~Breakpoint~
Today was a special day he knew and Ezraphel certainly did too as she was positively vibrating in place from excitement. Very inconvenient for the man she chose to cling to but luckily Stan was saved by the bell so to speak. After the delivery guy mishap that happened that first week Stanley made it a rule for Ezraphel to make herself scarce whenever the doorbell rang. It was a terrible oversight on his part however he chalked it up to him not used to her presence. Of course it didn't help him since the delivery guy was very keen on seeing the big, beautiful, busty cosplay girl again.
When asked on her identity Stanley told him she was a high class escort he hired from online who was also into cosplay.
"Don't bother looking her up, you can't afford her."
He got a funny look from that guy after he said that but whether it was the 'escort' thing or the 'can't afford her' thing was anyone's guess. Personally Stanley thought it might have been the 'this midget is getting more action than me' kind of thing. Stanley didn't care either way he just wanted his god damn pizza not debating the merit of paid sex with a delivery guy.
And speaking of deliveries…
Stanley directed the two guys carrying the various boxes inside though had them place them near the doorway. They didn't question it as obviously they could care less to ask why he would want to dump those heavy boxes by the doorway instead of somewhere more convenient. By the time they were finished there were assorted boxes and bags of different sizes piling the doorway.
'Christ no wonder they were giving me weird looks' at first he thought they thought he was into some freaky shit but considering the number of boxes stacked together managed to reach chest level when stacked they might have just thought he didn't have much of a male presence in a house full of women.
Why would they think this?
Because all the boxes have different fashion brands on them and all of them were women's fashion brands.
Guess who they're for?
"Okay they're gone you can come out now Ez."
There was a squeal and Stanley had to metaphorically hit the deck as hurricane Ezraphel teleported from her hiding place and tore into the assorted boxes with all the enthusiasm of a child unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. Stan left her to it, as far he's concerned his job here is done and he has earned himself a sit down behind the ole PC in his office. Now one may be wondering how this recent thing came about but really what should one expect at this point?
One of the first things that came up during talks of her stay was the absence of personal effects such as clothing and toiletries. Luckily in the case of the latter Stanley was stocked up like an apocalypse shelter, after that one mishap earlier in his foray into seclusion he learned that one can never have too much toilet paper. The rest was more for convenience, better to buy a whole bunch of stuff now and not use than to run out later and have to go outside to get them.
As such Stanley had several toothbrushes, toothpastes, soaps (both liquid and bars), shampoos, conditioners, mouthwash, floss, towels, washcloths, etc. Most of these things he got because of his parents and at the time he felt like splurging. The look on Ezraphel's face when she saw his assortment of 'bath oils' was a curious one but apparently soap wasn't widely accessible to the public in her dimension and could only be afforded by the wealthy. Even then the quality wasn't quite up to snuff in comparison to what Stanley had.
What a sad world she lived in.
The real problems came with the clothes. Ezraphel only came with the clothes on her back, which could charitably be called underwear if he was being honest with himself. He couldn't begrudge her for it, it's not as if she was expecting to cross dimensions and leave all her stuff behind. Shopping was out of the question for Ezraphel as she claimed to not have enough magic to throw up a glamour charm disguise. That is despite being able to sneak into his room past a locked door and barricade consistently without alerting him to her presence for weeks on end.
Does that say more about her skill, his lack of awareness or how bullshit magic is?
Just one of life's mysteries he supposed.
Of course being the magnanimous host he was Stanley did go out to buy her stuff. Admittedly he did this mainly as a way to catch a break from her advances and may have overestimated his ability to get that job done. Unfortunately for Ezraphel her size meant that conventional women's wear was out and Stanley's manhood wouldn't survive cashing out bra and panties at the register. He's on the internet most of the time and the last thing he needed is a meme about him making the rounds, he's just not that thick skinned.
This meant the only clothes Ezraphel wore for the past couple of weeks were boxers, sweat pants and XL shirts courtesy of the local men's store. She hadn't been happy about that but it was either that or her corset and thong every day. In the end she conceded grudgingly for the time being. He didn't know what made her sadder, that she had to wear men's clothing or that none of his could fit her. The expression she made after realizing this fact could be filed under 'cancer diagnosis.'
Even then it says some terrifying things about her sex appeal that she could make sweatpants and a t-shirt look like something straight out of Rule 34…Sheesh. Of course this wasn't something that she could tolerate indefinitely and like a man digging his own grave Stanley had no choice but to rectify the situation. Naturally he turned to the internet as he always did in times of great peril.
Online shopping wasn't a new concept for Stanley. Obviously being the urban hermit he was most of his stuff came through online services. This includes his various gaming and leisure devices, some appliances, food and even some of the clothes in his closet. Unfortunately not even his expertise could cover the fact that this was women's clothing he was going to order. Stanley wasn't foolish enough to trust himself with ordering clothes for a woman which left the option of having Ezraphel pick and choose what she wanted. Of course this began the tedious procedure of explaining the concept of online shopping and going through the steps of how to pick and customize what she wanted.
What really sucked was watching that dollar sign icon rack up in number.
Never would Stanley thought that he would ever felt a kinship to Al Bundy yet here he is. He might as well apply for that job selling women's shoes and give Ezraphel some bonbons.
…He went on a 90's Sitcom binge recently.
There was little he could do about it though because unlike Peggy Ezraphel actually pulls her weight around the house. She cooks for him, cleans his house, provides eye candy, is a boost to his self worth as a man every time she tries to get into his pants and reminds him every day that there is a beautiful woman who actually, genuinely cares about him. Shockingly that last part meant a lot more to him than he would ever admit out loud. So the least he could do is buy her some clothes as recompense.
