The New Girl in Town

Too often we forget that This World is one that is one built by cosmic immigrants and travellers. No record of a truly native peoples can be found here, though an argument could be made for those generations born into it. But in truth we are all, in some way, born of the Rift.

Easier still, we forget this is still happening - The great temporal storms that flung civilizations here centuries ago have long since abated within the continent, but many still exist out there in the wilds and oceans beyond it. And even then, smaller events are known to occur among us - some are through happenstance, others with intent - and more often than not, someone always accompanies them.

- Excerpt from 'The Speculative Histories of This World', by Albertus Datchery

"Nyeeehh," Meeko moans, the despair in her voice all too apparent, "how are these empty

again

? That's not fair!"

Supper time was fast approaching, and the cupboards in Meeko's rented apartment were once again bare. Desperately she pushes herself up onto her toes, the nekojin craning her neck and hoping that something could have secreted itself out of sight, but finds only further disappointment and sets herself back onto her bare feet hard.

"Haa, nothing at all?" her head and shoulders sag, accepting the futility of looking further. "Well, I guess I didn't need to eat tonight, nyah..."

The floorboards creak under each footfall as she turns and gazes idly across the room. To say that her apartment was modest would, sadly, have been a

gross

exaggeration; like the building it was based in the room was shabby and bare, the floor and meagre furnishings all sharing the same pale and unvarnished wood, everything blending into the sea of beige. The bare brickwork of the walls was hastily painted over with a thick white paint that flakes in places and does nothing to keep out the cold, even during the fresh Varaer months.

And yet it was all that the young mage could afford right now. At least, she

wished

she could afford it, a train of thought that only depressed her further.

Meeko's catlike ears droop down until they are almost flat against her indigo blue hair. She has tried to ignore the piece of paper on the counter, the one that had been left pinned to the outside of her door when she had returned, hoping denial wouldn't make it real. But her sense of responsibility wins out, and she snatches the letter up to give it another read:

To the Occupant of Room 3

ε

,

Make yourself available come the morning, girl. Your rent is two months overdue, and we will discuss your continued occupation of this property. No more excuses!

Mme. Sugden

"Nyep... That's definitely not good." Grim reality sets in as her hand drops to her side. The creak of the floorboards accompanies her sullen walk to the small table, her butt dropping to the chair with a dull thud. With most of her guild-related work ending disastrously, her reputation in tatters and her finances running dangerously low, she was now faced with the prospect of eviction. It certainly didn't help that Madame Sugden, her bullish landlady, had little to no tolerance for either nekojin, mages or guild adventurers.

I am not looking forward to this... Can I even be in a guild if I have nowhere to live?

Meeko slouches forward, resting her chin on her folded arms.

I'm trying my hardest here! I'm trying to be responsible!

Of course, those words would have rung truer if her yellow eyes had not then scanned the items scattered across the table: an empty container that had previously held several freshly-made sweet-meat buns; a torn open paper bag, the crumbs inside the last remnants of the cream and darqueberry jam pastry slice to satisfy her sweet tooth; boutique bag from the new lingerie store that opened up across from the guild, the designs of their panties

too

sexy to resist; and of course, her impulse purchase from the back alley artificer's shop she recently discovered, the cylindrical item still wrapped in black tissue secured with silver string.

Okay... Maybe I'm not that responsible.

Meeko sighes, her impulses to blame for her predicament. No one had ever warned her of just how much...

Temptation

the big city would present her with. Though with some hesitation, the nekojin did have to admit she was hoping that her success rate with guild work would be vastly better. Even incrementally better would do.

"Nyah, that's it! No more screwing around!" she slams her hands on the table as she pushes herself up. "Time to be an adult, Meeko!"

Hehe... I sound so grown up!

The nekojin has to push the distracting thought out of her mind, focusing on her plan.

First, I can maybe ask the Guildmistress to speak up on my behalf. She wouldn't let me be left out in the cold, right?

... Okay, maybe don't pull on that thread, Meeko. But at least you'll be able to get some fresh broth from the kitchens, maybe!

She puts that thought to the side and turns her gaze down to the table, looking at her recent purchases. Returning the food was not an option, which left her the underwear and her artificer purchase.

Nyah, what to do... I mean, underwear is pretty essential, right? Would hate to be caught without them! And the other thing, well... Can I even return this? I suppose if I haven't used it...

