I swallowed the guy. You know how scary it can be for someone's first time.” Rikard's tone shifted to be more gentle, “Sorry, Nicolas, I didn't know. Are you alright now, or at least feeling better?”

“I-” Breathe. “I think so.” Though he couldn't make out his surroundings, Nicolas could feel the air moving around him, so he knew the space he was in wasn't tiny, but just how much space did he have? Holding his hands in front of him he quickly tried to estimate the size of his own stomach, scaling it up based on the height difference between him and the average human. Smaller than a room then, than perhaps half a room, but at least he wasn't alone in it.

“Good.” This time the sigh was relieved. “Again, sorry about that. I would have tried to warn you, but that just tends to scare people even more.”

Nicolas looked around, squinting at the strange sloshing noises. Not being able to see was incredibly disorienting, so he closed his eyes. Functionally, it wouldn't do any good, but it was ridiculous how easily one could trick their own brains.

“You.” Splash. “Apologize.” Splash. “Too.” Spla- Thud. “Damn.” Thud. “Much!” Thud!

“If I didn't have to apologize for you, I'd hardly be apologizing at all!” Rikard whined sulkily like a small child, rather than the adult he very much was.

Karla scoffed, “I'm sure you'd still manage to find something to feel guilty about.” The humid air surrounding them vibrated with a loud gurgle. “... like that.”

The woman laughed, but Rikard grumbled to himself, “Great. I thought you'd be enough to make my stomach shut up for awhile, but you barely took the edge off my appetite.” He hummed, thinking. “Alright! Since it's your project as well as your first time being eaten – and because I already know what that nerd would say – you get to decide. Would you prefer I go get something to eat, which has the benefit of quieting down my stomach, or do you want me to wait to eat until after you guys have gotten cleaned up, which means you're not going to be churned around as much?”

“I need to grab a sample right now, about as close to baseline as I can get-” Given that you started salivating before you even ate Karla, let alone me, “-but it might be a good idea for you to eat later on. Actually,” he paused for a moment “us just being in your stomach should be enough, even if we're not going to be digested like actual food. So basically just keep thinking about food for a bit so you keep drooling.”

Shakily Nicolas stood up and walked forward, placing both his hands on the wall of the human's stomach. Food would have settled into a level surface by that point, so it was entirely possible Rikard's digestive system hadn't recognized that they were there yet. He started massaging the warm flesh, wondering if their size difference meant he'd be able to feel where the organ's lining secreted its acids.

Rikard let out a contented murmur. “You don't need to do that, but it does feel quite nice.”

What. “You shouldn't be able to feel that.” How did Rikard notice something as proportionately small as his two tiny hands?

“Wait- what? Why!?” The muscular wall tensed under his hands. “Is that bad? Why not?”

“No, I don't- I don't think so, at least.” He wasn't sure, being a chemist rather than a biologist. “There are nerves in a stomach of course, but those only react to the presence of food.” He smiled, the complicated chains of chemical reactions and the neurotransmitters involved unfolding in his mind's eye. “The cells lining your stomach tell other specialized cells that there's food that needs digested. Like I said earlier, hydrochloric acid – HCl – is really nasty stuff so even though it's used to digest food your body doesn't want to have it just hanging around, so those other cells have to make it and then pass it along. Even then, it's only mixed together right before it gets secreted into the stomach.” Strange, to think that he was giving a lesson on the chemistry of a stomach while inside an active stomach. Completely safely, too!

Nicolas gently swept a hand along the nearby stomach wall, collecting the oozing fluid and letting it drip through his fingertips. “It's actually more complicated than that, as there's other chloride compounds involved, a base to help counteract the acid, and biofeedback systems to regulate exactly how much of each chemical is released and when.”

“Weird,” was the response, after a moment of clear contemplation. “If you're all set, then I think I'm just going to go do the dishes, now.” The stomach wall moved forward with a dull thump, colliding with Nicolas' still-outstretched hands. He had a brief moment of panic as the noise and movement repeated, unable to banish the sudden certainty that he was about to be pinned between sections of stomach lining and melted down into a soup by the chemicals he'd held so dear. Fortunately, Rikard wasn't done talking and Nicolas realized after a beat that it had merely been the human patting his stomach a few times. “And Karla?”

“Hmm?” she chirped, making no secret of the fact she'd tuned both of them out already.

“I take back my earlier comment; he's an even bigger nerd than you are!”

Karla laughed, patting at the nearby section of stomach wall. “As long as I'm still the weirdest, I think I'll be okay with that.”

“Any weirder and I think I'd be scared.” Nikolas didn't need to see the obvious smile on Rikard's face to know that the human was fond of his classmate – it was clear from his tone alone.

Their surroundings shifted, swaying slightly back and forth as the human slowly stood up, walking in pursuit of his aforementioned errands. Nicolas sat down once he'd gotten his 'sea legs' as he mentally referred to them with a faint smirk. His skin still crawled – a sensation completely opposite from the sting of acid, as more than a few minor lab accidents had taught him caution – knowing that he was in an enclosed area and that the phobia simply didn't care that he was safe, or even that he fully knew he was safe. Stupid, he thought to himself, stupid that one who claims to be a scientist is nearly crippled by something so irrational. Should he be upset with Karla for forgetting about his phobia, or was it instead oddly gratifying?

“So,” she said, unaware of his thoughts, scooting along to sit beside him, “What do you think?”

Nicolas leaned back with a sigh, trying not to mind the goo dripping onto and from his hair. He couldn't really decide what to think. From his perspective as a student of chemistry, this was incredible! The chance to observe first-hand the secretion and subsequent pH balancing of gastric fluid wasn't really something that could be done ethically, as vivisection was banned for every reason. That such an avenue of study existed – safe, ethical, and simple – well, the ramifications would be immense. And just wait until the neurologists find out about him, he thought, they'll go crazy.

But – a very significant 'but', in his opinion – you'd have to be eaten in order to collect any data. While some people – most of them likely to be life-long scientists – would find it a bizarre yet sensible toll on the road of progress, few had either their priorities in such an order or were capable of differentiating between gut emotional responses and logical bases to come to the conclusion that this was A Good Idea.

“If I'm being honest?” He didn't want to ruin Karla's obvious good mood, but she was also a scientist, one interested in her fellow's opinion, so he'd try to give her as impartial and unbiased an opinion as he could. “I'm alternately fascinated and disgusted. And more than a little bit unnerved, just thinking about the spells involved. Or rather, about how I don't know of any single or combination of spells that could do this without horrendously injuring one of us. Hells, a basic protection charm on us would cause a cascade of problems for the human, and they might stop at merely wreaking havoc on his entire digestive tract for a few days. My conclusion in three words?” He turned to face her, despite knowing she probably couldn't see any better than he could. “'Cool', 'weird', and 'what-the-actual-frick!?'”