Well that's not technically true as the least he could do was reciprocate her feelings, have sex with her and not act like an asshole so much. After careful consideration of the options Stanley decided on the course of throwing money at the problem until his conscience shuts up. In this instance Ezraphel was very keen on getting her hands on new clothes as she came to appreciate earth fashion.
And because he felt obligated to pay her back for services rendered as well as morbid curiosity Stanley found an online shopping service that lets one customize the clothes to s certain extent. After showing her how the site works, giving her a generous budget and laying down the rules of common public decency Stanley gave her free reign over what to order. And what she ordered ended up cluttering part of his living room with bags and boxes.
Was it expensive?
YES!
Was it worth it?
Was it worth the look of genuine happiness and childlike excitement on her face as she went around the room opening packages and marveling at the various clothing articles and shoes?
…yeah.
And on the bright side Ezraphel was set when it came to clothing which was something he approved of as a man who believed in having something and not needing it rather than needing it and not having it. Speaking of 'having' it should be noted that clothing for outdoor was included in that bulk purchase. Stanley wasn't stupid enough to believe he would be able to keep her cooped up inside his house for all of time. Even though he could technically pull it off the only thing keep Ezraphel from going out is the lack of mana for magic spells and with only means of replenishing that mana being his seed well…it's only a matter of time really.
This wasn't a rom-com anime, he knew for a fact that he was going tap Ezraphel's perfect ass before the quarter is over. In fact if can make it two months with his virginity intact that would be a win in his book.
Things took a turn after she started doing domestic work around the house instead of lazing about. With that change the dents made to his metaphysical wall got bigger even more so than when she was going the seduction route. Curiously she doesn't even aggressively pursue sex like the first couple of weeks anymore. The moment he figured out he was fighting a losing battle with this woman was the day he woke up spooned by her larger frame (again) and felt exasperation instead of aggravation.
Stanley can admit he was going to lose this battle of attrition because he's not an idiot he's a realist. He is also a stubborn bastard with trust issues and a constant need to control his life. So as a stubborn bastard with trust issues and a constant need to control his life he made the vow that before he inevitably gives in to temptation (or gets raped) he's going to make sure that Ezraphel is on the level so to speak.
Given her disposition (being a walking embodiment of lust and all) he thought this would be a daunting task but he recently confirmed something about Ezraphel. Sex is just a means to an end for her, what she really wanted was him. A woman who is most likely the closest thing to being perfect wants to be with him for no other reason than she is genuinely in love.
That's about the scariest thing Stanley's ever faced in his life and the real stinger is that he knows. He knows that she isn't working an angle. Ezraphel and Mamono in general are too honest about their feelings of men to ever be bitches working an angle. Stan doesn't believe there is a single Mamono who would try to sleep with someone as aggressively as Ezraphel has if they weren't in love with them.
So Ezraphel was definitely in love with him…as hard as it is to believe and it was very hard for Stanley to believe.
Stanley stared at the screen, he had just lost that round, how many times and even what game he was playing he forgot, so caught up in his thoughts he was.
It's only a matter of time.
You make it sound as if it would be a terrible thing at this point. She's practically playing the role of housewife in everything except bedroom duties.
She's harmless now but give her back magic and the next thing you know you end up like that self insert in Fallen Maidens.
Since the MGE universe was real then what happened to Lescatie is now a fact thereby validating the events told in Fallen Maiden/Brides story. Stanley winced thinking about the fate of the boyformerly known as Elt. They framed the story as if he lived happily ever after with his harem but Stanley doubted the man actually survived being raped nonstop around the clock by eight monster girls for an entire weekstraight.
Can you imagine it? Trapped in a bed, doped up on demonic energy and charm magic while she has her way you over and over and over again?
Oh my god!
That could be you in like…one week, two tops…
Stanley began to internally panic 'I can't stay here!'
Briskly leaving his office, Stanley avoided eye contact with Ezraphel whose attention was immediately drawn to him.
"Stanley?"
It's as if she knows.
"I'm going out" he said hastily before composing himself "I uh, forgot to pick up the thing."
"Is that so?" she says not at all buying his act of calm.
Hardly mattered either way, he was already moving, ignoring the sound of her bare feet padding after him. The last thing he wanted right now was to look at her so he went straight for the garage picking up his keys on the way. He managed to get to the door before a soft hand grasped his shoulder.
Slowly he turned to see the taller woman giving him a look of mild concern "are you alright?"
He swallowed a little, staring into those red eyes he is reminded of her inhumanity. He turned away "yeah I just, need to clear my head."
Her lips pursed, and he was afraid she would press the matter but in the end his worries were for naught as she simply chose to envelope him in a hug. Unlike the other times she embraced him this one was less forceful, less sensual and oddly tender in a way that was unlike anything he expected from her. It threw him for a loop, so much so that he couldn't even react when she released him.
"You have something to take care of?"
"Y-yes!" he silently cursed his stutter and higher pitched voice "I mean yeah."
Ezraphel only giggled "alright then" she kissed him on the cheek "for good luck"
Dumbfounded the man could give a "huh?"
She winked at him and started playfully pushing him into the car "go, I will be here when you return."
"O-oh…kay…?" he got in the car and opened the garage door.
Before he could get to reversing Ezraphel leaned down to the window and tapped it. For a moment he thought of just leaving but that thought was squashed as soon as it surfaced and he reluctantly rolled down the window.