With a small huff, Meeko scoops both items up and makes her way through the narrow door to her bedroom. The creak of the floorboards follows with her, as does the drabness of the kitchen area. The only source of colour is from personal things Meeko brought with her - A blanket knitted in her favourite purple hues, the pictures to remind her of home, and the clothing either piled in a hamper or scattered on the floor.

"Nyeh, stupid window!" Meeko rushes over to the opened frame, shivering from the fresh breeze blowing in. With how flimsy the latch on this was, Meeko wondered if losing this place would be such a bad thing.

Her mood further soured, she drops her belongings on top of the chest of drawers and moves to the opening, slamming the window shut.

I guess I will have to take it back, nyah... Such a shame, that cute little goblin girl was so eager to have me purchase it. I wonder why--

Meeko's ears twist up and around at the noises. A quick succession of creaks from the floorboards, each one getting closer until they were right behind her. Before she even feels the figure saddling up behind her does the gloved hand swing round to her face, Meeko's eyes going wide as the folded white cloth is pressed firmly over her mouth and nose.

"Wh-Whhdd?" She cries out, her words muffled underneath the cloth as another arm wraps round her, feeling another gloved hand clasp at her shoulder as she is pulled back. Instinctively she breathes in, ready to scream for help, only for her to inhale a big breath of sweet-smelling fumes that soaked the cloth, her head already starting to spin from it.

"Hey there, honey." Whispers the female voice in her ear, her tones silky smooth and playful. "Don't struggle too much now. Just keep breathing in, okay?"

"Whdd dhh hhll?" Her attackers' words do little to ease her, Meeko reaching up and grabbing at the arm across her chest. But as she tries to pull down the dizziness she feels starts to worsen, her vision blurring as her strength starts to leave her. "Whumm... Hh... Hhmmff..."

"That's it, nice and easy." The woman continues, easily supporting Meeko's weight as her legs start to give out, and the nekojin feels her captor start to lower her down onto her knees. "There you go, honey. Just keep breathing..."

"Mmmnnnff..." Her muffled voice is now just a squeak as the fume take her, her head lolling as she feels herself turning onto her side and rested on the creaking floor. "Mmmff... Nnnm..."

The woman's words start to garble as the fumes take her, but Meeko is able to just make out the intruder's last comment: "Now, let's get you undressed and make you comfortable, shall we?"

It is imperative that we, the acclimated denizens of This World that we are, have empathy and understanding for those poor souls - these 'Rifters', if we must use the crude terminology - who find themselves pulled into this strange new world on a regular basis. They may not be familiar with our customs, but whatever actions they may make cannot truly be with dubious intent.

- Albertus Datchery

Several acts of dubious intent later...

"Open wide now, honey!" instructed the feline Rifter, before pushing Meeko's folded panties into her mouth.

"Ghk! Ghrrhffmmn!" Meeko grumbles her objection in response, still too weak to really protest as gloved fingers push past her lips and teeth to force the wad in. The taste of her own underwear is far from desirable, but it certainly was not the most compromising aspect of her situation.

With a head feeling like it was stuffed with wool she had vaguely remembered being lifted off the ground and deposited on the bed, the telltale creak of its frame taking the weight of her and the intruder. Smooth, gloved hands had then worked their way around her limp form easily, stripping her of her dress, her socks and eventually her undergarments - Meeko clearly recalled the slowness that the woman had used in removing her underwear, setting them aside for her eventual gag.

Once she was naked, the Rifter had made good on her efforts to make Meeko comfortable, although the nekojin doubted her sincerity on this. Her wrists being bound snugly before being secured to the spindles of her headboard, The firm but practical looking harness that had been wound around her chest had additional cords attached and looping under her mattress to effectively pinning her torso down. Her ankles were secured with short ropes that bound each one to a bottom corner of the bed, and coils wrapped around each knee and were secured to the edges of her bed frame. Managing to test them briefly, it was clear her kidnapper had been thorough in making sure her captive would stay put, save for her slender tail which hung lazily over the side.

"Aw, do they taste good honey?" the woman continued, flashing a big smile and showing off her sharp, feline teeth. "My playmates always get gagged with a nice pair of panties... It's kind of my trademark, you know?"