“Fair enough,” the woman chuckled, nudging him jovially with her elbow, “I get that it's definitely not for everyone.”

“Thanks for showing me, though. Problem is-” Nicolas pulled out several vials, “-your demonstration invalidated my sample set. I'm going to pull a sample anyway, but I'll need more. Thing is, though,” fumbling for her hands, he pressed the vials into them, waiting for her fingers to curl around the stoppers, “you're gonna have to get them for me – one return trip through his throat is practically more than I can handle already.”

“Sure, I don't mind doing you a solid, especially not this sort of solid,” Karla sniggered. “Would you mind doing me a favor in return? I just thought of something really important, enough to warrant its own study. Buuuut I'll need a small group of people, not just one or two.”

“Would it involve getting eaten by this guy?” If so, then count him out.

“Only people who actually do sign up. Otherwise he gets upset and I don't want to have to deal with the complication,” she groaned petulantly.

“Ugh, sure. I take it you just need someone to back you up that it's 'safe' and all?” Not that he'd be allowed to go into much detail regardless – L.A. Research Contracts magically bound all who read them to silence. Nicolas would have to emphasize that they actually pay attention to what they were reading... without arousing suspicion. Hmm.

Karla flung her arms around him in an ecstatic hug. “Aww, thanks Nick, you're a peach.”

Maybe now was not the best time to tell her he was allergic, Nicolas thought, patting her back.

—————————————————–

“So where were you last Friday?”

“Out.” Karla's shoulders were hunched.

“You know there's a curfew.”

“Only for being on the streets.”

What an ungrateful tone! “You're just lucky we didn't have a surprise inspection.”

“You keep saying I wouldn't be missed anyways.”

“Doesn't mean we wouldn't still get in trouble for not knowing where you were!”

“Just stop following me already!”

She was about to tell the brat off for her impudence when said brat's expression changed, going from sullen defiance to elated surprise. She followed Karla's eyes, wondering what could cause such a sudden shift in mood.

“Sweetheart!” The commoner was addressing a human, who also appeared to be a mere commoner himself.

“Hey, honey. What're you doing out here?”

She stepped forward, lip curled as she studied the man. “You're sneaking out to fraternize with a non-student? You know what the Dean will have to say about this!”

“He'd have to hear about it, first!” Karla cackled behind her and she turned, calling out a quick spell that would make the impudent wench feel as if she'd burned her hand on a hot stove... or she tried to; the only sound coming out of her mouth was a faint, wispy hiss. Her eyes widened. Impossible! She tried again, and this time the borrower smirked and said sweetly, “If you had paid a little more attention in your anatomy classes, you'd notice that your vocal cords have been paralyzed. And as everyone knows, if you can't speak, you can't cast.”

The bitch grabbed them both by an arm and spun the three of them around to face the human. “Anyhoo, since you two are desperate to pry into every detail of my life to better ruin it, I thought I'd help you out and take you to meet my old friend, Rikard, because I know he'd enjoy the opportunity to eat you.”

She glanced over, catching Karla's eye and raising an eyebrow quizzically. Did you really just...

The human chuckled darkly and she whipped her head around to see a decidedly unpleasant grin on his face, almost feral.

“Mmm, they look rich.”

His stare was disconcerting, unsettling, and she took a step away before something jabbed in the small of her back. She yelped and hopped to the side.

“You look like you're having trouble there; why don't you let me help you out with those two, hun?”

The human was reaching for her and she, frozen in disbelief, didn't resist as she and her co-Alpha were scooped off the ground.

“Breakfast was awhile ago, so I thought you might be hungry, sweetheart.”

“Aww, you're so thoughtful, honey.” He spoke to the tiny on the ground, but his eyes were on the two in his hands, flicking from one to the other with a predatory stare. “They do look delicious, and not just because I'm absolutely starving right now.”

She shook her head frantically – not in denial, but in emphasis. The human noticed and grinned broadly, showing off a healthy set of teeth, a rare sight among non-local lower-borns.

“Don't worry, little morsels, I know how to treat my prey right. You can relax, knowing that you're in the care of the most considerate predator around.” He smirked, then ran a tongue over his lips as a thought occurred to him. “Why don't I just show you instead, since you seem to doubt my word.”

She tried pushing at his fingers to loosen them, to make him let her go, but her arms were trapped in front of her, unable to prevent him catching her feet deftly between his lips and, from there, sucking her into his mouth.

The first thing she did was to aim a kick directly at the roof of his mouth. The resultant hiss made her smile, until she was smashed flat against that same surface. His spongy tongue pressed unevenly against her back, shifting, scrubbing, almost scouring her increasingly damp clothes over her skin. She tried to push away several times but was just shoved right back where she started. Fuck! Her arms were starting to burn from the strain, and just as she thought it couldn't go on any longer, his tongue dropped out from underneath her, and she bounced lightly against it when she fell. She moved to sit up, to try and clear her head, but that slick muscle deftly spun her around and lifted her up, face down on his tongue this time.

She couldn't gain any purchase against his tongue, as it kept moving and shifting, so she decided to start hitting it, not having enough room to wind up a punch. But as her hand slid off, thanks to the thick gooey saliva, his tongue wrapped around that arm, covering it completely, squeezing just enough to almost hurt, before gradually trailing down and off. Nothing she did worked! And the moist, dank air rumbled with his echoing snicker, vibrating all the way deep inside her lungs.

She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, going limp in despair. This can't be real! Surely she hadn't offended any of the gods to the point where they'd allow this to actually happen. It was just a dream, it had to be, perhaps some kind of warning. But it felt real, the sounds, the smells, the rough texture of the tongue tip delicately running across her face. Wake up! Wake up wake up!

As if it had worked, as if one of the gods was actually paying attention, the movements of his tongue gradually slowed, relaxing down against the base of his mouth. Her eyes snapped open and she could see that his teeth were parted, that there was a ray of light shining through his slack lips, and she lunged forward, barely noticing that the tongue underneath her was sliding forward as well.

She was out! She could feel the air on her damp skin, and moved to dive off his tongue, away, free, but something was tugging at her mid-calf. Twisting, she looked back and up to find that the human had bitten down, pinning her legs to his tongue with his teeth, lips in a smug grin. She almost fell as he slowly pulled his tongue back into his mouth, dragging along her body, but he'd pinched the back of her robes, keeping her horizontal. That commoner magus was watching from below, also smirking, and called up to her with a laugh when their eyes met.

“Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Julie?”

Even if she'd been able to talk, she wouldn't have been able to talk from sheer incredulous rage. How dare they do this to her! Didn't they know who she was!?