"…yeah?"
…there is nothing Stanley had experienced that was more awkward and tension wracking than of Ezraphel staring at him unflinchingly and without a word.
Finally he had enough "WHAT!?"
Ezraphel did not react to his outburst though she did finally blink "apologies I was just thinking…"
"What about?"
She gained a pensive look "what would you like for dinner?"
'That's what she was thinking about?'
Somehow Stanley was doubtful of that.
He shrugged and went to say "whatever sounds good, I won't complain"
Except he did not say that, and instead said "don't bother"
"Hm?"
"You don't have to make any dinner Ez" he had no idea what he sounded like right now but from the look on her face it might have been cringe inducing.
"O-oh" the surprise was evident in her tone "I see" as was the suspicion "is there any particular reason why?"
"No I'm just…not feeling very hungry right now."
The way she wrinkled her nose right then must have been because she smelt his bullshit.
Getting back on track he started backing up from the driveway "I gotta go"
Despite being outside Ezraphel still caught up to him "wait Stanley"
"Yeah?"
"I love you"
"…"
"Stanley?"
"I…I…willberightback!"
He backed out of the driveway faster than intended and thank god there weren't any cars on the street at that moment. He set the garage door to close before peeling down the road, ignoring Ezraphel's hurt and disappointed look. Stanley already felt like a tool without having to add that to his conscience.
~The Lilim Wears…~
Earlier…
Today was a day of celebration, of jubilation and by no means an exaggeration. After two weeks of demeaning herself by wearing men's ware (that did not belong to her Stanley) Ezraphel will finally be able to sample the various fashions of this world. This was all thanks to her Stanley and her introduction to the wonderful thing known as 'Online Shopping.' Curiously this was a concept that was not too foreign to her as she would normally have her clothing custom made by an Arachne seamstress and delivered to her back home in the Royal Makai Realm.
In some ways the method back home was even better than what they have on earth due mostly to the fact that she did not have to wait weeks for the damn things to be delivered. As a princess she is given priority and her clothing usually arrive within the day (two tops), made to her specifications, clean and very comfortable. What the online method lacked in prompt and customization it easily made up for in volume and design variety.
Truly the designs she had sifted through in the catalogues were simply genius and there was just enough customization options to satisfy her for the most part. The best part about the whole thing and earth fashion in general was that unlike on Eos it is generally more accepted (and even encouraged in some instances) for women to dress less conservatively. Humans on earth have figured out that it is actually a type of empowerment for women to dress provocatively and without shame.
Why should she or any woman be ashamed of showing off their body? Really the ones who complain are the cowards too self conscious about themselves and try to make others feel bad because of their own perceived shortcomings. Thankfully earth's culture has progressed so far beyond Eos that the concept of a demure woman dressing modestly is a matter of choice.
Imagine Ezraphel's surprise when a large number of clothing seen on various models or statues called 'mannequins' wouldn't look too far off on what some Mamono wear. The only difference being that the materials on display on the screen were of a different (usually higher) quality and worthy of nobility.
Stanley had all but given her free reign to get anything she wanted provided she abide by the rules put in place which were not at all too constricting. Naturally Ezraphel took complete advantage of his generosity and it was an absolute joy for her. Just imagining her Stanley's reaction had filled her with great anticipation for the coming days. Aside from the various blouses and dresses she was familiar with, there were also the tight fitting pants called 'jeans' that would highlight her legs and ass, lingerie whose design was very close to what she normally wore, short skirts, short shorts, shirts called 'crop tops' that showed off her toned stomach and of course the shoes.
Ezraphel didn't know how her fascination with footwear started but she knew it would stick. Admittedly when it came to fashion on Eos footwear wasn't all that big, in fact it was mostly inconsequential. The same couldn't be said for earth wear the selection of footwear is just as vast and exotic as the clothing themselves. Ezraphel was blown away by the different types, designs and colors. She literally spent hours in front of the computer screen picking, dropping and customizing the various products.
In the blink of an eye several hours had passed and Stanley had to be the one shake her out her fugue state. Since he actually turned two shades paler upon reading the total cost of her would-be purchase she had to make some amendments and the results were now the packages being stacked by some men. Actually seeing the things she ordered made Ezraphel mildly shocked, it certainly didn't seem like she ordered as much and this was after her Stanley discarded what he deemed insignificant.
Either he was being lenient or Ezraphel went overboard in any case she couldn't help but tremble with excitement that is usually reserved for…other things. Her body wiggled (in an unwittingly sensual way), her tail danced about and her wings fluttered as she actively fought to contain herself. It wasn't until her Stanley gave the all clear that she revealed herself. A loud squeal was all the warning her Stanley received before she flew across the room nearly bowling him over, not that she noticed. Ezraphel had nearly two dozen boxes and an assortment of bags to open, catalogue its contents and store in the guestroom she had more or less commandeered despite sharing a bed with her Stanley.
She tried to be calm about it, she really did but even with her (in her own opinion) impeccable poise and control Ezraphel couldn't help but to pounce upon the gathered packages like an excitable child. Her Stanley had retreated to his office so it was the perfect opportunity to organize the various boxes into her new wardrobe room. The task was made somewhat easier through the use of simple magic which in itself was only possible due to the amount of opportunities she had in spending time with her Stanley.