Her captor was nothing like Meeko had imagined, even for a Rifter. Feline in nature, but clearly not a nekojin or any

uthrkin

she had encountered before: tall, slender but athletic, her body covered in a mix of orange and brown fur; her head, with its elongated snout that ended in full and luscious lips, had long and sandy blonde hair flowing down elegantly, with a cute braid tied off to the side. And her clothes were eclectic to say the least, a black skirt over white leggings, a white undershirt that sits underneath an off-the-shoulders top in the type of purple Meeko adores in her own clothing, and a blue scarf with white polka dots tied around her neck. And of course, those tight leather gloves that adhered to her hands perfectly, and whose fingers Meeko is forced to suck on.

"But it looks like you have a lot more room in there! And lucky for me, it seems you came prepared!" Meeko's gaze drifts down to her where the discreet boutique bag had been placed between them, then back up to the woman as she tried to shake her head with her gloved finger still wedged in her mouth.

"Nnhhmm, nhgd dhhff!" Meeko shouts, more concerned with her recent money issues than the potential gag. "Dhhrr nhhw!"

"Oh, I can tell they're new," her captor comments, her smiling lips surrounded by a peachy white fur that also runs down her full cleavage. "and what a perfect way to break them in, wouldn't you agree?"

"Nh-- Nhhmm, Uhh

dhhnd

uhgruhh!" Unfortunately for Meeko, her muffled protest falls on deaf ears as the woman has already delved into the bag, pulling out a pair of pastel blue briefs with a darker blue lace band. Folding up the second pair in her free hand, her other fingers sliding out of Meeko's mouth to make room for the second wad.

"Ooh, you are a noisy one." The woman chuckles as Meeko tries to shake her head free, her icy blue eyes lighting up in delight. "Fortunately, there's still plenty of room in there..."

Trapped, frustrated and a little flustered, Meeko is unable to stop her from pushing a third pair inside, and then a forth. Her mouth is already uncomfortably full as the fifth pair pushes past her lips, Meeko groaning as her cheeks bulge out from the silky packing. Her captor only smirks, her three middle fingers pressed across her mouth and stopping the fabric from protruding out.

"Well that looks packed enough! But... Aw, what a shame. Looks like this one is the odd one out." The feline pouts mockingly as she holds up the last remaining pair of briefs - the pastel purple pair, Meeko's favourite of the six she brought - before letting it drop back into the bag.

"Ghhrmmff," Meeko mutters, her bulging cheeks aching a little from the pressure of their contents, "Hhrrgh, mmmghhm."

"Hold tight honey, we're only halfway there!" The smile returns to her face as her other hand reaches into the small, black duffle bad at her side. Meeko is able to push her head forward slightly, able to see that bundles of the same white ropes are packed inside, alongside several bunched up scarves of varying colours and patterns, her captor pulling those out and setting them to the side.

The hand pulls away from Meeko's mouth, grabbing a lime green scarf and starting to tie a knot in the centre. Meeko tries desperately to push the stifling wad out of her mouth, but the way they are packed wedges her tongue down hard, the task impossible without her hands. But that worthless opportunity soon passes as the knot is doubled up before being pushed down over her half-open mouth.

"Ghhrrrrmmm..." A growl of annoyance rumbles from beneath the gag as it loops the ends around her head, pulling it tightly to force the protruding wad back into her mouth. Once the knot is secure her captor grabs another scarf, tying it tightly over the first cleave gag. And then another. And another...

"And... Done!" The woman proclaims, pulling the knot tight on the fifth and final scarf. The last two scarves completely cover Meeko's nose and down past her chin, her half-open yellow eyes barely visible between that and the bangs of her indigo hair. "That was a lot of fun for me honey, I thank you for letting me blow off some steam... You truly wouldn't believe the day that I've had!"

"Mmph. Hhw dhrrublh fhr yhh." Meeko's complaint barely reaches past the stifling fabric as she narrows her eyes at the brash and annoyingly beautiful woman, then averts her gaze as Alicia eyes her curiously.

"Hmm... I guess this is a bit much for you, huh?" The feline's voice softens a little, Meeko feeling her sit down on the edge of the bed. "Especially since I've, ah... Gotten to know you so, and you don't even know my name."

Meeko tilts her head back in the captor's direction to see her smiling sympathetically at her, her curiosity piqued by the sudden niceties. "Let me remedy that. The name's Alicia... Alicia Young. It's lovely to meet you, my adorable little roommate."