Still holding her robes, still with her legs trapped, she was lifted vertically as the human tipped his head back. His tongue swept over her legs, leaving them coated with the thick slime of his saliva. Lips closed around her knees, something tugging repetitively and she realized, sick to her stomach, that he was sucking on her. Julie thrashed, tugging at her robe to try and remove it, preferring the humiliation of being spotted in boxers and grimy tank top to this display of absolute indignity. Her robe billowed with the gust of air from the human's amused snort.

He did open his mouth and pull her the rest of the way out, though, and turned her so Julie was forced to look at that smug hungry face again. “You should be more careful,” he said in a syrupy tone, “wouldn't want you to get hurt now, would we? Hmm.” The human shrugged one shoulder, unconcerned, and glanced down at Karla, who'd obviously planned this well in advance. “Sorry to cut the show short, hun, but this one seems in a hurry to get to where she belongs.” He looked back at Julie and narrowed his eyes, lilting, “I wanted to take my time and savor you, since apparently you used to matter, but if you insist...”

The human's head tipped back once more, swinging her up so rapidly she got dizzy, the sparkles in her eyes clearing right in time to see his mouth open and feel his fingers. Let. Go!

His tongue barely touched her, just enough to readjust Julie's fall and guide her into his waiting throat. She screamed soundlessly as she was sucked down, one hand stretching desperately for the light, only to see it blocked by the brute of a human's tongue as he licked his lips. His throat was disgusting and wet, rubbing against her expensive robes. Julie could hear him purring and she wriggled, trying to cause him pain, or at least make him uncomfortable. But all she heard was a pleased sigh before the moist tube rumbled around her with wild laughter.

She shifted her legs, trying her hardest to kick as each undulating swallow trailed down her body with a sickening squelch, bringing her gradually past his thumping heart. She knew exactly which spell to use to burn that heart to ash, but a mute couldn't cast! There was even a curse – one students her level were absolutely not supposed to know, but such were the perks of good breeding – that could rip the air from those lungs nearby, slowly asphyxiating him. But she couldn't cast!

Magic's not the only way to cause someone pain, and I don't need words to do it! How tough could a stomach be, anyway? It was just flesh, and flesh could be torn easily enough...

Rikard let out a quiet sigh, grinning lazily. The arrogant tiny had struggled the entire way down, starting to kick and pound at his stomach wall the very instant she'd landed in the damp organ. He tugged his shirt up and glanced at his belly. There wasn't much to be seen, but if you peered close and if you knew what to look for, you could spot the telltale signs of a decidedly unwilling prey. “Oooh, she's a fiery one!”

“Is she, now?” Karla purred, interested. “What did Julie taste like?”

“'Julie'?” He replied in a casually dismissive tone, “she's just a snack now, and food doesn't get to have a name.” The human settled back in his seat, idly running his thumb over the second student held in his grip. “Wood smoke and charcoal. I've never had the pleasure of eating someone who tasted so oddly delightful.” Then he looked at the other tiny and licked his lips slowly. “I'll bet you're no different.”

Karla giggled, covering her mouth as a demure afterthought as she pointed to the barely-visible ripples across his belly. “Looks like your first little snack isn't liking the compliment. Or,” she said with a knowing grin, “did your gut just say 'hello'?”

“Listen,” he purred, pressing the other bully against his stomach, “do you hear that?” On cue, it let out an echoing, gurgling groan. “My stomach is still so empty and it wants to be filled. Your friend simply isn't enough, you see? She's gotten it all worked up, starting to ooze those digestive acids ready and waiting to soak into you, carrying you to your final resting place.” Rikard lifted them up to eye level, smirking. He could feel that odd, almost imperceptible, shift in his eyes, the feral tint that his borrower friends said reminded them of a Wild Fae, one lost to base instinct – a mere predator. His stomach growled again and he swallowed a mouthful of drool. He'd barely eaten breakfast, anticipating when he'd get to teach his friend's bullies a lesson, and so he was really, honestly, hungry. “But I'm not so cruel as to keep you two separated in your last moments, so just sit tight and I'll send you to join her in a bit.” The human grinned wildly, “After I've finished enjoying the second course of my lunch, that is.”

The fear in the second tiny's eyes was delicious and Rikard had put on his little show just for that effect. Below him, out of the bully's sight, Karla had her hands clasped together in front of her face, an equally wild grin upon her own, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. He was glad she wasn't scared of him, of the monster he was pretending to be. He just... hadn't anticipated how enthusiastic she'd be about the trickery.

“If you don't struggle, I'll swallow you sooner,” Rikard purred huskily, “Would you like that?” He felt only a twinge, not the usual sharp stabbing burn, as he thought back to how his own tormentors had behaved. Rikard had caught the bully's eye – unfortunately – with how carefully he'd eaten all the tinies he was allotted. Bryce might have been a brute, a lout, a thug, but the man hadn't been stupid.

Rikard had been pulled aside one day without warning. His heart sank into his stomach when he saw who it was.

“Listen, I been watching you the last few feasts and I noticed something. You've been eating them pretty fast, almost faster than anyone else.”

He doesn't know! He doesn't suspect! He couldn't!, Rikard had told himself, trying not to panic. He'd argued, saying that the more time he took to eat each tiny, the fewer he'd have overall.

“Kid.” Bryce had clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I like you. You've really found yourself since that day I told you 'man up or else', scarfing those little bastards down with the best o' us. But listen, you gotta know how to talk to them. Be reassuring, let 'em know you appreciate their contribution, point out some of the other guys and say how lucky they are to be destined for your gut, all those calming words to make them panic and squirm. Toy with 'em, ask 'em questions about how they'd like to be ate, give them choices and such. It's a fancy game, psychological like, see? Tell ya what,” he had elbowed Rikard's side jovially, “I've got one I've been saving for awhile. Don't tell nobody, but I'll let you have it if you'll prove you've got what it takes. Deal?”

Rikard had looked at the bully's outstretched hand for a moment before grabbing and pumping it in a firm shake. “I was just starting to think about dinner.” He'd smirked up at Bryce, who had grinned back broadly.

“That's the spirit!”

As it turned out, Bryce had managed to under-emphasize the effect it would have on his 'meal'. The tiny had flailed about in his gut in a state of total panic, prompting a series of quietly content noises from him, while Bryce looked on proudly.

“Good on you, kid. Now go on home so's you get something to eat; that one's not going to digest for a little while and you shouldn't be skipping meals.”

It had taken him hours of talking – of arguing, of begging, of pleading – in as quiet a whisper as he could manage, hoping the tiny could hear him over the echoing groans of his gut, before they finally settled down and stopped crying. Or, at least, stopped crying that he could tell.