If she were to hazard a guess Ezraphel would say that she was an 1/8th full on mana (don't ask how she got that measurement. It was paltry and Ezraphel was still adjusting to being so underpowered but at east she knew enough to limit the use of her magic for the time being. It was an impressive feat for someone used being powerful and would abuse her vast reserves without conservation. There is always that risk of falling back into old habits especially when she eventually gains access to her Stanley's spirit energy but until then she would only cast spells in the direst of situations. And yes organizing her new wardrobe definitely counts as a dire situation. For Ezraphel this was more than 'garments to cover her shame and modesty.' Pssh, what the hell does Ezraphel have to be ashamed of? And modesty, what is that, a type of food you eat? Because it sure sounds like something the Lilim would chew up only to spit out and stomp under her new pair of expensive high heels.
No, these clothes were tools to be used how she saw fit. Much in the same way a skilled warrior would wield their weapon of choice, so too must Mamono wear their garments with great skill, finesse and subtlety or if that isn't their style then they would go with bold, definitive and shameless or however they feel.
Stanley had once told her that her original clothes were less clothes and more 'fetish wear' that seem pointless to which she replied "there is always a point to what kind of clothes Mamono wear Stanley." Humans wear clothes to protect or cover themselves, Mamono wear clothes to entice and for most of the time it works. If being naked worked just as well then they wouldn't even bother with it but that is just too boring. When a normal human sees a Mamono for the first time they don't see her horns, tail, scales, claws, paws or furs first. More often than not they see her chest, hips, ass, legsor sensual frame.
For a time Ezraphel actually thought he was truly fighting against her advances from all angles. Why else would he supply her with baggy, not at all cute, men's wear? It was very disheartening to know that Stanley was so against her but then he went ahead and gave her unfettered access to what was essentially an armory.
And arm herself she did.
There is not a single item of clothing in these boxes and bags that she cannot wear in a way to entice the male gender or any gender really.
'With this I will be able to whittle him down further until he is left naked with no protection and then~'
"Ah!" she smacked her cheeks and wiped the drool from her lips "no, do not get distracted."
She had work to do and so she began using low level spells to separate the boxes into categories of footwear, tops, bottoms, underwear and the like. Not included are the ones that came as sets, those would be further organized at a later time under 'casual' wear, public occasions and the more private collections which will henceforth be marked 'for Stanley's eyes only.'
Ezraphel is so very thankful that Stanley did not look too deeply into what she ordered or else he would have spoiled the surprise~
She giggled at what the look on his face would be when she wore one of those.
In the midst of her organization Stanley popped out of his office in a hurry. Naturally this got Ezraphel's attention, this wasn't the first time he would spontaneously leave the house due to some emergency and after the first few times she would not really think much of it. With the return of a not so insignificant amount of her mana one of the first things she did was establish a sympathetic bond with her Stanley. It is something all Mamono do instinctively with the one whom they consider to be their husband candidate.
The results of this 'bond' vary depending on the individual power and intensity. In Ezraphel's case she is able to gleam a bit into Stanley's mood in a given proximity. It is why she knew that he was in a kind of distress that was not so out of the ordinary.
"Stanley?"
"I uh, forgot to pick up the thing."
Is that so?" she says not at all buying his facade.
He did not answer. Instead his pace quickened and along the way he took the keys to the horseless carriage know as a 'car.'
'Time for a different approach'
She grasped his shoulder and her heart ached at the flinch, she could have called him out on it but she chose not to "are you alright?".
"Yeah, I just need to clear my head"
Her lips pursed, wanting to press the issue but hesitating to proceed. There was a good chance she could 'trigger' his defensive abrasiveness, at which point nothing productive will be said. In the end she decided not to press though she did show her love through a more traditional hug. Even without the ability to read his mood Ezraphel could tell that what Stanley needed was reassurance at that moment more than any kind of sexual stimulation.
Looking at his gobsmacked face he certainly wasn't expecting her to do that
'Silly man'
"You have something to take care of?"
"Y-yes! I mean yeah."
Ezraphel giggled at the slip "alright then" as an afterthought spurned on something she saw in a 'movie' Ezraphel gave him an innocuous kiss on the cheek and repeated the line "for good luck."
"Huh?"
She winked at him and started playfully pushing him into the car "go, I will be here when you return."
"O-oh…kay…?" he got in the car and opened the garage door.
Before he could reverse Ezraphel leaned down to the window and knocked. For a moment she saw him hesitate and that made her hesitate. It was obvious to her now that whatever turmoil lay in his heart she was involved if not the direct cause of it. She could get ahead of this, sit him down and talk to him, 'hash it out' as the saying goes without having to deal with any misunderstandings or wrong conclusions.
The problem now is that she was pressed for time and having to come up with an explanation as to why she knew about his inner turmoil could complicate things further. Stanley had an uncanny perception towards things like this and it stems from his exposure to the different scenarios in various media.
Ezraphel has a theory that many of these are actually different universes being filtered through the subconscious medium of humans, particularly the ones belonging to the media known as 'anime' and 'hentai.'
"WHAT!?"
Ezraphel did not react to his outburst though she did finally blink "apologies I was just thinking…"
"What about?"
She gained a pensive look "what would you like for dinner?"
She could have predicted his next words "do whatever."
Recently Ezraphel has taken to experimenting with new dishes something her Stanley has been very appreciative of. But while most times he left the food preparations up to her she would still ask out of courtesy or in case he felt in the mood for something specific.
Now imagine her surprise when instead of those familiar two words he gave two unfamiliar ones "don't bother"
What?
"Eh?" she stared at him with a look of incredulity.
"You don't have to make any dinner Ez"
What?