"Mh... Rhhmmhdde?" Meeko's eyes widened at this comment, quickly putting aside how pleasant her name sounds in her ears. The implication of Alicia staying fills the nekojin with concern... And a

little

curiosity, if she was completely honest.

Another toothy grin flashes on Alicia's face, enjoying Meeko's reaction. "Relax honey, that was a joke... I'm a big girl and I can make my way in the world, even this weird one. I just need a place to crash for the night while I wait for my friend to find me... Say, do you have wizards in this world too?"

Meeko has to stop herself from laughing at that question, her captor clearly not realising who she was in the company of, and gives Alicia the smallest of nods.

"Well, I know one. Jean." Alicia relaxes a little now as she talks about herself, although Meeko cannot help but notice her gaze travelling up and down her naked body as she speaks. "A bit of a minx. Very...

Strict

, if you get my meaning. Anyways,I thought I would pay her a visit, and it turns out she wasn't home. I decided to hang around, hoping she would return soon, and... Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats, right?"

"Uh... Nhh uhh." Meeko shakes her head softly, the conversation taking a confusing turn.

"Oh?" Alicia appears startled, but quickly brushes it off. "Well, for context... I figured that it couldn't hurt to have a look around. I took a quick look in her study, and saw that she was looking over a very strange book. She had made some notes, perhaps a translation, and I thought it would be a bit of fun to play being a wizard myself... Well, all of a sudden this swirling

thing

opens up behind me, I'm pulled in and... Well, here I am, I suppose!"

If the unreasonable amount of underwear stuffed into her mouth would allow it, Meeko would have been grinning at this story.

And that's why you never mess around with a wizard's study, nyah... Guess you're not quite as clever as you think you are!

It was then that Meeko noticed Alicia's eyes meet hers, the nekojin fearful that she had given herself away with her expression. She cannot stop her gaze from widening, even as her captor's narrows and her smile becomes more devious.

"Well, no matter." Alicia finally says, her silky voice not giving anything away. "Jean will find me, she always does somehow. It just means that I will have to keep myself... Entertained."

"Mmmmmff," is all Meeko can utter as Alicia reaches over, gloved fingers tracing along her padded jawline to the tip of her chin, then down along the length of her throat to her collar. The rough touch of the leather fingertips is surprisingly pleasant, and as Alicia's hand guides itself straight down between her breasts and to her midriff, the nekojin's body shudders gently and her breathing gets heavier.

Meeko tries to disassociate her body from her mind, Alicia's fingers now circling around her navel.

Nyah, this shouldn't excite me but... It does feel nice to be treated gently for a change...

"I do love these markings of yours..." Alicia says as her hand, poised teasingly atop her pelvic area, now sliding back towards her before running itself up and down Meeko's sides. Her touch weaves back and forth along her brown stripe markings, her eyes following her hand as she grazes the side of her breast and the stripe curving around its surface.

"Hhh!" Meeko jerks in her bondage as she shouts, the sensitive skin of her side catching her off guard from her thoughts. She glances over as Alicia chuckles, Meeko letting out a small growl of disapproval.

"I see that one's ticklish." Alicia purrs, her icy narrowing as she gives Meeko a hungry look. "I can't wait to find out which of the others are too..."

"Nhh, dhhn'd!" Meeko pleads, shaking her head softly and trying to deny how, up until that point, she had enjoyed the supple touch of leather and lips on her skin.

"It's not like you have a choice here..." She speaks softly, lowering herself down slowly on top of the bound Meeko. Her chest pushes firmly against her captives as she leans her face in, pressing her lips on top of the stripe running down from her left shoulder. Meeko closes her eyes as she feels two more light kisses on it, letting a soft purr rumble in her throat from the tender attention as her tail springs to life again.

Alicia lets out a purr too, shifting herself and massaging her chest against Meeko's, then gently pulls back as she begins her circuit: her face moves down her left side, kissing and licking at each of Meeko's markings as she goes. Meeko squirms as she feels the touch on her tender skin, but doesn't try to wriggle herself away even as she reaches her hip and finds a particularly ticklish spot to focus on. The bed frame creaks as her captor then crawls across her, now moving to Meeko's right side and slowly working her way back upwards. By the time she reaches Meeko's other shoulder, the nekojin is panting and growling with longing for her touch.