He had tried to believe that it was worth it, because it meant he was given more tinies to eat – and thus save – but the way that one individual had just looked at him, both before he ate them and even after he'd spitten them out, when it was obvious they were safe... Their expression conveyed what words could not – he was very good at being a monster.

He couldn't quite make out the angry words the second one spat at him, but the accompanying hand gestures clued him in. “Your loss,” Rikard chuckled, licking his lips eagerly. He stuffed the tiny into his mouth with a happy sigh, closing his eyes. He could still taste 'Julie', and her aftertaste only emphasized the flavor of this one. Earth. Fresh loam that's been soaking up the sunlight all day.

Hoping Karla had been satisfied with his treatment of the first, he felt free to be selfish this time around. Rikard rolled the tiny about, slurping at it whenever the drool puddling in his mouth got annoying, and nibbling at its arms and legs – oh so gently, because accidentally biting would spoil their trick – at random intervals. It stopped flailing every time he pinned it between his teeth and he could hear its quiet gasps of fear before he let go and it resumed struggling. But all good things must come to an end, so Rikard flung his head back, tossing the tiny down his throat and swallowed loudly, tracing its descent into his demanding gut.

He sighed happily, patting his belly in languid contentment. Catching Karla's eye he smirked and drew in a slow breath, letting it out alongside a massive belch as he pressed both hands to his gut, forcing even more air out as the walls moved in on his two 'snacks'. She looked utterly flabbergasted, and Rikard couldn't blame her; while they had practiced dragging out his burps for maximum gross factor, he'd never managed anything near as loud and disgusting as this. To his surprise, Karla placed her hands together a few times in a politely impressed gesture of applause.

“Oh gods, I love it when they put up a fight.” What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Yeah, it was for a good cause, but he didn't enjoy scaring anyone like this. But it feels so great when they thrash around in a fright... He was worried how easy it was to slip into the role, or how he barely felt any guilt at all. “Are you two trying to give me indigestion?” Rikard crooned, tenderly brushing his gut. He pulled his hand away when Karla hopped up on his lap to lean against his stomach.

She giggled unpleasantly. “Aww, I think they are. Not much you bitches can do to my boyfriend without your precious magic, is there?” 'Boyfriend?' Rikard mouthed at her in confusion. Karla rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a 'go along with it' motion. “And in case giving him indigestion was your intent, I hate to break it to ya, but live tinies are a delicacy where he comes from. So even if you could shape your spells, it still wouldn't do you any good, because he's got some insanely powerful wards on him.” Rikard chuckled maliciously to emphasize her words, and Karla gave him a broad grin and a thumbs up.

“Mhm, she is ab-so-lute-ly right. I don't think I could count how many times I've drifted off to sleep with a gut packed full of panicked borrowers. Sure, all that begging does keep me up for awhile, but eventually it all fades to silence as they are incorporated into my body, one by delicious one.” In truth, he could count, and that count was zero.; technically everyone he'd eaten did go quiet eventually, but either because they'd fallen asleep as well or because they finally realized they were safe. “There's only two of your delicious selves, so I doubt you'll make it that long, but I'll still enjoy every last second you manage to hang around. You'll be doing yourselves a favor by struggling; it'll wear you out faster and you'll move along to the next stage of digestion, away from all pain.”

“It's the perfect crime, as there will be no bodies to find, no corpses to Raise. However...” Karla looked up at the sky, finger on her lips pensively.

“'However', what, honey?” Rikard played along.

“However...” She pressed her ear against the center of the human's stomach, “this would still be 'accessory to murder' and I'm not entirely sure I want that on my soul. Soooo... how about we make a deal? In exchange for asking him to spit you up and sparing your lives, I want a profuse and heartfelt apology from both of you, oh and then maybe a few Oaths of Binding to make sure you stick by that apology and don't go running off to the police at any point.” Karla licked her finger and pressed it to her neck, whistling a spell. “Whatcha think, you wanna bargain for your lives?”

“Fuck off to the deepest hell, dirty burrower! I am a scion of the House of Endar and I will not be intimidated by the likes of you!”

Rikard laughed, an honest laugh, at how pretentious the tiny was. Karla gave him a Look, as if she thought he'd doubted her claims they were making her life absolute hell. “That's where you're wrong,” he purred, making a tiny 'shoo' motion in Karla's direction. She grinned, understanding, and took several steps back. He rested his hand against his stomach, and firmly pressed inwards, smushing the two tinies between the slimy walls of his stomach again. He could feel them both in there, huddled together as a paired lump, and slowly dragged his hand in a circle, further coating them in goopy enzymes. “You're nothing but food now, so her offer is pretty generous. Sure, it's murder, but you two looked so delicious I honestly couldn't help myself. And you tasted just as good as you looked, so I simply can't wait until my gut gets to work, melting you down and absorbing you into my body.”

“He's got a pretty nice set of abs, maybe you'll be lucky enough to wind up there.”

He frowned and poked her gently with his free hand. 'Stop it,' Rikard mouthed. Karla pouted back, 'Fine.'

“Still so sure that answer is a 'no'?” Karla crooned in a sickly-sweet tone. After all the pain and humiliation they'd caused her, she was almost drunk on the sheer satisfaction of payback.

“I always knew you were a freak!”

“Mmm, guess I get to keep them.” Rikard sighed again, “Let's go get you some food, honey; I'm buying since you caught me lunch.”

“We'll scream.”

Karla chuckled quietly. “No,” she whistled the silencing spell, “you won't.” She chuckled again, hear-feeling the muffled thump as her bullies began beating against the hungry flesh once more. “I'll ask again in a few hours if you're still around, maybe you'll have softened up enough by then for a change of mind.” She winked up at Rikard. “Why don't you put your shirt back on, sweetheart? Can't really see them from here, but better safe than sorry.”

He shrugged his shirt on with a grin, patting his gut again. “Now don't go anywhere, you two.”

Karla skipped back and forth between clothing stores, swanning out from the dressing rooms to show off each new outfit that caught her eye. Some of them were absolutely ridiculous and he couldn't help but laugh. He was sprawled lazily on a bench, arm over the back of the seat, mulling thing over. She'd called him her boyfriend, and Rikard wasn't sure if she was serious or if it was just part of her taunting. Both? It could be both, what if it's both? What was he supposed to do with this information?

Every once in awhile, he'd run his hand across his gut; apply just the faintest hint of pressure, and... it set them to flailing all over again, pounding on his stomach wall and sending pleasant vibrations against his hand. They weren't hurt, they weren't going to hurt, so it was perfectly fine to enjoy humiliating someone who used their power to make everyone else miserable, right? Every time Rikard's thoughts strayed in the direction of how afraid they must be, one would start moving again, or he'd catch the hint of their aftertaste on his tongue.