"O-oh" she stuttered trying and failing to maintain a calm façade, not that he seemed to notice, he wasn't even looking at her Is there any particular reason why?"
"No I'm just…not feeling very hungry right now."
What!?
"I see" she mentally wrinkled her nose at the blatant lie
'Why are you lying to me Stanley?'
She wanted to ask but he was skittish as is and he was also already in the car.
"I gotta go"
This-this is all wrong, just what in her mother's names was happening!?
"Wait Stanley"
She may not be able to stop him b-but she could still reassure him of something else
"Yeah?"
"I love you"
"…"
"Stanley?"
"I…I…willberightback!"
Ezraphel silently watched him flee and without a second look back. The Lilim was at a loss for words, the rejection hurt but not as much as she thought it would because beyond the rejection was confusion. Her connection with her Stanley enabled her to glimpse his emotional state and what she found a mishmash of emotions. She didn't quite understand them but she understood at least that she was the source and that made her quite sad.
Whatever cheer she had from the acquisition of garments died a horrible whimpering death. With not even the distraction of preparing a loving home cooked meal Ezraphel could only drag herself inside, past the as of yet sorted boxes, up the stairs, across from the open door containing her boxes of half sorted new wardrobe and into Stanley's room where she proceeded to bury herself in the bed and cry for reasons that she herself was not entirely sure of.
Why was this happening to Stanley?
Why did he have to leave?
Why could he not tell her?
Why did he not look at her?
Why? Why? Why?
~The Stanley Parable~
Stanley drove until he reached the city limits before pulling over and dropped his head on the steering wheel. How did he go from paying for his sort-of girlfriend's expensive online shopping spree to running for the hills?
"What the hell is wrong with me?"
You needed space to figure out if you can trust Ezraphel to do the right thing when you eventually supply her with mana that will give her back the use of her powerful magic.
In other words, to lewd or not to lewd the Lilim, that is the question.'
Quite
"Is there even a point to thinking about this? I already know I'm going to give in at some point"
Frankly it is a miracle you lasted this long. Then again she's been getting less aggressive with her seduction attempts.
There is that.
Still doesn't change the fact that a full powered Lilim with access to all her magic is the single most dangerous being in the world.
She's harmless.
Is she though?
Only if we make her.
And what's stopping her from making us.
She obviously cares about your opinion.
Yet she sneaks into your room every night.
Some things can't be helped. Also are you really complaining about snuggling up to the hottest woman on the planet?
…point.
Look, instead of thinking the worst case scenario, why not give her the benefit of the doubt?
You mean take a leap of faith? Pretty big chance you break something on that drop and considering the subject matter that something could be your pelvis.
She's a Lilim, not a Manticore, Hellhound or gods forbid an Ushi-Oni.
Jesus, imagine if one of them ended up here.
'Pretty sure I'd be dead'
Mamono don't kill.
But you'd be dead where it counts.
Bottom line is that Ezraphel is building a rapport, earning brownie points, whatever you want to call it she's working really hard to try and make you comfortable with the idea of being with her so the least you could do is tone down the paranoia.
No such thing as too much paranoia.
It is when its stopping you from building a relationship with a girl who is honestly so far out of your league in every single way. Seriously you need to stop jerking her around!
'I don't jerk her around, do I?'
You're acting like a pussy worse you're acting like an indecisive harem anime protagonist!
Oh Bullshit!
'That's impossible'
Is it though? If you were a real man you would have taken her after the second week when she checked out. At this point you're stalling because of a hypothetical situation that is looking less likely to happen every day.
Hey Lescatie isn't just a place in an obscure story anymore, that shit is real and so is everything that happens in it! If it means not ending up like 'Elt' then you can swear off sex indefinitely.
Spoken like a true puss!
Tell me I'm wrong then asshole. Tell me that there isn't a possibility she won't get caught up in the moment and screw us over…repeatedly.
…there is
Ha!
BUT-but it won't happen, Ezraphel is different.
Is she though?
Yes, she is. Those bitches in Lescatie are comparable to sexually repressed neophytes who became crazy bitches after getting an excuse to let loose. Seriously I'm pretty sure most of them qualify for a psychologist with how much emotional baggage they have. Why else would they have a fixation on that one guy?
Lazy writing.
Well there is that…
'Agreed'
Those individual stories for the girls in Fallen Maiden may have taken place in an 'alternate universe' but only in the sense that they got to the guy first. Everything else about them is the same and he can only imagine how bad they must have been with everything that wasn't said in those stories. After weeks of cohabitation Stanley could say that at the very least Ezraphel is well adjusted and as far as he knew isn't a crazy ass bitch or simpering virgin with no self control.
That said what is really holding him back was the question of what happens after she gains her power. Sure on paper the difference between Ezraphel having magic or not may not make difference in the outcome if she decides to force the issue of sex but it does make a difference in method. It's like changing the channel on the TV, you're less likely to do it if you have to get up from the sofa.
It's even worse because Ezraphel really will be capable of doing almost anything. He has no idea how old she is and considering she introduced herself as the 27th daughter. He doubted she is as strong as Druella who is comparable to a demi-god in her bio but that hardly makes a difference. If she can open portals to other worlds then she can do anything she damn well pleases.
"Why me?" he lamented "I was supposed to live out the rest of my days like a prolonged vacation until the day I died, not pondering the pros and cons of losing my virginity to a mythological succubus because my semen would give her access to untold powers beyond my comprehension."