Looking at the large shake in his hand, Rikard drew in a breath and chugged it as fast as he could. He could feel the cool liquid outline his stomach before it finished acclimating to his body temperature. While Karla had been the one to suggest he eat after dealing with her tormentors, the idea sounded better and better as she explained. They'd tested it, even! All he needed was another drink or two, and he should be able to feel them slosh about in his gut from time to time.

Finally, the tiny grew bored with window shopping and paid for her favorite outfits. “Thanks for being so patient with me, sweetheart.”

“Oh, I didn't mind. It's such a pleasant day out.” Rikard discreetly mimed running, then pointed to his gut and shook his fist just once.

Karla grinned toothily, catching his meaning. “I haven't been to the park in awhile, might be nice to wander around, could even tell you a little about its history if that's not too boring for ya.”

“I'll grab us some water.” He winked at her. “Don't want us to get all dried out.”

With a bottle clipped to his belt and Karla's purchases – which, she admitted, were a total splurge, an excuse to talk with Rikard so her bullies would realize how they were barely even an afterthought anymore – stowed in his pocket, he started off around the park at a light jog. The liquid shifted back and forth in his stomach, keeping time with his strides though at a slight delay. If his feet landed on the ground hard enough he could feel two distinct impacts on his stomach wall, and when he rounded each corner sharply, pivoting on the ball of a foot, the weight of the entire contents shifted to one side before slowly oscillating back to equal distribution. With his abdominal muscles as clenched as they were, he highly doubted the tinies' collisions were soft. They're not hurt. I'm just... shaking them up a little, like they're in a blender.

He couldn't wait for dinner. Rikard planned to stuff himself silly, because the bullies would have to constantly struggle out of the shapeless mass his stomach would compact all the food into. And, since they'd be in the privacy of his home, he and Karla could devote their full attention to a body temperature dish of revenge.

When they finally headed back home, Karla dashed off to the kitchen to prepare ingredients while Rikard went through a series of stretches. He could feel his stomach contracting around what little was left in it. With most of the water he'd drank now flowing through his intestines, his stomach went back to grumbling, growling outright as the smell of cooking filled the kitchen. The hungry gurgles rippled through his abdomen, growing quieter and less frequent during their meal. Karla smirked knowingly at each echoing sound.

Finally, when he couldn't eat another bite, Rikard pushed his plate away and slumped in his chair with a groan. There was only faint wriggling coming from the tinies trapped within his stomach now.

Karla picked her way across the table, grinning manically. “Hel-loooo?” She knocked teasingly against his abdomen. “Anyone still alive in there?”

Rikard patted his taut belly. “Yeah, they're tough little morsels; I think you're right about them being destined for muscle.”

Karla draped herself across his stomach, pressing her ear against his bare flesh. “Ooh, it sounds pretty busy. They're really putting your gut through its paces, huh?” She sighed happily, closing her eyes. “I probably should give you one last chance to beg for your lives, but honestly? Falling asleep to the sounds of you slowly dissolving is just what I need right now. I'll rest easy knowing that two sorry sacks of skin are finally getting put to good use. Mmm,” she purred, opening one eye to study Rikard, “but don't worry, sweetheart, I'll still love you even though you're building them into your body.”

Her taunting was making him more and more uncomfortable, so he shook his head firmly with a frown, mouthing 'enough', and she scowled back. And yet... he couldn't drop the act just yet. They needed to apologize.

“Sorry, honey, but you know I don't like sleeping on my back.” Rikard held up one finger, trying to convey that he was only asking her to rein it in a little, rather than ruin the charade outright. “I'll let you listen first thing in the morning; hopefully they'll have just a few more gurgles left in them for you to enjoy.”

“Ten more minutes?” she whined, pouting mightily, “It sounds like it was just getting to the good part.”

“Fine,” Rikard conceded, rolling his eyes.

“You're the best!” Karla beamed and gave him a double thumbs-up.

He snorted a laugh, feeling it jostle the contents of his gut, and shook his head good-naturedly. It was hard to feel self-conscious around someone just as thrilled as he was; what's more, Karla was even weirder about it all! She'd gone back to humming happily to herself and was gently massaging his belly in a long sweeping motion. “Heh, I'll make it twenty minutes if you keep that up.”

“Mmm, sounds good to me.” A stream of burbles rippled inside his stomach and the borrower woman added with a cackle, “Literally!”

Nineteen minutes later Rikard let out a loud yawn. “Alright, bedtime for both of us.” Shambling towards the bedroom, he kept rubbing at his stomach, wincing at how bloated he was. Absolutely worth it, but still. Not remotely comfortable.

He flopped face down on his bed with a contented sigh. Even though his actual preferred position would have still given Karla ample opportunity to listen, the flurry of motion deep in his gut told him that his idea had been a good one. “Ugh, would you two brats settle down already? Haven't you realized already that it's useless to resist and that even your most valiant attempts at fighting are only reminding me of my exotic and delicious lunch? Give up, digestion's inevitable.”

Rikard worked his hand between him and the bedsheets to run his knuckled fist over his gut, adding to the constant and chaotic churning of food and tiny bullies. “C'mon, I'll even help you out and stop moving around. Just lie down and go to sleep; never waking up's gotta be a better way to go than experiencing the pain of slowly boiling down by stomach acid. You're going to be feeling yourselves start to liquefy, everything burning as your flesh softens and pulls away from your bones; you won't stop feeling it until your nerves are digested completely.” He smirked, “No one will know if you surrender at this point and, let me tell you, I know from experience that I'd still sleep like a baby even if you did manage to keep fighting for awhile. Your choice, really; I win either way.” Rikard sighed happily and shifted his weight to his other side, chuckling. “Thanks for being so delicious.”

When he woke at dawn, Rikard was on his back, one arm resting over his gut and the other flopped over his face. Everything was still and quiet. Not for long, he grinned, reaching over and gently wobbling the dresser-slash-bed his tiny friend was using. He rolled out of bed, the pressure on his belly apparently waking up the other two tinies, who poked his stomach wall almost... cautiously?

“Oh?” Rikard prodded his stomach, not feeling bloated anymore now that his actual supper had been digested. “I see you noticed you're not dead. So here's how it works – you are going to remain trapped in my gut until Karla finally gets that apology. The same magic keeping you alive is the same one warding me against any spell you might try to use. You're not going to run out of food or water, but the source is, of course-” Rikard looked across to Karla and smirked, “-only my chewed-up 'leftovers'. So if you're still giving my friend the silent treatment, I get to continue enjoying having eaten you.”

He rested his hand on his stomach. They'd quit moving around and he assumed he had their full attention. “That thing about my village? Yeah that wasn't a lie; live tinies really were a delicacy back then, and had any other person swallowed you, you'd have been mush by dusk. I didn't want things to end so soon, so I managed to find a magus willing to help a predator out. This way I can keep little snacks like you to myself until I've had my fun. And I like feeling you squirm about in there, soaked in semi-digested food, so by all means keep it up.”

Both of Karla's eyebrows shot up. “Oh really?” she purred quietly, “'Squirming'? I'll have to keep that in mind for next time.”

He flushed, unable to deny how amazing her idea sounded. “So are you finally ready to apologize or do you need a few more days of marinating in digestive juices?” He felt a very hesitant prod to the front of his stomach. Raising an eye skeptically, Rikard asked, “Nuh uh uh, both of you got eaten so both of you need to say sorry.” One of them kicked him – he assumed it was the stubborn one – before a second set of hands joined the first. He glanced at Karla. “Your call, honey.”

She rolled her eyes but whistled as she walked over, climbing onto his outstretched hand and settling on his lap.

“We're sorry,” one said in a raspy voice. It didn't sound familiar, so it must have been the second bully, not the pretentious brat 'Julie'.

“I'm not going to forgive you,” Karla hissed.

“Bitch!” That was Julie. “You promised!”

“I never-” she began to snap, interrupted by Rikard tensing and squashing both tinies between gooey stomach walls.

“Need I remind you that until you have apologized for how you've treated my friend, you're keeping the title of 'snack'. I might even spit you up for a brief minute just to taste you all over again, since you taste so damn good.”

“Fine. I'm sorry.”

“Doesn't sound like it,” Karla said, voice all sickly sweet, “Why don't you try again, one more time, before I decide I'd rather hear some begging a week from now.”

“I-” Her voice wavered, cracking and breaking, “I'm sorry!”

She sighed, annoyed, and whistled. “Good enough, I guess. Sit tight while I figure out the wording for your Oaths.”

“That can wait until after I've had a talk with whoever's responsible for discipline at Maven.”

“Cool,” Karla waved at him. “See you later, then.”

“No,” Rikard said in a sternly warning tone, “you're coming, too, even if that means I have to spit up three tinies in front of your headmaster.”

She fumed, but otherwise didn't protest as she was scooped up and deposited in his breast pocket.

—————————————————–

When Rikard saw the two borrowers on the floor of his kitchen one night, he thought he was hallucinating. Is this it, then? He'd always feared that one day he'd give in and swallow down tinies for nothing more than the pleasure of filling his belly, feeling them struggle and plead for freedom – becoming no better than Bryce, in his opinion. “Are you real?” He asked himself more than them.

“Are you the guy... who likes squirrels?”

It had occurred to him more than a day later that the code, such as it was – 'Dave dispensed directions' and 'savors squirrel stew' – was incredibly silly. Rikard blamed it on the light-headedness from an empty stomach and felt stupid. He sat down slowly, without looking away from them. “I didn't doubt that he'd tell people,” Rikard said, against mostly talking to himself. “He, um, Dave did tell you the kind of h-help you'll find here?” His voice skipped over the euphemism. Rikard didn't want to scare them away from him; he wanted a chance to savor them, to feel them slide down his throat and shift about as they made themselves comfortable in his gut.

“Weren't quite sure we believed him at first. You actually ate his niece?”

“And his boyfriend and some others I managed to steal away.”

The woman frowned up at him. “She said you were cursed, and that's why you're doing this.”

Rikard shook his head. “It's the other way around; I had myself cursed in order to be able to do this. There weren't any other ways available. I'm doing this for mostly altruistic reasons.”

“Nobody mentioned payment.”

He flushed bright red, mortified both at their assumption and that he'd have to explain. “That's... that's not what I meant. What I mean is that when I started helping small folk, after the first time I ate them, I realized I enjoyed it. What I mean is...” Rikard took in a deep breath, letting it out quickly, “that I actually want to eat you, that I enjoy helping tinies not just because none of you deserve to suffer at the hands of vengeful humans, but because you all taste really, really good.” His stomach punctuated his words with a loud and hungry grumble.

They froze, and he knotted and unknotted his hands repeatedly, worried he'd terrified them into panic. “I wasn't pleased at the realization, and I'm still not happy about it, but you deserve to know what you're deciding before you make that choice. I'll understand if you refuse, of course, but I-I hope you won't.”

They looked at each other uneasily, then the male stepped forward. “Well, Dave vouched for you, and Karla wouldn't stop talking about how nice you'd been to her. I'll just have to trust their word.”

Rikard simply couldn't believe it; a tiny was letting him eat it. And not just one tiny, but two! He licked his lips slowly. “Only if you're sure.”

The small man nodded, and Rikard picked him up as carefully as he could, and tipped the tiny into his mouth, closing his teeth with an audible click.

His wife watched apprehensively from the floor. She couldn't take her eyes off the human, she wouldn't. He had his eyes closed, and she could see his lower jaw moving faintly. It wasn't the up-and-down of chewing, but more of a side-to-side or back-and-forth. It looked like Rikard was licking her husband, and the thought was more than mildly nauseating. The pleased expression on his face, his slouched posture – it bothered her that she couldn't do anything, only watch, prepare uneasily for when she would be grabbed, be swallowed, and then disappear into his gut and out of sight.

She felt her heart skip a beat when the human's head tilted back, his throat start to move. Her hands leapt to her mouth when the human's hand lifted and stroked his throat. She could see him swallow, though – thankfully – she couldn't hear. Just because Dave said it was okay, just because Karla said he was nice and even funny, that didn't make it any easier to watch.

Rikard's hand drifted slowly down, as if he could still feel the man he'd swallowed. He sighed lazily, brushing his stomach. “Ohhh, I forgot how nice that felt. Hm? No, I don't mind, make yourself comfortable,” the human said fondly. His gaze shifted to her, and she could see the hunger in his eyes. Friendly eyes, kind eyes, but hungry ones all the same. “Don't worry, he's safe.”

“How do I know you're telling the truth?” She was ashamed of how frightened her voice sounded.

“Oh, I can prove that easy,” Rikard said, stretching out a hand towards her.

She yelped and hopped backward, looking fearfully at the hand. “Showing me it's safe to be eaten by eating me!?”

“Well, actually I was just going to let you talk to him, since you should be able to hear each other though you might have to yell.”

She still felt a little uneasy, what if it was a trick and he was going to swallow her anyway, even if the human had been honest about it being safe?

He didn't move his hand. “Unless you're in immediate danger of being eaten by someone who intends you harm, I'll wait for you to say it's okay. If you allow me to eat you, I'll enjoy doing so, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable about it.”