And it was at that moment of verbal lamentation that Stanley realized something important, something so all encompassing and worldview-shattering that all other thoughts and rumination came to a halt. It has been over a month since he had started living with the very beautiful, very busty and very lusty succubus woman who was keen in getting in his pants.
Over a month and Stanley was still a virgin.
Ooh.
Holy shit I didn't even think of that.
"Oh god I really am like those harem protagonists"
This needs to be fixed immediately.
Whatever happened to caution?
Fuck that, our manhood is on the line!
Now hold on a minute.
What the fuck is your problem guy? Do you want to lewd the Lilim or not?
I want to wade in from the shallows not dive into the deep.
Hm, I see your point, here is my rebuttal. Dick, what do you think?
I wanna risk it all!
Of course you do. Brain, can you weigh in on this, please.
{I think…we should do…absolutely nothing}
Excuse me?
Come again?
Right now?
Shut up dick!!
{We have been sitting in a car for the past twenty minutes, talking in our heads with multiple voices representing different aspects of our psyche and our dick (for some reason) like a bonafide crazy person when the answer is sitting right before us}.
I-it is?
Holy shit it's been twenty minutes!?
{Yes and yes. Has anyone else noticed that we have been treating this entire ordeal as if it were an anime, instead of real life like a normal person?}
Have you met us before?
Have to agree, we can't be considered normal by modern standards.
{Why not? If we take away the fact that Ezraphel is a Lilim from another dimension then we are facing a very real and very normal problem that guys in our position go through sometimes}
And that is?
{Fear of committing to a relationship}
…What
The hell are you on about?
{We have been distracted by all the outlandish bullshit surrounding Ezraphel's race and the 'what ifs' of how she would wield her power that we have fooled ourselves into believing that it is the reason for our hesitance in fully committing ourselves to being with her}
Bullshit!
No, that can't be true…could it?
{Think about it, have we not already concluded that sex with Ezraphel was an inevitability?}
Yeah…
Yes
{Therefore what is the point of trying to justify whether or not we will willingly give ourselves to her?}
She'll take advantage of us
{You sure about that? Because she's pretty much thrown the ball in our court with kick starting this relationship. We always had the ability to do it on our own terms and now we're stalling because we're afraid of commitment}
And also not ending up like that tool Elt
{You realize the guy basically has those women wrapped around his finger right?}
Holy shit.
My god he's right, why were we even arguing about this?
{Because Stanley Berkowitz is a 'weak' man who could not handle the 'real world' and choseto abandon society, his family and even aspects of reality. He is a man with no expectations of anything or anyone including himself, especially himself. For him to suddenly be faced with the expectation that comes with an intimate relationship he does what every coward does and runs away}
{If Ezraphel were any other girl she would have been gone but she is not, she believes in him, she loves him and she will not be deterred from him by anything including himself. For the cowardly Stanley she is the ultimate enemy, someone who will drag him back from the dark loneliness kicking and screaming until he has no choice but to face the light, to face her}
…Wow…I mean…but…if that's all there is to it then, the question isn't whether we should have sex with her.
The question is, can we allow ourselves to love her.
{And you my friend, have just reached an epiphany}
;)
…
"AH!"
Stanley gasped, his entire frame shuddered as he tried to get his thoughts together. He was still in his car the engine was running, the A/C was cooling and a look at the time saw that he had missed forty minutes.
'I must've dozed off. What the hell just happened?'
He could not put into words the absolute mindfuckery he just went through. Stanley would never admit to anyone, not even himself on the best of times but he isn't the best example of what one would call 'good mental health.' It was nothing even remotely close to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or any of those other mental afflictions that could see him with a doctor's prescription or in a mental asylum.
It just…sometimes he talks to himself. Not in the way like he believes he has a separate entity in his mind or sees hallucinations but in a very self aware state where he thinks about stuff and sort of discusses things. It's hard to explain but the bottom line is Stanley isn't crazy, he is very self aware of himself and he already figured that this was just a means to cope with being alone for years on end with little actual human contact.
That back there though, was the first time that had happened and he could admit he might have gone a little too deep in the rabbit hole for a second. On the plus side he now knew what the underlying problem was with him and Ezraphel. Whether he acts on this knowledge however is another question entirely. It wouldn't be first time he came to an epiphany and decided to ignore it because it wasn't convenient to his circumstances.
You think he doesn't know his lifestyle choices aren't conducive to a healthy body and sound mind?
You think he doesn't know his life expectancy will most likely bottom out at 40 if he's lucky?
You think he doesn't realize that he will die as he lived, alone and without any fanfare and little mourning to be had because the world sucks and people have better things to do than to care about some loser like him?
It is pessimism and nihilism at its best.
Stanley realized he was gripping the steering wheel tightly and relaxed.
"I think it's time to go home"
His mind instantly thought of a certain smiling busty Lilim and groaned. Even by his standards what he did was a dick move and given what he'd learned in his epiphany it only drove home that he was being a real fucking Shinji about all of this.
He shook his head "no, fuck that and fuck you Murphy"
Stanley had made his decision.
But first he had a stop to make.
~Turning Point~
Ezraphel was woken up by the sound of the garage doors opening, Stanley had returned. Her eyes felt slightly irritated for some reason-oh! She nearly forgot that she had been crying. A look at the clock told her it had been a little over two hours since she fell asleep. She didn't need a mirror to know that she must look like a mess right now.
Ezraphel could not let her Stanley see her like this, she had an image to maintain after all! There was a certain quality to her appearance she upheld when interacting with her Stanley even throughout her 'wardrobe malfunction.' A quick trip to the bathroom and she was making her way downstairs a short while later. Her nose had picked up the scent of food and unsurprisingly Stanley was in the kitchen taking out the various containers from one of the many restaurants in the area. Ezraphel had been exposed to a lot of the local 'cuisine' during her stay and yet she could not recall this particular one.
She shook her head. That did not matter, what did matter was Stanley himself and he…
"Hey, I got takeout."
He seemed fine all things considered. As he took out the various food items Ezraphel approached him tentatively, his earlier reaction still burning fresh in her mind. There was no flinch or any obvious signs of avoidance on his part. Stanley for all intents and purposes seemed fine, maybe a little preoccupied but he was not pretending he did not notice her gaze, he just didn't call her out on it.
"Stanley?"
He stopped and suddenly she saw how tired he looked, not physically, but mentally.
"Are you alright"
"…no, no I am not. I am so in over my head with this shit right now…" he trailed off before looking her in the eye "look, Ez about what happened before, I'm sorry"
Red eyes widened in shock, this was the first time Stanley had ever apologized for anything. One of the things she learned about him was that he was very unapologetic towards her. Part of it was due to his silly notion that he could distance himself from her through his poor attitude and the other reason was due to his personality.
He took her silence as his cue to go on "I was being an asshole, even more than usual" he grumbled "there's ice-cream in the freezer"
Translation: "I'm sorry for being a jerk, please forgive me."
Ezraphel had only heard of ice-cream but that did not matter so much to her as his sincere apology "oh Stanley~"
Rather than protest at what was coming next Stanley closed his eyes and gave a weak "here we go" before.
*GLOMP*
*Sigh*
Tentatively, hesitantly Stanley raised his arms (as much a she could in his compromised position) and hugged back. It was an awkward and mildly uncomfortable thing for the man to do yet it still drew a small gasp from the Lilim when he squeezed back softly yet firmly. Drawing back from the embrace to look at him she saw her Stanley frowned though it lacked any heat. He seemed frustrated and embarrassed as he looked at her.
"Ez, I'm really sorry"
"It is alright Stanley, I forgive you"
"You really shouldn't. I mean, I wouldn't"
"I choose to forgive you" she retorted with finality.
"I…okay…thanks"
"You are very welcome"
His irritation showed in the unimpressive look he sent her.
He pointed at the food on the island counter "we should eat that before it gets cold"
~Commitment~
'Shit-shit-shit-shit-shit'
Hours later and it was time for the inevitable sleeping ritual he and Ezraphel had been doing for the past couple of weeks. Stanley didn't keep regular sleeping hours most of the time but ever since he caved that one time during their first encounter Ezraphel has been very insistent on him receiving the proper amount of sleep. She even went as far as breaking into his office and literally carrying him across the threshold to bed. She never tried it again after that first time, mostly because he never gave her reason to.
Funny thing is, this act where the 'fuck-it' compliance originated. When Ezraphel wants him to do something that either can't be helped or she is very insistent to the point where the cost of defying her just wasn't worth it then he can justify caving in to her demands by saying 'fuck-it' and doing it. It's how he justifies doing a lot of things against his initial will due to Ezraphel's wishes.
"You need to sleep Stanley"
"Fuck it"
"You need to eat healthier food Stanley"
"Fuck it"
"You need to bathe Stanley"
"Fuck it"
Tonight was going to be no different.
After running the thought over in his mind with all the processing power of a freaking super computer it all came down to one outcome. It wasn't a matter of if or when at this point because the time was now and he hadto do this right. He swallowed and wiped a bit of cold sweat from his brow.
'Why the hell am I so nervous?'
He understood that what he was about to do would advance their relationship but he was being way too Shinji right now. Stanley would like to believe that he wasn't that afraid of committing, no it was something else, something about today which had him instinctively dreading what was about to happen in the next few moments.
'What is it about today that has me freaking out?'
*CREAK~*
He did not remember his door being that squeaky!
"Stanley~"
He looked, he stared, had his eyes assaulted and mind blown upon impact of the visual stimuli standing before him and suddenly he remembered why he was freaking out. Ezraphel got a whole new wardrobe delivered to her today.
'Somehow I completely forgot about that.'
While Stanley did check validity of all Ezraphel's purchases, he focused on the prices instead of appearance and Ezraphel was very adamant that he not look at what she bought. At the time he didn't really give two shits about Ezraphel chose to wear so long as it wasn't expensive and/or outrageous. Really he should have expected that ignorance to bite him in the ass and now it has. Stanley stared, he stared long and he stared hard but for some reason staring at Ezraphel made him unable to draw upon a coherent thought to gleam a proper description.
What his currently discordant brain did understand was that it was dark, it was lacy and the visual feast it did for her figure was something he knew men would sell their left testicle for just to get a peep at.
"I apologize for taking so long Stanley, I had to do a few modifications to garment first" she did a little twirl showing off the fact that it fit with her wings and there was a hole for her tail which he barely noticed because, Dat Ass.
"Well, what do you think?"
Duuuuh…
'Derrrr…'
"Uuuuh…"
"I thought so" giving a self satisfied smirk she sashayed right up to him, leaned down until her face was directly leveled with his, her breasts look like they could spill out at any second "it's time~" he swallowed thickly "are you ready?"
No.
"Y-yes"
"Good~" she purred and reached out...
Two minutes later…
Stanley once again found himself being spooned by Ezraphel…and that was it.
Wait what?
"Good night Stanley"
Huh?
'What?'
"What?"