She looked at his hand skeptically and then up at him, studying him intently. “So you really are asking us for our permission to be eaten?”

He nodded quickly, trying not to drool too openly.

She sighed in resignation, carefully climbing over his fingers and onto his palm. “Go ahead and eat me, then.” When he lifted her up, closer to his face, he opened his mouth and she winced, expecting to be shoved into his mouth, but instead Rikard spoke.

“What are your names? Is it okay that I asked that?”

“I'm Rachel, and you already ate Sam.” She pointed down in the directions of Rikard's stomach.

“Alright, Rachel,” he smiled, “please let me know if you feel uncomfortable at any time, and that goes for Sam, too.”

Rachel nodded warily, and Rikard opened his mouth again, this time sliding her gently onto his tongue. He had been drooling. A lot. She scooted towards the middle of his tongue so he could close his mouth, and slowly angled to lie down. She was going to get wet regardless so she might as well make it easy for him. His breathing was loud and Rachel could feel the gust of air shifting her clothing, and then the tongue shifted under her. That's right, he said he liked how we tasted. Despite being incredibly damp, it was surprisingly soft and massaged against her prone body with gentle tenderness. If he meant to hurt me, he would have already, she decided, and brushed her arm over its surface. “It's alright, I don't mind,” she reassured the young human.

All he wanted was to be permitted to enjoy eating them in return for safe passage and even – she'd heard – extra supplies. It was... surprisingly not the worst barter she'd ever made, not even close. So she relaxed into the plush surface as it enveloped and caressed her. Rachel tried not to laugh at his quietly pleased murmurs and purrs while he pushed her back and forth in his mouth. Strangely, she found that the experience of being tasted wasn't unpleasant in the slightest.

After several long, luxurious minutes, the movements stilled, and his head inclined backwards just enough to be noticeable. “You're even asking permission to swallow me?” She was surprised, somehow. When Rikard confessed that he was eager to devour them, she'd thought he'd be more persistent in that goal. Rachel smiled and patted his tongue. “That's fine, thank you for asking first.”

Rikard's tongue lifted up immediately, crowding her towards the back of his mouth and more than confirming her suspicions. She pushed off from the surface before it could make that final shove, and felt her feet and legs enter a much warmer part of his body. He swallowed, loudly, eagerly, and the rest of her body was sucked into the hot tunnel. His throat constricted her on all sides and a second swallow caused those muscles to knead her body forcibly, dragging her slowly down towards his stomach. There was a different, lighter pressure, that came from only one side. That must be his hand. Rachel had seen him trace her husband's outline, so he must be doing the same thing to her. The thought was oddly fascinating, exotic even.

He must be reminding himself what he's doing, who he's swallowing. Somehow, she could tell Rikard's attentiveness wasn't just for his own enjoyment, but to make sure he wasn't hurting her by accident as a result of his desperate craving. She couldn't draw in a full breath to inform him she was fine, to shout loud enough for him to hear her, necessary due to the deafening squelching noises as the human's muscles worked her deeper and deeper into his body. The sound of his heart beating at a slow and steady pace, the sound of long and deep breaths being drawn – Rachel felt herself relax the rest of the way. Those were the sounds of calm, of contentment, and a distinct lack of cruelty.

“Mmm,” she heard, and one last swallow as her descent slowed, squeezed from his throat into his stomach. “Thank you for letting me help you.” Rachel landed with a spongy splash, and felt around with her hands until she came across something solid, coated with fabric. “You two were delicious.” Her husband's leg. “Are you both okay?” Sam, who until that point had been silent, erupted in quiet giggles and pulled her into a tight hug, which she happily returned.

“Oh, I'm fine. More than fine, that was the ride of a lifetime!” He kept giggling and she could make out words from time to time, a seeming commentary on the ridiculousness of the situation.

“I- yeah, I'm not hurt, either. I... I can't believe I'm saying this, but that was almost kind of enjoyable.” she blushed, grateful that her red cheeks could go unnoticed in the darkness.

“I'm glad. I've never had the chance to actually take my time enjoying eating a tiny before.”

“Wait, what do you mean? I thought you had eaten borrowers before. That's what Dave said, at least...” She trailed off, not wanting to believe her first several impressions of the humans had been wrong.

“Ah... yes but also no. Yes, because I have helped tinies before by eating them to keep them safe. No, because...” Rikard paused, apparently uncomfortable. “Because... because you're the first ones who knew they were going to be safe, the first ones who didn't think they were about to die a painful and humiliating death. You're the first tinies that I found, rather than another villager. Because I'm the one that found you, I could explain beforehand and – most importantly – I could give you guys a choice. I used to have to swallow each one of you as quickly as I could without hurting you or letting you get hurt; I couldn't risk someone else trying to take one of you when I wasn't paying attention, and the sooner everyone was in my stomach, the more chances I'd have to to beg, bribe, or steal another tiny away.”

The walls of his stomach had been moving since before Rachel had fallen against them, and were starting to move more and more, churning about. The chamber itself, silent only compared to the human's gulping swallows, was growing louder and louder with gurgles and groans. One or both of them must have made some sound, some movement that Rikard picked up on. The couple felt the walls press in unevenly, moving around in an attempt to locate them. Was it his hand again? Must have been, because the human let out a quietly relieved sigh the moment the opposite wall brushed against them.

“It's alright, don't be scared; my stomach always acts up at first. It can't do anything to you and will stop once it realizes that. But,” he yawned loudly, “probably not for awhile. You two looked exhausted and you caught me right before bed. You should try and get some rest, since it might be difficult to sleep while I'm on the move tomorrow.”

“Is that part of your price? To keep us in here as long as possible?”

“N-no!” The stomach walls tensed around them. “I'm just... not disappointed it worked out this way, I really hadn't actually thought about it. There's something about having tinies in my belly that makes me feel so calm and I sleep better than when it's only food in there.”

“You- don't you have to be awake for the spell?”

“Nope!” The denial was said cheerfully. “I can't hurt you in there even if I wanted to. It shouldn't be too hard to fall asleep in there; you're not the first borrowers who've, erm, spent the night with me.”

“So... you're telling us that we're just going to have to find a way to sleep in your stomach, and if we don't want to then 'too bad, so sad'?”

“Are you saying you want back out?” Rikard asked, confused and just a little bit disappointed. “I'd just have to eat you a second time in the morning if I spit you out now. And... I'd prefer that you stayed, but I'll let you out if you really want me to.”

Sam was tempted by the offer – not to be spat out, but to be swallowed a second time. It had been an adrenaline rush like no other, and it wasn't like he'd get to experience it again, but he worried that insisting would only make the human think he was scared, that he didn't trust him.

Rachel had only asked in order to judge the human's response, and was not displeased with what she heard. “Why don't we try, and if we don't like it we'll let you know.”

“Alright.” The chamber shifted, Rachel and Sam sliding across its slick, moving walls as Rikard lay back in his bed. The couple's hands reached for each other, pulling closer and snuggling together. Sam snickered at the quiet sigh of contentment from the human.

“Goodnight then, Rikard.” Rachel laid her head on her husband's chest.

“Goodnight, you two. Pleasant dreams.” The weight of his hand returned, gently, as Rikard brushed over his belly happily.

When Rachel woke up, Sam was already awake and kissed her forehead goodmorning, grimacing at the thick slime covering them both. She laughed quietly. “You didn't have to let me sleep in so long, you know.”

“Shh, I think he's still asleep.” Sam pointed 'up' before realizing it was a pointless gesture in the dark. They listened to the steady thumping of his heart and whooshing of his lungs above the wet gurgles of his digestive tract.

“At least someone slept alright,” Rachel muttered. She wasn't annoyed at the delay; it wasn't as if they had a schedule, after all, and a human could cover ground much faster than a borrower like the two of them, avoiding or outright ignoring obstacles and hazards they would have had to deal with.

Sam flicked the tip of her nose with a mischievous chuckle. “And yet you slept right through the remains of supper passing into his intestines. Wasn't too hard to get back to sleep afterwards, though-” He patted the soft stomach lining near them. “-since it's been awhile since I've had anywhere as nice a bed as this. Hmm. Weird thought, that.”

Rikard's stomach jostled, compressed by the diaphragm pulling in a long breath of air that almost seemed like it would never stop. The air rushed back out in a loud yawn, echoed quietly by the borrowers. “Ah- Oh, sorry if I woke you guys.” They could hear another stifled yawn as he sat up, Rachel and Sam adjusting to the new orientation easily.

“No, we've been awake for a little bit.”

“Shit! Did I oversleep? What time is it!?” Rikard lurched to his feet. Though the move knocked them over into the relatively deep puddle of enzymes and stomach acids, somehow the fluid never got anywhere near their mouths or noses. “Hmm. Sun's still rising, so we're okay.” Sam sighed loudly, annoyed. “Oops. Sorry.”

“Well, at least our spares are clean,” Rachel reminded him.

“You already have some supplies? If you tell me where you left them, I can bring those along. What else would you like me to try and get you?”

“We were looking for bitter lettuce, but couldn't find any.”

“For... pain? Wouldn't Valerian root be better?”

“Too hard to dig up without the right tools.”

“Right, since you're small. Shouldn't be a problem for me, though!”

“It'd be appreciated. If you reach in the old mousehole at the back corner of your cupboard, we left our stuff there.”

“I have mice!?” he exclaimed, dismayed. Though muffled, it was still loud enough that the couple winced.

“It didn't seem recently used,” Sam tried to reassure him.

“Hmm,” Rikard said, not entirely convinced. The stomach rocked almost imperceptibly as he went around his house, packing for the journey. He started off at a light jog, Rachel and Sam having to lean deeply into the fleshy folds of his stomach lining to keep from being knocked over again. They were able to relax when he finally slowed down to a power walk, their arms around each other's shoulders. The constant sounds of an active stomach had become merely background noise, a predictable familiarity.

An hour after leaving, Rikard's stride slowed and he gently pressed at his belly. “Are you still okay in there?”

“Yeah, why?” Rachel looked at Sam. “Is there something we should be concerned about?”

“Ah, n-no, just, usually, anyone I've eaten talks often enough for me to know they're alright – even if they're too busy complaining about having been eaten – or there's um... squirming,” Rikard finished in a quieter, embarrassed tone. “I haven't been doing this long, or often, and I kinda start to get nervous.”

“Oh. No, it's fine. You just want us to talk, then?”

“It would help.” What was that motion, a shrug? “Asking you guys to keep moving around would feel... weird.”

“What's with the squirrels, then?” Yes, the situation was very 'weird', having a casual conversation with the guy who'd eaten you the previous day while still in his stomach that kneaded at you in denial of your inedibility and simultaneously complained about being empty of food with loud groans. “I saw that doormat you made out of their tails, so that's why we assumed it was your house.”

“That's, uh. Okay, I used to avoid meat that came from mammals or birds, but since that was almost always the only type available, you could kinda tell the difference between my build and anyone else in the village. Obviously tinies like you would count, so I had to find some kind of meat to eat regularly, because they'd notice I wasn't gaining the level of muscle I should be, and they'd figure out that whatever I was doing with you, it wasn't eating you for real. Squirrels are easier to catch than rabbits here, and the fur on their tails is really good for insulating. They also taste nutty and it helps me trick myself into thinking it's just a nut stew.” He snorted. “Of course everyone immediately started making jokes about me being 'nutty', but it's a nice change from 'bug-brain', I guess.”

They lost track of time, discussing some of the difficulties borrowers faced with getting meat protein when away from established villages, Rikard of course simply happy to have found kindred souls well-versed in the art of bug-eating. He wasn't so distracted as to miss a cluster of valerian flowers, or what turned out to be the wrong type of lettuce – twice.

When he'd walked for several hours and his stomach was really starting to ache from being technically empty, Rikard stopped and sighed quietly. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.” Sitting down, he pulled out his 'spitting out tinies' kit as well as the high-energy snack he'd packed for when he could finally eat, wasting no time in chowing down on it before the two could even start to dry off.

While talking with a mouth full of food was rude, Rikard was too hungry to care, and said, “Here's your things,” holding out their supplies and fishing out the few items he'd brought that they'd be able to carry. He added, much quieter, “I didn't fully realize what a difference having your permission could make. So, really, thank you. I didn't feel guilty after swallowing you, especially since you said you enjoyed it, too.” Rikard looked away, gathering his courage before looking back. “Do you... have advice for how to make it easier on a tiny next time, since you were desperate enough to trust me others might as well?”

Sam laughed, and even Rachel smiled. They both reached out and shook his extended index finger. Rikard was so much larger than them they hadn't considered how young he really was, younger than even themselves. “Sudden movements were a bit startling, but how you kept emphasizing that our comfort was your highest priority and demonstrating that you really meant it, that's what convinced me.” Sam chimed in with a mischievous wink and conspiratorial tone, “I can't see myself ever coming back this way, though if I ever see you again just know that all you gotta do is ask.”

Rikard flushed, swallowing back a stream of drool while his stomach let out a rumble as if to say it accepted the borrower's offer enthusiastically. Sam could only laugh again.

“Take care,” they said to each other, smiling. The two borrowers loaded Rikard's supplies into their bags and headed off, fingers intertwined.

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