"Hm, is something wrong?"
"…I…"
"Were you perhaps expecting something else to happen?"
"…"
'I see what's going on here'
"Okay, you got me" he admitted grudgingly, no use denying it, she's been using her tail to rub at his boner "you mind cutting that out?"
"No~"
"…this is payback for being a jerk to you isn't it?"
"What ever could you mean Stanley?"
Stanley winced, he couldn't say he's never experienced being blue balled before but this was super uncomfortable and he needed to get in the right frame of mind if he wanted to go through with his original plan. So he broke her embrace to face her properly, the action surprised her enough to stop her ministration.
For a moment they stared into each other's eyes (because Stanley was afraid to look anywhere else) before he spoke.
"Ezraphel" her eyes widened at hearing him say her full name "I…am surprised you haven't tried to have sex with me yet"
'Dammit!'
Shock turned to incredulity (and brief disappointment) before she chuckled and caressed his face "oh Stanley, while it is true that I have been looking forward to our first time since the day we met there is a-what was it? Ah yes, protocol. There is a 'protocol' for these things Stanley. I do not believe you understand nor appreciate the amount of careful planning and consideration I put into each and every attempt to seduce you."
"Oh well I'm sorry your highness for a plebian such as myself fail to capture the subtle nuances applied in your very meticulous art. Forgive this worthless peasant for his ignorance, for truly yours is a talent that is-HMMPH!?"
Ezraphel pulled his head into her cleavage with lidded eyes of apathy "what was that Stanley? I cannot quite hear you."
She kept smothering him for a moment until he calmed down and stopped struggling. When she let him go his expression was worth a thousand words, a thousand angry, hurtful words.
"I'm sorry" Ezraphel apologized, somehow able to convey both a sense of jest and genuine regret, heavy on the former than the latter.
"Whatever. I don't care anymore."
"Truly?"
"Yep"
"You are not the least bit curious?"
"I'll chalk this up to another of those Mamono things I, as a human, just won't understand."
Ezraphel pouted "it is not so difficult to understand Stanley."
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Then what is it?"
"Guess"
"…I'm going to sleep now"
The Lilim rolled her eyes "silly Stanley, the reason is simple" she paused "you. Are. Not. Ready. Yet~"
Stanley backed up or at least tried to, his girlfriend didn't let him get far "watchu talkin' bout Ez?"
"I have given a great deal of thought to what you told me on that first day when I attempted to rape you"
"Oh yeah, that happened" to be honest he may have deliberately forgotten about that incident. No sense in dwelling on something like attempted rape when your cohabitating with the person who tried to do it. If he did then getting to this point in their relationship would be impossible.
"You told me that you did not want to become an Incubus, that you did not want my demonic energy to affect your mind and for you to lose yourself to me."
"Well, I mean…"
"No, that is a good thing. If not for those words then I would have done exactly what my sisters would have and subjugated you in mind, body and soul" Stanley shivered at that last bit and she gave a light squeeze in their embrace.
"Thanks for not doing that"
"That is unnecessary. However with that said I am aware that there are ways for us to be together without my mana affecting you strongly"
"Really?"
Suddenly the Lilim looked a bit flustered "yes, however…that is…I…have never looked into them…"
He raised an eyebrow "oh"
"I'm sorry!" she blurted out "it just never occurred to me that a human let alone my ideal husband would refuse me!"
"Hey, it's cool-"
"No it is not" she retorted "because now I will have to discover a method to maintain your humanity while we have intercourse."
"Is that going to be a problem?"
"Not really, I am sure given enough time I will be able to come up with something" she sighed "though if I had my full capabilities it would make my research much easier and faster."
Stanley hummed, speaking of "can I ask you a question?"
"Of course"
"Would you go psycho if I give you spirit energy?"
"Would I…what…?"
"Would you. Go Psycho. If I gave you. Spirit Energy?"
"I am not sure I understand the question"
"You're killing me Ez"
He's going to have to drop all pretenses.
"If I let you suck my dick and you swallow my cum are you going to go into a rape frenzy?"
"W-what?" her shocked expression turned into genuine affront at the insinuation "No! Godsno!" she looked down at him "is that what you believe would happen if we ever had sex?"
"More like what would happen if I ever gave you a taste of my jizz" he clarified.
"Stanley, I have been feeding on your spirit energy for several weeks now"
"YOU WHAT!?"
"I don't necessarily need to drink your semen to absorb your spirit energy Stanley. Semen just has a higher concentration…and tastes better…and the act of retrieving it so much more satisfying~" she gave a dopey flustered smile
"Then how have you getting my spirit energy?"
"Your sweat, your saliva, faint traces you leave behind everywhere you go and even now I am absorbing it through skin contact."
"Oh" Stanley stared at her, looked down at their very close proximity "that make so much sense."
"Not that it has anything to do with wanting to stay close to you~"
"Yeah, yeah I get it"
"Why the sudden interest?" she leaned in closer with a husky voice "perhaps you want me to-"
"Ah, sorry Ez but I think I have a headache, maybe some other time"
"I will hold you to that Stanley~"
'Ah shit, walked right into that one'
He yawned, a cursory look told him that an hour and a half had passed.
'How? Why!? How long have we been talking?'
"Good night Stanley~"
'Eh, whatever'
"G'night"
…
"I love you~"
"…"
'…fuck it'
"I Love you too, Ez"
Stanley drifted off to the sound of an excited squeal while on the comfiest pair of natural pillows known to man.
~To Be Continued~
Advance chapters available on my Pa treon.